1st Time Applicant WAMC

[vetnurse99]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello everyone! Im 25M applying to vet school for the first time this cycle from MA.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Not expecting much but would love to hear any opinions on what I should be doing to strengthen my application in case I don't get in during this cycle. I am also currently taking my last couple pre-reqs this year including biochem, physics, and retaking Orgo I. Also not sure if this matters considering I've heard conflicting information whether it would make a difference or not but I am a first-gen LGBTQ and latino student.

Cumulative GPA: 3.04 from undergrad
Overall science GPA: 3.3
last 45: 3.4

Any degrees achieved: Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Technology 2022
GRE results: N/A Did not take

Veterinary Experience:
Total around 7800+ Hours in GP, shelter med, emergency/ICU, internal medicine, surgery and anesthesia, wildlife, and exotics as a Certified Veterinary technician with multiple leadership position experiences.

Animal Experience:
- Kennel manager my junior year of undergrad managing care for dogs, cats, mice, hamsters, rabbits, and guinea pigs. - 260 hours

Research Experience: 1200 hours doing cardiac intervention and harlequin syndrome studies on pigs to be used for human medicine

Awards/scholarships:
- Deans list in undergrad my last 3 semesters
- National Honor Society in High school
- 2 state wide scholarships that covered my undergrad cost of attendance

Extracurriculars:
None.

Looking for any and all advice. Schools I am planning to apply to are: St, Georges, Ross U, Long Island University, Rowan, Iowa state, and Edinburgh.

My low GPA is mainly due to my freshman year. I mainly got Cs in bio 1 (retook and got an A in) and chem 1 and failed sociology twice, but have a good upward trend of A's and B's and one C from then to now. I also have one W on my transcript senior year from a class I did not actually need to take. I am confident that I have excellent LOR's from a. couple criticalists, ER vets, my surgery professor (which I was a TA for), and my current manager and medical director. Anything else I should be focusing on? If I do not get in this cycle my plan is to definitely retake my intro chem course and maybe take some higher level sciences to try and prove that I can handle the course work. Thank you in advance everyone!

 

[_rae_]

I'm not going to lie that GPA is going to be rough. Many schools, even the ones who say they are holistic, have a first round where they cut based on GPA alone and it can be very year dependent. For instance, based on the stats of the applicants on here, I would not have gotten into UMN with my 3.64 this year, but I did last year. Do you have an idea on if your pre-reqs and retakes will up your GPA?

I would focus on schools that do grade replacement, that way your C in Bio won't hit so hard. Or schools that focus more heavily on last 45 than cGPA. I would almost recommend taking that year and retaking the courses you mentioned to get your last 45 up more.

As far as extracurriculars, do you have anything? Clubs, volunteering, community involvement? Schools like to see that you have a life outside of vet med.