1st time applicant

[WojirasWind]

Hello everyone! I’m a 20F Texas Resident applying for the first time this cycle! I would really like to do either small or exotic animal medicine so any advice would be really appreciated, especially since I’m worried about my GPA and hours.



Cumulative GPA: 3.6

science GPA: 3.5

last 45: 3.6



Any degrees: Animal Science (In Progress)



GRE results: N/A



Veterinary Experience:

Small animal shadow: 650 hours

Large animal shadow: 50 hours



Animal Experience:

Cat pet sitting: 100 hours

Tarantula husbandry and breeding: 150 hours

Velvet and jumping spider breeder: 200 hours

Wildlife Rehabilitation Volunteer: 50 hours



Research Experience:

Fruit fly research on meiotic disjunction: 100 hours (includes a published article with co authorship but not one of the first authors so unsure if this helps?)



Awards/scholarships:

Deans List for 2023-2025

Presidential Merit Scholar

SkillsUSA Cosmetologist State 1st Place



Extracurriculars:

Preveterinary society

Alpha Zeta Ag Representative

Local Symphony Viola Player

1500+ hours in cosmetologist training/competition work



Employment:

900+ hours as Cosmetologist Hairdressor

500 hours as a small business owner for crocheting



I also have had the privilege of being accepted as a wildlife hospital intern in California this summer! So I’ll have ~300 wildlife experience veterinary hours by the time I submit my application!



My main concerns are what schools I should focus on applying to that I’d have a better shot, and of course WAMC with my current stats?

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[_rae_]

I had similar GPAs, I think a 3.64 across the board. You have a wide range of experiences outside of vet med, which I is good. I think that wildlife experience is really going to help your vet hours, especially with proving your interest in exotic animals. Focus on writing a knock-their-socks-off essay and getting really stellar LORs, and I think you have a decent chance. And make sure if you have any outstanding pre-reqs that the schools allow them to be outstanding.

I would focus on "holistic" schools since your GPA is a bit on the lower average and you've got some cool non-vet med experiences. My tactic for this was looking at schools I was interested in and what their last two year averages were, since every year is a little bit different. My list was WSU (bad idea, very competitive due to OOS getting IS tuition after first year), Glasgow (waitlist), UPEI AVC (accepted), Tufts (IS accepted), and UMN (accepted). And always apply to your in state, even if it's a notoriously difficult school. I did not think a 3.64 would get me into Tufts, even as an IS, and it did.

 

[WojirasWind]

I had similar GPAs, I think a 3.64 across the board. You have a wide range of experiences outside of vet med, which I is good. I think that wildlife experience is really going to help your vet hours, especially with proving your interest in exotic animals. Focus on writing a knock-their-socks-off essay and getting really stellar LORs, and I think you have a decent chance. And make sure if you have any outstanding pre-reqs that the schools allow them to be outstanding.

I would focus on "holistic" schools since your GPA is a bit on the lower average and you've got some cool non-vet med experiences. My tactic for this was looking at schools I was interested in and what their last two year averages were, since every year is a little bit different. My list was WSU (bad idea, very competitive due to OOS getting IS tuition after first year), Glasgow (waitlist), UPEI AVC (accepted), Tufts (IS accepted), and UMN (accepted). And always apply to your in state, even if it's a notoriously difficult school. I did not think a 3.64 would get me into Tufts, even as an IS, and it did.

Thank you so much for the advice! It was really assuring to hear!