2nd timers, 2010 cycle edition

[KiaKia]

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Hello! (I'm a *long* time lurker who blesses this forum with "cop kills dog" videos and will hopefully not do that again)

Well, VMCAS is ready for us, again.
I applied last year but did not expect to get in with next to no clinical experience (I also decided I wanted to become a vet last year).

What has everyone been doing to better their applications?

good luck everyone!

 

[DVMDream]

Hello! (I'm a *long* time lurker who blesses this forum with "cop kills dog" videos and will hopefully not do that again)

Well, VMCAS is ready for us, again.
I applied last year but did not expect to get in with next to no clinical experience (I also decided I wanted to become a vet last year).

What has everyone been doing to better their applications?

good luck everyone!

Hello. I will be a second timer with you. I have started working with horses beause I have a gazillion hours with small animals, so I have a volunteer position to get horse experience but I will only have about 20 hours by the time applications are due so I am going to attempt to find something else as well. I have also started to study for the GRE to bring up my awful verbal score of 430 into the hopefully 500 range (really crossing my fingers on this one). I am also going to attempt to find some more community service type activities because I was told that was one of the things on my application that needed improvement so hopefully all of this together might be my ticket in (again crossing fingers here as well). Good Luck to you! Hopefully this will be yours, mine and TT's lucky year! TT; if you do not get in I am personally marching to ALL of the vet schools you applied to and having a protest outside of each one.

 

[twelvetigers]

Third timer here. Better not be a fourth, apparently, or they'll have an angry mob with torches and pitchforks to reckon with. 🙂 I'm getting some unique experiences, taking the GRE again, and pursuing a second bachelor's.

 

[gone2dogs]

Another third timer here... since last cycle I've taken 2 more upper division classes, increased hours with existing vet experiences and added a couple of days of shadowing in different areas of vet med. This summer I have also added a new animal experience by volunteering at a wildlife rehab facility and have continued with a few of my other animal experiences. I will also be going on another RAVS trip.

Even though I registered with VMCAS I just can't seem to get myself to even start it. I am pathetically still feeling whiny that they didn't save our data from last year, and feel like crying every time I try to start. Next week I plan on really getting serious though... working on VMCAS, calling/e-mailing schools that I am interested in with questions, and hopefully nailing down my list of schools.

 

[heylodeb]

2nd timer - only applied to my in state last year (Davis). I graduated in December, working full time at a small animal clinic, going on an overseas volunteer vet trip, and volunteering at UCD to get equine experience.

I have written 7 different versions of a PS for this year and hate them all. Really need to write something that I like AND fulfills the requirements the school are looking for. blegh.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I am pathetically still feeling whiny that they didn't save our data from last year, and feel like crying every time I try to start.

Yeah seriously. Remember last year when people were on the fence about applying, and everyone was like, "yeah go for it! as long you have that extra cash to burn you got nothin to lose cause vmcas will save it for ya!" Ugh... why would they promise such a thing and not follow through with it?

 

[Whyevernot55]

VMCAS makes me want to gouge my eyes out with rusty sporks.

I'll be reapplying this year unless I magically get called off the waitlist (hahahaha). I started on the basics, and contacted people for eLORs (one of which is already done, bless him). I can't even think about the rest of it right now, and I have to finalize where I want to apply. ICK.

 

[goldielocks137]

Oh no! VMCAS didn't save anything from last year!? That does not make me happy. I am also reapplying unless I magically get called off any waitlists. I'm going to retake the GRE's and also take the bio GRE. And I'm trying to get some experience other than with small animals. Last year when I applied I didn't know about this site so this time I might try to take advantage of some of the nice people who have offered to read personal statements

 

[thedogisgreen]

I'm not sure if it's still there, but if you go to the 2010 vmcas page, at least as of a couple weeks ago, you could log in and save your old application to your computer. that still leaves the tedium of entering everything again, but at least it has all your info. was helping me a lot in entering the grades so i could just have the two winders open and copy directly between them.
I luckily don't need to redo GREs, but cramming in as much experience as I can before apps are due (more small animal, plus a bit of avian/exotics), using SDN to make sure my PS is nice and strong, and made sure to get good grades to finish up my undergrad... though I wish they looked at the last year rather than the last 45, I have some awful grades from junior year that count in the 45, ugh.
Good luck with apps! Tho this is the easy part. Next, we wait... eek.

 

[sunnyshine]

2011 will be my second year applying (unless Iowa happens to reach my # ). Need to retake the GRE only because my verbal stunk (460) and I am trying to get some more veterinary experience. Have had difficulty finding a paid job so I am just volunteering.

 

[der2002]

Good luck with apps! Tho this is the easy part. Next, we wait... eek.

from personal experience, the endless waiting once the apps are actually in (the mental and emotional posturing, the "what if" vortex of psychological torture etc.) is thousands of degrees worse than vmcas...

get your apps and eLORs in on-time and make sure you mail everything certified mail and keep records of all emails/transactions and you'll all be fine 😛

 

[Jamr0ckin]

3rd time applying- I'm back at my primary school finishing my B.S. (which will be a double major). By doing summer school, I'm hoping to raise my GPA a bit. I'm retaking the GRE, focusing on the verbal section. Also thinking about the biology GRE for OK. Hoping to get some more LA experience on campus (we have angus herd, jersey dairy, sheep, and horses). I'm honestly banking on not getting in this year, so I'm also making plans to go to grad school in nutrition.

 

[Polar Opposite]

I'm a *long* time lurker who blesses this forum with "cop kills dog" videos and will hopefully not do that again

Lol...don't worry...I'll refrain from commenting if you do happen to post another