4.0 and still rejected

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Absolutely. Gpa is only one component considered. Just because someone has straight As doesn't necessarily mean they will be a good dr or vet. If someone applies with a 4.0 but has limited experience or no real knowledge of the veterinary field then there is a good chance of rejection. Is this you that got rejected or someone you know? If it was you, sorry to hear about the rejection. Perhaps it was just a bad interview or perhaps the school was looking for something else entirely.
 
Has this ever happened.....really?

Sure. I got rejected last year at UMN. The two GPAs they calculate should have both come to 4.0 (pre-reqs and last 45 credits) for me. Heck, I didn't even get an interview.

That said, my cumulative 'life' GPA is certainly nowhere near 4.0 (1.7 from my earlier days). So I'm not sure if that fits what you're talking about.
 
Sure, why wouldn't it? If all you did was get good grades, you lack the well rounded experience of a desirable candidate. I suppose you could have a 4.0 and have a felony conviction, which would also be a reason to not get accepted.
 

Except... except.... that document says, under pointers:

9. Don’t rely on Student Doctor Network for reliable information.

So that makes your post unreliable, which makes their document unreliable, which makes... my head explode.

Joking aside, I wish I had seen that document in my first application cycle; most of the mistakes I made the first go-around are things it warns about.
 
Depends on the school, but GPA is worth something like 10% - 30% of your application.

Some schools also assign a value to the difficulty of the classes. Some don't even explain how the decide, while others might give 10% just to your letter of intent or whatever it was called.
 

I like how it points out to not rely on SDN for reliable info.

I know this sounds weird, but I'm glad some schools seem to weigh their decision on more than just grades. Experience and outside interests both contribute a good amount to the person, I'd say more than the GPA and GRE do. Some schools weigh so heavily on grades, you wonder why they even conduct interviews and review your file!
 
I know this sounds weird, but I'm glad some schools seem to weigh their decision on more than just grades. Experience and outside interests both contribute a good amount to the person, I'd say more than the GPA and GRE do. Some schools weigh so heavily on grades, you wonder why they even conduct interviews and review your file!

Sound weird? I'm counting on it.
 
i have a friend who received OVER a 4.0 cumulative GPA as an animal science major at cornell - i know, it's insane but true - and she was waitlisted at colorado. she was a connecticut resident at the time of application.

she went on to receive her DVM from cornell instead 🙂
 
I'm actually really banking on my GPA to pull me through. I jumped on the bandwagon late and my vet exp hours aren't nearly as numerous as everyone else's.
 
I think the majority of us are!

I like to think I was far too busy having interesting life to get a 4.0. 😀

I had a 3.3 for my application (3.5 now) and I have been accepted. There is soooooo much more to being a vet than just book smarts.
 
I'm actually really banking on my GPA to pull me through.

Same. My GPA is definitely the strongest part of my application. I've wanted to be a vet since I was a kid but never got to accumulate lots of experience because I live in the suburbs and don't have a car. Closest equine/food/zoo vets are at least 2 hours away 🙁.
 
I like to think I was far too busy having interesting life to get a 4.0. 😀

I had a 3.3 for my application (3.5 now) and I have been accepted. There is soooooo much more to being a vet than just book smarts.

Similar. After my freshman year, my life took a plummet. Yet, here I stand - defiantly - ready (I hope) for vet school this fall.

4.0 + nothing else = FAIL at entering vet school.
 
Same. My GPA is definitely the strongest part of my application. I've wanted to be a vet since I was a kid but never got to accumulate lots of experience because I live in the suburbs and don't have a car. Closest equine/food/zoo vets are at least 2 hours away 🙁.

Me three 🙂. I am hoping that my determination and perseverance over the last year to get ready for vet school and gain an understanding of the field will help me get in. I think that experience is important and people deciding to go in should know that being a vet isn't easy and can be emotionally draining at times, but hopefully they don't think that limited experience means limited interest because that is NOT the case. I was just really late in deciding to become a vet. I needed to get out an explore my options and finally it dawned on me that being a vet lines up with what I want to do with my life!

Certainly the 4.0 can't hurt 🙂.
 
I read all these posts and hate to be admitting this but it happened to me. I applied this year with a 3.9 (for every calculated GPA) to three separate schools. I had a fair amount of experience and obviously did not think getting in was guaranteed but also did not expect to be looking for what to do until I apply again! I was rejected from two schools and waitlisted at another. I am blaming it on my pathetic GRE score but I freakin took that test three times and studied tons I just SUCK at tests like that. So people GPA is not everything and will not guarantee you a spot! Look at every aspect and do your best to make everything about you irresistible lol. Because my experience with applying this year was nothing less than a giant...FAIL. Even with a 3.9. (This is the first time I have admitted this to myself since I found out Vet School is likely not happening for me this Fall) 🙁
 
I read all these posts and hate to be admitting this but it happened to me. I applied this year with a 3.9 (for every calculated GPA) to three separate schools. I had a fair amount of experience and obviously did not think getting in was guaranteed but also did not expect to be looking for what to do until I apply again! I was rejected from two schools and waitlisted at another. I am blaming it on my pathetic GRE score but I freakin took that test three times and studied tons I just SUCK at tests like that. So people GPA is not everything and will not guarantee you a spot! Look at every aspect and do your best to make everything about you irresistible lol. Because my experience with applying this year was nothing less than a giant...FAIL. Even with a 3.9. (This is the first time I have admitted this to myself since I found out Vet School is likely not happening for me this Fall) 🙁

Dang, I'm so sorry! Do you know what you think you need to work on for next year's app? Experience? possibly taking the GRE again?
 
I think the lesson is to apply smart - if you've got a high GPA but marginal GRE and average experience, apply to schools that have a hardon for GPA and don't weight the GRE heavily. If you have a crappo GPA with a lot of experience and a high GRE, apply to schools that weight GPA/GRE equally. Et cetera...
 
I don't know if this exactly applies, but one of my professors a few years ago also taught at a class at the University of Pittsburgh medical school and was on their admission's committee. A story that he told us about was a 4.0 student with great MCat scores, and he was super excited about interviewing him, but when the person came in he answered a lot of questions like "Why do you want to be a doctor" with "I don't know," and they did not accept him solely because of his interview.
 
Dang, I'm so sorry! Do you know what you think you need to work on for next year's app? Experience? possibly taking the GRE again?

Yea it was def not the best news I have gotten. I obviously didn't think my GPA was going to guarantee me a spot but I also did not expect downright rejection. I think what I plan to do before applying again is to try and get more clinical experience because I have tons of animal experience but a lot of it is doing internships at zoos and working with humane societies. I am probably going to take the GRE one more time, preferably before it ends up being the new format. I debated taking the classes offered but they are just so expensive...obviously at this point (taking the exam a fourth time) it would have been worth the price of a class but hindsight is always 20/20.
 
To the OP: do the schools you were rejected from offer some sort of application counseling? Some schools will give you a profile of how you were assessed and other schools will actually talk to you about how to make a more competitive application next time.
 
Here's what I've figured out about vet school admissions:
They do whatever the hell they want! There is no rhyme or reason, just get your letters, ignore what everyone else says and be the best person you can. I've talked to 3 vets today, and they've all said the same thing to me: "The system is broken." So how do we fix it? Get in and change the system! Well...we can try...eventually. (And I've already been accepted so you guys that disagree can't come after me with the "jealous" argument LOL)

Oh yeah, be nice to each other boys and girls! There's some seriously snarky comments on this thread and the disappointed people don't need to be knocked down anymore pegs. Be nice!
 
Yea it was def not the best news I have gotten. I obviously didn't think my GPA was going to guarantee me a spot but I also did not expect downright rejection.

I was in your shoes last year. I didn't necessarily assume I'd get in, but I felt like the odds were in my favor. And then I didn't even get an interview.

Take heart, it can work out if you just keep trying.
 
This is how I look at GPA (I have a 3.6 BTW and currently waiting to hear from Davis after my interview). A decent GPA gets your foot in the door. Nothing else. Once your foot is in the door, you must wow and impress with your presonal statement, experience, and other areas (honors, extracurriculars etc.). At that point the fact that I have a 3.6 and someone else has a 4.0 probably doesn't matter much.

My advice to a student who wants to be a vet (for example, some of my younger cousins) - would be to get at least a 3.5 GPA and spend the rest of their time seeking out unique animal experiences that WON'T look like what everyone else has.

Before going through the process (and a caveat to remember is that I'm NOT in yet) I thought that GPA mattered a whole lot mroe - since that is what I heard most of my undergrad career - that you HAD to ahve a 4.0 or close - but the more I talk to vet students and vets, the more I realize that the vast majority of them have a GPA somewhere in the 3.0's, and usually had a truely unique/exciting opportunity that was beyond the typcial SA clinic or shelter work. Even my fellow interviewees at Davis all seemed to have an aspect of their experience that was totally out of the ordinary (for example, going to Costa Rica and working with SA's). My experience going into application was also fairly non-trad for a vet student and I think that helped me.

I think the same holds true with the GRE.

Sorry this got so long winded and ramble-y. I'm not having good week and figured the best way to unwind would be to spend too much time on SDN!
 
I think the lesson is to apply smart - if you've got a high GPA but marginal GRE and average experience, apply to schools that have a hardon for GPA and don't weight the GRE heavily. If you have a crappo GPA with a lot of experience and a high GRE, apply to schools that weight GPA/GRE equally. Et cetera...

Excellent words of advice. Wish I had known this back when I first started applying, maybe then it would not have taken so many cycles.
 
Is this you that got rejected or someone you know? If it was you, sorry to hear about the rejection. Perhaps it was just a bad interview or perhaps the school was looking for something else entirely.

not exactly.....

Sure. I got rejected last year at UMN. The two GPAs they calculate should have both come to 4.0 (pre-reqs and last 45 credits) for me. Heck, I didn't even get an interview.

That said, my cumulative 'life' GPA is certainly nowhere near 4.0 (1.7 from my earlier days). So I'm not sure if that fits what you're talking about.

Ouch! You did great with your comeback though😀

I like to think I was far too busy having interesting life to get a 4.0. 😀

I had a 3.3 for my application (3.5 now) and I have been accepted. There is soooooo much more to being a vet than just book smarts.

I read all these posts and hate to be admitting this but it happened to me. I applied this year with a 3.9 (for every calculated GPA) to three separate schools. I had a fair amount of experience and obviously did not think getting in was guaranteed but also did not expect to be looking for what to do until I apply again! I was rejected from two schools and waitlisted at another. I am blaming it on my pathetic GRE score but I freakin took that test three times and studied tons I just SUCK at tests like that. So people GPA is not everything and will not guarantee you a spot! Look at every aspect and do your best to make everything about you irresistible lol. Because my experience with applying this year was nothing less than a giant...FAIL. Even with a 3.9. (This is the first time I have admitted this to myself since I found out Vet School is likely not happening for me this Fall) 🙁

To the OP: do the schools you were rejected from offer some sort of application counseling? Some schools will give you a profile of how you were assessed and other schools will actually talk to you about how to make a more competitive application next time.


thanks for your responses everyone....the reason i am curious is this: Mother in law has said form the day I declared I was going back to school that it is "so very hard to get into vet school, even with perfect grades." Over and over she said this! Now I give the news that I am waitlisted and she says this, "I FIGURED, so and so's daughter had a 4.0 and still couldn't ever get in."

So, I have heard it a million times, but I just wanted to know if it was real or just stories passed along. And no I don't have a 4.0 but sometimes I think that better grades would have helped me...IDK The adcoms did comment on my not so stellar past (an F and 3 Ds) I did the fresh start program, but it still stays there like a sore thumb on my transcripts🙁
 
The adcoms did comment on my not so stellar past (an F and 3 Ds) I did the fresh start program, but it still stays there like a sore thumb on my transcripts🙁

Did you address the GPA issue in your explanation statement?

I made five years' worth of pretty major mistakes in the GPA department, and by the time I made the decision to return to the fray and pursue a career in vet med, I was left with a cumulative that was basically unsalvageable.

When it came time to do the whole VMCAS thing, I was very up front with the adcoms about what had happened, why, how I'd addressed it, and what I'd done to ensure it wasn't going to happen again. I easily spent as much time on my explanation statement as I did my PS.

I do think that the forthright explanation statement (combined with clear evidence of academic improvement) made a difference in how the adcoms responded to my application. Granted, not everyone was interested, and I'd expected as much... but there was definitely more interest than I'd anticipated.
 
When it came time to do the whole VMCAS thing, I was very up front with the adcoms about what had happened, why, how I'd addressed it, and what I'd done to ensure it wasn't going to happen again. I easily spent as much time on my explanation statement as I did my PS.

Ditto, although I'll add one thing. I made the mistake (it doesn't sound like CT did) of addressing it both in the explanation section AND in my personal statement (because I was so preoccupied with trying to 'explain' my past). One of the things the admissions director mentioned to me after I didn't get in was that focusing *too much* on something in your past "raises a red flag" for the people evaluating your application.

To be honest, I'm not sure I completely understand. But nevertheless, I took the advice and addressed it solely in the explanation section this time around. And even then, I only spent 5% of it explaining the 'problem' and the other 95% detailing my success afterward (i.e. I put as positive a spin on it as possible).
 
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Jebus. I have a 3.5 GPA cum (my science classes are higher than that), worked at a vet clinic for two and a half years with over 3500 hours of experience, volunteered at an animal shelter for a couple years, and was active in high school and collegiate level FFA. Last summer I spent 3 weeks in South Africa on a field study program, working intimately with exotic and less fortunate small animals. My GRE was less than stellar, but I didn't realize I had so little time to do it, so I had less than two weeks to study (not long enough to order the book, clearly) before I took it. GRE was the weakest spot of my application, but it was by no means a complete failure.
I was rejected by two schools (one of them my #1), and waitlisted for another.
This thread really makes me feel like I have no hope.
 
I understand what you mean. I have a 3.8 cumulative, would have been better if my biochem teacher hadn't been out to ruin my life during the summer of 2010. I've worked in an emergency clinic for 2 years- skilled at blood work-everything from counting WBC to electrolytes and differentials, drawing blood, setting iv catheters, etc.
I've participated in tons of volunteer work and have been involved in university clubs/activities.
I hired a retired english professor to read and edit my personal statement and most of my essays.
I had glowing letters of rec from two vets and a professor, had an average GRE score...... yet was still rejected from University of Wisconsin, Madison (I am a Wisconsin Resident).

Bitter... yes I am. I wasn't even an alternate. I really don't understand since I've already been accepted at other schools as an out of state student, and was invited to a total of 4 OOS interviews.
Don't give up the fight!
 
I did make a concerted effort to keep my PS positive. (I think there was a single, very brief, and fairly nondescript allusion to my first attempt at college, but only because things wouldn't have made sense if I'd completely omitted it.)

That said... I definitely felt compelled to address the GPA thing any and everywhere I possibly could, and I'm sure I would've turned my PS into a secondary explanation statement if I hadn't been lurking here while everyone else was strategizing and had the opportunity to see everybody and their mother advising the first-timers not to do that. 😉
 
Did you address the GPA issue in your explanation statement?

ya, i think i explained it pretty well in the ES

Ditto, although I'll add one thing. I made the mistake (it doesn't sound like CT did) of addressing it both in the explanation section AND in my personal statement (because I was so preoccupied with trying to 'explain' my past). One of the things the admissions director mentioned to me after I didn't get in was that focusing *too much* on something in your past "raises a red flag" for the people evaluating your application.

THIS.....I didnt think of this, but it is possible I put too much emphasis on my shortcomings. Thanks guys....this helps
 
Getting rejected doesn't mean anything.... getting rejected from every school you apply to might mean you need to change your app (chances are they aren't all looking at the EXACT same stuff equally). I got rejected from Miss. State, and when I got a file review, it was just pretty clear that they didn't want me for that school... didn't really seem like I could've even done anything to better myself (commented that my LORs weren't good enough, which ironically seemed to be just fine for the 3 other schools I either got interviewed/into).

If you apply to 2 schools, well I feel like you're chancing it... and obviously GPA alone has nothing to do with getting into vet school... that's why it's hard to answer your question. Having a high GPA doesn't guarantee you anything, but having a low GPA doesn't do you a ton of favors either...
 
I am probably going to take the GRE one more time, preferably before it ends up being the new format.

I'm not sure if it is still does, but ETS use to offer (for a fee) a service where they analyzed your results and sent you a break down so that you knew where to best focus your studying and what mistakes were common for you. Might call ETS up and see if you can get that for at least your last exam.

I'm assuming you have worked through one of the review books and learned the GRE CAT techniques (focus more on first 10 questions, but be sure to answer all questions, even if you have to guess on the last few?)
 
I've talked to 3 vets today, and they've all said the same thing to me: "The system is broken."

That's ridiculous.

There is nothing "broken" about a system that requires more than GPA to admit.
 
I have been told by at least one ad comm that there is some skepticism of applicants with perfect 4.0's because a student that has never not had a 4.0 might experience a heavier impact the first time they don't do well on an exam/in a class, and struggle to move on. So when they see 4.0 they look for well-rounded, life experience, problem solving, good people skills, and ability to recover.

And some things stand out for different reasons. Overcoming personal tragedy, sticking their neck out for something beyond themselves are reasons I have heard of adequate (but not stellar) applicants getting in. I'm pretty sure I got in (non trad) because my career history shows that I like people, can get along with folks that actively dislike what I represent ('women cause boats to sink' is a great way to start a 4 week fishing expediciton), and that I know what it is like to work long and hard hours. I sometimes think if you can show how you already see the professional 'curses' as fun (and illustrate that with experience) it helps.
 
That's ridiculous.

There is nothing "broken" about a system that requires more than GPA to admit.


Did I say it should be based purely on GPA? If it was based on all grades then I would get in everywhere (3.8 average 3.8 science 4.0 last 45 and 1420 on the GRE). I know people that got in and shouldn't because I'd spent 4 years with them in undergrad and watched them cheat and lie through school. I've had numerous vets (and not the ones straight out of school) display nothing but incompetence in their offices and on my farm. Does everyone getting in suck, no. Do all vets suck (besides the ones in my area evidently), no. I've been following the trends of vet med admissions for a long time, and where there's smoke there's fire. And when you've got people on the admissions committees (and I've heard from numerous people at numerous schools) saying something isn't right, well I'd have to believe them. Or you could just keep your head buried in the sand and ignore it like it doesn't exist, whatever floats your boat.
 
I've always heard that admissions committees like to see a student who has improved their GPA throughout their ungrad period. Is this true? Like in my case, I pretty much made straight B's my first year of undergrad (based on my "just getting by" High School mentality) and ended up with a 3.0. During the latter part of my sophmore year, I really got my butt in gear and now my last 45 hour GPA from my Junior and Senior years is ~3.8 (STUPID A-'s 😡😡!!!) but my cum GPA was raised to about 3.5, which I know isn't stellar. I was banking on the fact that the adcoms took note of the fact that I conditioned myself to handle the rigor of the material. Yes? Maybe? PLEASE?
 
I've always heard that admissions committees like to see a student who has improved their GPA throughout their ungrad period. Is this true? Like in my case, I pretty much made straight B's my first year of undergrad (based on my "just getting by" High School mentality) and ended up with a 3.0. During the latter part of my sophmore year, I really got my butt in gear and now my last 45 hour GPA from my Junior and Senior years is ~3.8 (STUPID A-'s 😡😡!!!) but my cum GPA was raised to about 3.5, which I know isn't stellar. I was banking on the fact that the adcoms took note of the fact that I conditioned myself to handle the rigor of the material. Yes? Maybe? PLEASE?


I had a solid 3.0 for my first two years. I then busted my ass taking nothing but upper level science classes for my junior year. My last 45 hours were like a 3.8. I am also a biochemistry major, which is very tough at my school. (unfortunately my science GPA on my VMCAS was crap because all the pre-reqs were lower level classes that I goofed off in.) I was also really dumb and did not take my GRE until the last possible minute so I got a really awful score and could not re-take it.

So this year I applied with low hopes. I literally used to cry myself to sleep after looking at application stats because I thought I had screwed up too much and my dream would never come true.

While I did not get into my dream school and was rejected from many, this application cycle I was accepted to one school and wait-listed at two others. I know the only reason I had this much success was because of experiences (both animal and vet), my diversity, my references, my leadership and my personal statement.

I always tell my pre-vet kids, don't stress yourself to death over grades. I developed a lot of guilt (and for a while some serious depression) because I thought my grades made me "not good enough." I am so thankful that there are some schools who do not rely on grades alone.

(And when I said "I like to think I was too busy having an exciting life to have a 4.0" I wan't trying to be snarky. I said "I like to think" because I had to convince myself of something so I wouldn't feel like a loser for years.)
 
I had a 3.15ish (maybe 3.2?) GPA at the time of the VMCAS and I got rejected to a bunch of schools, yes, but got 2 interviews, one acceptance, and still waiting from that other school and I feel pretty confident. I had broad experience, went to schools with difficult undergrad programs, and a pretty awesome PS (talked about addressing problems and how it made me better/more driven, and the rest was like previous experience and how awesome it was and made me realize that this was what I was meant to do blah blah haha). I got in the 66th percentile for both Q and V on the GRE. I had 1 LOR from a vet and 2 from college professors. Vet school is looking for grades, yes, but more importantly they're looking for someone who can deal with people and be a good vet, because after vet school yes you will know a lot, but also you can look things up, it's not all about memorization and learning EVERYTHING, it's about how well you can deal with clients and co-workers. Or at least, that's been my experience 🙂 Someone with a 4.0 (definitely NOT saying this is anyone on SDN) could have no experience in the vet field and not know how to communicate with humans, that might make them a good study but not a good doctor who deals with people everyday. So to all of you with 3.5's and 3.8's freaking out, don't freak out!! Haha. If you have experience and can put yourself out as a great person on paper, then that's all you can hope for. Chin up!
 
I know people that got in and shouldn't because I'd spent 4 years with them in undergrad and watched them cheat and lie through school.

If you witnessed folks lieing and cheating and you did nothing about it, you are a part of the problem. Why hold anyone else (like ad coms) accountable if you don't hold yourself accountable?

I've had numerous vets (and not the ones straight out of school) display nothing but incompetence in their offices and on my farm.

Wow, maybe we should all have to take the kas9ey vet school of expertise before we are allowed to take the NAVLE.🙄 If you have had the experience with numerous vets, I'd suggest that there is a common denominator closer to home than all of vet school admissions throughout the continent.

I've been following the trends of vet med admissions for a long time, and where there's smoke there's fire. And when you've got people on the admissions committees (and I've heard from numerous people at numerous schools) saying something isn't right, well I'd have to believe them. Or you could just keep your head buried in the sand and ignore it like it doesn't exist, whatever floats your boat.

Please share, what exactly is a long time, and how have you been following these trends? Where all have you lived, that your an expert across the country? What about the trends concerns you, other than the fact that you enabled liers and cheaters to continue on?

I have yet to ever meet anyone in any admissions committee anywhere that would say 'our system is 100% perfect; we never deny someone that should be admitted, nor do we ever admit someone who shouldn't be in vet school.' And some will admit that this has likely been true since the first class of the first vet school. There isn't a perfect or an ideal system becaues there isn't a single path into vet med. Do some people think the system needs to be completly redone? Certainly. Do I always agree with their theories? Rarely. I recently heard a vet say that anyone who can't graduate vet school with less than $75,000 in student debt shouldn't be admitted. Just because someone said it doesn't make it true. Admissions is also doing more than just admitting 'the best' out of applicants, they are looking for a mix that works well together, serves the school well, addresses their perceptions of the future needs of the profession, and meets the special interests of the school. The day all ad coms agree on how admissions should work will be the day we will see a class with minimal diversity of experience.

I'd love to know what school your heading to. The AVMA has oppurtunities for individuals that are truely invested in this to work with others to have an impact. I'm not sure your anecdotes will help in a serious discussion about what would be appropriate will help. Just so you know, the same thing was said when I started working with Purdue extension in the 80's, when I was in college in the 90's, and when I was working with vets in the 00's. I take it with a great big grain of salt.
 
I have yet to ever meet anyone in any admissions committee anywhere that would say 'our system is 100% perfect; we never deny someone that should be admitted, nor do we ever admit someone who shouldn't be in vet school.' And some will admit that this has likely been true since the first class of the first vet school. There isn't a perfect or an ideal system becaues there isn't a single path into vet med. Do some people think the system needs to be completly redone? Certainly. Do I always agree with their theories? Rarely. I recently heard a vet say that anyone who can't graduate vet school with less than $75,000 in student debt shouldn't be admitted. Just because someone said it doesn't make it true. Admissions is also doing more than just admitting 'the best' out of applicants, they are looking for a mix that works well together, serves the school well, addresses their perceptions of the future needs of the profession, and meets the special interests of the school. The day all ad coms agree on how admissions should work will be the day we will see a class with minimal diversity of experience.

I've talked to some adcom members and they have separately told me that too many vets are graduating that have book smarts but when it comes to good bedside manner- they fail. How do you find that balance? That's what they're trying to address. I'd have to believe the adcom is doing the best they can with what they're given. I, myself, am thankful that they look at trends with applicants and experiences also...

As far as the academic argument goes- It's not just vet med that somewhat scruitinizes people with perfect grades. It's a very fine line to walk (and no- I'm not advocating for those with great grades to slack off or those with cruddy grades not to try). I know of someone that recruits chemical engineers for a fortune 500 company-- when they are reviewing applicants, it is far more important to the company that an individual has life skills (such as communication, problem solving, multitasking, etc) than it is for them to be capable of buring their nose in a book. When said individual was searching for internships, many of their peers were turned away because of their 4.0 and lack of an ability to do anything but study.

Kudos to those of you with a 4.0 or close to it. I was too busy managing two jobs, volunteer work, fostering dogs and shadowing a vet to achieve that. Am I kicking myself for my grades? Nope. Even if vet school rejected me, I have set myself up with a good very well paying career and *could* be happy down this path if I had to continue this route for the rest of my life. Am I wondering if I can academically handle the demands of vet school? I'd be a fool not to. I know some extremely intelligent individuals that are in vet school that occasionally struggle-- I've heard it time and time again that vet school isn't easy... but the people that really know me and have been through vet school have given me a vote of confidence that the determination I posess will help me through.

Sorry for the rant. Back to work.... :bang:
 
My browser is on the fritz so this will probably format wrong.

If you witnessed folks lieing and cheating and you did nothing about it, you are a part of the problem. Why hold anyone else (like ad coms) accountable if you don't hold yourself accountable?

I did do something about it and was told life's not fair, get used to it. Excellent solution, is it not?



"Wow, maybe we should all have to take the kas9ey vet school of expertise before we are allowed to take the NAVLE.🙄 If you have had the experience with numerous vets, I'd suggest that there is a common denominator closer to home than all of vet school admissions throughout the continent."

Yep, my county is a black hole for all the barely-got-by vets from Wisconsin, Purdue, Florida, Minnesota and Colorado State. (No, before you jump down my throat again, I am not saying these are horrendous schools that get everything wrong blah blah blah. Don't get your panties in a twist!)


"Please share, what exactly is a long time, and how have you been following these trends? Where all have you lived, that your an expert across the country? What about the trends concerns you, other than the fact that you enabled liers and cheaters to continue on? "

My expertise, sporthorse. My area, state of Florida. Vets I've dealt with through a bajillion pre-purchase exams, too many to count. The internet is a great way to check the pulse on everything in the country and I've been following it for 10 years so I could try and get the gist of who and what is good bad and indifferent (and no, not just on SDN thank you). Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm wrong.
Yep, my inability to get people kicked out of school for being jerks makes me an "enabler". Who peed in your corn flakes this morning?

"I have yet to ever meet anyone in any admissions committee anywhere that would say 'our system is 100% perfect; we never deny someone that should be admitted, nor do we ever admit someone who shouldn't be in vet school.' And some will admit that this has likely been true since the first class of the first vet school. There isn't a perfect or an ideal system becaues there isn't a single path into vet med. Do some people think the system needs to be completly redone? Certainly. Do I always agree with their theories? Rarely. I recently heard a vet say that anyone who can't graduate vet school with less than $75,000 in student debt shouldn't be admitted. Just because someone said it doesn't make it true. Admissions is also doing more than just admitting 'the best' out of applicants, they are looking for a mix that works well together, serves the school well, addresses their perceptions of the future needs of the profession, and meets the special interests of the school. The day all ad coms agree on how admissions should work will be the day we will see a class with minimal diversity of experience."

So because one guy said only rich kids should get in, by corollary, everyone that said the system is broken is automatically unqualified to make a judgement? Ok, whatever you think, that makes perfect sense.

"I'd love to know what school your heading to. The AVMA has oppurtunities for individuals that are truely invested in this to work with others to have an impact. I'm not sure your anecdotes will help in a serious discussion about what would be appropriate will help. Just so you know, the same thing was said when I started working with Purdue extension in the 80's, when I was in college in the 90's, and when I was working with vets in the 00's. I take it with a great big grain of salt."

Don't you think, that if the same thing has been said for the past 30 years that maybe just maybe its about time to re-evaluate the system? I certainly am not content to sit around and let it be just because it's the status quo.
 
There is no rhyme or reason, just get your letters, ignore what everyone else says and be the best person you can. I've talked to 3 vets today, and they've all said the same thing to me: "The system is broken."
I don't think the "system" is broken. First off, you're talking about 27 independent institutions in the US. Each has its own goals. I've been in the business of evaluating people for the past 10 years and it's tough. At best, it's an educated gamble. In my line of work, it can be a matter of life and death - ever had to decide which of your people gets to take off a protective mask to see if the chemical agents are gone? The rule there is to make sure you have something special that makes you essential. Same holds with applying for any competitive position. Look at the bulk of the people here and you'll find some major themes: high GPA, high GRE, 21-24 y/o, female, studied animal science, biology, or some related field, has between 1K and 5K hours of vet and animal experience, etc. Not that this is bad, and it's what I would fully expect from this population. Makes the job of an admissions committee member that much more difficult. When you have a spread like this, it becomes a crap shoot - might as well roll the dice or pick names out of a hat. You need to stand out. I went to just short of hell and back to get in. I'm not saying you need to experience some major life changing event, and I hope none of you ever have to experience what I have under the same circumstances. For me, it was just time and place meeting up and putting me in those situations. I'm damn lucky to be where I am today, on many different occasions.

The system isn't broken because it's not a system. It is quite literally a gamble. It's about whether how you look on paper and in the 15 minute interview correlates into your actual performance. Sumstorm is right. People who have never failed don't know how they react when they do. I know of guys who always ran at the front of the pack that failed in certain schools because when it got difficult for them, they were unprepared. The guys who have always had to work to keep up made it through because they just kept doing what they've been doing - plugging away until they finish.
 
The system isn't broken because it's not a system.

It's a system. Just about everyone uses the same questions and format (VMCAS), asks the same kind of supplementals (if they use them), and asks similar questions at the interviews, except for TAMU, that was intense! I've got 6 interviews under my belt this year alone. The panels are made of the same people; community vets, a professor or two, maybe a student.

I just google defined system and this is what came up; "an organized structure for arranging or classifying", "a procedure or process for obtaining an objective".

Do I know everything about the whole crap-shoot? No, never would want to say I do because then I'd be perfect and perfect people are BORING!
 
"an organized structure for arranging or classifying", "a procedure or process for obtaining an objective".

Unless you can show an active collaboration between independent schools, your definition proves there is no national system for the selection of vet school candidates. Each school has a system, which I alluded to, but there is no big system. "Monkey see, monkey do" does not a conspiracy make.
 
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