Anyone else getting cold feet about going through with this application cycle?

[variegata]

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The closer October 2nd gets and the more I work on this application, the more I wonder if I should even bother submitting it. Is it just me (I do, admittedly, tend to be on the neurotic side) or is it pretty normal to get apprehensive?

If you asked me a few months ago (before I really started worrying about actually having to apply), I would've told you that I was going to apply this year and just see what happened. I knew I wasn't going to have a mind-blowing number of hours of experience, but I thought I'd have a shot. And now I'm not so sure.

I just don't want to spend a huge pile of money applying this year if I'm going to kick myself later for not having waited another year.

In case you might find it pertinent...
-my GPA is ~3.8 cumulative, though it's been a bit lower the past 2 quarters for various probably trivial reasons
-by my calculations, I should have about 800 hours of vet experience by application time (mostly SA, quite a bit of shelter med, plus a couple hours of equine wet labs)
-I've got animal experience as a dog walker at the shelter and as a volunteer at a wildlife rehab center
-750 quant, 590 verbal, 5.0 writing on the GRE (no idea what percentiles those are)

Am I just being unnecessarily neurotic and nervous or am I really as far behind as I fear I might be?

 

[twelvetigers]

I think you should go for it! Cold feet are pretty common. What do you have to lose? If money is a big issue, just apply to your #1 or #1 and #2 schools.

🙂

 

[shelterURIgirl]

Don't be silly! Of course you should go for it! Even if you had bad stats (which you don't!!) I would recommend applying!! Honestly, the couple hundred that it costs to submit the application and send GRE scores/transcripts is NOTHING compared to the cost of the first year of school. Consider it an investment, because best case scenario you start earning a DVM's salary and paying back your loans one whole year sooner. And worst case scenario still pays off because if you get rejected, most schools will give you "rejection feedback" and tell you straight up what you did wrong so you can improve for the next year.

And THAT is priceless.

PS--I tried to talk myself out of applying last cycle, too. Thank goodness I didn't listen--I applied and got in!! So hurry up, stop procrastinating, and get your sh%t done!! You can do this!!

 

[smm482]

Thank you shelterURIgirl! Those are exactly the words I needed to hear. I too have the pre-app willies and have been wondering if I'm wasting time and money even applying this year.

 

[calioutlaw1a]

Applying for a professional post-graduate school means that you are going against the best of the best, and competition is very high (particularly for vet school). So of course it's natural to to start second guessing yourself.

Based on your stats, I would say you have a good chance of getting an interview wherever you apply, and from there you just need to worry about the interview process.
And even if you don't get in, the experience you gained from applying this year will be invaluable for the next time you apply. It may seem like you are wasting several hundred dollars if you don't get in, but compare this to the $30,000+ for the first year of vet school.

In short, DO IT!

 

[spikey]

Go for it 👍

You've already done a lot of the work for the application, and even if you don't get in, most schools will give you advice on what you need to do for next time. So you can either GET IN or GET ADVICE. Win/win 😀

 

[oregonhopeful]

I had a VET tell me it wasn't worth applying this year because I had no chance. "They won't even look at your application." I think, honestly, despite all your stats, positive or negative, nobody can really predict what each school will be looking for. You should apply, absolutely.

 

[guppy73]

I think, honestly, despite all your stats, positive or negative, nobody can really predict what each school will be looking for. You should apply, absolutely.

I couldn't agree more--and this year's acceptance threads are a great indication. There are several on here (e.g., LVT2DVM) who were rejected and then accepted. It's been a surreal application cycle....And the year before last, several individuals who'd been rejected from Cornell ended up getting acceptance calls.

The moral of the story is this: You never know until you try. And if you don't even try, chances are pretty good that you'll be wondering "What if?" as next year's acceptances start to roll in. So go for it!

 

[bunnity]

I think you should figure out if your apprehension is related to being unsure about wanting to be a vet or just nervousness about rejection, money, stress, etc of the application process.

If it's the second one, then don't worry and just give it a shot! Your stats sound good and I see no reason to not apply this cycle. I was also super nervous about the application - I could barely fill in the address section without getting anxious - and I am so glad that I applied last year. Just think - next year you could be starting vet school!

 

[sumstorm]

If going through the long process of listing every detail of your life/experience/grades etc is what is triggering the anxiety, realize we all go through it. I heard quite a few students took shots for every non-A grade to get through the academic section!

If you believe vet med is for you, then give it a go. The absolute worst thing that can happen is you have spent time, energy, effort, and money and are rejected, and then have to decide on your next step. It is, in my experience, far better to try and even be rejected, than to wonder if you could have gotten in..... for many of us (about 1/3 of my class, it seems) we end up coming back years later ANYWAYS.

 

[variegata]

It's not "do-I-even-want-to-be-a-vet?" anxiety--the more experience I've gotten, the more it interests me, and I have yet to see anything that's made me think "Crap, I'm gonna have to do THAT?" It's strictly application anxiety (in mass quantity).

I think part of it is that I've got about 3 coworkers also applying this year, which is making me nervous about asking the doctor for a letter and about my application as a whole. I know I probably shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else, especially people who are several years older than me, have been working in the field much longer and as a result are much more knowledgeable and experienced. It just worries me is all, and the more application I do, the more it builds.

Deep down, I'm pretty sure I know that I should just go for it and apply, but the doubts keep floating around in my head, adding to the stress. It's good to hear encouraging words backing up the calm logical voice that tends to get lost.

 

[rileyroo]

It's not "do-I-even-want-to-be-a-vet?" anxiety--the more experience I've gotten, the more it interests me, and I have yet to see anything that's made me think "Crap, I'm gonna have to do THAT?" It's strictly application anxiety (in mass quantity).

I think part of it is that I've got about 3 coworkers also applying this year, which is making me nervous about asking the doctor for a letter and about my application as a whole. I know I probably shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else, especially people who are several years older than me, have been working in the field much longer and as a result are much more knowledgeable and experienced. It just worries me is all, and the more application I do, the more it builds.

Deep down, I'm pretty sure I know that I should just go for it and apply, but the doubts keep floating around in my head, adding to the stress. It's good to hear encouraging words backing up the calm logical voice that tends to get lost.

it's hard NOT to compare yourself to others applying in this situation. but i would suggest going to the successful applicants thread and reading through their stats. there isn't a cookie cutter mold for a successful applicant. everyone's stats are different and although it's believed that you should have thousands of hours of veterinary experience, a high gpa, and strong gre, you will notice that there are so many members on here who start their successful applicant post out with "i can't believe i actually get to post here" or "here's hope for those with low gpa's/gre/little experience" or some variation. i'm guilty of making comparisons too, but i have looked over the stats of the successful applicants thread to see that there are really unique qualities and experiences among the group. hope that helps calm the nerves a bit. 🙂