Feeling disheartened by apps :(

[serendipity14]

Hi everyone. I am 25F and feeling really hopeless when it comes to getting into veterinary school. This may be a long vent but I would also love some advice/anyone who has been in my boat. I just went through my third VMCAS cycle with again, rejections. My first two cycles I applied to about 6-7 schools, then, this last cycle I only applied to my IS (UF) because of finances. I know UF is pretty high GPA focused so it was most likely going to be a long shot but I wasn’t in a place to spend money on more schools this cycle. It’s taken such an emotional and financial toll and I don’t know if I want to continue applying but this is what I’ve set myself on doing/been working towards since I was 16.

My stats are about 3.2 overall, 3.1 science, 3.65 last 45. I have over 10,000 hours in the field mixed between small animal (GP and specialty), exotics, marine, and some farm. I know my GPA’s are lower than average and I’ve taken about 20 credits of post-bac science classes to boost it a bit, which has helped. I have received file reviews in the past which the overall consensus was to continue boosting my GPA and diversify myself.

I’m just struggling on my next steps, to apply again or try to be fulfilled in another career. I’m not sure what else I would want to do career wise, so I’m trying to figure out a plan B if needed. It’s just so hard when that’s all you could have pictured yourself doing. Words of encouragement/advice would be greatly appreciated, and if you got this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read my rant Wishing everyone the best of luck who is also currently trying to get in.

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[camoos]

Hey! I was in a similar position- low gpa (just a bit lower than yours), 10k+ hours of experience, and on my third application cycle. My first cycle I applied to 13 schools, all rejected, no interview. 2nd cycle I applied to 12 schools, one waitlist, but never got off, rejected by the rest. My third cycle I applied to 11 schools, waitlisted from one, rejected from the rest- I got off the waitlist a few weeks before classes started, and I was about to submit my 4th application. It just takes one school.
So, with my low-ish gpa, I knew I had to make every other part of my application stand out- I had so many people read my personal statement, I had diverse experiences (majority equine/large animal, small animal GP, small animal rehab, etc), I had some volunteer research, and other leadership roles I took part of. All of my LOR were from veterinarians also. I also made sure to take advantage of the explanation statements, as I had to work full-time in undergrad to support myself and other hardships. I think you should find and apply to schools that follow a more holistic approach when evaluating applicants, as this is what helped me get in. If this is truly your dream, don’t give up! Like I said, it only takes one school to say yes.

 

[AppyDust]

I took four applications cycles to get one acceptance from a waitlist with overall and science gpas just above 3.2. It is definitely disheartening and rough to go through repeated rejections. If I hadn't gotten an acceptance my last round I had planned on looking at alternative career paths and start moving towards something else. That wasn't necessarily going to mean I wouldn't try applying again but I wasn't going to continue to operate with the rest of my life basically in limbo while trying to to get into vet school.
I don't know where you've tried applying besides UF, but for me applying to a school that did grade replacements and looked strongly at last 45 made my gpas much more competitive and helped get me in. If you're IS isn't a place you're competitive at you might consider moving to another state. Best of luck!

 

[max_wildlife]

Hey @serendipity14
I feel your pain, and I'm sorry you're dealing with the rejections. The first time I applied was back in 2017, and I got nailed by those rejections. I was 25 at the time. So I took the advice of others - I stepped away for a little bit. I tried building my career as an ecologist and LVT instead, only to find that even though I loved both fields, I really still wanted to pursue being a veterinarian. And after taking a break, I found I had a more coherent vision to write about.

I applied 3 years later at 28, and I found that by bopping around and living a life I found interesting to myself, I'd accumulated a whole bunch of weird and interesting things to add to my application; my barista job, my graduate school position, my wildlife and ecology jobs. It all turned out to be really fulfilling, and eventually I got into three schools with a 3.1 science GPA and something like a 3.4 cGPA. I did not apply to any schools that focused on GPA, and for me that meant not applying to my in-state -- I actually asked my in-state their thoughts, and they professionally sort of said, 'save the cash'.

Either way, it's okay to take a break, if that's what you need. Whether it's a few months, and you apply next cycle, or you decide to take a year or two, vet school isn't going anywhere. And if you're worried at all about getting older and still pursuing school, it's not uncommon - I'm in my early 30s now, most of my best friends at school are like 5-7 years younger than me. And it's totally fine; I don't think any of us even notice most days. Lots of people took gap years or long breaks anyway.

The best thing you can do is to be kind to yourself, give yourself time for your head to clear and then re-evaluate.
Hope things get better soon.

 

[katiemcat]

UF is, and every year continues to be more GPA focused (alongside being the “perfect” applicant). My cycle, all GPAs under 3.5 were cut, and I would imagine it’s just gotten more competitive. If you do decide to apply next cycle, I heavily advise casting your net wider to schools that are more holistic (such as LMU, Western, UAZ.) As others have said, it’s ok to take a break and do some soul searching to see if this is still what you want and what’s best for you. I have had many friends ultimately choose to leave the field and they are happy where they are. Best of luck.