For those who made it.....advice????

[RTHA06]

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Hi everyone,
I have sent a few pm's to a few people on this thread and after some very helpful replies I figured I would open the floor for more input.

I was rejected from UCD after a pretty good interview and statistically average application. I have noticed that many of you acceptees have something special that sets you apart from the rest: interesting research, experiences, grad degree, etc...

Can anyone give me their thoughts on improving applications, applying more than once, or undertaking a master's degree.

I am feeling out my options and would appreciate any thoughts...

Thanks and congratulations..........

 

[Boxsterluv]

I don't know if UCD does or not, but many schools offer some type of workshop in which they pretty much tell you why you didn't get in and are able to offer some advice on strengthening your weaknesses. I think it'd be a good idea to see what they have to say; and if there are one or two areas that are lacking in your application, see what you can about fixing them then try again! Also, is UCD the only place you applied? If you have the resources, it seems as though applying to more than one school would be a good idea too. Just because you aren't what UCD is looking for doesn't mean that you aren't the ideal candidate at another program. Do some research and see where you would fit in (GPA/GRE averages, location, concentration on research/practice/other, etc). Good luck!

 

[wishes]

I second what Boxsterluv said about applying to a variety of schools. I assume that you are a California resident, but even so, Davis has a reputation for being tricky to get into.
While pre-veterinary students can be a fairly homogenous crowd, schools definitely have some variation in the type of students they are looking for. Try to speak to the admissions committee at schools that you did not get into and ask them what you can do to improve your application.
My blanket advise for everyone is to retake the GRE if you scored on the low side because it can be a pretty easy fix and schools certainly pay attention to your scores. Also, make sure that your veterinary work experience is extensive and varied, as veterinary schools want students who know what they're getting into. If you have lots of small animal experience try to get some in large animal, etc.
As far as something unique to set yourself apart, I did have undergraduate research experience so if you are still in college then you could talk to faculty about being a part of something like this. If you have already graduated it will be harder to find research spots. Veterinary schools also like to see community service/volunteer type experience or outreach work in a foreign country. These types of things will certainly boost an otherwise average application.
Good luck!

 

[adenovirus]

After I graduated from college back in 2001 my gpa was at 3.07 (and that is WITH 6 retaken courses that WERE NOT AVERAGED together like vet school adcoms do 🙁 ) and this was because my first 2.5 years were spent just doing enough to get by to earn myself a liberal arts degree...was gonna be a musician...anyway. I NEVER thought at age 20 that I would be trying to earn a spot in a professional program a few years down the road. After realizing I wanted to be vet and finding out what kind of grades, science classes, and experiences I needed I was scared to say the least!

I graduated with biology/chemistry and did a Master's degree at my in state university's vet school in veterinary pathobiology doing 2 years of intensive research. I got lots of exposure to lab mice and volunteered with small animal vets when I had time. I didn't apply to vet school after my first year in the MS program because I wanted to finish it and see the project through to completion.

I guess my advice to you would be to:

1) apply to more schools like the above poster's suggested. (I made the HUGE mistake of only applying to my in state school last year and didn't even get an interview) - AND -

2) depending on a host of factors like your age, financial situation, extent to which your application is lacking (ie, lower gpa, lack of diverse experiences, etc)...pursuing and working hard at a Masters degree can give you a tremendous advantage because it it gives you time and opportunity to increase gpa, increase diversity of experiences, and also can lead to research publications--which definitely set you apart from the crowd. Not to mention it gives a great degree with stand-alone value in case you discover vet school is not what you want.

My $0.02

Your neighborhood Adenovirus

 

[chinangel1]

I agree with all of the above. If your grades aren't great a master's program can help a lot. Some schools value a difficult curriculum highly... if you can pull off a great GPA while taking a lot of hours (17 and above I would guess) that can go a long way. If your GPA wasn't that great but you worked part-time I would point that out. I think schools just want to make sure you can handle the amount of material and manage your time. If you grades are pretty good I def wouldn't bother with a masters.
One thing that helped me a ton was my letters of recommendation. Getting to really know the vets and getting people who are known in the area helps a lot. From what I have heard the committees often get impersonal letters or too many personal references (vs. professional) that may not show your true potential.
I also agree with diversifying your experience. I think NCSU at least has a checklist, small-animal, large, exotic, farm...etc, and the more you have the better your chances.
Finally, it may be obvious, but make sure when you state your career goals in your personal statement it is in a field that you have experience in. I hear that people may say they want to specialize in zoology, for example, but only have small animal experience.
hope it helps! this whole process is a pain.

 

[verbal_kint]

another thing to keep in mind is that your application this year was good enough for an interview, so that is great! They must have seen something they liked. You are almost there!

One thing you can work on is improving your interview. You've been through it once, so that will deff help, but you can do mock interviews, and other things to just prepare. It's your time to sell yourself and emphasize all the great things about you. Not only be able to concisely say things about each of your experiences, but what you took from each. What makes you a good addition to their vet program? A solid interview can go a long way. EVeryone is different, but you might consider jotting everything down. It really helped me. It's one thing to think about it in your head, but to actually say it out loud and eloquently is totally different. practicing in the mirror and while you shower is good too!

And I deff agree with the other posts. During the tiime between now and your next app, you gotta keep trucking and gain more or continue your current experiences depending on what they are. If you didn't mind posting the basics of your app, that might help people here make more specific comments.

Oh, one last thing. I think another part of improving your application is literally that, improving your application. Make sure everything is written well and effectively communicates what you want to get across. Start early, so you can really comb through everything and make it spotless. A poorly written application even if you have great experiences isn't going to look good. Don't be shy! Have other read it, critique it, and give you feedback. Your statement is something that can probably always be improved. I recommend having as many people read it as possible.

Good luck!

 

[RTHA06]

I appreciate everyone's imput...

I have a BS in microbiology and clinical science from a state school,
cum gpa: 3.1, Sci gpa: 3.5, last 45: 3.5
GRE: v: 590, q: 660, a: 4.5 (i know these should go up)
Experience: over 5000 hours working with small animal and wildlife spp
Research: one retrospective study (no bench work) on house finches and the role of antibiotics in rehab therapy
Five great letters of recommendation
My goals in vet med are to practice small animal med and stay involved however I can with wildlife med (tough field to get into full-time).

* i feel my application was just average and that I need something special to single me out!
I have been looking at an avian science masters at davis and it would be a very nice complement to my dvm. I am not sure exeactly what my plan will be until I speak with Ms. Williams at Davis on Monday.

All of you have been so great, thanks for taking the time.... 😍

another thing to keep in mind is that your application this year was good enough for an interview, so that is great! They must have seen something they liked. You are almost there!

One thing you can work on is improving your interview. You've been through it once, so that will deff help, but you can do mock interviews, and other things to just prepare. It's your time to sell yourself and emphasize all the great things about you. Not only be able to concisely say things about each of your experiences, but what you took from each. What makes you a good addition to their vet program? A solid interview can go a long way. EVeryone is different, but you might consider jotting everything down. It really helped me. It's one thing to think about it in your head, but to actually say it out loud and eloquently is totally different. practicing in the mirror and while you shower is good too!

And I deff agree with the other posts. During the tiime between now and your next app, you gotta keep trucking and gain more or continue your current experiences depending on what they are. If you didn't mind posting the basics of your app, that might help people here make more specific comments.

Oh, one last thing. I think another part of improving your application is literally that, improving your application. Make sure everything is written well and effectively communicates what you want to get across. Start early, so you can really comb through everything and make it spotless. A poorly written application even if you have great experiences isn't going to look good. Don't be shy! Have other read it, critique it, and give you feedback. Your statement is something that can probably always be improved. I recommend having as many people read it as possible.

Good luck!

 

[youthman]

Is it better to do 16-17 credit hours and get a 4.0, or 16-17 hrs + part-time work and get say a 3.5-3.7??

 

[wishes]

Is it better to do 16-17 credit hours and get a 4.0, or 16-17 hrs + part-time work and get say a 3.5-3.7??

In my opinion it is sometime impossible to get a 4.0 no matter how much time you have on your hands. My experience has been that there will always be that difficult professor or that extra tricky exam that you weren't expecting.
I also believe that for most schools having a 3.7 GPA compared to a 4.0 GPA is not going to make any difference to an otherwise good application in terms of getting into veterinary school (if your GPA, particularily in the sciences, drops much below 3.5 you may have a much harder time).
On the other hand, some (animal related) work experience is definitely necessary to make it into veterinary school. While you can certainly get veterinary experience during the summer, given the option I think that it would be much preferable to get good, although not perfect, grades and work part time at a veterinary hospital compared to getting perfect grades but not having concurrent work experience. Being able to work part-time during college while still keeping your GPA up demonstrates not only your commitment to becoming a veterinarian but also your ability to handle the demands of veterinary school.
As far as class load goes, admissions committees may be more likely to forgive a few poor grades coming from a student taking a very heavy class load (17+ semester credits) especially if the student is working part-time compared to a student not working/not taking a heavy class load. In contrast, I think that taking a light load and doing poorly, especially if not working, can be extremely damaging. Remember too that admissions committees will definitely look at quantity of classes as well as the subject matter. If you only took 12 credits one semester but they were all hard sciences, then this could be just as difficult as taking 18 credits of electives/extracurriculars.
I hope this helps.

 

[youthman]

Thanks for the reply wishes. I don't know if I agree with you that there is not a big diff between 3.7 and 4.0. I think it depends on the school. I think I will try to work and take full classes (next year) and if I feel it's hurting my grades I will drop the work. It's easy to get experience later but very difficult to correct your GPA.