Getting in with a low GPA? Advice? Is it possibe?

[david594]

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I am just wondering if anyone has any success getting into vet school with a relatively low GPA. I did my undergrad in a completely unrelated field and graduated with a 3.0 GPA. After graduation I decided I wanted to pursue Veterinary medicine and thats where I am starting from right now.

I am currently working part time at a small animal clinic as a vet tech and taking the remainder of my pre-requisite courses at a state university. I am hoping to have all my coursework done by next fall, but doing very well in all my classes the, highest I could probabily get my GPA would be a 3.2 or so.

Is there any point where a GPA is just too low to be considered? Even if I have good GRE scores and significant experience? If I dont get in Fall 08 my plan is to keep working for another year and continuing to take higher level animal science courses and apply again the following fall.

 

[wivet2011]

I know there's another thread about GPAs somewhere...anyways, yes, it it possible to get into vet school as long as the rest of your app. is outstanding. But like everyone here will tell you, you won't know for sure until you try. The cut off for consideration depends on the school, so you'll have to do some research.

Good luck

(oh, and I like your back up plan..."If at first you don't succeed try, try again!!")

 

[alonepear]

Generally, my stats were the same as you. I never planned on going to vet school while I was an undergrad, so I just sort eased on through with a 3.1 or so GPA. After being out a year, I realized vet school was my calling, so like you I entered the vet field as a tech, did one year at small animal, then another year in avian & exotic. I had also been doing research for about 2.5 years beforehand, so I had that to show for some experience too.

I managed to raise my overall GPA to about 3.3, last 45 hours to 3.3, but my "required sciences" GPA never quite reached 3.2. The GPAs were hard to overcome, they were definitely my hardest obstacle in terms of getting into school, and my in-state school never even gave me half a chance because of them. I worked my tail off to get awesome GRE scores, just to prove I did have the smarts, I just didn't really apply myself through most of undergrad.

I also made sure I worked my tail off at my jobs, and got the best letters of rec I possibly could, and I truly think they helped a lot.

Some schools are "easier" than others to get into than others if your GPA is lower. I say "easier" loosely-- no vet school is easy to get into, but some are more concerned with your past experience, what people have to say about you, and especially the interview. I strongly believe that if your GPA is lacking, you need to apply to schools that interview in order to prove you are ready for the academic challenge.

Just keep trying your hardest! I got into two of the four schools I applied to, on my second try. My first try, I applied to the wrong schools (all had very strict GPA cut-offs) and had very little experience and no advice to go off of. Second time around, I was much more prepared, and with a little research, you'll figure out which schools will be your best bet!

 

[david594]

Thanks, that is exactly the type of thing I was hoping to hear(not thats its easy, but thats its possible). I hadnt really thought of schools in the sense of Interview and non-interview schools. I'll have to look more into that. I had already started working on my list of schools with their min GPA requirements and if they are absolute or not.

The "Required Sciences" GPA could be a saving grace for me as that one is currently something like a 3.8.

So schools will look for either overall GPA, Required Sciences GPA and/or last 45 (xx) hours GPA?

 

[Angelo84]

The schools should have a ruberic of what they look at on their websites. But most schools look at overall undergraduate GPA, and required courses GPA. Some schools also calculate a last 45 hours/credit GPA which includes the entire semester that last 45 hour lands in.

Good luck and stay away from schools with a strict GPA cut off you will be wasting your hard earned cash there.