Going Overseas?

[Relz.]

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Hi guys!

So being Canadian, I unfortunately only have one option for vet school - and my whole province is competing for 15 seats (edited). Needless to say, i'm considering other countries for school! I've been doing some research into the US, Europe, and Australia, and was wondering if you could share your experiences and knowledge.

I've been looking at the school websites, which can be confusing, as well as past threads but I want to figure out which schools place more emphasis on GPA and which ones care more about experiences, GPA requirements, and likelihood of my getting in.

It's really hard to tell which ones are worth applying to so it would be so helpful if you guys could fill me in!

Thanks in advance 🙂

 

[SquirrelSam]

Hello! I’m a Canadian in a similar boat. I’ve been looking into Iowa State, SGU, Colorado State and a few others. Have you converted your grades using the VCMAS conversion table for Canada? I found that they inflate Canadian grades by quite a lot, which could put you in a more competitive position when applying to schools in the US. I could be mistaken. I’ve only recently found out more about vet schools abroad.

 

[Relz.]

Hello! I’m a Canadian in a similar boat. I’ve been looking into Iowa State, SGU, Colorado State and a few others. Have you converted your grades using the VCMAS conversion table for Canada? I found that they inflate Canadian grades by quite a lot, which could put you in a more competitive position when applying to schools in the US. I could be mistaken. I’ve only recently found out more about vet schools abroad.

Oh wow! I did not know that, thank you! I noticed that some of the schools in the UK inflated my GPA when I asked them to convert it for me, so this is an exciting new development haha.

I only just started looking at the US yesterday actually, I had this idea in my head that they were just as competitive as Canada and I wouldn't get in. Like you were saying, some of them seem to inflate GPA and some of them don't even look at GPA so all I have to do is write my GPA and only have a few outstanding courses (if any, fingers crossed!) and go for it! I may PM you for some advice on choosing US schools though, it's a little overwhelming! I don't really know reputations or which schools are known for being more lenient on GPA/care more about experience, etc.

 

[SkiOtter]

I may PM you for some advice on choosing US schools though, it's a little overwhelming! I don't really know reputations or which schools are known for being more lenient on GPA/care more about experience, etc.

Most schools will tell you on their website what they look at and if they have a formula for admissions what that formula is. You just have to look a bit. There’s also a ton of suggestions to other people on the what are my chances thread and other threads about this same topic. Scroll through the last few pages of the chances thread and you’ll find some of the ones that don’t take gpa into account as much.

 

[Caiter92]

Oh wow! I did not know that, thank you! I noticed that some of the schools in the UK inflated my GPA when I asked them to convert it for me, so this is an exciting new development haha.

I only just started looking at the US yesterday actually, I had this idea in my head that they were just as competitive as Canada and I wouldn't get in. Like you were saying, some of them seem to inflate GPA and some of them don't even look at GPA so all I have to do is write my GPA and only have a few outstanding courses (if any, fingers crossed!) and go for it! I may PM you for some advice on choosing US schools though, it's a little overwhelming! I don't really know reputations or which schools are known for being more lenient on GPA/care more about experience, etc.

Btw, they were going to be just as competitive as Canada. Most schools only take a handful of out of state applicants (which as an international student, you will be considered). Plus the cost as an OOS student is going to astronomically more than you attending a school in Canada you have residence for. $300k+ is not at all untypical.

I think you need to think really hard about if that money is worth it.

 

[SquirrelSam]

According to the VMCAS conversion table 80% and up would be considered a 4.0. That being said, there aren’t as many spots available for out of state applicants and the gpa for OOS applicants is higher. The prices are also a lot higher than local schools. I’ll be applying to OVC (my local vet school) this year but with their average admitted students coming in with averages close to or over 90%, I think it’s definitely worth considering international schools. That’s with the understanding that I’ll be leaving vet school with massive debt.

 

[Relz.]

with their average admitted students coming in with averages close to or over 90%, I think it’s definitely worth considering international schools. That’s with the understanding that I’ll be leaving vet school with massive debt.

This! Haha this right here is why I will not be attending my Canadian school - yes, it's only $40,000 and yes, it would be my top choice if I had a choice at all. I'm still not sure if I will apply there. Honestly, I see so many people on here giving the advice to apply smart and I think it would be a waste of everyone's time and money to apply. It sounds really pessimistic but with a whole province competing for 15 seats, there are definitely 15 people with a higher GPA and more experience, and better qualifications than me.

Unfortunately I joined the pre-vet med stream a bit late in the game and can't compete with a lot of the applicants here.