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Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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pitbullsrule

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Hi everyone!! I'm really glad I found this forum, I've been lurking for a while and it seems a lot of you already went through the application process, I'm still taking my pre-reqs but I have a couple of questions... I know a couple of Vets but they graduated like 6-7 years ago, I think it might be a bit different now and the counselors at my school are no help whatsoever. I currently have 39 credits but I don't have the best grades my gpa is 3.46 and I withdrew 4 classes but I've worked for about 2 years in a Vet clinic and 1 year in a emergency clinic. The doctors I've worked with are sure I can get in because they said they didn't have the best grades and got in & experience is more important. Also, because according to them the majority of students applying are females & schools give preferences to minorities. (I'm a hispanic guy) Ok here are my questions:

I'm thinking of only applying to 2 schools Colorado & Washington University. Would this be smart? Or should I apply to more schools to increase my chances. I want to apply to these schools because they are WICHE contract states. (I live in Nevada) and I would pay in-state tuition. And also their pre-reqs are similar. My plan is that if I don't get in then I can take other pre-reqs and apply to Oregon & maybe UCD.

What can I do if one of the required courses for Washington University is not offered at my school? Inorganic chemistry is not offered at UNLV. And if apply to Oregon I would also need Inorganic chemistry & animal nutrition which is not offered at my school either.

I've been reading about the personal statement on this forum but do all schools require it? I didn't see anything on the AAVMC website.

Since I don't have the best grades what else can I do to increase my chances to get in? I'm going to start volunteering on weekends at the SPCA but what else could I do?

Thank you guys!! Please share your knowledge :D
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Hey! Welcome!

You have absolutely come to the right place. SDN is an endless pit of knowledge. I can't really help you with the WICHE stuff since I know nothing about it, but I will say that everyone and their mother applies to Colorado and/or UCD, so if you are planning on applying to more schools, while they are WICHE, you may want to consider some schools that accept more OOS students, or schools that allow you to gain in-state tuition after the first year (Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri come to mind). Also, I dont know if this is true, but someone on this forum was saying that if you don't apply to all the WICHE schools than you cannot qualify for WICHE funding. I *in no way* know if this is true, but if you are going for WICHE funding, it is something to think about.

You GPA is not sub-par. The average accepted vet applicant has between a 3.5 and a 3.55, so you are a teensy bit below, but not terribly below. You are high enough that they will not immediately throw out your app, so thats good! Make sure your science GPA/last 45 hour GPA is high as well as your GRE scores.

As for the PS- all schools require at least one. This one is on the VMCAS and is basically "why do you want to be a vet, how will you be a good vet, what are your future plans in vet med". In addition, many supplemental applications (although not all) may require you to write one, two or up to five other essays, so be prepared.

Inorganic chemistry is just intro (or general) chemistry. It is usually a ore-req for orgo and is usually a 100 level chem, so odds are, if you have taken orgo, you have taken inorganic.

To address some concerns- why did you withdraw from 4 classes? Were they all in the same semester, or were they spread out? I dont need to know, but I can tell you that the adcoms will ask you about it, and you need to have a reason. It may make them nervous that you are withdrawing from classes simply because you cannot hack them, so be wary of W's and DO NOT withdraw from any more unless absolutely 100% necessary. You need to prove you can handle a heavy upper credit course-load and do well.

Other than that, it seems like you have lots of experience, maybe just diversify it up and make sure you have some combo of LA/SA/exotic/equine. The WICHE schools in particular seem to WANT a LOT of LA/equine, so DEFINITELY make sure you have a bunch if you are applying to only WICHE schools.

Good luck!
 
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Okay, Ill try and answer some of your questions.

So, first off your GPA isn't as bad as you seem to think-3.5 is average. I would not say that experience is more important in the eyes of vet school committees. Some schools place a lot of importance on GPA, however I would agree that having lots of vet experience and a high GRE score can help.

And as far as I know vet schools don't give priority to minorities (gender or race). I am not sure if you are bilingual or not-be that could be a plus. My best friend is hispanic and he recently applied to the secret service. I think that one thing among many excellent points on his app was the fact that he was bilingual. There are many jobs in the US that aren't being filled because they require people who are bilingual.

The more schools you apply to the better. But you also need to balance that with the cost of applying-becaue that can get a bit pricey (also figure in the cost of traveling for interviews).

Things you could do to help your app is to get a wide range of vet experience-not just small animal, but large animal as well. The committees also look at things like volunteering (community work), studying abroad, leadership experiences, club involvement etc.

Good luck! :luck:
 
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Welcome! :hello:

Like Lalzi said you have come to the right place. Everyone here has lots of information and are really helpful. Since she covered the majority of things you need for application I can chime in on the WICHE part. I am WICHE from AZ and applied to CSU and WSU (I did not make it into either one, but did get an interview at WSU). Basically, what happens when you apply to WICHE is you apply to your state certifying officer. They verify that you are a resident of that specific WICHE state. Then you apply to vet school. Both of these applications happen at around the same time. If you apply to WSU and CSU as a NV WICHE applicant. Both WSU and CSU look at your application and rank it based on their own admitting systems. Then each WICHE school sends these ranked lists to the main WICHE office in Boulder. The WICHE office will then make 1 ranked list using the lists from each school to determine who is most likely to get funding. So if you get ranked really high at both WSU and CSU then you will get ranked really high at the main WICHE list ranking. If you rank low for both then you will get ranked low. Then the WICHE office in Boulder sends a short list from each WICHE state (basically the top 10 or so people) to each of the WICHE schools. So there will be one from AZ, NV, MT, etc. Then each of the schools make their offers. If someone decides to not accept their WICHE spot at a school then the school can request the names of the applicants further down on the list and offer spots to those applicants. It is a long process. And since you are only being compared to the other x number of WICHE applicants from your state your chances are slightly better. Also, applying to all 3 WICHE schools OSU, CSU and WSU increases your chances of being higher on the list because if you apply to two and rank high and low then you will be towards the middle but if you apply to 3 and rank high, high and low then you will be towards the top. Ok sorry this is long or if it doesn't make sense. If you have anymore questions about the WICHE process just let me know.

Again, WELCOME! and good luck! :luck:
 
Did you guys notice how we all wrote "good luck" at the end? Pre-vets are ridiculously friendly.
 
lalzi22 said:
Did you guys notice how we all wrote "good luck" at the end? Pre-vets are ridiculously friendly.
Click to expand...


I know! It's great! Why isn't it like that over in pre-allo? They eat each other alive.
 
Oh and if inorganic chemistry really isn't offered there you could always check out an online class at another school, or take it at a community college in your area. Just a thought. :)
 
welcome!! :welcome:

I love new SDN members!! i'm so glad you decided to get involved instead of lurking.

i agree with what everyone said above. I don't know much about wiche states so i cant really comment on that.

you are starting to prepare really early which is great. your GPA is good just keep trying your best to keep it that way :) You do need to write a personal statement...but don't worry too much about that now unless you plan on applying to school with only the prereqs and not after your degree. you still have plenty of time for that :)

inorganic is gen chem like what was mentioned above. this confused me too because at my school there is an upper level chem course inorganic and i was like why do they want me to take this??? haha so no worries, just general.

volunteering on weekends is a great way to get experience! since you have some time, just keep it mind it is good to get broad experience. maybe look into LA experience if there is a farm on your school or nearby. lab experience. research. wildlife.

You're off to a great start!!! i dont think you need much help, just a boost of confidence :D

welcome again!
 
Lalzi, scratch Mississippi off that list of schools that allow you to gain in state tuition! Miss. makes you sign your life away at the interview when it comes to that--you're stuck with four years of OOS tuition.

And I agree, Welcome to the best place on earth, and good luck!
Don't let your GPA get you down, mine is lower, and I got in to 2 schools, waitlisted at 3 others.

You also need to take the GRE, if you haven't already. Try to do amazing on that!

I also would apply to least 1 or 2 schools other than WICHE. Those that take lots of OOS are a good place to start, as are those that let you get the IS tuition after year 1.

Animal nutrition you can definitely take online. I'm currently taking it throuhg Oklahoma State. It's not hard, just a pain in the butt since it's self paced and I need to remember to actually do the work!
 
You may want to look into Western. They seem to have a slightly lower average GPA, and they do take ethnic diversity and gender into account more than other schools. Also, since they are private, residency doesn't matter really (assuming you can afford their expensive tuition) . . .
 
Thank you guys for your fast replies! You all are really friendly :D I'm so glad to find out inorganic chemistry is general chemistry!! WHooo WHOOO! I'm telling you the counselors at my school are worthless. It's good to know my GPA is not that bad, I graduated with honors from H.S. so I'm really dissapointed in myself for lowering my gpa and withdrawing those classes. One of the reasons I did that is that I got married was working full time and taking part-time classes and I wasn't used to it. And I withdrew precalculus I twice but the third time I got an A-, I withdrew English composition but the next semester I got an A, and Statistics because I took it online and it was big mistake and I didn't want to have an F in my trascript. I also have a D- in sociology but I re-took and got an A-. Most of the classes I messed up were in the second semester. falling in love really messes up with your head :laugh:. I am bilingual, I was actually born in Mexico. I came here when I was 11 so English is my second language... I'm actually the first one in my family to attend a university. I will look into those school that offer in-state tuition after 1 year, that sounds great! Oh and what do guys mean by LA experience?
 
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pitbullsrule said:
Thank you guys for your fast replies! You all are really friendly :D I'm so glad to find out inorganic chemistry is general chemistry!! WHooo WHOOO! I'm telling you the counselors at my school are worthless. It's good to know my GPA is not that bad, I graduated with honors from H.S. so I'm really dissapointed in myself for lowering my gpa and withdrawing those classes. One of the reasons I did that is that I got married was working full time and taking part-time classes and I wasn't used to it. And I withdrew precalculus I twice but the third time I got an A-, I withdrew English composition but the next semester I got an A, and Statistics because I took it online and it was big mistake and I didn't want to have an F in my trascript. I also have a D- in sociology but I re-took and got an A-. Most of the classes I messed up were in the second semester. falling in love really messes up with your head :laugh:. I am bilingual, I was actually born in Mexico. I came here when I was 11 so English is my second language... I'm actually the first one in my family to attend a university. I will look into those school that offer in-state tuition after 1 year, that sounds great! Oh and what do guys mean by LA experience?
Click to expand...

LA= Large animal. Cows, horses, buffalo, even other smaller ruminants/farm animals.
 
LA= Large animal (farm animals- cows, goats, piggies etc...)
SA= small animal (cats, dogs)
exotics= non-traditional smaller pets (rabbits, birds, snakes)
equine= horses

stay around and all the terminology will become second nature
 
pitbullsrule said:
I am bilingual, I was actually born in Mexico. I came here when I was 11 so English is my second language... I'm actually the first one in my family to attend a university.
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That's awesome! More power to you :thumbup:
 
lalzi22 said:
SA= small animal (cats, dogs)
exotics= non-traditional smaller pets (rabbits, birds, snakes)
Click to expand...


Really? I always thought that small animals included things like rabbits, hamsters, rats, etc. along with dogs and cats. And that exotics were things like reptiles, wildlife (zoo animals). Am I mistaken?
 
Poochlover11 said:
Really? I always thought that small animals included things like rabbits, hamsters, rats, etc. along with dogs and cats. And that exotics were things like reptiles, wildlife (zoo animals). Am I mistaken?
Click to expand...

All the exotics vets in my area do small mammals (pocket pets), birds and reptiles. I thought zoo animals and wildlife were under zoo med, but I am sure calling them (as they may well call themselves, I def dont know about this one) exotic vets would be accurate as well, since I believe a tiger is vaguely (sarcasm) exotic. From my experience, exotic vets in the non-zoo field include small mammals.
 
lalzi22 said:
All the exotics vets in my area do small mammals (pocket pets), birds and reptiles. I thought zoo animals and wildlife were under zoo med, but I am sure calling them (as they may well call themselves, I def dont know about this one) exotic vets would be accurate as well, since I believe a tiger is vaguely (sarcasm) exotic. From my experience, exotic vets in the non-zoo field include small mammals.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Learn something new everyday.
 
lalzi22 said:
You do. I learned that if I push a button, I receive bacon. Now I must find said button and NEVER LEAVE IT. :D
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Ahahahaha!! I believe you can find said button in most public restrooms.
 
lalzi22 said:
You do. I learned that if I push a button, I receive bacon. Now I must find said button and NEVER LEAVE IT. :D
Click to expand...

Wanna hear something gross? Had a progressive dinner tonight at various prof houses and the dessert was...BACON ICECREAM. ewwww!!!! Haha - one of our profs is obsessed with bacon. Didn't try it because I'm a veggie, but I guess others didn't find it that bad. There should be a limit to such things ;)

Sorry to hijack, back on topic!

And welcome! Hope you stick around! We're a fun bunch :)
 
bacon_lg.jpg
 
Bacon ice cream? Wow gotta try that lol !! Do you guys know where I can get more info on schools that offer in-state tuition after the first year... I went to the I went to the AAVMC website and looked under college specifications for Ohio but it didn't say anything about that & Missouri University wasn't even listed. Oh I forgot to ask something else, if I get a bachelor's degree do I still need to fullfil all of the pre-reqs for the school I'm applying for? Because it seems most of them have the same pre-reqs biology, chemistry, statistics, etc but then there are some that want animal nutrition or physiology, would I need to take those extra classes on top of my bachelor's degree? If that's the case I would need to take a lot of classes if I apply to 4 schools. I would end up with like 80 college credits!! :eek:
 
Yeah, just having a B.S. doesn't mean you don't to take the pre reqs, but you don't need the pre reqs for every school just to apply to a few. I know there's something about alternative application, but I'm not sure if that's for people with low GPAs, or something else. And 80 credits? My B.S. requires at least 125, and I'll probably graduate next month with about 135. Its just about working those requirements into your science electives, or free electives, but only take the pre reqs for the schools you will apply to.
 
pitbullsrule said:
Bacon ice cream? Wow gotta try that lol !! Do you guys know where I can get more info on schools that offer in-state tuition after the first year... I went to the I went to the AAVMC website and looked under college specifications for Ohio but it didn't say anything about that & Missouri University wasn't even listed. Oh I forgot to ask something else, if I get a bachelor's degree do I still need to fullfil all of the pre-reqs for the school I'm applying for? Because it seems most of them have the same pre-reqs biology, chemistry, statistics, etc but then there are some that want animal nutrition or physiology, would I need to take those extra classes on top of my bachelor's degree? If that's the case I would need to take a lot of classes if I apply to 4 schools. I would end up with like 80 college credits!! :eek:
Click to expand...


If you want to apply to a certain school you have to fulfill ALL of that school's requirements. Just a heads up about something too-I'll use my school as an example. At ISU when you apply in the fall you can be taking as many pre-reqs as you want, but then in the spring you can only be taking two science pre-reqs, and you can't take any pre-reqs the summer before you start vet school. Just throwing that out there.
 
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cowgirla said:
:hijacked:


Thanks for making me spit orange soda across the laptop screen...
Click to expand...

Speaking of Orange soda (sorry, this is completely OT) but last summer I spilled orange soda on my color chromotagraphy strip while writing up an organic chem post-lab. Let's just say it made for an interesting write-up!:laugh:
 
Ok got it I have to take all of the required classes... with that in mind, I think I will only apply to 3 schools and hope for the best! :) Oh and it seems Ohio is the only that offers in-state tuition after 1 year and it's still kind of expensive. Another school that did catch my eye is Tuskegee University their tuition is so low and they accept a lot of OOS students. And I know 4 vets who went to that school so that might help me. I already requested an information package from their website. I couldn't find any information for their pre-reqs on the AAVMC website and the school's website is not really user friendly. But it seems that they require the same pre-reqs for all majors except engineer & nursing.
 
Missouri also does in-state after a year, and so may NCSU? But they're both GPA-focused schools. But your GPA isn't bad.

Tuskegee's website is notoriously terrible - you'd think they would take a hint - but it's a good school and I hope you manage to get more info about their pre-reqs and stuff.
 
NCSU considers diversity a very high priority, offers in-state tuition after first year, and has the cheapest IS tuition of any vet school in the US. However, it does require animal nutrition (though distance courses are accetable.) The OOS cut off is 3.4, so you qualify there. we also require 400 hours of vet med, preferably across at least 3 fields (SA, SA exotics, food animal, lab animal, research, zoo med, public health, population med, equine.)

just so you know, your pre-reqs don't all have to be done before you apply. Some schools allow you to apply with a few (between 2-5 I think) incomplete at the time of application, but that must be completed by the end of fall, spring, or summer term before enrollment.

Start a spread sheet! also, take a look at the 'search' function & limit to prevet will help you find WICHE stuff. Also, remember, things change, so verify what you read.
 
pitbullsrule said:
Ok got it I have to take all of the required classes... with that in mind, I think I will only apply to 3 schools and hope for the best! :) Oh and it seems Ohio is the only that offers in-state tuition after 1 year and it's still kind of expensive. Another school that did catch my eye is Tuskegee University their tuition is so low and they accept a lot of OOS students. And I know 4 vets who went to that school so that might help me. I already requested an information package from their website. I couldn't find any information for their pre-reqs on the AAVMC website and the school's website is not really user friendly. But it seems that they require the same pre-reqs for all majors except engineer & nursing.
Click to expand...


WSU also allows in-state tuition to be obtained after the first year and after talking to a few of the students there during my interview it seems fairly easy to obtain that status (change driver's license, register to vote, car registration, etc).
 
lalzi22 said:
LA= Large animal (farm animals- cows, goats, piggies etc...)
SA= small animal (cats, dogs)
exotics= non-traditional smaller pets (rabbits, birds, snakes)
equine= horses

stay around and all the terminology will become second nature
Click to expand...

while you're at it, what's c/o stand for??? I've been wondering that for a long time.:confused:
 
That's my understanding.

And my hope.
 
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