How many C's can you get and be accepted?

[lailanni]

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At a pre-vet club, we were chatting. One of the members recently made a trip to Washington State U Vet Med to check things out.

She asked the advisor how many C's (below 3.0) a student has gotten and still been accepted.

The advisor said at max, only 2 C's. Very rarely 3.

What do y'all think (especially those that have been accepted)? What's the max C threshold?

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Hahaha...oh my....that made me laugh.....

So this person thinks if you make 3+ C's you cannot get into vet school? So if, for example, you make straight A's except for one C every semester straight in undergrad [ so maybe 40 As and 8 Cs] , and therefore have a stupendous overall GPA, plus some good GREs, good experience.....you won't get in??

Psh.

Lordy, what absolute hogwash. Getting into vet school depends on a lot, but not the number of Cs you get. Don't worry about it. If your overall GPA is good, you'll be fine 🙂

 

[m&ossyducks]

Hahaha...oh my....that made me laugh.....

So this person thinks if you make 3+ C's you cannot get into vet school? So if, for example, you make straight A's except for one C every semester straight in undergrad [ so maybe 40 As and 8 Cs] , and therefore have a stupendous overall GPA, plus some good GREs, good experience.....you won't get in??

Psh.

Lordy, what absolute hogwash. Getting into vet school depends on a lot, but not the number of Cs you get. Don't worry about it. If your overall GPA is good, you'll be fine 🙂

HAHA very well said!!

 

[bakaduin]

The number of C's you can get?

Thats an easy question! 3.456 repeating of course!

In all seriousness the person two above me answered the question wonderfully.

 

[philomycus]

I had a ridiculous question asked by one of my AP Bio students that's even more ridiculous than this one. She said her friend was thinking about trying to be a vet but then decided not to because they gave you a pet (either cat or dog) for 4 years to take care of and practice on. During your last year, you were required to do a terminal surgery on the pet.

I tried not to laugh, but couldn't help it. Who knows how these rumors get started!

 

[VAgirl]

I had a ridiculous question asked by one of my AP Bio students that's even more ridiculous than this one. She said her friend was thinking about trying to be a vet but then decided not to because they gave you a pet (either cat or dog) for 4 years to take care of and practice on. During your last year, you were required to do a terminal surgery on the pet.

If that were the case, I don't think very many of us (if any of us) would be able to be vets. Who could perform a terminal surgery on an animal that has become family? I couldn't. I also don't think anyone would want a vet who could. 🙁

 

[Electrophile]

Let's see...I got a C in:

-both semesters of organic chemistry
-the second semester of physics
-cell biology
-biochemistry

That's be 5 Cs! 😱 I ended up with a 3.3 something in undergrad. Just wait til vet school...you'll be glad to get Cs in certain classes. There's the old phrase "C=DVM." However, that being said, I had two majors and a minor (plus), finished my masters (big plus), and want to be a mixed practice vet (very big plus). So what I don't make up for in quality, I make up for in quantity. 😉

 

[ri23]

People do bring out the C=DVM a lot, but I have to remind myself that C doesn't = residency 😉

 

[sofficat]

I had a ridiculous question asked by one of my AP Bio students that's even more ridiculous than this one. She said her friend was thinking about trying to be a vet but then decided not to because they gave you a pet (either cat or dog) for 4 years to take care of and practice on. During your last year, you were required to do a terminal surgery on the pet.

I tried not to laugh, but couldn't help it. Who knows how these rumors get started!

what's so funny? your school DOESN'T do that? um.... how are you supposed to learn? geez. i've already picked out my terminal surgery for Butch- i'm going to remove all of his legs and his heart. then i'll recover him (just to make sure i did the procedure right, of course), then euthanize him.

 

[Electrophile]

People do bring out the C=DVM a lot, but I have to remind myself that C doesn't = residency 😉

I think I'll do better when the classes are a bit more practical in nature and a little less theoretical like they are now. My two possibilities of specialties for a residency are behavior and nutrition, neither which are covered much at all this first semester; therefore, I have a tendency not to learn as actively as I do in other classes like reproduction or behavior. It's pretty sad that cell biology (not counting the biochemistry portion earlier on this semester) is probably my favorite class. That's a bad bad sign for me! Histology, anatomy, and general physiology sucks. Cell biology doesn't suck as badly. I think we have large animal anatomy, nutrition, reproductive physiology and the last part of histology in our next block. Woo hoo!

 

[Cheska]

what's so funny? your school DOESN'T do that? um.... how are you supposed to learn? geez. i've already picked out my terminal surgery for Butch- i'm going to remove all of his legs and his heart. then i'll recover him (just to make sure i did the procedure right, of course), then euthanize him.

😆 Thanks.... that one had me in tears from laughing so hard!

 

[critterfixer]

People do bring out the C=DVM a lot, but I have to remind myself that C doesn't = residency 😉

Well, just to take a teeny bit of pressure off, my mentor, a board certified anesthesiologist, told me she got a C in anatomy.

As to the OP, I hated organic chemistry (only because I hated the professor) and received a C in both semesters. I still got in to 3 veterinary schools. I wouldn't make a habit of C's in undergrad, but if you have an overall impressive GPA and can explain any less than stellar grades on your application, you'll be fine. I did not, however, write that I hated my professor. Instead, I pointed out how I modified my own study habits and earned A's in the courses I took after organic (like biochem) to demonstrate that I did master the material.

 

[lailanni]

Thanks for the replies : ) One can never be completely sure if a rumor is just a rumor!

And that makes me breathe easier. Biochem is currently kicking my butt. The last exam average was an 80. Dang those crazy pre meds making life difficult.

 

[ri23]

Oh good, so we're allowed one? 😉

Well, just to take a teeny bit of pressure off, my mentor, a board certified anesthesiologist, told me she got a C in anatomy.

As to the OP, I hated organic chemistry (only because I hated the professor) and received a C in both semesters. I still got in to 3 veterinary schools. I wouldn't make a habit of C's in undergrad, but if you have an overall impressive GPA and can explain any less than stellar grades on your application, you'll be fine. I did not, however, write that I hated my professor. Instead, I pointed out how I modified my own study habits and earned A's in the courses I took after organic (like biochem) to demonstrate that I did master the material.

 

[brightness]

Do many veterinarians do a residency? I work in a small town animal hospital (small animal) and none of the veterinarians where I work did residencies. Two of them are over 55, and our other vet is probably mid 30s. Anyway, we do nearly everything for small animals, including surgery (our main surgeon is talented with orthopaedic surgery, so there is a lot of that, including just general surgeries). We also do emergencies, dermatology, wellness and vaccines, and we get cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, raccoons, fawns, birds...you name it, its come through the door.
I love it! But, I have wondered how many 'generalist' jobs there will be in the future, especially if one is not committed to working in a rural area. Is specialization the wave of the future? I love our busy rural animal hospital. and all the different cases we see.

People do bring out the C=DVM a lot, but I have to remind myself that C doesn't = residency 😉

 

[bostonpet]

so here's a question. i'm a non-traditional student who's just recently started going back to school taking classes part-time. i'm only taking general chemistry right now, and it's really kicking my butt! i got a little lost early in the semester and i feel as if i've been playing catch-up since. i think i'm going to be able to swing a C or a C-. I'm planning on taking the second semester of it in the spring along with another biostats class, working fewer hours.

i currently have a 3.3 in undergrad with a couple Ws and a few re-takes of different classes - but that was at least 4 years ago.

should i hold on and just do my best for a C, or do you think it's worth dropping the class with a W and get a better grade next time around?

I'm leaning toward trying my darndest to get a B- so I can take the second semester in the spring and won't fall behind schedule....I just want to make sure I do the right thing. I have so many classes to go that I'm not entirely worried about it yet but just in case I wanted to hear some others' opinions.....

 

[168135]

Dumb question, what numerical grade equals a C and does it differ from school to school?

Here a C is a 60 - 69. Erm... I'm a lot better than that.

 

[nyanko]

Dumb question, what numerical grade equals a C and does it differ from school to school?

Here a C is a 60 - 69. Erm... I'm a lot better than that.

On a straight scale here it's usually 70-79, however a lot of professors curve classes so that a C is the class average grade.

 

[rexosaurus]

Dumb question, what numerical grade equals a C and does it differ from school to school?

Here a C is a 60 - 69. Erm... I'm a lot better than that.

Also a dumb question: are you sure it isn't just a class you're in, or is it school wide? I noticed you're not in the states, so perhaps to get use to the grading scale in the states (if you are going to apply here) you may want to set your standards a bit higher to acclimate to the grading scale. just a thought.

 

[david594]

To give a frame of reference. Across the board the average GPA for an entering students seems to be about a 3.5. Which on a 100 scale would be around 90. And a C in the US system(around a 75) is considered the lowest acceptable grade one could get in any of the required courses.

 

[dyachei]

To give a frame of reference. Across the board the average GPA for an entering students seems to be about a 3.5. Which on a 100 scale would be around 90. And a C in the US system(around a 75) is considered the lowest acceptable grade one could get in any of the required courses.

Not true, some schools take C - instead of C for required courses. That goes to a 70, usually. When I took a course online from Guelph, however, their C was in the 60's somewhere and the GPA was standard for the letter grade, not the percentage.

 

[critterfixer]

so here's a question. i'm a non-traditional student who's just recently started going back to school taking classes part-time. i'm only taking general chemistry right now, and it's really kicking my butt! i got a little lost early in the semester and i feel as if i've been playing catch-up since. i think i'm going to be able to swing a C or a C-. I'm planning on taking the second semester of it in the spring along with another biostats class, working fewer hours.

i currently have a 3.3 in undergrad with a couple Ws and a few re-takes of different classes - but that was at least 4 years ago.

should i hold on and just do my best for a C, or do you think it's worth dropping the class with a W and get a better grade next time around?

I'm leaning toward trying my darndest to get a B- so I can take the second semester in the spring and won't fall behind schedule....I just want to make sure I do the right thing. I have so many classes to go that I'm not entirely worried about it yet but just in case I wanted to hear some others' opinions.....

If you are understanding the material now and are sure you can pull a C or better, I'd definitely just keep on going. Because as you said, you will get completely behind schedule if you don't continue with the second half next semester. Most of the courses you need to take for vet school are going to have Gen Chem as a pre-req. Not finishing it now could delay you by a year. Do well in the rest of your courses, and a C in the first semester of Gen Chem is just not going to look like that big a deal. But too many W's might be hard to explain.

Have you met with your teacher to get some help?

 

[168135]

On a straight scale here it's usually 70-79, however a lot of professors curve classes so that a C is the class average grade.

None of my classes are curved.

It is school wide. One of the essays that I got back for English class was an 85, and that was considered an A.

I lived in Houston for two years, and I know that the standards are much higher. In elementary school, a pass there was a 75 and they got numerical grades. Here, a pass is a 50, and we only got numerical grades in junior and senior high... elementary school we got Goods and Very Goods and Satisfactory, which makes little sense.

I am a bit scared now. I figured out that I need an 85 on the exam to get a 75 in general chemistry I. I'm going to get a tutor before I even start general chemistry II. In Biology, I have an average in the mid 70s, but I heard that Into to Biology doesn't count. I met one other girl who is doing "pre-vet" and she bombed the midterm with like a 20% or a 30%... so I think I am safe.

 

[bostonpet]

I've met with my TF to talk briefly about my grades. I've also started going to a tutor that took the same class and tutors other students taking the class as well. I have a final that can either be 30 or 45 percent of my final grade, depending on how well I do and another test that will either be 10 or 15 percent, again, totally dependent on the final (if I do better on the final, it counts 45%, if I do better on 3 exams, they count as 45%, and the final would count 30%). I have time to improve the grade. I just really need to buckle down and make sure that not only do I understand the material, but that I can apply to it to the test questions. So I'm meeting with a tutor on a weekly basis and trying to get a job with fewer hours, and improve my study habits so I can get the B- (hopefully no Cs).....

 

[fargeese]

To give a frame of reference. Across the board the average GPA for an entering students seems to be about a 3.5. Which on a 100 scale would be around 90. And a C in the US system(around a 75) is considered the lowest acceptable grade one could get in any of the required courses.

Is a 90-100=A true for most schools? If so, I feel seriously screwed by my Undergrad institution. There I had to get a 95 for an A, and usually only managed a B+ or A- in a class (91-94). But my GPA is calculated from my letter grades on the transcript so I only have a 3.4 GPA, even though I did better than a 90 in all my classes except my lone C in Calc II. Is this how everyone gets such high GPAs? Crap. My community college scores are all 90-100 but I just assumed the wide range was because it was a CC.

 

[nyanko]

At UCF the grading scale was at the individual professors' discretion, and it seemed that most had the 90-100 grading scale as an A, yes. Some used 94-100 and 90-93 being an A- and there were other grading scales, and some curved to the average (most notable was my General Microbiology course, which ended with an 83% being an A because of the curve).

 

[lailanni]

All of my classes are curved, it really is a pain.

It makes you hope that other students fail horribly, and just makes everyone mean and grumpy.

For example, in biochem right now the average is 80. 80 = c = 2.8 (our school sets average at 2.8). Ugh....

 

[Phebe]

Electrophile, you really get into Vet School with all these Cs?
You lighten up my candle!

 

[VAgirl]

Electrophile, you really get into Vet School with all these Cs?
You lighten up my candle!

Not that I'm Electrophile, but...

You may be missing the fact that she also did a masters degree in some really cool area and probably had other interesting post-undergrad stuff going for her. I think we often focus too much on GPA and GREs, as if there's some magic formula for those 2 numbers, which, if hit upon, will automatically grant admission into vet school. There is a bigger picture.

 

[dyachei]

Not that I'm Electrophile, but...

You may be missing the fact that she also did a masters degree in some really cool area and probably had other interesting post-undergrad stuff going for her. I think we often focus too much on GPA and GREs, as if there's some magic formula for those 2 numbers, which, if hit upon, will automatically grant admission into vet school. There is a bigger picture.

I didn't though and got C's (and 1 C-) in 3 semesters of chemistry and 1 semester of biochem and I am in vet school right now. There is a bigger picture, but don't lose hope and don't give up if you think your grades aren't competitive enough. The reason people tend to focus on these is because many schools assign points and the majority go to GPA and GRE.

 

[Phebe]

VAgirl, yes I know, thanks for reminding me 🙂
I know in order to get into vet school, we need to be all round! I am working hard, too!

 

[VAgirl]

I didn't though and got C's (and 1 C-) in 3 semesters of chemistry and 1 semester of biochem and I am in vet school right now. There is a bigger picture, but don't lose hope and don't give up if you think your grades aren't competitive enough. The reason people tend to focus on these is because many schools assign points and the majority go to GPA and GRE.

My post was in no way trying to say that if you don't have other things going, Cs will devastate your chances. In fact, it was kind of the opposite. I find it very annoying when people forecast one another's chances based solely off GPA and GREs. I know schools put a lot of emphasis on them. But it's not necessarily the whole enchilada. In fact, as you can see below, in most cases GPA/GRE only accounts for half of the points that schools look at. Granted it's objective and not really subject to interpretation. But in no way do I think you can look at someone's GPA/GREs and tell whether or not they have a good chance. As supported by the information below (drawn from the 2008 VMSAR, for the US schools that list this information). Our information is weighted as follows:

UC Davis (50 % GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (25%), Test scores (25%), Personal statement/essay/animal & vet experience/references/other (30%), Interview (20%)

Cornell (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (25%), Test scores (25%), Animal & vet experience (20%), References/essay/quality of academic program/non-academic activities/non-cognitive attributes (30%)

Kansas State (70% GPA/GRE; 30% rest)
Prereq sci GPA (30%), Test scores (40%), Interview/references/animal & vet experience/leadership/essay (30%)

Louisiana (70% GPA/GRE; 30% rest)
GPA for prereqs (32%), GPA of last 45hrs (20%), Test scores (18%), Animal & vet experience/references/essay (15%), Interview (10%), Committee evaluation (5%)

Missouri (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (45%), Test scores (5%), Animal & vet experience (10%), Interpersonal skills (15%), Work ethic (5%), Life experience/diversity (5%)

Ohio State (45% GPA/GRE; 55% rest)
Grades (35%), Test scores (10%)
Interview (55%) (where they evaluate: academic improvement vs. difficulty/communication & interpersonal skills/social & community activities/ work record & financial responsibility/motivation & commitment to vet med/comprehension of vet med/knowledge of & exposure to animals/references)

Purdue (54% GPA/GRE; 46% rest)
Grades/test scores/overall academic performance (honors, study abroad) (54%)
Animal & vet & research work experiences/extracurriculars/essay/overall presentation of app materials/references/interview (46%)

Tuskegee (I have no idea since they added wrong)
Grades (60%), Test scores (2%), Animal/vet experience (1%), Interview (15%), References (1%), Essay (1%) ... which only adds up to 80%...so I have no idea what's going on here

VMRCVM (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Cumulative GPA/req sci GPA/last 45 hr GPA/GRE aptitude (50%)
Animal & vet experience/research, industrial, and commercial experience/activities, achievements, and awards/essay/references (25%)
Interview (25%)

University of Wisconsin (60% GPA/GRE; 40% rest)
Undergrad cumulative GPA/pre req GPA/Most recent 30 hrs GPA/GREs (60%)
Animal & vet experience/other preparatory exp./extracurriculars/personal history/references

 

[dyachei]

Looks like we're on the same page. I also don't want people to think that to get in they need to have gone for a master's or phd though. Thanks for all the stats.

My post was in no way trying to say that if you don't have other things going, Cs will devastate your chances. In fact, it was kind of the opposite. I find it very annoying when people forecast one another's chances based solely off GPA and GREs. I know schools put a lot of emphasis on them. But it's not necessarily the whole enchilada. In fact, as you can see below, in most cases GPA/GRE only accounts for half of the points that schools look at. Granted it's objective and not really subject to interpretation. But in no way do I think you can look at someone's GPA/GREs and tell whether or not they have a good chance. As supported by the information below (drawn from the 2008 VMSAR, for the US schools that list this information). Our information is weighted as follows:

UC Davis (50 % GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (25%), Test scores (25%), Personal statement/essay/animal & vet experience/references/other (30%), Interview (20%)

Cornell (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (25%), Test scores (25%), Animal & vet experience (20%), References/essay/quality of academic program/non-academic activities/non-cognitive attributes (30%)

Kansas State (70% GPA/GRE; 30% rest)
Prereq sci GPA (30%), Test scores (40%), Interview/references/animal & vet experience/leadership/essay (30%)

Louisiana (70% GPA/GRE; 30% rest)
GPA for prereqs (32%), GPA of last 45hrs (20%), Test scores (18%), Animal & vet experience/references/essay (15%), Interview (10%), Committee evaluation (5%)

Missouri (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Grades (45%), Test scores (5%), Animal & vet experience (10%), Interpersonal skills (15%), Work ethic (5%), Life experience/diversity (5%)

Ohio State (45% GPA/GRE; 55% rest)
Grades (35%), Test scores (10%)
Interview (55%) (where they evaluate: academic improvement vs. difficulty/communication & interpersonal skills/social & community activities/ work record & financial responsibility/motivation & commitment to vet med/comprehension of vet med/knowledge of & exposure to animals/references)

Purdue (54% GPA/GRE; 46% rest)
Grades/test scores/overall academic performance (honors, study abroad) (54%)
Animal & vet & research work experiences/extracurriculars/essay/overall presentation of app materials/references/interview (46%)

Tuskegee (I have no idea since they added wrong)
Grades (60%), Test scores (2%), Animal/vet experience (1%), Interview (15%), References (1%), Essay (1%) ... which only adds up to 80%...so I have no idea what's going on here

VMRCVM (50% GPA/GRE; 50% rest)
Cumulative GPA/req sci GPA/last 45 hr GPA/GRE aptitude (50%)
Animal & vet experience/research, industrial, and commercial experience/activities, achievements, and awards/essay/references (25%)
Interview (25%)

University of Wisconsin (60% GPA/GRE; 40% rest)
Undergrad cumulative GPA/pre req GPA/Most recent 30 hrs GPA/GREs (60%)
Animal & vet experience/other preparatory exp./extracurriculars/personal history/references

 

[banditalfi]

Tuskegee (I have no idea since they added wrong)
Grades (60%), Test scores (2%), Animal/vet experience (1%), Interview (15%), References (1%), Essay (1%) ... which only adds up to 80%...so I have no idea what's going on here

Haha - this made my day!

 

[banditalfi]

And some more information:

Cornell's DVM Admissions Formula (55 GPA/GRE; 45 rest)
25% Overall GPA (all grades from all colleges)
25% GRE (verbal & quantitative only)
5% Quality of Academic Program
20% Animal/Veterinary/Research Experience
(supported with Letters of Evaluation)
10% Non-Cognitive Skills
10% All Other Achievements & Letters of Evaluation
5% Personal Statement

 

[chris03333]

I think I had like 3 Cs and ....
😱 one F😳

I did have a very strong GPA cumulative and science though.

 

[vesselj]

I didn't want to make a new thread and this topic felt appropriate for my question...

I'm currently in community college and have only recently gotten a desire to consider the pre-vet route. If this semester finishes as it's been going so far, I'll get an A in English 2, B in Calculus I, and a B in Animal Biology. I was aiming for an A in Animal Biology but the third midterm was much harder than I anticipated. I think I'm doing well so far if I improve a bit, but the problem is my previous classes, which were all Bs or Cs. The only vet school required course I've finished so far outside of humanities/social sciences was Chemistry I with a C. My schedule for next semester is Calc II, Molecular Biology and General Chem II.

Short version: I've put myself on the right track this semester, but my GPA previous to this was a 2.7. Can I still become competitive by doing well in my coming semesters and after I transfer? I'll transfer as a General Biology major.

Oh, and I know that this has sorta already been addressed by previous posts in this thread, but I would feel so much better if I got some words of wisdom specifically about my situation.

 

[philomycus]

Can I still become competitive by doing well in my coming semesters and after I transfer? I'll transfer as a General Biology major.

Absolutely. I left the community college with an AA with a 2.8, and got my GPA at the 4 yr school up to 3.4ish and got one interview and one-waitlisted last year. My general GRE scores sucks too. But my Bio score was very high, and I feel I had other strengths in my app.