Is It Worth Applying a Third Time? Low GPA, tons of experience

[mn1309]

Hi!

I have applied twice and have been rejected both years in a row, I've never even made a waitlist. I am so passionate about veterinary medicine and cannot imagine myself doing anything else. After my second rejection, I faced the fact that it was highly unlikely for me to become a vet and I began searching for backup career options. Searching for an alternate job/career has been incredibly difficult. One of my doctors has been trying to convince me to try again one more time. If I try again, it would only be to my in-state, UGA because I cannot afford to apply to more than one school. I also cannot afford to do a masters' degree or retake classes. I feel like I came close last year as I had a reference called and they had a great conversation, but I was ultimately rejected. I just feel like I will regret not trying again later on, but do I even have a chance?

My stats are:
3.1 cumulative GPA
2.9 science GPA
I cannot remember my last 45, I'll have to calculate it again, but I believe it was low 3.0s.

Experience:
8,000+ hours of small animal GP, ER, and surgery. I've been working full-time for four years in this field. In my state, we can be OTJ-trained techs so I can do catheters, pull blood, monitor anesthesia, etc. and I currently am a lead surgery assistant at my clinic. I am extremely confident in my clinical skills.
200 hours of large animal and equine shadowing
50ish hours of exotic work
Hundreds of hours working on a dairy goat breeding farm with goats, cows, chickens, horses, bunnies

Volunteer:
12 years of horse rescue volunteer experience, 20 years of equestrian/riding/training experience
Current volunteer at my church in the college environment

Non-Animal
Dance
Business clubs in undergrad

My first year I wasn't the best at applying to holistic schools. I applied to UGA, Tennessee, Missouri, and CSU. Rejected from all.
The second cycle I applied a little more holistically: UGA, LMU, LIU, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, VA-Maryland, and Iowa. Rejected from all, no interviews/waitlists.

Another thing is i am a non-traditional student who graduated from UGA with a business degree and later went back to school and finished my pre-requisites while working full-time in the field. I definitely could've had a better GPA if I didn't have to work full-time, but that's my reality. I am also wanting to become an equine/large animal vet because of my passion for horses, and I know there is a huge need for large animal vets in the field.

So, is it worth me re-applying? Will they take into account that this is my third time? Thanks everyone for reading!

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[DogtorAsh]

This is probably not the most encouraging post, but I applied to UGA 4 times and was rejected all 4 times and I was IS as well. My GPAs this past cycle were also higher than yours (3.3 cum, 3.1 science, and last 45 was around 3.5-3.8 depending on the school calculation). I also have 2 masters degrees, and thousands of hours of experience as well. While I have never had any of my references called, I would just caution that every application cycle is different, so even if you got a reference called last cycle, there's no guarantee that will happen again the next cycle.

Have you reached out to Parker for an app review/advice? I think talking with him personally might do a lot to get some face time with him, and I've heard positive things from other students who have met with him. I spoke with one of their immunology professors who used to be on the admissions committee and he said it was a big thing to meet with Parker if possible. UGA was honestly an enigma for me trying to get into them. I had multiple coworkers/doctors that all graduated from there that kept encouraging me to reapply to them and every year it was like a stab in the heart to not even have a single reference called.

I know you said you don't really have the time or money to retake anything, but my suggestion would be to retake some of the classes you did poorly in/and take classes to bring up your last 45. I also left the vet med field for about 2.5 years to be able to earn a livable wage so I could afford these programs/classes, so that might be an option too if needed. It also gave me perspective that I didn't want to work outside of vet med and I was desperately wanting to go back.

Overall, I wish you the best of luck and I completely understand how you feel as I was 100% in your shoes. ♥️

 

[mn1309]

This is probably not the most encouraging post, but I applied to UGA 4 times and was rejected all 4 times and I was IS as well. My GPAs this past cycle were also higher than yours (3.3 cum, 3.1 science, and last 45 was around 3.5-3.8 depending on the school calculation). I also have 2 masters degrees, and thousands of hours of experience as well. While I have never had any of my references called, I would just caution that every application cycle is different, so even if you got a reference called last cycle, there's no guarantee that will happen again the next cycle.

Have you reached out to Parker for an app review/advice? I think talking with him personally might do a lot to get some face time with him, and I've heard positive things from other students who have met with him. I spoke with one of their immunology professors who used to be on the admissions committee and he said it was a big thing to meet with Parker if possible. UGA was honestly an enigma for me trying to get into them. I had multiple coworkers/doctors that all graduated from there that kept encouraging me to reapply to them and every year it was like a stab in the heart to not even have a single reference called.

I know you said you don't really have the time or money to retake anything, but my suggestion would be to retake some of the classes you did poorly in/and take classes to bring up your last 45. I also left the vet med field for about 2.5 years to be able to earn a livable wage so I could afford these programs/classes, so that might be an option too if needed. It also gave me perspective that I didn't want to work outside of vet med and I was desperately wanting to go back.

Overall, I wish you the best of luck and I completely understand how you feel as I was 100% in your shoes. ♥️

Thank you, yes I sent an email back in May and never got a response, so I sent a follow up this morning. I just don’t want to set myself up for another rejection if he thinks I have no chance.

 

[JaynaAli]

How have you improved your application since your previous application attempt?

It certainly doesn’t hurt to keep applying if you have the funds, time, and emotional capacity to do so. However, if you’re not even making an interview or waitlist for your in-state option, I think that shows that there’s some sort of red flag to them, fair or not. Your in-state is statistically your best shot at acceptance. Obviously your lower GPA could be the issue, but have you had people read your essays and make sure they answer the questions asked and show you in the best light possible? Are you sure your GPA meets their minimums, whatever those may be (I have no affiliation with UGA so I don’t know what they require, just saying make sure you know exactly what they want and that you do meet it…if you don’t, there’s no point in applying again)? Obviously your experience is pretty good. Have you done file reviews, if that’s something they offer?

There is no shame in finding a plan B. It can be hard to let go of a dream, but I promise this is just a job. I enjoy what I do and it’s what I wanted to do my whole life, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I can see that I’d probably have been just as happy doing something else. I just couldn’t see that truth back 15 years ago.

 

[battie]

It took me three cycles to get in with better grades, but not as good experience, as you. I told myself after the first rejection that I was done after 3 cycles for a few reasons:

1. This is expensive to go through. Between the 3 cycles, I probably spent 6-8k.
2. I was not a great candidate and each cycle gets more competitive with few historical exceptions. I was looking into higher level degrees, but I also knew I wouldn't ace them. I also realized that I needed to get a usable degree; gen bio bachelor's degrees are essentially worthless for my life, so I didn't want to pick a similar masters either.
3. Time. Life is more than your dream job. Unless you're a high level professional, ultimately your job is around 40ish hours a week of your life. So I wanted to prioritize having a family. Ironic since I broke up with my then boyfriend due to his perception of my vet school journey.

I was accepted by the very last school I heard from. Straight rejections from everyone else, including my in state and my "safety" school where my stats were more aligned.

I highly encourage anyone with less than 3.3 GPAs and no upward trend to seriously consider their boundaries. As schools re-evaluate curricula and COE standards in light of the dropped NAVLE scores, there's a risk that admissions standards will continue to rise.

 

[leoa]

Hi,

This is just a comment from personal experience as someone with similar stats as you that understands your frustration! I was accepted to both St. George and Ross, and waitlisted at LSU, Western, and Midwestern. If it makes sense for you logistically and going to vet school next year is the most important thing, you may consider one of the Caribbean schools, as I think you would have a good chance of getting into either. If you seriously consider going to one of these schools, I really recommend doing your research and speaking to current students about their experience. However, I know many doctors that had a great experience on the islands. There has been talk of possible shifts with accreditation so be mindful of that. I applied again instead of going to the Caribbean because I was unsettled about potential loans from the islands. My advice is to allocate your money to schools that have lower avg GPA and more out of state acceptances (unfortunately, typically that is the more expensive ones like those I listed above). I know it is silly not to apply to your in state option but UGA is very tough. You definitely seem like you'd be an amazing student in their program but unfortunately it is competitive even with a high GPA. :/ This process is super challenging and it seems like you have a true determination to be a doctor so I commend you for your efforts thus far <3 It may not hurt to take a few years off and apply again in the future when you are more financially stable. The advice above is great as well! Your life is so much more than this goal alone but it is obvious its very important to you which I can understand. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime if you'd like to chat.

 

[mn1309]

Hi,

This is just a comment from personal experience as someone with similar stats as you that understands your frustration! I was accepted to both St. George and Ross, and waitlisted at LSU, Western, and Midwestern. If it makes sense for you logistically and going to vet school next year is the most important thing, you may consider one of the Caribbean schools, as I think you would have a good chance of getting into either. If you seriously consider going to one of these schools, I really recommend doing your research and speaking to current students about their experience. However, I know many doctors that had a great experience on the islands. There has been talk of possible shifts with accreditation so be mindful of that. I applied again instead of going to the Caribbean because I was unsettled about potential loans from the islands. My advice is to allocate your money to schools that have lower avg GPA and more out of state acceptances (unfortunately, typically that is the more expensive ones like those I listed above). I know it is silly not to apply to your in state option but UGA is very tough. You definitely seem like you'd be an amazing student in their program but unfortunately it is competitive even with a high GPA. :/ This process is super challenging and it seems like you have a true determination to be a doctor so I commend you for your efforts thus far <3 It may not hurt to take a few years off and apply again in the future when you are more financially stable. The advice above is great as well! Your life is so much more than this goal alone but it is obvious its very important to you which I can understand. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime if you'd like to chat.

How have you improved your application since your previous application attempt?

It certainly doesn’t hurt to keep applying if you have the funds, time, and emotional capacity to do so. However, if you’re not even making an interview or waitlist for your in-state option, I think that shows that there’s some sort of red flag to them, fair or not. Your in-state is statistically your best shot at acceptance. Obviously your lower GPA could be the issue, but have you had people read your essays and make sure they answer the questions asked and show you in the best light possible? Are you sure your GPA meets their minimums, whatever those may be (I have no affiliation with UGA so I don’t know what they require, just saying make sure you know exactly what they want and that you do meet it…if you don’t, there’s no point in applying again)? Obviously your experience is pretty good. Have you done file reviews, if that’s something they offer?

There is no shame in finding a plan B. It can be hard to let go of a dream, but I promise this is just a job. I enjoy what I do and it’s what I wanted to do my whole life, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I can see that I’d probably have been just as happy doing something else. I just couldn’t see that truth back 15 years ago.

Thank you, yes my GPA meets their minimum. Their only requirement is a 3.0 cumulative. I think I’m definitely going to have more people read over my essays as that may be a weaker spot. I asked for a file review months ago and have followed up several times and have gotten no response. 😩 I was mainly on the fence about applying again due to the app fees, but I actually just got an extremely generous offer from someone who wants to pay for me. I may try one more time in that case, but in the mean time work on my plan B..

 

[buttersthecat]

This is probably not the most encouraging post, but I applied to UGA 4 times and was rejected all 4 times and I was IS as well. My GPAs this past cycle were also higher than yours (3.3 cum, 3.1 science, and last 45 was around 3.5-3.8 depending on the school calculation). I also have 2 masters degrees, and thousands of hours of experience as well. While I have never had any of my references called, I would just caution that every application cycle is different, so even if you got a reference called last cycle, there's no guarantee that will happen again the next cycle.

Have you reached out to Parker for an app review/advice? I think talking with him personally might do a lot to get some face time with him, and I've heard positive things from other students who have met with him. I spoke with one of their immunology professors who used to be on the admissions committee and he said it was a big thing to meet with Parker if possible. UGA was honestly an enigma for me trying to get into them. I had multiple coworkers/doctors that all graduated from there that kept encouraging me to reapply to them and every year it was like a stab in the heart to not even have a single reference called.

I know you said you don't really have the time or money to retake anything, but my suggestion would be to retake some of the classes you did poorly in/and take classes to bring up your last 45. I also left the vet med field for about 2.5 years to be able to earn a livable wage so I could afford these programs/classes, so that might be an option too if needed. It also gave me perspective that I didn't want to work outside of vet med and I was desperately wanting to go back.

Overall, I wish you the best of luck and I completely understand how you feel as I was 100% in your shoes. ♥️

Hi! I have similar stats to you; I'm finishing my master's, and I have a 3.8 last 45 GPA, a 3.19 science GPA (as the VMCAs calculate, which is just every science class), and a cumulative GPA of 3.12. I have decent experience, but after I graduate from my master's program, I plan to work as a vet assistant and get more vet experience hours. Do you have any advice for getting into vet school? its been a rough experience, and I'm not sure how to succeed. Thanks!

 

[DogtorAsh]

Hi! I have similar stats to you; I'm finishing my master's, and I have a 3.8 last 45 GPA, a 3.19 science GPA (as the VMCAs calculate, which is just every science class), and a cumulative GPA of 3.12. I have decent experience, but after I graduate from my master's program, I plan to work as a vet assistant and get more vet experience hours. Do you have any advice for getting into vet school? its been a rough experience, and I'm not sure how to succeed. Thanks!

I'll go hop over to your WAMC thread so we're not taking over mn1309's thread.