Non-Trads w/out Science related degrees

[sambone]

---

Members don't see this ad.

UGH...I just finished reading CSU's "philosophy on admissions" and I'm feeling sick to my stomach! This is what they say:
"Taking a full credit load, including some upper division science courses, (and doing well academically) will provide more evidence of a candidates ability to handle a rigorous curriculum than taking one or two classes per semester, (even if working full time)."

So, anybody else here with a humanities degree working full time and trying to do the science prereqs? I can just barely fit 2 classes per semester into my work schedule, and that's all I can pay for too.

Is this just CSU, or is it like this everywhere?

Also, do any humanities majors actually get in with just the minimum reqs (and animal experience, of course), or am I in lala land?

 

[philomycus]

I think common sense plays a role here. If you already have a degree (in which you once attended full time) you will probably be viewed differently, especially if you are workig full-time and going back to school.

I would interpret this to mean a person who goes to school "full time" but only takes 2 or 3 classes every term who doesn't have full-time job, family, etc. Just my .02

 

[KittenKiller]

I was a history major and got accepted (albeit not into a lot of places). Not to mention my GPA wasnt so hot coming out of undergrad. I had the minimum reqs for most schools, and I took most of the prereqs after I got my bachelor's degree. Just get stellar grades in your prereqs (do better than the science majors) and do your best to ace the quantitative portion of the GRE so they dont think you're just some humanities flake who wuvs widdle puppies.

In addition, think about how your humanities degree is actually an asset to your application. What critical thinking skills did your humanities degree give you so that youre actually a better candidate than many science-major applicants? Emphasize that in your application process while doing your best to prove youre committed to this vet school idea and are disciplined and smart enough to handle the workload.

My experience shows me that you're right to some extent; some schools want candidates with science degrees. It gives them a degree of confidence that the applicant will be able to handle the vet school courseload more than GRE scores or humanities GPA. Others are more flexible though!

 

[kate_g]

So, anybody else here with a humanities degree working full time and trying to do the science prereqs? I can just barely fit 2 classes per semester into my work schedule, and that's all I can pay for too.

I think the concern here is typically whether you can actually hack a full-time courseload of difficult science classes. Especially if your first degree was humanities, which a lot of science snobs erroneously believe to be easier than science courses.

I haven't done it myself, but I have heard a strategy put forward in the non-trad forum (mostly pre-med, but similar concerns - you might want to browse over there too) that you do almost all of your pre-reqs part time while working, and then take a leave of absence for one semester just before applying and do a really hardcore full-time semester of upper division classes, to prove that you can do it. You might have to take out a loan or something to make ends meet, but you might consider it worth the cost to have that proof on paper. (There are actually a number of people on the non-trad forum who have quit their jobs, taken out loans if necessary, and done all their pre-reqs full time. They seem to think this is *very* important for med school where most of your competitors have been pre-med since they were born 20 years ago, whereas I kind of get the impression that there are more "non-trads" in vet med and therefore schools are more understanding of work vs. pre-req tradeoffs.)

 

[KittenKiller]

I think the concern here is typically whether you can actually hack a full-time courseload of difficult science classes. Especially if your first degree was humanities, which a lot of science snobs erroneously believe to be easier than science courses.

As a humanities major who started out as a math major, I can confirm that humanities classes are a lot easier to get high grades in than science courses, heh.

 

[sonnyman28]

I was an economics major that attended law school for a year. I came back and did all the pre-reqs full time within /part-time with work. Upon applying, just make sure you emphasize the motivation you approached your new field with and how you were on a mission upon you return to school. Whether this is through part-time work/school or just full-time school. The grades and or experience pre-reqs are written b/c they completely understand many of us dont "figure it out" at first and due to time restraints can only finish the required classes. Although, stress the fact that, if given more time, you would take more classes simply from your interest in the courses.

 

[bellai]

UGH...I just finished reading CSU's "philosophy on admissions" and I'm feeling sick to my stomach! This is what they say:
"Taking a full credit load, including some upper division science courses, (and doing well academically) will provide more evidence of a candidates ability to handle a rigorous curriculum than taking one or two classes per semester, (even if working full time)."

So, anybody else here with a humanities degree working full time and trying to do the science prereqs? I can just barely fit 2 classes per semester into my work schedule, and that's all I can pay for too.

Is this just CSU, or is it like this everywhere?

Also, do any humanities majors actually get in with just the minimum reqs (and animal experience, of course), or am I in lala land?

I am on the wait list for Glasgow. My degree is Psych but I was initially a bio major (insert bad grades here). So, I work full-time and have taken at most 2 courses per semester. I'm sure it would have helped my case if I were a full-time student but, so far, it hasn't hurt (unless I get a rejection letter). I also emphasized in my personal statement that I had volunteered and taken bio coursework in my previous undergraduate life - that way they knew I didn't just wake up one day and decide to become a vet.

 

[CookieBear]

It can be done. KSU didn't mind, at least.

I have a BA in English, and for the past four years, I went back, one class at a time, while working full-time, and got the science pre-req's done. I did fall, spring and a couple summers.

I didn't want to squeeze in more than one course at a time because my job is so intense. Plus, there was the money issue. I didn't want to take out loans before vet school.

There's plenty time for big loans over the next four years!

 

[sonnyman28]

....sorry..wrong post

 

[chibry]

I got into a school with a liberal arts degree in economics and a MBA in finance. I took all my science courses part-time over the last 2 1/2 years. Some schools like diverse backgrounds, others don't. Each is different I found.

 

[Nexx]

I was accepted to an australian school without a bachelor's degree at all, and after being permanently kicked out of the University of Fl for failing to meet academic standards (long story!).

I went to Community College and have taken some pre-requisites for Vet school (Bio 1 and 2, Chem 1, Genetics, Statistics, Bioethics) and after attempting to get back into UF (harshly unsuccessfully) attend St. Leo University online and major in Business Administration with a specialization in Health care.

I have about one semester to go before I actually have a degree and I will not be finishing by the time I leave (I may try to do it on breaks from school... we'll see).

That being said I have also worked full-time through school and taken full course -loads. It is definitely possible! I used to take one science class during the day (when they are usually offered) and then take my other courses either online or at night.

Good luck and I wouldn't give up!