Poor GPA advice please?

[Birdo88]

Okay so like most of everyone else here, I've wanted to be a vet since I knew what a vet was. BUT here are my stats:

B.S. (coming soon!) animal science/pre-vet from Rutgers
With honors (not GPA based)
Undergrad GPA 2.994
GRE - still to come

Work
500 hours in a one doctor practice
1500 hours in a ten doctor practice
Currently working at an emergency/referral practice

Other things
Honors thesis evaluating the medicinal use of a botanical therapeutic on lab mice
Extensive work with lab animals
75 hours equine research
70 hours goat research
Certification in dairy AI
Shadowed a dairy cow vet in Costa Rica for 2.5 weeks
TA for animal nutrition lab for two semesters
TA for anatomy one semester

My GPA is pretty much crap because I have straight Cs through EVERY chemistry course I've ever taken, plus Cs in any math based course as well (Calc, Stats, part of Physics).

Does anyone know of anyone who got into vet school with a bad GPA that didn't have to get their masters first? I'm GOING to vet school one way or another, and I'd rather find a way to do it without having to be an extra $60-80k in debt since grad school certainly isn't free!

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[BlacKAT33]

How are your grades in bio courses? Do you by chance have straight As in bio even though you have straight Cs in chem?

 

[nohika]

How are your grades in bio courses? Do you by chance have straight As in bio even though you have straight Cs in chem?

Also, what are your grades in your upper-level science classes?

 

[GellaBella]

I'm not an expert but I think you will have a very difficult time gaining admission without some post-bac/graduate work.

Your veterinary/animal experience looks pretty good but it won't be enough to compensate for the lower GPA I don't think.

I also graduated from undergrad with a sub-3.0 GPA... 2.998 to be exact

My science GPA was a 3.2 something.

I got into vet school on my first try without extensive animal experience but I'm also finishing up a PhD, got a 1330 on my GRE, and had apparently very good letters of recommendation (my interviewers at both Tufts and Penn commented on them)

I think you should look into some sort of program that can demonstrate your ability to handle upper level course work. I'm not sure if that should be graduate school or another undergrad degree or what. grades in graduate courses are notoriously inflated to keep students doing well so Im not sure if thats the best route or not.

Good luck!

 

[Birdo88]

Also, what are your grades in your upper-level science classes?

I APd out of bio, and I'm kind of wishing I didn't now because it may have helped my GPA even just a teensy bit :/

I have Bs and As in all of my upper level bio classes though.


I just started looking into post bac programs, and so far I've only found one at drexel and one at penn for some kind of pre vet certification program. As far as grad school, the minimum GPAs seem comparable to those of vet school. Are they not just as hard to get in to?

 

[BomberCanoe]

Like others said, you need to figure out what your bio course grades are, compared to the rest. Unfortunately, what may end up happening is that you won't even make initial GPA based cutoffs. You should check around at the various schools' websites in order to see what their cutoffs are. Definitely check your instate school (or a school that your state has an agreement with, should you have one) to see what their in state requirements are, as they may be lower than the out of state for others.

Otherwise, it does sound like you may have to do some master's work beforehand. But this is only if you feel you can handle master's work, as it will only be impressive to admission's if it brought up your GPA

 

[skittles12]

Are there more undergrad upper level science classes you could take? I know someone who graduated with a BS but continued taking undergrad science courses to boost her GPA and her credit hours. Also, do you think it would help if you retook the Chemistry courses you got C's in, or are you just really not a fan of Chemistry? I got C's in both semester of organic, and I know I would hate to take it again!

 

[BlacKAT33]

I think you should take your GRE's before you make a final decision. If you score amazingly high it may be enough to help you get into certain schools even with your low GPA. However, you would really need to do research on the schools you apply to and make sure you dont apply to any that have cutoffs in the beginng (ex. IL's phase I is stats only, I dont think your GPA would pass so that would be a waste of an application). IMO you would need a GRE with >700 in quantitative and >600 in verbal to balance out your GPA. That would mean you're >80% percentile for both of them. I'm saying this instead of just a score of 1300 because if you had 650Q 650V i dont think it would be good enough because that is kind of a low Q score.

 

[nyanko]

IMO you would need a GRE with >700 in quantitative and >600 in verbal to balance out your GPA. That would mean you're >80% percentile for both of them. I'm saying this instead of just a score of 1300 because if you had 650Q 650V i dont think it would be good enough because that is kind of a low Q score.

A higher quant and a lower verbal would be okay. Actually I think 80th percentile is more like 730-740 quant. Hell an 800 is 92nd percentile. And a 640 verbal is 92nd percentile.

But really aiming for specifics is dumb. Do as well as you possibly can knowing that with that GPA (sup sucky GPA club ) you really need to knock that thing out of the park.

 

[BlacKAT33]

A higher quant and a lower verbal would be okay. Actually I think 80th percentile is more like 730-740 quant. Hell an 800 is 92nd percentile. And a 640 verbal is 92nd percentile.

But really aiming for specifics is dumb. Do as well as you possibly can knowing that with that GPA (sup sucky GPA club ) you really need to knock that thing out of the park.

yea it might, if you got an 800 maybe. I got a 750 but I was still questioned about my low verbal score during interviews.

And you're right, a 700 is probably not around 80% maybe its 75%? but ya, just try as best as you can. If you don't think the score could balance out your GPA then I'd start thinking about other options before applying.

I have heard of people getting accepted with your GPA, but they were outstanding in all other categories. Also, I have never heard of anyone being accepted with a sci GPA of <2.89, what is your sci GPA?

 

[eringobraugh]

Does anyone know of anyone who got into vet school with a bad GPA that didn't have to get their masters first? I'm GOING to vet school one way or another, and I'd rather find a way to do it without having to be an extra $60-80k in debt since grad school certainly isn't free!

I agree with everyone on here, you need to take the GRE before you can make a definitive decision about whether or not to pursue a grad program. Yes, grad school is not free, but more often than not you can manage to get either a research or teaching assistantship and have your tuition waived and even receive a stipend. I was in a non-thesis masters program for 2 years and didn't pay a dime and I lived off 1000/month so it's def doable without taking out any loans.

 

[sumstorm]

The other option, if you really don't want to take the time for a post-bac and can't rock the GRE's or don't want to chance that rocking those will get you in is to check out the carribean schools. not ideal, but many a vet student with long shots in the application process have suceeded and become excellent vets through those programs.

I believe NCSU also has some master program for pre-vets, but I don't know the details.

 

[Birdo88]

yea it might, if you got an 800 maybe. I got a 750 but I was still questioned about my low verbal score during interviews.

And you're right, a 700 is probably not around 80% maybe its 75%? but ya, just try as best as you can. If you don't think the score could balance out your GPA then I'd start thinking about other options before applying.

I have heard of people getting accepted with your GPA, but they were outstanding in all other categories. Also, I have never heard of anyone being accepted with a sci GPA of <2.89, what is your sci GPA?

Okay so when you calculate your science GPA do you just calculate it based on the science pre-reqs of the school or based on every science course you took? Because my undergrad program typically made me take an extra semester of each chemistry course than what is generally required by many vet schools. It would be kind of sucky if I was penlized because my undergrad school required me to take twice the chemistry courses even though they weren't needed for the schools I wanted to apply to :/

 

[BlacKAT33]

Okay so when you calculate your science GPA do you just calculate it based on the science pre-reqs of the school or based on every science course you took? Because my undergrad program typically made me take an extra semester of each chemistry course than what is generally required by many vet schools. It would be kind of sucky if I was penlized because my undergrad school required me to take twice the chemistry courses even though they weren't needed for the schools I wanted to apply to :/

Each school is different. When I calculated all of my different GPAs i put my whole transcript on Microsoft Excell and made my own spread sheet that including/excluded the different classes for each school. Some schools include all bio/chem, some like math included or excluded, and some have the "prereq" GPA which are only the required courses to apply. Id do your own spread sheet and calculate all of the different GPAs possible so you see the range of where your GPAs are. Then you can pick schools that include ___ GPA. If they are all around 2.99-3.05 then you'll know it won't matter. If some end up being >3.2 then there is definitely hope for US schools (however, it will still be hard and you'll still need to see how you rank with GRE scores, and also pick schools wisely)

 

[that redhead]

I'm at a 2.92 currently, although finals are just about to happen and if all goes according to plan (PLEEEEASETOJESUS) it'll get a little bump up. I extended my graduation one extra year, so although I'm technically a senior now, I have one more year of classes I'll be taking. I'm also taking both summer sessions at the most number of credits they'll allow to try and get that last little bump before vet schools get my transcripts. I think the best I can get myself to when everything is said and done is a 3.2cumulative.

I have a Titanic-sized boat load of experience, and will be taking my GREs shortly. I know I need to rock the GREs but fortunately I tend to do well on standardize tests. If I don't get in this year, I'll be hoping my extra year of classes will be enough to boost my last 45 and my overall.

In your situation, I think you need to try and take more classes to get your GPA up. I feel you!

 

[Birdo88]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Thankfully my finals went better than planned and I managed to bump myself up to a 3.01! I know this is still by no means competitive but hopefully I can rock the GREs this summer and look into some masters programs, and maybe some grad level summer/fall courses

 

[tuckervet]

I APd out of bio, and I'm kind of wishing I didn't now because it may have helped my GPA even just a teensy bit :/

I have Bs and As in all of my upper level bio classes though.


I just started looking into post bac programs, and so far I've only found one at drexel and one at penn for some kind of pre vet certification program. As far as grad school, the minimum GPAs seem comparable to those of vet school. Are they not just as hard to get in to?

I'm in the Upenn post bac - I would strongly recommend not applying to this program. I don’t know about the Drexel one, but American University in DC has one that I’ve heard good things about.

 

[bazinga]

Ohio State University has a Master's in Public Health program with a specialization in Veterinary Public Health that can be done in 1.5-2 years.

 

[sunnyshine]

Your experience looks awesome and if you kick ***** on your GREs then I wouldn't be to worried. I would just study hard for the GRE and then take some additional coursework this summer in higher division science courses to show the admissions committees that you can handle tough science classes. You might also want to consider how your schedule was lined up during your chem/math classes. Some admissions departments might be a little more lenient if you took them in a semester of high credit/work hours.

Just stay positive and never give up and you will definitely make it!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I agree. As part of the not-so-amazing GPA club (lowish 3.0s in college, 2.88 in vet school) experience and dedication counts for a lot. Sure they like grades, but whether you remeber the ump-tee-ump steps of the Krebs cycle or the 56th innervation of xx nerve....they are more concerned with your real world skills. No one cared that I barely passed P-Chem and Optho, they care that I got an NIH research grant, know what I mean? Be the best in your area of interest, not just the numbers. Rock your GREs and get some great LORs - you can do it!

Rock on being a certified AI tech! My bf is one, and I am oh so jealous....

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

As a sidenote...grad school, ie a masters or whatnot...should not put you in debt. They PAY you to do that. As a GTA, GRA, etc. Albeit, it is a small salary, but you shouldn't be in the negative numbers.

 

[nyanko]

As a sidenote...grad school, ie a masters or whatnot...should not put you in debt. They PAY you to do that. As a GTA, GRA, etc. Albeit, it is a small salary, but you shouldn't be in the negative numbers.

Yep, haven't paid a dime for my MS. However as a MS student you might have to work harder to find TA and RA money, because Ph.D. students (at least at my institution) are generally offered positions first. At least, until you prove that you're competitive with them.

 

[dontlikephysics]

The other option, if you really don't want to take the time for a post-bac and can't rock the GRE's or don't want to chance that rocking those will get you in is to check out the carribean schools. not ideal, but many a vet student with long shots in the application process have suceeded and become excellent vets through those programs.

I believe NCSU also has some master program for pre-vets, but I don't know the details.

I'm not a pre-vet but I went to NCSU and they have an excellent vet school. I haven't heard of a masters program for pre-vets, though. Here are their website facts: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/studentservices/faq.html

I'm actually posting here for my friend who wants to go to vet school but is concerned about their gpa. If you have a gpa around 3.0 but you do very well on the GRE, can that make up for not having a very high gpa?