Prereq courses between application and matriculation?

[Moonstruckmuse]

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I'm a bit confused regarding vet schools (what else is new?) and how they deal with prereqs/retaking courses during that awkward period of after application but before matriculation.

Obviously, as a traditional applicant, you may have some prereq courses, a thesis, etc, that would be finished in the spring semester of that year, but applications were due in October. I know the vet schools admit you conditionally on the basis that you will complete those courses, but what grades do you need to get? How much does that grade matter? Do they factor that into your application at all?

I'm going to be a non-trad, but just barely so - just working a gap year first. That being said, I haven't taken microbiology yet, and I will not be able to this year because of scheduling conflicts... when does it need to be taken by?
I'm fairly confident I'll do well in it - when is the last I can take it and have the grade influence my application?

On the flip side, I did not so hot in chemistry, and want to retake the 2nd part of it. It was just overall a really lousy semester, and I just want to show that I can handle it. When is the last time I could take that course and have it count, if I want to apply by this coming October, 2011?

Thanks muchly!

 

[LittleWiz]

You can take required pre-reqs in the spring. Some schools will not allow applicants to take required pre-reqs in the summer before matriculation, so I'd check the website of the particular schools you're applying to.

Also, some schools (like Iowa, for example), require that all pre-reqs except two must be fulfilled by the end of this semester (fall '10).

If you are accepted into a vet school, they require fall 2010 and spring 2011 transcripts to be sent by a particular date.

Courses taken up until fall 2010 are considered in your application.

Hopefully this makes sense. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

Hmm...

Some schools allow you to have one pre-req course left to take, and some allow two. Some don't care. Of course you would have to pass the course (C or above) but aside from that, I don't think there are any rules about what grade you would need to make. For most schools, the last semester that will be counted in GPA calculations and the like will be the summer before you apply. So, fall 2011 grades generally would not get counted for an application next year.

For micro, you would need to take it this spring or summer for it to influence the GPA part of your application. Otherwise, you could take it in the fall or following spring and still be fine for some, if not all schools.

For chem, you would want to take that during the spring or summer for sure, otherwise they won't look at it. Now, I keep saying that, but OK looks at fall grades fro IS students. Other schools might look at fall grades as well, especially if you're IS. But, by and large, it seems like most do not for OOS.

 

[LittleWiz]

Oh goodness, I read your post wrong. I thought it said that you want to start vet school in Fall 2011.

But..basically what TT said 😀

 

[nyanko]

I'm going to be a non-trad, but just barely so - just working a gap year first.

Maybe off-topic, but I don't think that's really a non-trad at all. 😛

 

[Moonstruckmuse]

Hahaha, forgive me Nyanko, I figured (from just glancing at a few threads) that a non-trad was just one who didn't go straight into vet school from college. I have a crazy amount of respect for you all who have swapped entire careers and whatnot - I can't even imagine doing that myself.

Thanks for all the help!
It looks like I'll be taking Chem again this summer then, along with an internship hopefully? And then doing micro some other time. Thanks all!