Prerequisites

[ontarioprevet]

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Hi everyone,

I am Canadian so I am not totally familiar with US vet schools...but I am applying next admissions cycle...I jsut had a few questions that I was hoping maybe some of you could help me with!
So I have taken the MCAT (OVC uses the MCAT rather than the GRE) and scored quite well (do NOT want to go through another graduate level exam) so that limits the schools that I can apply to.
So right now I am looking at Cornell and OSU likely. My questions are mainly about the flexibility of the requirements....especially for English and Organic Chem....For example, Cornell asks for a full year of both English and Orgo...but I was wondering if anyone had taken one semester of each and then subbed in different courses for either? (e.g. an upper year biochem for orgo etc.). Or if that is even possible...
My second questions is that one of my first year general chemistrys has a low mark as it was first semester and I was having trouble adjusting to the pace of university. I have since come leaps and bounds (now have a very high average)..but was wondering whether they would excuse the low mark in one of my prereq courses when they saw my substantial improvement over the course of my academic career? (Even by the second semester, once I was used to the pace of things my grades had improved).
Thanks for your help! 🙂

 

[BuggerDoodle]

In general, schools don't allow you to be short a class or to substitute classes for prereqs. From what I can tell most of the time, they won't even look at your application if you're short a course and aren't planning on taking that course. I would recommend contacting the schools directly and get input from their admissions staff. I ended up having to retake a few classes because my undergrad was done under quarters and the classes didn't translate to enough hours under the semesters so they are even that picky as to 7.33 credits not rounding up to 8.

 

[lostbunny]

I would agree with the previous poster. I had to fight my way through getting my application through to OVC because one of my biochem classes wasn't previously recognized by OVC from my school- but unknowingly to OVC my school changed its syllabus, and now fell under the requirements OVC had set for biochem. My course had initially been rejected but I contacted the person who decides if they are applicable or not and got my biochem approved. Though *ahem* someone at OVC was really pissed off about what I did lol. oops 😛

So my advice goes with the previous poster- contact the schools directly and let them know of your situation. Your half semester Orgo might coincide with a full year of orgo at other schools, or upper class might somehow fit the curriculum- it doesn't hurt to ask.

About your low mark, I think as long as you are competitive with your overall mark/GPA/weighted average, then one low mark won't hurt. I'm sure you've looked into OVC, but if you have a C- in one of the pre-recs, but say A in all the rest, then you're other marks are going to cover for the C-. But if you have another chemistry course, they will probably take the one with the higher mark (granted they both cover what the chem pre rec is supposed to cover)

I'm sure others from Cornell and OSU will be able to chime in for that one- I think some schools might require you to have above a certain grade for all pre-recs to be used (thought I read that somewhere), but i'm not positive.

Best of luck!

 

[jmo1012]

definitely contact the schools, but i'd be willing to bet they wont do any subbing (and honestly, i don't think they should).

looking at cornell's website, you should be okay with a C- and above for all pre-reqs (lower than that in that chem class and you have no choice but to retake it). you *might* get away with subbing something considered "writing intensive" but not english in for the second english class, they weren't clear about whether or not it had to specifically be english.

Ohio on the other hand requires a C and up for all pre-req's. looks like they only require 1 semester of english (if 5 quarters translates to 3 semester credits) and 1 semester of ochem + lab.

if they will let you substitute classes, make sure you have ample documentation of it and ask how it can be worded into your application so that absolutely everyone who looks at it knows that you've been approved. you dont want or need to give any admissions reviewer a reason to toss your application after you've spent the time and money on it, and having missing pre-req's is probably the fastest (or second fastest behind GPA, who knows) to get it tossed.