Re-Taking Pre-Reqs

[las777]

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So I applied to vet school this year, but I'm seriously considering taking a year off and reapplying next year so that I have the chance to apply to my IS (univ. of Florida). I didn't apply to UF this year because my GRE scores were awful and a major portion of their decision (50%) depends on how well you did on the GRE. Anyway, since I may be staying home for another year, would it be worth it to retake pre-req classes I did poorly in? When I took the majority of these classes, not only was I very immature, but I didn't have the study skills I do now. I was able to study the night before for a bio exam and get a 100, and I thought I could do the same for chemistry...and boy was I wrong. So my real question is, when schools calculate your pre-req GPA, do they include the grades of the courses you failed? Or do they use the most recent/best grade?

 

[BlackDog17]

So I applied to vet school this year, but I'm seriously considering taking a year off and reapplying next year so that I have the chance to apply to my IS (univ. of Florida). I didn't apply to UF this year because my GRE scores were awful and a major portion of their decision (50%) depends on how well you did on the GRE. Anyway, since I may be staying home for another year, would it be worth it to retake pre-req classes I did poorly in? When I took the majority of these classes, not only was I very immature, but I didn't have the study skills I do now. I was able to study the night before for a bio exam and get a 100, and I thought I could do the same for chemistry...and boy was I wrong. So my real question is, when schools calculate your pre-req GPA, do they include the grades of the courses you failed? Or do they use the most recent/best grade?

Depends on the school, so you will probably have to call the schools you're interested in (or some may have it on their websites) and ask. Some will take the best grade, some will average the two grades, and some won't accept retakes at all. Whether it's worth it for you to retake classes or not really depends on where you plan on applying and what the policies of those schools are.

 

[that redhead]

The general consensus seems to be re-take a class if you received a C or poorer. You mention failing though - if you really did fail a class and it's a pre-requisite, you absolutely need to re-take it. Many schools will factor in re-takes in some form or another, but another option is to apply to a school that focuses on last 45 credits (if you end up broadening your application pool).

 

[pp9]

So I applied to vet school this year, but I'm seriously considering taking a year off and reapplying next year so that I have the chance to apply to my IS (univ. of Florida). I didn't apply to UF this year because my GRE scores were awful and a major portion of their decision (50%) depends on how well you did on the GRE. Anyway, since I may be staying home for another year, would it be worth it to retake pre-req classes I did poorly in? When I took the majority of these classes, not only was I very immature, but I didn't have the study skills I do now. I was able to study the night before for a bio exam and get a 100, and I thought I could do the same for chemistry...and boy was I wrong. So my real question is, when schools calculate your pre-req GPA, do they include the grades of the courses you failed? Or do they use the most recent/best grade?

Not to panic you, but I think failing a single course is grounds for rejection of your application. I haven't seen a school that accepts anything less than a 2.0 or C- for any of the pre-reqs (although Purdue makes a point of saying that they do not consider a C to be a bad grade). I am also planning to retake 3 courses in particular if I do not get accepted this round. Some schools replace your old grade completely (whether or not you got a higher grade your second try), some average the two grades. I am not sure that any school will use your higher grade if you were to do worse when retaking the course. As for the GRE, some take the best GRE score you have, some pick out the best scores from each section from all of your attempts, and I think some might take the most recent attempt regardless of score.

For example: Say you got a 1.0 in chem. If you do end up having to retake it, and get a 4.0 (you can do it!), some schools will take that new 4.0! Others will average the grades, leaving you with still only a 2.5. For strategical purposes, you should only apply to schools that take the most recent grade. Applying to vet school requires more strategy than you'd think. You know your application best. You have to pick the schools where you best fit their statistics and academic considerations.

The best way to find out is to put the time in to dig around on the school websites.

 

[dyachei]

No the best way to find out is to call and ask

 

[pp9]

@dyachei, I agree with calling to some extent. I do not think calling the admissions office during the application rush is a good idea, however (unless there is a critical issue that must be addressed immediately). Some schools are plainly refusing phone calls regarding application questions right now. E-mailing is probably the better option right now if you are unable to figure out how the school handles repeated courses. This info is definitely on the websites, though!

 

[dyachei]

It isn't always on their websites and sometimes websites are outdated. You don't even need to give your name to call and ask. And FWIW, these people are insanely busy even when it is not app season.

 

[pp9]

It isn't always on their websites and sometimes websites are outdated. You don't even need to give your name to call and ask. And FWIW, these people are insanely busy even when it is not app season.

Very true, they are busy. Out of all of the schools I've looked at, every single one has specified how they handle repeats. But I have not looked at every single school in the country. But before spending time on the phone, look up whether or not the school is accepting application-related phone calls right now. Iowa has stated that they are not accepting phone calls from current applicants, but I am not sure if that applies to those considering Iowa for future rounds. Just an example.

 

[LetItSnow]

@dyachei, I agree with calling to some extent. I do not think calling the admissions office during the application rush is a good idea, however (unless there is a critical issue that must be addressed immediately). Some schools are plainly refusing phone calls regarding application questions right now. E-mailing is probably the better option right now if you are unable to figure out how the school handles repeated courses. This info is definitely on the websites, though!

Nonsense. They exist to handle admissions questions along with their other job responsibilities. It is always a good idea to call the admissions office if you have any (reasonable) questions; they always have the choice to say "we'll get back to you." That's just part of doing business.

I think it is a bad idea to discourage any applicant from calling the admissions people. Obviously someone shouldn't be calling every day with one trivial question after another, but a question about how pre-requisites are handled is very reasonable.

 

[pp9]

I'm just going based off of the info communicated to me by the schools I applied to. Like I said, they may be referring to "No phone calls will be accepted" if you are currently applying to that school.

 

[devyn]

I'm just going based off of the info communicated to me by the schools I applied to. Like I said, they may be referring to "No phone calls will be accepted" if you are currently applying to that school.

If you have a specific call about your specific circumstances that you can not find on their website than it is not a problem to call. I mean honestly. There is no end all and be all in this ****e. It is just to push people with general calls to check their website first. Use common sense.

 

[maggles55]

I retook organic chemistry (my only C grrrrr) to get a better grade and it actually LOWERED my overall VMCAS gpa by 0.02 points. However, like everyone was saying some schools will recalculate your GPA by substituting the better grade but I have yet to see this effect on any of my applications so far (this is my first application cycle). Some schools highly recommend that you retake prerequisites if you receive a bad grade and some discourage you from doing so (usually posted on their website). Unless you failed theses prerequisite classes, you might be better off taking NEW science classes (maybe upper division electives or even grad level) and excelling in these. Schools find that much more impressive from my understanding. Plus it will boost your Science GPA and last 45 units! I say try to make up for things you can't change (such as grades) by being stellar in other areas such as a unique experience or maybe research.

 

[DVMDream]

Look at the school's website to see if they tell you how they calculate retakes, if you can't find anything or are unsure, just give them a call. Most of these schools are very helpful and very friendly. Calling is the best way to get an answer to your question if the answer is not on their website and as dyachei said, sometimes the websites are outdated. Give them a call, you are also able to remain anonymous by calling if that is something that concerns you. I don't know what schools you applied to, but I haven't had a problem contacting any of them when I applied, including Iowa State. Hopefully this helps you out. 🙂

 

[pp9]

Look at the school's website to see if they tell you how they calculate retakes, if you can't find anything or are unsure, just give them a call. Most of these schools are very helpful and very friendly. Calling is the best way to get an answer to your question if the answer is not on their website and as dyachei said, sometimes the websites are outdated. Give them a call, you are also able to remain anonymous by calling if that is something that concerns you. I don't know what schools you applied to, but I haven't had a problem contacting any of them when I applied, including Iowa State. Hopefully this helps you out. 🙂

Hmmm..wonder why they have "NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED!" on their website then haha. @maggles55 makes a good point in saying that you CAN make up for poor grades with excellent experience. Some schools post the range of GPA's and GRE's of their accepted students. I was surprised when I saw GPA's (cumulative and science) as low as 2.5 being accepted. Just goes to show you that grades aren't everything!

 

[DVMDream]

Hmmm..wonder why they have "NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED!" on their website then haha. @maggles55 makes a good point in saying that you CAN make up for poor grades with excellent experience. Some schools post the range of GPA's and GRE's of their accepted students. I was surprised when I saw GPA's (cumulative and science) as low as 2.5 being accepted. Just goes to show you that grades aren't everything!

Because they don't want to be bombarded with "Have you looked at my application?" "When are you going to look at it?" "When will I hear back" "Why are you taking so long?"

They will never know if someone calls up and says, "Hi. I was curious as to how you calculate GPA with retake classes? Do you average the two? Or do you just take the better grade of the two?" if that person is applying that year or just is genuinely curious as to the process. People call theses schools all the time with general questions like that. It is why they are there, that is part of their job; answering questions about admissions.

 

[pp9]

I just try to stick to the rules haha. I prefer e-mailing myself, especially when you need to send web links and course descriptions to the admissions staff. I definitely called when I experienced technical difficulties with Ohio's supplemental application.

 

[dyachei]

I just try to stick to the rules haha. I prefer e-mailing myself, especially when you need to send web links and course descriptions to the admissions staff. I definitely called when I experienced technical difficulties with Ohio's supplemental application.

You aren't breaking the rules by calling and asking about specifics. They really just don't want people calling and asking for updates on THEIR application.

Email is impersonal, tone can be misinterpreted, and unless you make a new addy just to email them with, it is not anonymous. There is a time and place for email, but in this situation, calling would be better.

 

[LetItSnow]

I just try to stick to the rules haha. I prefer e-mailing myself, especially when you need to send web links and course descriptions to the admissions staff.

The only reason I responded is because you were advising someone else to not call.

That's poor advice, and while people shouldn't be calling with trivial minutiae and wasting time - that's just common sense, courtesy, and being professional - the admissions departments are there in part to take calls from pre-admissions people who need help understanding the program, the entrance requirements, etc. Calling is a perfectly reasonable thing.

Anyway, my point wasn't to criticize you for how you go about handling your own app; it was to correct what I believe is bad advice to give to other people.

 

[pp9]

Again, see where I mentioned that I was unsure whether they were referring to current applicants when they made that statement on their website.

 

[pp9]

And, for the record, there are schools that clearly say e-mailing is preferred over calling. OP, you should check the schools you are applying to and if the info is not on the website, see if they state a preferred mode of contact! I don't think it's fair to say it's poor advice when you are making the OP aware that calling is not always the best method, especially when the school plainly tells you that. For example, Michigan welcomes phone calls and states that. Florida states that e-mail is the best way for you to contact them. I don't see why people are jumping on me for giving "poor advice" when I am merely restating what I've seen on school websites...

 

[DVMDream]

Meh.... what do us vet students and veterinarians know... apparently nothing. OP, if you want to anonymously contact the schools to figure out this information, I promise you that no one is going to yell at you and that most of these schools are very, very nice. Otherwise, send them an email. Really is up to you, but calling is not inappropriate by any means. Good Luck to you! 🙂

 

[pp9]

Wow, you guys are so sassy. Sorry if my posts irritated you. I don't see why there is a point in arguing over whether to call or not to call if a school flat out tells you what they prefer. /endreplies

 

[dyachei]

Wow, you guys are so sassy. Sorry if my posts irritated you. I don't see why there is a point in arguing over whether to call or not to call if a school flat out tells you what they prefer. /endreplies

Your posts don't irritate me, personally. I just want to make sure the OP is getting the best information. And telling people not to call is a form of misinformation. SOME schools may prefer email, but no school will flat out deny the caller with this sort of question. In fact, most schools will be happy to help the OP.

 

[TheComfyCat]

If you guys do call/ email schools about this, please let us know what they say!

 

[las777]

@pinkpuppy9 your advice was actually very helpful 🙂 haha, I appreciate all of your replies/help! Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!

 

[BlackDog17]

Wow, you guys are so sassy. Sorry if my posts irritated you. I don't see why there is a point in arguing over whether to call or not to call if a school flat out tells you what they prefer. /endreplies

No one was arguing in this thread except you. When you answer every single response to the OP with "BUT NO REALLY GUYS MY SCHOOLS SAID THIS" you can fully expect people to get irritated. It is perfectly possible and acceptable to call most, if not all, schools to ask this question, whether that's what you would personally choose to do or not.

OP, if you happen to have access to the most recent edition of the VMSAR book you may find the answers to your questions there as well. I know my edition had information on retakes for many schools, but it is several years old now so I can't say for certain whether they still include that info or not.