Should I even bother...

[Desperate]

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I was just wondering if it would even be worth applying with a low gpa. I love animals but after reading the average stats on here I dont think I'd get accepted anywhere. If vet schools average retakes I'd be looking at 3.0-3.2 gpa, and if its like DO school Id have a 3.5 with grade forgiveness. I've always loved animals, but I am just now realizing the vet possibility, I've been pre med for a while. I'm active with the world wildlife foundation and the aspca. I plan on volunteering at the pet shelter and shadowing a vet when I get back to school. I'd love to work in a zoo someday. I guess my main question is does anyone get accepted with low stats like mine? I haven't taken the GRE yet. Is vet experience and volunteering weighted significantly? Any help would be appreciated. Oh I'm also on a strong upward trend after getting off to a horrible start in college.

 

[No Imagination]

Vet experience is weighed very high; in the sense that if you don't have any, (or very very little), then your application will be deficient, and any (4.0) GPA will not guarantee you a spot. But it is not (generally) going to bring you from non-competitive to competitive (as all competitive students have a bit of experience). Now if you have 5 years of Tech work, worked in several fast paced, interesting hospitals/doctors, you might be viewed in greater light.

That said, to address your specific question "Should I even bother", well, perhaps your grades are not on par to apply and be accepted this year, you certainly have opportunity to take certain steps to make your application more competitive for subsequent years. As far as this cycle - well, that's up to you. If you are financially strapped, perhaps just app to your IS (In State) school (A&M I assume?).

I was in your shoes following undergrad (as were a LOT of people here (SDN), I am tempted to say 'most' but that I don't know), I went back to school and upped my GPA... Lot of people who are serious about the profession have to do this, and it's always an option.

Good luck to you!

* Compossed in Chrome for you spelling nazi's, (and 12 🙂 )

 

[chasec]

For A&M, Interview selections look like this for academic points:
Overall GPA 40pts
Science GPA 40pts
Last 45 GPA 40pts
GRE Analytical 25pts
GRE Quantitative 25pts
GRE Verbal 10pts

 

[twelvetigers]

* Compossed in Chrome for you spelling nazi's, (and 12 🙂 )

Hey, we're all perfectionists here. Not just moi.

Not all schools average retakes. Off the top of my head, I know that Western and Kansas do not. So that's a consideration.

 

[crittergal]

Slightly off topic, sorry. Twelvetigers, since you're the queen of prior threads, can you point me to the one that references KSU not factoring in retakes? This is the first time I've heard this and would like to do a little digging. That could help my numbers significantly...

 

[twelvetigers]

Ain't no thread. Unless it's me saying so. I asked them myself, for personal reasons, so you would just have to take my word for it... or, a better idea, you could ask them yourself to make sure that nothing has changed.

ETA: Here's the email from my inbox, from like a year ago lol.

Rhiannon:

We do not average retakes. We use the best grade. So in your example we would just use the A.

Please let me know if you have additional questions.

R. G. Elmore
Associate Dean
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State University

 

[Desperate]

Thanks everyone! Yall have been a lot of help and makes me feel a little more reassured about myself. Kansas is definitely a possibility for me now! If anyone knows of any other schools that practices grade replacement, let me know, thanks in advance!

 

[No Imagination]

Thanks everyone! Yall have been a lot of help and makes me feel a little more reassured about myself. Kansas is definitely a possibility for me now! If anyone knows of any other schools that practices grade replacement, let me know, thanks in advance!

Mississippi State will use your best grade to calculate your Science and Math GPA, but will average all grades when determining your overall GPA.

Also, they will 'forgive' any EARLY bad semesters, as long as you didn't take any pre-req (that semester or before).