Successful Applicant Stats - Class of 2018

[ducktoller]

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I decided it was about time I posted here, so this is for those of you who might not have much in the way of experience.

1st time applicant, 21 y/o, female
Alaska resident currently bumming off my grandparents in Arkansas

Applied: WSU, Edinburgh, RVC, Glasgow, Dublin, Massey, Murdoch
Rejected: WSU, RVC
Interviews: Glasgow
Interviews I declined: Glasgow (I got into my number one)
Accepted: Edinburgh, Dublin, Massey, Murdoch
Attending: Edinburgh, my number one choice!!

Academics:
Graduated Magna Cum Laude December 2013 from small private school in Pennsylvania
Overall GPA: 3.89
Science GPA: somewhere around 3.75
Last 45: somewhere around 3.75
GRE: V163, Q161, W4.0

Veterinary Experience:
180 at various small animal clinics
20 at a large animal clinic
Total: 200

Animal Experience:
~200 hours volunteering at humane society
~600 hours babysitting people's pets
Total: 800 (there might have been more, but I can't recall it off the top of my head)
Honors/Awards:
Deans list every semester
Graduated Salutatorian in high school
Most Entertaining on my high school cross country team (I'm especially proud of this one 😉)
Various other high school awards

Employment:
Maintenance Assistant at my old high school for a summer
Kitchen Assistant at the boarding school I took classes at in high school for 2 years

Extracurriculars:
Member of Phi Eta Sigma (honors fraternity)
Clarinet in Band (high school)
Cross Country Team (high school)
Civil Air Patrol (I was really close to getting my pilot's license but then I graduated high school and my flight instructor moved)

eLORs:
Vet at the practice I shadowed at for the majority of my hours
My advisor at university
My favorite biology professor at university

Personal Statement:
To be honest I don't think my PS was all that good, but I guess it worked. I just talked about how, while I had always thought I wanted to be a vet, I had sort of forgot why that was until I started shadowing vets again. I then went on about my adult decision to pursue veterinary medicine and my understanding of the profession. Like I said, it wasn't that good, but it must have been good enough for me to get in.

Congrats FrozenScot!!! glad to see you got into your dream school 🙂 but WOW! 3.89 with a rejection from RVC seems ridiculous. Not sure what has been going on this year but based on the acceptances in this forum, they have barely made ANY offers to North American students. I expect they have experienced some problems with the turnover of the new admissions manager.

 

[chloehazel]

1st time applicant
Female, 22 years old, FL resident
Graduating in May 2014 with a BS in Animal Science from the University of Florida

Applied: UF, NCSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mizzou
Rejected: None
Interviewed: UF, Ohio State, Mizzou
Accepted: UF, NCSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mizzou
Wait Listed: None
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Not sure yet! Probably between NCSU, UF or OSU though 🙂

Cumulative GPA: 3.99
Science GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE (V/Q/W): 155/160/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
-1000 hours working an equine reproduction facility (operated under 3 vets)
-400 hours working in a small animal clinic as a kennel tech
-200 hours volunteering in the UF CVM small animal ICU
-150 hours shadowing an equine ambulatory vet
-24 hours shadowing an equine surgeon

Animal Experience:
-thousands of hours training/showing my horse in AQHA shows
-50 hours learning to palpate/AI/preg check cattle under a phd
-general pet ownership
-dog sitting

Research:
-150 hours working under a DVM at the UF CVM on an equine colic study to see how depriving a horse of food affect their water consumption

Other Employment:
-2 years working as a waitress at Sonny's BBQ
-6 mos employment at Cold Stone Creamery in high school

Honors and Awards:
-UF Anderson Scholar
-Dean's list each semester
-President's honor roll a few semesters
-Lots of different scholarships
-Lots of awards showing horses (National Top Ten, Regional Champion, State Champion, etc)

Extra-Curriculars:
-Pre-vet club member
-Equestrian team member for 4 years/captain for one year
-participate in 5K runs (mostly mud runs but some charity runs too)
-TA for Animal Reproduction course

eLORs:
-DVM from repro clinic
-DVM who I did the colic research with
-PhD/repro professor who taught me how to palpate and who I TAed for

Personal Statement:
Mostly talked about how my horse requiring colic surgery prompted my interest in the profession and how all my experiences helped me find my niche and what I really want to do.

So excited to finally post here! Good luck everyone applying next year and congrats to everyone who got in 🙂

 

[FrozenScot]

Congrats FrozenScot!!! glad to see you got into your dream school 🙂 but WOW! 3.89 with a rejection from RVC seems ridiculous. Not sure what has been going on this year but based on the acceptances in this forum, they have barely made ANY offers to North American students. I expect they have experienced some problems with the turnover of the new admissions manager.

Thanks!! Yeah, I was pretty surprised as well, but they were the last school I heard from so at that point I wasn't too concerned.

 

[Mrow123]

@chloehazel OSU cough cough 🙂

 

[uofs2014]

1st time applicant
21 year old male, NJ resident
The University of Scranton, PA
Major: Biology
Minor: Biochemistry

Applied: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas, UPenn
Rejected: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas
Interviewed: UPenn
Wait listed:
Accepted: UPenn
Waiting to hear:
Attending: UPenn!

Overall GPA: 3.57 (VMCAS corrected to 3.49 from a philosophy class at a community college)
Science GPA: 3.32
Last 45: 3.75

GRE (Q/V/W): 160/149/3.5 = 78/40/35%

Vet Experience:
-over 1500 SA hours
~1000 hours as a tech in a SA hospital in PA for 2 years while in school
-150 hours shadowing SA vet
-75 hours shadowing owner of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, NJ
-30 hours shadowing Neurologist at Red Bank
~250 hours as a vet assistant in a SA in NY for the 2013 summer
-25 hours LA with a vet (llamas)


Animal Experience:
-Attended 2013 Midwestern Veterinary Conference in Ohio
- Sat in 9 continuing education classes

Research:
None

Employment:
-Worked 16-24 hours a week as a vet tech since sophomore year in college
-Worked at Friendly's as a waiter/cook since sophomore year in high school - continued working during breaks and summers while in college
-Drove a safety escort van around campus one night a week sophomore year

Extra-curriculars:
Founder of Pre-Vet Club
Traveled to Jamaica for 10 days in July of 2013 on a service trip
Many intramural sports
Microbiology Lab TA
Little League volunteer


Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - several semesters
Phi Lambda Upsilon - Honorary Chemical Society
Loyola Scholarship - The University of Scranton
Rotary Youth Leadership Award - High School

LORs:
1. Owner of Red Bank
2. Neurologist at Red Bank
3. Vet at SA hospital I have over 1000 hours at
4. Professor at The University of Scranton - had microbiology, immunology, and a teaching assistantship with him.

Personal Statement:
I talked a little about what sparked my interest in veterinary medicine. Then I talked about certain experiences with different doctors and what I learned from them. I talked about how it is important to always expect the unexpected, think and act ethically, and establish trust with clients and patients.

Explanation Statement:
I used this to explain how my GPA went from a 3.07 after my first semester freshman year to a 3.57 after my junior year was over. I talked about how my learning style was geared more to the pace of higher level classes.

Good luck hope this helps!

 

[NStarz]

1st time applicant
21 year old male, NJ resident
The University of Scranton, PA
Major: Biology
Minor: Biochemistry

Applied: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas, UPenn
Rejected: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas
Interviewed: UPenn
Wait listed:
Accepted: UPenn
Waiting to hear:
Attending: UPenn!

Overall GPA: 3.57 (VMCAS corrected to 3.49 from a philosophy class at a community college)
Science GPA: 3.32
Last 45: 3.75

GRE (Q/V/W): 160/149/3.5 = 78/40/35%

Vet Experience:
-over 1500 SA hours
~1000 hours as a tech in a SA hospital in PA for 2 years while in school
-150 hours shadowing SA vet
-75 hours shadowing owner of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, NJ
-30 hours shadowing Neurologist at Red Bank
~250 hours as a vet assistant in a SA in NY for the 2013 summer
-25 hours LA with a vet (llamas)


Animal Experience:
-Attended 2013 Midwestern Veterinary Conference in Ohio
- Sat in 9 continuing education classes

Research:
None

Employment:
-Worked 16-24 hours a week as a vet tech since sophomore year in college
-Worked at Friendly's as a waiter/cook since sophomore year in high school - continued working during breaks and summers while in college
-Drove a safety escort van around campus one night a week sophomore year

Extra-curriculars:
Founder of Pre-Vet Club
Traveled to Jamaica for 10 days in July of 2013 on a service trip
Many intramural sports
Microbiology Lab TA
Little League volunteer


Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - several semesters
Phi Lambda Upsilon - Honorary Chemical Society
Loyola Scholarship - The University of Scranton
Rotary Youth Leadership Award - High School

LORs:
1. Owner of Red Bank
2. Neurologist at Red Bank
3. Vet at SA hospital I have over 1000 hours at
4. Professor at The University of Scranton - had microbiology, immunology, and a teaching assistantship with him.

Personal Statement:
I talked a little about what sparked my interest in veterinary medicine. Then I talked about certain experiences with different doctors and what I learned from them. I talked about how it is important to always expect the unexpected, think and act ethically, and establish trust with clients and patients.

Explanation Statement:
I used this to explain how my GPA went from a 3.07 after my first semester freshman year to a 3.57 after my junior year was over. I talked about how my learning style was geared more to the pace of higher level classes.

Good luck hope this helps!

Hey! I worked at RBVH for a year as an overnight ER tech. Small world 🙂

 

[Dlisted]

This is for all the people imperfect academics! You can do it! (But don't do it this way, it's really eff'n hard.)

2nd time applicant (1st time 2011)
32 year old female, IN resident
Major: Biology (2004)
Minor: Chemistry

Applied: Midwestern, Mississippi, Michigan State, Penn, St. Georges, Oklahoma, Purdue, Washington State, Oregon State
Rejected: Mississippi, Penn, Oklahoma, Purdue, Washington State, Oregon State
Interviewed: Midwestern, Purdue, declined St. George's interview
Wait listed: none
Accepted: Michigan State, Midwestern
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Michigan State
GPA's as calculated by VMCAS
Overall GPA: 2.82
Science GPA: 2.82
Last 45: 3.74
I tried to take advantage of schools that will replace grades of courses that are repeated. So while these numbers are pretty low, if it is recalculated with the higher grade its much more understandable. I repeated about 3 classes, btw.
GRE (Q/V/W): 154/156/4.0 = 57/70/50%

Vet Experience:
2000 - Lab technician in an animal disease diagnostic lab with high large animal/food animal case load.
14,000 - Microbiologist in a state public health laboratory doing rabies testing. Director was a DVM so I put it under vet exp.
200 - Volunteer at a low cost spay/neuter and special surgery clinic.
660 - Vet assistant at a mixed animal practice

Animal Experience:
480 - Husbandry for lab animals (pigs, mice, rats, poulty)
72 - Volunteer at Purdue's Large Animal Hospital
56 - Volunteer for American Brittany Rescue, fostered dogs for a few years but only included the hours I took them to the vet, transported, etc.
120 - Participated in feral cat spay/neuter release at humane society
42 - classroom experience vaccinating, castrating, palpating, AI, in animal science lab
56 - Horse training
2,366 - Animal ownership (I've got a lot of years and a lot of pets!)

Research:
100 - Oral Rabies Vaccination Program surveillance, tested for rabies and collected teeth to determine if vaccine laden bait was eaten
182 - BSE Surveillance, collected obex(s) for mad cow testing
144 - Epidemiology of rabies in bats in Texas, published, acknowledged for identifying bats, testing bats, and typing rabies strains
200 - PRRS virus PCR kit comparison study
10 - Noteworthy county records for 14 bat species, published
10 - New county records for six species of bats (Vespertilionidae and Molossidae) in Texas, published

Employment:
700 - Office assistant
3600 - phlebotomist
780 - clerk

Extra-curriculars:
Member of World Vets

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - like, once
Semester honors
Merit awards for jobs
Academic Excellence Scholarship - like, once

LORs:
1. Public health DVM/PhD
2. Director of animal diagnostic lab, DVM/PhD
3. Diagnostic virologist, DVM/PhD
4. Volunteer coordinator at spay/neuter clinic

Personal Statement:
Started with a story about my horse breaking his leg when I was 10 and how helpless I felt that day, then knowing I wanted to be a vet. Talked about the gap in time between graduating and now, and why it was the right time for me to apply now. Talked about my low undergrad GPA, compared it to my recent coursework and diversity of experiences. Talked about community service and how important that is to me.

 

[Smudgen]

1st time applicant
21 year old male, NJ resident
The University of Scranton, PA
Major: Biology
Minor: Biochemistry

Applied: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas, UPenn
Rejected: Ohio, Tennessee, UF, Cornell, Kansas
Interviewed: UPenn
Wait listed:
Accepted: UPenn
Waiting to hear:
Attending: UPenn!

Overall GPA: 3.57 (VMCAS corrected to 3.49 from a philosophy class at a community college)
Science GPA: 3.32
Last 45: 3.75

GRE (Q/V/W): 160/149/3.5 = 78/40/35%

Vet Experience:
-over 1500 SA hours
~1000 hours as a tech in a SA hospital in PA for 2 years while in school
-150 hours shadowing SA vet
-75 hours shadowing owner of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, NJ
-30 hours shadowing Neurologist at Red Bank
~250 hours as a vet assistant in a SA in NY for the 2013 summer
-25 hours LA with a vet (llamas)


Animal Experience:
-Attended 2013 Midwestern Veterinary Conference in Ohio
- Sat in 9 continuing education classes

Research:
None

Employment:
-Worked 16-24 hours a week as a vet tech since sophomore year in college
-Worked at Friendly's as a waiter/cook since sophomore year in high school - continued working during breaks and summers while in college
-Drove a safety escort van around campus one night a week sophomore year

Extra-curriculars:
Founder of Pre-Vet Club
Traveled to Jamaica for 10 days in July of 2013 on a service trip
Many intramural sports
Microbiology Lab TA
Little League volunteer


Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - several semesters
Phi Lambda Upsilon - Honorary Chemical Society
Loyola Scholarship - The University of Scranton
Rotary Youth Leadership Award - High School

LORs:
1. Owner of Red Bank
2. Neurologist at Red Bank
3. Vet at SA hospital I have over 1000 hours at
4. Professor at The University of Scranton - had microbiology, immunology, and a teaching assistantship with him.

Personal Statement:
I talked a little about what sparked my interest in veterinary medicine. Then I talked about certain experiences with different doctors and what I learned from them. I talked about how it is important to always expect the unexpected, think and act ethically, and establish trust with clients and patients.

Explanation Statement:
I used this to explain how my GPA went from a 3.07 after my first semester freshman year to a 3.57 after my junior year was over. I talked about how my learning style was geared more to the pace of higher level classes.

Good luck hope this helps!

I mean this in the least personal way possible, but I will honestly never understand Penn. I've heard so many theories about what they look for in an application, but yours throws a wrench in every one of them. Congrats on your acceptance/decision! 🙂

 

[that redhead]

This is for all the people imperfect academics! You can do it! (But don't do it this way, it's really eff'n hard.)

I love how diverse your application is. Congrats 🙂

 

[pp9]

This is for all the people imperfect academics! You can do it! (But don't do it this way, it's really eff'n hard.)

2nd time applicant (1st time 2011)
32 year old female, IN resident
Major: Biology (2004)
Minor: Chemistry

Applied: Midwestern, Mississippi, Michigan State, Penn, St. Georges, Oklahoma, Purdue, Washington State, Oregon State
Rejected: Mississippi, Penn, Oklahoma, Purdue, Washington State, Oregon State
Interviewed: Midwestern, Purdue, declined St. George's interview
Wait listed: none
Accepted: Michigan State, Midwestern
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Michigan State
GPA's as calculated by VMCAS
Overall GPA: 2.82
Science GPA: 2.82
Last 45: 3.74
I tried to take advantage of schools that will replace grades of courses that are repeated. So while these numbers are pretty low, if it is recalculated with the higher grade its much more understandable. I repeated about 3 classes, btw.
GRE (Q/V/W): 154/156/4.0 = 57/70/50%

Vet Experience:
2000 - Lab technician in an animal disease diagnostic lab with high large animal/food animal case load.
14,000 - Microbiologist in a state public health laboratory doing rabies testing. Director was a DVM so I put it under vet exp.
200 - Volunteer at a low cost spay/neuter and special surgery clinic.
660 - Vet assistant at a mixed animal practice

Animal Experience:
480 - Husbandry for lab animals (pigs, mice, rats, poulty)
72 - Volunteer at Purdue's Large Animal Hospital
56 - Volunteer for American Brittany Rescue, fostered dogs for a few years but only included the hours I took them to the vet, transported, etc.
120 - Participated in feral cat spay/neuter release at humane society
42 - classroom experience vaccinating, castrating, palpating, AI, in animal science lab
56 - Horse training
2,366 - Animal ownership (I've got a lot of years and a lot of pets!)

Research:
100 - Oral Rabies Vaccination Program surveillance, tested for rabies and collected teeth to determine if vaccine laden bait was eaten
182 - BSE Surveillance, collected obex(s) for mad cow testing
144 - Epidemiology of rabies in bats in Texas, published, acknowledged for identifying bats, testing bats, and typing rabies strains
200 - PRRS virus PCR kit comparison study
10 - Noteworthy county records for 14 bat species, published
10 - New county records for six species of bats (Vespertilionidae and Molossidae) in Texas, published

Employment:
700 - Office assistant
3600 - phlebotomist
780 - clerk

Extra-curriculars:
Member of World Vets

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - like, once
Semester honors
Merit awards for jobs
Academic Excellence Scholarship - like, once

LORs:
1. Public health DVM/PhD
2. Director of animal diagnostic lab, DVM/PhD
3. Diagnostic virologist, DVM/PhD
4. Volunteer coordinator at spay/neuter clinic

Personal Statement:
Started with a story about my horse breaking his leg when I was 10 and how helpless I felt that day, then knowing I wanted to be a vet. Talked about the gap in time between graduating and now, and why it was the right time for me to apply now. Talked about my low undergrad GPA, compared it to my recent coursework and diversity of experiences. Talked about community service and how important that is to me.

The first line of your post made me laugh! I'm so glad to see someone get into Michigan with lower GPAs (even though I know your lab experience was probably a huge factor!). Congrats!

 

[eddiepbauer]

I wasn’t going to post originally as there are a lot of scary good scores on here and my own stats are embarrassingly dismal – but I feel I owe it to all those worrying about grades and what not that seriously, they aren’t everything when the committee is looking over your application (as long as you show an upward trend!)

27 year old male, CA resident
1st time applicant

University of CA😀avis – B.A.
Major: Communication, Psychology, Sociology (2007)
Minor: Japanese, Art
GPA: 2.74 <- ugh……

National Holistic Institute
Major: Massage Therapy (2008)
GPA: 3.49 <- not factored in VMCAS

San Francisco State University
Major: Zoology – B.S. (2011) [originally Cell Biology for human med school! 😀)
Minor: Chemistry, Holistic Health
GPA: 3.45 <- not too bad actually

Foothill College
Major: Veterinary Technology (2014)
GPA: 4.0 <- woot!

Overall GPA: 3.08!! <- barely made the 3.0 cutoff….
Overall Sciences: 3.6
Last 45 Units: 4.0
GRES: Q160 / V163 / 6

Applied: Davis (1st choice), Midwestern (2nd), Western (2nd), Lincoln Memorial, Minnesota
Interview Offers: Midwestern, Western, Lincoln Memorial, Minnesota
Interviewed: Midwestern, Western
Wait listed: none
Accepted: Midwestern, Western
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Midwestern

I mostly applied to schools with a high out of state acceptance. I was surprised that I only got rejected by one school on my first try. There was a lot of debate of choosing between Western or Midwestern, but I made my decision based on a number of personal factors.

Vet Experience: (I started REEALLY late in deciding I wanted to go to vet school)
600 – Vet Assistance/Vet Tech Internship at various places
100 – Americorps volunteer for free veterinary service for homeless

Animal Experience:
300 – Oakland Zoo
100 – Therapeutic Riding Program (horses)
500 – Various wildlife rehab
4000 – UC Davis nutrition lab animal assistant (employment – who knew this would come in handy?)

Employment:
1600 – Massage Therapist (nationally licensed!)
1200 – Personal Trainer (certified!)
1400 – Pharmacy runner
400 – Tax preparer (HR Block! 😀)
1000 – Ice cream server
400 – Wild land Firefighter <- that was fun 😀

Extra-curriculars:
Martial Arts
Hospital Volunteer
Child Mentor
Library Tutor
Holistic Health Club
President of SCNAVTA

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - a few times, mostly recently
That’s that…

LORs:
1. DVM at clinic I work at
2. DVM from vet tech program
3. RVT from vet tech program

Personal Statement:
I was just honest and wrote that I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a long time, that I never had a pet until recently, and that it wasn’t until I started volunteering at a veterinary clinic (on a whim) that I realized how awesome the field is. I wrote how all my previous experience and education in various fields can help me in the future as a veterinarian, and that I would do it all over again if I had to, but perhaps with a bit more focus.

Other Thoughts:
I think the only thing I had going for me was my diversity of education and an upward trend in grades – I explored a lot of fields, and it wasn’t easy to come to the conclusion that I wanted to devote the rest of my life towards the veterinary field. This came up during the interviews and I seemed to have impressed the adcom about my sincere and informed decision about this field (it’s not all about playing with the animals, clients can be a nightmare, salary can be low with huge debt, etc.)

I originally wasn’t going to apply to vet school as my cumulative gpa was under 3.0 before I started vet tech school – but the science is amazing when it’s actually applied. I didn’t care about how gravity and physics equations work, nor organic molecules, etc. – but put them in a useful clinical situation and it became a lot easier to appreciate the physical sciences. It was one of my LOR writers that suggested I apply and thank her a million times that I did – not only was I not rejected everywhere, but I was amazed at all the interview offers I received.

That being said, it never hurts to try, even if your stats aren’t the most stellar out there – hope that helps any future applicants reading this! 😀

 

[Cautiously Optimistic]

2nd time applicant (in 2013, applied to only Cornell (IS and alma mater) and rejected)
22 yo, female, NYS resident
Graduated magna in 2013, BS in biology - animal physiology

Applied: Cornell, Tufts, UGA, VMRCVM, Minn, Wisc, Guelph, Penn, and Ohio
Rejected: VMRCVM (no interview), Penn (just assuming)
Interviewed: Ohio, Tufts, Minn
Wait listed: Wisc
Accepted: Ohio, Tufts, Minn, Cornell, UGA
Waiting to hear: Penn and Guelph
Attending: Cornell!


Cum: 3.895 (VMCAS 3.82 - different because my school used A+'s which aren't allowed on VMCAS calculations)
Sci: 3.77 (VMCAS)
Nonsci: 3.96 (VMCAS)
Last 45: 4.0 ish (my school had A+'s so that technically gets me over a 4.0, but most schools don't count those)

GRE: V 166 (96%) Q 162 (84%) A 4.5 (78%) - taken twice - these are my best three scores from the two times I took it

Veterinary:
~380 as a kennel worker in a SA clinic
~100 working in low cost S/N and vax clinics abroad (mostly SA, a little LA)
~20 observing a zoo vet
~30 in local S/N clinics as an assistant
~100 as a vet assistant in a SA clinic (an ongoing experience - I stated that I anticipated working part time until Aug. 2014, giving me about 1200 hours before I would be entering vet school)

Animal:
~ 70 socializing research and teaching animals housed at my college
~ 50 hours walking dogs at the local shelter
~ 400 hours interning as a keeper intern at a zoo
I've also owned many pets, mostly special needs, although that didn't go on my VMCAS!

Other work:
~1700 as a pharmacy technician
~300 hours as a tutor and teaching assistant for biology and chemistry courses in college

Research:
None

Extra-curriculars:
Pre-vet Society member throughout college
Officer on my school's club field hockey team from freshman year through senior year
Other assorted clubs that didn't require many hours
TONS of leadership roles in high school clubs

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list every semester
Graduated magna cum laude
Large local scholarship awarded each year of my undergrad that helped me cover most of my expenses - based entirely on academic performance and demonstrated interest in vet med
TONS of small awards in high school

eLORS: 2 small animal vets, both Cornell grads (only one of these was on my VMCAS, the other was on my Cornell supp)
Academic advisor who was also my professor for an upper level bio class in which I did very well
Vet from Guatemala who I worked with when abroad
Lead zookeeper from the zoo where I interned
Professor I TA'd with (on Cornell supplement only)

***My Tufts app had a small animal vet, a professor (non advisor, taught me in 2 upper level bio labs in which I did very well), and my advisor/prof.


Personal Statement:

I think my PS matured a lot from last year to this. Last year I wrote about my early experience in a high kill shelter motivating me to be a vet and educate people about overpopulation and spay and neuter everything in sight. While I still want to do those things, I realize you can't focus entirely on that and nothing else. This year I wrote about how my focus is still education, but educating all people about how our actions impact all animals (pets, production animals, wild animals, zoo animals, etc.) and how to strengthen the human animal bond across the board.

Other notes:

I did a file review with Jenn Mailey at Cornell after my rejection last year and I essentially did everything she told me to. (Detailed in my post on "what are my chances" thread.) I highly recommend utilizing file reviews. I also realize I'm someone with strong academics and not very strong experiences, so if anyone wants to PM me to talk about that type of app or with any other questions, please do!!

Congrats!!!

 

[Angelus9]

I mean this in the least personal way possible, but I will honestly never understand Penn. I've heard so many theories about what they look for in an application, but yours throws a wrench in every one of them. Congrats on your acceptance/decision! 🙂

Congrats. It made perfect sense to me. Hard science stuff stood out: TA for Microbiology, membership in Chemical Society, shadowing a Neurologist. That would appeal to UPenn right off the bat. In addition, there's a really well-rounded experience list: Neurology, SA, llamas; also attended conferences and continuing education seminars, athletic, travel outside the USA, not afraid of hard work as worked both in veterinary places and service jobs. Founder of pre-vet club, Little League volunteer. Looks like he'll be a real asset to UPenn and exactly the well-rounded person they're looking for. Again, congratulations. I can certainly see why UPenn snapped you up, uofs2014. Lucky them.

 

[epivetlove]

SO excited to post here! I hope that a future applicant or a re-applicant finds this post helpful. I did not have stellar undergraduate grades. I had a lot of issues that I didn't get addressed until much later and I just was not a responsible person in school. But when I saw my grades upon graduation, I knew I had to change the way I was going about my education. I was thankfully accepted into a 2-year Masters program and I really buckled down and made sure to stay on top of my classes. I also worked 35-40 hours a week at a veterinary clinic at this time, as well as volunteering on the weekends. I think the AdCom really liked my upward trend, especially as these were science and quantitative-type courses. A graduate program isn't for everyone--there are other ways to bring up your grades. I chose this route because I wanted additional education in the field of public health and epidemiology. I hope to work for the CDC someday as a veterinary epidemiologist (disease outbreak investigation, yeah!). Perseverance can really pay off! Just be sure to highlight other areas of your application to help offset the weaker parts. 🙂

Applied: TAMU
Interviewed: TAMU
Accepted: TAMU!!!

Me: 26 y/o, non-trad, female, Texas resident
Currently a PhD student at Texas A&M
cGPA: 3.36
sciGPA: 3.16
Last 45: 4.00
GRE: 163 V (91%), 156 Q (65%), 4.0 A (54%)
<Texas A&M includes fall grades when making admission decisions>

(At the time of application)
Vet experience:
~5,800 hrs. in small animal medicine (dogs/cats)
570 hrs. in wildlife/exotics (white-tailed, axis deer, emu, ostrich, tortoises)
490 hrs. in large animal/equine
32 hrs. in food production
155 hrs. exotics (mainly pet birds)

Animal experience:
~7,050 cattle (worked summers/winters at my grandfather's beef ranch)
~2,620 equine (father breed/trained cutting horses)
~400 equine (trained yearlings, mucked stalls, cared for stable horses)
~2,200 paid pet-sitting (cats)
~1,400 foster (cats and dogs)
~800 reptile (volunteered at a reptile sanctuary)
280avian (volunteering at a bird rehab clinic on Sundays)
80 wildlife (collected brain stem samples from white-tailed deer, bottle fed white-tailed deer, night shift)
I know there are rules on quantifying pet ownership, so I haven't included any of that. I have owned (or currently own) dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, reptiles, fish, horses, rats, hamsters, and rabbits.

Research:
~120 hours of parasitology research dealing mainly with helminths of reptiles and birds (currently still working in this lab for my PhD)

Other experience:
Graduate TA for a parasitology course
100 hours as a collegiate tutor
150 hours as an advocate for people with disabilities
300 hours as an after-school mentor (K-3rd grade)
Gave presentations on responsible pet ownership/show-and-tell for a summer camp for kids with disabilities (6 2-hour sessions)
Volunteered at the Deaf Action Center weekly for ~25 weeks
Volunteered for a wildlife hotline on Sundays, 3 hour shift from April to August 2013
Attended a great deal of CE through the clinics I worked at

LORs:
Very strong; all veterinarians that I had known/worked with for 3+ years

Personal statement:

I discussed how I discovered my passion for vet med, my journey through university, and how I believe that veterinarians play a much larger role than realized in environmental and public health and how I wanted to contribute to that.

 

[WildZoo]

SO excited to post here! I hope that a future applicant or a re-applicant finds this post helpful. I did not have stellar undergraduate grades. I had a lot of issues that I didn't get addressed until much later and I just was not a responsible person in school. But when I saw my grades upon graduation, I knew I had to change the way I was going about my education. I was thankfully accepted into a 2-year Masters program and I really buckled down and made sure to stay on top of my classes. I also worked 35-40 hours a week at a veterinary clinic at this time, as well as volunteering on the weekends. I think the AdCom really liked my upward trend, especially as these were science and quantitative-type courses. A graduate program isn't for everyone--there are other ways to bring up your grades. I chose this route because I wanted additional education in the field of public health and epidemiology. I hope to work for the CDC someday as a veterinary epidemiologist (disease outbreak investigation, yeah!). Perseverance can really pay off! Just be sure to highlight other areas of your application to help offset the weaker parts. 🙂

Applied: TAMU
Interviewed: TAMU
Accepted: TAMU!!!

Me: 26 y/o, non-trad, female, Texas resident
Currently a PhD student at Texas A&M
cGPA: 3.36
sciGPA: 3.16
Last 45: 4.00
GRE: 163 V (91%), 156 Q (65%), 4.0 A (54%)
<Texas A&M includes fall grades when making admission decisions>
(At the time of application)
Vet experience:
~5,800 hrs. in small animal medicine (dogs/cats)
570 hrs. in wildlife/exotics (white-tailed, axis deer, emu, ostrich, tortoises)
490 hrs. in large animal/equine
32 hrs. in food production
155 hrs. exotics (mainly pet birds)

Animal experience:
~7,050 cattle (worked summers/winters at my grandfather's beef ranch)
~2,620 equine (father breed/trained cutting horses)
~400 equine (trained yearlings, mucked stalls, cared for stable horses)
~2,200 paid pet-sitting (cats)
~1,400 foster (cats and dogs)
~800 reptile (volunteered at a reptile sanctuary)
280avian (volunteering at a bird rehab clinic on Sundays)
80 wildlife (collected brain stem samples from white-tailed deer, bottle fed white-tailed deer, night shift)
I know there are rules on quantifying pet ownership, so I haven't included any of that. I have owned (or currently own) dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, reptiles, fish, horses, rats, hamsters, and rabbits.

Research:
~120 hours of parasitology research dealing mainly with helminths of reptiles and birds (currently still working in this lab for my PhD)

Other experience:
Graduate TA for a parasitology course
100 hours as a collegiate tutor
150 hours as an advocate for people with disabilities
300 hours as an after-school mentor (K-3rd grade)
Gave presentations on responsible pet ownership/show-and-tell for a summer camp for kids with disabilities (6 2-hour sessions)
Volunteered at the Deaf Action Center weekly for ~25 weeks
Volunteered for a wildlife hotline on Sundays, 3 hour shift from April to August 2013
Attended a great deal of CE through the clinics I worked at

LORs:
Very strong; all veterinarians that I had known/worked with for 3+ years

Personal statement:

I discussed how I discovered my passion for vet med, my journey through university, and how I believe that veterinarians play a much larger role than realized in environmental and public health and how I wanted to contribute to that.

If I don't get accepted into vet school in the upcoming cycle, one of my possible plans is to try for a MS in epidemiology or infectious disease and microbiology. So I think your plan to be a veterinary epidemiologist is really cool! Also, your experiences look awesome. And I see you're also working towards a PhD, wow! What exactly is your Masters in?

Edit: Also wondering how you managed to work 35-40 hours a week while doing this 😱 though I really have no idea how much time classes for a Masters usually take up

 

[epivetlove]

If I don't get accepted into vet school in the upcoming cycle, one of my possible plans is to try for a MS in epidemiology or infectious disease and microbiology. So I think your plan to be a veterinary epidemiologist is really cool! Also, your experiences look awesome. And I see you're also working towards a PhD, wow! What exactly is your Masters in?

Edit: Also wondering how you managed to work 35-40 hours a week while doing this 😱 though I really have no idea how much time classes for a Masters usually take up

I have a Master's in Epidemiology with a focus in infectious diseases. 🙂 And I had next-to-no social life, haha. I was averaging 13 hours in my Master's program, except for my last semester when I was taking 15 hours. I figured it was good practice for life in vet school, lol.

 

[WildZoo]

I have a Master's in Epidemiology with a focus in infectious diseases. 🙂 And I had next-to-no social life, haha. I was averaging 13 hours in my Master's program, except for my last semester when I was taking 15 hours. I figured it was good practice for life in vet school, lol.

Talk about dedication! Congratulations again, you definitely deserve it!
Totally unrelated, but I'm so used to having to put asterisks around my posts that I almost did it here 🙄

 

[JaynaAli]

Talk about dedication! Congratulations again, you definitely deserve it!
Totally unrelated, but I'm so used to having to put asterisks around my posts that I almost did it here 🙄

Earlier, I almost commented on the "future WW game thread" that when I first read a post from you there, I wondered why you'd forgotten the stars! And congrats Epivetlove!

 

[Agvethopeful1518]

Honestly, I don't think I have the most impressive stats. I have a good GPA, took between 13-16 hours each semester with a minimum of two science courses plus a math, took several hours (14 one summer and 3 the next) and volunteered, so I had no employment throughout college. I guess the good GPA and my course rigor was enough to outweigh my lack of experience and average GRE scores 🙂

Applied: Texas A&M
Interviewed: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M 🙂

Me: 20 y/o, female, Texas resident
cGPA: 4.0
sciGPA: 4.0
Last 45: 4.0
GRE: 157 V , 157 Q , 3.5 A

Major: Biomedical Science


(At the time of application)
Vet experience:
175 small animal (at an emergency hospital shadowing general practitioner, surgeons, internal medicine specialists, cardiologists, oncologists, and dermatologists..so there was a lot of breadth)
175 large animal emergency (horses, llamas, goats, alpacas, mini horses, donkeys and mules)

Animal experience:
100 animal ownership (the allowed max...I've owned dogs, cats, large birds, hamsters, large hermit crabs, and fish lol)
48 small animal/ small animal specialty
30 large animal/equine emergency

Research:
~none at the time but currently doing research in equine genetics

Other experience:
~ 300 volunteer hours as a Fish Camp Orientation Program counselor for 2 summers- doubled as leadership experience
Pre-Vet society
~90 volunteer hours through MSC Hospitality (on campus service organization/official hosting organization of Texas A&M)
~8 hours Big Event volunteer

Honors:
Deans List
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Other random honor societies

LORs:
Award winning Large Animal Vet board certified in Equine Critical Care
Small animal general practitioner board certified in dentistry
High school varsity volleyball coach who has known me since I was 11

Personal statement:
Didn't think it was that great but:
I talked about how the importance my family placed on money (because we have not always had it) temporarily deterred me from my dream of being a veterinarian (like going to school for so long and, on average, not making as much money as other professions) and the epiphany I had at a veterinary seminar on Aggieland Saturday where I realized I didn't care about the money because I loved it so much and it was always my dream. Also mentioned my interest in a broad range of fields, including private practice, emergency medicine, shelter medicine and governmental work.

Other essays: explained my fostering experience I had this past summer with 3 sickly, bottle-fed puppies and their mom and it's impact on me and my desire and passion for a career in veterinary medicine. The other one I talked about an experience I had during an equine surgery that was super rare for a shadow lol


Super excited, and feel so beyond blessed to have been accepted, especially after reading all of these phenomenal stats! Congratulations to everyone in the class of 2018!

 

[pipab]

I'm going to apply to Texas A&M. Good to know 2018 stat. I'm working on my essay now.

 

[rushy]

Congratulations everyone! Thank you for posting these statistics, it really has made everything seem so much more attainable!🙂

 

[sharonlily]

2nd time applicant
31 year old female, TX resident
Bachelor's of Science - Biology
University of Houston-Victoria
Applied: Texas A&M CVM
Interviewed: Texas A&M CVM
Accepted: Texas A&M CVM
Attending: Texas A&M CVM

Overall GPA: 3.50
Science GPA: 3.78
Last 45: 3.9

GRE (Q/V/W): first app (old version of test) 700/570/3.5=70/80/26% estimated scores of this reported on new format: 155/158/3.5
this app (new version of test) 159/161/3.5=77/86/30%

Vet Experience:
worked for small animal 1 doctor practice for year and a half to current
worked for a large/small animal 2 doctor clinic for year and a half 2002
Shadow hours for one large animal vet and one small animal vet at same practice - third newly graduated vet also worked there for a while and a I met a fourth year student there 🙂
worked as a pet nurse at a banfield for one month right before I decided to move to go to school to get into vet school
worked a couple weeks in a clinic transitioning to 24 hour service

Animal Experience:
learned from my dad who raised rabbits, chickens, guinea pigs and other various small animals
my own pets - 2 great danes a bloodhound and some backyard chickens (I had a Boer goat for a couple months that was a little medical project for me but I didn't have him listed on my application because it was after I submitted) and I mentioned friends' and neighbors' animals as well as a fishing hobby
a dog training club
some pet rescue volunteer hours and took my dog for volunteer nursing home visits a few times
volunteered a summer at a small zoo
horseback riding therapy center volunteer and I listed a few horseback riding lessons
attended seminar by DVM behaviorist (shadowed her later, too but again that was after my app was in) and listed a couple other seminars I attended too

Research:
One day visit to MD Anderson and Methodist lab animal programs in Houston, TX - I visited my physics lab partner's aunt and uncle who are both vets who work in research at these two hospitals.

Employment:
worked for small animal 1 doctor practice for year and a half to current - where I got Lvl 1 Certified ASVDT Veterinary Dental Technician
worked for a large/small animal 2 doctor clinic for year and a half 2002
miscellaneous tutoring - worked at the two main colleges I attended as well as private tutoring
a couple weeks as a kennel tech that ended up doing more vet tech work when I was hired temp for a clinic to transition to a 24 hour emergency service
worked a month at banfield as a pet nurse when I decided to move to go back 'home' to school for my prereqs
3 years as a call center agent in various jobs
3 years I took a break from school I worked as a cell phone tech then promoted through inventory manager (where I traveled the US) and then market manager until I quit and eventually got a job at Banfield
worked the census in 2010
did iphone tech support over the phone from home
delivered pizza for a bit
worked a summer as an assistant in the chemistry lab at my college
did some mlm and b2b sales

Extra-curriculars:
co-founded Pre-Veterinary/Animal Career student organization
worked as a student tutor

Awards/Honors:
multiple semester Dean's and President's lists
listed scholarships I've received
was first student chosen for local newspaper outstanding student profile *blush*
invitations to invite-only criteria based student organizations
student conduct committee appointee
Graduated Summa Cum Laude w/Bachelor's
chosen as a 'Supplemental instruction' leader for freshman biology - I worked as a tutor quite a bit in several places and kind of taught a supplemental class every week for one specific bio class

LORs:
1. Small animal veterinarian I work for as a vet tech
2. Small animal veterinarian I shadowed (was my vet letter on my first app)
3. Large animal veterinarian I shadowed


Personal Statement: Talked about when I very first thought of vet school as a possibility 12 years ago and then how I decided to pursue it for real 3 years ago. Talked about growing up with my dad raising all kinds of small animals and how much experience I remember from that. Told why I want to be a vet and how my hobbies center around it, what a nerd I think I am and ideas I've had of where I might like my career to go. Talked about volunteering I've done, my tutoring experience, and how my husband supports my going to vet school and helped me get where I am today.


Explanation Statement: I had one semester early in my 'first' round of undergrad (before I decided to go back to finish my bachelor's and get into vet school after a 3 year break) that I failed 13 credit hours. And freshman biology was four of them. When I took bio again, I dropped it and didn't finish it until I took it at a different college after my break from school and I made an A. But I explained why I failed and how I managed a smaller course load after that until I took the break altogether and then came back when I was ready and able.


I'm SO glad I finally got to this point! I can't wait to get to College Station!!!

 

[Scooter157]

This thread definitely provided me with a gauge for applying. I hope this can provide the same for another future applicant. I am not the strongest academic applicant, and feel very fortunate to have gotten in my first application cycle.

26 year old female, NJ resident, 1st time, non-traditional applicant (equine science major, biology and history minor)

Applied: Purdue, Virginia-Maryland, Penn, UC Davis, Ohio State, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon
Rejected: Purdue, Virginia-Maryland, Penn, UC Davis, Ohio State, Colorado
Interviewed: Kansas
Waitlisted: Oregon
Accepted: Kansas
Attending: Kansas
*In the very remote chance I get off the waitlist at Oregon, I would consider Oregon as well*

Overall GPA: 3.6
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.2

GRE (Q/V/W): 155/150/4.5

Veterinary:
-SA Vet Tech at General/ER practice: ~1,600 hours
-Equine Vet Tech w/ DACVS: ~4,500 hours

Animal:
-Exercise Rider/Groom for Grand Prix Rider: 4,000 hours
- 4-H Club: 100 hours
- Working Student at Barn: 3,000 hours

Unrelated other experience:
-Waitress/Desk Manager at an Inn/Restaurant: 800 hours
-Rebuilt a barn in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina
-Knitting
-Soap Making

LORS:
-SA Emergency Vet
-Equine DACVS Vet
-Microbiology Professor (DMD)

Personal Statement: Discussed my circuitous route in pursuing vet med, and what allowed me to realize this is where my true passion lies.

 

[Megmerizing]

1st time applicant
20 yo, NC resident, Western Carolina University (Honors College student)
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry

Applied: NCSU (IS), Tennessee, Florida
Rejected: UF
Interviews: Tennessee
Accepted: NCSU!!!
Attending: NCSU!!!!


GPA: 3.81
Last 45 hours: 3.85ish
Science GPA: 3.8

GRE:
First attempt:
V: 153 (57%) Q: 151 (48%) Writing: 4.0
Second attempt:
V: 155 (65%) Q: 152 (52%) Writing: 4.0

Vet hours (at time of application):
115 hours - Equine Mobile Vet
245 hours - Small animal mountain clinic (private owned)
1200+ hours - Small Animal multi-vet practice

Animal/volunteer hours:
2400+ hours - Barn/pet sitter, riding instructor, schooled horses and did farm work
2200+ hours - Summer camp counselor for a riding camp, fed/cared for 11+ horses, riding instructor
1200+ hours - Kennel attendant

Research:
guesstimated ~780 hours Song Bird Behavior research. (ended up being way less) I ended up dropping a double major last semester to be able to graduate in three years, so lack of research experience is probably a weak point for me.
Employment:
Vet camp counselor/receptionist - taught kids about animals and veterinary medicine, checked in boarders and handled emergency calls as a kennel receptionist.

Awards:
Deans List throughout entire college career
Honors College Student throughout entire college career

Extra Curriculars:
Equestrian Club Vice President/IHSA Rider
Swim Club Member
Musician
High school:
Youth Group Leadership position
Horseback Rider for 12 years
Competitive Swimmer for 10+ years


eLORs:
-Mobile Equine Vet (only 115 hours riding with him, but he has known me since I was a kid)
-Mountain Animal Clinic Owner/Head Vet (Employer)
-Equestrian Club Advisor/Head of Math Department
-Organic Chemistry Lab Professor

Personal statement:
Talked about overcoming rare childhood autoimmune disease and how it taught me life lessons, being homeschooled, how working at a small animal clinic and with a large animal vet has shaped my desire to do this!

 

[LilHopefulVet]

Wow, after months of waiting and two application cycles, I have finally been accepted and get to post here!! My first time applying, I did not even get an interview, but my application was really a last minute effort and I'm sure it reflected that. The main thing I improved between cycles was my vet experience (it was only ~125 hours the first time 😵).

Applied: Texas A&M
Interviewed: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M!! 😍

23, female, second time applicant, Texas resident
B.S. in Biology December 2012
cGPA: 3.89
science GPA: 3.84
last 45 GPA: 3.95
GRE: first time- Q-153 (57%), V-160 (84%), A- 4.5 (78%)
second time- Q-156 (65%), V-162 (89%), A-4.0 (54%)

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List 8 consecutive semesters
President's List 2 semesters of senior year
Magna Cum Laude
San Antonio Livestock Exposition scholarship 2 years

Vet Experience: at time of application
Assistant/technician MA clinic -1200 hours
Assistant SA clinic -450 hours

Animal Experience:
Farm hand/horse handler at horse farm -1200 hours
Pet/Farm sitting -550 hours
Kennel technician -125 hours
Animal ownership - 100 hours (can only count 100 on TMDSAS application)
Horseback riding instructor -75 hours

Extracurricular/Activities:
Children's ministry volunteer -320 hours
Sunday school teacher -75 hours
Boarding stable volunteer -35 hours
Bible study leader -25 hours
Vacation Bible school volunteer -20 hours

Letters of Recommendation: can only give 3 for TAMU
1 SA vet at first clinic (very positive)
1 MA vet who is the owner of second clinic (very strong)
1 MA vet who is an associate at second clinic (very strong)

Personal Statement:
I felt really good about it at first, but looking back, I think it could have been better. Basically, I started with a particularly memorable experience I had while working at a vet clinic and how it really proved to me that I had what it takes to succeed in the field. Then, I sort off backtracked, mentioning all of my major experiences while trying to demonstrate what I learned from each experience and how it influenced my desire to pursue a career as a vet. I concluded with stating my goal of wanting to become a mixed-animal private practitioner in order to help the animals and people involved in agriculture.

I honestly can't believe that I actually got accepted. I'm sooooo excited to be going to vet school!!! 😀

 

[belugal]

I can't believe I am actually posting here. I hope this helps future applicants. The only advice I have is not to let people tell you that you are applying to too many schools.

First time applicant, Zoology major
Applied: NCSU (IS), Ohio St., Florida, Oregon St., Kansas St., and VMRC
Interviewed: Ohio St., Kansas St., Florida
Rejected: Oregon St., VMRC, Kansas St.
Accepted: NCSU, Ohio St., UF
Attending: why can't I go to all three...

Last 45, science/pre-req - approx. 3.72 depending on the school

GRE
Verbal - 156 (70)
Quant - 155 (61)
Writing - 4.0 (54)

Veterinary Experience/Research
270 hrs - Exotics including reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and a few birds in a public facility
260 hrs - Small animal at two hospitals.
60 hrs - VIDA trip to Costa Rica (small animal and some large animal)
20 hrs - Food/equine
90 hrs - Research on reptile/amphibian treatments
60 hrs - Current research developing educational materials for wildlife interactions

Animal Experience
530 - sea turtle rehab hospital, including a few (10) hours shadowing marine mammal trainers
300 - large cat rescue intern
76 - promotion of animal agriculture, includes experience with livestock
50 - volunteer at hog farm
65 - pet sitting
60 - poultry experience with 4-h and a camp at NCSU (high school)
50 - Bug collection (I didn't want to add much classroom experience, but it seemed like a great experience to include)

Employment
Mentor for freshmen science majors (1 year)
Tutoring (1 semester)

Honors/Awards
Academic - deans list 6 semesters, a few honors societies, a few scholarships
Completion of college honors program
Fundraising award from American Cancer Society
Rehabilitation Beginners Class Completion Certificate
Tradition Keeper Award
4-H Honor Club

Community Activities - a lot of service projects, 3 major clubs in which I served as an officer, camp councilor, leadership conferences, intramural and hs sports, etc

ELORS
Exotic animal vet
Professor (Veterinary degree and PhD)/research mentor
Administrator/research mentor/club advisor

 

[protoplaster]

NC resident, 1st time applicant
M, 26
Undergrad: UNC Charlotte, BA in political science, minor in biology

Applied: NCSU, VMRCVM, Cornell
Rejected: Cornell
Interviewed: VMRCVM
Waitlisted:
Accepted: NCSU, VMRCVM

Overall GPA: 3.3
Science GPA: 3.0 (ironically, the only science class I made A's in was organic...go figure.)
Last 45: 3.5

GRE (Quant,Verbal,Writing):
159,150,4

Other School Things:
1.5 years of biophysical research, presented work at a conference, no pubs
1.5 years as organic TA/supplemental instructor
1.5 years as private organic tutor
1.5 years as editor/writer/photographer for university science magazine


Animal Experience:
20,000+ hours on family farm -- equine, camelids and poultry*
500+ hours herpetology research

Vet Experience:
15,000+ hours SA clinic (started in kennel when I was 14, have been night and weekend emergency tech since 2008)**

Employment
(See above)
Army National Guard since 2010
Organic TA/supplemental instructor

LORs:
SA DVM/practice owner
Biophysics lab PI (PhD)
Organic prof (PhD)

Personal Statement
Discussed my passion for education and how that applies to vet med/animal welfare/humanity etc

*,** I don't know how much this affects things, but my father is veterinarian, too. Judging by my GPA and GRE, I think it helped (and no, he did NOT write a LOR!).

 

[dalmatiandoc17]

Posting here is so exciting! I stalked this thread so much before I applied and I definitely hope my post can help someone out! Good luck to all you c/o 2019 and beyond people reading this!

Applied: NCSU (IS), Michigan State, Ohio State, Mizzou, Tennessee, Kansas State
Interview: OSU, Mizzou, UT-K, K-State (I ended up declining K-State before I went to interview)
Rejected: NCSU
Accepted: MSU, OSU, Mizzou, UT-K
Attending: Who knows?!? I'm leaning towards Mizzou or OSU...time will tell 🙂

22, female, first time applicant
B.S. this may in Zoology and Poultry Science
cGPA: 3.73ish
science GPA: 3.61ish
last 45 GPA: 3.69ish
GRE: Q-161 (81%), V-162 (89%), A- 4.5 (78%)

Vet Experience:
600 hours - veterinary assistant at Banfield ~ paid
100 hours - two VIDA trips
265 hours - volunteer (hands-on) with equine vets
360 hours - volunteer (basically an assistant) for a board certified avian vet

Research Experience:
450 hours - volunteer/assist in a lab that evaluates vaccines in poultry (under a DVM)
50 hours - assisted in a trial for a drug interaction study (under a DVM) ~ paid

Animal Experience:
90 hours - internship in high school (hands-off/shadowing) at small animal hospital
(perhaps I could have included this in my vet experience, but I was really under an administrator not a doctor)
400 hours - working at same small animal hospital in the kennel, in high school ~paid
300 hours - pet sitting, in high school and college, this was mainly dogs but included things like rats and a saltwater aquarium
200 hours - lab experience (this is for multiple poultry science classes, which I included because I often worked with live chickens, ran real experiments, and performed clinical skills like blood draws and smears and cloacal swabs and stains, etc...)
50 hours - animal agriculture promotional events, with livestock contact
40 hours - annual state fair volunteer with livestock
30 hours - shelter program for a summer
150 hours - volunteer at a small "zoo" with exotic animal contact

Employment Experience:
170 hours - TA for a 400 level avian anatomy course ~paid
150 hours - VIDA trip coordinator ~not paid technically, but got a scholarship for it

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List all but one semester
Gamma Sigma Delta, professional agriculture fraternity
Pre-vet scholarship
3 Poultry science scholarships
Zoology scholarship
Various music awards
Some random high school things for APs and other miscellaneous things

Extracurricular/Activities:
Zoology Club - held officer positions for 3 years, Vice President being the highest
An Honors/Service Agriculture Fraternity
University Scholars program (took honors classes and attended forums/cultural events)
Marching band in college and high school, officer in high school
Medical BioScience Academy member and officer in high school
I included various hobby things, like the multiple instruments i play and knitting/crocheting (including a high school club I created for knitting)
I had a lot of different musical ensembles I was a part of that I included

Letters of Recommendation:
Small Animal Vet from my time at Banfield
Board Certified Avian Vet from my time at the Avian Hospital
Laboratory Technician (She's a DVM) from my poultry vaccine research
Academic Advisor/Teacher/Employer (She's a PhD) from the Poultry Science department

Personal Statement:
I thought my personal statement was very creative. I have been heavily involved in music throughout my life and it was apparent when you looked at my application. For my PS I ran my experience with music (particularly marching band) and paralleled it to vet med. So basically I used it to show what traits I have that would make me a good vet. I also touched on why I want to be a vet, that I know the realities of being a vet, what I learned from my vet experiences, and obviously what I see myself doing. Writing my statement was a very painful process for me as I really HATE writing, but once I found an angle that was so totally me it ended up flowing. I'm not good at writing either, so it took a lot of edits...but I really think it ended up being a very unique, strong, and well written essay.

 

[belugal]

Pre-vet Super Star! Congrats with getting into 4 (and a half schools). NCSU is loosing a top applicant and B.A. future vet! I know you will do well wherever you go

Posting here is so exciting! I stalked this thread so much before I applied and I definitely hope my post can help someone out! Good luck to all you c/o 2019 and beyond people reading this!

Applied: NCSU (IS), Michigan State, Ohio State, Mizzou, Tennessee, Kansas State
Interview: OSU, Mizzou, UT-K, K-State (I ended up declining K-State before I went to interview)
Rejected: NCSU
Accepted: MSU, OSU, Mizzou, UT-K
Attending: Who knows?!? I'm leaning towards Mizzou or OSU...time will tell 🙂

22, female, first time applicant
B.S. this may in Zoology and Poultry Science
cGPA: 3.73ish
science GPA: 3.61ish
last 45 GPA: 3.69ish
GRE: Q-161 (81%), V-162 (89%), A- 4.5 (78%)

Vet Experience:
600 hours - veterinary assistant at Banfield ~ paid
100 hours - two VIDA trips
265 hours - volunteer (hands-on) with equine vets
360 hours - volunteer (basically an assistant) for a board certified avian vet

Research Experience:
450 hours - volunteer/assist in a lab that evaluates vaccines in poultry (under a DVM)
50 hours - assisted in a trial for a drug interaction study (under a DVM) ~ paid

Animal Experience:
90 hours - internship in high school (hands-off/shadowing) at small animal hospital
(perhaps I could have included this in my vet experience, but I was really under an administrator not a doctor)
400 hours - working at same small animal hospital in the kennel, in high school ~paid
300 hours - pet sitting, in high school and college, this was mainly dogs but included things like rats and a saltwater aquarium
200 hours - lab experience (this is for multiple poultry science classes, which I included because I often worked with live chickens, ran real experiments, and performed clinical skills like blood draws and smears and cloacal swabs and stains, etc...)
50 hours - animal agriculture promotional events, with livestock contact
40 hours - annual state fair volunteer with livestock
30 hours - shelter program for a summer
150 hours - volunteer at a small "zoo" with exotic animal contact

Employment Experience:
170 hours - TA for a 400 level avian anatomy course ~paid
150 hours - VIDA trip coordinator ~not paid technically, but got a scholarship for it

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List all but one semester
Gamma Sigma Delta, professional agriculture fraternity
Pre-vet scholarship
3 Poultry science scholarships
Zoology scholarship
Various music awards
Some random high school things for APs and other miscellaneous things

Extracurricular/Activities:
Zoology Club - held officer positions for 3 years, Vice President being the highest
An Honors/Service Agriculture Fraternity
University Scholars program (took honors classes and attended forums/cultural events)
Marching band in college and high school, officer in high school
Medical BioScience Academy member and officer in high school
I included various hobby things, like the multiple instruments i play and knitting/crocheting (including a high school club I created for knitting)
I had a lot of different musical ensembles I was a part of that I included

Letters of Recommendation:
Small Animal Vet from my time at Banfield
Board Certified Avian Vet from my time at the Avian Hospital
Laboratory Technician (She's a DVM) from my poultry vaccine research
Academic Advisor/Teacher/Employer (She's a PhD) from the Poultry Science department

Personal Statement:
I thought my personal statement was very creative. I have been heavily involved in music throughout my life and it was apparent when you looked at my application. For my PS I ran my experience with music (particularly marching band) and paralleled it to vet med. So basically I used it to show what traits I have that would make me a good vet. I also touched on why I want to be a vet, that I know the realities of being a vet, what I learned from my vet experiences, and obviously what I see myself doing. Writing my statement was a very painful process for me as I really HATE writing, but once I found an angle that was so totally me it ended up flowing. I'm not good at writing either, so it took a lot of edits...but I really think it ended up being a very unique, strong, and well written essay.

 

[revolp1965]

Posting here is so exciting! I stalked this thread so much before I applied and I definitely hope my post can help someone out! Good luck to all you c/o 2019 and beyond people reading this!

Applied: NCSU (IS), Michigan State, Ohio State, Mizzou, Tennessee, Kansas State
Interview: OSU, Mizzou, UT-K, K-State (I ended up declining K-State before I went to interview)
Rejected: NCSU
Accepted: MSU, OSU, Mizzou, UT-K
Attending: Who knows?!? I'm leaning towards Mizzou or OSU...time will tell 🙂

22, female, first time applicant
B.S. this may in Zoology and Poultry Science
cGPA: 3.73ish
science GPA: 3.61ish
last 45 GPA: 3.69ish
GRE: Q-161 (81%), V-162 (89%), A- 4.5 (78%)

Vet Experience:
600 hours - veterinary assistant at Banfield ~ paid
100 hours - two VIDA trips
265 hours - volunteer (hands-on) with equine vets
360 hours - volunteer (basically an assistant) for a board certified avian vet

Research Experience:
450 hours - volunteer/assist in a lab that evaluates vaccines in poultry (under a DVM)
50 hours - assisted in a trial for a drug interaction study (under a DVM) ~ paid

Animal Experience:
90 hours - internship in high school (hands-off/shadowing) at small animal hospital
(perhaps I could have included this in my vet experience, but I was really under an administrator not a doctor)
400 hours - working at same small animal hospital in the kennel, in high school ~paid
300 hours - pet sitting, in high school and college, this was mainly dogs but included things like rats and a saltwater aquarium
200 hours - lab experience (this is for multiple poultry science classes, which I included because I often worked with live chickens, ran real experiments, and performed clinical skills like blood draws and smears and cloacal swabs and stains, etc...)
50 hours - animal agriculture promotional events, with livestock contact
40 hours - annual state fair volunteer with livestock
30 hours - shelter program for a summer
150 hours - volunteer at a small "zoo" with exotic animal contact

Employment Experience:
170 hours - TA for a 400 level avian anatomy course ~paid
150 hours - VIDA trip coordinator ~not paid technically, but got a scholarship for it

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List all but one semester
Gamma Sigma Delta, professional agriculture fraternity
Pre-vet scholarship
3 Poultry science scholarships
Zoology scholarship
Various music awards
Some random high school things for APs and other miscellaneous things

Extracurricular/Activities:
Zoology Club - held officer positions for 3 years, Vice President being the highest
An Honors/Service Agriculture Fraternity
University Scholars program (took honors classes and attended forums/cultural events)
Marching band in college and high school, officer in high school
Medical BioScience Academy member and officer in high school
...

I'm AMAZED that NC State rejected you. Pretty stellar profile for them to ignore IMO.

 

[dalmatiandoc17]

I'm AMAZED that NC State rejected you. Pretty stellar profile for them to ignore IMO.

Thanks revolp! That's very sweet 🙂

 

[onisteverina]

I'm still hoping to hear from one of these waitlists (fingers crossed).. but either way, I'm going to be a vet!!Thought I would post my stats since I'm a "non-traditional" applicant.. Got my BA in psychology (actually started as an art major) with hopes of pursuing a masters in therapy or social work.. found out quickly after working in a "social work" setting that it wasn't for me.... started my path to vet med and took all of my pre-reqs in the last 3yrs while gaining experience in the field... it's been a winding path but finally looks like I'm figuring it out!
Applied: UC Davis (IS), Michigan State, Mizzou, Cornell, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois
Interview: UC Davis, Mizzou, Illinios (declined due to travel costs/low chance of getting in/already accepted somewhere)
Rejected: Colorado
Waitlisted: UC Davis, Cornell, Wisconsin, Mizzou
Accepted: MSU
Attending: As of now, MSU. May change depending on if I get called off of any of these waitlists!

28, female, first time/non-traditional applicant
B.A. in Psychology, post-bacc program to obtain pre-reqs
cGPA: 3.67
science GPA: 3.73 (included some randoms from undergrad..... history of dinosaurs... really?)
last 45 GPA: 3.81
GRE: Q-160 (78%), V-158 (78%), A- 3.5 (54%)

Vet Experience:
2900 hours : Vet assistant at a small animal practice (paid). Did everything that a vet tech was allowed to do at the practice except for anesthesia induction.
200 hours: volunteer hospital assistant at an animal shelter. Helped vet techs and DVMs perform exams, administered meds/vaccines, cleaned, various medication baths and treatments (ringworm, yay!). Briefly helped in the spay/neuter clinic.
50 hours: volunteer vet assistant on a World Vets trip. Prepped patients for surgery, monitored anesthesia and recovery, community outreach.
8 hours: one of the days with World Vets was spent running a horse clinic.. only large animal experience I've had..

Research Experience:
200 hours: volunteer research assistant under an MD (pediatric anesthesiologist). Helped with behavioral/memory testing on rats.

Animal Experience:
800 hours: Receptionist at same small animal private practice... later became a vet assistant.
600 hours: dog washer at Petco
1700 hour: kennel manager at cat only boarding facility.
** included some pet ownership on supplementals for schools that didn't mind it **

Employment Experience:
Various retail/sales jobs: part-time throughout undergrad
Camp counselor: one summer working with children and adults with developmental disabilities.
After graduation I worked in a management position in a supported living agency for adults with developmental disabilities.. worked there for about a year and that is when I decided to change paths...

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List
Phi Theta Kappa
NSCS
Various volleyball awards in HS

Extracurricular/Activities:
Varsity and club volleyball year round in HS
Volleyball coach- coached 14yr old girls team for one season before entering college
Deaf Events- attended monthly coffee meet-up for people involved in the deaf community.. mainly did this while working with a deaf client. Also took sign language classes in college so used this time to practice.
Pre-vet club
Food bank/soup kitchen- volunteered a handful of times
Early learning program- volunteer in afterschool program for young kids
Arts and crafts- knitting, crocheting, and painting
Outdoor activities- biking, hiking, and gardening

Letters of Recommendation:
Small animal private practice vet/owner
Small animal private practice vet who did relief work once in a while
Chem/Ochem/Biochem professor
Committee letter by post-bacc health professions advisors
MD from research experience (only using for Cornell)

Explanation Statement:
Started off undergrad at a 4 yr... got lost, dropped out... went to a community college for a little bit.. finished off back at the 4 yr.. Listed "personal reasons" as the reason for jumping around schools. I felt like I needed to briefly explain this because of how funny my transcripts look.

Personal Statement:
I wrote about my indirect path to vet med. Started off as a psychology major looking to pursue a masters in psychology or social work.. decided it wasn't right and followed my interest in animals and vet med.. wrote about my experiences and how they will make me a better vet/understand the vet profession/etc.

 

[lso5013]

Just wanted to pop in to say I'm so encouraged to see this thread getting so much love! I'm so proud of everyone who's worked so hard to make it to this point. Regardless of where you're going to school, soak in the moment and know that all the perseverance was worth it!!! Congrats to all my future vet SDN colleagues!!! :-D

 

[ryroo]

I hope this brings hope to any of you who did not get in this cycle and are feeling discouraged about applying to vet school more than once. I applied to 5 schools and didn't get accepted anywhere last year. I was devastated and horrified that I wouldn't get in on my second try but here I am! I remember how encouraging it was to look back on this forum and read stats from people who had applied multiple times before getting in. Keep your heads up!!

MD resident, 2nd time applicant, 23 years old, F
B.S. in Animal Science - December 2012

First cycle (2012-2013):
applied: VMRCVM, Ohio State, Oregon State, CSU, Missouri
interviews: none
waitlisted: Oregon State
rejected: everywhere else

cGPA: 3.25
science GPA: 3.22
last 45 credits: 3.46
GRE (old version):

V: 580 (77%)
Q: 680 (56%)
A: 3.0 (11%) timed writing stresses me out
​

Second cycle (2013-2014):
applied: CSU, UF, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio, Purdue, St. Georges, VMRCVM, Western
rejected w/o interview: CSU, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ohio, Purdue, VMRCVM
interviews: UF, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, St. Georges, Western
waitlisted: Iowa, Mississippi, Western
rejected w/ interview: UF
accepted: Minnesota and St. Georges
attending: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA!!!!

cGPA: 3.28
science GPA: 3.28
last 45 credits: 3.62
GRE (new version):

V: 160 (84%)
Q: 156 (65%)
A: 3.5 (35%) still hate timed writing...
​

during the summer before my second application, I took two graduate level courses through UF CVM to boost my GPAs

​

Vet experience
Volunteer intern at a SA clinic - 100 hours
Veterinary assistant at another SA clinic - 1000 hours
Shadowed at an orthopedic/sports medicine SA practice: 5 hours
Head veterinary tech at a single practitioner SA clinic (veterinarian at previous clinic opened up her own practice and asked me to go along with her): ~1500 hours at time of first application, ~3400 hours at time of second application

experiences gained after first application:
Veterinary assistant for mobile equine veterinarian (held this position while still head tech at SA practice): 140 hours
Assisted my boss at SA clinic with several farm calls (sheep only): 15 hours
Assisted SA mobile surgeon with my own dogs surgeries and rehab: 20 hours

Animal experiencePet sitting: 250 hours
Weekend care for boarding and/or hospitalized pets at SA clinic: 150 hours
Working with several dog rescue groups: 350 hours
Classroom experience (pigs, horses, cows, sheep): 25 hours
Other: 900 hours - My 3 year old dog has bilateral patella luxation and subluxating hips. Her right knee was operated four times
unsuccessfully for the MPL. After the fourth surgery, she developed grade IV lateral patella luxation in the right knee. We elected to
go back to surgery which was again unsuccessful. In the past 2 years, I have dedicated an overwhelming amount of
time to Rylie's recovery, rehabilitation, and overall care. I didn't list any of this in my first application and was advised during file reviews to do so the second time around. I described everything involved with her care in my explanation statement.

Research experienceNone

Employment
Administrative assistant for a moving & storage company: 190 hours

HonorsDeans list 2 semesters
Hispanic honor society

Letters of Recommendation
first cycle:

SA vet that I've worked with for the past 4 years (owner of practice where I currently work)
Academic advisor/animal nutrition professor
Veterinary surgeon who operated on my dog the first 3 times
Owner of a rescue group that I've worked with the past 4 years​

second cycle:

SA vet that I've worked with for the past 4 years (owner of practice where I currently work)
Another SA vet that I've worked with for past 4 years
Mobile veterinary surgeon who I've worked with at my current job and who operated on my dog the last 2 times
Equine vet
​

Personal statement
My personal statement for my first application was entirely about my dog and her multiple failed surgeries. That was a huge mistake -- I was so focused on my experiences with my dog that I barely talked about myself. Second time around, I discussed several life and work experiences, what I learned from them and how they all contributed to the path that I'm on today. I touched on a lot of different things and its a little bit difficult to summarize it all here so feel free to PM me if you want to read it 🙂 It was definitely a much better PS than my first one.

 

[WulfpackChica]

So this was my 2nd time truly applying. I applied at the end of my first BS, but I had no idea what I was doing and it was a waste of my time and money (just trust me on that). I am hoping that I can add to the encouragement of those that don't have the best academics. I think my experience is what really helped me out.

-------

NC Resident, 2nd time applicant, 30yr old, female
B.S. Animal Science (2005) & Microbiology (2008)
Master's in Microbial Biotechnology (2014)

1st Cycle (2011-2012):
Applied: Colorado State, Michigan State, NC State, Purdue
Interviewed: Purdue
Waitlisted: Purdue
Denied: CSU, MSU, NCSU

cGPA: 3.16
sGPA: 3.2
Last 45: 3.4
GRE (old):
V: 560
Q: 570
A: 4.0

2nd Cycle (2013-2014):
Applied: Missouri, Michigan State, UPenn, Iowa State, Purdue, NCSU
Interviewed: Iowa State, Purdue
Waitlisted: Iowa State
Denied: Michigane State, Missouri, UPenn, Purdue
Accepted: NC State

cGPA: 3.24
sGPA: 3.2
Last 45: 3.6
GRE (new):
V: 157
Q: 154
A: 3.5

I completely bombed the GRE. I don't know what happened...

Vet Experience: Depending on who you talk to it some of it is either Vet or Animal...
~2500hrs at small animal vet - worked part time in school and then full time as the lead surgery tech.
~600hrs Lab Animal Husbandry in a barrier facility (mice and rats)
~1500hrs - Public Health Lab doing Rabies testing for sample submitted from all over the state

Animal Experience:
~500hrs of pet sitting for friends (required house sitting and Rx administration for some special needs pets)

Research Experience:
~2000hrs - Worked at CRO that did small scale pre-clinical studies with rodents. Included husbandry, administration of test compounds (PO, SQ, IM), organ harvesting
~100hrs - On Campus summer job doing study on plant extracts and the immune system

Other Jobs:
Sales associate at Finish Line
Intern at a Biotech Company doing inventory control and sample management

Volunteer (non-Vet):
Volunteer at Light the Night (3 years)
Volunteer at Special Olympics - just did this last year and going to continue as years go on 😀
Summer Camp Counselor and Coordinator for incoming Freshman at NCSU (3 years)

Honors:
Dean's List 2 semesters for my Micro degree

LOR's:
1st Round:
- Vet/Owner from the SA practice I worked for
- 2nd Vet at the same practice
- Boss/Owner from my CRO

2nd Round:
- Vet/Owner of the SA practice
- Boss/Owner form CRO
- Grad School Advisor

Personal Statement:
Talked about what personal traits I gained from each of my experiences and why my resume looked so jumpy (school->work-> school->work). Touched on a relationship that I formed with one of clients at the SA vet I worked at and how much my opinion meant to them. I was in the room for their very first appointment when they found out their pet had lymphoma, they requested me as tech for each appointment, and asked me how they would know when it is "time." Also included the skills I gained with working with research animals in a highly regulated environment and my experience with the general public when I did rabies testing. Finally I explained my Master's degree choice, which has pushed me out of my comfort zone as far as public speaking.

I revamped my personal statement after I sent it to my friend. She was an english minor and she started off with me in undergrad as a Vet School hopeful. We knew each other well enough to where she knew my background and ultimate goals and not be afraid to rip the PS apart. She was also able to give me more credit than I thought I needed or deserved in some areas.

 

[Vizsla Dog]

23, female, MD, 1st time applicant.

Major/minor: Biological sciences/chemistry with high honors at Smith College
Applied: UPenn, Tufts, Cornell
Rejected: none
Interviewed: UPenn
Declined interviews: Tufts
Waitlisted: Cornell
Accepted: UPenn w/scholarship
Attending: UPenn

Overall GPA: 3.7
Science GPA: 3.66
Last 45: 3.7ish
GRE (Q/V/W): 155/161/4

Experience:
110+ hours at a SA practice (assisted during appts, ran/prepared lab work, observed surgeries)
2000+ hours working with laboratory animals at the NIH (restraint techniques, IM/IP/Sub-q injections, blood draws from sup vena cava, intraocular, lymph node extraction, observation of necropsies)
750+ hours at an NIH summer internship (molecular biology--nonmuscle myosin and tropomyosin)
500+ hours doing an undergrad thesis (mammalian cell culture, proteomics)
4000+ hours of virus culture and titration, possible 1st and/or 2nd authorship on scientific papers
400+ hours as a secretary at a dog grooming shop
750+ hours as a farm assistant (this experience includes some minor medical treatment of cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens)
400+ hours as an animal care intern at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (was lucky enough to be able to observe surgeries and hydrotherapy as well. also designed/built a physical therapy "wheelchair" for rabbits infected with E. cuniculi)
6+ months working at a pet store

Extra curriculars in college:
Novice rower for Smith crew
Treasurer of the pre-vet club
Biology tutor at Smith

Awards in college:
Dean's list multiple years
First group scholar (whatever that means)
High honors for my senior thesis

Letters:
my current PI (a DVM)
my undergraduate research adviser
my mentor/PI from my NIH summer internship
the SA vet I worked for
my immunology/microbiology prof

Personal Statement:
Talked about experiences at small animal clinic, animal sanctuary, and various research labs. As for the "how I got into vet med," I focused a lot on the science/medicine aspect of it. Indicated that my interests were in research/shelter medicine/dermatology.

I've also spent a gap year post-college at the NIH as a post-bac, which I'm sure helped a lot!

Acadia2014,

Do you mind me asking what scholarship you got from Penn? I'm applying next year and I have a similar background as you (lots of research).

 

[WildVet18]

SO excited to be finally posting here...it's been an emotional two years of applying, but in the end I am happy with the results! For people waiting on schools for this cycle or those reapplying next year, keep the hope alive, enjoy your experiences in the meantime 🙂 !

MA resident, 2nd time applicant, 23 years old, F
B.A. in French Studies - May 2013, pre-vet track

First cycle (2012-2013):
applied: Tufts
interviews: Tufts
waitlisted: Tufts

Second cycle (2013-2014):
applied: Tufts, UPenn, VMRCVM, UGA, Midwestern, WSU
rejected w/o interview: VMRCVM
Disqualified: UGA...(did not really know how to categorize this, I was one credit hour short yet completed all of the science class requirements and actually had a few extra credit hours n ochem and biochem and I submitted for approval of my pre-reqs. I was told I was fine to apply, yet later on got an email saying that they were mistaken...I still needed one credit hour of advanced biology. They gave me a certain time in which I could submit course enrollment that would cover that credit, but there was no way I could afford to do that unfortunately. I called and told them that, but never officially received a rejection.)
interviews: Tufts, Upenn, WSU, Midwestern (declined)
waitlisted: WSU
accepted: Upenn, Tufts
attending: Deciding between Upenn and Tufts, and I feel sooooo lucky to have this choice!

cGPA: 3.6 for vmcas, 3.7 for Tufts (they calculated by study-abroad credit hours differently)
science/math GPA: 3.5
last 45 credits: 3.45
GRE (new version):
V: 165 (96%)
Q: 157 (69%)
A: 5.5 (95%)

My stats were mostly the same between the two applications...I finished by degree and graduated, and took two courses after graduating to finish up pre-requisites, but my GPA stayed pretty much the same. Below I underlined the experiences that were added after my first application
Vet experience
Pre-veterinary extern at wildlife center: 485 hours (did a lot of 50 hr + weeks!)
Pre-Veterinary Intern at shelter/sanctuary: 500 hours
Shadowed at several small animal practices: 25 hours total
Shadowed orthopedic surgeon: 12 hours
Shadowed mixed animal holistic veterinarian: 15 hours (I highly recommend shadowing a holistic vet...very eye-opening experience!)
Research project under several veterinarians, some schools counted this as vet experience (described below): 500 hours

Animal experience
Shelter volunteer: 30 hours
Animal care intern at zoo: 400 hours
Experience when I was much younger working with horses and farm animals

Research experience
Studied Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy in Neurobiology lab of vet school in France (my study-abroad was internship-based, so this is what I did). Finished with a 35 page research report in French (I brought this to my interviews). As mentioned above, done at veterinary school laboratory under several vets, also got to shadow/help vets with the lab animals and in the hospital, so sort of a mix of veterinary/research experience: 500 hours

Medical Experience (Because I was pre-med until my junior year)
Co-President, MEDLIFE, while on campus coordinated brigades, fundraised, trained students going on brigades, brought in speakers, and I personally participated in 2 medical brigades to Peru and Ecuardor
Elective Africa, pre-medical/medical student shadowing program at community hospital, four weeks
NYU Health Career Opportunity Program, shadowed in the rehabilitation medicine department at Bellevue, four weeks

Other Employment/Extra Curriculars
Assistant athletic trainer for my college, all four years, depending on the season and what teams I was assigned this was anywhere from 9 to 20 hours a week
Assistant Director, NYU Langone Medical Center Health Career Opportunity Program, summer job: 500 hours
Admissions Ambassador (fancy name for a tour guide) at my college, three and a half years, 1-2 hours a week
Pre-Veterinary Club, Co-Founder/Co-President, last year of college: about 4 hours a week, depending on activities
Mentorship Director for On the Spectrum, an autism awareness club on campus, mentored local autistic children and teenagers, two years in college
I also do a lot of art in my free time and have entered several competitions

Honors/Awards
Deans list 5 semesters
Cum Laude
Internship Grant from my college
Esterly Award for Independent Research, from my college
Girl Scout Bronze and Silver awards
Silver Key for state art competition

Letters of Recommendation
first cycle:
Wildlife vet from my internship
General Chemistry/Organic chemistry professor (I had him for three semesters total)
Pre-Health advisor who I worked with for several clubs as well as personal advising
Head vet/researcher of my lab in France
After I was wait listed I sent in two additional letters...
Biology professor
French professor who researches animals in French society...I took a course with her on this subject

second cycle:
Wildlife vet from my externship
General Chemistry/Organic chemistry professor (I had him for three semesters total)
Shelter vet from my internship
my boss at the athletic training office for four years

Personal statement
Pretty much talked about my transition from human medicine to veterinary medicine, how it was a hard decision because all of my friends, family, professors, mentors, etc. spent so much time helping me towards medical school, but in the end I was just not really inspired by human medicine and found that my passion truly was in veterinary medicine. I also talked about my struggles with OCD and how being around animals has help me both understand and conquer this. For the extra essay for Tufts, the first year I wrote about my experience in Kenya and how the program I went on was basically a scam, the director ended up going to jail while we were there, etc., and how this taught me how to be more independent and confident in unfamiliar situations. The second year I wrote about how I have always wanted/still want to write and illustrate children's books, and I now hope that I can use this to educate children about animal/environmental issues.

I also included an explanation statement of why my grades went down some during my senior year...I know that this usually looks bad so while I did not want to make excuses, I wanted to explain that I was not simply slacking...my Dad had kidney failure followed by a heart attack and was in and out of the hospital for months, could not get the surgery he needed for his kidneys because of his heart problems, finally ended up having the surgery months after it was initially scheduled. I was across the country from my family for most of this, and I just had an incredibly hard time concentrating on my work when I was constantly waiting for the next call saying my Dad was in the hospital again. I wrote about how I learned from this experience, specifically I learned to not internalize these kind of issues, but to talk to friends and get counseling. This came up in my Tufts interview and they seemed to appreciate what I said about the experience and how it helped me grow up a lot.

One final piece of advise...DO NOT BE TOO NERVOUS FOR INTERVIEWS!!! Through my file review, I know that this is largely what messed me up for Tufts on my first application. I was too nervous to eat that morning and ended up almost passing out before the interview. I know it's easier said than done, but my second year before interviews rather than stressing out with interview prep I planned something fun both for the day before and evening after all of my interviews, I watched a guilty pleasure tv show before leaving for the interview, got myself something reallllly good for breakfast, drank tea instead of coffee, etc., and I know some people who work out the morning before, bring their parents, friend, partner along, whatever helps! Just pamper yourself before and after each interview, and you will be much more confident!

 

[kenggy]

I am still in shock...so don't ask how I did this and I am completely embarrassed by my stats...but I hope somebody is encouraged!

24, Female, Wyoming resident
First-time applicant
B.S. in Biology
Graduated 2009 from Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA

Applied: CSU, WSU
Wait-Listed: CSU(WICHE)
Denied: WSU (so I got a letter saying I was denied to WSU, but then I got a phone call saying my name was released from WICHE and I was accepted, weird? but hey I'll take it)
Accepted: CSU, WSU
Attending: CSU

Cumulative GPA: 3.04
Pre-Req GPA: 3.2 (this doesn't include BioChem which I took last fall)
Last 45 GPA: 3.2

GRE: 157 V 152 Q 4.5 W

Veterinary Experience:
4600 hours in SA practice-paid
700 hours at an animal shelter-paid
35 hours shadowing a LA vet

Animal Experience:
I know I put pet ownership but I don't remember how many hours

Employment:
See veterinary experience
Also I talked about my work as a caregiver and how that gave me good experience working with people and how that translates to the veterinary profession(this was for the unique experiences section for CSU)

Extracurriculars:
State Director for 2012 Presidential Campaign
State Director for SuperPac-2013 to present
Key Club Secretary (High School)

eLORS:
SA vet/owner at a cat clinic I worked at
LA Vet I shadowed for
Professor/Adviser from undergrad

Personal Statement / Uniqueness Essays:
I talked about my academic achievements; skipping a grade, graduating high school with my A.A. and receiving my B.S. at the age of 19. I admitted to not being as focused or committed as I should have been. I told a story about the cat clinic I worked at and how it inspired me to further my education and become a vet. Then I discussed what path I would like to take as a vet and how I thought I could contribute to the field.

For my multicultural essay for CSU I talked about how being an Army brat and and Air Force wife exposed me to different cultures and walks of life which is beneficial when interacting with clients and co-workers.

I was debating about writing an explanation statement b/c I had legal issues with my now husband's family during my years in high school and thus my first two years in college. But I was advised not to by people on this forum, so I am glad I didn't. I didn't want to make excuses and I know others have had it way worse than me.

 

[Ashgirl]

Meant to post here awhile ago but forgot... hopefully this will bump the thread so all of the off-the-waitlisters can post as well 🙂

1st time applicant
Female, 21 years old, MO resident
Junior in AnSci, and matriculating without a BS.

Applied: Iowa State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mizzou
Rejected: Ohio State
Interviewed: Purdue, Iowa State, Ohio State, Mizzou
Accepted: Purdue, Iowa State and Mizzou
Wait Listed: Wisconsin
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Mizzou! 😀

Cumulative GPA: 3.8
Science GPA: 3.85-3.9 depending on school
Last 45 GPA: 3.87

GRE (V/Q/W): 155/158/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
-1000 hours working and volunteering at a small animal clinic
-150 hours volunteering at a large animal clinic
-250 hours volunteering at the Neurology department at the VTH
-150 hours volunteering at the ECC/ICU at the VTH
-150 hours volunteering at a small animal clinic back in high school

Animal Experience:
-3500 hours total for my 10 years as a member of 4-H. Showed almost pretty much every species, with mostly large animals.
-850 hours as a dog trainer for AKC shows and competitions, along with training dogs in 4-H as a 4-H leader.
-250 hours volunteering at a local shelter back in high school.

Research:
-150 hours in an avian lab specializing in communication and physiology.

Other Employment:
-750 hours as a student assistant in one of the offices on campus
-250 hours as a private tutor in high school


Honors and Awards:
-Dean's list each semester
-A few odd and end awards
-Lots of different scholarships
-Lots of 4-H awards

Extra-Curriculars:
-4-H leader
-Read to Succeed
-Pre-vet club member
-A few other clubs

eLORs:
-DVM from the small animal clinic
-DVM from the large animal clinic
-One from the Associate Dean of Ag
-One personal one from the head superintendent of my county 4-H.


Personal Statement:
I began with a story of how I started my journey to vet med, and then I transitioned over to my experiences and how they strengthened me as an applicant and showed them how all of my experiences related to and tied back to vet med.

I still can't believe I got the opportunity to post here! To everyone who is applying next year- Good Luck! And a hearty congratulations to all of my year/classmates that got accepted! 😀

 

[wolfpackprevet]

1sd time applicant
21 year old female, NC resident
Major: Animal Science
Minor: Spanish

Applied: Ohio, UTK, NCSU, Auburn
Rejected:
Interviewed: Ohio, UTK, Auburn
Wait listed: Auburn (then withdrew)
Accepted: NCSU, UTK, Ohio
Waiting to hear:
Attending: NCSU

Overall GPA: 3.77
Science GPA: 3.74
Last 45: I don't remember, but around 3.7 too

GRE (Q/V/W): 158/158/4.0 = 72/77/54 first time
155/157/5.0 = 61/73/93 second time (oops)

Vet Experience:
737 total
120 wildlife
280 equine
337 equine

Animal Experience:
a whole lot of equine -- 3000+
60 production animal (wrote in explanation that I was getting more, included duties)
50 small animal

Research:
575 equine (colic/NSAID)

Employment:
I was paid for some of those things up there, but because they were with animals, they go up there.
TA anatomy
TA pre-vet development
University Housing

Extra-curriculars:
Pre-Vet Club (social chair, VP)
Alpha Zeta (leadership position)
University Honors Program
Animal Science Club
APVMA
VetPAC -- our advising center, intern
Lots of stand alone events, including teaching a class (not TAing... created a seminar course)

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - several semesters
ASAS Scholar
Honors Program
Alpha Zeta

LORs:
1. Pre-Vet Advisor/anatomy teacher/boss
2. Research/shadowing mentor equine
3. Equine vet I shadowed under

Personal Statement:
I talked about my path through vet med and how I tried different fields, but how I finally ended up at equine (mentioned I was keeping an open mind). While going through path, mentioned equine (research and shadowing), small animal, wildlife. Each one mentioned what I learned about veterinary medicine from that experience.

 

[lso5013]

1sd time applicant
21 year old female, NC resident
Major: Animal Science
Minor: Spanish

Applied: Ohio, UTK, NCSU, Auburn
Rejected:
Interviewed: Ohio, UTK, Auburn
Wait listed: Auburn (then withdrew)
Accepted: NCSU, UTK, Ohio
Waiting to hear:
Attending: NCSU

Overall GPA: 3.77
Science GPA: 3.74
Last 45: I don't remember, but around 3.7 too

GRE (Q/V/W): 158/158/4.0 = 72/77/54 first time
155/157/5.0 = 61/73/93 second time (oops)

Vet Experience:
737 total
120 wildlife
280 equine
337 equine

Animal Experience:
a whole lot of equine -- 3000+
60 production animal (wrote in explanation that I was getting more, included duties)
50 small animal

Research:
575 equine (colic/NSAID)

Employment:
I was paid for some of those things up there, but because they were with animals, they go up there.
TA anatomy
TA pre-vet development
University Housing

Extra-curriculars:
Pre-Vet Club (social chair, VP)
Alpha Zeta (leadership position)
University Honors Program
Animal Science Club
APVMA
VetPAC -- our advising center, intern
Lots of stand alone events, including teaching a class (not TAing... created a seminar course)

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list - several semesters
ASAS Scholar
Honors Program
Alpha Zeta

LORs:
1. Pre-Vet Advisor/anatomy teacher/boss
2. Research/shadowing mentor equine
3. Equine vet I shadowed under

Personal Statement:
I talked about my path through vet med and how I tried different fields, but how I finally ended up at equine (mentioned I was keeping an open mind). While going through path, mentioned equine (research and shadowing), small animal, wildlife. Each one mentioned what I learned about veterinary medicine from that experience.

I majored in animal science and minored in Spanish also!

 

[letsbeadventurers]

I got my first acceptance in December, but it didn't feel real until Tufts called me last week. Pretty psyched to have completely rerouted my life in the last two years and got in on my first cycle!

1st time applicant
28 year old female, NH resident
Major: International Relations and Social Anthropology
I went back to school to get all the pre-reqs as a Biomedical Science major, but I won't be getting that degree.

Applied: Tufts, Penn, Washington State, Colorado State, Edinburgh, Glasgow
Rejected: Penn
Interviewed: Tufts, Penn, Washington State, Glasgow (declined the interview)
Wait listed: Tufts, Washington State, Colorado State
Accepted: Tufts (off the waitlist), Edinburgh
Waiting to hear: WSU, CSU
Attending: Tufts

Overall GPA: 3.85
Science GPA: 4.0
Last 45: 4.0

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/156/4.5
I have never been too great at standardized tests, but I figured my GPA would make up for my GREs.

Vet Experience:
~1200 total (at the time of application)
1000 SA hospital, mainly as a kennel technician
100 equine
100 wildlife/aquatics

Animal Experience:
1000+ equine- therapeutic riding volunteer and leasing horses when I was younger
1000+ animal care, I counted everything from personal pet ownership here
30- Marine mammal stranding responder

Research:
600 Research Assistant for the Center for the Study of Political Violence and Terrorism- focused on terrorism prevention and preemption
600 Research Assistant for the Center for the Study of Religion and Politics- focused on the religions motives of the genocide in Darfur
1000+ Independent research for my dissertation on the universality of the global human rights discourse through a case study on female genital cutting in West Africa.

Employment:
I started my own real estate research business in 2010
Employed at a couple of law firms after college
Managed kitchens during college

Extra-curriculars:
Local Marine Conservation Society
Local historic preservation society
Student Ambassador
Fundraiser/Administrator to a Women's Aid organization
Volunteer for therapeutic riding (I counted this in animal experience)
Sponsorship coordinator for a Charity Fashion Show
Sailing club, Riding Club, Polo Club

Awards/Honors:
Dean's list
Salutatorian in high school
Bunch of high school awards and scholarships

LORs:
1. Pre-Vet Advisor
2. Organic Chemistry professor
3. SA vet I worked for
4. Attorney I worked for and then did freelance work with after I started my business

Personal Statement:
I spoke first about my childhood and how I was fascinated with animals. Not in the way that most kids love dogs or cats, I specifically had a thing for dead animals (maybe I should become a pathologist) that I would find- bats, snakes, birds, fish. I then spoke about my round about way to getting to this point. Vet school was always in the back of my mind, but didn't seem feasible especially once I had my degree. I went to school overseas and studied politics thinking that was the way to help people, but I became dejected with my education when I realized most political action benefits only the powerful and that my work would most likely help very few. I connected my early fascination and my desire to help people with the event of my dog getting hit by a car right in front of me. It was a turning point in my life that made me realize I could combine my goal of helping people and my fascination with animals through the preservation of the human-animal bond. I touched on living overseas and running my own business teaching me self-reliance. Then spoke about my determination to become a veterinarian- going back to school as a non-traditional, maintaining an excellent GPA, while working for a SA vet, volunteering and running my own business. Lastly, I focused on my veterinary experiences over the last couple of years, which I connected back to my motivations to attend veterinary school and my understanding of the veterinary profession.

If I could go back I would have spent more time on my personal statement. I didn't start the application till late August and drafted and finalized my PS in a week. But I made a pretty awesome go-pro video of walking up a mountain creek for my second Tufts essay. I don't know if they really understood it because one of my interviewers commented on the lack of talking. But I explained the point of the video was that I wanted to bring them along to my favorite place to give them that experience and that's what makes me different.

 

[decafpremed]

I'm still hoping to hear from one of these waitlists (fingers crossed).. but either way, I'm going to be a vet!!Thought I would post my stats since I'm a "non-traditional" applicant.. Got my BA in psychology (actually started as an art major) with hopes of pursuing a masters in therapy or social work.. found out quickly after working in a "social work" setting that it wasn't for me.... started my path to vet med and took all of my pre-reqs in the last 3yrs while gaining experience in the field... it's been a winding path but finally looks like I'm figuring it out!
Applied: UC Davis (IS), Michigan State, Mizzou, Cornell, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois
Interview: UC Davis, Mizzou, Illinios (declined due to travel costs/low chance of getting in/already accepted somewhere)
Rejected: Colorado
Waitlisted: UC Davis, Cornell, Wisconsin, Mizzou
Accepted: MSU
Attending: As of now, MSU. May change depending on if I get called off of any of these waitlists!

28, female, first time/non-traditional applicant
B.A. in Psychology, post-bacc program to obtain pre-reqs
cGPA: 3.67
science GPA: 3.73 (included some randoms from undergrad..... history of dinosaurs... really?)
last 45 GPA: 3.81
GRE: Q-160 (78%), V-158 (78%), A- 3.5 (54%)

Vet Experience:
2900 hours : Vet assistant at a small animal practice (paid). Did everything that a vet tech was allowed to do at the practice except for anesthesia induction.
200 hours: volunteer hospital assistant at an animal shelter. Helped vet techs and DVMs perform exams, administered meds/vaccines, cleaned, various medication baths and treatments (ringworm, yay!). Briefly helped in the spay/neuter clinic.
50 hours: volunteer vet assistant on a World Vets trip. Prepped patients for surgery, monitored anesthesia and recovery, community outreach.
8 hours: one of the days with World Vets was spent running a horse clinic.. only large animal experience I've had..

Research Experience:
200 hours: volunteer research assistant under an MD (pediatric anesthesiologist). Helped with behavioral/memory testing on rats.

Animal Experience:
800 hours: Receptionist at same small animal private practice... later became a vet assistant.
600 hours: dog washer at Petco
1700 hour: kennel manager at cat only boarding facility.
** included some pet ownership on supplementals for schools that didn't mind it **

Employment Experience:
Various retail/sales jobs: part-time throughout undergrad
Camp counselor: one summer working with children and adults with developmental disabilities.
After graduation I worked in a management position in a supported living agency for adults with developmental disabilities.. worked there for about a year and that is when I decided to change paths...

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List
Phi Theta Kappa
NSCS
Various volleyball awards in HS

Extracurricular/Activities:
Varsity and club volleyball year round in HS
Volleyball coach- coached 14yr old girls team for one season before entering college
Deaf Events- attended monthly coffee meet-up for people involved in the deaf community.. mainly did this while working with a deaf client. Also took sign language classes in college so used this time to practice.
Pre-vet club
Food bank/soup kitchen- volunteered a handful of times
Early learning program- volunteer in afterschool program for young kids
Arts and crafts- knitting, crocheting, and painting
Outdoor activities- biking, hiking, and gardening

Letters of Recommendation:
Small animal private practice vet/owner
Small animal private practice vet who did relief work once in a while
Chem/Ochem/Biochem professor
Committee letter by post-bacc health professions advisors
MD from research experience (only using for Cornell)

Explanation Statement:
Started off undergrad at a 4 yr... got lost, dropped out... went to a community college for a little bit.. finished off back at the 4 yr.. Listed "personal reasons" as the reason for jumping around schools. I felt like I needed to briefly explain this because of how funny my transcripts look.

Personal Statement:
I wrote about my indirect path to vet med. Started off as a psychology major looking to pursue a masters in psychology or social work.. decided it wasn't right and followed my interest in animals and vet med.. wrote about my experiences and how they will make me a better vet/understand the vet profession/etc.

Hi,
Just Curious. Where did you complete your post-bacc?

 

[jackoo]

Have you chosen a school yet? Congrats on getting into all your schools.

1st time applicant
Female, 22 years old, FL resident
Graduating in May 2014 with a BS in Animal Science from the University of Florida

Applied: UF, NCSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mizzou
Rejected: None
Interviewed: UF, Ohio State, Mizzou
Accepted: UF, NCSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mizzou
Wait Listed: None
Waiting to hear: none
Attending: Not sure yet! Probably between NCSU, UF or OSU though 🙂

Cumulative GPA: 3.99
Science GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE (V/Q/W): 155/160/4.0

Veterinary Experience:
-1000 hours working an equine reproduction facility (operated under 3 vets)
-400 hours working in a small animal clinic as a kennel tech
-200 hours volunteering in the UF CVM small animal ICU
-150 hours shadowing an equine ambulatory vet
-24 hours shadowing an equine surgeon

Animal Experience:
-thousands of hours training/showing my horse in AQHA shows
-50 hours learning to palpate/AI/preg check cattle under a phd
-general pet ownership
-dog sitting

Research:
-150 hours working under a DVM at the UF CVM on an equine colic study to see how depriving a horse of food affect their water consumption

Other Employment:
-2 years working as a waitress at Sonny's BBQ
-6 mos employment at Cold Stone Creamery in high school

Honors and Awards:
-UF Anderson Scholar
-Dean's list each semester
-President's honor roll a few semesters
-Lots of different scholarships
-Lots of awards showing horses (National Top Ten, Regional Champion, State Champion, etc)

Extra-Curriculars:
-Pre-vet club member
-Equestrian team member for 4 years/captain for one year
-participate in 5K runs (mostly mud runs but some charity runs too)
-TA for Animal Reproduction course

eLORs:
-DVM from repro clinic
-DVM who I did the colic research with
-PhD/repro professor who taught me how to palpate and who I TAed for

Personal Statement:
Mostly talked about how my horse requiring colic surgery prompted my interest in the profession and how all my experiences helped me find my niche and what I really want to do.

So excited to finally post here! Good luck everyone applying next year and congrats to everyone who got in 🙂

 

[jackoo]

Have you chosen which school you're attending yet? Congrats!

Posting here is so exciting! I stalked this thread so much before I applied and I definitely hope my post can help someone out! Good luck to all you c/o 2019 and beyond people reading this!

Applied: NCSU (IS), Michigan State, Ohio State, Mizzou, Tennessee, Kansas State
Interview: OSU, Mizzou, UT-K, K-State (I ended up declining K-State before I went to interview)
Rejected: NCSU
Accepted: MSU, OSU, Mizzou, UT-K
Attending: Who knows?!? I'm leaning towards Mizzou or OSU...time will tell 🙂

22, female, first time applicant
B.S. this may in Zoology and Poultry Science
cGPA: 3.73ish
science GPA: 3.61ish
last 45 GPA: 3.69ish
GRE: Q-161 (81%), V-162 (89%), A- 4.5 (78%)

Vet Experience:
600 hours - veterinary assistant at Banfield ~ paid
100 hours - two VIDA trips
265 hours - volunteer (hands-on) with equine vets
360 hours - volunteer (basically an assistant) for a board certified avian vet

Research Experience:
450 hours - volunteer/assist in a lab that evaluates vaccines in poultry (under a DVM)
50 hours - assisted in a trial for a drug interaction study (under a DVM) ~ paid

Animal Experience:
90 hours - internship in high school (hands-off/shadowing) at small animal hospital
(perhaps I could have included this in my vet experience, but I was really under an administrator not a doctor)
400 hours - working at same small animal hospital in the kennel, in high school ~paid
300 hours - pet sitting, in high school and college, this was mainly dogs but included things like rats and a saltwater aquarium
200 hours - lab experience (this is for multiple poultry science classes, which I included because I often worked with live chickens, ran real experiments, and performed clinical skills like blood draws and smears and cloacal swabs and stains, etc...)
50 hours - animal agriculture promotional events, with livestock contact
40 hours - annual state fair volunteer with livestock
30 hours - shelter program for a summer
150 hours - volunteer at a small "zoo" with exotic animal contact

Employment Experience:
170 hours - TA for a 400 level avian anatomy course ~paid
150 hours - VIDA trip coordinator ~not paid technically, but got a scholarship for it

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List all but one semester
Gamma Sigma Delta, professional agriculture fraternity
Pre-vet scholarship
3 Poultry science scholarships
Zoology scholarship
Various music awards
Some random high school things for APs and other miscellaneous things

Extracurricular/Activities:
Zoology Club - held officer positions for 3 years, Vice President being the highest
An Honors/Service Agriculture Fraternity
University Scholars program (took honors classes and attended forums/cultural events)
Marching band in college and high school, officer in high school
Medical BioScience Academy member and officer in high school
I included various hobby things, like the multiple instruments i play and knitting/crocheting (including a high school club I created for knitting)
I had a lot of different musical ensembles I was a part of that I included

Letters of Recommendation:
Small Animal Vet from my time at Banfield
Board Certified Avian Vet from my time at the Avian Hospital
Laboratory Technician (She's a DVM) from my poultry vaccine research
Academic Advisor/Teacher/Employer (She's a PhD) from the Poultry Science department

Personal Statement:
I thought my personal statement was very creative. I have been heavily involved in music throughout my life and it was apparent when you looked at my application. For my PS I ran my experience with music (particularly marching band) and paralleled it to vet med. So basically I used it to show what traits I have that would make me a good vet. I also touched on why I want to be a vet, that I know the realities of being a vet, what I learned from my vet experiences, and obviously what I see myself doing. Writing my statement was a very painful process for me as I really HATE writing, but once I found an angle that was so totally me it ended up flowing. I'm not good at writing either, so it took a lot of edits...but I really think it ended up being a very unique, strong, and well written essay.

 

[dalmatiandoc17]

Have you chosen which school you're attending yet? Congrats!

Thanks, I am attending OSU 🙂

I'm assuming you're asking because you're on a wait list? Good luck if that's the case!

 

[jackoo]

Yes, two, it's awful! Congrats on getting in there, that's a great school!

Thanks, I am attending OSU 🙂

I'm assuming you're asking because you're on a wait list? Good luck if that's the case!

 

[jackoo]

Congrats! Have you heard back from any other schools?

I'm still hoping to hear from one of these waitlists (fingers crossed).. but either way, I'm going to be a vet!!Thought I would post my stats since I'm a "non-traditional" applicant.. Got my BA in psychology (actually started as an art major) with hopes of pursuing a masters in therapy or social work.. found out quickly after working in a "social work" setting that it wasn't for me.... started my path to vet med and took all of my pre-reqs in the last 3yrs while gaining experience in the field... it's been a winding path but finally looks like I'm figuring it out!
Applied: UC Davis (IS), Michigan State, Mizzou, Cornell, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois
Interview: UC Davis, Mizzou, Illinios (declined due to travel costs/low chance of getting in/already accepted somewhere)
Rejected: Colorado
Waitlisted: UC Davis, Cornell, Wisconsin, Mizzou
Accepted: MSU
Attending: As of now, MSU. May change depending on if I get called off of any of these waitlists!

28, female, first time/non-traditional applicant
B.A. in Psychology, post-bacc program to obtain pre-reqs
cGPA: 3.67
science GPA: 3.73 (included some randoms from undergrad..... history of dinosaurs... really?)
last 45 GPA: 3.81
GRE: Q-160 (78%), V-158 (78%), A- 3.5 (54%)

Vet Experience:
2900 hours : Vet assistant at a small animal practice (paid). Did everything that a vet tech was allowed to do at the practice except for anesthesia induction.
200 hours: volunteer hospital assistant at an animal shelter. Helped vet techs and DVMs perform exams, administered meds/vaccines, cleaned, various medication baths and treatments (ringworm, yay!). Briefly helped in the spay/neuter clinic.
50 hours: volunteer vet assistant on a World Vets trip. Prepped patients for surgery, monitored anesthesia and recovery, community outreach.
8 hours: one of the days with World Vets was spent running a horse clinic.. only large animal experience I've had..

Research Experience:
200 hours: volunteer research assistant under an MD (pediatric anesthesiologist). Helped with behavioral/memory testing on rats.

Animal Experience:
800 hours: Receptionist at same small animal private practice... later became a vet assistant.
600 hours: dog washer at Petco
1700 hour: kennel manager at cat only boarding facility.
** included some pet ownership on supplementals for schools that didn't mind it **

Employment Experience:
Various retail/sales jobs: part-time throughout undergrad
Camp counselor: one summer working with children and adults with developmental disabilities.
After graduation I worked in a management position in a supported living agency for adults with developmental disabilities.. worked there for about a year and that is when I decided to change paths...

Honors/Awards:
Dean's List
Phi Theta Kappa
NSCS
Various volleyball awards in HS

Extracurricular/Activities:
Varsity and club volleyball year round in HS
Volleyball coach- coached 14yr old girls team for one season before entering college
Deaf Events- attended monthly coffee meet-up for people involved in the deaf community.. mainly did this while working with a deaf client. Also took sign language classes in college so used this time to practice.
Pre-vet club
Food bank/soup kitchen- volunteered a handful of times
Early learning program- volunteer in afterschool program for young kids
Arts and crafts- knitting, crocheting, and painting
Outdoor activities- biking, hiking, and gardening

Letters of Recommendation:
Small animal private practice vet/owner
Small animal private practice vet who did relief work once in a while
Chem/Ochem/Biochem professor
Committee letter by post-bacc health professions advisors
MD from research experience (only using for Cornell)

Explanation Statement:
Started off undergrad at a 4 yr... got lost, dropped out... went to a community college for a little bit.. finished off back at the 4 yr.. Listed "personal reasons" as the reason for jumping around schools. I felt like I needed to briefly explain this because of how funny my transcripts look.

Personal Statement:
I wrote about my indirect path to vet med. Started off as a psychology major looking to pursue a masters in psychology or social work.. decided it wasn't right and followed my interest in animals and vet med.. wrote about my experiences and how they will make me a better vet/understand the vet profession/etc.

 

[onisteverina]

Hi,
Just Curious. Where did you complete your post-bacc?

Hey! Sorry, didn't realize you responded.. UC Berkeley Extension. You from California?

Congrats! Have you heard back from any other schools?

Hey.. I got called off the Cornell waitlist and I'm pretty much 100% sure I'm going there (actually got a lease sent over to me today). Withdrew from Michigan.. going to call next week to take myself off of the rest of the waitlists so that I can stop with the what-ifs.. Who are you waiting to hear from?

 

[jackoo]

I'm waiting on Michigan, just wondering when you withdrew? At first they didn't use anyone from the waiting list to fill the class so I'm curious to see how many people are dropping their seats now.

Hey! Sorry, didn't realize you responded.. UC Berkeley Extension. You from California?



Hey.. I got called off the Cornell waitlist and I'm pretty much 100% sure I'm going there (actually got a lease sent over to me today). Withdrew from Michigan.. going to call next week to take myself off of the rest of the waitlists so that I can stop with the what-ifs.. Who are you waiting to hear from?