I was going to wait until I've heard back from everywhere I applied until posting in this thread, but I'm too impatient! I'm a third-time applicant, and this is going to be one of those "even if you don't have a perfect application, you can still get accepted!" type of posts, which I definitely appreciated reading the past couple years. Anyway, about me:
23-year-old female, Missouri resident
First attempt (c/o 2018):
Applied: Mizzou, OK State, Purdue
Interviewed: Mizzou
Rejected: Mizzou, OK State (due to a pre-req issue that I overlooked), Purdue
That cycle I applied with only ~250 vet experience hours, and hadn't yet passed organic II (more on that later...). In retrospect I really had no chance getting accepted anywhere that year, but it was good experience being able to familiarize myself with the application process!
Second attempt (c/o 2019):
Applied: Mizzou, OK State, Purdue, Florida, Illinois
Interviewed: Mizzou, Illinois
Waitlisted: Illinois (they either accept or waitlist everyone they interview)
Rejected: Mizzou, OK State (due to a different pre-req issue they didn't tell me about the first time, and which was not clearly explained on their website
), Purdue, Florida
Third attempt (c/o 2020):
Applied: Mizzou, Illinois, Kansas State, SGU, Midwestern
Interviewed: Kansas State
Declined interview: SGU (I had an interview scheduled, but cancelled it after getting accepted to K-State)
Interview waitlist: Midwestern (I also withdrew my application there after getting accepted to K-State)
Rejected: Mizzou, Illinois. Long story short one of my evaluators was trying to submit his letter on the night of the VMCAS deadline, but there was a glitch with the website and he couldn't submit. Every school I applied to was willing to work with me and have him email them the letter, except for Mizzou, my IS.
They don't accept late LORs under any circumstances. I'm still a little bummed, especially to miss out on IS tuition, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I haven't yet received an official rejection from them (they don't send interview invites for IS-ers until early February), but Kathy in the admissions office told me this would disqualify me back in September.
ETA: Turns out whoever I talked to in the Illinois admissions office last September was wrong, and they don't take late LORs either. I contacted them after I didn't receive an interview invite or rejection, and found out my app was never considered. I was annoyed at the time, but I really like K State so far, so all's well that ends well!
Accepted: Kansas State!!!
Degree: BS in Biology from Missouri State University, psychology minor, graduated May 2014.
Overall GPA: Well, it really depends on how you calculate it, because I had to take organic chem II five times. Yes, five. The first time I got a D (with the same professor I had for organic I -- I got a C in organic I, and he was just a terrible professor. His class average for organic II was around 50%, and he has since been fired), then an F (with a different professor who I just really didn't mesh with), then a D again (with a third professor who was actually decent. I was really close to a C that time), then another F (same professor I failed with the first time), and then finally a B (same professor I got the second D with). I do think a lot of my problem was that I didn't get a good foundation with organic due to the terrible first professor I had, but I didn't blame/mention the professor(s) anywhere on my application or in my interviews. I really should have applied myself better the second time if not the first -- gotten a tutor, gone to the professor for help, studied more/differently, etc. Seriously, don't do what I did. The other large part of my problem was that I had never struggled like this with a class before. I graduated high school with something like a 3.98, and I had a 4.0 my freshman year of undergrad, but then everything fell apart with organic. I was too embarrassed with how much I was struggling to seek help, but also overconfident considering I had taken the class before, so I underestimated how much I needed to study. I addressed this in my explanation statement on VMCAS my second and third attempts, and also put a positive spin on it -- I got a B in biochem, so I don't think I have trouble applying the concepts from organic in more advanced courses, almost all of my other grades are A's or B's, and the semester I finally got a B in organic II I was taking 19 credit hours, working, and holding two officer positions, so I seem to thrive when I have a lot on my plate. This did come up in my interviews (except for Illinois, which was closed file), and I kind of reiterated/rephrased the same things from my explanation statement. I've really learned from the whole mess and improved my study habits, and I'm not going to let anything like that happen again.
Anyway, my cumulative GPA is 3.70 if you only include my final attempt at organic II (FWIW that's the only class I've ever retaken), or 3.42 if you include all attempts.
Science GPA (based on my calculations, each school includes different courses): 3.50 or 3.07, again depending on if you include just latest attempt or all
Last 45 credits: 3.68 or 3.29
GRE: (Q/V/W): 159 (74%)/165 (95%)/5.5 (97%) (On my first attempt after only studying for around two weeks! I'm one of those weird people who's really good at standardized tests...)
Veterinary Experience:
~1800 hours at the time of my most recent application as a vet assistant at an SA clinic. We also see a lot of exotics (birds, rabbits, reptiles, pocket pets) and occasionally take in wildlife. I've still been working there about 20-25 hours a week since applying, but I'm too lazy to add up how many hours I have now.
Around October they started training me as a receptionist as well, but obviously that didn't make it on my application, and I don't think I mentioned that in my K-State interview.
~230 hours shadowing and working at a different SA clinic for a couple summers.
~12 hours shadowing at a couple SA clinics in high school, just one-day experiences.
Animal Experience:
40 hour internship at my local zoo
32 hours volunteering at a local shelter
I took a horseback riding class in undergrad.
Research Experience:
None
Non-Animal Employment:
~900 hours at the time of application as a customer care rep in the call center for a well-known chain of outdoor retail stores. I started out on the phones, but I'm now in the email/chat department (I answer emails from and take live chats with customers). I'm also still working there about 20 hours a week. It kinda sucks, but it pays the bills, and schools seemed to like my customer service experience.
~100 hours as a phone survey caller for the sociology department in undergrad
Extracurriculars:
Morale committee member for my undergrad's Dance Marathon benefiting Children's Miracle Network
Phi Eta Sigma national honor society, member for a year and a half, co-induction chair my junior year, secretary my senior year
Tri-Beta biology honor society, member my freshman and sophomore years, event coordinator junior year, vice-president senior year
Pre-Vet Club member
I took dance lessons (ballet, jazz, and modern) 1st-12th grade, and I did competitions junior and senior year of high school.
I was also really involved in Thespians/drama in high school.
Latin Club member freshman and sophomore year of high school
Volunteered at a hospital for a couple summers in high school (specifically in the office of the outpatient surgery center, nothing too exciting)
Volunteered at my local library in high school for another couple summers
Awards/Honors:
One of several salutatorians from my high school graduating class. I was also a Distinguished Graduate (basically had a high GPA and took a lot of AP and other advanced classes) and Distinguished Service Graduate (completed over 200 service hours during HS).
Graduated cum laude from undergrad, and I was on the Dean's List for three semesters
I was a member of the Honors College in undergrad, and I had a scholarship covering my tuition.
I also listed my honor society memberships in this section.
LORs:
My undergrad advisor
My supervisor at my customer service job
The vet I worked with for a couple summers
Personal Statement:
Started out talking about my first cat we adopted when I was ten, and how he was attacked and killed by two neighbor dogs in December 2013. Tied this into my passion for client education, and also discussed my interest in surgery and a couple of the more interesting surgeries I've observed/assisted with. There's a bit more to it, but that's the gist.
Sorry for the long-winded post! I'm not sure what Kansas State saw in me, but I'm so excited, grateful and relieved to finally have an acceptance!
