Successful Applicant Stats of 2017

[iheartmycorgi]

26 years old, 3rd time applicant, Washington resident.

1st application 2010: WICHE applicant
Applied: Colorado State, Oregon State, Washington State, Kansas State
Interviewed then rejected: Washington State
Rejected all others

2nd application 2011: OOS to all schools living in WA
Applied: Minnesota, UC Davis, Washington State, Oregon State
Waitlisted: Oregon State
Rejected: all others

3rd application 2012:
Applied: Washington State (IS), Oregon State
Interviewed/Accepted: Washington State
Waitlisted: Oregon State

CUM GPA @ time of application: 3.19
Pre-req GPA: 3.0-3.2, depending on school
Last 45 hour GPA: 3.75

GRE: 680q, 520v, 5.0a

Veterinary Experience:
800 hours assistant day dog/cat practice at time of application (currently work here)
2000 hours assistant at avian and exotics hospital, some tech responsibilities
2560 hours assistant at small animal clinic with technician responsibilities

Animal Experience:
12 hours shadowing zookeepers
200 hours wildlife rehabilitation
30 hours volunteering at my university's Meat Science Lab
45 hours IACUC certification
120 hours training weanling horse
30 hours foal watch
80 hours kennel technician at boarding hospital
50 hours volunteering at therapeutic riding center as horse handler

Employment:
560 hours cashier at restaurant
1500 hours pizza delivery driver
1100 hours bussing tables at Italian restaurant

Awards:
Honorable Mention
Dean’s List twice
a couple scholarships

Volunteering/Community Activities:
60 hours volunteering on organic farm in Sweden
Running
Bird watching
Horseback Riding

eLORS:
DVM I worked for at SA clinic
DVM I worked for at exotics hospital
DVM I have worked with, friend
DVM professor
PhD professor, undergraduate advisor


I was so impressed with WSU when I interviewed the first time that I told myself I would move to WA if I wasn't accepted and become a resident so I could eventually apply and attend their vet school as an in-stater. I was rejected, and I moved to Washington a couple months later. It takes a year to become a resident of Washington so my next application was as an out of state applicant and my stats weren't the greatest so I wasn't wholly surprised at being rejected the second time. Third time around I was in the in state applicant pool, interviewed, and accepted and I could not be happier! I have worked full time in the veterinary field since graduating from my undergrad and I have never ever considered another profession because this is always what I have wanted to do. I think my persistance, the fact I moved to Washington to attend the school, being an in state applicant, and my thousands of hours of experience led me to an acceptance. My grades were extremely poor the beginning of my undergrad, (as in ds, cs, and even a couple fs) but I turned it around during my last two years and enrolled in any upper division science class I could get into and excelled, while I worked and volunteered at least 20 hours a week. I took an extra year to graduate so I could continue taking classes and improve my GPA. The wait has been worth it. Now I will be attending my dream school with in state tuition cost and I couldn't be more excited. If anyone has any further questions feel free to send me a message.

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[Martin14]

Hello! I am newer to SDN, so never looked at this page in the past or when applying, but have LOVED looking at all of the awesome statistics and experiences from everyone being accepted! So cool.

I am an Idaho Resident.
Applied: Washington State, Iowa, Minnesota
Rejected: Minnesota
Interviewed WSU, Iowa (declined)
Accepted and Attending: WSU ☺

I got a BS in Biology and BA in Chemistry.
GPA: 3.48
Science GPA: About 3.3
Last 45 hours: 3.7

I was just over 50 percent on all of my GRE scores.

I have worked at two small animal practices. At one practice I started as a caregiver in the boarding facility, moved to the hospital assistant, then worked as the boarding supervisor.
The practice I am currently at is very small- one doctor, two assistants, and a receptionist make up the team for the day. This has been invaluable experience- I have quickly learned so much.

I volunteered at a small animal practice while attending school, did volunteer work with low-income families, worked doing research on campus, was part of the pre-med/science club leadership, got some scholarships, and started an annual 5k run/walk in honor of my father who passed away. Sorry that was a quick summary! For those of you applying or anyone message me if you want to talk or for more info!
WOOHOOO TO ALL OF US FUTURE VETS! ITS CRAZY!!

 

[tropictuco]

I changed my mind last summer and decided to go to vet school rather than get a research PhD, so my vet shadowing hours are really low. I'm so excited to be posting here!

23 years old. Non traditional (graduated in 2009), first time applicant

Applied: Auburn
Interviewed: Auburn
Accepted: Auburn
Attending: Auburn!!

CUM GPA: 4.0 at my community colleges, 3.95 at UC Berkeley, where I received my degree, 4.0 for my one semester at University of Kentucky to knock out some prerequisites
O-chem/Physics GPA: 4.0
GPA in elective and prereq science courses: 4.0
Last 45 hour GPA: Uhh...one 3-credit B

GRE: Verbal-720/168/98%, Math-680/153/56%, Writing-5.5/96%

Veterinary Experience:
120 hours in Belize assisting a vet with his scat-finding dog
280 hours shadowing at a mixed animal clinic, with farm calls approximately once a day

Animal Experience:
2000 total almost exactly. I don't have the exact breakdown in front of me but here are the significant portions:
-assistant manager of a rodent laboratory at school
-various independent research projects at school involving animals
-research assistant at a dolphin center
-research assistant with a project involving squirrels and rattlesnakes
-research assistant with a project involving shorebirds


Employment:
3 months at Applebee's as a server
7-8 months at a local steakhouse
1 year as a program assistant at my community college

Awards:
University Medal Candidate
Scholarship entering UC Berkeley for full ride
National Merit Scholar

Volunteering/Community Activities:
Very active in my scholarship club while at undergrad
2 years as an English as a Second Language Teacher
2 years as a Responsible Adult/Tutor for after-school program
Ice-skating for 11 years
Running
Baking


eLORS:
DVM I shadowed--very nice of him to write one when I'd only been there a month!
PhD - my academic advisor who I have become very close to
PhD - I assisted his research with squirrels and rattlesnakes

 

[Buttons8787]

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting. As some of the other posters, I wanted to add to this thread to show people that you shouldn't give up on your dream.

Second time applicant, female, 25 years old, Ontario resident.
B.Sc. Animal Biology
M.Sc. Animal Welfare & Behaviour

1st Cycle c/o 2016

Applied: Ontario Veterinary College (OVC)
Rejected without interview: OVC (according to the stats, I was 0.4% away from receiving an interview. That was pretty hard to get over).

Stats
Cumulative GPA: Roughly 3.0. This is harder to determine as a Canadian resident as we don't use the US system of GPA's. This was mainly due to my first and second years though. As a comparison, my average for my last 2 years was 79.3% and my MSc average was 82%.
MCAT: Verbal 9, Biological 9, Physical 5 (Yeah, physics is NOT my strong suit), Written 9.

2nd Cycle c/o 2017

Applied: OVC, Edinburgh, Glasgow and University College Dublin
Rejected without interview: Edinburgh
Interviewed: Glasgow
Still Waiting: OVC and UCD - OVC only releases interview invites in May for domestic students and I applied through the Atlantic Bridge Program for UCD (I was told they only send acceptances in April).
Accepted: Glasgow

Awards

Entrance Scholarship to my undergrad degree
Bounce Back Scholarship
Dean's List in my final semesters

Veterinary Experience

5000+ hours of working in SA clinics.
11 hours shadowing a wildlife veterinarian.
~8 hours shadowing a dairy veterinarian.

Animal Experience

600+ hours volunteering at a horse rescue.
~75 hours of working with dairy cattle, poultry and swine in my undergraduate and graduate classes.

Work Experience

TA'ed for one semester for an undergrad animal welfare course.
Worked many, many, many hours as a cashier at a small grocery store.
Can't remember my hours, but I worked for 4 years (during the school year) as an office assistant at the OVC's dean office.

Extracurricular

3 years of being a campus tour guide.
48 hours of volunteering at a camp for children impacted by childhood cancer.
~50 hours of being on the Planning Committee for the horse rescue annual fundraiser.
2 years of being an orientation volunteer for new undergrads.
2 years of collecting canned goods on Halloween for local food banks.

LORs
3 SA veterinarians (1 of which was the wildlife veterinarian I shadowed. He worked at 2 clinics).
1 veterinary assistant
My MSc advisor - who also taught two of my undergrad courses.

Personal Statement

I started off explaining what peaked my interest in veterinarian medicine, explained how my experiences strengthened my passion and ended off with what I would do with a DVM degree.

Interview

I went in VERY nervous and thought it went HORRIBLY. I came out feeling so awful and certain I was headed towards another rejection. However, I received an acceptance 2 days after the interviewers were back in the office! I think they were trying to ask me hard questions to see if I could withstand the pressure (I was told interview panels often do this) and thankfully, I must've held my own. They seemed to be very impressed by my small animal experience and my dedication to the field (they remarked on it more than once).

As others have said, just because your stats may be weak in some areas, this does not mean you don't have a chance. Make sure you sure your enthusiasm and dedication and someone is bound to notice! It also helps to have a great support system - my family, SO, referees and friends always told me to never give up and were always there for me. I know people who are in their 2nd and 3rd years in Scotland and they LOVE it, so I'd be more than happy to go to Glasgow and fulfill my dream

 

[503372]

Congratulations on your acceptance to Glasgow! Perhaps we will be classmates.

I went in VERY nervous and thought it went HORRIBLY. I came out feeling so awful and certain I was headed towards another rejection. However, I received an acceptance 2 days after the interviewers were back in the office!

If you don't mind me asking, did you go to the NYC one? The interview went really fast. I don't feel like they were unkind, but it did progress rather quickly so I can understand how you would walk away feeling horribly about your interview. I really couldn't gage what they thought of me and I was a little bit annoyed that the asked about my SA experience from 7 years ago rather than talking about recent work. lol

 

[Buttons8787]

Congratulations on your acceptance to Glasgow! Perhaps we will be classmates.



If you don't mind me asking, did you go to the NYC one? The interview went really fast. I don't feel like they were unkind, but it did progress rather quickly so I can understand how you would walk away feeling horribly about your interview. I really couldn't gage what they thought of me and I was a little bit annoyed that the asked about my SA experience from 7 years ago rather than talking about recent work. lol

Thank you! Congrats on your acceptance as well! I went to the one in Toronto. I just thought it didn't go well because a lot of my answers were challenged, but this was probably my own nerves making it seem worse than it was as they were very polite. They asked me a lot about my views on animal welfare. I can see how you would be a little annoyed about that! At least it worked out

 

[adams30]

I'm posting mine because I found these posts super helpful when figuring out where to apply last year. Hopefully mine will help some of you applicants this year out. Good Luck!

Female 21 Years Old; Illinois Resident
Traditional Student: 1st Time Applicant

Applied: Kansas State, Minnesota, Illinois
Interviewed: Kansas State, Minnesota, Illinois
Wait-listed:Minnesota
Accepted:Kansas State, Illinois
Attending:Illinois!

I got a BS in Animal Science and a minor in Chemistry.
GPA: 3.60ish
Science GPA: About 3.50
Last 45 hours: ~3.95

Overall GRE Percentile ~70% (I took the GRE twice, I think I got a 58% overall the first time. I think studying really helps)

Veterinary Experience
about 1000 hours
I included all the veterinary experiences I had with different vets even if it was only for a short 5 hour wet lab. All of this was shadowing / volunteer work
vet experiences included
~ 550 hours at a small animal practice with 5 vets
~ 330 hours with wildlife/exotic animal vet
~125 hours at a large animal practice with 2 vets
~ 30 hours with an oncology vet & residents at the veterinary teaching hospital
~ 45 hours with equine vets (ICU) at the veterinary teaching hospital
~ 3 hours with a zoo vet
~ 5 hours with a veterinary nutritionist
~ 3 hours with wildlife vets in South Africa

I think it is okay to include any occasion where you interacted with a vet / worked with them. Of course for your eLORS I would say pick the vets that know you the best / you had the most interaction with.

Animal Experience
about 2000 hours total. Included mainly volunteer work, some paid experience, and some experience I got from classes.
my animal experience included
- zoo keeper volunteer program for a summer where I assisted keepers
- wildlife animal care internship at a wildlife rehab center for a summer
- study abroad in South Africa to study wildlife
- fostering kittens
- work with research animals (dairy cows & rats for two different studies)
- basic horse training (for a hands on horse training class I took in undergrad)
- basic work with handling beef & dairy cattle as well as swine on my school's farms
- horseback riding / riding lessons / handling horses
- volunteering at various shelters for dogs, cats, and horses

Basically I included any experience where I interacted with animals in a non-veterinary setting (except I did not include pet ownership since Illinois does not count pet ownership as animal experience)

Community Experience
- Attended the 2011 & 2012 APVMA Symposiums
- Ran a student mentorship program for the past 3 years at my school
- Pre-Vet Club (Officer for one year)
- Equestrian Team member
- Drawing Club
- Children's Community Theater Intern
- Production Staff Member for a couple of my University's Student Musicals

I also included a few significant things from high school
- Member of International Thespian Society / did theater for 4 years in HS (scenic designer/artist)
- Science Olympiad Varsity Team Member

Honors
various academic and non academic awards that I thought were significant and relevant. Such as participation in the honors program, deans list, art awards (I know it's not related but it's okay to put a few things that are non-veterinary related to show them who you are)

Work Experience (non-veterinary/animal related)
- 3 years as an Office Assistant
- Summer job as a waitress
- Freelance Artist painting murals as a side job when needed

Personal Statement
My personal statement was about my adult decision to become a veterinarian, I integrated different aspects of a variety of veterinary experiences and integrated it with my community experiences and study abroad. I also included a couple of my interests/hobbies and related them to vet med so they could get to know me.

eLORs
- 1 letter from a small animal vet I worked with for 2 summers
- 1 letter from a large animal vet I worked with for 1 summer
- 1 letter from my reproductive bio professor
- 1 letter from my academic advisor / physiology professor / research professor
- 1 letter from my Resident Director who helps me run the student mentoring committee

My advice is ask them as early as you can and send them reminders to make sure they get it done on time. Don't nag but send them friendly reminders. Talking to them in person is best if you can. I also sent all mine handwritten thank you cards when they sent them in.

Good Luck to everyone applying this year!

 

[tangowhiskey]

First time applicant, 29 years old, Female, TX resident, non-traditional student
Applied: Texas A&M University
Interview: TAMU
Accepted: TAMU

Degree: Associate in Applied Sciences—Veterinary Technology, 2004 (GPA 3.52)
Prerequisites at Sam Houston State University (GPA 3.84)
cGPA—3.69
sGPA—3.63
Last 45 hours GPA—3.81
GRE—verbal 164, quant 157, analytical 5.5

Experience Hours:
8+ years as an LVT/RVT
7 volunteer trips to Mexico with a veterinarian to spend a week doing a spay/neuter clinic for dogs and cats and vaccinating horses and livestock in a couple of villages that lack veterinary care, as well as provide any other veterinary services that come up while we’re visiting.

LORS:
Former boss/veterinarian (also, the vet I work with in Mexico)
Current coworker/veterinarian (graduated from A&M)
Professor (O Chem I & II)—I don’t know the prof all that well, but he’d stop to talk to me in the halls between classes, and not the other students (who were also in his class), and a friend strongly recommended having a professor as a LOR. I was very nervous to ask him, but he seemed happy enough to write it, and since I was accepted, it must have worked!

 

[Juniper29]

2nd time applicant, 29 years old, Female, UT resident, non-traditional studentApplied: USU/WSU (IS), CSU (OOS)
Wait Listed:CSU (OOS)
Interviewed/Accepted: USU/WSU (IS)

1st ApplicationApplied: Tufts, USU/WSU, CSU
Interviewed:Tufts (OOS), USU/WSU (IS)
Denied: All (application evaluation-Didnt like that I was still finishing pre-reqs at time of app)

Degree:BS Environmental and Sustainablity Studies
Minor in Chemistry and Physics
cGPA—3.79
sGPA—3.95
Last 45 hours GPA—3.98
GRE—Dont remeber exact numbers but in the 68ish %

Experience Hours:2000+ hours SA clinic
500+ hours LA clinic
50 hours wildlife
300 hours volunteer SA rescue
200 hours service dog training
100 hours research SA
some additional pet sitting hours but I didnt list that in my app

Work Experience:I have worked between 35-45 hours continuously from age 18 in addition to my volunteer work, put myself through school.
Oncology Specialty Hospital
NOAA-internship
Coffee Shops (yay)
Payed experience vet tech
CNA

LORS:2 vets from SA clinic I did the majority of my experience
1 professor-Physics


Personal Statement:
In my first app I wrote about how I decided, through my life experiences, that I wanted to work in the veterinary profession.

2nd app I wrote about what I gained from my various vet experience/clinics and how the various skills/knowledge would make me a better vet. I gave examples from each clinic.


Note: I was really worried that I wouldnt get in because it took me while to figure out what I wanted to persue and I felt old compared to other applicants. 2 years ago I was working at a coffee shop, kind of in a rut, I knew I was meant for something better and I wasnt living up to my potentiaI. I finished my undergrad, got 2 better jobs, more vet experience, and applied to vet school. It was the fast track for sure. If I can do it you can too!!!

Extra curricular stuff:
I restored 1950's and 60's Vespa Scooters and motorcycles to pay for my undergrad...and it was fun. I was a self taught mechanic and I do VERY minor body work/paint.
Dog agility with my boxer.
I competed in Muay Thai Kickboxing professionally for 2 years
I love running (Marathon runner), Ran Track in High School and a little in college
Rock Climbing, Skiing, Backcountry touring/Avalanche safety
Wheel thrown pottery
Volunteer at local farmers market in the summer
Volunteered cleaning turtles/birds after BP oil spill for a few weeks

 

[ThePiedPiper]

1st Application
Applied: Tufts, USU/WSU, CSU
Interviewed:Tufts (OOS), USU/WSU (IS)
Denied: All (application evaluation-Didnt like that I was still finishing pre-reqs at time of app)

.

Do you happen to know if this this is common form? I'll have ~8 courses of the 13 required done by the time I apply, with 2 more coming in on my fall transcript, so ~10 out of 13 by the time I (hopefully) have an interview. This just concerns me/makes me nervous since you seem very strong academically and with experience!

Congrats on getting in though!

 

[Frozenshades]

Do you happen to know if this this is common form? I'll have ~8 courses of the 13 required done by the time I apply, with 2 more coming in on my fall transcript, so ~10 out of 13 by the time I (hopefully) have an interview. This just concerns me/makes me nervous since you seem very strong academically and with experience!

Congrats on getting in though!

I didn't think it was uncommon to still be working on your prereqs during the application?

I had 3 classes needing to be completed for TAMU and 2 for my other schools when I applied (took micro and Biochem I in the fall, was taking Biochem II now but dropped since I don't need). Didn't seem to matter.

 

[BlackDog17]

Do you happen to know if this this is common form? I'll have ~8 courses of the 13 required done by the time I apply, with 2 more coming in on my fall transcript, so ~10 out of 13 by the time I (hopefully) have an interview. This just concerns me/makes me nervous since you seem very strong academically and with experience!

Congrats on getting in though!

From what I've seen, I think most schools prefer that you finish the majority of your pre-reqs before applying. If I remember correctly, most schools wanted you to have no more than 2-3 pre-reqs left to take in the spring after you apply.

 

[ThePiedPiper]

From what I've seen, I think most schools prefer that you finish the majority of your pre-reqs before applying. If I remember correctly, most schools wanted you to have no more than 2-3 pre-reqs left to take in the spring after you apply.

The spring after I apply, I will probably have 1. But I will still have a couple classes to take in the fall and winter quarters after I apply, so hopefully I'm safe. The whole "declined because the pre-reqs were still in progress" thing worried me, even if I'm not applying to those schools!

Thank you for the clarification, though!

 

[kernel]

From what I've seen, I think most schools prefer that you finish the majority of your pre-reqs before applying. If I remember correctly, most schools wanted you to have no more than 2-3 pre-reqs left to take in the spring after you apply.

So they're just worried about what you have left for the spring? I was taking 3 pre-reqs last fall, at the time of my application. 1 that I am currently taking (spring).

 

[equineconstant]

I had two pre-reqs last semester and one in progress this semester, and I didn't have any problem with it. It definitely varies by school though. It's by credits instead of classes some places, too.

 

[nmt]

Do you happen to know if this this is common form? I'll have ~8 courses of the 13 required done by the time I apply, with 2 more coming in on my fall transcript, so ~10 out of 13 by the time I (hopefully) have an interview. This just concerns me/makes me nervous since you seem very strong academically and with experience!

Congrats on getting in though!

I know some schools only allow you to have one pre req left to complete for spring semester.

 

[Juniper29]

I was working on my last 2 pre-reqs, genetics and biochem. I think its still ok to be working on them, they have to take so many things into account when making the final decisions, so maybe it was just a reason they gave because they wanted to give me hope for applying next year.

 

[Pokesvetstudent]

2nd time applicant, 23 years old, female, OK resident, traditional student

1st application (Don't remember exactly and didn't end up printing off application before it closed so I'm gonna do my best to remember):

Applied: OSU
Interviewed: OSU
Rejected: OSU
Accepted: Nowhere

Degree: Animal Science
cGPA: 3.29
sGPA: 3.43
GRE: verbal-147 quantitative-152 writing-4.0

Vet Experience:
300 hours shadowing at a mixed animal clinic

Animal Experience:
500 hours working at the small animal shelter

Extracurriculars:
Volunteering at the small animal shelter

LORs:
2 mixed animal veterinarians
Director of the shelter

2nd Application:

Applied: OSU, Mizzou
Interviewed: OSU
Denied: Mizzou
Accepted and attending: OSU

Degree: Animal Science
cGPA: 3.38
sGPA: 3.50
GRE: verbal-153 quantitative-155 writing-4.0

Vet Experience:
400 hours shadowing at 2 different mixed-animal clinices
70 hours shadowing along with the shelter veterinarian

Animal Experience:
1000 hours working at the small animal shelter

LORs:
Shelter veterinarian
Director of the shelter
Advisor


For those reading this that didn't get in, I KNOW how difficult it is but if it's really what you want APPLY again! Seriously it's never too late. I was very discouraged at first, but it just made me want it that much more. I worked very very hard in the year after I got rejected. I did anything I could to get experience, I bought the GRE book, the Verbal GRE book, and the Verbal GRE flashcards. They were valuable tools, especially the flashcards. If you are lacking in vocabulary like I was, GET the flashcards. I took them with me everywhere: Out to eat, on vacation, on the plane, on the beach, in the car (if someone else was driving), and I studied them between classes. By the time I took the GRE I literally knew all 500 flashcards within a second. On test day, there were so many words from the cards on the test, which made me happy that I didn't waste all that time memorizing them!

I was told I didn't get in the first time partly based on my interview. The interviewers commented that I was too shy, not confident enough, and didn't seem to want to be there (I did, but I was just REALLY nervous). Some people think the interview is just a standard procedure and doesn't count for a lot. Not true! It's a small part of the process but it's still very important, especially if you have average grades! If you have average grades, the interview is what can set you apart from everyone else. I didn't do a mock interview the first time around and that was a mistake. In the year before I applied again, I did a mock interview, got a hold of some common interview questions I found online, thought about them a lot, and practiced to myself. I tried to take on more leadership activities at the shelter like showing volunteers around, assigning community service duties, working in the office, etc. and that helped me learn how to show my confidence and added some extra duties on my application.

To those who are reading this, I hope this helps. Vet school is definitely something you have to want with everything inside you and if that is you, then go for it no matter how many times you have to apply and no matter how discouraging it gets. It will all be worth it in the end.

Good luck to those applying again or for the first time this year and congratulations to those who made it

 

[HorsesRLife]

Yay another Okstater!

 

[equineconstant]

Now that I've chosen where I'm going I can finally post here!

Female, 21 years old, Louisiana resident
First time applicant
Psychology major, Biology minor, graduating in May

Applied: VMRCVM, Cornell, Penn, Missouri, LSU
Rejected without interview: VMRCVM
Accepted (and interviewed where applicable): Cornell, Penn, Missouri, LSU
Attending: LSU

Cumulative GPA: 3.93
Last 45 GPA (as calculated by LSU): 3.97
Required Course GPA (as calculated by LSU): 3.96

GRE: 168V, 159Q, 5.5W

Vet experience:
~ 422 hours seeing practice at an equine hospital in Ireland
~ 54 hours shadowing an exotics practice
~ 442 hours volunteering at a small animal practice
~ PennVet Summer VETS Program

Animal experience:
~ Volunteering at an animal shelter with a school club
~ Pet sitting for neighbors
~ Horseback riding lessons (since 4th grade)
~ Volunteering at the zoo in high school (hoofstock section)
~ Pet ownership (dog and cats; I also mentioned that I had a horse for 2 years with my riding lessons)

Employment:
~ Tutor at my college’s writing center, avg. 6 hrs/week, 2 semesters at time of applying

Honors:
~ Dean’s list every semester
~ Psi Chi (psychology honor society) member/secretary
~ Periclean Honors Forum
~ National merit finalist
~ Various subject-related honors in HS
~ Scholarship in HS

Community Activities:
~ Literary Society
~ Nihon-Go Japanese language club
~ Swing dance club
~ Martial arts club
~ Newman Catholic club
~ Various HS clubs and honor societies
~ Some community service stuff from HS

LORs:
~ DVM at exotics clinic
~ DVM at SA clinic
~ DVM at Irish equine hospital
~ Trainer from when I had my horse in HS
~ Committee letter from my school’s health professions advising committee (this counted as an academic letter)
~ Professor in charge of the writing center (employer)

Personal Statement:
I started with an anecdote about listening to a horse’s heartbeat in Ireland and went on to my general love for horses and experience with my own horse. Then I wrote about the pathology lab at Penn VETS, focusing on how much I’d already learned after a few weeks at the SA clinic at that time and on how excited I am to learn about vet med. I ended by talking about how the clinicians I’ve worked with inspire me to the kind of veterinarian I want to be.

Explanation Statement:
I used this space to explain the citizenship project I did for Honors Forum, since I mentioned it in the honors section. I also copied the catalog description for my psych stats course for certain schools that claimed they would only accept math or bio stats *cough*Penn*cough*

 

[Frozenshades]

Huh, that's so weird that VMR straight up rejected you EC. We have similar stats but your GPA and GRE are a bit higher even. I don't get it.

 

[Kpowell14]

Congrats EC!!! I know it's a weight lifted from your back knowing where your going this fall!

 

[McVet0071]

I didn't find this site until after I applied. I would have been stressing even more if I had seen some of the stats on here before I applied. Hopefully my stats can provide hope to others who don't have tons of experience hours.

Female, 25 years old, Minnesota resident
1st time applicant
BS in Nursing from the University of Minnesota, 2010

Applied: Minnesota and Illinois
Interviewed: Minnesota and Illinois
Waitlisted: Minnesota (pretty sure I bombed the interview, wish it hadn't been my first interview)
Accepted/Attending: Illinois

Cumulative GPA: 3.55
Last 45/Pre-req GPA: 3.6 (This is what I calculated. I didn't have all the pre-reqs completed yet based on Minnesota)
Science GPA: 3.33 (calculated by Illinois)

GRE: V:157 (73%), Q:156 (68%), W:3 (11%) I'm actually a decent writer, so I have no idea what happened. This was my first and only time. 3 days before the deadline for Illinois.

Vet Experience:
-SA Shadowing/Volunteer: 91hrs
-SA/Exotic Shadowing: 7hrs
-LA Shadowing: 7hrs
-Equine Shadowing:6hrs

Animal Experience:
-Pet sitting of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses and a chinchilla.
-I put down hours for my own personal pets as well
-Horseback riding class offered at my university (included basic care, not just riding)

Employment:
-Pediatric Registered Nurse in homecare 2010 to present (I'm the primary nurse at a house and train in new nurses. Care for kids with seizures and have trachs, etc)
-Nursing assistant at a pediatric hospital during my senior year in nursing school
- Nanny for a couple of summers
-Taught group figure skating lessons at a local rink for 5 years (more leadership with diverse populations)
-Private figure skating coach for 7 years

Honors:
-Caregiver of the Month
- Dean's List multiple times
- Presentation at Nursing Research Day
- Scholarship from a local hospital (was awarded to one senior nursing student that could show commitment to their community)
- Asked to skate in a benefit show twice
-Scholarship for college from a skating organization (based on skating involvment, GPA, etc)
-National Honors Society
-Post Secondary Enrollment Student (took classes at the UofM during my senior year in high school)
-Passed the higtest figure skating levels in both the US and Canada

Community Activity:
-Girl Scout Troop volunteer
-Immunization Clinic volunteer during my senior year giving H1N1 vaccinations
-Service Learning Project-nursing related during school
-Volunteered at a pediatric hospital in the neonatal intensive care unit
-People to People Ambassador (traveled to France, Italy and Malta)
-Volunteered countless hours teaching skating
-I was a competitive figure skater for 12 years and was also on my college's synchro skating teams for a couple of years

LORs:
DVM at the SA clinic I was at a majority of the time
Clinical Manager at the company I work for
Mother of the child I have cared for the most and am her primary nurse

Personal Statement:
Started by breifly talking about taking my Yorkie to the UofM, her incredible vet and how that sparked my interest into vet med even more. I was looking to further my education and challenge myself shortly after getting my BS. Talked about how I started working on gaining a wide range of vet experience to really gain more insight, while taking pre-reqs and working as a nurse. Described how shadowing at the SA clinic I could see the extensive similarities between vet med and human med. Said how communication is such a large part of my job right now. Talked about how as a pediatric nurse I deal with kids that do not or cannot speak and must assess based on my observations and what the parents say is normal, much like a vet must diagnose and treat an animal. Described the insight I gained from shadowing LA and SA vets in regards to the importance of their work. Ended by saying I would like to possibly specialize in SA internal medicine.

For the Illinois supplemental paper I did not cite any sources or do any research. It was quite short and to the point.

 

[equineconstant]

GRE: V:157 (73%), Q:156 (68%), W:3 (11%) I'm actually a decent writer, so I have no idea what happened. This was my first and only time. 3 days before the deadline for Illinois.

I probably would have done about this well on the writing section if it weren't for my class beforehand. I was treating them both like "make an argument and support it" when one task is "analyze this person's argument."

 

[runswithdogs]

2nd time applicant, 29 years old, Female, UT resident, non-traditional studentApplied: USU/WSU (IS), CSU (OOS)
Wait Listed:CSU (OOS)
Interviewed/Accepted: USU/WSU (IS)

1st ApplicationApplied: Tufts, USU/WSU, CSU
Interviewed:Tufts (OOS), USU/WSU (IS)
Denied: All (application evaluation-Didnt like that I was still finishing pre-reqs at time of app)

Degree:BS Environmental and Sustainablity Studies
Minor in Chemistry and Physics
cGPA—3.79
sGPA—3.95
Last 45 hours GPA—3.98
GRE—Dont remeber exact numbers but in the 68ish %

Experience Hours:2000+ hours SA clinic
500+ hours LA clinic
50 hours wildlife
300 hours volunteer SA rescue
200 hours service dog training
100 hours research SA
some additional pet sitting hours but I didnt list that in my app

Work Experience:I have worked between 35-45 hours continuously from age 18 in addition to my volunteer work, put myself through school.
Oncology Specialty Hospital
NOAA-internship
Coffee Shops (yay)
Payed experience vet tech
CNA

LORS:2 vets from SA clinic I did the majority of my experience
1 professor-Physics


Personal Statement:
In my first app I wrote about how I decided, through my life experiences, that I wanted to work in the veterinary profession.

2nd app I wrote about what I gained from my various vet experience/clinics and how the various skills/knowledge would make me a better vet. I gave examples from each clinic.


Note: I was really worried that I wouldnt get in because it took me while to figure out what I wanted to persue and I felt old compared to other applicants. 2 years ago I was working at a coffee shop, kind of in a rut, I knew I was meant for something better and I wasnt living up to my potentiaI. I finished my undergrad, got 2 better jobs, more vet experience, and applied to vet school. It was the fast track for sure. If I can do it you can too!!!

Extra curricular stuff:
I restored 1950's and 60's Vespa Scooters and motorcycles to pay for my undergrad...and it was fun. I was a self taught mechanic and I do VERY minor body work/paint.
Dog agility with my boxer.
I competed in Muay Thai Kickboxing professionally for 2 years
I love running (Marathon runner), Ran Track in High School and a little in college
Rock Climbing, Skiing, Backcountry touring/Avalanche safety
Wheel thrown pottery
Volunteer at local farmers market in the summer
Volunteered cleaning turtles/birds after BP oil spill for a few weeks

Thrilled to be in your class!! If we ever get any free time I'd love to do some touring/climbing around Logan!

 

[Juniper29]

Awesome, so excited to have found a new partner for Logan! Send me a PM and I will send you my contact info, maybe we can climb this summer too.

 

[pandaclaus]

Female, 27 years old, Massachusetts resident
First time applicant, non-traditional student

Academics:
- BS in Systems Science Engineering (GPA 3.8), Minor in Computer Science
- Took all unfulfilled pre-requisites one at a time at night through a continuing education program (started 2008)
- GRE: 169 Q, 164 V, 5 A

Applications:
Applied: Tufts, VMRCVM, Penn, WSU, Royal Vet College, U of Edinburgh, Ontario Vet College
Rejected without interview: VMRCVM
Declined Interviews: WSU, RVC
Accepted: Penn, Tufts, U of Edinburgh, OVC
Attending: Penn

Vet/Animal experience:
- 750 hours at a small animal clinic
- 100 hours shadowing a general practice vet that specialized in geriatric felines
- 3 years weekly volunteering with adoptable cats
- nothing in my desired concentration, which I declared openly

Employment:
- While in school - did research in environmental engineering
- Employed in same engineering firm for 5 years, doing nothing remotely related to veterinary medicine
- Employed part time in a SA clinic for 1 year leading up to applications

Honors:
- Mainly engineering honors

Extracurriculars:
- Regular community service (environmental things, Special Olympics, volunteering at an animal hospital in a non-medically related way, etc)
- Member of engineering societies in undergrad (SWE, SIAM, etc)
- Various non-vet related hobbies

LORs:
- 2 DVMs at same SA clinic
- Undergraduate research advisor
- Professor of biochemistry

Personal Statement:
I started with an anecdote from my childhood at the zoo. I talked about my path to becoming an engineer and finding that I was dissatisfied with the life I had built for myself, my search for a fulfilling career, and working full-time, volunteering, and taking classes at night. Gave some info about what I had experienced shadowing a vet (including seeing euthanasia and not taking it well) and thus getting a job at a clinic to ensure I was following the right path. Finally, I explained my lack of experience in zoo medicine and why I know that is what I want to get into.

 

[EngrSC]

Female, 27 years old, Massachusetts resident
First time applicant, non-traditional student

Academics:
- BS in Systems Science Engineering (GPA 3.8), Minor in Computer Science
- Took all unfulfilled pre-requisites one at a time at night through a continuing education program (started 2008)
- GRE: 169 Q, 164 V, 5 A

Applications:
Applied: Tufts, VMRCVM, Penn, WSU, Royal Vet College, U of Edinburgh, Ontario Vet College
Rejected without interview: VMRCVM
Declined Interviews: WSU, RVC
Accepted: Penn, Tufts, U of Edinburgh, OVC
Attending: Penn

Vet/Animal experience:
- 750 hours at a small animal clinic
- 100 hours shadowing a general practice vet that specialized in geriatric felines
- 3 years weekly volunteering with adoptable cats
- nothing in my desired concentration, which I declared openly

Employment:
- While in school - did research in environmental engineering
- Employed in same engineering firm for 5 years, doing nothing remotely related to veterinary medicine
- Employed part time in a SA clinic for 1 year leading up to applications

Honors:
- Mainly engineering honors

Extracurriculars:
- Regular community service (environmental things, Special Olympics, volunteering at an animal hospital in a non-medically related way, etc)
- Member of engineering societies in undergrad (SWE, SIAM, etc)
- Various non-vet related hobbies

LORs:
- 2 DVMs at same SA clinic
- Undergraduate research advisor
- Professor of biochemistry

Personal Statement:
I started with an anecdote from my childhood at the zoo. I talked about my path to becoming an engineer and finding that I was dissatisfied with the life I had built for myself, my search for a fulfilling career, and working full-time, volunteering, and taking classes at night. Gave some info about what I had experienced shadowing a vet (including seeing euthanasia and not taking it well) and thus getting a job at a clinic to ensure I was following the right path. Finally, I explained my lack of experience in zoo medicine and why I know that is what I want to get into.

Hello long lost sister (brother?). The path you took is literally the same exact path I'm on

Super congrats!!

 

[pandaclaus]

Hello long lost sister (brother?). The path you took is literally the same exact path I'm on

Super congrats!!

Thanks!! It's always great to meet other people on the same path. My fellow engineers think I'm nutso. Good luck to you!

 

[485501]

Female, 24 years old, 1st time applicant, CA resident
B.A. in Biology with Chemistry minor 2011

Applied: UC Davis
Interviewed/Accepted/Attending: UC Davis!

Cumulative GPA: 4.09
Last 45/Science GPA: I didn't caluclate this, but it should be about the same as cumulative

General GRE: v: 170 (99%) q: 169 (98%) aw: 4.5 (72%)
Biology Subject GRE: 99% overall and in all three subscores (I took this test for some fellowships I might be applying for, I included it on the VMCAS but I have no idea if Davis even looked at it)

Veterinary Experience
Equine/tiny bit of other LA shadowing: 36 hrs
SA shadowing: 58 hrs
SA internal medicine specialty clinic shadowing: 26 hrs
Zoo vet internship: 117 hrs
Shelter medicine/spay/neuter clinic volunteering: 430 hrs
Nematode/Traditional Chinese Medicine research: 123 hrs
Crayfish Genetics/Invasion Biology Honors project research: 1050 hrs
Total: 1840 hrs

Animal Experience
Pet sitting
Labs from several classes
Zoo Keeper internship: 84 hrs
Wildlife Rehabilitation volunteer: 110 hrs
Feral Kitten rescue:145 hrs
Board Member on feral cat TNR/recue organization Board of Directors: 40 hrs (really low estimate)
Starting and running for a year a feral cat population genetics project at my college after I graduated with some students and a professor there and the TNR/rescue org I worked with: 150 hrs (very very low estimate - I only listed hours when I was meeting with people or doing lab/computer work, not all the background research hours and casual conversations and time spent emailing people and such)
I didn't list pet ownership because I wasn't sure if I should

Employment
Weaving Counselor/Guidance Counselor at an arts summer camp
Dance teacher (jazz and tap)

Honors
Highest Honors in Biology (my college only did departmental honors)
Publication of crayfish research (first author!)
Sigma Xi membership
National Merit Scholar
A bunch of academic scholarships/awards
Some dance and other community activity awards

Community Activities
A bunch of stuff, mostly performing arts, running and participating in puzzle/scavenger hunt/alternate reality games, some clubs in high school, three years in the student circus at my college including one year as Vice President and one as President, plus a bunch of serious hobbies: social dance, 'Cello, textile arts, cooking/baking, and reading.

LORs
PI for my crayfish research
Academic/major advisor from college (also a PhD)
Head shelter vet from the shelter I volunteered for
Vet surgeon from the shelter I volunteered for (this shelter was HUGE)

Explanation Statement
I explained some technical/unusual stuff about the high schools (and community college I dual-enrolled in) I went to and some of the courses on my college transcript; I explained how I taught three semesters of classes through my college's Experimental College; I said that I will be giving full documentation of my brain injury/disability to the Disability Services at the school; I mentioned that I help a family member with a chronic illness with basic care and to understand doctor's appointments, reasearch papers, and recent medical developments.

Personal Statement
I started by describing an event in my first vet experience that made me question if I would be able to emotionally handle vet med, then an event much later that convinced me that the occasional miracle will make all the bad days worth it for me, putting some explanation of what I love about vet med and how I became interested in it in those stories. I then talked about my brain injury and how I have overcome it to get such high academic achievements, with some anecdotes about how I have had the same mentality in other areas of my life. I finished by saying how I'm interested in all the areas of vet med I have experience in (except general practice) and that I want to learn about areas I have no experience in and I'm excited to see what the future will bring.

 

[felinelvr44]

Female, 24 years old, 1st time applicant, CA resident
B.A. in Biology with Chemistry minor 2011

Applied: UC Davis
Interviewed/Accepted/Attending: UC Davis!

Cumulative GPA: 4.09
Last 45/Science GPA: I didn't caluclate this, but it should be about the same as cumulative

General GRE: v: 170 (99%) q: 169 (98%) aw: 4.5 (72%)
Biology Subject GRE: 99% overall and in all three subscores (I took this test for some fellowships I might be applying for, I included it on the VMCAS but I have no idea if Davis

Damn. Can someone explain how you get above a 4.0? We don't have that option at my undergrad.

 

[psilovethomas]

Damn. Can someone explain how you get above a 4.0? We don't have that option at my undergrad.

Some institutions give a grade of A+, which I think is a 4.3. However, VMCAS has a max GPA of a 4.0, so this poster's GPA should have been reported as 4.0

 

[felinelvr44]

Some institutions give a grade of A+, which I think is a 4.3. However, VMCAS has a max GPA of a 4.0, so this poster's GPA should have been reported as 4.0

Thanks! Very interesting. At my school an A+ is a 4.0, just like a regular A. So really that plus is only there to make you feel special

 

[psilovethomas]

Thanks! Very interesting. At my school an A+ is a 4.0, just like a regular A. So really that plus is only there to make you feel special

We didn't have letter grades at my undergrad (which is also my vet school), just numbers: 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5...etc

 

[Frozenshades]

Thanks! Very interesting. At my school an A+ is a 4.0, just like a regular A. So really that plus is only there to make you feel special

My university doesn't even do +/-, which is good and bad. Get that 89.5, it's an A and a 4.0 on your transcript. But get that 89.4, and you're sol and it's a B and a 3.0 for you.

 

[Filly Bay]

My university doesn't even do +/-, which is good and bad. Get that 89.5, it's an A and a 4.0 on your transcript. But get that 89.4, and you're sol and it's a B and a 3.0 for you.

On the other hand, an 89.5 at my school is a B+ and 3.33 while it would be a 4.0 for you. Even a 90-92.99 (depending on if the teacher rounds) would be a 3.66 and it would still be a 4.0 for you, so it goes both ways. Who knows which system is best

 

[485501]

Some institutions give a grade of A+, which I think is a 4.3. However, VMCAS has a max GPA of a 4.0, so this poster's GPA should have been reported as 4.0

I was just listing the "student reported GPA," which is what it is on my transcript. Yes, VMCAS gives the A+'s in the reported coursework a value of 4.0, so that's what was on there in the calculated GPA section. I listed this one since it is what's on my transcript, and Davis told me that they look at the transcript closely (this year at least).

I didn't actually know we could get above a 4.0 at my school until I looked at my transcript!

 

[Frozenshades]

On the other hand, an 89.5 at my school is a B+ and 3.33 while it would be a 4.0 for you. Even a 90-92.99 (depending on if the teacher rounds) would be a 3.66 and it would still be a 4.0 for you, so it goes both ways. Who knows which system is best

Yeah, that's why I said its good and bad. I had classes here that made me annoyed because I just barely missed the A, so I got a 3.0 whereas you would have gotten a B+ and a 3.33 still, but in the instances where you get that low A I still get the 4.0 but not in your case. Truthfully I don't think the slight differences between the different systems affect GPA too much unless someone happens to be particularly unlucky/lucky; over enough time, earned marks should (generally) be a fair demonstration of a student's average academic performance.

 

[Filly Bay]

Yeah, that's why I said its good and bad. I had classes here that made me annoyed because I just barely missed the A, so I got a 3.0 whereas you would have gotten a B+ and a 3.33 still, but in the instances where you get that low A I still get the 4.0 but not in your case. Truthfully I don't think the slight differences between the different systems affect GPA too much unless someone happens to be particularly unlucky/lucky; over enough time, earned marks should (generally) be a fair demonstration of a student's average academic performance.

Very true. I agree it probably averages out in the end unless someone is consistently getting just below an A or so on.

 

[equineconstant]

Thanks! Very interesting. At my school an A+ is a 4.0, just like a regular A. So really that plus is only there to make you feel special

Same here...a MINUS on the other hand changes things. And a plus on anything other than an A, actually. I kind of wish A+s could balance out A-s, it would make me feel better about life.

 

[futurehealervet]

Female, 24 years old, 1st time applicant, CA resident
B.A. in Biology with Chemistry minor 2011

Applied: UC Davis
Interviewed/Accepted/Attending: UC Davis!

Cumulative GPA: 4.09
Last 45/Science GPA: I didn't caluclate this, but it should be about the same as cumulative

General GRE: v: 170 (99%) q: 169 (98%) aw: 4.5 (72%)
Biology Subject GRE: 99% overall and in all three subscores (I took this test for some fellowships I might be applying for, I included it on the VMCAS but I have no idea if Davis even looked at it)

If you don't mind my asking, how did you study for the GRE? Your scores are incredible!

 

[485501]

If you don't mind my asking, how did you study for the GRE? Your scores are incredible!

Thank you! I don't mind at all.

I actually studied over a long period of time, but not on purpose. I studied to take the old GRE for a summer, then decided I was going to wait another year to apply, so I put off taking the test. During the next year, a bunch of my friends took the GRE, so I helped quiz them and studied with them sometimes. Then I studied for the new GRE for a few months before I took it. So, I wound up studying little bits on most days for about a year and a half. I probably altogether studied as much as I would have if I had studied an hour a day for 4-5 months, just spread out over a lot more time.

As to how I studied, I took every free practice test I could - on paper, on computer, proctored (Kaplan and another company both offered proctored paper tests free at my school as promotions for their courses) - I used Kaplan, ETS, and Princeton Review books, and I played FeeRice almost every day. I didn't do any classes or online courses, but I did use all the free resources on the Kaplan site.

I feel it only fair to mention, though, that I do really well on standardized tests in general ever since I took a course in seventh grade on how to do well on standardized tests. I also have a lot of experience with standardized tests, which helps - in addition to the GATE tests, the STAR tests, the CAT tests (I think most of those are CA-specific?), the PSAT, the old SAT, and the new SAT, I periodically take assesment tests for my brain injury, which are kind of like taking the GRE several times a day for two or three days, except each one tests something different. So, I'm not sure if my study method will work for people who have different test-taking experience.

 

[wildowl]

Here goes nothing! I was hesitant to post because of my grades, but this thread has been really helpful during my times of doubt, so I really hope this helps someone in the future-- especially those who think their grades will rule them out for certain schools. My undergrad grades were not stellar (see sGPA ). I tried to show I was capable of academic success entering a MS program. I also tried to compensate by having a wide variety of quality veterinary experiences. I think I showed myself to be a "well-rounded" individual this time around with teaching, new experiences, and a better personal statement. Sorry this is so long but I figured I'd include everything I could

Second time applicant, female, 24 years old
B.A. Neuroscience 2010
M.S. expected 2013

First Cycle, c/o 2015, NY resident
Applied:: Cornell, Penn, Colorado
Rejected: All
Interview: None
**I don’t think I was entirely ready to apply for the c/o 2015 cycle, but did so just to see what would happen. Cornell and Colorado were pretty positive and mainly said I needed an upward trend in grades. At time of this application, my GPA was 3.19 and science GPA was probably somewhere around a 2.8-2.9.

Second Cycle, c/o 2017, CA resident
Applied: Cornell, Penn, Colorado, Washington State, Illinois, Western, Minnesota, Oregon State, UC Davis
Rejected: Cornell, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon State, UC Davis
Interviewed: Washington State, Western, Illinois, Penn
Waitlisted: Washington State
Accepted: Penn, Western, Illinois
Attending: Penn

Stats (for c/o 2017 cycle):
Cum GPA @ time of application: 3.24
Last 45 credit hrs: 3.5ish (basically all from MS)
sGPA @ time of application: 2.95 (according to Illinois; science prerequisites probably a lot lower; upper divs are high)
GRE: best of 2 tries, V & Q averaged 75%, analytical 96%

Veterinary Experience:
First cycle:
-Wildlife center internships (2 places): 320 hours and 270 hours
-Small animal hospital special care volunteer: 410 hours
-Mouse model research on sleep/circadian rhythms: 245 hours
-Adventures in Veterinary Medicine at Tufts: 55 hours
Added second cycle:
-Mouse model research: 3200 hours
-Flavivirus research at the zoo under DVM/PhD: 420 hours
-Spay and neuter clinic after application: about 40 hours

Animal Experience
First cycle:
-Farm animal sanctuary: 100 hours
-Lab assistant for heart disease lab and maintained mouse colonies: 1200 hours
-Small animal ER: 80 hours
-ASPCA cat socializer and dog walker: 400 hours
Added second cycle:
-Local humane society dog walker: 55 hours

Employment
-Currently: Teaching Assistant for introductory biology
-Psychotherapy video coder
Listed other employment under vet or animal experiences.

Honors
First cycle:
-Publication in an Asian studies journal
-Publication in a scientific journal
-Some awards in high school
Added second cycle:
-Distinction in Teaching Award
-Scholarship for M.S.
-Summer Research Fellowship
-Co-author on scientific review with my lab

Community/Extracurriculars
-5K at current school to raise money for hospital
-Women in leadership club
-Senior Center volunteer
-Hospital – Pediatrics department volunteer (before I decided human medicine wasn't for me )
-Photography, art
-Piano
-Research lab tour leader for undergraduates
-Mentorship of new M.S. students

eLORS
-Professor on my MS thesis committee, PhD
-DVM/PhD pathologist
-My current PI, PhD
-My mentor from undergrad, PhD

Personal Statement:
First cycle:
Went into a story about my cultural background and how the stigma about animals made me unsure of the profession. Had a story about my first pet that I rescued and how that bloomed into a love for vet medicine. Basically scrapped entire essay for the second cycle. I kind of cringe thinking about it
Second cycle:
I made it less cliché and more about my personal journey through medicine/science via different experiences and how those experiences and accompanying interests give me a different perspective and will make me a unique vet. Talked about what I want to do in vet medicine and specifically what I think I can contribute to the field.

Persistence and applying smart is the key, and having a plan to keep improving helps. I kind of knew I wasn't prepared for the 2015 cycle but I wanted to apply just to see what would happen and get some file reviews. I had plans during the 2015 cycle and got the fellowship I had been chasing for 3 years and also got into my MS program as my backup. I was also prepared in January this time around when I got 3 rejections within 2 days, and began applying to different internships for the summer. It's nice to know that you will have something to fall on, in case plans for vet school don't happen that year. It was really rough when I saw so many SDNers getting invites for Davis back in November because I thought if my IS doesn’t take me, then I’m doomed! Keep your head up everyone--OOS schools may see something in you that your IS did not--not all schools evaluate their applicants the same way. I certainly was shocked that I got 4 interviews after Davis rejected me. Play your strengths up and keep building new experiences. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[epivetlove]

Here goes nothing! I was hesitant to post because of my grades, but this thread has been really helpful during my times of doubt, so I really hope this helps someone in the future-- especially those who think their grades will rule them out for certain schools. My undergrad grades were not stellar (see sGPA ). I tried to show I was capable of academic success entering a MS program. I also tried to compensate by having a wide variety of quality veterinary experiences. I think I showed myself to be a "well-rounded" individual this time around with teaching, new experiences, and a better personal statement. Sorry this is so long but I figured I'd include everything I could

Thank you for posting! I'm in a similar boat--very poor undergrad scores, especially my scienceGPA (currently at a 3.1). I'll be graduating with an MPH in Epidemiology in a few weeks and my graduate grades have been really good--3.8 in science and 3.9 overall. I don't have a thesis nor do I have as interesting as experience as you, but your stats have given me great hope. I wish you the best in vet school!

 

[jriddle7]

First time applicant, male, 22 years old, New Jersey resident
B.S. Animal Science with minor in Biological Sciences
Graduate this May

Applied: NC State, Penn, VMRCVM, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan
Rejected: NC State, Wisconsin
Interviewed: Penn, VMRCVM, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri
Waitlisted: Penn, Missouri, Michigan
Accepted: VMRCVM, Illinois, Minnesota
Attending: VMRCVM

Stats
Cumulative GPA: 3.69
Science GPA: 3.55
Last 45 credits GPA: 3.55
GRE: V: 158 (77%) Q: 156 (68%) A: 4.0 (49%)

Veterinary Experience
~1600 hours working as a tech for a SA veterinarian

Animal Experience
80 hours animal care for swine
80 hours animal care for sheep / goats
80 hours animal care for dairy heifers
certified in dairy cattle AI
~120 hours animal handling / fitting / exhibition of dairy heifers
~300-400 hours research in goat behavioral endocrinology

Extracurriculars
Secretary / treasurer for my vet science club
EMT-B and CPR certified in NJ, been riding ambulance for 5 years
Swiftwater rescue technician
Taught a First Year Interest Group Seminar for first year students last Fall
TA for Physiology for 2 years
TA for Animal Nutrition Lab for 2 years
Badminton (on and off)
My brother makes films, I'm an actor in them sometimes

eLORs
PhD that was my academic adviser
PhD that I was a TA for in Physiology
PhD that was my research adviser
Veterinarian that I worked for since high school

Personal Statement
My mother is a bad combination of being a sort-of animal hoarder (no fewer than 12-15 pets in the house at one time) and being strictly against euthanasia, as in she thinks it's evil. I wrote a little bit about how much that sucks, and spent the other 80% of my essay highlighting the skills I picked up during all of my animal / veterinary / extracurricular experiences. I was careful to give everything in my life about equal weight in making me who I am up to this point. I had my personal statement reviewed by a friend of mine who was a fine arts major, and MUCH better at writing than I am. I wrote my personal statement in the week the VMCAS was due and thought it was god-awful when I submitted it. Thank goodness I had at least one person review it, or I would have been screwed.

Interview
I feel that confidence in myself and my answers were the biggest factor in determining how well my interviews went. Being able to relax during the interview goes a long way. Also my experiences with being an EMT helped tremendously during my behavioral interview at Minnesota and the MMI at VMRCVM. I say the best way to prepare for those types of interviews is to have a job where you need to constantly deal with very unpleasant people, like riding on an ambulance. Just get a job like that and take the abuse; I can guarantee it will give you the life experiences you need to do well in behavioral interviews and MMI's. Also, every single interview gave me questions about my personal statement. I never got asked about my eLOR's. My research came up a lot, especially in Penn's interview.

 

[KSU2015]

Bumping this because so many people got in off waitlist! You are successful too!! Post those stats! Congrats to everyone

 

[Peanuty91]

I used this thread to give me hope when I was applying - it seems only right that I post as well...

I should preface this by saying that I knew my stats were on the low side, so I cast a very large net!!

1st time applicant
Applied: Cornell, Missouri, Colorado, Davis, Washington, Tufts, Ohio, Iowa, Penn, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, and Western
Interviewed: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Western
Wait listed: Kansas, Minnesota, Western, and Oregon
Accepted: Kansas!!

GPA's:
Cum - 3.24
Prereq - 3.0-3.2 (depends on school)
Last 45 - 3.67

GRE:
Verbal - 156, 73rd percentile
Quant - 154, 70th percentile
Writing - 4

Experience:
2000+ hours small animal vet tech
200 hours research
Ongoing zoo volunteer

Extra curriculars:
College dance team, college choir, youth group volunteer at church, tutor, dog trainer.

It's so cool to be posting here!! All I can say is apply to as many as your budget allows!! If I hadn't set my number as high as I did, I may not have applied where I got in!

 

[T_Rose]

Hope this helps some people out.

2nd Time Traditional Applicant, 21 years old at time of application, Female

Applicant Stats:
Year 1 (applied after 3 years of undergrad)
Applied: Mississippi State, Cornell, Auburn, VMRCVM, Glasgow, Georgia
Interviewed: Auburn, Mississippi State
Rejected: Auburn (contract), Cornell, VMRCVM (contract), Glasgow, Georgia
Waitlisted: Mississippi State (OOS and contract)

Year 2
Applied: Mississippi State, Cornell, Auburn, Colorado State, VMRCVM, Michigan State, Ohio State, Florida
Interviewed: Mississippi State, Auburn, VMRCVM
Rejected: Cornell, Auburn (contract), Colorado State, Ohio State, Florida
Accepted: Mississippi State (contract), VMRCVM (contract), Michigan State (OOS)
Attending: Mississippi State (dual-degree)

Academics (before fall semester and +/- not included in these calculations):
GPA: 3.55 (Year 1 – 3.37)
Science (I included animal science and math courses) – 3.42 (Year 1 – 3.08)
Last 45 credit-hour – 3.88 (Year 1 – 3.16)
GRE
Best Combined Old Scores: 700 Q, 490 V, 4.5 W
New Scores: 155 V, 158 Q, 4.0 W

Experiences:
Year 1 (~500 hours veterinary experience my first application, so somewhat low)
~700 hours animal experience in a zoo setting
~50 hours from one VIDA trip
~200 hours shadowing small animal veterinarians
~300 hours working in a clinic
~70 hours animal experience on a farm
~90 hours training and experience with service dogs
Year 2 Additions (~800 hours veterinary experience total not including research)
>150 hours at an emergency clinic
~50 hours school-related animal experience
~90 hours research
~30 hours avian veterinary experience
~60 hours more dog training
After my Application was Due:
I continued to gain experience with birds, research, and at the emergency clinic which has since hired me.

Employment:
Year 1
Summer camp counselor
Job working directly with the public
Mentor for foreign students
Year 2 addition
Supervising position for job working directly with the public

Community:
I'm not listing it all. Just know that the list goes on and on, and most of it is not related to animals. I have taken up a sport, I work with foreign students, serve as a class TA, and I do have some animal-related stuff I'm involved with. It didn't change much from one year to the next except I took on a leadership role as president of one of my clubs. My extracurricular activities really made me stand-out because some of them are very unique. If you want to know more specifics, message me.

eLOR's
Year 1
Academic Adviser
Veterinarian I shadowed
Boss at work involving the public
Professor
Supervisor from the zoo position
Year 2
Academic Adviser
Veterinarian I shadowed (who also taught a class I took)
Boss at work
Professor I taught under
A veterinarian I work under

Personal Statement
It talked about the kind of veterinarian I want to be as well as how I came to decide on that type of veterinarian. During my second personal statement, I also talked about how some of my experiences that weren't related to animals have shaped me into a better person and influenced my interests and what I would like to do with my career.

What I did different the second time:
I retook both organic chemistry courses and made A's in them, raised my GPA, added on new veterinary experience that put me in a clinical setting for over 40 hours a week during the summer, started research, took on several leadership roles, took on more volunteer work, and added on a second major and first minor. The only regret I have is not doing anything to earn experience during the school year that followed my first application (my additional experience came from the summer before the application was due). I would advise anyone who is thinking about applying a second year to call the veterinary schools for file reviews. They are very helpful.

If you think you won't be accepted into a veterinary school because you failed a class, think again. I have an F, 2D's, and 2C's on my transcript. All but one of the C's is from organic chemistry, and I received all those grades within the past 2.5 years. It's still possible to get in!

 

[KitCat]

Hope this helps some people out.

2nd Time Traditional Applicant, 21 years old at time of application, Female

Applicant Stats:
Year 1 (applied after 3 years of undergrad)
Applied: Mississippi State, Cornell, Auburn, VMRCVM, Glasgow, Georgia
Interviewed: Auburn, Mississippi State
Rejected: Auburn (contract), Cornell, VMRCVM (contract), Glasgow, Georgia
Waitlisted: Mississippi State (OOS and contract)

Year 2
Applied: Mississippi State, Cornell, Auburn, Colorado State, VMRCVM, Michigan State, Ohio State, Florida
Interviewed: Mississippi State, Auburn, VMRCVM
Rejected: Cornell, Auburn (contract), Colorado State, Ohio State, Florida
Accepted: Mississippi State (contract), VMRCVM (contract), Michigan State (OOS)
Attending: Mississippi State (dual-degree)

Academics (before fall semester and +/- not included in these calculations):
GPA: 3.55 (Year 1 – 3.37)
Science (I included animal science and math courses) – 3.42 (Year 1 – 3.08)
Last 45 credit-hour – 3.88 (Year 1 – 3.16)
GRE
Best Combined Old Scores: 700 Q, 490 V, 4.5 W
New Scores: 155 V, 158 Q, 4.0 W

Experiences:
Year 1 (~500 hours veterinary experience my first application, so somewhat low)
~700 hours animal experience in a zoo setting
~50 hours from one VIDA trip
~200 hours shadowing small animal veterinarians
~300 hours working in a clinic
~70 hours animal experience on a farm
~90 hours training and experience with service dogs
Year 2 Additions (~800 hours veterinary experience total not including research)
>150 hours at an emergency clinic
~50 hours school-related animal experience
~90 hours research
~30 hours avian veterinary experience
~60 hours more dog training
After my Application was Due:
I continued to gain experience with birds, research, and at the emergency clinic which has since hired me.

Employment:
Year 1
Summer camp counselor
Job working directly with the public
Mentor for foreign students
Year 2 addition
Supervising position for job working directly with the public

Community:
I'm not listing it all. Just know that the list goes on and on, and most of it is not related to animals. I have taken up a sport, I work with foreign students, serve as a class TA, and I do have some animal-related stuff I'm involved with. It didn't change much from one year to the next except I took on a leadership role as president of one of my clubs. My extracurricular activities really made me stand-out because some of them are very unique. If you want to know more specifics, message me.

eLOR's
Year 1
Academic Adviser
Veterinarian I shadowed
Boss at work involving the public
Professor
Supervisor from the zoo position
Year 2
Academic Adviser
Veterinarian I shadowed (who also taught a class I took)
Boss at work
Professor I taught under
A veterinarian I work under

Personal Statement
It talked about the kind of veterinarian I want to be as well as how I came to decide on that type of veterinarian. During my second personal statement, I also talked about how some of my experiences that weren't related to animals have shaped me into a better person and influenced my interests and what I would like to do with my career.

What I did different the second time:
I retook both organic chemistry courses and made A's in them, raised my GPA, added on new veterinary experience that put me in a clinical setting for over 40 hours a week during the summer, started research, took on several leadership roles, took on more volunteer work, and added on a second major and first minor. The only regret I have is not doing anything to earn experience during the school year that followed my first application (my additional experience came from the summer before the application was due). I would advise anyone who is thinking about applying a second year to call the veterinary schools for file reviews. They are very helpful.

If you think you won't be accepted into a veterinary school because you failed a class, think again. I have an F, 2D's, and 2C's on my transcript. All but one of the C's is from organic chemistry, and I received all those grades within the past 2.5 years. It's still possible to get in!

Congrats!
& thanks for giving 2nd time applicants hope!

Sent from my MB612 using SDN Mobile

 

[saltshaker007]

NOTE: Never thought I'd be posting in here! I spend months and months going through successful applicant stats and comparing myself to them, only to find my GPA was severely lacking and my experience wasn't very diverse. But it's possible!!! I'm not that great, but I did it!!!

First time applicant, 21 years old, female, Illinois resident.
Applied: Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin
Rejections: Missouri, Wisconsin
Interview: Illinois
Accepted: Illinois!!! (My first choice school and IS!)

Academics:
Cum GPA @ time of application: 3.51
Last 45 credit hrs: 4.00
Science GPA @ time of application: ~3.1
GRE: 1st time: 157V (73%), 155Q (64%), 4.0A (49%)
GRE: 2nd Time: 157V (73%), 154Q (60%), 4.0A (49%)

GRE scores are pretty average! GPA, not that great. My 4.00 last 45 credit hours is misleading, I was able to achieve this only by going abroad (my home institution is extremely rigorous, while abroad I caught a break. Most semesters I had ~3.3 or ~3.4)

Veterinary Experience:
-Mixed animal practice + wildlife (shadow / vet tech): ~2000 hours
-Animal Hospital abroad, equine, small animal, exotics (shadow): 100 hours
-Total vet experience: ~2100 hrs

I realized I needed to start getting experience very late in the game compared to most (end of freshman year of college). I knew I needed to step it up, so I dedicated all my free time to shadowing at a local animal hospital. I am extremely lucky that after two years of dedication my vet offered me a job as a vet tech. Working full time over summer really helped. I went abroad at the end of my junior year and tried AS HARD AS I COULD to find unique vet experience. I knew I needed this…this was my chance to do something that would really SET ME APART from other applicants. I knew I didn't have very impressive grades but I was hoping I could show off in another way. Note: I have no research experience!

Animal Experience:
-Zoo, exotics (volunteer): 20 hours

I was very worried about this number, but in the end I realized that hey, I had a lot of vet experience. Vet experience > animal experience (vet experience is animal experience under the supervision of a vet anyway, right?).

Other Employment:
-Foreign Language Tutor
-Biology Tutor

Honors:
-Biology Honor Society

Yep, that's it.

Community activities:
-Pre-Vet club Co-President
-Sorority
-Global Medical Brigades
-Study Abroad

eLORS:
-1 DVM at mixed animal hospital
-1 DVM, director of the animal hospital in my study abroad country
-1 Study abroad coordinator / director
-1 biology professor / my advisor

Personal Statement:
I'll be honest...I wrote my personal statement very last minute. As with most everything I do, I waited until right before I submitted my VMCAS app.
I focused on why I wanted to be a vet (not just because I “love animals”, I tried to focus on a biological / academic perspective) and I spent the rest talking about WHY my recent experiences made me want to pursue vet med. Like a lot of people, I’ve known I wanted to be a vet since I was a child. But I know that EVERYONE says that, it isn’t special, and besides, in my opinion it makes you look as if you have a very unrealistic view of what vet med really is. I talked about all of the things I have done (a few brief, specific examples), made it clear that I tried REALLY hard to find vet experience and that I really know the profession, why I have enjoyed it, and that this is the only thing I want to do. I did a lot of really awesome things while I was abroad in Southeast Asia, and I tried to focus on those things because that is what would make me UNIQUE. That is what you want. STAND OUT!!!!! DON’T BE CLICHÉ (I know it’s very difficult not to be!).