Successful Applicants C/O 2029

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

vampyrica

CSU MPH/DVM ‘30
Joined
Sep 13, 2024
Messages
1,037
Reaction score
2,261
Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted or received interview invites so far! We are all rooting for you and wishing you the best as you make the difficult decision to pick which school you will attend. I was hoping we could start the successful applicants thread since quite a number of schools have released their decisions already (Mods- please delete if not allowed). Here's the format from previous years! ✨

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:

Applied:
Interview Invites:
Waiting to hear:
Accepted:
Attending:

Overall GPA:
Science Prerequisite GPA:
Last 45 GPA:

GRE (Q/V/W):
x (%) / y (%) / z (%)
(If applicable)

Degree(s):

Veterinary Experience:

Experience - (hrs)

Animal Experience:
Experience - (hrs)

Research:
Experience - (hrs)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Experience - (hrs)

Non-Animal Employment:
Experience - (hrs)

LORs:
Title of recommender (Vet? Manager? Supervisor? Vet tech?)

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Summary of what you wrote about

Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:

21, Female, Ohio/USA, traditional, first time applicant

Applied: Midwestern University, Massey University, St. George University, Lincoln Memorial University, Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Prince Edward Island, Western University, Kansas State University, Purdue University, University of Missouri, The University of Edinburgh, Long Island University, Auburn University, The Ohio State University, University of Minnesota, Mississippi State University, University of California - Davis, Colorado State University, University of Illinois, Iowa State University, University of Georgia, University of Tennessee, University of Wisconsin, Washington State University
Interview Invites: Midwestern, Massey, St. George, LMU, UPEI, Western, Kansas, Purdue, Missouri, Edinburgh, Long Island, Auburn, Ohio, Minnesota, Mississippi, Illinois
Withdrew Application: Edinburgh, LIU, Minnesota, Mississippi, Illinois, Western
Accepted: Massey University, Midwestern University, St. George University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Lincoln Memorial University, Louisiana State University, University of Tennessee, University of Prince Edward Island, Kansas State University, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Iowa State University
Waitlisted: Washington (top tier), Ohio (IS #20), Missouri
Rejected: UC Davis, Colorado, Auburn, Purdue, Georgia
Attending: University of Tennessee!! 🧡🤍

Overall GPA: 3.86
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.93
Last 45 GPA: 3.93
CASPER: 2nd quartile
Degree(s): Will have a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in May

Veterinary Experience:

Experience - (hrs)
  • USDA FSIS intern: 120hr
  • Exchange student at vet school in Japan(small and large animal):48hr
  • volunteer at animal sanctuary in Australia (exotics): 60hr
  • equine ambulatory shadow: 80hr
  • food animal handling class: 28hr
  • equine animal handling class: 28hr
  • lead surgical assistant/teaching assistant for teaching GP: 32hr
  • vet assistant at shelter: 360hr
  • vet assistant at GP: 288hr
  • vet assistant at teaching clinic: 1400hr
  • shadow at GP: 42hr
Animal Experience:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Kennel Tech at Dog Boarding place: 80hr
  • Working with cattle and swine at vet school in Japan: 12hr
  • Show Sheep Handler: 13hr
  • Livestock care at my university: 28hr
  • Exotic animal work at sanctuary in Australia: 56hr
  • Doggie Daycare Attendant: 240hr
  • Volunteer Dog Trainer for service dogs: 160hr
  • Bather at dog grooming salon: 1520hr
  • Kennel Assistant at GP: 288hr
  • Kennel Assistant at GP: 200hr
  • Pet sitting: 500hr
  • Horseback riding: 2640hr
Research:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Research assistant at a medical school/college of pharmacy: 585hr
  • research assistant at my university: 4hr (lol)
  • Research at sanctuary in Australia: 16hr
Extracurriculars/Awards:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Shadow at microbiology lab: 24hr
  • Guitar student: 15hr
  • Volunteer committee for pre vet club: 15hr
  • club member for block and bridle club: 12hr
  • roller skating: 420hr
  • volunteer with chain free knoxville: 10hr
  • MVMA member
  • NOMV ambassador
  • homeless shelter volunteer: 64hr
  • another homeless shelter: 48hr
  • cedar point volunteer: 48hr
  • elementary school reading tutor: 136hr
  • Deans list all semesters of undergrad
  • outstanding junior in animal science award
  • pre vet club member of the year award
  • HOSA veterinary science placements: 1st-3rd place at the regional and state level
  • high school national honor society, national technical honor society, and french honor society
Non-Animal Employment:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Freshman Peer Mentor: 128hr
  • Receptionist at dog grooming salon: 1080hr
LORs:

Title of recommender (Vet? Manager? Supervisor? Vet tech?)
  • Shelter veterinarian
  • PI from research lab (PhD/MD)
  • Owner of dog grooming salon
  • supervisor for the elementary school tutoring
  • vet tech from GP
  • Ochem professor (also chair of physical sciences at my university)
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Summary of what you wrote about
i wrote a lot of essays lol but my personal statement was including the japanese phrase “ikigai” into my desire to become a veterinarian, specifically in shelter med
 
Last edited:
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:

21, Female, OH/USA, Traditional, 1st time applicant

Applied: OSU, Illinois, Tennessee, Cornell, UC Davis, Minnesota, Kansas, LSU
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Tennessee
Withdrew Applications: Tennessee, Illinois
Waitlisted: Kansas
Rejected: Cornell, OSU
Accepted: LSU, UC Davis, Minnesota
Attending: UC Davis

Overall GPA:
3.89
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.83
Last 45 GPA: 3.83


Degree(s): Will graduate with a BS in Zoology in May 2025

Veterinary Experience:
Experience - (hrs)

Vet assistant at GP-650 hrs
Study abroad in Australia-100 hrs

Animal Experience:
Experience - (hrs)

Volunteer at two sanctuaries in Australia-300 hrs
Dog walker at humane society-75 hrs
Taking care of classroom animals(I went to a technical high school that had gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, snakes, geckos, hellbenders, tomato frogs,etc)-825 hrs
Horse riding camp-50 hrs

Research:
Experience - (hrs)

Research during Australia study abroad-60 hrs
Research for my random major classes-150 hrs
Lymphoma research assistant-550 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Experience - (hrs)

Karate at my previous dojo-550 hrs
Karate at my university's karate club-640 hrs
Taekwondo club-100 hrs
FFA-100 hrs
National Technical Honor Society-50 hrs
Karate Club President
2023 National Karate Tournament- 1st place in adult and collegiate sparring, 1st place in team sparring(3 members per team and it's a series of 1v1s. Best out of 3. No, we're not just wailing on each other in a 3v3 battle royal. It would be cool though), 1st place in collegiate kata and team kata, 2nd place in adult kata
2024 Regional Tournament-1st place in adult sparring, 2nd place in collegiate sparring and kata, 3rd place in adult team kata
2022 National Tournament-1st in adult and collegiate sparring, 1st in adult and collegiate team sparring, 2nd in collegiate team kata
Deans's list-All semesters of undergrad
FFA-1st place in the vet science competition at the state level

Non-Animal Employment:
Experience - (hrs)

UPS-680 hrs

LORs:

2 vets that I worked with at the GP
2 professors(both teach genchem)
My karate sensei

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my PS, I mentioned how a personal tragedy of mine was the reason for me wanting to become a vet. I emphasized how I thought communication and being an interpreter for animals is important to the field. I also worked in how me practicing karate made me a good candidate.

For UC Davis, I described how I found ways to include a member of the karate club who was on the spectrum. I also emphasized how I'm constantly learning as I practice karate and how that mirrors vetmed.

Honestly, a lot of my essay questions were centered around the martial arts I did in one way or another lol.
 
Last edited:
Members don't see this ad :)
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:

21, Female, OH/USA, Traditional, 1st time applicant

Applied: OSU, Illinois, Tennessee, Cornell, UC Davis, Minnesota, Kansas, LSU
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Minnesota, Kansas
Waiting to hear: OSU(interview waitlist), Illinois, Tennessee
Rejected: Cornell
Accepted: LSU
Attending: TBD

Overall GPA: 3.89
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.83
Last 45 GPA: 3.83


Degree(s): Will graduate will a BS in Zoology in May 2025

Veterinary Experience:
Experience - (hrs)

Vet assistant at GP-650 hrs
Study abroad in Australia-100 hrs

Animal Experience:
Experience - (hrs)

Volunteer at two sanctuaries in Australia-300 hrs
Dog walker at humane society-75 hrs
Taking care of classroom animals(I went to a technical high school that had gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, snakes, geckos, hellbenders, tomato frogs,etc)-825 hrs
Horse riding camp-50 hrs

Research:
Experience - (hrs)

Research during Australia study abroad-60 hrs
Research for my random major classes-150 hrs
Lymphoma research assistant-550 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Experience - (hrs)

Karate at my previous dojo-550 hrs
Karate at my university's karate club-640 hrs
Taekwondo club-100 hrs
FFA-100 hrs
National Technical Honor Society-50 hrs
2023 National Karate Tournament- 1st place in adult and collegiate sparring, 1st place in team sparring(3 members per team and it's a best out of 3. No, we're not just wailing on each other in a battle royal. It would be cool though), 1st place in collegiate kata and team kata, 2nd place in adult kata
2024 Regional Tournament-1st place in adult sparring, 2nd place in collegiate sparring and kata, 3rd place in adult team kata
2022 National Tournament-1st in adult and collegiate sparring, 1st in adult and collegiate team sparring, 2nd in collegiate team kata
Deans's list-All semesters of undergrad
FFA-1st place in the vet science competition at the state level

Non-Animal Employment:
Experience - (hrs)

UPS-680 hrs

LORs:

2 vets that I worked with at the GP
2 professors(both teach genchem)
My karate sensei

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my PS, I mentioned how a personal tragedy of mine was the reason for me wanting to become a vet. I emphasized how I thought communication and being an interpreter for animals is important to the field. I also worked in how me practicing karate made me a good candidate.

For UC Davis, I described how I found ways to include a member of the karate club who was on the spectrum. I also emphasized how I'm constantly learning as I practice karate and how that mirrors vetmed.

Honestly, a lot of my essay questions were centered around the martial arts I did in one way or another lol.
heyyy fellow Ohioan! I also did a study abroad at a sanctuary in Australia! Was it Walkabout? And, I also went to a technical high school with a vet science program!
 
heyyy fellow Ohioan! I also did a study abroad at a sanctuary in Australia! Was it Walkabout? And, I also went to a technical high school with a vet science program!
Yeah, it was Walkabout! Was it through Loop Abroad? I also went to Wildlife Habitat too. Loved both of those places, especially the people there.
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
35, Female, Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)/USA, VERY Non-traditional, First time applicant, WICHE student

Applied:
Washington, Oregon, Midwestern, Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland, Colorado, St. George's, Ross
Interview Invites:
Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland
Accepted: Washington, Oregon, Midwestern
--
Waiting to hear:
Colorado
Withdrew App:
Ohio, Virginia-Maryland, Mizzou, Ross
Rejected: St. George's (prereq issue)
--
Attending:
Washington State!!! (my top choice)

Overall GPA:
3.68
Science Prerequisite GPA:
3.64
Last 45 GPA:
3.60

GRE (Q/V/W):
N/A

Degree(s): BS Nursing (2011), MS Nursing - Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (2015)
-Currently in UF MS Veterinary Med - Shelter Medicine

Veterinary Experience:
+4k hr
  • Spay/Neuter clinics on Guam, Saipan, Tinian
  • Non-profit clinic on Saipan - founded the clinic, worked there, now board president / sick clinic volunteer
  • Animal Health Officer for local gov't (regulatory, public health, shelter euthanasia) - my job
Animal Experience: +10k hr
  • Horses: Grew up working in barns, competed, flipped my own project horses, trained horses for others
  • Dog Rescue: Co-Founded a transport-based dog rescue on Guam that has flown almost 700 dogs from Guam/Saipan to adopters stateside (Boonie Flight Project, check it out!)
Research: 170 hr
  • Tick surveillance on Saipan - picked +500 ticks off shelter dogs and sent them to entomologist
  • Food Animal Survey
  • Dog Population Count
Extracurriculars/Awards: Lots of random things...!!!!!
  • Freediving certifications and depth personal best +100ft!
  • Went to yoga school in India
  • Budget travel around the world - Vietnam, Nicaragua, Peru, Indonesia, etc etc
  • Helped write & lobbied to pass a bill to increase access to euthanasia
  • Nursing related things (licenses, certs)
  • Lots of media appearances
  • Competed at Miss USA
Non-Animal Employment: +20k hr
  • Registered Nurse: ICU, home health, hospice
  • Nurse Practitioner: Completed a rigorous fellowship, worked in palliative care, hospitalist internal med
LORs:
  • 3 veterinarians (one of which who was a professor)
  • My boss
  • Director of a foundation
  • CEO of hospital where I worked as a nurse practitioner
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Themes:
  • Life on an island with no veterinarian
  • Resilience from my work in human hospice
  • The desire to reduce animal suffering as a driving force in my life
  • Quote: "Every time a pet dies who might have been saved by a vet, or every time a litter of puppies is born only to be euthanized by me, my resolve to become a veterinarian crystallizes even more."
Fun Facts: Added this section! Feel free to do the same!
  • I have two toddlers and two rescue parrots that came into my life this year! And four boonie dogs +/- fosters, and a cat.
  • We have no veterinarian here and rely strictly on visiting/virtual vets (come visit lol)
  • For those who don't know Saipan: We are a tiny island with no veterinarian, about +40k people and at least 20k dogs. Huge stray issues. No easy way to get dogs off island to rescue. But we try!
  • If you're interested in connecting, find me on IG @future.island.vet !
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
35, Female, Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)/USA, VERY Non-traditional, First time applicant, WICHE student

Applied: Washington, Oregon, Midwestern, Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland, Colorado, St. George's, Ross
Interview Invites: Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland
Accepted: Washington, Oregon, Midwestern
--
Waiting to hear:
Colorado
Withdrew App: Ohio, Virginia-Maryland, Mizzou, Ross
Rejected: St. George's (prereq issue)
--
Attending:
Washington State!!! (my top choice)

Overall GPA: 3.68
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.64
Last 45 GPA: 3.60

GRE (Q/V/W): N/A

Degree(s): BS Nursing (2011), MS Nursing - Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (2015)
-Currently in UF MS Veterinary Med - Shelter Medicine

Veterinary Experience: +4k hr
  • Spay/Neuter clinics on Guam, Saipan, Tinian
  • Non-profit clinic on Saipan - founded the clinic, worked there, now board president / sick clinic volunteer
  • Animal Health Officer for local gov't (regulatory, public health, shelter euthanasia) - my job
Animal Experience: +10k hr
  • Horses: Grew up working in barns, competed, flipped my own project horses, trained horses for others
  • Dog Rescue: Co-Founded a transport-based dog rescue on Guam that has flown almost 700 dogs from Guam/Saipan to adopters stateside (Boonie Flight Project, check it out!)
Research: 170 hr
  • Tick surveillance on Saipan - picked +500 ticks off shelter dogs and sent them to entomologist
  • Food Animal Survey
  • Dog Population Count
Extracurriculars/Awards: Lots of random things...!!!!!
  • Freediving certifications and depth personal best +100ft!
  • Went to yoga school in India
  • Budget travel around the world - Vietnam, Nicaragua, Peru, Indonesia, etc etc
  • Helped write & lobbied to pass a bill to increase access to euthanasia
  • Nursing related things (licenses, certs)
  • Lots of media appearances
  • Competed at Miss USA
Non-Animal Employment: +20k hr
  • Registered Nurse: ICU, home health, hospice
  • Nurse Practitioner: Completed a rigorous fellowship, worked in palliative care, hospitalist internal med
LORs:
  • 3 veterinarians (one of which who was a professor)
  • My boss
  • Director of a foundation
  • CEO of hospital where I worked as a nurse practitioner
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Themes:
  • Life on an island with no veterinarian
  • Resilience from my work in human hospice
  • The desire to reduce animal suffering as a driving force in my life
  • Quote: "Every time a pet dies who might have been saved by a vet, or every time a litter of puppies is born only to be euthanized by me, my resolve to become a veterinarian crystallizes even more."
Fun Facts: Added this section! Feel free to do the same!
  • I have two toddlers and two rescue parrots that came into my life this year! And four boonie dogs +/- fosters, and a cat.
  • We have no veterinarian here and rely strictly on visiting/virtual vets (come visit lol)
  • For those who don't know Saipan: We are a tiny island with no veterinarian, about +40k people and at least 20k dogs. Huge stray issues. No easy way to get dogs off island to rescue. But we try!
  • If you're interested in connecting, find me on IG @future.island.vet !
Incredible story!! Congratulations.
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
27F, GA/USA, non-trad, first-time applicant.

So excited to finally be able to post here. Over 2 years ago, I decided to make the jump from software development into veterinary medicine and I’ve been following these threads ever since. @EngrSC 's posts were a HUGE motivator for me when I was trying to figure out if this was even possible. There is hope for us non-trad, low-GPA people!!

Applied: UGA (IS), Iowa, CSU, LIU, Midwestern, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, LSU, Tufts, UPenn
Interview Invites: LIU, Ohio, Minnesota, Midwestern
Waiting to hear:
Waitlisted: CSU, LIU (top half), Ohio State (#20)
Rejected: Tufts, LSU, Arizona, Wisconsin, UPenn
Accepted: Midwestern, Minnesota, UGA, Iowa
Attending: Most likely UGA, but waiting to see if any OOS financial aid/scholarships

Overall GPA: 3.17
Science GPA: 3.78
Prerequisite-Only GPA: 3.83 - 3.93 (Depending on school and if they grade replace)
Last 45 GPA: 3.93

Degree(s): Computer Science B.S. 2021 (graduated with a 2.8)

Veterinary Experience:
GP vet assistant (small animal/exotics) - (1700 hrs)
ER scribe (small animal/exotics/wildlife) - (400 hrs)
Animal care at lab hospital (lab animal/primates) - (150 hrs)
Vet assistant volunteer - (100 hrs)
Shadow - Large animal vet (5 hrs)

Animal Experience:
Low-cost vaccine clinic volunteer (200 hrs)
Various shelter volunteering / animal care (300 hrs)
Bird rehab volunteer / animal care (50 hrs)

Research:
Research Coordinator, working with various species of primates (200-300 hrs at time of submission)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Nominated Student of the Semester by two professors (Spring 2024)

Non-Animal Employment:
Software Development - Worked as a software developer in finance (2000 hrs)
User Experience Intern - Summer tech internship for a large bank (500 hrs)
Small art business owner / traveling artist (250 hrs)
Student assistant for university (600 hrs)
Server (350 hrs)
Barista (45 hrs)

LORs:
DVM - Medical director, GP
DVM - Associate, GP (Same clinic as above)
Professor - Organic Chemistry I
Professor - General Chemistry I & II

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Personal Statement: Discussed my nontraditional path going from CS to vet med. I discussed why I picked CS originally, what I learned after working in the field, and how I found vetmed to be a better fit. I talked about challenging situations in vet med that I experienced and acknowledged the harsher realities of the field. I explained why I want to pursue a career in vet med despite all of these things.
Explanation Statement: Talked about growth as a student compared to when I started university almost 10 years ago. I candidly discussed my less-than-stellar background - ADHD, lack of effective coping mechanisms, which eventually led me to academic probation. After that short paragraph, I spent the rest of the essay discussing what I learned from the experience and my current academic/professional abilities. I made sure to back up my statements with evidence. (Note upward trends, any awards/recognition, etc)
Diversity Essays: Talked about my family’s more utilitarian view on animal ownership (cultural differences), why I felt like this field wasn’t for someone like me, and discussed how my unique perspectives will contribute to the field.

(Also shoutout to those who helped edit my personal statement and/or explanation statement for what felt like a gazillion times (in no specific order): @sheepshepherdess, @eleanor713, @happybirdnerd, @lianguine, @dboltz, @Butterflyeffect, @Cami194, @vetcowboy. I really could not have done this without you guys helping me with narrative, direction, and grammar. THANK YOU for taking the time out of your busy schedules to offer advice to all of us here.)
 
Last edited:
I will update this as I hear back from my interviews and other schools!
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:

21, Female, Ohio/USA, traditional, first time applicant

Applied: Midwestern, Massey, St. George, LMU, LSU, NC State, Oregon, UPEI, Western, Kansas, Purdue, Missouri, Edinburgh, Long Island, Auburn, Ohio, Minnesota, Mississippi, UC davis, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Washington

Interview Invites: Midwestern, Massey, St. George, LMU, UPEI, Western, Kansas, Purdue, Missouri, Edinburgh (declined interview), Long Island (declined interview), Auburn, Ohio, Minnesota, Mississippi

Waiting to hear: Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Washington

Accepted: Massey, Midwestern, St. George, NC state, Oregon, LMU, LSU

Rejected: UC Davis

Attending: TBD …
Overall GPA: 3.86

Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.93

Last 45 GPA: 3.93
Degree(s): Will have a Bachelor of Science in May
Veterinary Experience:

Experience - (hrs)
  • USDA FSIS intern: 120hr
  • Exchange student at vet school in japan(small and large animal):48hr
  • exchange student at animal sanctuary in australia (exotics): 60hr
  • equine ambulatory shadow: 80hr
  • food animal handling class: 28hr
  • equine animal handling class: 28hr
  • lead surgical assistant/teaching assistant for teaching GP: 32hr
  • vet assistant at shelter: 360hr
  • vet assistant at GP: 288hr
  • vet assistant at teaching clinic: 1400hr
  • shadow at GP: 42hr
Animal Experience:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Kennel Tech at Dog Boarding place: 80hr
  • Working with cattle and swine at vet school in japan: 12hr
  • Show Sheep Handler: 13hr
  • Livestock care at my university: 28hr
  • Exotic animal work at sanctuary in Australia: 56hr
  • Doggie Daycare Attendant: 240hr
  • Volunteer Dog Trainer for service dogs: 160hr
  • Bather at dog grooming salon: 1520hr
  • Kennel Assistant at GP: 288hr
  • Kennel Assistant at GP: 200hr
  • Pet sitting: 500hr
  • Horseback riding: 2640hr
Research:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Research assistant at a medical school/college of pharmacy: 585hr
  • research assistant at my university: 4hr (lol)
  • Research at sanctuary in Australia: 16hr
Extracurriculars/Awards:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Shadow at microbiology lab: 24hr
  • Guitar student: 15hr
  • Volunteer committee for pre vet club: 15hr
  • club member for block and bridle club: 12hr
  • roller skating: 420hr
  • volunteer with chain free knoxville: 10hr
  • MVMA member
  • NOMV ambassador
  • homeless shelter volunteer: 64hr
  • another homeless shelter: 48hr
  • cedar point volunteer: 48hr
  • elementary school reading tutor: 136hr
  • Deans list all semesters of undergrad
  • outstanding junior in animal science award
  • pre vet club member of the year award
  • HOSA veterinary science placements: 1st-3rd place at the regional and state level
  • high school national honor society, national technical honor society, and french honor society
Non-Animal Employment:

Experience - (hrs)
  • Freshman Peer Mentor: 128hr
  • Receptionist at dog grooming salon: 1080hr
LORs:

Title of recommender (Vet? Manager? Supervisor? Vet tech?)
  • Shelter veterinarian
  • PI from research lab (PhD/MD)
  • Owner of dog grooming salon
  • supervisor for the elementary school tutoring
  • vet tech from GP
  • Ochem professor (also chair of physical sciences at my university)
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Summary of what you wrote about
i wrote a lot of essays lol but my personal statement was including the japanese phrase “ikigai” into my desire to become a veterinarian, specifically in shelter med
I also wrote about ikigai as well! You've done so much and worked so hard congratulations on all your acceptances and interviews and I hope more are coming your way! 😊
 
Pretty sure my army reserve unit has supported your
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
35, Female, Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)/USA, VERY Non-traditional, First time applicant, WICHE student

Applied: Washington, Oregon, Midwestern, Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland, Colorado, St. George's, Ross
Interview Invites: Ohio, Mizzou, Virginia-Maryland
Accepted: Washington, Oregon, Midwestern
--
Waiting to hear:
Colorado
Withdrew App: Ohio, Virginia-Maryland, Mizzou, Ross
Rejected: St. George's (prereq issue)
--
Attending:
Washington State!!! (my top choice)

Overall GPA: 3.68
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.64
Last 45 GPA: 3.60

GRE (Q/V/W): N/A

Degree(s): BS Nursing (2011), MS Nursing - Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner (2015)
-Currently in UF MS Veterinary Med - Shelter Medicine

Veterinary Experience: +4k hr
  • Spay/Neuter clinics on Guam, Saipan, Tinian
  • Non-profit clinic on Saipan - founded the clinic, worked there, now board president / sick clinic volunteer
  • Animal Health Officer for local gov't (regulatory, public health, shelter euthanasia) - my job
Animal Experience: +10k hr
  • Horses: Grew up working in barns, competed, flipped my own project horses, trained horses for others
  • Dog Rescue: Co-Founded a transport-based dog rescue on Guam that has flown almost 700 dogs from Guam/Saipan to adopters stateside (Boonie Flight Project, check it out!)
Research: 170 hr
  • Tick surveillance on Saipan - picked +500 ticks off shelter dogs and sent them to entomologist
  • Food Animal Survey
  • Dog Population Count
Extracurriculars/Awards: Lots of random things...!!!!!
  • Freediving certifications and depth personal best +100ft!
  • Went to yoga school in India
  • Budget travel around the world - Vietnam, Nicaragua, Peru, Indonesia, etc etc
  • Helped write & lobbied to pass a bill to increase access to euthanasia
  • Nursing related things (licenses, certs)
  • Lots of media appearances
  • Competed at Miss USA
Non-Animal Employment: +20k hr
  • Registered Nurse: ICU, home health, hospice
  • Nurse Practitioner: Completed a rigorous fellowship, worked in palliative care, hospitalist internal med
LORs:
  • 3 veterinarians (one of which who was a professor)
  • My boss
  • Director of a foundation
  • CEO of hospital where I worked as a nurse practitioner
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Themes:
  • Life on an island with no veterinarian
  • Resilience from my work in human hospice
  • The desire to reduce animal suffering as a driving force in my life
  • Quote: "Every time a pet dies who might have been saved by a vet, or every time a litter of puppies is born only to be euthanized by me, my resolve to become a veterinarian crystallizes even more."
Fun Facts: Added this section! Feel free to do the same!
  • I have two toddlers and two rescue parrots that came into my life this year! And four boonie dogs +/- fosters, and a cat.
  • We have no veterinarian here and rely strictly on visiting/virtual vets (come visit lol)
  • For those who don't know Saipan: We are a tiny island with no veterinarian, about +40k people and at least 20k dogs. Huge stray issues. No easy way to get dogs off island to rescue. But we try!
  • If you're interested in connecting, find me on IG @future.island.vet

Pretty sure my Army Reserve Veterinary unit has supported your humane society on Saipan!
 
Pretty sure my army reserve unit has supported your


Pretty sure my Army Reserve Veterinary unit has supported your humane society on Saipan!
WOW Small world! We had an Army Reserve team visit the last few summers. Did you come out, too? That's wild.
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
33, Non-Binary, NJ/USA, Non-traditional, First time applicant

Applied: Ohio State, Minnesota, CSU, Washington State, Cornell, Oregon State, Virginia-Maryland, Wisconsin, UGA, UPenn, Tufts, Rowan
Interview Invites: Ohio State, Minnesota, Virginia-Maryland
Accepted: Oregon State, Cornell
--
Waiting to hear:
CSU, Washington State, Wisconsin, UGA, UPenn, Tufts
Withdrew App: TBD
Rejected: TBD
--
Attending:
TBD

Overall GPA: 3.98
Science Prerequisite GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE (Q/V/W): N/A

Degree(s): BA in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies with Minor in History (2012)

**Completed ALL science prerequisites at either local community college or UC Berkeley Extension (upper-level biomedical courses and biochemistry).

Veterinary Experience: ~1650 hours at time of application, ~2200 for Wisconsin/Rowan (growth in SA specialty and SA oncology experience)
  • 850+ SA GP, private practice
  • 100+ SA Specialty, including ER, IM, ICU, and Diagnostic Imaging
  • ~200 SA oncology, including paid and unpaid work (FACC shadowing externship, medical oncology VA now in private practice)
  • ~450 wildlife pro bono veterinary work with heavy focus on Virginia opossums
Animal Experience: ~700 hours
  • Virginia opossums: multifaceted work for a rehabilitation facility
  • SA/Exotic Rescues: rescue, fostering, and adoption of animals from Facebook ads
  • Zoo: some private zoo tours/ experiences
  • Left off all personal pets, but talked about them in essays
Research: 7,000+ hours
  • Education/Public Health: Five years of paid, full-time work experience as researcher in a large, urban school district, including strong experience and published works in the following:
    • Public Health/Nutrition Education
    • Homelessness
    • Head of in-house IRB
    • Early Literacy
    • School Supports
  • Archaeology: Three years paid, part-time Research Assistant working with data from the Stanford Skourta Plain Project (Ancient Greece)
Non-Animal Employment: 12,000+ hours
  • Education/Public Health: program manager, hiring manager, lead of outreach/writing initiatives while at school district job
  • Art/Business: five years as a small business owner and artist creating client projects/collaborations
  • Service Industry: jobs in retail and as a barista
  • Writing: Freelance work as well as creative director for a short-lived start up company
  • TA in Classics in undergrad
  • Resident Assistant in undergrad
Volunteer Work: ~2,000 hours
  • Education/Therapy Dog: ~1,000 hours over five years as a therapy dog team at a local elementary school
  • Animal Rescue: ~600 hours through my art business, raising over $25,000 for animal rescues
  • Art Workshops: Through my business, created and led free art-based workshops that focused on addressing grief
  • Literacy: reading buddy while at school district job
Extracurriculars and Awards: ~3,000 hours (remember that I'm a lot older!)
  • Soccer throughout youth and continuing to now, on several indoor/outdoor co-ed and women's teams
  • Student advocacy groups while in undergrad
  • Piano, tennis, fencing listed but not heavily referenced
  • Began learning and playing violin in last two years
  • First, second, and third author on several works, published as second author on AERA poster/presentation
  • Didn't count hours for hobbies, but heavily discussed hobbies including reading, writing poetry, gardening, violin, travel, and painting when able
LORs:
  • 2 GP veterinarians, had known each for at least one year
  • 1 science (O-Chem) professor from community college
  • 1 Classics professor from undergrad with whom I have a strong relationship
  • 1 PhD colleague/director from time at large urban school district
  • 1 supervisor from therapy dog work in elementary school
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:

I think my written aspects of my application were likely the strongest; I am a lifelong writer and absolutely love to write, so I leaned into this to try and create impactful essays. I had mentors, friends, and family review my personal statement and explanation statement.
  • Connection: my soul dog Indy, who was diagnosed with Addison's disease and later a very rare cancer, and how I have learned from her loss and applied it to beloved patients; she and I were a working therapy team for five years, and her loss rearranged my life
  • Oncology: leaned into my deep passion for this specialty, including not only why I love the science of it, but also why its humanity is so attractive to me; explored themes of grief, collective support, and why this speaks to me specifically; talked very specifically about my goals
  • Research: tying into my past, present, and future, discussed my love of research and how it can inform practice
  • Community action and support: experiences in a high-needs, low-income urban school district and what it has taught me about diversity, inclusion, equity, and medicine
  • Grief and Compassionate Care: discussed disenfranchised grief within the veterinary world, my desire to provide compassionate, honest, end-of-life care
  • Independent Learning/Curiosity: heavily discussed my years of special interest/reading in veterinary medicine and how it helped prepare me for in-clinic work and coursework
  • Therapy dog work: connection with children and the lessons that all the kiddos I love have taught me
  • Disability/Neurodivergence: discussed my late-diagnosis of autism and how it led me to finally embrace my true self, including the more scientific aspects of my interests, which led to me finally pursuing veterinary medicine

Best of luck to everyone, I know that each of us has something wonderful to offer. For me, this was years in the making and I leaned HEAVILY on the help of others and did a ton of research ahead of time to try to perfect my school list; I also reached out to schools for help on application focus, prerequisite coursework/planning, and general application tips - this was immensely helpful. If anyone has any questions about non-traditional application stuff, or needs a second set of eyes on your writing, I'm always just a DM away!
Here to say - your application is so cool! Congratulations. Looks like you are going to have lots of options!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
19F, CA/USA, traditional, 1st time applying

Applied: Western (withdrew), Kansas State, UGA (rejected), Virginia-Maryland (rejected), Purdue (rejected), Midwestern
Interview Invites: Kansas State, Western
Waiting to hear: None
Accepted: Midwestern, Kansas State
Attending: KSU!!!!!

Overall GPA: 4.0
Science Prerequisite GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

Degree(s): Associates in Natural Sciences

Veterinary Experience: 1,422

Kennel Attendant/VA at small animal GP - 372
Volunteer at high volume shelter clinic - 300
VA at exotic/small animal GP - 750

Animal Experience: 400
Volunteer at Guinea pig rescue - 190
Volunteer at small animal shelter - 210

Research: 32
Lizard Project

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Children's Ministry Volunteer - 36
Japanese Bible Study Group - 192
Academic Scholarship from CC
Organic Chemistry Award
President's List 4 semesters

Non-Animal Employment:
Barista at a boba store - 901
TA for organismal biology - 99
Tutor for intro chem and intro bio - 200

LORs:
1 from my professor I TA'ed for, 2 from veterinarians

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Personal Statement - talked about not growing up with pets but how my experiences led me to want to pursue vet med, also talked about ikigai
Explanation Statement - why I was a technical high school dropout since I wanted to explain why there was no graduation date on my application
 
Last edited:
did NOT think I would get to post here & am so incredibly grateful 🫶 I hope this can help anyone who doubts themselves! I started with my plan in community college 6 years ago and had no experience in the veterinary world and no background in science courses, essentially started from scratch and took my time and kept my eye on the prize. YOU WILL GET THERE!

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
25, F, California, Non-traditional, first time applicant

Applied: UC Davis, WSU, OSU, tOSU, Wisconsin (Withdrew), UTK, LMU, Midwestern, Western, Purdue, Missouri, Auburn, Illinois
Interview Invites: UC Davis, LMU, Midwestern (Withdrew), Western, tOSU (Withdrew), Purdue (Withdrew), Missouri, Auburn, Illinois (withdrew)
Waiting to hear: Western, Missouri, Auburn
Rejected: OSU (Oregon), UTK
Accepted: UC Davis, LMU, Auburn, Missouri, WesternU, WSU (Waitlisted)
Attending: UC DAVIS 💛💙

Overall GPA: 3.75
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.95
Last 45 GPA: 3.68

Degree(s):
  • Associate of Science: Biology - Community College
  • Associate of Science: Natural Science - Community College
  • Bachelor of Science: Biological Sciences - UC Davis (this Spring 2025)

Veterinary Experience: 3,009
  • Veterinary Assistant Private Practice - 2048
  • Veterinary Assistant Corporate - 728
  • Veterinary Assistant at Animal Shelter Mobile Clinic - 105
  • Shadowing at Animal Shelter Clinic Hospital - 128

Animal Experience: 6,084
  • Animal care tech at animal shelter - 3984
  • Wildlife hospital volunteer - 208
  • Pet sitting - 1344
  • Pet store sales assoc. - 340
  • Kennel attendant at dog daycare (high school) - 208

Research: 390
  • Chemical Energy (Research experience for undergrads program) with PhD mentor, presented my poster, name was later published on my mentors paper - 320
  • Research on Aging as lab assistant - 70

Extracurriculars:
  • Hobby car restoration - 25
  • Vet club member - 33
  • Commencement speaker for my community college graduation - 20
  • Teaching fellow - 296
  • Presented on climate action - 10
  • Chemistry club member - 178
  • Biology club member - 222
  • Work experience class to help curate goals - 144
  • Hobby painnting - 1000
  • Hobby hiking - 2000
  • Art student (high school) - 3000
  • Cheerleading captain (high school) - 4160
  • Competitive bodybuilder (high school) - 2100

Non-Animal Employment:
  • Student tutor - 30
  • Office Assistant for my dads business - 2504
  • Cashier/Barista - 400
  • Sales Rep at sports nutrition store - 480
  • Election worker - 8
  • Personal trainer - 616
  • Dishwasher - 1376

LORs:
  • Director of Shelter Services/DVM at my local animal shelter I worked at for 3 years and she was my inspiration and mentor
  • Private practice owner/DVM that I have worked at the last 2 years as a veterinary assistant
  • Associate/DVM of the private practice
  • Chemistry professor/PhD from community college that I had for general chemistry, organic chemistry, and then I TA for his full year of organic chemistry students
Awards:
  • Academic scholarship at UC Davis
  • Academic scholarship at UC Davis
  • 2 different Grant Awards throughout 2018-2023
  • Rotary Club scholarship for 1 year at community college and 1 year at UC Davis
  • Teaching fellow scholarship
  • Highest honors on my AS diploma
  • Student speaker scholarship for my graduation speech
  • Chemistry department scholarship
  • Academic scholarship at my community college
  • Dean's highest honors 2020-2023
  • All American cheerleader award (high school)

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
  • Personal Statement: I wrote how my exposure to working in an animal shelter was the catalyst to my interests and journey, while enrolling in community college I started developing a love for science especially chemistry and how I would intertwine these two. Touched on how my non-traditional path will make me a strong candidate. Also stated my interest to re-join my community as a shelter veterinarian.
  • Explanation Statement: Explained my semester where I had to withdraw and receive all W's in community college due to financial hardship and how I made a plan and was able to succeed and how my adversity will make me a better veterinary candidate.
 
Last edited:
Wasn't sure about posting here but I appreciate this community so much, hope I can share & help someone out there! Please reach out if you have any questions or simply want to connect 🙂

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
28F, NY/USA, non-traditional (ex-product/finance), first-time applicant

Applied: Cornell, UPenn, CSU, LIU, Tufts, UC Davis, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, tOSU, RVC, Wisconsin, Auburn, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois
Interview Invites: UPenn (withdrew), LIU, tOSU (withdrew), RVC (withdrew), Auburn (withdrew), Minnesota (withdrew), Illinois (withdrew)
Accepted: Oregon, LIU, Cornell, Wisconsin, Tufts, Georgia
Waitlisted: Washington, CSU
Rejected: UC Davis, Purdue
Attending: Cornell ♥️

Overall GPA
: 3.91
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.93
Degree(s): B.S. Business Administration and B.S. Conservation & Resource Studies from UC Berkeley

Veterinary Experience:
  • Veterinary assistant at large animal shelter - 1200 hours
  • Veterinary assistant at small animal GP - 400 hours
Animal Experience:
  • Kitten foster - 64 hours
  • Volunteer at large animal shelter - 24 hours
  • Volunteer at city animal shelter - 80 hours
  • Pet guardianship - 150 hours
  • Volunteer at dog rescue - 320 hours
  • Volunteer at aquarium - 150 hours
Research:
  • Research assistant at squirrel lab - 120 hours
  • Research assistant at physiology lab - 80 hours
Extracurriculars/Awards:
  • Member of business school student government - 45 hours
  • Green team member at business school - 30 hours
  • Contract consultant on various nonprofit projects - 236 hours
  • Member of co-ed business fraternity - 200 hours
  • Saxophone player in college wind ensemble - 128 hours
  • Piano tutor - 15 hours
  • Member of high school track & field team - 192 hours
  • Captain of high school marching band - 200 hours
  • Member of high school French honor society - 240 hours
  • Member of high school tennis team - 360 hours
  • Saxophone player in high school all-county band - 80 hours
  • Graduated honors, distinction & honors, high distinction
  • Dean's honors list x2
  • Consulting case competition x2 (1st place, finalist)
  • Fear Free Shelters certification
  • JLPT N4 certification
Non-Animal Employment:
  • Product manager at gaming startup - 1200 hours
  • Finance manager at large tech company - 6200 hours
  • Investment banking analyst at large bank - 2700 hours
  • Investment banking summer analyst at large bank - 480 hours
  • Operations intern at cosmetics company - 240 hours
  • Finance intern at real estate firm - 300 hours
  • Registrations assistant at science museum - 120 hours
  • Sales associate at clothing store - 256 hours
  • Marketing intern at small startup - 160 hours
  • Sales associate at large retail chain - 180 hours
LORs:
  • Shelter veterinarian
  • Biochem professor
  • Community college advisor
  • Dog rescue volunteer coordinator
  • Manager at large tech company
  • Manager at gaming startup
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
I wrote about moments in my career that inspired me, particularly moments that had my colleagues or customers so happy that they would literally break into dance. I recalled a moment working at the animal shelter where I found myself dancing while caring for a kitten and realized that this is the line of work that could make me that happy too.
 
Last edited:
I read through these posts every year as a prevet. Crazy that now I get to post here!

21M, CA/USA, Traditional, first application

Applied: UC Davis, Oregon State, Cornell, U of Missouri, Ohio State, Washington State
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Ohio State (declined)
Rejected: U of Missouri
Waitlisted: Washington State
Accepted: UC Davis, Oregon State, Cornell
Waiting to hear: None
Attending: UC Davis

Overall GPA: 3.89
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.83
Last 45 GPA: 3.92

Degree(s): BS Biotechnology in spring 2025

Veterinary Experience:
- Small animal GP vet assistant/shadow about 750 hrs
- Mixed animal practice intern about 140 hours
- Student run clinics at my undergrad for low-income pet owners about 70 hours
- Large animal practice shadowing about 40 hours
- shadowing at vet school teaching hospital ~60 hours
- wildlife vet internship abroad in costa rica ~140 hours
- Student assistant at teaching hospital ~100 hrs

Animal Experience: total about 290 hours
- wild bird rescue
- goat kidding internship
- animal science labs
- dog/cat shelter
- chicken coop/rescue club

Research Experience: ~300
- equine genetics research lab undergrad researcher
- dairy cattle methane emissions research internship

Extracurriculars:
- Pre-vet diversity club (board assistant)
- Student run clinic board member 2022-2023
- biotech club (member)

Employment:
- Sales associate at family business during breaks (mostly high school)

LORs:
- mixed animal vet
- small animal GP vet
- 2 stem professors
- lab PI

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Wrote about some of the student run clinics I was involved in throughout undergrad where I volunteered as a spanish translator. I emphasized what I had gained and learned by breaking language barriers
 
Last edited:
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
22, Female, NY, Non-traditional - was premed my entire undergrad and switched to Vet med during my gap year; applied 1 time

Applied: Cornell, UC Davis, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia-Maryland, PennVet, Tufts, Colorado, Wisconsin
Interview Invites: PennVet (declined), Tennessee (declined)
Rejected: UC Davis, Michigan, Virginia-Maryland
Accepted: Cornell, Colorado, Wisconsin, Tufts
Attending: Cornell 🐻

Overall GPA: 4.0
Science Prerequisite GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

Degree(s): Biomedical Sciences, BS; Minors in both Spanish and Chemistry

Veterinary Experience:
Veterinary Assistant at a GP practice - 1,500+ hrs
Equine Internship - 50 hrs
Shadowed at local zoo - 20 hrs
Shadowed Bovine medicine - 15 hrs
Shadowed head DVM at AbbVie lab animal medicine in Chicago - 8 hrs
Fear Free Certification

Animal Experience:
Training personal pet to be a therapy dog.

Research:
Published research with UB Medical School - “Use of E-Cigarettes and Cigarettes During Late Pregnancy Among Adolescents

National Science Foundation REU - Research in Organic Chemistry Education

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Black belt in isshyn-ru Karate - 8 years
Cru Worship Team leader - 3 years
Plays classical piano and sings

5 humanitarian service aid trips to El Salvador
Humanitarian service aid trip to Guatemala
Humanitarian service aid trip to Middle East

TA for Organic Chemistry - 2 years
TA for Anatomy & Physiology - 1 year

Outstanding Undergraduate Award - award selected out of top 1% of students at RIT

Non-Animal Employment:
Patient Care Technician on the Hospital Covid Unit - 2 years
Rochester Cru Ministry Staff - 1 year
Local library clerk - 3 years

LORs:
1. Organic Chemistry Professor
2. Endocrinology Professor
3. Equine/Small Animal Veterinarian
4. Lead doctor at our small animal GP

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
In my personal statement I communicated my love for learning and teaching others. I highlighted how Veterinary medicine is a field in which we work with people just as much, or if not more, as other fields, and the importance of being able to compassionately and effectively communicate with owners to bring them alongside in their animals care. I also talked about my passion for end of life care with animals, and examples of how i’ve cared for both patients and their owners during these times.
 
Last edited:
****Below Avg GPA*********

21, F, FL, Traditional, 2nd time applicant:
Interest: Aquatics or Large Animals

-First time applying I applied to the first 6 schools listed and was rejected from all of them without interview. The second time applying I applied to 12 schools.

Applied:Florida(IS), Mississippi State, Georgia,LSU,Auburn, Tennessee,
Lincoln Memorial, Kansas, Missouri,Illinois,
Virginia Maryland, St.George

Waiting to hear:

Interview Invites:
Mississippi State,LMU, St.George, waitlisted at Kansas

Waitlisted:Mississippi State

Accepted:St.George, LMU

Attending: St.George

Overall GPA:3.5
Science Prerequisite GPA:3.43
Last 45 GPA:3.45

CASPer:
4th quartile
GRE (Q/V/W): N/A

Degree(s):Animal Science;BS; from the University of Florida

Veterinary Experience:

-Vet Assistant at a mixed animal practice that is also the vet for the local zoo - 660hrs
-Vet Assistant at a small animal GP mostly, but also sees exotics- 774hrs

Animal Experience:
-Marine Mammal Intern at the Mississippi Aquarium - (765hrs)
-Techniques in Equine Science Class-64hrs
-Dairy Cattle Practicum- 68hrs
-Horse Management and Training Techniques Class-64 hrs
-Volunteer for the Escambia County Marine Resource Department/working with sea turtles -276hrs
-Intern for the Escambia County Marine Resource Department/working with sea turtles and oyster reefs- 312 hrs
-FFA Meat Evaluation Career Development Event-256 hrs
-FFA Vet Assisting Career Development Event-384hrs

Research:
-Sea turtle infertility trends of sea turtles nesting on Pensacola Beach and the environmental impacts that affected fertility- 216hrs

Extracurricular/Awards
- Cheerleader for UF Competitive Cheer Team-256hrs
-UF Dairy Science Club-87hrs
-Sigma Alpha Professional Agriculture Sorority-265hrs
- UF Pre Vet Club-108hrs
-UF Fellow Christian Athletes(FCA)-250hrs
-UWF cheerleading-460hrs
-UWF Pre Vet Club-51hrs
-West Florida High School FFA Chapter-392hrs
-West Florida High School Cheerleading- 420hrs

-Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine Certificate from Purdue University
-UF Harry Haman Scholarship
-Deans List at UWF
-UWF Cheerleading Athlete of the Year-2022
-Deans List as Pensacola State College
-Florida FFA State Degree
-State Finalist in the Florida FFA Wildlife Management Proficiency Award
-West Florida High School Fellow Christian Athlete Award -2021

Non Animal Employment/Volunteer:
-Worked as a Baseball Usher for the University of Florida Athletic Association-78hrs
-Volunteer Cheer Coach for local youth sports association-192hrs
-Volunteered doing Ocean Hour-local org that cleans up the local beaches -30hrs

LOR:
1 Physics Professor
1small animal veterinarian
1 Mixed animal Veterinarian/vet for local zoo
1 Previous Employer for 6 years at the Escambia County Marine Department

Essay Question/Personal Statement:
I wrote about specific moments that have stood out to me while working in the vet industry and what I learned from them and how it has shaped me into the vet I want to be one day. I also mentioned working with such diverse species and how that has helped build my knowledge of the vet profession.
 
Last edited:
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
23F, New Jersey, Traditional, First cycle

Applied: St Georges, Royal (RVC), Virginia-Maryland, Washington State, Michigan State, Louisiana State, Ohio State, North Carolina State, Oregon State, Mississippi State, Midwestern, Colorado State, Rowan (IS), Tufts(went to UMass Amherst undergrad)
Interview Invites: SGU, RVC, Mississippi, Rowan
Waitlisted: LSU, RVC, Miss State (#122 OOS)
Accepted: SGU
Attending: SGU!

Overall GPA: 3.56
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.45
Last 45 GPA: ~3.7

GRE (Q/V/W):
N/A

Degree(s): BS in Pre-Vet Sciences

Veterinary Experience:

Emergency Vet Assistant/Kennel - 630 hours
Volunteer (Camelids and Donkeys) - 50 hours
1 doc small animal GP - 160 hours last summer, 595 leading up to when apps were due and still working there for my gap year so 1000+ total

Animal Experience:

Volunteer at dog groomer - trimming nails, cleaning restraining dogs 15 hours
Volunteer dog walker at local animal shelter - walking/supervising dogs during play time - 40 hours
Student experience at my undergraduate's barn (horses, sheep, goat, chickens, pigs) - feeding/cleaning/spent overnight watching over pregnant ewes - performed tail docking and ear tagging on newborn lambs - 25 hours
Student for dairy calf management class for 1 semester - feeding/cleaning/vaccinating/dehorning/haltering - 39 hours
TA for dairy calf management class for 3 semesters - feeding/cleaning/vaccinating/dehorning/haltering/supervising students at the barn feeding on weekends when my professor was not there/prepared a presentation on calf health every semester/communicated with professor to provide treatment for ill calves - 156 hours

Research:

Undergraduate Thesis - Psychological Impacts of ESAs on college students with psychiatric disabilities 260 hours + final thesis manuscript written
Bat conservation and ecology - inputting/interpreting data 70 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards:

Field Hockey in high school - Jr Varsity in freshman year, Varsity sophomore-senior year ~520 hours
Sorority Sister for 2 years - ~52 hours of non-exec board position holding, ~65 hours of exec board position holding (hours included actively working on my position each position was 1 semester long)
Exec Board for my school's dance marathon - ~104 hours throughout 2 semesters
Volunteer Note Taker for my school's disability services - 90 hours of community service
Donating hats I have crocheted (8 total) to local hospitals, given myself 40 hours on average
Deans List - Fall 2020, Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Chancellor's Award - partial scholarship awarded by my undergrad institution all 4 years
Graduated from my undergraduate honors college

Non-Animal Employment:
Dunkin Donuts Crew Member/Shift Leader - 3850 hours over 3 yrs
Michaels Cashier and Custom Framer - 180 hours
Doordasher and Instacart shopper throughout senior year of college ~108 hours doing each

LORs:

1. Veterinarian at the 1 doctor practice (the office manager wrote it but Doctor signed off on it)
2. Professor I took 3 classes with
3. Professor I TA'd for for 2 yrs
4. I asked my thesis advisor but she could not submit it in time

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:

Personal Statement: Connected my experience with my mom having cancer and how my cat was the main comforting factor in my life and my undergraduate thesis about ESAs with how that inspired me to want to give back to animals and be the empathetic voice that animals need
 
Last edited:
*** Low GPA, Non-trad adult, no Bachelors ***

For everyone who came from a difficult, unsupportive background, or who thinks they aren’t smart enough or good enough, or who believes they’ll never make it… YOU CAN. Identify your weak spots in your application, acknowledge it, put a plan of action into place, and then turn it into a strength. Be PROUD of overcoming something, resiliency doesn’t come from endless 4.0s and awards, it comes from literally failing (sometimes more than once), or being utterly alone, or not having any money to afford textbooks and food at the same time. Sometimes you take really slow steps, and that’s perfectly fine. You don’t know what influential experiences will come your way during your detours. Embrace your journey, even if you’re ashamed of it at times, because later on you’ll look back and say “I freaking did that!”

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
36 / F / TX resident (originally from the East Coast) / Extremely non-traditional / First application cycle.
Applied IS only this cycle due to husband's job. Genuinely believed I'd have to apply a second or third cycle.

Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M (unless something nuts happens).

Overall GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.09 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.24
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.4 something
Lowest point ever: 1.7 in 2016!
Science Prerequisite GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.29 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.44
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.9 something
Last 45 GPA: 3.83 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.85
*I attacked my academic deficiencies by purposefully overloading myself each semester, 6 classes in Spring 2024, 5 in Summer 2024, and 6 in Fall 2024. I took a total of 54 credit hours in the entire 2024 span and received two Bs, the rest As. I finished the fall 2024 semester with a 4.0.

CASPer: 4th quartile

Degree(s): Associates of Science (Graduating summer 2025 with Honors). Attained my CVT through an alternate pathway in 2021.

Veterinary Experience:
25,000+ (underestimated). Full time employment in the veterinary field with no breaks since 2007 (I am working 30 hours a week and have done so throughout 2024). I worked with small animals/exotics in general practice from 2007-2014, and then exclusively in specialty private practice and academia.
Leadership experience: Surgery lead of a two-DACVS department for 2 years. I left that practice for the opportunity to work with a boarded cardiologist and led that service for 4 years.

Animal Experience:
25,000+ (owning horses, dogs, fish, hamsters for 25+ years).
Kennel worker for 2 years during/after high school.
Barn worker during high school and into adulthood (feeding, cleaning stalls, etc).
Have a 16.5 year old dog (she’s my heart pup both spiritually and literally lol) with chronic lung disease/heart failure that I’ve had since she was a puppy. Our other senior pup has heart disease and a myriad of other issues.
I have owned 2 horses, I competed in 4H with my OTTB as a teenager and had him into my early 20s (he passed in 2011). My current horse has severe equine asthma requiring specialized care.
Volunteering with a therapeutic riding center
Volunteered for animal shelters (fostering kittens, walking dogs)
Volunteered one year at Rolex Kentucky as a jump judge
Blood donor

Research:
750 with horses at an academic teaching hospital

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Honors College member Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
Phi Theta Kappa member 2024-2025
Merit Scholarship recipient Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
RECOVER BLS & ALS certification current through June 2025

Non-Animal Employment:
Kohls, seasonal worker in 2006

LORs:
Dual letter: DACVIM (Cardiology) and a DACVIM, practice owners from my current job.
Spring 2024 biology professor (she has a Masters)
Spring/Fall 2024 math professor (he has a Masters, and is in a math PhD program).

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement, I wrote about my childhood and how it taught me resilience and gratitude, and how the support system one cultivates in adulthood is sometimes better than you can even dream of. I tried to convey how much I love the profession, and how my journey along a winding road taught me lessons about myself personally and professionally.
For the personal characteristics essay I discussed notable athletes who have redefined their sports while performing their best at an “unprecedented age” to highlight that my age is one of my biggest assets. I also discussed a challenging summer and how it helped me refocus my attention on my family as well as school instead of just tunnel-vision on my academics.
For my unique experiences essay (optional) I highlighted my professional and personal path and how it’s prepared me in ways for vet school without going through it firsthand. Ex: Working at a large teaching hospital helped me see the behind the scenes / clinical exposure the students get.
For meaningful experiences, I mentioned that the biggest hurdle this year has been literally re-learning how to learn, and how I’ve been patient with myself during my struggles (Gen Chem 2 can take a long walk off a short pier).
I also completed an explanation statement on the supplemental application to explain my previously poor grades and the steps I’ve taken to improve as a student. I highlighted my excellent GPA through 2024, my admission to my 2 year school’s highly regarded Honors program, and specified study tactics and approaches that have worked for me along with how I am always open minded to new methods when I’m struggling (YouTube is a gold mine for study techniques).
 
Last edited:
*** Low GPA, Non-trad adult, no Bachelors ***

For everyone who came from a difficult, unsupportive background, or who thinks they aren’t smart enough or good enough, or who believes they’ll never make it… YOU CAN. Identify your weak spots in your application, acknowledge it, put a plan of action into place, and then turn it into a strength. Be PROUD of overcoming something, resiliency doesn’t come from endless 4.0s and awards, it comes from literally failing (sometimes more than once), or being utterly alone, or not having any money to afford textbooks and food at the same time. Sometimes you take really slow steps, and that’s perfectly fine. You don’t know what influential experiences will come your way during your detours. Embrace your journey, even if you’re ashamed of it at times, because later on you’ll look back and say “I freaking did that!”

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
36 / F / TX resident (originally from the East Coast) / Extremely non-traditional / First application cycle.
Applied IS only this cycle due to husband's job. Genuinely believed I'd have to apply a second or third cycle.

Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M (unless something nuts happens).

Overall GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.09 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.24
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.4 something
Lowest point ever: 1.7 in 2016!
Science Prerequisite GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.29 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.44
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.9 something
Last 45 GPA: 3.83 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.85
*I attacked my academic deficiencies by purposefully overloading myself each semester, 6 classes in Spring 2024, 5 in Summer 2024, and 6 in Fall 2024. I took a total of 54 credit hours in the entire 2024 span and received two Bs, the rest As. I finished the fall 2024 semester with a 4.0.

CASPer: 4th quartile

Degree(s): Associates of Science (Graduating summer 2025 with Honors). Attained my CVT through an alternate pathway in 2021.

Veterinary Experience:
25,000+ (underestimated). Full time employment in the veterinary field with no breaks since 2007 (I am working 30 hours a week and have done so throughout 2024). I worked with small animals/exotics in general practice from 2007-2014, and then exclusively in specialty private practice and academia.
Leadership experience: Surgery lead of a two-DACVS department for 2 years. I left that practice for the opportunity to work with a boarded cardiologist and led that service for 4 years.

Animal Experience:
25,000+ (owning horses, dogs, fish, hamsters for 25+ years).
Kennel worker for 2 years during/after high school.
Barn worker during high school and into adulthood (feeding, cleaning stalls, etc).
Have a 16.5 year old dog (she’s my heart pup both spiritually and literally lol) with chronic lung disease/heart failure that I’ve had since she was a puppy. Our other senior pup has heart disease and a myriad of other issues.
I have owned 2 horses, I competed in 4H with my OTTB as a teenager and had him into my early 20s (he passed in 2011). My current horse has severe equine asthma requiring specialized care.
Volunteering with a therapeutic riding center
Volunteered for animal shelters (fostering kittens, walking dogs)
Volunteered one year at Rolex Kentucky as a jump judge
Blood donor

Research:
750 with horses at an academic teaching hospital

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Honors College member Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
Phi Theta Kappa member 2024-2025
Merit Scholarship recipient Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
RECOVER BLS & ALS certification current through June 2025

Non-Animal Employment:
Kohls, seasonal worker in 2006

LORs:
Dual letter: DACVIM (Cardiology) and a DACVIM, practice owners from my current job.
Spring 2024 biology professor (she has a Masters)
Spring/Fall 2024 math professor (he has a Masters, and is in a math PhD program).

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement, I wrote about my childhood and how it taught me resilience and gratitude, and how the support system one cultivates in adulthood is sometimes better than you can even dream of. I tried to convey how much I love the profession, and how my journey along a winding road taught me lessons about myself personally and professionally.
For the personal characteristics essay I discussed notable athletes who have redefined their sports while performing their best at an “unprecedented age” to highlight that my age is one of my biggest assets. I also discussed a challenging summer and how it helped me refocus my attention on my family as well as school instead of just tunnel-vision on my academics.
For my unique experiences essay (optional) I highlighted my professional and personal path and how it’s prepared me in ways for vet school without going through it firsthand. Ex: Working at a large teaching hospital helped me see the behind the scenes / clinical exposure the students get.
For meaningful experiences, I mentioned that the biggest hurdle this year has been literally re-learning how to learn, and how I’ve been patient with myself during my struggles (Gen Chem 2 can take a long walk off a short pier).
I also completed an explanation statement on the supplemental application to explain my previously poor grades and the steps I’ve taken to improve as a student. I highlighted my excellent GPA through 2024, my admission to my 2 year school’s highly regarded Honors program, and specified study tactics and approaches that have worked for me along with how I am always open minded to new methods when I’m struggling (YouTube is a gold mine for study techniques).
I am so proud of you.
 
**LOW GPA APPLICANT, MULTIPLE CYCLES**

I thought 10,20,30 times over what my post here would look like. Would I be going somewhere I was super excited about? Would I see students in this thread who will soon be my classmates? I would have never imagined that I would have options! I am so thankful for this website and all the amazing people I've met on here! I'd like to say; don't ever give up on yourself. No dream is too big. I thought my GPA set me back and tortured myself thinking about all the things I could have done right in undergrad. There was a lot of doubt surrounding if I would get in and I had to think of plans B-Z incase this didn't work out. However, I always believed in myself and my abilities even when it felt like I shouldn't. Keep pushing, keep trying! Do not let your GPA stop you from chasing your dream. Find your passion within this field and get as much hands-on experience as you can. There is a place for you in this field! You got this future DVM!! 🙂


22F, Pennsylvania, Traditional, 2nd time applying

1st Cycle (2023-2024):
St. George, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania, Royal Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, Lincoln Memorial University (All rejections, no interviews)

1st Cycle (Continued) In SP 2024 was reconsidered for SGU Jan 2025 start, instead was accepted into the FTV program (declined).

2nd Cycle Applied: University of Arizona, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania (IS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Interview Invites: Ross University, University of Arizona
Waitlisted: University of Arizona
Accepted: Ross University, Colorado State University (MPH/DVM)
Attending: Colorado State University!!!

Overall GPA:
3.11 VMCAS
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.4 - 3.7 depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: 3.0-ish? (Poor junior year with an upward trajectory senior year + post-grad)

GRE (Q/V/W): Did not take!

Degree(s): B.S in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Veterinary Experience:
- 2 1/2 years at as a shelter non-licensed vet tech. Worked both in surgery and in the wellness clinic (1,700+ hours)
- ER Overnight Veterinary assistant (72 hours)
- Travel Abroad in South Africa working with large animal exotics (240 hours)

Animal Experience:
- ER Client Services Representative (1300+ hours) (P.S: I put this as animal experience based on how VMCAS wants to you categorize experiences, that flow chart)
- Kennel Attendant at an animal shelter (200 hours)
- Showed a cow for the Dairy Show (80 hours)
- Cattery Volunteer at an animal shelter (170 hours)
- Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter (100 hours)
- Puppy Socialization Class Volunteer (15 hours)
- Group Volunteering at an animal shelter (72 hours)
- Large Animal Attendant (Cattle, Equine, Alpacas and Swine) (110 hours

Research:
- Swine Research Team (500+ hours)
- NLTP Fellowship Program at KSU CVM (320+ hours)
- Current Research Technologist working with mouse models at my Alma Mater (80 hours declared on VMCAS, 809 actual hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Member of the Greek Orthodox Youth Association since 2014 until I graduated HS in 2020 (3000-4000 hours of various volunteer work)
- For my 20th birthday, I held a 12hr long livestream in an effort to raise money for PAWS Philly. I raised $700+ (12 hours)
- Member of the Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority
- Professional Development Chair for the sorority (1 year term)
- Social Chair of the Pre-Vet Club (1 year-ish term)
- Vice-President of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- Secretary of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- President of the Paws and Claws Club (1 year)
- Member of the One Health Club
- Dean's list (2 semesters)
- Outstanding club award for Paws and Claws when I was president
- Scholarships throughout my undergrad

Non-Animal Employment:
- (HS) Cashier at local produce store (1200+ hours)
- (HS) Lifeguard (270 hours)
- Front of House at Pizzeria (502 hours)

LORs:
- Medical Director/Veterinarian of the shelter I worked for
- Biochemistry Professor
- Undergrad Academic Advisor
- Advisor from Fellowship Program

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement: I wrote about how important veterinarians are in work beyond just caring for animals and how despite my evolving interests and growing into the person I am, one thing always remained, my determination to become a veterinarian. I discussed how I felt after a disappointing first cycle and how I embraced new opportunities in research and found my passion for One Health.
For CSU essays:
- For the first essay, I wrote about how the rise of foreign animal and zoonotic disease issues has kept me inspired to continue on this path.
- For the second essay, I wrote about how my diverse experiences growing up in a different country, traveling while young, my travel abroad and fellowship experiences shaped me into the person I am today.
- For the MPH/DVM essay, I wrote about how two classes my senior year allowed me to make a connection with the first hand accounts I had with FMD in South Africa which lead to a curiosity for how everything is interconnected; leading me to uncover my love, appreciation and passion for One Health.
 
Last edited:
**LOW GPA APPLICANT, MULTIPLE CYCLES**

I thought 10,20,30 times over what my post here would look like. Would I be going somewhere I was super excited about? Would I see students in this thread who will soon be my classmates? I would have never imagined that I would have options! I am so thankful for this website and all the amazing people I've met on here! I'd like to say; don't ever give up on yourself. No dream is too big. I thought my GPA set me back and tortured myself thinking about all the things I could have done right in undergrad. There was a lot of doubt surrounding if I would get in and I had to think of plans B-Z incase this didn't work out. However, I always believed in myself and my abilities even when it felt like I shouldn't. Keep pushing, keep trying! Do not let your GPA stop you from chasing your dream. Find your passion within this field and get as much hands-on experience as you can. There is a place for you in this field! You got this future, DVM 🙂


22F, Pennsylvania, Traditional, 2nd time applying

1st Cycle (2023-2024):
St. George, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania, Royal Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, Lincoln Memorial University (All rejections, no interviews)

Applied: University of Arizona, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania (IS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Interview Invites: Ross University, University of Arizona
Waiting to hear: University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Accepted: Ross University, Colorado State University (MPH/DVM)
Attending: TBD!

Overall GPA:
3.11 VMCAS
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.4 - 3.7 depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: 3.0-ish? (Poor junior year with an upward trajectory senior year + post-grad)

GRE (Q/V/W): Did not take!

Degree(s): B.S in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Veterinary Experience:
- 2 1/2 years at as a shelter non-licensed vet tech. Worked both in surgery and in the wellness clinic (1,700+ hours)
- ER Overnight Veterinary assistant (72 hours)
- Travel Abroad in South Africa working with large animal exotics (240 hours)

Animal Experience:
- ER Client Services Representative (1300+ hours) (P.S: I put this as animal experience based on how VMCAS wants to you categorize experiences, that flow chart)
- Kennel Attendant at an animal shelter (200 hours)
- Showed a cow for the Dairy Show (80 hours)
- Cattery Volunteer at an animal shelter (170 hours)
- Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter (100 hours)
- Puppy Socialization Class Volunteer (15 hours)
- Group Volunteering at an animal shelter (72 hours)
- Large Animal Attendant (Cattle, Equine, Alpacas and Swine) (110 hours

Research:
- Swine Research Team (500+ hours)
- NLTP Fellowship Program at KSU CVM (320+ hours)
- Current Research Technologist working with mouse models at my Alma Mater (80 hours declared on VMCAS, 809 actual hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Member of the Greek Orthodox Youth Association since 2014 until I graduated HS in 2020 (3000-4000 hours of various volunteer work)
- For my 20th birthday, I held a 12hr long livestream in an effort to raise money for PAWS Philly. I raised $700+ (12 hours)
- Member of the Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority
- Professional Development Chair for the sorority (1 year term)
- Social Chair of the Pre-Vet Club (1 year-ish term)
- Vice-President of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- Secretary of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- President of the Paws and Claws Club (1 year)
- Member of the One Health Club
- Dean's list (2 semesters)
- Outstanding club award for Paws and Claws when I was president
- Scholarships throughout my undergrad

Non-Animal Employment:
- (HS) Cashier at local produce store (1200+ hours)
- (HS) Lifeguard (270 hours)
- Front of House at Pizzeria (502 hours)

LORs:
- Medical Director/Veterinarian of the shelter I worked for
- Biochemistry Professor
- Undergrad Academic Advisor
- Advisor from Fellowship Program

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement: I wrote about how important veterinarians are in work beyond just caring for animals and how despite my evolving interests and growing into the person I am, one thing always remained, my determination to become a veterinarian. I discussed how I felt after a disappointing first cycle and how I embraced new opportunities in research and found my passion for One Health.
For CSU essays:
- For the first essay, I wrote about how the rise of foreign animal and zoonotic disease issues has kept me inspired to continue on this path.
- For the second essay, I wrote about how my diverse experiences growing up in a different country, traveling while young, my travel abroad and fellowship experiences shaped me into the person I am today.
- For the MPH/DVM essay, I wrote about how two classes my senior year allowed me to make a connection with the first hand accounts I had with FMD in South Africa which lead to a curiosity for how everything is interconnected; leading me to uncover my love, appreciation and passion for One Health.
Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you! I’ve seen you in so many threads and I’m glad CSU saw your massive potential!
 
**LOW GPA APPLICANT, MULTIPLE CYCLES**

I thought 10,20,30 times over what my post here would look like. Would I be going somewhere I was super excited about? Would I see students in this thread who will soon be my classmates? I would have never imagined that I would have options! I am so thankful for this website and all the amazing people I've met on here! I'd like to say; don't ever give up on yourself. No dream is too big. I thought my GPA set me back and tortured myself thinking about all the things I could have done right in undergrad. There was a lot of doubt surrounding if I would get in and I had to think of plans B-Z incase this didn't work out. However, I always believed in myself and my abilities even when it felt like I shouldn't. Keep pushing, keep trying! Do not let your GPA stop you from chasing your dream. Find your passion within this field and get as much hands-on experience as you can. There is a place for you in this field! You got this future, DVM 🙂


22F, Pennsylvania, Traditional, 2nd time applying

1st Cycle (2023-2024):
St. George, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania, Royal Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, Lincoln Memorial University (All rejections, no interviews)

Applied: University of Arizona, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania (IS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Interview Invites: Ross University, University of Arizona
Waiting to hear: University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Accepted: Ross University, Colorado State University (MPH/DVM)
Attending: TBD!

Overall GPA:
3.11 VMCAS
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.4 - 3.7 depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: 3.0-ish? (Poor junior year with an upward trajectory senior year + post-grad)

GRE (Q/V/W): Did not take!

Degree(s): B.S in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Veterinary Experience:
- 2 1/2 years at as a shelter non-licensed vet tech. Worked both in surgery and in the wellness clinic (1,700+ hours)
- ER Overnight Veterinary assistant (72 hours)
- Travel Abroad in South Africa working with large animal exotics (240 hours)

Animal Experience:
- ER Client Services Representative (1300+ hours) (P.S: I put this as animal experience based on how VMCAS wants to you categorize experiences, that flow chart)
- Kennel Attendant at an animal shelter (200 hours)
- Showed a cow for the Dairy Show (80 hours)
- Cattery Volunteer at an animal shelter (170 hours)
- Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter (100 hours)
- Puppy Socialization Class Volunteer (15 hours)
- Group Volunteering at an animal shelter (72 hours)
- Large Animal Attendant (Cattle, Equine, Alpacas and Swine) (110 hours

Research:
- Swine Research Team (500+ hours)
- NLTP Fellowship Program at KSU CVM (320+ hours)
- Current Research Technologist working with mouse models at my Alma Mater (80 hours declared on VMCAS, 809 actual hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Member of the Greek Orthodox Youth Association since 2014 until I graduated HS in 2020 (3000-4000 hours of various volunteer work)
- For my 20th birthday, I held a 12hr long livestream in an effort to raise money for PAWS Philly. I raised $700+ (12 hours)
- Member of the Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority
- Professional Development Chair for the sorority (1 year term)
- Social Chair of the Pre-Vet Club (1 year-ish term)
- Vice-President of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- Secretary of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- President of the Paws and Claws Club (1 year)
- Member of the One Health Club
- Dean's list (2 semesters)
- Outstanding club award for Paws and Claws when I was president
- Scholarships throughout my undergrad

Non-Animal Employment:
- (HS) Cashier at local produce store (1200+ hours)
- (HS) Lifeguard (270 hours)
- Front of House at Pizzeria (502 hours)

LORs:
- Medical Director/Veterinarian of the shelter I worked for
- Biochemistry Professor
- Undergrad Academic Advisor
- Advisor from Fellowship Program

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement: I wrote about how important veterinarians are in work beyond just caring for animals and how despite my evolving interests and growing into the person I am, one thing always remained, my determination to become a veterinarian. I discussed how I felt after a disappointing first cycle and how I embraced new opportunities in research and found my passion for One Health.
For CSU essays:
- For the first essay, I wrote about how the rise of foreign animal and zoonotic disease issues has kept me inspired to continue on this path.
- For the second essay, I wrote about how my diverse experiences growing up in a different country, traveling while young, my travel abroad and fellowship experiences shaped me into the person I am today.
- For the MPH/DVM essay, I wrote about how two classes my senior year allowed me to make a connection with the first hand accounts I had with FMD in South Africa which lead to a curiosity for how everything is interconnected; leading me to uncover my love, appreciation and passion for One Health.
Congrats!!!! I am rooting for your UofA acceptance too!!! Would love to have more research focused DVMs !!!
 
**LOW GPA APPLICANT, MULTIPLE CYCLES**

I thought 10,20,30 times over what my post here would look like. Would I be going somewhere I was super excited about? Would I see students in this thread who will soon be my classmates? I would have never imagined that I would have options! I am so thankful for this website and all the amazing people I've met on here! I'd like to say; don't ever give up on yourself. No dream is too big. I thought my GPA set me back and tortured myself thinking about all the things I could have done right in undergrad. There was a lot of doubt surrounding if I would get in and I had to think of plans B-Z incase this didn't work out. However, I always believed in myself and my abilities even when it felt like I shouldn't. Keep pushing, keep trying! Do not let your GPA stop you from chasing your dream. Find your passion within this field and get as much hands-on experience as you can. There is a place for you in this field! You got this future DVM!! 🙂


22F, Pennsylvania, Traditional, 2nd time applying

1st Cycle (2023-2024):
St. George, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania, Royal Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, Lincoln Memorial University (All rejections, no interviews)

1st Cycle (Continued) In SP 2024 was reconsidered for SGU Jan 2025 start, instead was accepted into the VTP program (declined).

2nd Cycle Applied: University of Arizona, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania (IS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Interview Invites: Ross University, University of Arizona
Waiting to hear: University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Accepted: Ross University, Colorado State University (MPH/DVM)
Attending: TBD!

Overall GPA:
3.11 VMCAS
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.4 - 3.7 depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: 3.0-ish? (Poor junior year with an upward trajectory senior year + post-grad)

GRE (Q/V/W): Did not take!

Degree(s): B.S in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Veterinary Experience:
- 2 1/2 years at as a shelter non-licensed vet tech. Worked both in surgery and in the wellness clinic (1,700+ hours)
- ER Overnight Veterinary assistant (72 hours)
- Travel Abroad in South Africa working with large animal exotics (240 hours)

Animal Experience:
- ER Client Services Representative (1300+ hours) (P.S: I put this as animal experience based on how VMCAS wants to you categorize experiences, that flow chart)
- Kennel Attendant at an animal shelter (200 hours)
- Showed a cow for the Dairy Show (80 hours)
- Cattery Volunteer at an animal shelter (170 hours)
- Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter (100 hours)
- Puppy Socialization Class Volunteer (15 hours)
- Group Volunteering at an animal shelter (72 hours)
- Large Animal Attendant (Cattle, Equine, Alpacas and Swine) (110 hours

Research:
- Swine Research Team (500+ hours)
- NLTP Fellowship Program at KSU CVM (320+ hours)
- Current Research Technologist working with mouse models at my Alma Mater (80 hours declared on VMCAS, 809 actual hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Member of the Greek Orthodox Youth Association since 2014 until I graduated HS in 2020 (3000-4000 hours of various volunteer work)
- For my 20th birthday, I held a 12hr long livestream in an effort to raise money for PAWS Philly. I raised $700+ (12 hours)
- Member of the Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority
- Professional Development Chair for the sorority (1 year term)
- Social Chair of the Pre-Vet Club (1 year-ish term)
- Vice-President of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- Secretary of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- President of the Paws and Claws Club (1 year)
- Member of the One Health Club
- Dean's list (2 semesters)
- Outstanding club award for Paws and Claws when I was president
- Scholarships throughout my undergrad

Non-Animal Employment:
- (HS) Cashier at local produce store (1200+ hours)
- (HS) Lifeguard (270 hours)
- Front of House at Pizzeria (502 hours)

LORs:
- Medical Director/Veterinarian of the shelter I worked for
- Biochemistry Professor
- Undergrad Academic Advisor
- Advisor from Fellowship Program

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement: I wrote about how important veterinarians are in work beyond just caring for animals and how despite my evolving interests and growing into the person I am, one thing always remained, my determination to become a veterinarian. I discussed how I felt after a disappointing first cycle and how I embraced new opportunities in research and found my passion for One Health.
For CSU essays:
- For the first essay, I wrote about how the rise of foreign animal and zoonotic disease issues has kept me inspired to continue on this path.
- For the second essay, I wrote about how my diverse experiences growing up in a different country, traveling while young, my travel abroad and fellowship experiences shaped me into the person I am today.
- For the MPH/DVM essay, I wrote about how two classes my senior year allowed me to make a connection with the first hand accounts I had with FMD in South Africa which lead to a curiosity for how everything is interconnected; leading me to uncover my love, appreciation and passion for One Health.
Congratulations vampyrica!!!! I’ve seen you on so many threads this cycle and I wish you the best wherever you decide to go.
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
28, F, Georgia, somewhat Non-traditional, First time applying

Applied: UGA, CSU, UT, NCSU, UC Davis, UW Madison, Oregon State
Interview Invites: None -- rejected from UC Davis, Oregon State, NCSU, and UT. CSU and UGA do not perform interviews as part of their processes.
Waiting to hear: UGA (last week of February) and UW Madison (March)
**edit: ACCEPTED to UGA and rejected from UW Madison**
Accepted: CSU
and UGA!!
Attending: UGA ♡

Overall GPA: 3.56
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.72 (Baccalaureate Science GPA: 3.42; Post-Baccalaureate Science GPA: 4.00)
Last 45 GPA: 4.00
  • Note: My GPA when I graduated from UF was 3.2 (I struggled with my mental health significantly during this time. Finishing with a 3.2 was an accomplishment in and of itself given what I was going through).
  • As a post-baccalaureate at UTC, I maintained a 4.0 for the four semesters I took the prereqs for vet school.
GRE (Q/V/W): N/A

Degree(s):
-University of Florida c/o 2018: BA in Anthropology with a certificate in Medical Anthropology
-Attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a post-baccalaureate student to finish the pre-requisites for vet school from June 2023-December 2024

Certifications:
-Fear Free Certified Vet Professional since 2021
-RECOVER CPR BLS and ALS Certified Rescuer since April 2024


Veterinary Experience (most recent listed first):
-Senior vet assistant at SA GP/Urgent care clinic x 3 years - ~4000 hrs
-Vet assistant at SA GP x 2 years - ~3700 hrs
-Volunteer at humane society spay/neuter event - 10 hrs
-Shadowing/Volunteer at SA GP clinic - 75 hrs

Animal Experience:
-Obedience club (dog training courses) volunteer - 12 hrs
-Humane society volunteer dog walker - 240 hrs
-United States Pony Club member/volunteer - ~800 hrs

Research:
-Undergraduate research assistant in biophysics - ~250 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
-Rock climbing - ~500 hrs
-Track club member - ~250 hrs
-(Other) running club member - ~600 hrs
-Equestrian sports: Dressage and Eventing - I've done this all my life since I was 4 y/o
-HS XC and Track varsity runner - ~392 hrs
-Two scholarships - one small, the other major
-Dean's List at UTC the entire time I attended
-Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at UF
-President's honor roll the last 3 semesters at UF

Non-Animal Employment/Volunteering:
-ScribeAmerica Medical scribe in human ER - ~3600 hrs
-Administrative assistant at local lawn care/pest-control business - 1440 hrs
-Server at restaurant - ~1500 hrs
-Elementary and middle school volunteer student mentor - ~112 hrs
-Student volunteer at UF Health Shands (major human hospital in Gainesville FL) - ~240 hrs

LORs:
  1. Veterinarian
  2. Veterinarian
  3. Veterinarian
  4. PhD -- Research Supervisor

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Personal Statement: I wrote about my experience with the human-animal bond, seeing its value, and how it informed the way I approach my job as a vet assistant as well as how preserving the bond is my favorite part of my job. I used personal anecdotes to convey this. I also emphasized my interest in the one health concept.

CSU Supplemental App:
For the "What drives you to pursue a DVM degree in the face of the challenges of vet med" question I wrote about wanting to opportunity to see my interventions for a sick and suffering animal improve both their qol as well as their owner's. I wrote that animals are the essence of humanity and their health cannot be separated from our own. I also discussed vets as advocates of public health, food safety, human and animal welfare, research, epidemiology, etc -- touching on their roles/importance.

For the "how can you contribute to our program" question I discussed my struggles with PDD (persistent depressive disorder) and GAD and how having overcome those obstacles with my mental health has informed my desire to support my future classmates and colleagues to do the same. This topic is especially close to my heart because of how common struggling with mental health is in the veterinary profession.

I also wrote a special circumstance essay providing more details of my history of mental health struggles, how I overcame them, and what I learned/how it will make me a better veterinarian.

***YOU CAN DO IT! For many years I thought I was not good enough or smart enough to be a veterinarian (mostly due to my mental health). It took me six years after I graduated undergrad to heal myself, to start believing in myself, to recognize how intelligent and capable I am, and to confront what I truly wanted to contribute to the world through my profession. I was able to work as a VA for 5 years and gained invaluable clinical skills and knowledge as well as have the most wonderful DVMs/VMD as mentors. RESILIENCY was the common theme of my application. It was a long road but it was meant to be this way. I am so ready to handle the rigors of vet school and to be an excellent, compassionate, skilled veterinarian. <3 🙂
 
Last edited:
*** Low GPA, Non-trad adult, no Bachelors ***

For everyone who came from a difficult, unsupportive background, or who thinks they aren’t smart enough or good enough, or who believes they’ll never make it… YOU CAN. Identify your weak spots in your application, acknowledge it, put a plan of action into place, and then turn it into a strength. Be PROUD of overcoming something, resiliency doesn’t come from endless 4.0s and awards, it comes from literally failing (sometimes more than once), or being utterly alone, or not having any money to afford textbooks and food at the same time. Sometimes you take really slow steps, and that’s perfectly fine. You don’t know what influential experiences will come your way during your detours. Embrace your journey, even if you’re ashamed of it at times, because later on you’ll look back and say “I freaking did that!”

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
36 / F / TX resident (originally from the East Coast) / Extremely non-traditional / First application cycle.
Applied IS only this cycle due to husband's job. Genuinely believed I'd have to apply a second or third cycle.

Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M (unless something nuts happens).

Overall GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.09 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.24
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.4 something
Lowest point ever: 1.7 in 2016!
Science Prerequisite GPA: TMDSAS calculated 3.29 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.44
Lowest point prior to 2024: 2.9 something
Last 45 GPA: 3.83 at the time of application.
At the time of acceptance: 3.85
*I attacked my academic deficiencies by purposefully overloading myself each semester, 6 classes in Spring 2024, 5 in Summer 2024, and 6 in Fall 2024. I took a total of 54 credit hours in the entire 2024 span and received two Bs, the rest As. I finished the fall 2024 semester with a 4.0.

CASPer: 4th quartile

Degree(s): Associates of Science (Graduating summer 2025 with Honors). Attained my CVT through an alternate pathway in 2021.

Veterinary Experience:
25,000+ (underestimated). Full time employment in the veterinary field with no breaks since 2007 (I am working 30 hours a week and have done so throughout 2024). I worked with small animals/exotics in general practice from 2007-2014, and then exclusively in specialty private practice and academia.
Leadership experience: Surgery lead of a two-DACVS department for 2 years. I left that practice for the opportunity to work with a boarded cardiologist and led that service for 4 years.

Animal Experience:
25,000+ (owning horses, dogs, fish, hamsters for 25+ years).
Kennel worker for 2 years during/after high school.
Barn worker during high school and into adulthood (feeding, cleaning stalls, etc).
Have a 16.5 year old dog (she’s my heart pup both spiritually and literally lol) with chronic lung disease/heart failure that I’ve had since she was a puppy. Our other senior pup has heart disease and a myriad of other issues.
I have owned 2 horses, I competed in 4H with my OTTB as a teenager and had him into my early 20s (he passed in 2011). My current horse has severe equine asthma requiring specialized care.
Volunteering with a therapeutic riding center
Volunteered for animal shelters (fostering kittens, walking dogs)
Volunteered one year at Rolex Kentucky as a jump judge
Blood donor

Research:
750 with horses at an academic teaching hospital

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Honors College member Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
Phi Theta Kappa member 2024-2025
Merit Scholarship recipient Fall 2024 and Spring 2025
RECOVER BLS & ALS certification current through June 2025

Non-Animal Employment:
Kohls, seasonal worker in 2006

LORs:
Dual letter: DACVIM (Cardiology) and a DACVIM, practice owners from my current job.
Spring 2024 biology professor (she has a Masters)
Spring/Fall 2024 math professor (he has a Masters, and is in a math PhD program).

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement, I wrote about my childhood and how it taught me resilience and gratitude, and how the support system one cultivates in adulthood is sometimes better than you can even dream of. I tried to convey how much I love the profession, and how my journey along a winding road taught me lessons about myself personally and professionally.
For the personal characteristics essay I discussed notable athletes who have redefined their sports while performing their best at an “unprecedented age” to highlight that my age is one of my biggest assets. I also discussed a challenging summer and how it helped me refocus my attention on my family as well as school instead of just tunnel-vision on my academics.
For my unique experiences essay (optional) I highlighted my professional and personal path and how it’s prepared me in ways for vet school without going through it firsthand. Ex: Working at a large teaching hospital helped me see the behind the scenes / clinical exposure the students get.
For meaningful experiences, I mentioned that the biggest hurdle this year has been literally re-learning how to learn, and how I’ve been patient with myself during my struggles (Gen Chem 2 can take a long walk off a short pier).
I also completed an explanation statement on the supplemental application to explain my previously poor grades and the steps I’ve taken to improve as a student. I highlighted my excellent GPA through 2024, my admission to my 2 year school’s highly regarded Honors program, and specified study tactics and approaches that have worked for me along with how I am always open minded to new methods when I’m struggling (YouTube is a gold mine for study techniques).
You are amazing ❤️
 
22, Female, Colorado (IS California), nontraditional, Applied once

Applied: CSU, UC Davis, Kansas, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois (declined)
Waiting to hear: None!
Accepted: Washington, UC Davis, CSU (MPH/DVM), Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Attending: Colorado State!! GO RAMS!🐏

Overall GPA: 4.00
Science Prerequisite GPA: 4.00
Last 45 GPA: 4.00

Degree(s): BS in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Microbiology and Infectious Disease, minor in Military Sciences

Veterinary Experience:

Small Animal GP (intern)-285 hrs
Small Animal GP/UC/exotics- 2000 hrs
Large animal (bovine) shadowing- 16 hrs

Animal Experience:

Horseback Riding- 1000hrs

Research:

Parasite Microbiome and primer design- 42 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards:

Undergraduate Learning Assistant-237 hrs
ROTC volunteering-66 hrs
Scientific Outreach Volunteer- 11hrs
ROTC club- 216 hrs
Parasitology Lab Volunteer- 44hrs

Awards:

Three separate ROTC awards
Dean’s list
Minute Man Scholarship
Distinguished Military Graduate

Non-Animal Employment:
Army Reservist Carpenter- 4784 hrs
Resident Assistant- 1480 hrs
SMP Cadet- 166 hrs

LORs:
  • Two Veterinarians (one that I worked with years ago as well as someone more recent to show continuity)
  • Army Reserve Veterinary Unit Commander (also a DVM)
  • Professor (DVM, DACVM-Parasit, PhD)
  • Supervisor from my Resident Assistant Job
  • Instructor/Advisor that I TA’d for for 3 years
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:

PS:


I talked a lot about my low-income background and how I used the military to be able to escape poverty. I discussed my non-linear journey to college and my passion to be able to give back to the vulnerable communities I was raised in.

DEI:

A lot of these were the same! I talked about my experience as a first generation American, and the profiling my family experienced in vet med when I was little. Discussed how I wanted to be the change by bringing my unique experiences to the table.

MPH/DVM:

I discussed my passion for public health and the necessity of having this degree as a military veterinarian.

I would like to follow this up by mentioning that to those students who have come from disadvantaged backgrounds- IT IS POSSIBLE! It will not be easy, but you can do it. I grew up as a low-income first-gen American. My mom and I survived off of food banks. I was a fairly non-impressive student coming out of HS and I wasn’t even competitive enough for my major at CSU (I was outright denied entry into the Biomedical Sciences program, I was only admitted after deferring for a year). I showed up to my first day at CSU with a bag of clothes and all of my army gear. I didn’t even have a pillow. All of this goes to show that it IS possible to break a cycle. You can do this 🙂
 
Last edited:
**LOW GPA APPLICANT, MULTIPLE CYCLES**

I thought 10,20,30 times over what my post here would look like. Would I be going somewhere I was super excited about? Would I see students in this thread who will soon be my classmates? I would have never imagined that I would have options! I am so thankful for this website and all the amazing people I've met on here! I'd like to say; don't ever give up on yourself. No dream is too big. I thought my GPA set me back and tortured myself thinking about all the things I could have done right in undergrad. There was a lot of doubt surrounding if I would get in and I had to think of plans B-Z incase this didn't work out. However, I always believed in myself and my abilities even when it felt like I shouldn't. Keep pushing, keep trying! Do not let your GPA stop you from chasing your dream. Find your passion within this field and get as much hands-on experience as you can. There is a place for you in this field! You got this future DVM!! 🙂


22F, Pennsylvania, Traditional, 2nd time applying

1st Cycle (2023-2024):
St. George, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania, Royal Veterinary College, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, Cornell University, Colorado
State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois, Lincoln Memorial University (All rejections, no interviews)

1st Cycle (Continued) In SP 2024 was reconsidered for SGU Jan 2025 start, instead was accepted into the FTV program (declined).

2nd Cycle Applied: University of Arizona, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Missouri, Kansas State University, Ross University, University of Pennsylvania (IS), University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Interview Invites: Ross University, University of Arizona
Waiting to hear: University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Accepted: Ross University, Colorado State University (MPH/DVM)
Attending: TBD!

Overall GPA:
3.11 VMCAS
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.4 - 3.7 depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: 3.0-ish? (Poor junior year with an upward trajectory senior year + post-grad)

GRE (Q/V/W): Did not take!

Degree(s): B.S in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Veterinary Experience:
- 2 1/2 years at as a shelter non-licensed vet tech. Worked both in surgery and in the wellness clinic (1,700+ hours)
- ER Overnight Veterinary assistant (72 hours)
- Travel Abroad in South Africa working with large animal exotics (240 hours)

Animal Experience:
- ER Client Services Representative (1300+ hours) (P.S: I put this as animal experience based on how VMCAS wants to you categorize experiences, that flow chart)
- Kennel Attendant at an animal shelter (200 hours)
- Showed a cow for the Dairy Show (80 hours)
- Cattery Volunteer at an animal shelter (170 hours)
- Kennel Volunteer at an animal shelter (100 hours)
- Puppy Socialization Class Volunteer (15 hours)
- Group Volunteering at an animal shelter (72 hours)
- Large Animal Attendant (Cattle, Equine, Alpacas and Swine) (110 hours

Research:
- Swine Research Team (500+ hours)
- NLTP Fellowship Program at KSU CVM (320+ hours)
- Current Research Technologist working with mouse models at my Alma Mater (80 hours declared on VMCAS, 809 actual hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Member of the Greek Orthodox Youth Association since 2014 until I graduated HS in 2020 (3000-4000 hours of various volunteer work)
- For my 20th birthday, I held a 12hr long livestream in an effort to raise money for PAWS Philly. I raised $700+ (12 hours)
- Member of the Sigma Alpha Professional Agricultural Sorority
- Professional Development Chair for the sorority (1 year term)
- Social Chair of the Pre-Vet Club (1 year-ish term)
- Vice-President of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- Secretary of the Multicultural Club (1 year)
- President of the Paws and Claws Club (1 year)
- Member of the One Health Club
- Dean's list (2 semesters)
- Outstanding club award for Paws and Claws when I was president
- Scholarships throughout my undergrad

Non-Animal Employment:
- (HS) Cashier at local produce store (1200+ hours)
- (HS) Lifeguard (270 hours)
- Front of House at Pizzeria (502 hours)

LORs:
- Medical Director/Veterinarian of the shelter I worked for
- Biochemistry Professor
- Undergrad Academic Advisor
- Advisor from Fellowship Program

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
For my personal statement: I wrote about how important veterinarians are in work beyond just caring for animals and how despite my evolving interests and growing into the person I am, one thing always remained, my determination to become a veterinarian. I discussed how I felt after a disappointing first cycle and how I embraced new opportunities in research and found my passion for One Health.
For CSU essays:
- For the first essay, I wrote about how the rise of foreign animal and zoonotic disease issues has kept me inspired to continue on this path.
- For the second essay, I wrote about how my diverse experiences growing up in a different country, traveling while young, my travel abroad and fellowship experiences shaped me into the person I am today.
- For the MPH/DVM essay, I wrote about how two classes my senior year allowed me to make a connection with the first hand accounts I had with FMD in South Africa which lead to a curiosity for how everything is interconnected; leading me to uncover my love, appreciation and passion for One Health.
Congrats I’m super happy for you, you’re gonna be a vet!! 🥳🥳
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
23, male, Louisiana, Traditional, 2nd cycle.

Applied: LSU, LMU, Miss State, Oklahoma, AZ, VA-Maryland
Interview Invites: 2
Waiting to hear: 1
Accepted: LSU, OOS alternate Oklahoma
Attending: LSU

Overall GPA: 3.45
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.8
Last 45 GPA: 3.8

GRE (Q/V/W):
x (%) / y (%) / z (%)
(If applicable)

Degree(s): Animal Science Bachelors

Veterinary Experience:

3500 (large and small)

Animal Experience:
6000 (large and small, poultry/food animal)

Research:
200

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Listed a significant high school award based on character, college awards listed Presidents/Deans list, AG Honor Society officer 2x, various scholarships, worked part time on campus in Ag Department freshman year through graduation (large animal)

Non-Animal Employment:
N/A

LORs:
Academic Advisor/Professor
Professor
3 veterinarians I worked under
1 vet I shadowed

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
PS: How I came to choose this profession and why- kept that short and simple. My ability to persevere, why I know I have what it takes to be a vet.


Last edited: Jan 10, 2025
 
Didn't know if I'd be posting here this round. Super stoked to say I made it. Congrats everyone!

M 21 OH, Traditional applicant, # of times you've applied: FIRST TIME!!

Applied: OSU, Ms State, Mich State, Purdue, Illinois, UF, Mizzou, ISU, LMU
Interview Invites: LMU, Mizzou, (ISU doesn't interview)
Waiting to hear: ISU atm
Accepted:LMU
Attending: Waiting to hear back from ISU atm

Overall GPA: 3.82
Science Prerequisite GPA: Unsure. ISU puts me at 3.73
Last 45 GPA: ISU reports 3.8

Degree(s): Animal Science with Pre-Vet emphasis, Biology (dual major)

Veterinary Experience:

Experience - 1500 from multiple places at application. Now close to 1800.
1 Small Animal GP - 490
1 Small and Exotic GP - 640
1 Small Animal Emergency Room - 340
Food Animal Handling class - 32
Equine Handling class - 32

Animal Experience:
Barn Duty Assistant at my college - 30 hours

Most of my animal experience was focused in my employment. Being a student and gathering hours for your career without compensation is hard.

Research:
Experience - 0
Not for lack of trying. I asked many professors and being a small, private school a lot of them don't get paid enough / don't have the resources to do proper research.

Extracurriculars/Awards:
Dean's List every semester
Applied for a Scholarship and won in High School
High School Prom King Scholarship
High School Honors Diploma

Lots of clubs. I was officer in 4 at one point. Collectively easily over 1000 hours. Some of the ones I included involved:
Choir - sophomore year I went with my choir to Czech Republic on a "concert tour" through Prague
Habitat for Humanity - freshman year I went with H4H to Starkville, MS to build a house
UNITED - My college's gay-straight alliance. I held an officer position my sophomore and senior year. We hosted a drag show each year and advocated for LGBTQ+ rights on our campus
High School Choirs, Theatre, and Sports were included as well
High School Junior and Senior Class VP

Couldn't tell you how many hours. Over 1000 easily, especially if you count the Choir trip. This was by far the most fun I had in high school and college and where I enjoyed building my application

Non-Animal Employment:
Crappy jobs I held in high school were put here. A drug store and a kitchen at a local bar, both in my hometown. Close to 1000 hours clocked in here

LORs:
1 Vet from Small and Exotic GP
1 Supervisor from Small and Exotic GP
1 Vet from Small Animal GP
Academic Advisor
Choir Director

EXTRA:
FearFree certified
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Began my statement talking about how most of my childhood I was uncertain if I wanted to really be a veterinarian because we weren't allowed any pets in my household. My defining moment was touring my college's barn for the first time. Discussed how the previous year's virtual learning did not work for me and hands-on coursework was a dream come true.

Discussed reforming the types of patient care I saw when I worked in the ER and how I want to open my style of medicine to be more of a learning experience for staff and that I wouldn't pick favorites (obviously I used more involved language but that's a simpler way to put it).

Discussed widespread staff cooperation as a cornerstone of what I want for my clinic as a doctor, ended on elaborating on my passion for veterinary medicine. Explained how it takes a special form of empathy to become a veterinarian, and that I strive to be that person.

If anyone needs elaboration or has questions on any of this, feel free to DM me!
 
Last edited:
F 29 NC, Non-trad, first time applicant

Applied: NC State
Accepted: NC State
Attending: NC State, go pack!!!

Overall GPA: 3.74
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.80 (I think?)
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

Degree(s):

Communication of Science, BA, and MPH (focus on epidemiology)

Veterinary Experience: (1,600+ hours)
  • 1000+ hours as a vet assistant at small animal GP (exclusively on weekends as I work full-time during the week)
  • 600 hours as a veterinary receptionist for a small animal GP with occasional exotics
Animal Experience: (1,500+ hours)
  • ~500 as a lab animal attendant at medical research facility
  • ~1000 hours riding/caring for horses over the course of my life
Research: (2,000+ hours)
  • ~600 hours in my current job as a librarian assisting with systematic reviews, supporting research in general (assisting investigators throughout entire publishing process)
  • ~100 hours in a public health project as part of my practicum during my masters
  • ~350 hours working as clinical research coordinator at large cancer center
  • ~500 hours doing fish/aquatics related field work for a summer research program (in undergrad)
Extracurriculars/Awards:
  • Dean’s list every semester of undergrad
  • Outstanding new student scholarship for MPH first year
  • Didn’t do many extracurriculars in undergrad so I also used this space to list hobbies
Non-Animal Employment: (10,000+ hours)
  • Feb 22 to present - clinical librarian at health library at large academic medical center
  • June 21 to Feb 22 - public health analyst at non-profit consulting group
  • Aug 20 to April 21 - public health intern (started during practicum, employed after practicum ended)
  • May 18 to Aug 20 - clinical research coordinator in rad onc dept at large cancer hospital
  • In college I worked as an intramural referee and bookstore employee
Volunteering:
  • Was in the Peace Corps for 8 months after undergrad
  • Support for local NC org that provides books/reading material to people that are incarcerated (both financial and in-person work)
LORs:
  • 2 vets from GP that I currently work at
  • My supervisor at my current job
  • My academic advisor from my masters program
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
  • For the VMCAS prompt, I emphasized 3 traits about myself that were exemplified in things I’ve done at various jobs and how they fit well into being a veterinarian.
  • For the NC State specific prompt, I talked about how my job as a librarian has prepared me well for being a veterinarian and how my unique background can contribute to the profession.
  • I had at least 10 people read my essays - have as many people read them as possible!!

Still in shock and so thrilled to be able to post on this forum! I decided about 5 years ago that I wanted to go back to vet school. I struggled A LOT initially with finding a clinic where I could get experience hours - I didn’t want to quit my full-time job and sacrifice my salary/benefits. I ended up becoming a vet assistant at a clinic that was open on weekends. Be persistent!!! My full-time job also allowed me to take one class per semester for free using a tuition waiver and I finished up 6 of my pre-requisite classes that way. I only applied to NC State due to my partner’s work and because it would be the only financially feasible option for us right now. I am SO excited!! Feel free to DM me with any questions or if we will be classmates this fall 🙂
 
F 29 NC, Non-trad, first time applicant

Applied: NC State
Accepted: NC State
Attending: NC State, go pack!!!

Overall GPA: 3.74
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.80 (I think?)
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

Degree(s):

Communication of Science, BA, and MPH (focus on epidemiology)

Veterinary Experience: (1,600+ hours)
  • 1000+ hours as a vet assistant at small animal GP (exclusively on weekends as I work full-time during the week)
  • 600 hours as a veterinary receptionist for a small animal GP with occasional exotics
Animal Experience: (1,500+ hours)
  • ~500 as a lab animal attendant at medical research facility
  • ~1000 hours riding/caring for horses over the course of my life
Research: (2,000+ hours)
  • ~600 hours in my current job as a librarian assisting with systematic reviews, supporting research in general (assisting investigators throughout entire publishing process)
  • ~100 hours in a public health project as part of my practicum during my masters
  • ~350 hours working as clinical research coordinator at large cancer center
  • ~500 hours doing fish/aquatics related field work for a summer research program (in undergrad)
Extracurriculars/Awards:
  • Dean’s list every semester of undergrad
  • Outstanding new student scholarship for MPH first year
  • Didn’t do many extracurriculars in undergrad so I also used this space to list hobbies
Non-Animal Employment: (10,000+ hours)
  • Feb 22 to present - clinical librarian at health library at large academic medical center
  • June 21 to Feb 22 - public health analyst at non-profit consulting group
  • Aug 20 to April 21 - public health intern (started during practicum, employed after practicum ended)
  • May 18 to Aug 20 - clinical research coordinator in rad onc dept at large cancer hospital
  • In college I worked as an intramural referee and bookstore employee
Volunteering:
  • Was in the Peace Corps for 8 months after undergrad
  • Support for local NC org that provides books/reading material to people that are incarcerated (both financial and in-person work)
LORs:
  • 2 vets from GP that I currently work at
  • My supervisor at my current job
  • My academic advisor from my masters program
Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
  • For the VMCAS prompt, I emphasized 3 traits about myself that were exemplified in things I’ve done at various jobs and how they fit well into being a veterinarian.
  • For the NC State specific prompt, I talked about how my job as a librarian has prepared me well for being a veterinarian and how my unique background can contribute to the profession.
  • I had at least 10 people read my essays - have as many people read them as possible!!

Still in shock and so thrilled to be able to post on this forum! I decided about 5 years ago that I wanted to go back to vet school. I struggled A LOT initially with finding a clinic where I could get experience hours - I didn’t want to quit my full-time job and sacrifice my salary/benefits. I ended up becoming a vet assistant at a clinic that was open on weekends. Be persistent!!! My full-time job also allowed me to take one class per semester for free using a tuition waiver and I finished up 6 of my pre-requisite classes that way. I only applied to NC State due to my partner’s work and because it would be the only financially feasible option for us right now. I am SO excited!! Feel free to DM me with any questions or if we will be classmates this fall 🙂
Not classmates, but I have a similar story with only applying IS as a non-trad and making it work one way or another. Congratulations!!!
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
22y, F, Texas/USA, Traditional, 2nd time applying

Applied: Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Louisiana State University, NC State University, Oregon State University, Edinburgh, Bristol, Dublin, Royal Veterinary College
Interview Invites: Texas A&M, Edinburgh, Dublin, Royal Veterinary College
Waiting to hear: Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh (interviewing on 2/10)
Rejected: Texas A&M, Texas Tech, NC State
Waitlisted: Oregon State University
Accepted: Louisiana State University, Royal Veterinary College
Attending:
TBD!

Overall GPA: 3.71
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.63
Last 45 GPA: 3.58
CASPER: 4th quartile

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, Minor in Chemistry

Veterinary Experience: 3,600+ hours
• Trained OTJ veterinary room + surgery unlicensed technician - most of my hours
• Equine Hospital externship - 53 hrs
• Small animal ER shadow - ~12 hrs(?)
• Veterinary skills lab at TAMU VERO - 9 hrs
• Random labs held by university’s Pre-Vet club - 4 hrs
• Occasionally working cattle - 3 hrs
• Kennel technician/veterinary assistant - 1,574 hrs

Animal Experience: 720+ hours
• primarily pet sitting
• some volunteering at animal shelters (as dog trainer or regular volunteer)
• some hours in taking dogs out of shelters for the day to aid in adoption
• some at a neonate kitten rescue
• little at a wildlife refuge center
• some as a volunteer at a therapeutic riding center
• some for a horse production course

Research: None

Extracurriculars/Awards:

823 hrs:
• University’s Pre-Vet club member for entire undergrad
• Best Buddies social media officer for Fall 2023 semester
• Best Buddies member since Sophomore year of high school
• High school AP art student
• Youth cheerleader coach during high school
• 2700 hrs of high school cheerleading (pep rallies, football & basketball games, youth camps, volunteering events, etc.)
• President’s List (4.0 for semester) x3
• Dean’s List (3.5 for semester) x2
• Presidential Scholarship for entire undergrad
• Fear Free Certificate

Non-Animal Employment: 102 hours
• Animal Anatomy Lab Learning Assistant - 102 hrs

LORs:
• Lead DVM and owner of practice
• Associate DVM
• Animal Anatomy Professor
• Hospital Manager

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
I wrote about my dog’s tragic accident as a puppy that caused her to break her maxilla, and how I remained calm and triaged her as my family was in shock. I touched on how I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but this specific incident made me realize I had several characteristics necessary for a veterinarian. I explained how I then found a job at a clinic, became a kennel tech, promoted to room vet (unlicensed) tech, then sx (unlicensed) tech. I explained how my dog's incident and others I've experienced through vet med has pushed me to explore critical care/neonatal.

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!! WE ARE GOING TO BE VETS!
 
****LOW GPA APPLICANT****

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
25, F, Alabama, Non-traditional, second-time applicant

Applied: Auburn (IS), Minnesota, VMCVM, Mississippi
Interview Invites: Auburn, Minnesota, VMCM, Mississippi (Declined Interview)
Waiting to hear: VMCVM
Accepted: Minnesota, Auburn
Attending: Auburn!! 🧡💙

Overall GPA: 3.35
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.32 or 4.00 (Depending on School)
Last 45 GPA: 4.00

Degree(s):
  • Associate of Science: Biology - Community College
  • Bachelor of Science: Microbiology from Auburn University (May 2025)

Veterinary Experience: 4,758 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Fear-Free Small Animal GP - 645 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Large GP Small Animal Hospital - 493 Hrs
  • Lead Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Overnight Veterinary Assistant - Surgical Specialist - 100 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Rural Mixed Animal GP - 910 Hrs
Animal Experience: 330 Hrs
  • Raptor Rehabilitation Assistant - 22 Hrs
  • Equine Care Assistant at Therapeutic Horseback Program - 136 Hrs
  • Cattle Handling Lab - 3 Hrs
  • Dog Walker - 25 Hrs
  • Kennel Technician at Companion Animal GP - 144 Hrs
Research: 348 Hrs at time of application - now ~1008 Hrs
  • Undergraduate Researcher in a Virology Lab - 240 Hrs (~900 Hrs now) - talked about my research a LOT in my interviews
  • Undergraduate Research Assistant in an Immunology Lab - 108 Hrs
Non-Animal Employment: 4,624 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cashier - 464 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cook - 400 Hrs
  • Server/Bartender - 1600 Hrs
  • Lead Server - 2160 Hrs
Extracurriculars: 3,466 Hrs
  • Community College Athlete (Soccer) - 1008 Hrs
  • Pre-vet Club Member - 70 Hrs
  • Neuroscience Club Member - 10 Hrs
  • Microbiology Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Genetics Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Team Captain of High SchoolVarsity Soccer Team - 900 Hrs
  • Varsity Cross Country Runner - 168 Hrs
  • Raider Team Member - 150 Hrs
  • High School Varsity Soccer Member - 700 Hrs
  • JROTC in High School - 420 Hrs
Awards:
  • Tau Sigma Honor Society
  • National Society of Leadership and Success
  • Dean's List/President's List x6
  • Outstanding Chemistry Student Award at Community College
  • Outstanding Physics Award at Community College
  • Graduated w/ Highest Honors for my Associate of Science
  • Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
  • Nominated for the Husky Award by my clinic
  • Presidential Honors on my Veterinary Assistant Certification
  • Academic Transfer Scholarship
  • Athletic/Academic Community College Scholarship
  • Multiple All-Academic and Distinguished Academic All-State Awards in Soccer at My Community College
  • Hustle Award - CC Soccer
  • Offensive Player of the Year - High School Soccer
  • School Record for Women's Cross-Country Run Time - High School
  • Various Ribbons and Awards Earned in JROTC
LORs:
  • DVM - Practice Owner; Small Animal GP
  • Cellular/Molecular Biology Professor
  • PI for my Research Lab
  • DVM - Medical Director; Companion Animal Urgent Care
  • UPO of my College and Former PI

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
**I slaved over these essays all summer. I wrote so many drafts and had so many people look at and critique my essays. I used my pre-health advisors at my University, the doctors at my practice, my husband, my mom, my friends, my professors, and the amazing group of people who offered their time and advice on the "Personal Statement Readers Thread"!!! - Seriously though, I easily spent over 100+ hours working on just my essays alone - this doesn't include the time I spent trying to describe my experiences in less than 600 characters 🥲***


For my personal statement, I wrote about how my need to step back from my education early on in my college career allowed me to gain a real-world perspective in veterinary medicine and how I fell in love with the diagnostic aspects of the field. I talked about a particularly complex case that made me want to know more about the physiological processes of disease management and progression. I tied this into returning to college to pursue veterinary medicine and seeking out research opportunities in a lab that focused on viral pathogenesis. I emphasized the hands-on experience, perspective, and critical-thinking skills that my various life experiences had helped me develop.

Minnesota Essay Questions:

For the diversity essay, I discussed my low-income background and how my family relied on community-based veterinary programs to care for our pets. This gave me a unique perspective when interacting with clients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, I mentioned my interest in volunteering in similar programs and how I would contribute to these programs.

For the other two essays on competencies, I just used examples from my experiences where I was able to showcase these competencies, such as an emergency with a patient with labored breathing and how I managed the situation and delegated tasks to my team to enhance the patient's outcome, dealing with a rude guest as a waitress, and more.


Other Essays/Explanation Statement:

I wrote a lot about the various failures and challenges that I have overcome in my life. When I was 19, I was thrown into a very abrupt financial hardship while I was in school full-time and had to work 40+ hours/week as a waitress to pay for my rent and bills. I am a first-generation college student, and I did not know anything about withdrawing from classes; I didn't know who to reach out to for help, and I honestly just stopped going to class. I had no time-management skills, and as a result, I failed out of college in Spring 2019. I have 4 F's and 6 D's on my Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 transcripts. I did not think that I would ever be able to get into vet school after that. I started taking online veterinary technician courses so that I could still work full-time while taking courses toward licensing. After about three years of working two jobs, one as a waitress and one as a veterinary assistant, I was finally financially stable enough to go back to school. I was determined as hell and started full-time as a sophomore in college at 23 years old. I maintained a 4.00 GPA every semester, retook all the courses that I had failed, gained new experiences with different species and different disciplines, and became heavily involved in research. I talked about how I grew more from my failures than anything else and how struggling and pushing through changes and obstacles always resulted in a new perspective and new personal growth.

---

I worked so hard to get here today, and I am honestly still in shock about actually being accepted to veterinary school, especially receiving multiple offers! Please know that coming back from a severe academic setback is possible - for me, applying smart was definitely the only reason I received so many interviews. I applied to schools that utilized grade replacement and put an emphasis on seeing upward trends in GPA; the only exception to this was my in-state school (Auburn). I genuinely doubted myself extensively throughout this entire process, I was blown away to have been offered interviews at all four schools that I applied to and being accepted to my top-choice school still does not feel real to me! This forum helped me a ton in seeing other's success stories and having people to talk about the stress that comes with waiting and interviews and more waiting. Thank you, guys, for being a part of my journey!! 🧡💙
 
Last edited:
****LOW GPA APPLICANT****

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
25, F, Alabama, Non-traditional, second-time applicant

Applied: Auburn (IS), Minnesota, VMCVM, Mississippi
Interview Invites: Auburn, Minnesota, VMCM, Mississippi (Just Withdrew Application)
Waiting to hear: Auburn, VMCVM (Pretty sure I will not receive an offer for VMCVM as my MMI interview was AWFUL, and that is the only thing they score for final admission decisions)
Accepted: Minnesota!!
Attending: More than likely Minnesota!!!!! ♥️

Overall GPA
: 3.35
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.32 or 4.00 (Depending on School)
Last 45 GPA: 4.00

Degree(s):
  • Associate of Science: Biology - Community College
  • Bachelor of Science: Microbiology from Auburn University (May 2025)

Veterinary Experience: 4,758 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Fear-Free Small Animal GP - 645 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Large GP Small Animal Hospital - 493 Hrs
  • Lead Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Overnight Veterinary Assistant - Surgical Specialist - 100 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Rural Mixed Animal GP - 910 Hrs
Animal Experience: 330 Hrs
  • Raptor Rehabilitation Assistant - 22 Hrs
  • Equine Care Assistant at Therapeutic Horseback Program - 136 Hrs
  • Cattle Handling Lab - 3 Hrs
  • Dog Walker - 25 Hrs
  • Kennel Technician at Companion Animal GP - 144 Hrs
Research: 348 Hrs at time of application - now ~1008 Hrs
  • Undergraduate Researcher in a Virology Lab - 240 Hrs (~900 Hrs now) - talked about my research a LOT in my interviews
  • Undergraduate Research Assistant in an Immunology Lab - 108 Hrs
Non-Animal Employment: 4,624 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cashier - 464 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cook - 400 Hrs
  • Server/Bartender - 1600 Hrs
  • Lead Server - 2160 Hrs
Extracurriculars: 3,466 Hrs
  • Community College Athlete (Soccer) - 1008 Hrs
  • Pre-vet Club Member - 70 Hrs
  • Neuroscience Club Member - 10 Hrs
  • Microbiology Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Genetics Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Team Captain of High SchoolVarsity Soccer Team - 900 Hrs
  • Varsity Cross Country Runner - 168 Hrs
  • Raider Team Member - 150 Hrs
  • High School Varsity Soccer Member - 700 Hrs
  • JROTC in High School - 420 Hrs
Awards:
  • Tau Sigma Honor Society
  • National Society of Leadership and Success
  • Dean's List/President's List x6
  • Outstanding Chemistry Student Award at Community College
  • Outstanding Physics Award at Community College
  • Graduated w/ Highest Honors for my Associate of Science
  • Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
  • Nominated for the Husky Award by my clinic
  • Presidential Honors on my Veterinary Assistant Certification
  • Academic Transfer Scholarship
  • Athletic/Academic Community College Scholarship
  • Multiple All-Academic and Distinguished Academic All-State Awards in Soccer at My Community College
  • Hustle Award - CC Soccer
  • Offensive Player of the Year - High School Soccer
  • School Record for Women's Cross-Country Run Time - High School
  • Various Ribbons and Awards Earned in JROTC
LORs:
  • DVM - Practice Owner; Small Animal GP
  • Cellular/Molecular Biology Professor
  • PI for my Research Lab
  • DVM - Medical Director; Companion Animal Urgent Care
  • UPO of my College and Former PI

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
**I slaved over these essays all summer. I wrote so many drafts and had so many people look at and critique my essays. I used my pre-health advisors at my University, the doctors at my practice, my husband, my mom, my friends, my professors, and the amazing group of people who offered their time and advice on the "Personal Statement Readers Thread"!!! - Seriously though, I easily spent over 100+ hours working on just my essays alone - this doesn't include the time I spent trying to describe my experiences in less than 600 characters 🥲***


For my personal statement, I wrote about how my need to step back from my education early on in my college career allowed me to gain a real-world perspective in veterinary medicine and how I fell in love with the diagnostic aspects of the field. I talked about a particularly complex case that made me want to know more about the physiological processes of disease management and progression. I tied this into returning to college to pursue veterinary medicine and seeking out research opportunities in a lab that focused on viral pathogenesis. I emphasized the hands-on experience, perspective, and critical-thinking skills that my various life experiences had helped me develop.

Minnesota Essay Questions:

For the diversity essay, I discussed my low-income background and how my family relied on community-based veterinary programs to care for our pets. This gave me a unique perspective when interacting with clients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, I mentioned my interest in volunteering in similar programs and how I would contribute to these programs.

For the other two essays on competencies, I just used examples from my experiences where I was able to showcase these competencies, such as an emergency with a patient with labored breathing and how I managed the situation and delegated tasks to my team to enhance the patient's outcome. Dealing with a rude guest as a waitress. And more.


Other Essays/Explanation Statement:

I wrote a lot about the various failures and challenges that I have overcome in my life. When I was 19 I was thrown into a very abrupt financial hardship while I was in school full-time and had to work 40+ hours/week as a waitress to pay for my rent and bills. I am a first-generation college student, and I did not know anything about withdrawing from courses, I didn't know who to reach out to for help, and I honestly just stopped going to class. I had basically no time-management skills and as a result I failed out of college in Spring 2019. I have 4 F's and 6 D's on my Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 transcripts. I did not think that I would ever be able to get into vet school after that. I started taking online veterinary technician courses so that I could still work full-time while taking courses toward licensing. After about three years of working two jobs, one as a waitress and one as a veterinary assistant, I was finally financially stable enough to go back to school. I was determined as hell and started full-time as a sophomore in college at 23 years old. I maintained a 4.00 GPA every semester, retook all the courses that I had failed, gained new experiences with different species and different disciplines, and became heavily involved in research. I talked about how I grew more from my failures than anything else and how struggling and pushing through changes and obstacles always resulted in a new perspective and new personal growth.

---

I worked so hard to get here today, and I am honestly still crying about actually being accepted to veterinary school, especially to Minnesota! Please know that coming back from a severe academic setback is possible - for me, applying smart was definitely the only reason I received so many interviews. I applied to schools that utilized grade replacement and who put an emphasis on seeing upward trends in GPA., the only exception to this was my in-state school (Auburn). I genuinely doubted myself extensively throughout this entire process, I was blown away to have been offered interviews at all four schools that I applied to and being accepted to my top-choice school still does not feel real to me! This forum helped me a ton in seeing other's success stories and having people to talk about the stress that comes with waiting and interviews and more waiting. Thank you, guys, for being a part of my journey!! 💙
This is so impressive, congratulations!! As someone who grew up low-income, it’s definitely not easy😅
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
22, F, Minnesota, Traditional applicant, first-time applicant
Applied:
Minnesota (IS), Iowa State
Interview Invites:
Minnesota (ISU doesn't interview)
Waiting to hear:
ISU
Accepted:
Minnesota!
Attending:
Minnesota! It's been my dream school since I was 13!

Overall GPA:
3.82
Science Prerequisite GPA:
3.72
Last 45 GPA:
3.75

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management, minor in Animal Science at the University of Kentucky (Graduating May 2025)

Veterinary Experience:
1200+ hours
Equine hospital vet tech at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute - 600 hours
Small Animal Clinic, vet tech assistant - 500 hours
UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, I shadowed pathologists and assisted in necropsies - 150+ hours

Animal Experience: 20,000+
Most of my hours were gained at my family's small horse farm, where I was responsible for 10-13 horses (while in high school) - 12,000+ hours
Competing, riding, training, and caring for personal horse in Eventing (while in undergrad) - 6,000 hours
Small Ruminant handling/caretaking at family farm - 100 hours
United States Pony Club - 1000 hours
Equine Handling Class - 30 hours
Working Student position at a large sport horse farm - 800 hours

Research: 700+ hours
Research assistant in Plant and Soil department, worked on forage and pasture research projects - 300 hours
UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, independent research project on causes of foal mortality - 400 + (ongoing)

Extracurriculars:
UK Eventing - Vice President, member, volunteer - 600 hours
United States Eventing Association volunteering - 100 hours
Local horse show volunteering - 60 hours
United States Pony Clubs, member, teacher, volunteer, mentor, competed in national competitions - 1300 hours
High School Band - marching, concert, pep band member, section leader - 1400 hours

Awards:
Pre-Vet Scholarship
Equine Scholarship
National Society of Leadership and Development
National Honors Society
Academic Achievement Award
Gustavus College Honors Band
Dean's List x7

Non-Animal Employment:
Calculus Peer Tutor - provided free, drop-in tutoring for UK students - 400 hours
Local Saddle shop retail employee - 680 hours
Private tutoring - 20 hours

LORs:
DVM - Veterinary Pathologist
DVM - Equine veterinarian (internal medicine)
Academic advisor, professor - TA'd her Equine Anatomy class

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Personal Statement: Talked about my experiences living on a hobby farm and horse farm, and how my passion for animals grew over the years, taking care of horses, dogs, cats, and goats. I talked briefly about how my education in Pony Club was what made me want to pursue vet med and also taught me how to be confident and independent despite my anxiety and mental health struggles. I also included how going through my horse's emergency colic surgery made me aware of the value of empathy in veterinary medicine, as well as how to make difficult decisions easier for future clients. I tied it all together to make it cohesive and show the qualities I possess that will make me a great vet.

DEI essay: I talked about my experience as a tutor, specifically how I have tutored non-traditional students or students where English isn't their first language, and how that has made me realize the importance of being able to educate and explain concepts to people of different backgrounds. A large part of veterinary medicine is being able to communicate and educate clients about their animals, so I tried to highlight the ways in which my tutoring experience has made me a more effective communicator and become adaptable to educating people of all different backgrounds.

The vet experience that I wrote about was a very sick foal I cared for at the equine hospital where I worked, and how I had to work independently to care for this foal for 8 hours straight. My non-vet experience was about my experience being the Vice President of a large club team at my school and the responsibilities I had.


I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to vet school! It's SO crazy! I'm sure like many of you, this has been my dream since I was a little kid, so to see it come to fruition is simply surreal! As someone who didn't have an insane number of vet hours and an about average to slightly above average GPA, I was very pleasantly surprised to have been accepted my first cycle. I doubted both my GPA and hours because I knew how competitive it can be. I think what mainly set me apart was my unique experiences at an all-equine hospital, a veterinary diagnostic lab, and lots of large animal experience. While it would've been nice to have more vet hours in total, I think my message to future applicants is that if you have more quality experiences over quantity, you have just as good of a shot as anyone to get into veterinary school! I hardly worked at a vet clinic during the school year, partially because I was too busy with extracurriculars and wanted to focus on school, but also because I felt I could get a better quality experience in the summer when I could devote all of my time to it. I was able to do my research and vet hours at the same time over the summer, which allowed me to make money while shadowing/doing a non-paid internship at the same time. I also maybe took a slight risk by only applying to two schools, but for me, I knew that even if I had gotten into other schools, I still would've wanted to go to Minnesota regardless.
I know everyone has their own journey, but I want everyone who is still trying to get that acceptance to know that it will happen when it is supposed to happen! I can't wait for what's to come as we all chase our dreams of becoming incredible veterinarians! Much LOVE!
 
****LOW GPA APPLICANT****

Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
25, F, Alabama, Non-traditional, second-time applicant

Applied: Auburn (IS), Minnesota, VMCVM, Mississippi
Interview Invites: Auburn, Minnesota, VMCM, Mississippi (Just Withdrew Application)
Waiting to hear: Auburn, VMCVM (Pretty sure I will not receive an offer for VMCVM as my MMI interview was AWFUL, and that is the only thing they score for final admission decisions)
Accepted: Minnesota!!
Attending: More than likely Minnesota!!!!! ♥️

Overall GPA
: 3.35
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.32 or 4.00 (Depending on School)
Last 45 GPA: 4.00

Degree(s):
  • Associate of Science: Biology - Community College
  • Bachelor of Science: Microbiology from Auburn University (May 2025)

Veterinary Experience: 4,758 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Fear-Free Small Animal GP - 645 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Large GP Small Animal Hospital - 493 Hrs
  • Lead Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Companion Animal Urgent Care - 1305 Hrs
  • Overnight Veterinary Assistant - Surgical Specialist - 100 Hrs
  • Veterinary Assistant - Rural Mixed Animal GP - 910 Hrs
Animal Experience: 330 Hrs
  • Raptor Rehabilitation Assistant - 22 Hrs
  • Equine Care Assistant at Therapeutic Horseback Program - 136 Hrs
  • Cattle Handling Lab - 3 Hrs
  • Dog Walker - 25 Hrs
  • Kennel Technician at Companion Animal GP - 144 Hrs
Research: 348 Hrs at time of application - now ~1008 Hrs
  • Undergraduate Researcher in a Virology Lab - 240 Hrs (~900 Hrs now) - talked about my research a LOT in my interviews
  • Undergraduate Research Assistant in an Immunology Lab - 108 Hrs
Non-Animal Employment: 4,624 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cashier - 464 Hrs
  • Fast-Food Cook - 400 Hrs
  • Server/Bartender - 1600 Hrs
  • Lead Server - 2160 Hrs
Extracurriculars: 3,466 Hrs
  • Community College Athlete (Soccer) - 1008 Hrs
  • Pre-vet Club Member - 70 Hrs
  • Neuroscience Club Member - 10 Hrs
  • Microbiology Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Genetics Club Member - 20 Hrs
  • Team Captain of High SchoolVarsity Soccer Team - 900 Hrs
  • Varsity Cross Country Runner - 168 Hrs
  • Raider Team Member - 150 Hrs
  • High School Varsity Soccer Member - 700 Hrs
  • JROTC in High School - 420 Hrs
Awards:
  • Tau Sigma Honor Society
  • National Society of Leadership and Success
  • Dean's List/President's List x6
  • Outstanding Chemistry Student Award at Community College
  • Outstanding Physics Award at Community College
  • Graduated w/ Highest Honors for my Associate of Science
  • Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
  • Nominated for the Husky Award by my clinic
  • Presidential Honors on my Veterinary Assistant Certification
  • Academic Transfer Scholarship
  • Athletic/Academic Community College Scholarship
  • Multiple All-Academic and Distinguished Academic All-State Awards in Soccer at My Community College
  • Hustle Award - CC Soccer
  • Offensive Player of the Year - High School Soccer
  • School Record for Women's Cross-Country Run Time - High School
  • Various Ribbons and Awards Earned in JROTC
LORs:
  • DVM - Practice Owner; Small Animal GP
  • Cellular/Molecular Biology Professor
  • PI for my Research Lab
  • DVM - Medical Director; Companion Animal Urgent Care
  • UPO of my College and Former PI

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
**I slaved over these essays all summer. I wrote so many drafts and had so many people look at and critique my essays. I used my pre-health advisors at my University, the doctors at my practice, my husband, my mom, my friends, my professors, and the amazing group of people who offered their time and advice on the "Personal Statement Readers Thread"!!! - Seriously though, I easily spent over 100+ hours working on just my essays alone - this doesn't include the time I spent trying to describe my experiences in less than 600 characters 🥲***


For my personal statement, I wrote about how my need to step back from my education early on in my college career allowed me to gain a real-world perspective in veterinary medicine and how I fell in love with the diagnostic aspects of the field. I talked about a particularly complex case that made me want to know more about the physiological processes of disease management and progression. I tied this into returning to college to pursue veterinary medicine and seeking out research opportunities in a lab that focused on viral pathogenesis. I emphasized the hands-on experience, perspective, and critical-thinking skills that my various life experiences had helped me develop.

Minnesota Essay Questions:

For the diversity essay, I discussed my low-income background and how my family relied on community-based veterinary programs to care for our pets. This gave me a unique perspective when interacting with clients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, I mentioned my interest in volunteering in similar programs and how I would contribute to these programs.

For the other two essays on competencies, I just used examples from my experiences where I was able to showcase these competencies, such as an emergency with a patient with labored breathing and how I managed the situation and delegated tasks to my team to enhance the patient's outcome. Dealing with a rude guest as a waitress. And more.


Other Essays/Explanation Statement:

I wrote a lot about the various failures and challenges that I have overcome in my life. When I was 19 I was thrown into a very abrupt financial hardship while I was in school full-time and had to work 40+ hours/week as a waitress to pay for my rent and bills. I am a first-generation college student, and I did not know anything about withdrawing from courses, I didn't know who to reach out to for help, and I honestly just stopped going to class. I had basically no time-management skills and as a result I failed out of college in Spring 2019. I have 4 F's and 6 D's on my Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 transcripts. I did not think that I would ever be able to get into vet school after that. I started taking online veterinary technician courses so that I could still work full-time while taking courses toward licensing. After about three years of working two jobs, one as a waitress and one as a veterinary assistant, I was finally financially stable enough to go back to school. I was determined as hell and started full-time as a sophomore in college at 23 years old. I maintained a 4.00 GPA every semester, retook all the courses that I had failed, gained new experiences with different species and different disciplines, and became heavily involved in research. I talked about how I grew more from my failures than anything else and how struggling and pushing through changes and obstacles always resulted in a new perspective and new personal growth.

---

I worked so hard to get here today, and I am honestly still crying about actually being accepted to veterinary school, especially to Minnesota! Please know that coming back from a severe academic setback is possible - for me, applying smart was definitely the only reason I received so many interviews. I applied to schools that utilized grade replacement and who put an emphasis on seeing upward trends in GPA., the only exception to this was my in-state school (Auburn). I genuinely doubted myself extensively throughout this entire process, I was blown away to have been offered interviews at all four schools that I applied to and being accepted to my top-choice school still does not feel real to me! This forum helped me a ton in seeing other's success stories and having people to talk about the stress that comes with waiting and interviews and more waiting. Thank you, guys, for being a part of my journey!! 💙
This is so amazing! I’m still waiting on a few decisions/deciding; but UMN is at the top of my list, would be honored to be classmates come this fall! Congratulations!!!!!
 
Age, Gender, State/Country of Residence, Traditional/Non-traditional applicant, # of times you've applied:
22, F, Minnesota, Traditional applicant, first-time applicant
Applied: Minnesota (IS), Iowa State
Interview Invites: Minnesota (ISU doesn't interview)
Waiting to hear: ISU
Accepted: Minnesota!
Attending: Minnesota! It's been my dream school since I was 13!

Overall GPA: 3.82
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.72
Last 45 GPA: 3.75

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management, minor in Animal Science at the University of Kentucky (Graduating May 2025)

Veterinary Experience: 1200+ hours
Equine hospital vet tech at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute - 600 hours
Small Animal Clinic, vet tech assistant - 500 hours
UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, I shadowed pathologists and assisted in necropsies - 150+ hours

Animal Experience: 20,000+
Most of my hours were gained at my family's small horse farm, where I was responsible for 10-13 horses (while in high school) - 12,000+ hours
Competing, riding, training, and caring for personal horse in Eventing (while in undergrad) - 6,000 hours
Small Ruminant handling/caretaking at family farm - 100 hours
United States Pony Club - 1000 hours
Equine Handling Class - 30 hours
Working Student position at a large sport horse farm - 800 hours

Research: 700+ hours
Research assistant in Plant and Soil department, worked on forage and pasture research projects - 300 hours
UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, independent research project on causes of foal mortality - 400 + (ongoing)

Extracurriculars:
UK Eventing - Vice President, member, volunteer - 600 hours
United States Eventing Association volunteering - 100 hours
Local horse show volunteering - 60 hours
United States Pony Clubs, member, teacher, volunteer, mentor, competed in national competitions - 1300 hours
High School Band - marching, concert, pep band member, section leader - 1400 hours

Awards:
Pre-Vet Scholarship
Equine Scholarship
National Society of Leadership and Development
National Honors Society
Academic Achievement Award
Gustavus College Honors Band
Dean's List x7

Non-Animal Employment:
Calculus Peer Tutor - provided free, drop-in tutoring for UK students - 400 hours
Local Saddle shop retail employee - 680 hours
Private tutoring - 20 hours

LORs:
DVM - Veterinary Pathologist
DVM - Equine veterinarian (internal medicine)
Academic advisor, professor - TA'd her Equine Anatomy class

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
Personal Statement: Talked about my experiences living on a hobby farm and horse farm, and how my passion for animals grew over the years, taking care of horses, dogs, cats, and goats. I talked briefly about how my education in Pony Club was what made me want to pursue vet med and also taught me how to be confident and independent despite my anxiety and mental health struggles. I also included how going through my horse's emergency colic surgery made me aware of the value of empathy in veterinary medicine, as well as how to make difficult decisions easier for future clients. I tied it all together to make it cohesive and show the qualities I possess that will make me a great vet.

DEI essay: I talked about my experience as a tutor, specifically how I have tutored non-traditional students or students where English isn't their first language, and how that has made me realize the importance of being able to educate and explain concepts to people of different backgrounds. A large part of veterinary medicine is being able to communicate and educate clients about their animals, so I tried to highlight the ways in which my tutoring experience has made me a more effective communicator and become adaptable to educating people of all different backgrounds.

The vet experience that I wrote about was a very sick foal I cared for at the equine hospital where I worked, and how I had to work independently to care for this foal for 8 hours straight. My non-vet experience was about my experience being the Vice President of a large club team at my school and the responsibilities I had.


I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to vet school! It's SO crazy! I'm sure like many of you, this has been my dream since I was a little kid, so to see it come to fruition is simply surreal! As someone who didn't have an insane number of vet hours and an about average to slightly above average GPA, I was very pleasantly surprised to have been accepted my first cycle. I doubted both my GPA and hours because I knew how competitive it can be. I think what mainly set me apart was my unique experiences at an all-equine hospital, a veterinary diagnostic lab, and lots of large animal experience. While it would've been nice to have more vet hours in total, I think my message to future applicants is that if you have more quality experiences over quantity, you have just as good of a shot as anyone to get into veterinary school! I hardly worked at a vet clinic during the school year, partially because I was too busy with extracurriculars and wanted to focus on school, but also because I felt I could get a better quality experience in the summer when I could devote all of my time to it. I was able to do my research and vet hours at the same time over the summer, which allowed me to make money while shadowing/doing a non-paid internship at the same time. I also maybe took a slight risk by only applying to two schools, but for me, I knew that even if I had gotten into other schools, I still would've wanted to go to Minnesota regardless.
I know everyone has their own journey, but I want everyone who is still trying to get that acceptance to know that it will happen when it is supposed to happen! I can't wait for what's to come as we all chase our dreams of becoming incredible veterinarians! Much LOVE!
Congratulations! What you said is so important about the experiences being quality over quantity. Many people have to realize that because then they pressure themselves into being in way too many clubs or internships and it won’t necessarily work out for them.
 
Top