Successful Applicants Stats - Class of 2023

[ShannonSpran]

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So excited to be posting on here!

18 yr old female, Florida resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Florida State University, University of Florida, and University of Central Florida
Interview Invites: None
Waiting to hear: None
Accepted: Florida State University, University of Florida, and University of Central Florida
Attending: Florida State University Honors

Overall GPA: 3.64 (4.8 weighted)
Science GPA: N/A*
Last 45 GPA: N/A*
*my school doesn't supply any of these two

GRE (Q/V/W)--I hate this thing: Never took it, but 32 ACT and 1250 SAT

Degree: Pre-Vet (Hoping to get into Cornell for Vet School!)

Veterinary Experience
None, but I'm looking into shadowing at an exotic animal hospital!

Animal Experience
Equine-assisted therapy intern: Five months
Nature camp counselor: Two years
4-H camp CIT: One year

Research
Not yet

Extracurriculars/Awards
Science club officer
NHS ex-officer
Marching band officer

Non-Animal Employment
Never have had a job, but I'm hoping to work at PetSmart

LORs
None


Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Hardships in life

 

[Caiter92]

So excited to be posting on here!

18 yr old female, Florida resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Florida State University, University of Florida, and University of Central Florida
Interview Invites: None
Waiting to hear: None
Accepted: Florida State University, University of Florida, and University of Central Florida
Attending: Florida State University Honors

Overall GPA: 3.64 (4.8 weighted)
Science GPA: N/A*
Last 45 GPA: N/A*
*my school doesn't supply any of these two

GRE (Q/V/W)--I hate this thing: Never took it, but 32 ACT and 1250 SAT

Degree: Pre-Vet (Hoping to get into Cornell for Vet School!)

Veterinary Experience
None, but I'm looking into shadowing at an exotic animal hospital!

Animal Experience
Equine-assisted therapy intern: Five months
Nature camp counselor: Two years
4-H camp CIT: One year

Research
Not yet

Extracurriculars/Awards
Science club officer
NHS ex-officer
Marching band officer

Non-Animal Employment
Never have had a job, but I'm hoping to work at PetSmart

LORs
None


Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Hardships in life

This is actually for those accepted into Vet school 😉

But congrats on getting into all three colleges you applied to! That’s awesome! 🙂

 

[KTpass]

Okay just to make this a little bit more difficult and rare, out of curiosity has anyone gotten into Vet School Below a 3.0 GPA in both Overall and Science? If so, where did you apply, who interviewed you, where'd you get accepted etc. What made your application stand out?

You might get better results if you look back on the past years Successful Applicants Stats threads. Lots of people post on them every year and it could give you a good idea on how many people with those stats are accepted each year and where to. I know I did that at the beginning of my application process when I was discouraged because of my GPAs. Also, unless specifically stated in an interview, I'm pretty sure most people don't know exactly what admissions found appealing about their application outside of GPA (every school looks for different things). If you are worried about your GPA, I would do some research about which schools have been leaning towards a more holistic review of applications and apply to those!

 

[SkiOtter]

Also, unless specifically stated in an interview, I'm pretty sure most people don't know exactly what admissions found appealing about their application outside of GPA (every school looks for different things).

And uh... I’m pretty sure majority of people don’t do a file review after acceptance to find out

 

[FutureFelineVet]

Okay just to make this a little bit more difficult and rare, out of curiosity has anyone gotten into Vet School Below a 3.0 GPA in both Overall and Science? If so, where did you apply, who interviewed you, where'd you get accepted etc. What made your application stand out?

Me, accepted to Ross and waitlisted at Western this year. My stats are towards the middle of the first page of the thread. I felt like my non-vet related experiences/first career helped me a lot, as well as my letters of rec.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

Okay just to make this a little bit more difficult and rare, out of curiosity has anyone gotten into Vet School Below a 3.0 GPA in both Overall and Science? If so, where did you apply, who interviewed you, where'd you get accepted etc. What made your application stand out?

Honestly when you're at the low end it's all about where you apply. What you've done is important but you won't have the same chance at every school out there simply based on how each individual school weighs their grades to experiences.
Check out Western U. Their minimum GPA is like 2.8 I believe to apply but I can't remember the other requirements atm.

 

[BravesFan]

And uh... I’m pretty sure majority of people don’t do a file review after acceptance to find out

Fact. After being accepted I would be afraid to bring any additional scrutiny to my file juuussstt in case the school made a mistake by accepting me! 😉

 

[vethopeful_2]

Fact. After being accepted I would be afraid to bring any additional scrutiny to my file juuussstt in case the school made a mistake by accepting me! 😉

Lol same and I don't want to get my feelings hurt for no reason regarding the categories they scored me low in

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

Yeah Michigan State straight up said at interviews that if your accepted they will not let you know your review or interview scores. Though I am curious, I definitely see how that would be the biggest hassle and waste of time for them.

 

[BravesFan]

Yeah Michigan State straight up said at interviews that if your accepted they will not let you know your review or interview scores. Though I am curious, I definitely see how that would be the biggest hassle and waste of time for them.

Likely better this way. I mean, we got in... why complicate things? Could only lead to feelings of entitlement if you were to be in the top of their selections or inferiority if in the bottom. With that said, if LSU sent me a letter with my ranking I most certainly would open it!

 

[ajs513]

Yeah Michigan State straight up said at interviews that if your accepted they will not let you know your review or interview scores. Though I am curious, I definitely see how that would be the biggest hassle and waste of time for them.

I’m kind of split on this. Half of me totally agrees with the idea that if you’re in, then whatever you did worked and you should keep doing it. But the other half of me really wants to know where I can improve. Not for getting into school, obviously, but when it comes to things like applying for residencies, jobs, meeting people, etc. What did they like about me and what did they dislike? I was fully not expecting to get in. I even underhandedly and unknowingly insulted my interviewers - they asked “why penn” and i talked about how growing up near philly i always saw VMD’s and it led to this association (in my child mind) that they were the best of the best. Even though it doesn’t actually make a difference, it’s just something that stuck with me from when I was a child. One said “we’re both DVM’s. Does that mean we’re inferior?” And I’m like... uuuuhhhh no I didn’t mean it like that!

Anyway, after my interview I thought about all of the things they may not have liked about me, so it would be nice to know what they did like and what they didn’t so I can learn from it just as a person.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

Our school doesn’t tell you anything after admission either; interview score, rank, rank pre-interview, etc. They don’t want to encourage classmates to be competitive and compare themselves with one another.

I think it is definitely for the best, though I’m certainly curious about how many spots I moved after my interview.

 

[KTpass]

Thank you so much! I genuinely really appreciate the advice! Yeah I am definitely really worried about my GPA, not going to lie (is it obvious by my desperate posts on here?), and I'm applying for the 2020 Cycle (it opens in two weeks ahhhh). I genuinely really want to get into Vet School this year, and I do believe that I am a smart student (obtained an AA before a HS Diploma, actually had a spot reserved in a D.O. school but dropped it to pursue Vet., founded services, etc.) but I do believe my GPA is a terrible representation of who I am (Douglas Shooting related trauma, Cancer in the family, etc.). I'm just really hoping that Vet Schools do consider the scenarios around my academic career. Besides GPA I think I have a strong application! I just cant get over that low GPA...

People get in every year with low GPAs, stay positive!! You just have to make sure every other aspect of your application is shinning!! There's a WAMC (what are my chances) thread on this forum that you can post to and get advice on what areas you need to improve on, as well as get advice on what schools to apply to. There's also the chance to fill out an explanation statement on the VMCAS application, so if you really fell like some outside experiences negatively impacted your ability to perform in school you can make use of that. I had a particularly bad semester one year due to some undiagnosed health issues which tanked my GPA so I filled it out, and it never got brought up in any of my interviews or anything. Schools are really looking for well-rounded students! Good luck!

 

[deleted676737]

Thank you so much! I genuinely really appreciate the advice! Yeah I am definitely really worried about my GPA, not going to lie (is it obvious by my desperate posts on here?), and I'm applying for the 2020 Cycle (it opens in two weeks ahhhh). I genuinely really want to get into Vet School this year, and I do believe that I am a smart student (obtained an AA before a HS Diploma, actually had a spot reserved in a D.O. school but dropped it to pursue Vet., founded services, etc.) but I do believe my GPA is a terrible representation of who I am (Douglas Shooting related trauma, Cancer in the family, etc.). I'm just really hoping that Vet Schools do consider the scenarios around my academic career. Besides GPA I think I have a strong application! I just cant get over that low GPA...

You may want to utilize the Explanation Statement when you start working through VMCAS to alert schools to these things. Most vet schools have actually started implementing more holistic admissions processes as of late, too, so I definitely wouldn't give up hope. Especially not if the non-academic parts of your application are strong.

 

[battie]

Not for getting into school, obviously, but when it comes to things like applying for residencies, jobs, meeting people, etc.

I can see that. But then again, there will be 3 to 4 years in between your application and any of these examples (except meeting people), and you won't be the same person regardless.

 

[ajs513]

I can see that. But then again, there will be 3 to 4 years in between your application and any of these examples (except meeting people), and you won't be the same person regardless.

That’s a good way of thinking of it. And i do get enough feedback from the mentors I have now to help me grow personally and professionally. It just feels like when you’re a kid and you ask your mom something and she says “I’ll tell you when you’re older” Lol. It’s not important in the long run, but it makes me want to know even more now that I’m not allowed!

 

[Court122]

22 y/o female, Colorado resident, a 1st-time applicant *UPDATED*

Applied: Colorado State, North Carolina State, Oregon State, Washington State, Cornell, Tufts and Royal Veterinary College
Interview Invites: CSU, Tufts and RVC
Waitlisted: OSU
Rejections: NCSU and WSU
Accepted: CSU, Tufts, RVC and Cornell (off of waitlist on 04/19)!
Attending: CSU!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.7
Science GPA: 3.6
Last 45: 3.6
GRE (Q/V/W): 154/158/4.0
Degree: B.S. in Biological Sciences as of May ‘19

Veterinary Experience:
- Volunteer tech for house-call veterinarian ~70 hrs
- Volunteer for an ambulatory equine veterinarian ~230 hrs
- Volunteer for mixed small animal practice ~170 hrs
- Volunteer for specialty pain clinic/small animal hospital ~200 hrs
- Intern at a spay and neuter clinic as a surgery and vaccination tech ~260 hrs
- Intern at a specialty behavioral clinic ~30 hrs

Animal Experience:
- Volunteer at a local cat rescue (adoption/intake/iso/ringworm wards) ~150 hrs
- Volunteer at a local dog rescue ~350 hrs
- Pony club (UK) and years of horse riding ~160 hrs
- Volunteer at the Wild Animal Sanctuary ~280 hrs
- Animal Care at a science camp ~250 hrs
- Lab animal socialization at the CSU VTH ~50 hrs
- Odd bits of volunteering here and there ~50 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Volunteer at an English equivalent of a kindergarten teaching arithmetic and reading ~240 hrs
- Volunteer in the CCU at CSU VTH. Helped organize visits so that owners could see their sick pets ~240 hrs
- Deans list 3 semesters
- Sorority (Kappa Delta)
- Publicity Coordinator for the pre-vet club
- Founding VP for the CSU chapter of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project
- Tri Beta (National Biology Honorary)
- National Society of Collegiant Scholars
- National Society for Leadership and Success
- Royal Yacht Club levels 1-2 (for sailing)
- NICAS climbing levels 1-7

Research:
- Research assistant in a lab investigating salinity tolerance of Trinidadian Guppies ~200 hrs


Non-Animal Employment:
- Subway sandwich shop cashier ~700 hrs
- Babysitting ~250 hrs
- Tutoring (biology, stats and anatomy) ~50 hrs

LORs:
- Small animal veterinarian
- Graduate student who I worked under in the lab (he was also my TA in two classes)
- Microbiology professor
- Biology Advisor
- Volunteer Coordinator at the cat rescue I interned at (just RVC)

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
- Future goals: Specialty in zoological medicine followed by hopefully working at a wildlife research facility or a clinic that sees a myriad of species.
- Ways to contribute: I wrote about how veterinarians inspire children and that if it wasn’t for my own animals veterinarians inspiring me and teaching me neat things, then maybe my dream of becoming a vet wouldn’t have happened! If it wasn’t for becoming a vet, I think I would have become a teacher and I love that fact that in many ways’ veterinarians are teachers.
- Attributes: I said that two important attributes for veterinarians are empathy and leadership. I then related this to my own experiences. For leadership I related it to having leadership positions in clubs, and for empathy I related it to helping at the CCU at the CSU VTH dealing with distressed owners.

Can’t believe I get to post this and that I got into more than one school! CONGRATS EVERYONE and GOOD LUCK TO FUTURE APPLICANTS!

 

[RomeoLuv]

First off, I GET TO POST HERE???? WHAT??!!!
Now that I have gotten that out of my system...
21 yr old female traditional, Florida resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Purdue
Rejected: Florida, North Carolina
Interview Invites: Purdue, Mississippi, Missouri
Waiting to hear: n/a
Waitlist: Iowa, Purdue, Georgia
Accepted: Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi
Attending: Missouri!!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.76
Science undergrad GPA: 3.64
Last 45 undergrad GPA: 3.60
GRE (Q/V/W)-: 155/155 /6.0

Undergrad Degree: Animal Sciences

Veterinary Experience (~1900 hrs at time of submission)
Volunteering in high school at a small animal clinic (~250 hours)
Shadowing at a mixed animal practice during one summer in undergrad (~150 hours)
Shadowing at a small animal clinic in my last two years of undergrad (~300+ hours)
Shadowing a food animal veterinarian located on the only feedlot in Florida (~100 hours)
Working at an equine hospital for a summer internship (~1000 hours)
Working for a mobile small animal vaccination clinic for two weekends (~20 hours)
Volunteering through the WorldVets organization at a week-long trip in Nicaragua (~50 hours)

Animal Experience (~1000hrs)
Bred and raised rabbits for showmanship competitions from ages 8-11 (~500 hours) (They asked about this at every interview-they loved this!!)
Worked as a Kennel Technician part-time during two summers (~400 hours)
Volunteering at a local Pet Rescue (~100 hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards
Had a full-ride scholarship to my university
Dean's List for 5 semesters
A handful of college-specific scholarships
AFA Delegate- attended the Animal Institute in Kansas City in 2017
Received a scholar's award for being in the top 10% of the Animal Sciences Department for three years
General Body Member- Pre-Vet Club
General Body Member for a Philanthropy Council
General Body Member for a Pre-Professional Service Organization
Mentor for first-generation college freshmen for 3 years (totaling 15 mentees!)
Was an Introduction to Animal Sciences Undergraduate Lab TA my sophomore year

Research
Research assistant for a project involving the cognitive abilities of dairy calves (~250 hours)
Research assistant for a blind study on the effects of a certain protein added to the diet of weaned piglets (~75 hours)
Research Technician for a colony of Glycogen Storage Disease affected dogs (~200 hours)

Non-Animal Employment
Worked at Michaels Arts and Crafts all through high school (~1900 hours)

LORs
1 small animal veterinarian I shadowed under in college
1 equine veterinarian from the internship I had
1 professor I TA'd for in Intro to Animal Sciences
1 personal reference- my family dentist who I interned under in high school who has known me my whole life
Essay Questions/Personal Statement
I talked a lot about growing up on my family's beef cattle farm and being the first in my family to attend any form of college (most of my family never even graduated high school!) I mentioned how these experiences have shaped me and will always allow me to relate to clients from low economic standpoints.

What's the Food Animal Veterinarian that you shadowed in Fl? I'm interested in Food Animal but I don't really have the hours to show for it.

 

[muttmanager]

26 y/o female, Non-traditional, New York resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: VMCVM, Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Denied: Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Interview Invites: VMCVM
Waitlisted: VMCVM (#5 OOS list)
Accepted: VMCVM
Attending: VMCVM !!!!

It only takes one! 

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.24
Overall Science GPA: 3.08 
Last 45 GPA: 3.55

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/157/3.5 (first time w/o much prep; would have tried again if necessary)

Undergrad Degree: BS Biology, Chemistry minor (May ‘14)
Graduate Certificate:  Shelter Medicine (Aug ‘18)

Veterinary Experience
SA Veterinary Assistant >4000 hours
SA Hospital Staff Manager >5000 hours
Shadowed @ UCD Veterinary Teaching Hospital (LA/Equine/SX/Rads) ~40 hours

Animal Experience
Independent dog walking & pet sitting
Shelter volunteer ~100 hours
Shadowed mobile vet clinic ~8 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Undergrad academic scholarship
Community service with sorority
Volunteer Financial Secretary NPO
Toastmasters - 1 year
*Probably added some HS stuff too

Research 
None

Non-Animal Employment
Mentor/class lead in a reading program for grades K-8 ~200 hours
Retail @ toy store
Summer Youth Mentor grade 6-8

LORs
VMD Toxicologist and VP of non-profit Animal Hospital
DVM from UF Shelter Med Online courses
Board Chairman of NPO
10+ year mentor and EdD

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Spoke about experiences in management and growth mindset, experience in shelter medicine & serving under-served families – wanting to return to animal welfare
Supplemental essays – discussed resilience overcoming hardships, diversity, travel experience, lessons from professional experience

I'm probably forgetting things, I recall looking for everything I could find to add to the app

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

26 y/o female, Non-traditional, New York resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: VMCVM, Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Denied: Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Interview Invites: VMCVM
Waitlisted: VMCVM (#5 OOS list)
Accepted: VMCVM
Attending: VMCVM !!!!

It only takes one! 

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.24
Overall Science GPA: 3.08 
Last 45 GPA: 3.55

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/157/3.5 (first time w/o much prep; would have tried again if necessary)

Undergrad Degree: BS Biology, Chemistry minor (May ‘14)
Graduate Certificate:  Shelter Medicine (Aug ‘18)

Veterinary Experience
SA Veterinary Assistant >4000 hours
SA Hospital Staff Manager >5000 hours
Shadowed @ UCD Veterinary Teaching Hospital (LA/Equine/SX/Rads) ~40 hours

Animal Experience
Independent dog walking & pet sitting
Shelter volunteer ~100 hours
Shadowed mobile vet clinic ~8 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Undergrad academic scholarship
Community service with sorority
Volunteer Financial Secretary NPO
Toastmasters - 1 year
*Probably added some HS stuff too

Research 
None

Non-Animal Employment
Mentor/class lead in a reading program for grades K-8 ~200 hours
Retail @ toy store
Summer Youth Mentor grade 6-8

LORs
VMD Toxicologist and VP of non-profit Animal Hospital
DVM from UF Shelter Med Online courses
Board Chairman of NPO
10+ year mentor and EdD

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Spoke about experiences in management and growth mindset, experience in shelter medicine & serving under-served families – wanting to return to animal welfare
Supplemental essays – discussed resilience overcoming hardships, diversity, travel experience, lessons from professional experience

I'm probably forgetting things, I recall looking for everything I could find to add to the app

Go mutts!!!! 😍

 

[grebes4lyfe]

26 y/o female, Non-traditional, New York resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: VMCVM, Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Denied: Cornell, Davis, Colorado State, Michigan State, UGA, Penn
Interview Invites: VMCVM
Waitlisted: VMCVM (#5 OOS list)
Accepted: VMCVM
Attending: VMCVM !!!!

It only takes one! 

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.24
Overall Science GPA: 3.08 
Last 45 GPA: 3.55

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/157/3.5 (first time w/o much prep; would have tried again if necessary)

Undergrad Degree: BS Biology, Chemistry minor (May ‘14)
Graduate Certificate:  Shelter Medicine (Aug ‘18)

Veterinary Experience
SA Veterinary Assistant >4000 hours
SA Hospital Staff Manager >5000 hours
Shadowed @ UCD Veterinary Teaching Hospital (LA/Equine/SX/Rads) ~40 hours

Animal Experience
Independent dog walking & pet sitting
Shelter volunteer ~100 hours
Shadowed mobile vet clinic ~8 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Undergrad academic scholarship
Community service with sorority
Volunteer Financial Secretary NPO
Toastmasters - 1 year
*Probably added some HS stuff too

Research 
None

Non-Animal Employment
Mentor/class lead in a reading program for grades K-8 ~200 hours
Retail @ toy store
Summer Youth Mentor grade 6-8

LORs
VMD Toxicologist and VP of non-profit Animal Hospital
DVM from UF Shelter Med Online courses
Board Chairman of NPO
10+ year mentor and EdD

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Spoke about experiences in management and growth mindset, experience in shelter medicine & serving under-served families – wanting to return to animal welfare
Supplemental essays – discussed resilience overcoming hardships, diversity, travel experience, lessons from professional experience

I'm probably forgetting things, I recall looking for everything I could find to add to the app

YAYYYYYY MUTTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[muttmanager]

Go mutts!!!! 😍

YAYYYYYY MUTTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So excited!!

 

[doctor-who]

LORs
VMD Toxicologist and VP of non-profit Animal Hospital
DVM from UF Shelter Med Online courses
Board Chairman of NPO
10+ year mentor and EdD

Congratulations!!!!! May I ask how you made such a great connection with your UF Shelter Med DVM? I'm planning on taking the Veterinary Forensics courses for a graduate certificate or masters and was under the impression that you just watch recorded lectures online. But your program sounds much more involved than that! Would you mind posting or PMing me a little more about it? Thank you!!

 

[muttmanager]

Congratulations!!!!! May I ask how you made such a great connection with your UF Shelter Med DVM? I'm planning on taking the Veterinary Forensics courses for a graduate certificate or masters and was under the impression that you just watch recorded lectures online. But your program sounds much more involved than that! Would you mind posting or PMing me a little more about it? Thank you!!

Thanks! It probably wasn't one of my strongest LORs but, one of the schools I applied to required a professor. I asked 2 professors I had interacted with more frequently and 1 said yes. I sent my resume in the email request, short bio, intentions, and grades from all my UF courses (all As).

The course structure is prerecorded modules but there is a class discussion after each with a minimal post requirement. I replied over the minimum but not excessively. There are multiple instructors per course for the certificate classes at least and the one that wrote my letter was apart of 2 that I took back to back (Jan - Aug).

Tl;dr - I just asked and 1/2 said yes. It never hurts to try.

 

[Sb7044]

I can’t believe I finally get to post here after years of lurking this thread.

24 y/o female, Florida resident, 1st time applying

Applied: UF, LMU, Michigan, Purdue, Ross, SGU, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia-Maryland,
Illinois, Guelph (After going through the application cycle, I don’t recommend applying to this many)
Interview Invites: UF, LMU, Michigan, Purdue, Ross, SGU, Minnesota, Tennessee (declined, they contacted me a few days before the interview), Illinois (declined), Guelph (declined), Virginia-Maryland(waitlisted for interview)
Waiting to hear: None
Waitlisted: Michigan, Purdue, LMU
Accepted: UF, Minnesota, Ross, SGU
Attending: UF!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.55
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.59
Last 36 GPA: 3.63
GRE (Q/V/W): 149 (34%)/ 151 (52%)/ 3.5 (41%)
Degree: B.S. in Biological Sciences (2017)


Veterinary Experience:
Paid Veterinary Technician uncertified - 756 hrs
Veterinary Internship at mixed animal practice - 1500 hrs


Animal Experience:
Zoo Internship - 324 Hrs
Conservancy Volunteer - 85 Hrs
Horse Rescue Facility (In high school) - 104 Hrs
Cat Network (In high school)- 116 Hrs


Extracurriculars:
Pre-Vet Club - 210 Hrs
Beta Beta Beta Honor Society- 120 Hrs
Guitar Lessons- 240 Hrs
Tutoring- 72 Hrs

Non-Animal Employment:
Sales Associate- 2312 Hrs (worked throughout undergrad)

Research:
Population Laterality - 210 Hrs

Achievements/Awards:
Deans List for multiple semesters
Florida Medallion Scholarship

LORs:

Veterinarian in mixed animal practice that I interned with for a year
Veterinarian I currently work for
Embryology Professor

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:

1. Talked about my goals within the veterinary profession mainly involving research and comparative medicine.
2. Mentioned One Health Initiative and tied in my trips abroad to Peru and how it gave me a different perspective in regards to public health and animal welfare.
3. Brought up the common qualities in the veterinarians that I look up to for guidance and also talked about hardships in the profession I have observed while working as a veterinary technician.

Taking a gap year seemed to work in my favor, I managed to obtain a lot of my veterinary experience after I graduated. Also, most of my interviewers were interested in my non-animal related experience and how those experiences will help me in the veterinary profession. I applied to a lot of schools because I didn't think I would get in on my first try, I hope this post gives hope to those who have average GPA's/GRE scores.

 

[aspiringvet7]

21 y/o female, traditional, Pennsylvania resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Penn, VMCVM, UGA, NCSU, CSU, Purdue, ISU, UIUC
Denied: Penn, UGA, NCSU, CSU, Purdue
Interview Invites: VMCVM, UIUC
Waitlisted: VMCVM (#45 OOS list), ISU (#151 OOS list), UIUC (unranked)
Accepted: UIUC
Attending: UIUC !!!!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.51
Overall Science GPA: ~3.31
Last 45 GPA: ~3.55

GRE (Q/V/W): 154/153/5.0 (I only took it once, and I studied for about a week before)

Undergrad Degree: BS Biology; Pre-Medicine concentration, Psychology minor (May ‘19)

Veterinary Experience
SA Veterinary Technician ~1500 hours at time of application
SA Emergency and Speciality Nursing Assistant ~200 hours at time of application
Shadowed at SA hospital ~100 hours
Shadowed at LA hospital ~30 hours

Animal Experience
Intern at wildlife rehab center ~300 hours
Volunteer at therapeutic riding center ~20 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Played softball for 10+ years, 1 year in undergrad
Member of Alpha Lambda Delta honor society
Dean's List two semesters
Undergrad academic award
Volunteered at homeless shelter in undergrad
Volunteered at food bank in undergrad
Job shadow at physical therapy office
Volunteered in multiple disabilities room in high school
Member of Best Buddies club in high school
Volunteered at Special Olympics in high school

Research 
None

Non-Animal Employment
Retail at Dick's Sporting Goods
Lifeguard at undergrad institution
Overnight host at undergrad institution
Cashier at froyo shop and retail
Newspaper carrier

LORs
DVM from SA hospital
Wildlife Rehabilitator
PhD academic advisor from undergrad

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
I talked about my passion for veterinary medicine, and how I always knew I wanted to be a vet but strayed from that during high school and the beginning of undergrad. I talked about how I tried other careers and hated them, and ended up falling back on vet med. I strayed from vet med because I didn't think I could handle euthanasia, but once I started shadowing I realized how rewarding the profession is, and that euthanasia is really helping to end the animal's suffering. I also talked about my determination and ability to time manage. I talked about playing softball and how it taught me how to bounce back from failure, and that everyone always underestimated my abilities because I am small. I would always strive to prove people wrong and set goals that no one thought I could achieve, and that failures just pushed me harder to succeed. I talked about how I worked ~30 hours a week while being a full-time student in undergrad, and also volunteering on the side.

I'm probably forgetting things, but I am so excited to finally say that I'm going to be a vet!!!

 

[russellplyr2]

21 y/o Male, California resident, 1st time applying

Applied: UC Davis, Oregon State, Purdue University, Auburn University, The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Illinois-UC
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Purdue (declined), Auburn, The Ohio State University, (Oregon State does not interview OOS applicants)
Denied: Davis (interviewed, rejected outright), Michigan State, Illinois-UC (transcript/technical issue)
Waitlisted: The Ohio State University
Accepted: Oregon State, Auburn, (waitlisted --> accepted) The Ohio State University
Attending: The OHIO State University!!!

Overall GPA: 3.90
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.91
Last 36 GPA: 3.89
GRE (Q/V/W): 161 (77%)/ 153 (61%)/ 4.5 (82%)
Degree: B.S. in Animal Science/Pre-Vet Option (2019 Spring)

Veterinary Experience:
Small Animal Practice ~1300 hours

Animal Experience:
Volunteer Work/Homeless with Animals ~40 hours
Conservancy Volunteer - 85 Hrs

Extracurriculars:
Pre-Vet Club - 3 years officer (Scheduler, Treasurer 2x)
Gamma Sigma Delta AG Society- 2018-present
Church Youth Group Director and Small Group Leader- 950+ hours
Teaching Assistant (TA) (Anatomy, Intro Animal Science Class) ~40 hours

Research:
Thermographic Imaging of Canine Limbs ~ 60 hours

Achievements/Awards:
President's List every term (quarter/semester)

LORs:

Veterinarian of small animal practice
Professor (whom I a TA'ed for + under in Pre-Vet Club)
Professor (under in Pre-Vet Club, advisor)
- note: Both Profs also DVMs

Advice for any first time applicants- get to know the schools you are applying to! Don't get caught up with rankings (ex: Davis) and take a look around at what other schools and their environment have to offer. After initially being rejected by Davis (mid-January), I was crushed. But then I interviewed at other schools and loved their environment and school culture. I love where I'm going now, go Buckeyes!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

21 y/o Male, California resident, 1st time applying

Applied: UC Davis, Oregon State, Purdue University, Auburn University, The Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Illinois-UC
Interview Invites: UC Davis, Purdue (declined), Auburn, The Ohio State University, (Oregon State does not interview OOS applicants)
Denied: Davis (interviewed, rejected outright), Michigan State, Illinois-UC (transcript/technical issue)
Waitlisted: The Ohio State University
Accepted: Oregon State, Auburn, (waitlisted --> accepted) The Ohio State University
Attending: The OHIO State University!!!

Overall GPA: 3.90
Science Prerequisite GPA: 3.91
Last 36 GPA: 3.89
GRE (Q/V/W): 161 (77%)/ 153 (61%)/ 4.5 (82%)
Degree: B.S. in Animal Science/Pre-Vet Option (2019 Spring)

Veterinary Experience:
Small Animal Practice ~1300 hours

Animal Experience:
Volunteer Work/Homeless with Animals ~40 hours
Conservancy Volunteer - 85 Hrs

Extracurriculars:
Pre-Vet Club - 3 years officer (Scheduler, Treasurer 2x)
Gamma Sigma Delta AG Society- 2018-present
Church Youth Group Director and Small Group Leader- 950+ hours
Teaching Assistant (TA) (Anatomy, Intro Animal Science Class) ~40 hours

Research:
Thermographic Imaging of Canine Limbs ~ 60 hours

Achievements/Awards:
President's List every term (quarter/semester)

LORs:

Veterinarian of small animal practice
Professor (whom I a TA'ed for + under in Pre-Vet Club)
Professor (under in Pre-Vet Club, advisor)
- note: Both Profs also DVMs

Advice for any first time applicants- get to know the schools you are applying to! Don't get caught up with rankings (ex: Davis) and take a look around at what other schools and their environment have to offer. After initially being rejected by Davis (mid-January), I was crushed. But then I interviewed at other schools and loved their environment and school culture. I love where I'm going now, go Buckeyes!

Welcome to the club! Go Bucks!🙂

 

[otter0822]

23 y/o female, Florida resident, a 2nd-time applicant

THERE IS HOPE FOR EVERYONE!!!! As you can see, my GPA/GRE stats aren't spectacular. Schools genuinely do care about your experience and your ability to comminuate/be an actual human being.

Applied: Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Cornell, Virginia-Maryland, NC State
Interview Invites: Florida, Ohio State
Waitlisted: Florida
Accepted: Cornell, Ohio State
Attending: Cornell!!!!


Overall GPA: 3.60
Science GPA: 3.39
GRE (Q/V/W): 158/155/4
Degree: B.S. in Animal Science May 2018


Veterinary Experience (3,908+ hours)
Laboratory Technician at small animal hospital: 600 hours
Veterinary Technician at small animal hospital: 980 hours
Ride-along volunteer for large animal veterinarian: 350 hours
Ophthalmology volunteer for the UF small animal hospital: 93 hours
Kennel Technician at small animal hospital: 1,525 hours
Volunteer at small animal hospital: 360 hours


Animal Experience (1,505+ hours)
Intern at Mote Marine Laboratory: 80 hours
Intern at South Florida Museum (prepped food for rehabilitated manatees): 90 hours
Volunteer at Animal shelter: 40 hours
Volunteer onboard Rescue Flights for Save a Life Pet Rescue, Inc.: 60 hours
Employee at local pet supply store: 825 hours
Employee at petting zoo: 250 hours
Foster: 160 hours


Extracurriculars (2,036+ hours)
Teaching Assistant for Genetics: 115 hours
Team member of my university's lacrosse team: estimated 1,000+ hours
Club member of Pre-Veterinary Society: 52 hours
Club member of "Don't Shop, Adopt": 52 hours
Team member of travel lacrosse team (high school): estimated 240+ hours
Team member of my high school lacrosse team: estimated 240+ hours
Dancer for Dance Marathon, personally raised $1,407: estimated 40+ hours
Philanthropy Chair assistant, helped raise over $40,000 in one-day for Starkey Hearing Foundation: estimated 89+ hours
Vice President of Red Cross (high school): 208 hours


Awards
Florida Academic Scholars Bright Futures (100% scholarship + small stipend for undergraduate education)
Graduated Cum Laude with B.S. in Animal Science
First Year Scholar
Dean's List


Research (325 hours)
Undergraduate research assistant for Thermotolerance project working with beef cattle: 325 hours


Non-Animal Employment (300+ hours)
Volunteer Coordinator at the animal hospital I worked at: estimated 100+ hours
Book store employee: 200 hours


LORs (5 total)
Large Animal Veterinarian
Professor for Genetics
Owner of the animal hospital I worked for
Two small animal veterinarians


Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
1) Mixed animal veterinarian working in a mobile clinic
2) Providing equal health care for all animals- whether their role is companion or consumption
3) I chose perseverance (endure a challenging education and long hours during our career; talked about how I show this every day as a vet tech), resiliency (discussed how I wasn't initially accepted into my first choice undergrad university, but that I took 50 credit hours in one year so I could transfer to my first choice as quickly as possible; also talked about how that resiliency would transfer over to vet med), empathy (not becoming jaded), and ability to communicate with clients of varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

[PenguinPal506]

Hey guys! what would you say is the best way to approach those three essays in the vmcas? What are most vet schools looking for? Having trouble in what to write

Thanks!

 

[SkiOtter]

Hey guys! what would you say is the best way to approach those three essays in the vmcas? What are most vet schools looking for? Having trouble in what to write

Thanks!

Just start word vomiting and cut it down from there. And make sure you realize it’s a CHARACTER count not word count, so it’s each letter PLUS punctuation and spaces counting towards those totals! Some people each cycle always get a sad surprise when they try and paste their long 1000 word essay in and it only takes the first ~250 words

 

[Tatipu]

Thought I'd post here to give people some hope that you don't have to have 5 million extracurricular activities, experience, etc. I honestly felt like I had very minimal experiences to show -- nothing terribly significant. I know me personally, I just feel terrible when people say they had low GPA and their cGPA is above a 3.5 or when they say they don't have a lot of experience but list over 3000 hours as well as the 30 clubs they're in. Or when they mention their GRE is bad but is 70th percentile lol. Gross exaggeration, I know lol but those posts just made me feel unqualified as a candidate and I'm sure there are people that feel the same way. BUT don't give up hope. If I got in, you can get in. I was originally a Computer science major and changed to biology my senior year due to something happening within the family that made me rethink my life. I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue veterinary medicine but I thought biology actually seemed interesting and hey, whatdyknow -- I loved it. I took my time and gained experience in the field while going to school and working full time. If at anytime, I realized vet med wasn't for me, I had biology as a fall back. I actually wasn't part of any clubs -- small school. Not much leadership opportunities.

Of course -- the more experience, the better. I feel I may have had more interviews if I did have more leadership roles, more extracurricular activities, and of course, better GPA and I know it's not much that I only got into one school but, like my therapist says,ALL IT TAKES IS ONE. Sure, it hurts getting rejected from anywhere but just getting into one school or even waitlisted at a school imo is an accomplishment. Know that you competed with over 1000 other qualified applicants for ~100-150 spots. That's tough enough already. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and press on.

26 yo Female (25 at time of app) 2nd time applicant, TX resident


Applied: Auburn, MSU, UMN, Mizzou, Ohio, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Purdue, Upenn, Wisconsin, TAMU, ISU
Interview Invites: Minnesota
Rejected: Everywhere else 🙁. I received an interview last cycle at Auburn but didn't get an interview this year.
Accepted: ISU
Attending: ISU!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.1
Science GPA: 3.6
Last 45 GPA: 3.8
GRE (Q/V/W)-: 158/146/3

Undergrad Degree: B.S. Biology Pre-Health Graduated May 2018
Veterinary Experience:
-Vet Tech for hospital (we see everything under the sun and moon aside from Large animals) - 500 hours at time of application -- Now at about 1500 hrs (this was the only major thing I added to my application this cycle)
-Shadowed a small animal vet 1000 hrs
Animal Experience:
- Volunteer at wildlife rehab center - 100 hrs
- Volunteer at animal shelter - 100 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards
-Dog training for obedience competition or other AKC or similar related events. 1000 hrs (Was another fall back if I didn't make it to vet school lol)
- Volunteer for northern breed rescues to help spread breed awareness as well as raise funds for medical bills 200 hrs

Research - None sadly 🙁
Non-Animal Employment
-Assistant manager at a dry cleaning establishment for 7 years

LORs
Small animal vet, Professor I TA'd for in Bio 1/2, Chem Prof.
Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Not comfortable disclosing.





Also wanted to add I'm definitely not knocking anyone for posting they had a bad GPA. It is after all, relative. When I was in engineering, I cheered when I made a B and I was content with a C (Our test averages were in the 40s and 50s! If any of you were in engineering and got above a 3.5, hats off to you) but with Biology, I was upset with a B.

Wanted to note that I'm surprised I got into ISU. First cycle I was waitlisted near the end of the list and I was just so bummed, I forgot to request a file review haha. I did try to improve my app based on the ones I did receive feedback on but aside from rewriting my personal statement/essay questions, I only added my work experience as a vet tech and had a few minor changes here and there.

 

[Coopah]

Just curious but has anyone gotten accepted to Veterinary School with a GPA below a 3.2? If so, please share! Perhaps this may offer hope to those who fall under such circumstances. Congratulations to those who have made it in! Good luck to those applying or trying again! You've got this!

Please follow the following format.
Applied:
Interview Invites:
Waiting to hear:
Accepted:
Attending:
Overall Undergrad GPA:
Overall GPA:
Science GPA:
GRE (Q/V/W)-:
Undergrad Degree:
Graduate Degree:
Veterinary Experience
Animal Experience
Extracurriculars/Awards
Research
Non-Animal Employment
LORs
Essay Questions/Personal Statement

25 year old female, New Hampshire resident (OOS everywhere), first time applicant

To those of you who messed up in undergrad, or didn't originally choose the field of vet med see here.

Applied: Tufts, Iowa, Colorado, Davis, Washington, Ohio, Florida, Kansas
Interviewed: Tufts, Iowa, Davis, Washington (declined), Florida, Kansas
Rejected: Ohio, Colorado, Florida
Waitlisted: Tufts, Iowa
Accepted: Davis, Kansas
Attending: Davis

Overall GPA: 3.28
GPA Post Grad: 4.0
Science GPA: 3.79
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

Degree: BS Mathematical Sciences May 2013

GRE (V/Q/W): 156/162/4.5

Veterinary Experience:
Emergency Clinic that saw small animal, avian, and some food animals (980 hours)

Animal Experience:
1200 hours as a groomer for PetSmart
5000+ Working with horses (training, grooming, riding, camp counselor, mucking stalls ect.)

Employment:
3 years Data Analyst for an investment company
500 hours as a Dunkin Donuts cashier
2 years bus girl in a restaurant

Extracurricular/Community Service:
4 hours Habitat for Humanity (would have done more but I had an allergic reaction and couldn't keep doing it)
2 years ROTC for Air Force (They "ran out of money" for scholarships so I left)
Vice President of an Anime Club
President of Competitive Math Team

eLORs:
My Organic Chem professor
The emergency director of the emergency hospital where I interned (DVM)
A boarded surgeon at the emergency hospital where I interned (DVM)
My writing professor who claims I'm the best student/thinker she's had in years

Personal Statement
I started with a story about my experience assisting in surgery, and how I was enraptured by the field. I then went into how I came about becoming interested in the field, and how my current degree and job in the workforce was draining and unfulfilling. I spoke to my thirst for knowledge which drove me to consider changing my field. I then went into my veterinary experience and how it changed my perspective on the field in both good and bad ways. I then stated what I thought the veterinary field was about, and how I could contribute. I explained why I could handle the rigors of vet school, and ended with my goals in the field. All in 4480 characters!

Notes:
My undergrad in math almost ruined my chances at becoming a veterinarian because of my GPA. I had to apply smart and to a lot. I looked at schools that didn't weigh cumulative GPA as much or not at all. Not surprisingly I was accepted by the places that did not consider cumulative GPA at all, and waitlisted (or rejected) at the places that did consider it. I was lucky in the sense that the only science classes from undergrad was physics and I got a B. Everything else I took after I graduated with a full-time job and maintained that critical 4.0 to showcase my academic abilities. It is possible for people like us, just a little harder.

My undergrad GPA was 3.04

 

[pparadiz]

I still can't believe that I get to post here. LOW GPA APPLICANTS-- I hope you find encouragement through this because I stalked these threads cycle after cycle and was always discouraged after viewing the seemingly endless amounts of perfect applicants. You are worth so much more than your GPA and do not let anyone convince you that you are not capable or worthy of receiving a spot in vet school.

22 yo Female, Tennessee resident, 1st time applicant

Overall GPA: 3.15
Science GPA: 2.8-3.0, depending on the school
Last 45 GPA: ~3.3
GRE (Q/V/Writing): 151/155/4.5

B.S. Cellular/Molecular Biology, May 2019

Applied: LMU, Midwestern, Ross, University of Tennessee
Rejected (with no interview invite): LMU, Midwestern (didn't meet a requirement so was immediately rejected, wish I had realized it before needlessly spending money)
Interview Invites: Tennessee, Ross
Accepted: Tennessee, Ross
Attending: TENNESSEE!!!!!! Literally crying as I type this!!!!


Vet experience: ~1,000 hours at the time of application. About 850 of those hours were as a veterinary assistant at a specialty hospital where I got to work around a multitude of specialists but I specifically worked for internal medicine. The rest of the hours were various internships at clinics and a spay/neuter center (all SA).
Animal experience: Family farm (cattle and horses), few hours working with sea turtles, pet sitting (rabbits, dogs, cats), animal shelter.
Research experience: Had just started a project when applications were due, so the hours at the point were only like 30.. The research was centered around testing different arthropod species (blue crabs, fiddler crabs, insects) for specific bacteria and was for academic credit.
Non-animal employment: Nothing really notable in my opinion. Worked at a beauty salon and bridal salon before getting the vet assistant position.
Volunteer experience: Several hundred hours. I was very involved in a volunteer organization completely unrelated to vet med and held a leadership position there where I was overseeing about ~150 families. I was also a volunteer assistant coach for a youth sports team for a while.
Clubs/Achievements/Other school shenanigans: Biology club, Dean's list for a couple semesters, and received an academic scholarship upon entering college

I made sure to include all of my non-animal related extracurriculars. I am a painter, I play the piano, and am an avid gardener. I included those things and others on my application because I felt as if they would be important in understanding me as an individual. I am an artsy person by nature but also happen to love science.

LORs: Veterinary specialist I had worked with for a year (UF grad), another specialist I worked with for a year (Tufts grad), and a biology professor

For my essays, I explained that I have always naturally taken on the role of a counselor for my friends and acquaintances, therefore I feel prepared and am excited to talk clients through tough situations (as weird as that sounds?). I also talked about how I grew up in a family that is involved in agriculture, so I am really passionate about rural farmers and giving them access to veterinary care. (I want to be a mixed animal vet, so overall I just talked about why each component is important to me and how my different personality traits will allow me to connect with clients).

I did write an explanation essay- feel free to message me if you want more details.

All I can say is that I am so surprised that I got into my top school the first time I applied. I was so convinced that I wasn't good enough for vet school that I had a breakdown while filling out apps and almost made myself put it on hold to wait a year to increase my GPA. Cheesy but true- "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game". Seriously. Just go for it. The worst that can happen is that they say no and you apply again the next round. I had been told this a million times and never believed it until now, but vet schools are honestly looking to have a diverse class full of different kinds of people. They don't want a room full of people who are all clones of each other. Highlight your uniqueness and be honest about who you are in both your application and interviews. I am so flipping excited to be a vet!!!!!!!!!!!!! And GO VOLS!

First of, congratulations!!!! You very much deserve it! Was just curious as to what the requirement was that you didn’t meat for midwestern? Also, I thought the TN average gpa was so high that I took it off my list, but seeing how they look at more than just gpa I might consider applying there too!

 

[vethopeful_2]

First of, congratulations!!!! You very much deserve it! Was just curious as to what the requirement was that you didn’t meat for midwestern? Also, I thought the TN average gpa was so high that I took it off my list, but seeing how they look at more than just gpa I might consider applying there too!

Aw, thank you!! Honestly I was shocked when I got an interview, and even more shocked that I was accepted. I still have no idea why they chose me but I'm not asking any questions haha!

I think that Midwestern calculated my science GPA as being like a 2.7, and their cut off is a 2.75 (don't quote me on that). My undergrad school calculates my science GPA as closer to a 3.0, so I'm still not really sure what value they used.... but I'm pretty sure that's what X'd me.

If I have learned anything during this past year, it's that you will miss 100% of the shots you don't take! I would apply to any school you could see yourself at, regardless of average scores. But make sure you meet all the cut offs so you don't waste money like I did

 

[ajs513]

I think that Midwestern calculated my science GPA as being like a 2.7, and their cut off is a 2.75 (don't quote me on that). My undergrad school calculates my science GPA as closer to a 3.0, so I'm still not really sure what value they used.... but I'm pretty sure that's what X'd me.

I think VMCAS should have a GPA calculator. Something easy where you enter in your courses and it tells you what each GPA is and helps you categorize which class goes toward which GPA in a general manner. Obviously it won’t be foolproof and will sometimes end up different than what’s calculated when they do a course audit, but you won’t have these huge surprises like there are now. I remember getting the notification that my GPA’s had been calculated and looking at them and just saying... what?

 

[finnickthedog]

I think VMCAS should have a GPA calculator. Something easy where you enter in your courses and it tells you what each GPA is and helps you categorize which class goes toward which GPA in a general manner. Obviously it won’t be foolproof and will sometimes end up different than what’s calculated when they do a course audit, but you won’t have these huge surprises like there are now. I remember getting the notification that my GPA’s had been calculated and looking at them and just saying... what?

They do actually

Although, when I applied I don't think they actually had a calculator but they did have an explanation of how they calculate the GPAs.

That said, the VMCAS GPAs don't matter much because they aren't necessarily the same as what schools calculate. Science GPAs in particular (which was vethopeful's issue) are variable as far as what classes get included so I would definitely not trust the VMCAS GPA there.

 

[vethopeful_2]

They do actually

Although, when I applied I don't think they actually had a calculator but they did have an explanation of how they calculate the GPAs.

That said, the VMCAS GPAs don't matter much because they aren't necessarily the same as what schools calculate. Science GPAs in particular (which was vethopeful's issue) are variable as far as what classes get included so I would definitely not trust the VMCAS GPA there.

Yes to both of you! I had used VMCAS resources to keep tabs on all of my stats for several years prior to applying, but after I actually submitted supplemental applications to different schools, I had a complete break down because they ended up calculating things differently (and not for the better, in my case). I want to say that I thought my science GPA was going to be around a 3.3-3.4, but it came back as like a 2.7 for some schools. I almost withdrew my applications because of it. Glad I didn't!

*will add that I'm sure some of it was due to errors made on my end, not trying to knock down VMCAS over here haha*

 

[ajs513]

Yes to both of you! I had used VMCAS resources to keep tabs on all of my stats for several years prior to applying, but after I actually submitted supplemental applications to different schools, I had a complete break down because they ended up calculating things differently (and not for the better, in my case). I want to say that I thought my science GPA was going to be around a 3.3-3.4, but it came back as like a 2.7 for some schools. I almost withdrew my applications because of it. Glad I didn't!

*will add that I'm sure some of it was due to errors made on my end, not trying to knock down VMCAS over here haha*

I had the same experience, mainly because I just followed the VMCAS calculation guidelines, but their organization is terrible and it’s a mess to look at. I had a 3.3 or something along those lines, and in the end they had calculated it as a 2.8. What i should have said in my comment was that they should have an easy to use calculator where, after entering your whole transcript, you just check off which classes you want to use and reference that with which classes each school uses to calculate their different GPA’s. And also assign different values to different grades since schools do it differently.

 

[SkiOtter]

I had the same experience, mainly because I just followed the VMCAS calculation guidelines, but their organization is terrible and it’s a mess to look at. I had a 3.3 or something along those lines, and in the end they had calculated it as a 2.8. What i should have said in my comment was that they should have an easy to use calculator where, after entering your whole transcript, you just check off which classes you want to use and reference that with which classes each school uses to calculate their different GPA’s. And also assign different values to different grades since schools do it differently.

You know.
You can contact the individual schools if you’re concerned.
Lots of schools don’t use what vmcas calculates anyways. That’s way too much work on vmcas’ end for something applicants could very easily do.

 

[kasaucvm23]

21 yr old female, Florida Resident, first time applicant!

Applied: Auburn, Florida, Purdue, LMU
Interview Invites: Auburn, Purdue, LMU, Florida (waitlisted)
Waiting to hear: N/A
Accepted: Auburn, LMU, Purdue
Attending: Auburn!!!

Overall GPA: 3.65
Science GPA: 3.59
Last 45 GPA: 3.72

GRE (Q/V/W)--I hate this thing (terrible scores, I know) : 152 / 142 / 3

Degree: BS Equine Science

Veterinary Experience
Veterinary assistant at mixed animal practice: 1,704 hours
Bovine practice: 390 hours
Small animal hospital: 42 hours


Animal Experience
Animal Science TA: 88 hours
FDAS instructor: 8 hours
Horseback rising instructor (private): 96 hours
Horseback riding instructor at a lesson barn: 200 hours
Cattle Company Owner: 870 hours
Ranch Employee: 560 hours
Stable hand: 120 hours
4-H Exhibitor: 3640 hours (I showed for 8 years)

Research
Piglet research for a whole summer that I led & helped publish.

Extracurriculars/Awards
Block & Bridle member
Meat judging team member
Varsity football cheerleader
Competitive cheerleading
Drag racer for 10 years
Orlando Speed world team member
CNA license

Non-Animal Employment
Worked as a CNA for a year
Private CNA
Nanny
Vacation Bible school teacher

LORs
Mixed animal vet
Large animal vet
Vet student who just graduated that I did research under
Food animal professor (vet)

 

[fingerscrossed687]

21 year old female, Connecticut resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Auburn, Kansas State, Lincoln Memorial, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Illinois, VAMD, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Mizzou
Rejected: Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, Mizzou, VAMD (interview waitlist), Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Auburn, Kansas State, Lincoln Memorial, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Illinois (declined)
Waiting to hear: Lincoln Memorial
Waitlist: Iowa State, Mississippi State
Accepted: Auburn and Kansas State
Attending: Auburn!!!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.38
Science undergrad GPA: 3.32
Last 45 undergrad GPA: 3.58
GRE (Q/V/W)-: 147/155/3.5

Undergraduate Degree: Animal and Veterinary Sciences, minor in Biological Sciences

Veterinary Experience (~1600 hours)
Worked at various SA clinics (5 different clinics) (~1400 hours)
Shadowed ambulatory equine vet (~24 hours)
Veterinary Dental Lab (~3 hours)
Interned at equine surgery hospital (~130)

Animal Experience (~2600 hours)
Horse Care Techniques class (~24 hours)
Dairy Science Techniques class (~34 hours)
Dog Foster (~120 hours)
Animal Care/Conservation Intern at Beardsley Zoo (~210 hours)
SA/LA Rescue Intern (~24 hours)
Receptionist in SA hospital (~320 hours)
Horseback riding (~1900 hours)

Extracurriculars
Pre-Vet Club
Delta Zeta Sorority (VP of Academics on Executive Board)
Equestrian Team
Habitat for Humanity
Colleges Against Cancer
Relay for Life

Awards
Out of State Merit Scholarship
President's List (Spring '18)
Dean's List (Fall '17)
Order of Omega Greek Honor Society
CPI Service Runner-Up Scholarship

Research
Research assistant for a study comparing fetal growth rates in ewes that were fed Citrulline as a supplement. (~130 hours)

Non-Animal Employment
Bussed tables for an Italian restaurant in high school (~300 hours)

LORs
1 small animal veterinarian worked for
1 small animal veterinarian worked for
1 professor/adviser who I've had in multiple classes
1 professor/veterinarian I've done research with

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
I talked about both my short term goals of joining the Veterinary Corps and being a veterinarian in the military and my long term goals about going into small animal private practice. I am really interested in public health and vaccine/drug development, so I talked about how the Army can open doors in that area as well as financially in terms of their HPSP scholarship.
I also talked about moving from CT to SC for college, and how that transition really made me more open and able to see things from a different perspective.

Were you rejected from TAMU after the interview?