Too many B's?

[LunaCaelum]

I was looking at my transcript last night online, and am worried that I have too many B's and not enough A's. I'm not applying until the year after next (I have to take an extra semester because I have 3 minors) and am starting to worry more about my application. Anyone have any insight?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[vnair2]

I was looking at my transcript last night online, and am worried that I have too many B's and not enough A's. I'm not applying until the year after next (I have to take an extra semester because I have 3 minors) and am starting to worry more about my application. Anyone have any insight?

There is a world of difference between a lot of B+s with a handful of As thrown in vs a lot of B-s with a couple of A-s thrown in. So which is it? If it is the former, relax, your GPA is probably around the average. If it is the latter, you probably have a below average GPA, but that is no reason to freak out. You have some time left before you apply, so study real hard and work on finishing off school with a bang.

If your GPA is low, you can also look to apply to schools that care more about experience and less about grades (hopefully you are aquiring lots of experience). I believe there is a thread that lists them.

Good Luck

 

[EqSci]

For the first two years of college I thought I would be fine with A's and B's, so I didn't worry too much or try too hard. When I realized my GPA was much lower than it needed to be, I stepped it up and have had almost all A's the past 2 years. You have PLENTY of time to bring up your GPA, just start now! I'm not an adcom, but I'd say B's are not negative other than the fact that they bring down your GPA.

 

[stick91]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I had mostly B's, a couple A's, and a couple C's from my freshmen and sophomore year. After that I was actually able to take a lot of classes I enjoyed (upper division bio and history courses) and I started getting mostly A's and a couple B's. You don't have to have a perfect GPA to be competitive so some B's won't kill your chances!

 

[wakeboardpro4487]

I'm afraid i disagree. B's, in my opinion, are terrible. My philosophy is that for plenty of vet schools the average acceptance GPA is approx a 3.8 and that if i want a spot i need to be above the average. An A- is worth 3.7. In other words, not even A-s will get me into vet school! I need to get straight A's. Now it sounds like you have plenty of classes left to take. I really want to encourage you to get the best grades you can. Vet school is soooo competitive. It's true that many many serious applicants don't get accepted for 2, 3, or even more years! Just read through this site and you'll hear the stories. But remember, grades are only a piece of pie. Vet schools are hungry and want the entire pie including a good GRE, many hours of diverse vet experience, and a good interviewee. I think we can all agree when i say that if vet school isn't something you really want and isn't worth working your butt off, then don't waste your time, money, and energy trying to get in. I know many of my statements are bold and may offend some people and i apologize if they do, but i feel that i need to say this bluntly and accurately without false hope. Getting into vet school is no joke. I hope this helps and perhaps motivates you to do your best. Good luck

 

[sunnex3]

but look at ALL the people here who have been accepted with GPAs LOWER than 3.5
it's really all about GPA. it also depends on WHERE you apply.
for example, i know that penn will focus more on GPA/GRE than experience. but i think many of the schools that are not on the east coast will focus a lot of experience too.

i would say to make sure to keep your GPA around 3.5 (this is what i've heard from the dean at Penn and with emails with Tufts) to remain competitive. that means you can have some Bs( and even Cs! ) and still be competitive. make sure you have a good GRE score (percentile wise, not the actual score)

make sure you're taking rigorous classes. and have a lot of good, varied experience.

 

[cuitlamiztli]

I'm afraid i disagree. B's, in my opinion, are terrible. My philosophy is that for plenty of vet schools the average acceptance GPA is approx a 3.8 and that if i want a spot i need to be above the average. An A- is worth 3.7. In other words, not even A-s will get me into vet school! I need to get straight A's.

One of my professors explained grades as something like: "Your grade shows how much of the material you've mastered. All a B means is that you've mastered 80% of the material... which, when you think about it, is pretty darn good."

B's are not terrible. Really. A handful of them aren't going to make or break your application, particularly if you're strong in the other areas.

I think we can all agree when i say that if vet school isn't something you really want and isn't worth working your butt off, then don't waste your time, money, and energy trying to get in.

And sometimes working your butt off means getting a B (or lower)... one of my 3 C's was the toughest grade I have ever earned. There's a fine line between doing well in the one course you're working so hard at and neglecting yourself and your other classes in favor of it.

So, OP... get the best grades you can, don't worry about a few B's, and work on steadily improving your GPA and the other areas of your application.

 

[UGuysRIdiots]

One of my professors explained grades as something like: "Your grade shows how much of the material you've mastered. All a B means is that you've mastered 80% of the material... which, when you think about it, is pretty darn good."

Knowing only 80% of a spay procedure just isn't good enough.

And sometimes working your butt off means getting a B (or lower)... one of my 3 C's was the toughest grade I have ever earned. There's a fine line between doing well in the one course you're working so hard at and neglecting yourself and your other classes in favor of it.

If you work your butt off to the point of neglecting yourself and can only pull off a C you should really consider whether or not you can handle professional level classes.

I hope you don't plan on saying these types of things in your interviews.

 

[georgie339]

...

 

[Airborne Vet]

UGuysRIdiots, I don't think it matters what they said in the interview...being as how they're in ISU c/o 2013.

In regard to the OP. Grades matter a lot and everyone knows it. I would like to get on here and say that B's and C's don't really hurt your chances of getting in, but they will. The fact of the matter is the adcom is going to view desirable grades on the order of A>B>C>D. Not to insult anyone, but it seems many people go out of their way to comfort rather than tell people what they need to hear. That said, a few grades other than an A aren't going to sink you.

People will argue that grades are just part of the process, which is true. But I argue that many people also have comparable experiences in vet med prior to applying to vet school. Many will have a similar GRE score. I argue that it's much more important to be well rounded in both academics and experiences rather than be a super star student with little experience or an award winning lab tech that made dismal grades.

The bottom line is that in a couple of years you'll be competing with 100+ or possibly 1000+ (if OOS) other people for a very limited number of seats. Most of these people will be no dummies and will be more than qualified. It's very easy to just be a face in the crowd... unless you've accomplished things that make you stand out from the pack, but also have as few weak areas as possible to prevent you from being weeded out of the pool.

It's not practical to expect to come out of undergrad with a 4.0, and it isn't expected. However, don't take grades lightly and always strive to do the best you can. Good luck!

 

[WildlifeSaver]

.You do not have to have a 3.8 to be accepted to veterinary medical school or even MD school just to throw that out there. I really don't understand telling someone flawed info about getting into vet school or furthermore if you are real serious about it as well and do not know what you are talking about. You do not have to have perfect As. You DO have to work hard and get good grades and sure someone who has straight Fs Cs and some Bs with rare As will not get accepted if that is all they earned in there 4 years of academic work.

A lot of people DO get accepted and most on their first try and second. Depends on more like GRE and experiences for getting admitted with maybe the schools sometimes. I know someone who got into Cornell (#2 rank) with a 3.3 and they are a GPA school!!

I am not sure if this is just lack of knowledge by people not knowing what is involved with admittance to vet school or putting such a high horse on yourself to say you got into vet school. Of course I will not argue it is a accomplishment, but it is in reach for everyone who is a focused individual that wants to go....

 

[WildlifeSaver]

Knowing only 80% of a spay procedure just isn't good enough.



If you work your butt off to the point of neglecting yourself and can only pull off a C you should really consider whether or not you can handle professional level classes.

I hope you don't plan on saying these types of things in your interviews.

And really who are you to tell someone if they should rethink if they can handle a professional level classes???? You do not know their story if there was a reason behind that. A few Cs in your undergraduate work do not reflect your abilities, intelligence, what kind of professional you could be or if you can handle the rigors of vet med education. I have had Cs and I will tell you I am not ruined at all.

I been to a vet school and talked to admissions already at a top vet school and I have a good chance I was told. Stop giving false information. I worked my butt of in a class I received a C and that is normal for more then half of us on the forum that somewhere along the line they got a C and possibly really worked hard for it.

 

[dyachei]

:troll:

 

[Caninerepro]

Um I got into a couple vet schools this year, my first application cycle, with a 3.4 undergrad GPA. Last 30 was a 3.9 though (B+ in cell bio). My GRE scores were 630 verbal, 700 quantitative: in the range of the 70-90th percentile, and a 4.5 on the essay. Not outstanding, but apparently good enough for some adcoms. I had 2 C's on my transcript. I think there is a forum topic where everyone who has been accepted lists their stats, and where they did and did not get in. You should check that out to compare. You cannot change what has happened in the past, only what you do from here on out. Most schools look at past 45 credits the hardest, everyone struggles a bit adjusting as freshmen, it is expected. Hang in there.

 

[rachroo]

And really who are you to tell someone if they should rethink if they can handle a professional level classes???? You do not know their story if there was a reason behind that. A few Cs in your undergraduate work do not reflect your abilities, intelligence, what kind of professional you could be or if you can handle the rigors of vet med education. I have had Cs and I will tell you I am not ruined at all.

Well said, wildlifesaver, well said.

 

[cuitlamiztli]

I know it's a troll, but...

"Knowing only 80% of a spay procedure just isn't good enough."

Knowing 80% of a high volume of test material is far from equivalent to knowing how to perform a surgery. I included that quote because I think that people need to look on the positive side of things--that B's aren't terrible. That they don't mean you're not a good student, that they aren't going to ruin your chances at vet school.

"If you work your butt off to the point of neglecting yourself and can only pull off a C you should really consider whether or not you can handle professional level classes."

Have you ever had a class that you just could barely manage to pass no matter how well you thought you understood the material, no matter hard you studied, or no matter how much help you got? Those are the types of classes I was referring to... they happen, whether you like it or not, and you can learn from them.

And really who are you to tell someone if they should rethink if they can handle a professional level classes???? You do not know their story if there was a reason behind that. A few Cs in your undergraduate work do not reflect your abilities, intelligence, what kind of professional you could be or if you can handle the rigors of vet med education. I have had Cs and I will tell you I am not ruined at all.

I agree with rachroo... well said, WildlifeSaver.

 

[jglovicz]

Just to throw it out there, I had a C+ in Biochem and B- in one semester of Physics (along with a smattering of Bs and B+s)...I've been accepted to 2 vet schools and listed as an alternate at 2 (also waiting for 1). I would absolutely say that looking back on it, I could have done better in those classes. Definitely do your best to get As. If you have a really strong GPA for your last few semesters, some more average grades won't hurt you. Besides, you can't do anything about the past, just improve for the future!

 

[WildlifeSaver]

I didn't realize he was a troll ha. I should of looked at his number of post. I was pissed. Oh well at least now the world of pre-vets SDN forum knows how I feel.

 

[UGuysRIdiots]

Have you ever had a class that you just could barely manage to pass no matter how well you thought you understood the material, no matter hard you studied, or no matter how much help you got? Those are the types of classes I was referring to... they happen, whether you like it or not, and you can learn from them.

No, I haven't. Veterinarians aren't expected to barely manage to save lives. We are called to much higher standards.

And really who are you to tell someone if they should rethink if they can handle a professional level classes???? You do not know their story if there was a reason behind that. A few Cs in your undergraduate work do not reflect your abilities, intelligence, what kind of professional you could be or if you can handle the rigors of vet med education. I have had Cs and I will tell you I am not ruined at all.

Judging from your grammar I doubt you'll be able to even understand the rigors of vet school let alone handle them.

I am not sure if this is just lack of knowledge by people not knowing what is involved with admittance to vet school or putting such a high horse on yourself to say you got into vet school. Of course I will not argue it is a accomplishment, but it is in reach for everyone who is a focused individual that wants to go...

Wrong. Vet school is not for everyone. I don't care how much you love animals or think you can help them. If you're an idiot you're not going to be a good doctor. Likewise, if your the smartest woman in the world but you lack compassion you will be a bad doctor.

Not to insult anyone, but it seems many people go out of their way to comfort rather than tell people what they need to hear.

Keep it real! There's something people on these forums need to understand. Most people who apply to vet school aren't going to get in. That means people on this site too. I assume most of you aren't going to get in... it's just statistics. Let's stop cuddling and decieving each other and start getting serious.

 

[WildlifeSaver]

You just want a fight on the pre-vet forums. Whoever you are, no one is going to listen to your ridiculous comments. I bet you have another SDN name, but you are too afraid to use it to say negitive and attacking comments. The end. No one cares about your input at all if you can not see that.

 

[justinpaws]

Likewise, if your [SIC] the smartest woman in the world but you lack compassion you will be a bad doctor.

I was going to keep out of this, but I just can't. There's a difference between "your" and "you're" and how is it that most people are not aware of it? For the sake of not having a hypocritical screen name, I humbly suggest you learn the difference.

 

[UGuysRIdiots]

Judging from your grammar I doubt you'll be able to even understand the rigors of vet school let alone handle them.

I want to apologize for this statement I made earlier. It was prideful and arrogant of me. Nevertheless, the rest of my comments stand.

I was going to keep out of this, but I just can't. There's a difference between "your" and "you're" and how is it that most people are not aware of it? For the sake of not having a hypocritical screen name, I humbly suggest you learn the difference.

Thank you for pointing this out. WeRIdiots

 

[Airborne Vet]

WildlifeSaver, I apologize if I came off as being on a high horse or however you put it. Please know that my primary concern was to give my honest opinion to the OP, not to upset you.

Although people on the other side of the fence than you may not have as much tact as you would like, they're still entitled to their opinions. Especially when that is what is being sought after by the OP. I understand that my opinion may not be the best and I am willing to accept that, but I feel it's worthwhile for the OP to recieve input from all angles.

We may have to agree to disagree, by my fundamentals are not going to change. My logic is simply that an "A" looks better than a "B". If you're at a difficult school, a Cornell "A" looks better than a Cornell "B". If it was a difficult class, a biochem "A" looks better than a biochem "B". There will usually be people in these schools/classes that make high marks, and the adcom would certainly prefer you to be one of those people than not. Although you may be able to explain why you made a "B" or "C" at in interview, people rarely need to explain an A.

In no way am I saying that grades are 100% of what makes or breaks an applicant. However, the question posed asked only about the GPA aspect and not other critical areas. With that in mind, my opinion is that YES, having quite a few B’s is less favorable than just a few.

 

[WildlifeSaver]

WildlifeSaver, I apologize if I came off as being on a high horse or however you put it. Please know that my primary concern was to give my honest opinion to the OP, not to upset you.

Although people on the other side of the fence than you may not have as much tact as you would like, they're still entitled to their opinions. Especially when that is what is being sought after by the OP. I understand that my opinion may not be the best and I am willing to accept that, but I feel it's worthwhile for the OP to recieve input from all angles.

We may have to agree to disagree, by my fundamentals are not going to change. My logic is simply that an "A" looks better than a "B". If you're at a difficult school, a Cornell "A" looks better than a Cornell "B". If it was a difficult class, a biochem "A" looks better than a biochem "B". There will usually be people in these schools/classes that make high marks, and the adcom would certainly prefer you to be one of those people than not. Although you may be able to explain why you made a "B" or "C" at in interview, people rarely need to explain an A.

In no way am I saying that grades are 100% of what makes or breaks an applicant. However, the question posed asked only about the GPA aspect and not other critical areas. With that in mind, my opinion is that YES, having quite a few B's is less favorable than just a few.

My comment about the 3.8 GPA was geared to the person that said we have to be perfect with grades and the other person that is pointed to be a troll. Anway, I just felt that this forum was going in the wrong direction for the OP and took out my frustrations of other people posting on here. As are better and no one will argue. Sometimes we do struggle in classes and do not get a "A" . We are still much more then a grade. We are all entitled for our own opinions which is agreed.

 

[1Vista1Grey]

Anyhow, back to the OP.. Ive had the whole range.. A-F... granted I havent been accepted directly, they considered me good enough to place on 2 wait lists... In my explanation statement I explained that my F was because I was a freshman and I had an attitude which caused me to have such bad attendance I was not able to pass (this was a prereq) and my application managed to stay out of the circular file. I even got 3 out of 5 interviews (Oklahoma doesnt interview.. and Tufts rejected me). I got Ds and Cs during the year I was sick and also explained that. So dont worry about Bs on your application.. just make sure you get enough As to balance out your GPA...:-D

However, its proably a good idea to get an A in any class that you need to retake...

 

[natalieises]

Where is this 3.8 average statistic coming from??? I feel that is highly out of whack. From what I've seen, even the out of state applicants (which have higher requirements) don't have that good of an average on their accepted students.

As far as a vet being "80% knowledgeable", I'm sorry but you aren't going to know 100% of everything you would need to know for every situation upon graduating. A career in medicine is anything but 100% by the books, so get back to reality! If you think any vet on this planet never missed a single point in any class you are insane!!! So by your standards no vet is worthy of their degree or of practicing animal medicine.

We're all human here, and that means we are not and will never be perfect. That's why there's more than one of us....to help each other. So let's start helping each other instead of being negative and hateful.

I think it is great to have perspective and realize this is a tough career and program to get into, but that doesn't mean you have to tell everyone who didn't get a 4.0 that they will be a ****ty vet

 

[BR549]

One of my professors explained grades as something like: "Your grade shows how much of the material you've mastered. All a B means is that you've mastered 80% of the material... which, when you think about it, is pretty darn good."

B's are not terrible. Really. A handful of them aren't going to make or break your application, particularly if you're strong in the other areas.

And sometimes working your butt off means getting a B (or lower)... one of my 3 C's was the toughest grade I have ever earned. There's a fine line between doing well in the one course you're working so hard at and neglecting yourself and your other classes in favor of it.

So, OP... get the best grades you can, don't worry about a few B's, and work on steadily improving your GPA and the other areas of your application.

I wanted to chime in on the mastery subject. A grade does not equal mastery (generally). Assessment of mastery can be on many different levels. One could use a multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, essay,...etc. test; a lab practicum; a research paper...etc. The point is that mastery can be performance based (skills and applying knowledge) or knowledge based (usually a paper test). This depends on the teacher/professor. In order to efficiently use mastery data, the learning objectives should be broken down into daily or weekly objectives. For instance: Student's will analyze and diagram the Kreb's cycle with at least 80% mastery by the end of the week. This objective would then have a product or assessment to be completed that tests whether mastery of the objective was met. The objective must be measurable and realistic.

A grade is a weighted average of your performance on all work, not necessarily assessments on particular objectives. Let's say that 15% of your grade is based on homework or class participation. You may have made a 100 on all of your assessments of daily learning objectives, but your grade will be an 85% if you did not do any homework or didn't participate in class discussions. The point is that grades do not necessarily equate to mastery of material or a concept. Therefore, one should be careful to assume that a B in a class does not necessarily mean 80% mastery of a subject.

Sorry for the pedagogy lesson. I have been through numerous hours of monotonous workshops dealing with this issue!

On another note, be careful to not become complacent with a B. I got complacent with "C's" my sophomore year and it took some work to get out of that mindset.

 

[rugbychick16]

3.8 is really high for an average...a couple schools reach that, but that is not an "average" GPA for yout typical student who got admitted to vet school, even for the competitive OOS students.

Check any of the vet school webpages and you'll find the statstics for the last entering class...compare eough of them and it will give you an idea of where your grades are compared to what schools you want to apply for.

K-state as an example
http://www.vet.k-state.edu/admit/admit_stats.htm

 

[UGuysRCool]

As far as a vet being "80% knowledgeable", I'm sorry but you aren't going to know 100% of everything you would need to know for every situation upon graduating. A career in medicine is anything but 100% by the books, so get back to reality! If you think any vet on this planet never missed a single point in any class you are insane!!!

I totally agree with your statement. But the attitude of "80% is pretty good" is just wrong for a career with such high responsibilities. Never give 80% when you can give 100% because you just may make a deadly mistake because of laziness/pride/whatever. Vets gotta give it all! This isn't a typical 9-5 job if you know what i mean