WAMC - 1st time applicant

[lcol7]

Hi everyone! I’m a 20F Illinois resident. This will be my first year applying. I’m interested in pursuing exotics, zoo/aquatics, or radiology.

Planning to apply to: Mississippi State (top choice), Illinois (in-state), UF, Cornell, K-State

Major: Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (will graduate with a B.S. in May 2026)

GPA: 3.94
Science GPA: 3.91
Last 45: 3.94

Veterinary Hours:
-290 small animal (will be closer to 400+ by the time of application)
-50 equine
-15 wildlife/research
-15 radiology (mixed animal)

Animal Hours:
-300 pet sitting (small animal)
-500 amphibian husbandry
-270 amphibian conservation internship at the Omaha Zoo
-120 hours helping my pilot dad handle animals (dogs, cats, foxes, etc.) for a volunteer rescue flight program called Pilots n Paws

Research Hours:
-100+ hours spent on an honors thesis which was presented at undergraduate research symposium and will be published to my school’s institutional repository (involved using ultrasound to sex salamanders; made me think about potentially pursuing radiology/diagnostic imaging)

Other Employment:
-100 hours as a tutor for Ecology
-10 hours as a Fisheries Field Technician for a one-day trip

Extracurriculars:
-American Fisheries Society (have served as social media chair, cross-organizational representative, and president)
-Programming staff for my school’s new student retreat
-Wildlife Disease Association
-Student Government

Awards/Honors/ETC:
-President’s List (3.8+) for all semesters so far
-Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
-2nd place Undergraduate Research Award in Forestry and Wildlife
-Long list of scholarships from both my university and other donors
-Illinois Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish
-High School Top 10% (they do not disclose class rank) + other HS awards

LORs:
-Small animal vet
-Research mentor (also the head of my academic department + has taught one of my classes)
-Supervisor from my zoo internship
-American Fisheries Society faculty advisor
-Currently looking for another academic LOR (will probably be a professor from one of my most recent wildlife classes)

My veterinary hours are definitely lower than I want them to be. I’m trying to up them as much as possible before applying. Also I am totally open to hearing if there are any other schools that you think I may be competitive at! Thanks!

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[pp9]

I think you have really good chances, but would plan on beefing up your experience hours significantly if you don't get in this cycle.

Zoo vet here - if you want to do anything zoo/exotics/aquatics/wildlife, going to the cheapest school is the best decision you can make right now. We are extremely poorly paid for the amount of training that we go through. You are lucky in that Illinois is your IS and also a great choice for exotics/zoo stuff. Why is Miss. your top choice? Last I checked, they don't have exotics/zoo clinicians.

 

[lcol7]

I think you have really good chances, but would plan on beefing up your experience hours significantly if you don't get in this cycle.

Zoo vet here - if you want to do anything zoo/exotics/aquatics/wildlife, going to the cheapest school is the best decision you can make right now. We are extremely poorly paid for the amount of training that we go through. You are lucky in that Illinois is your IS and also a great choice for exotics/zoo stuff. Why is Miss. your top choice? Last I checked, they don't have exotics/zoo clinicians.

I still haven’t decided what I want to do specialty wise. The original thought was exotics/zoo. But after my research + being able to see x-rays at the small animal clinic, I think I may really like radiology instead. MS State is my undergraduate institution so I am very familiar with the program, the professors, the town, etc. I’ve talked to some current vet students and they said they have plenty of opportunities for exotics/zoo through WEZAAM, externships, etc.

 

[JaynaAli]

You don’t have to know what you want to do as an applicant. Even among people who do think they know, it’s very common for interests to shift during school. Saying you want to do something specific you have no (or minimal) actual experience in on your app can actually be a bit detrimental, because people will wonder how you know that so strongly if you’ve never experienced that setting. I’d much rather see people say that they are open to exploring all the fields and learning more when they don’t have the veterinary experience to back up a super-specific niche focus. It’s not bad to have an interest in something, but if you’re going to tell me you are going to do something specific, I want to see experiences in that something specific. Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[lcol7]

You don’t have to know what you want to do as an applicant. Even among people who do think they know, it’s very common for interests to shift during school. Saying you want to do something specific you have no (or minimal) actual experience in on your app can actually be a bit detrimental, because people will wonder how you know that so strongly if you’ve never experienced that setting. I’d much rather see people say that they are open to exploring all the fields and learning more when they don’t have the veterinary experience to back up a super-specific niche focus. It’s not bad to have an interest in something, but if you’re going to tell me you are going to do something specific, I want to see experiences in that something specific. Hopefully that makes sense.

That makes sense! I’ve been struggling to get that zoo/exotics shadowing experience with a vet, so I’ve been just trying to up my general animal hours with my wildlife work. Since the radiology interest is a very recent development, I didn’t have much time to shadow the vet school radiologist before I had to leave for the summer. Wish I had more time to do that before I apply to show my interest in it, but I don’t think I will. I am 1000% relying on vet school to help me explore my options and make my decision on what I actually want to do. The specialties I’ve been talking about are just ideas based on what I know that I’m interested in and passionate about!

 

[pp9]

I still haven’t decided what I want to do specialty wise. The original thought was exotics/zoo. But after my research + being able to see x-rays at the small animal clinic, I think I may really like radiology instead. MS State is my undergraduate institution so I am very familiar with the program, the professors, the town, etc. I’ve talked to some current vet students and they said they have plenty of opportunities for exotics/zoo through WEZAAM, externships, etc.

Agree with what Jayna said. Regardless of your interest, I would not recommend you pick an OOS school over IS right now unless you happen to be from a wealthy family that is in a position to pay your tuition in cash without detriment. You can and will succeed in any specialty under the sun regardless of what school you choose, and saving significant amounts of money is a no-brainer. Given the political climate and the fact that student loans are under attack right now, I would urge you to reconsider your priorities here. I know this isn't relative to your chances, but it's an extremely important thing to think critically about, especially if your reasoning is as you stated above (basically 'I'm more familiar with the school'). You are probably going to be in a position where getting into your IS won't be a huge hurdle for you.

I am a UofI alumnus though and will tell you that UofI will have more opportunity for zoo/wildlife at a cheaper sticker price (which will dramatically affect your future as you pursue specialization of any kind), the two schools are probably otherwise comparable though when it comes to radiology or other specialties that may catch your eye

 

[Drjc1977]

Hi everyone! I’m a 20F Illinois resident. This will be my first year applying. I’m interested in pursuing exotics, zoo/aquatics, or radiology.

Planning to apply to: Mississippi State (top choice), Illinois (in-state), UF, Cornell, K-State

Major: Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (will graduate with a B.S. in May 2026)

GPA: 3.94
Science GPA: 3.91
Last 45: 3.94

Veterinary Hours:
-290 small animal (will be closer to 400+ by the time of application)
-50 equine
-15 wildlife/research
-15 radiology (mixed animal)

Animal Hours:
-300 pet sitting (small animal)
-500 amphibian husbandry
-270 amphibian conservation internship at the Omaha Zoo
-120 hours helping my pilot dad handle animals (dogs, cats, foxes, etc.) for a volunteer rescue flight program called Pilots n Paws

Research Hours:
-100+ hours spent on an honors thesis which was presented at undergraduate research symposium and will be published to my school’s institutional repository (involved using ultrasound to sex salamanders; made me think about potentially pursuing radiology/diagnostic imaging)

Other Employment:
-100 hours as a tutor for Ecology
-10 hours as a Fisheries Field Technician for a one-day trip

Extracurriculars:
-American Fisheries Society (have served as social media chair, cross-organizational representative, and president)
-Programming staff for my school’s new student retreat
-Wildlife Disease Association
-Student Government

Awards/Honors/ETC:
-President’s List (3.8+) for all semesters so far
-Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
-2nd place Undergraduate Research Award in Forestry and Wildlife
-Long list of scholarships from both my university and other donors
-Illinois Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish
-High School Top 10% (they do not disclose class rank) + other HS awards

LORs:
-Small animal vet
-Research mentor (also the head of my academic department + has taught one of my classes)
-Supervisor from my zoo internship
-American Fisheries Society faculty advisor
-Currently looking for another academic LOR (will probably be a professor from one of my most recent wildlife classes)

My veterinary hours are definitely lower than I want them to be. I’m trying to up them as much as possible before applying. Also I am totally open to hearing if there are any other schools that you think I may be competitive at! Thanks!

Your credentials are excellent and you have, in my opinion, an excellent chance on securing a seat in the class of '30(?). However there may be 50 or more other applicants with a similar record of accomplishments competing for that one seat. Often what can make/break an applicant is how one performs during the interview process. Selection committees know about your grades, extracurriculars, etc. but really know nothing about you as a person. They are looking for people who are well rounded, social, aware of their surroundings, and current events. To hedge your application in your favor, practice for an interview in front of strangers. Ask parents, friends, etc. if they are willing to help secure individuals who do not know you and are willing to perform a mock interview. When I interviewed for the first time,. I was nervous, intimidated, and performed the ultimate mistake of looking at my watch. It also did not help that my interview occurred on a Friday at 4 PM. Schools are looking for prospective students who will succeed and be good ambassadors for the profession. Always keep in mind to always be truthful! If they ask you a question and you do not have an answer or try to tell them something you think they want to hear, don't do it. Just admit you do not know. Remember, they interview lots of students and have learned when they are being BSd. I wish you well in your future endeavors.

 

[lcol7]

Your credentials are excellent and you have, in my opinion, an excellent chance on securing a seat in the class of '30(?). However there may be 50 or more other applicants with a similar record of accomplishments competing for that one seat. Often what can make/break an applicant is how one performs during the interview process. Selection committees know about your grades, extracurriculars, etc. but really know nothing about you as a person. They are looking for people who are well rounded, social, aware of their surroundings, and current events. To hedge your application in your favor, practice for an interview in front of strangers. Ask parents, friends, etc. if they are willing to help secure individuals who do not know you and are willing to perform a mock interview. When I interviewed for the first time,. I was nervous, intimidated, and performed the ultimate mistake of looking at my watch. It also did not help that my interview occurred on a Friday at 4 PM. Schools are looking for prospective students who will succeed and be good ambassadors for the profession. Always keep in mind to always be truthful! If they ask you a question and you do not have an answer or try to tell them something you think they want to hear, don't do it. Just admit you do not know. Remember, they interview lots of students and have learned when they are being BSd. I wish you well in your future endeavors.

Thank you! Interview skills are definitely something I’m working on this summer.