WAMC, 2nd time applicant. Looking for advice if I don't get in again this cycle

[zooDVM-hopeful]

First time applying: ISU, Midwestern, LMU, UF, WSU
Interview: midwestern, waitlisted
Rejected: from the rest

Science: 3.5
Cum: 3.44
Last 45: 3.6

Vet Experience:
1500 small animal, exotics
50 vet tech volunteer at shelter

Animal experience: 30 animal care volunteer

Other experience:
Full time soccer athlete
Waitress
Dance marathon exec board member

Research: motor neuron recruitment and ACL injury prevention 250

LOR: 1 small animal vet, soccer coach, 1 science professor

2nd time: applied to ISU, Kansas, Missouri, NC state, Midwestern, U of AZ, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado
Interview: Kansas, waiting to hear
Waiting to hear: ISU, NC state, Midwestern, U of Az, Illinois
Rejection: Missouri, Ohio, Colorado

Science: 3.6
Overal: 3.45
Last 45: 3.71

Vet experience:
2200 small animal exotics
50 vet tech volunteer
10 equine
80 food animal
60 zoo medicine (actual immobilization procedures, blood draws on various zoo/exotic mammals, anesthesia monitoring) giant anteater, red panda, ring tailed lemur, cavy, cheetah, lion, tiger, porcupine

Animal Experience:
1200 large carnivore care intern (tigers, lions, cheetahs, bears) (only 600 is present on my app, but I told Kansas in my interview)
120 equine rescue barn volunteer (+ goat, pig, chicken)
30 animal shelter volunteer (cat, dog, pocket pets)

Research: motor neuron recruitment and ACL injury prevention 250

Other experience:
Full time soccer athlete
Waitress
Dance marathon exec board member
Assistant youth soccer coach & mentor for young girls
Food pantry volunteer

LOR: 1 small vet, 1 large vet, 2 professors, 1 horse barn volunteer coordinator

Just looking for advice on how to improve especially if I don't get in this year either! Anything is super helpful!!

I also have 10 hours ungulate zoo experience as well as 10 hours small mammal and bird zoo experience that didn't make it on my application for this cycle

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[MixedAnimals77]

My first instinct is did you do file reviews? Considering this is your second cycle applying that would be my number 1 piece of advice. You seemed to have significantly improved your app from cycle 1 to cycle 2 in areas it was weak in. If you don't get in this cycle-app reviews are what I would consider focusing on. Secondly I would reconsider the schools you pick to apply to. For example CSU is not a great school to apply to as an OOS person considering they received ~3500 applications for ~70 seats. That's a 1:50 ratio. The odds are not in anyone's favor at that volume.
I would continue to improve your veterinary and animal hours if possible and adding on SA vet med shadowing to your vet hours and start working on expanding community involvement&leadership (COVID I know makes everything impossible)
Goodluck with your KS interview and I hope you hear good news from more schools!

 

[zooDVM-hopeful]

My first instinct is did you do file reviews? Considering this is your second cycle applying that would be my number 1 piece of advice. You seemed to have significantly improved your app from cycle 1 to cycle 2 in areas it was weak in. If you don't get in this cycle-app reviews are what I would consider focusing on. Secondly I would reconsider the schools you pick to apply to. For example CSU is not a great school to apply to as an OOS person considering they received ~3500 applications for ~70 seats. That's a 1:50 ratio. The odds are not in anyone's favor at that volume.
I would continue to improve your veterinary and animal hours if possible and adding on SA vet med shadowing to your vet hours and start working on expanding community involvement&leadership (COVID I know makes everything impossible)
Goodluck with your KS interview and I hope you hear good news from more schools!

I did a file review for ISU since it is my in state but they didn't give me much advice. Everything said need minor improvement. Saying everything was "good" but not excellent lol so I think I took that and just tried to make everything at least slightly better this time around

 

[battie]

Interview: Kansas, waiting to hear
Waiting to hear: ISU, NC state, Midwestern, U of Az, Illinois

Definitely do a file review with Illinois if you can. But hold on for a bit to see if you move on to phase 3! Your stats are academically better than mine. If you have good interview skills, you may have a shot still.

I will echo Mixy's advice on re-evaluating your school list. NC State is also a difficult school to get into as an OOS due to the vast amount of applicants that apply.

For next cycle (if necessary), look into schools that replace grades for any remakes you have (versus averaging the grades), those that emphasize subjectives, like letters, essays, experience, and interviews. Mixy mentioned CSU gets a lot of applicants. You can check out the AAVMC public data to see how many applications each school gets and see how many seats they have. Apply to schools with lower applicant numbers, but high OOS seats

 

[zooDVM-hopeful]

Definitely do a file review with Illinois if you can. But hold on for a bit to see if you move on to phase 3! Your stats are academically better than mine. If you have good interview skills, you may have a shot still.

I will echo Mixy's advice on re-evaluating your school list. NC State is also a difficult school to get into as an OOS due to the vast amount of applicants that apply.

For next cycle (if necessary), look into schools that replace grades for any remakes you have (versus averaging the grades), those that emphasize subjectives, like letters, essays, experience, and interviews. Mixy mentioned CSU gets a lot of applicants. You can check out the AAVMC public data to see how many applications each school gets and see how many seats they have. Apply to schools with lower applicant numbers, but high OOS seats

Yes, thank you! I will keep my fingers crossed for the rest of the schools this cycle but that is all great advice. Thanks so much