WAMC - 2nd Time Applicant, Non-traditional, Low GPA - pls help :)

[calciferlog]

Hi everyone! I am preparing for my second application cycle as I’m on a waitlist for one school from the last cycle. Last cycle, I only had about ~340 veterinary hours, about a 3.0 GPA (cum, science, and last 45), and four missing prereqs.

I am a 27-year-old, first-generation, non-traditional student with a low GPA, so I’d like to focus on applying to holistic schools that accept online courses (I have been in the military for the last few years, which made it hard/impossible to do any in-person classes).

My biggest concern for my application is my GPA. I’ve had some struggles with my health, which is a big reason my GPA is low. I want to do a master’s degree, but I will not have my BA until the end of this year. Any advice to tailor my application/school list would be much appreciated!

Interested Schools:

I don’t have an IS school, so I’ll be applying as an OOS student everywhere.

Colorado, Iowa, LIU, Mizzou, Ohio, Oregon, RVC, U of A, USyd, Midwestern, Mississippi, Wisconsin, UF, VAMD, and Minnesota

Do you have any recommendations on who to add/remove from this list?

Cumulative GPA: 3.03
science GPA: 3.27
last 45: 3.26

Degrees achieved:

AS in Intelligence Studies
AA in Liberal Sciences
BA in Political Science in progress (Dec 2023)

GRE results: Did not take

Veterinary Experience:
- Small animal (shadowing, kennel tech, internship, vet assistant, and military vet): 1,555 hours
- Large animal (equine and food animal): about 130 hours

Animal Experience:
- Shelter volunteer, pet sitting, Rover sitter: 110 hours
- Zoo internship: 60 hours

Research Experience: I have over six years of non-clinical, non-animal related research experience from my military career

Awards/scholarships:
- About 20 different awards and achievements from the military
- Deans list, presidents list, honors list, and honor roll

Extracurricular:
- Volunteering (nursing center for senior citizens, habitat for humanity, food bank, homeless shelter, fundraisers, internship coordinator): 140 hours
- Leadership: about three years of experience in leadership roles in the military and dorm council president (64 hours)

Employment:
- About five years of experience in customer service jobs (barista, baker, after-school program leader, and cashier)
- Over six years in the military

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[flotus]

Lots of good volunteering, lots of good employment history. Try to find ways to tie your other experiences into why you want to be vet in your PS, interviews, etc. especially because you have less time in vet med related stuff.

Research is research, regardless of if it’s clinical or animal…break down the hours and the duties in your app. So that’s good!

You really, really need to try to get that last 45 hours GPA up. It’s cool you’re not a science major.

Avoid wasting money applying to Colorado or to Wisconsin - competitive schools, high GPA cut offs.

Your vet hours still being average/low + your gpa being low could hinder you, but you have lots of other interesting and important things going for you. You could definitely be accepted to the right program that values your qualities - it will come down to how you present yourself in other aspects of your application.

Regardless of what happens this cycle, you have a strong foundation

 

[dancingvet_loading]

As someone who was in your shoes not too long ago, I would recommend adding LMU to your list. They love non traditional students. I highly recommend looking into LMU’s 1 year Veterinary Biomedical Science Master Program! It’s a bridge program into the vet school. I did a semester of it and was accepted for the spring cohort (will be finishing my masters degree next semester)! If you get a 3.0 or higher in the fall semester, you are guaranteed an interview with the school. You also take Vet Anatomy and Parasitology with the first year vet students, and if you get a B or higher, you won’t have to retake the course when you matriculate into the vet school!! I believe it’s a great program to consider! I even received an interview from my IS after 2 cycles! It’s been extremely helpful! Especially coming from someone who had an EXTREMELY low science GPA.