WAMC - 2nd time applicant, nontraditional, low-average GPA

[cms204]

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Hello! I am resigning myself to not getting off a waitlist this year and working diligently on my reapplication. Any suggestions are welcome.

I am a very nontraditional applicant - I'm 32 and have only been in the vet med field for a year and a half. Last year I applied to UofA, Dublin, Edinburgh, and Rowan. I was waitlisted at Rowan and Dublin. I was denied from Edinburgh explicitly on the basis of my undergrad GPA and would prefer to avoid wasting time and effort that way again. I am open to living just about anywhere for school, though I would prefer to avoid the island schools due to them being for-profit.

Stats etc.
Degrees
BA 2014 in Biology and Music
MMus 2017 in Classical Voice Performance
EdS 2023 in Higher Education Administration

VMCAS GPAs:
Cumulative 3.61
Science 3.25
Last 45 3.37

Veterinary Hours
825 small animal gp
2100 small animal emergency (will be higher by application, currently employed)

Animal Experience Hours
1120 equine
150 (??) family farm - llamas, sheep, poultry - I lived there very part time but did help with the animals when I was around

Research
18 hours at PhD level (no animal component)
60 hours at undergrad level (no animal component)

LORs
2 emergency DVMs
Academic TBD - debating between asking a PhD prof who wrote for me last year (but haven't taken a course with in years) vs. a recent science prof who doesn't know me as well
1 GP DVM
Possibly 1 ER RVT
Open to recommendations for the last spot (knowing not all schools will look at it)

My non-animal employment history is long. I also earned several awards and scholarships during my undergrad. I do have some low grades and will be submitting an explanation statement. What schools would you apply to with these stats? I'm considering applying to 8-10. Any input is welcome!

 

[vetschoolhopeful101]

The first school that comes to mind is Purdue in Indiana.

What state do you live in?

 

[indysadventures]

The first school that comes to mind is Indiana.

What state do you live in?

Do you mean Purdue?

 

[cms204]

The first school that comes to mind is Purdue in Indiana.

What state do you live in?

I live in Michigan but just moved here from Ohio so I'm not sure I would qualify for in state tuition at MSU

 

[miriam1216]

What did Edinburgh say about your GPA?! Your cumulative and science is higher than mine, so I'm wondering if I should still apply...

 

[cms204]

What did Edinburgh say about your GPA?! Your cumulative and science is higher than mine, so I'm wondering if I should still apply...

"In terms of feedback, your overall GPA, as reported by VMCAS, is 3.67, which meets our entry requirement. However, due to the intense competition for 2025 entry, the Admissions Committee also closely reviewed additional academic metrics, including the Prerequisite GPA and Overall Science GPA. With your Overall Science GPA at 3.27 and Prerequisite GPA at 3.30, these scores impacted our ability to move your application forward."

 

[genny]

ISU likes a non-trad student with a compelling story for a career change.

 

[vampyrica]

I live in Michigan but just moved here from Ohio so I'm not sure I would qualify for in state tuition at MSU

Would you move back to Ohio if you applied to tOSU? tOSU likes their in-state applicants from what i’ve seen, and unfortunately i’m not familiar with Michigan’s IS tuition requirements. For majority of schools, you would need to be living in the state for a full year prior to the start of the vet school program in order to prove you moved to Michigan for reasons other than vet school. I would reach out and ask them tbh. Doesn’t hurt to ask and be sure!

The key word that’s throwing me off is “just moved” would you be willing to move a long distance again for vet school? I know you had international schools but was that prior to the Michigan move? If you’re okay with moving again, I’d recommend looking into:
University of Arizona, Iowa State, Louisiana State University. Colorado State is also the most holistic of the vet schools, BUT they receive 3-4,000+ applications each year so keep that in mind when applying.

 

[DVM882029]

I'd highly consider tOSU and make that your #1. Look into VA/MD, Penn, and Tennessee as well (although Penn requires calculus as a prereq last I checked). Iowa is good for nontrads and Mizzou maybe should be in the mix also.