WAMC and what schools should I go for with a low-ish GPA?

[honeyday]

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Cumulative GPA: 3.549
science GPA: around 3.4
last 45: around 3.3

Any degrees achieved: BS of Zoology

GRE results: did not take

Veterinary Experience:
- Lab Animal Medicine at a well-know research facility: 880 hours
- Small Animal GP at big company: 200 hours, on going
- Small Animal Emergency at a different big company: 280 hours, on going

Animal Experience:
- Volunteering with Large Animal, Equine, Poultry, and Exotics: 126 hours
- Equine through horse riding: 126 hours
- Volunteering at a local animal shelter: 40 hours (high school)

Research Experience:
- Research on breeding and litter survivability of lab mice under attending DVM of the research facility I worked at: 640 hours (no publications or posters)

Awards/scholarships:
- Cum Laude from Undergrad
- Dean's List from Spring 2022 to Spring 2024
- Magna Cum Laude from High School

Extracurriculars:
- President of my university's Fish and Wildlife Club (senior year)
- Social Media and Event Coordinator of my university's Fish and Wildlife Club (junior year)
- Member of my university's Fish and Wildlife Club (sophomore year)
- Biological Sciences Scholars Program (since freshman year)
- NHS Officer (senior in high school)
- NHS member (junior in high school)
- Art Club founder and Officer (junior in high school)
- Band (junior and senior in high school)
- Orchestra (junior and senior in high school)

Employment:
- Aerie: 840 hours (junior year of college)
- Meijer: 448 hours (summer before college and winter break of freshman year college)
- Wendy's: 1860 hours (junior year in high school to until I left for college)

LORs:
- DVM from the research facility (prestigious facility + Yale alum + Cornell vet school alum)
- DVM from small animal GP (on the admissions board of my in state school)
- Language Professor from my university
- Possible: Scholars Program Advisor
- Possible: Biology professor from my college who I also saw at my GP and got to be their VA during their appointment (hasn't replied to my email yet though)


I'm really worried as I have a pretty low GPA. I know it's not the worst but it's definitely not competitive. I want to get in my first round and I know the best way to do so is to apply strategically to schools who accept lower GPAs. Right now, Ohio State (in state school), Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Cornell (reach school), and Purdue are on my list. I'm considering Iowa, LMU, Missouri, and Minnesota. I was interested in Virginia-Maryland but I don't have their Medical Terminology pre-req course taken. What schools should I apply to? Do I have good chances of getting in to any school?

 

[Tech_Penguin]

I’m not sure I would called WSU and Oregon holistic like MSU. And Cornell usually accepts people with very high GPA’s. Have you thought about taking medical terminology online?

 

[honeyday]

I’m not sure I would called WSU and Oregon holistic like MSU. And Cornell usually accepts people with very high GPA’s. Have you thought about taking medical terminology online?

Washington and Oregon aren't exactly holistic, for sure. Oregon has an average acceptance cGPA of a 3.68 and Washington's is a 3.75, which isn't too far off from mine. I have a better chance at Oregon for sure, but Washington's low tuition prices was too tempting to not try for. As for Cornell, I know they're super GPA focused, which is why they're my reach. I know that they value research as well, and my high research hours make me stand out. I've posted on a different forum about my chances of getting in, and though they're not high, it's not unheard of for someone with a lower GPA to get in.

I'm considering taking Medical Terminology at Ohio State over the fall semester as well as Cell Bio (my only missing requirement for Colorado). I was just unsure if they would accept me with it me currently taking it as I already graduated in May. I'm also worried that it would be a waste of money if I don't get accepted. Though, it would likely bring up all three of my GPAs.

 

[honeyday]

I forgot to add some more details about my application that could help. I'm a first gen American and English isn't my first language. My other language is also pretty niche. There are pretty low amount of people of my ethnicity in America, and probably very minimal in vet med. I'm currently learning Spanish as well. Something I'm very passionate about is making it easier for people who don't speak English to take their pets to the vet.

I also have some small animal GP hours that I didn't add to my applications (probably around 100 hours). The owner, who was also the vet, and I didn't really end well. She wanted me to replace a very experienced VA that was leaving who had probably over a year of experience, so she pushed me to get faster in order to take over her role. However, it was my first VA job outside of lab animal so I was very inexperienced. I quit due to low hours and pay, as well as the constant pressure to be faster and threats of being let go. She was very unhappy about me quitting and didn't let me finish my two weeks I gave her. Those 100 hours are a lot and could help out my application a ton, but I'm worried they will reach out to her and she will say negative things about me. I know there is a "Do not contact" option, but that also worries me that it would give them a negative view. Do you guys think it's worth adding?

I'm also adding Mississippi and maybe Illinois to the list of schools I am applying to. I know there is an internal GPA cut off but I've heard it was probably around a 3.5 last year, meaning I would make it past it? Any thoughts on that or other schools to consider?

 

[CeeGee14]

Would not recommend Illinois. Their GPA cutoff for OOS has always been quite high. Think 3.7 and up. If you look through the Illinois 2024-25 cycle threads, you can see that. I think there was someone with a 3.7 that didn't make it past phase 1. The worst part is that they don't even look at the rest of your application if you can't meet the cutoff.

 

[catsandsnakes]

I would add those 100 hours and mark the "do not contact" option. From my understanding, schools aren't going to care if a one-off experience has that marked. That's a decent chunk of hours that can help you more!

Also, Illinois has a fairly high internal GPA cut-off (if memory serves, it was easily 3.7 or higher) so I probably would not bother with them. In the same vein, I would take Cornell off your list. Very GPA focused school.

 

[honeyday]

Would not recommend Illinois. Their GPA cutoff for OOS has always been quite high. Think 3.7 and up. If you look through the Illinois 2024-25 cycle threads, you can see that. I think there was someone with a 3.7 that didn't make it past phase 1. The worst part is that they don't even look at the rest of your application if you can't meet the cutoff.

I would add those 100 hours and mark the "do not contact" option. From my understanding, schools aren't going to care if a one-off experience has that marked. That's a decent chunk of hours that can help you more!

Also, Illinois has a fairly high internal GPA cut-off (if memory serves, it was easily 3.7 or higher) so I probably would not bother with them. In the same vein, I would take Cornell off your list. Very GPA focused school.

Thanks, I'll take Illinois right off my list and add those extra hours lol! Here is my updated list: tOSU, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Purdue, Iowa, LMU, Missouri, Mississippi

I'm nervous about adding Minnesota to the list as I've heard it's pretty hard for lower GPA students OOS. I've also kind of looked at UPenn as their average GPA is not too high. Their website posted the minimum GPA they accepted and it was a 2.85. I'm also considering taking Medical Terminology to apply to Virginia-Maryland, but I'm worried about the cost and if they'd accept me with that pending. Any thoughts on UPenn, Minnesota, and that extra class?

Overall, what are my chances of getting into any vet school?

 

[Tech_Penguin]

Pending courses are acceptable for VMCVM if they’re done by the spring. I think you're application may be read by Penn but they're less hollostic than the other schools. Also, Purdue is quite GPA focused from my file review

 

[Tech_Penguin]

You should add ASU and LIU

 

[honeyday]

Pending courses are acceptable for VMCVM if they’re done by the spring. I think you're application may be read by Penn but they're less hollostic than the other schools. Also, Purdue is quite GPA focused from my file review

Should I replace Purdue with UPenn? If I have a better shot with them, I would happily swap the two. I may keep both depending on how much I can afford.

The thing that puts me off LIU is the cost of attendance. I'm honestly not entirely sure it's worth it with how expensive it is. I looked into ASU and I'm definitely heavily considering adding it to my list.

I have sadly discovered that both LMU and Iowa require the CASPer test. Because of that, I decided to remove them from my list. I feel like I could use both my time and money in better ways. I am swapping Kansas in place of Iowa and deciding between WesternU and Midwestern as the LMU replacement. Which ones do you guys think would be a better fit for my application? Would ASU be a better replacement for Iowa or should I keep both ASU and Kansas?

 

[JaynaAli]

If you’re worried LIU is too expensive, I certainly wouldn’t add Midwestern since it’s one of the most expensive schools if not THE most expensive.

I don’t have enough familiarity with cutoffs to critique your choices and I’m not trying to discourage you, but be sure you have researched cost of attendance and the new loan regulations. The new caps on federal loans will drastically change how the degree is paid for, so be sure you understand what that means and make sure you have a plan and are okay with all that before you apply.

But best of luck.

 

[supershorty]

If you’re worried LIU is too expensive, I certainly wouldn’t add Midwestern since it’s one of the most expensive schools if not THE most expensive.

I'd also take Minnesota off your list. Your stats are not really going to be competitive there, it's a very expensive program for out of state, and while you theoretically can change residency there, it's very difficult to successfully do so.

 

[_rae_]

I have a better chance at Oregon for sure, but Washington's low tuition prices was too tempting to not try for.

I’m VERY late to the game here, and I’m simply giving you my experience to have a data point, not to tell you to not apply anywhere. I had better GPAs than you, a lot more vet hours, and a lot more volunteer hours, and was rejected from Washington. Your research and niche may very well be enough to make you stand out, but that low tuition Washington boasts means more OOS people apply for the exact same reason you’re going to, which means more competition and historically high internal GPA cutoffs.

 

[honeyday]

If you’re worried LIU is too expensive, I certainly wouldn’t add Midwestern since it’s one of the most expensive schools if not THE most expensive.

I don’t have enough familiarity with cutoffs to critique your choices and I’m not trying to discourage you, but be sure you have researched cost of attendance and the new loan regulations. The new caps on federal loans will drastically change how the degree is paid for, so be sure you understand what that means and make sure you have a plan and are okay with all that before you apply.

But best of luck.

I have been going off the cost of attendances on a spreadsheet of all the vet schools I found. The spreadsheet quoted LIU as costing $535K, which really put me off. I looked into costs of both Midwestern and LIU myself, and it put them at $302,808 and $242, 896 respectively. That's a lot lower than I though for LIU, and that cost is honestly acceptable for me. I'm lucky that I don't need to factor cost of living to with tuition as my partner will be moving with me and working full time. I've been following the new loan regulations since before they passed so I'm fairly up to date with them. I'm trying to figure out how much I want to spend to go vet school, and right now I know anything costing me over $400K is a big no. I'm a bit iffy on the $300K range, though Midwestern's is low enough in the 300K's that I might be willing to give it a shot. I've heard some bad things about WesternU which is pushing me more towards Midwestern as my safety school replacement.

I'd also take Minnesota off your list. Your stats are not really going to be competitive there, it's a very expensive program for out of state, and while you theoretically can change residency there, it's very difficult to successfully do so.

Yeah, I can agree I'm not very competitive there. I've decided to remove them from my list. Thank you for the help! Let me know if you have any other advice or critiques.

I’m VERY late to the game here, and I’m simply giving you my experience to have a data point, not to tell you to not apply anywhere. I had better GPAs than you, a lot more vet hours, and a lot more volunteer hours, and was rejected from Washington. Your research and niche may very well be enough to make you stand out, but that low tuition Washington boasts means more OOS people apply for the exact same reason you’re going to, which means more competition and historically high internal GPA cutoffs.

I saw someone a WAMC posts below me say they made it past Washington's academic screening so I thought I'd give it go! I honestly haven't seen anyone in the successful c/o2029 applicants thread say they got accepted into Washington, so it's difficult for me to pinpoint who gets admitted and what they like.

 

[JaynaAli]

The spreadsheet quoted LIU as costing $535K, which really put me off.

I’d go verify this yourself because I feel like that can’t possibly be correct. I’m not saying it’s cheap, but the VIN cost of education map and LIU’s own website seem to place it right around 400k including cost of living from what I see and know from being here on SDN for years. Which is still extremely expensive and more than I would ever tell someone to pay for this degree, but I think your spreadsheet is wrong.

Edit: I misread and see you have already done so, so good.

 

[honeyday]

I’d go verify this yourself because I feel like that can’t possibly be correct. I’m not saying it’s cheap, but the VIN cost of education map and LIU’s own website seem to place it right around 400k including cost of living from what I see and know from being here on SDN for years. Which is still extremely expensive and more than I would ever tell someone to pay for this degree, but I think your spreadsheet is wrong.

Yeah, it definitely is. When I did the math with only the tuition price listed on their website, it came out $242K. I'm not going to count cost of living in my calculations due to my partner working full time though I will look into the cost of living of where the school is located. If I can get into a school that has a cheaper COL, I'll definitely take it. Living in NYC or around it is crazy expensive!

Edit: replied before I saw your edit LOL

 

[Tech_Penguin]

I wouldn't take a more hollistic school off your list because they require CASPR. You can just spend a day or two watching youtube videos and see if you get a decent score

 

[pp9]

pushing me more towards Midwestern as my safety school replacement.

no such thing as a safety school in vet med admissions these days, especially with below average stats. If anything, it makes more sense to call the island schools 'safety schools' but they absolutely have been rejecting people too.

Would not recommend Illinois. Their GPA cutoff for OOS has always been quite high. Think 3.7 and up. If you look through the Illinois 2024-25 cycle threads, you can see that. I think there was someone with a 3.7 that didn't make it past phase 1.

I can all but guarantee you that there are admitted OOSers with GPAs below that.

apply strategically to schools who accept lower GPAs

I'm assuming you are going off of published statistics to decide which schools fit this bill for you, so a not about that:

Published admitted student statistics often just provide averages for the class. Some schools provide ranges. Average means that there are successful students both above and below that number. Schools that provide ranges may even show you that the lowest admitted GPA for a class was in the high 2's. Having below average to outright low GPAs will make things harder, and you may not get in on the first try (or even second). If you go off of published averages and word of mouth alone, you won't be applying anywhere. Imo it's more important that you fully understand the admissions process for the schools so you can make an educated decision about where you might have better chances rather than just saying 'I have these GPAs, where do I apply to get in?'

I'm a first gen American and English isn't my first language. My other language is also pretty niche. There are pretty low amount of people of my ethnicity in America, and probably very minimal in vet med. I'm currently learning Spanish as well. Something I'm very passionate about is making it easier for people who don't speak English to take their pets to the vet.

This could be relevant in your decision on school choices, FYI

 

[honeyday]

I wouldn't take a more hollistic school off your list because they require CASPR. You can just spend a day or two watching youtube videos and see if you get a decent score

Honestly, it just doesn't feel worth it to me. Only two schools on my list require it and I have other schools I can apply to that doesn't require the CASPer that I have, pretty much, equally good chances at getting in to (Iowa replaced with Kansas and LMU replaced with either WesternU or Midwestern). I already have 12 schools on my list so I don't want to add more schools. I'd rather use that $120 for supplemental fees and use that day or two writing essays. Additionally, Midwestern has a teaching hospital, which is something I'd greatly prefer, so I feel as it will match what I'm looking for more than LMU.

If everyone feels like replacing those schools will tank my chances of getting in to at least one school, I'd probably take it. But as of right now, I don't see the value in taking it.

 

[honeyday]

no such thing as a safety school in vet med admissions these days, especially with below average stats. If anything, it makes more sense to call the island schools 'safety schools' but they absolutely have been rejecting people too.


I can all but guarantee you that there are admitted OOSers with GPAs below that.


I'm assuming you are going off of published statistics to decide which schools fit this bill for you, so a not about that:

Published admitted student statistics often just provide averages for the class. Some schools provide ranges. Average means that there are successful students both above and below that number. Schools that provide ranges may even show you that the lowest admitted GPA for a class was in the high 2's. Having below average to outright low GPAs will make things harder, and you may not get in on the first try (or even second). If you go off of published averages and word of mouth alone, you won't be applying anywhere. Imo it's more important that you fully understand the admissions process for the schools so you can make an educated decision about where you might have better chances rather than just saying 'I have these GPAs, where do I apply to get in?'


This could be relevant in your decision on school choices, FYI

Would you be able to touch more on how being a first-gen American would help with school choices? I haven't heard anyone talk about it and I'm not very educated on the topic. I'd love to learn more.

I'm using the word "safety school" very loosely haha. I understand no school is truly a safety school, I'm just using it to describe schools I think I have a higher chance to get into.

As for going off average GPAs, I'm definitely starting to trim my list based on more than just the GPA themselves. I guess I've heard so many people talking about not applying to schools with high average GPAs that I fully locked in to that one topic. Would you say my GPAs are just below average or downright low? What else would you suggest looking into or basing school decisions off? I have some criteria I've been using (COA, testing reqs, teaching hospital, prereqs, and location a bit) but I'm open to any advice anyone can offer! This is my first cycle applying so I have a lot to learn.

 

[honeyday]

I've also started looking into Rowan. They're relatively new but have a teaching hospital, which I like. They look at cumulative GPA, prereq GPA, and last 45 GPA. Before I took physics my senior year, I had a 3.7. The only time I've ever gotten C's in college was my two physics classes 🙁 My pre-req GPA is a 3.6. Do you guys think it's worth swapping a school from my list with Rowan?

 

[pp9]

Would you be able to touch more on how being a first-gen American would help with school choices? I haven't heard anyone talk about it and I'm not very educated on the topic. I'd love to learn more.

I'm using the word "safety school" very loosely haha. I understand no school is truly a safety school, I'm just using it to describe schools I think I have a higher chance to get into.

As for going off average GPAs, I'm definitely starting to trim my list based on more than just the GPA themselves. I guess I've heard so many people talking about not applying to schools with high average GPAs that I fully locked in to that one topic. Would you say my GPAs are just below average or downright low? What else would you suggest looking into or basing school decisions off? I have some criteria I've been using (COA, testing reqs, teaching hospital, prereqs, and location a bit) but I'm open to any advice anyone can offer! This is my first cycle applying so I have a lot to learn.

Not necessarily just the first gen, but the fact that you bring diversity to the table. Some schools state that they take background/life experiences into account. It is possible more do, just don't outright say it. UC Davis is a good example with their 'Distance traveled' score (Application Process & Timeline). Talking about this gets some people heated but it is worth keeping in mind.

Below average vs. low is subjective, but I'd say below average cGPA/science and average prereq imo. With what you've provided here, I would then be applying to schools that looked at cGPA and prereq since those are your best numbers (although each schools prereq GPA would be a bit different). Purdue is one example, you'll have to check each school's website to know who else uses those. But, worth saying that your pre-req GPA is not so high that it would easily make up for a below average cGPA. Your experience also isn't so high/extensive that it would make up for meh academics. Because of that, your written portions (personal statement, LORs) need to be absolutely outstanding.

Aside from your 'odds,' the rest of the criteria you've listed is pretty standard. COA and presence of a teaching hospital are the most important things when considering a school imo. Prereqs obviously too, but most schools require nearly the same courses. I personally don't think location should be a reason to cross a school off a list, but understand it is make or break for some. I'm not sure what you mean by testing reqs - if you mean GRE, most (all?) schools no longer require it.

And another thing to ponder, but those with lower stats don't really have the luxury of nitpicking a school (location, how new buildings are, whatever) to decide if you want to apply or not.

Also, if you have an LOR writer that is on the board of admissions of your IS vet school, you need to be picking their brain as much as they will allow you to. Obviously don't ask or expect special treatment, but they would in theory understand the ins/outs of that school's process very well.

 

[honeyday]

Not necessarily just the first gen, but the fact that you bring diversity to the table. Some schools state that they take background/life experiences into account. It is possible more do, just don't outright say it. UC Davis is a good example with their 'Distance traveled' score (Application Process & Timeline). Talking about this gets some people heated but it is worth keeping in mind.

Below average vs. low is subjective, but I'd say below average cGPA/science and average prereq imo. With what you've provided here, I would then be applying to schools that looked at cGPA and prereq since those are your best numbers (although each schools prereq GPA would be a bit different). Purdue is one example, you'll have to check each school's website to know who else uses those. But, worth saying that your pre-req GPA is not so high that it would easily make up for a below average cGPA. Your experience also isn't so high/extensive that it would make up for meh academics. Because of that, your written portions (personal statement, LORs) need to be absolutely outstanding.

Aside from your 'odds,' the rest of the criteria you've listed is pretty standard. COA and presence of a teaching hospital are the most important things when considering a school imo. Prereqs obviously too, but most schools require nearly the same courses. I personally don't think location should be a reason to cross a school off a list, but understand it is make or break for some. I'm not sure what you mean by testing reqs - if you mean GRE, most (all?) schools no longer require it.

And another thing to ponder, but those with lower stats don't really have the luxury of nitpicking a school (location, how new buildings are, whatever) to decide if you want to apply or not.

Also, if you have an LOR writer that is on the board of admissions of your IS vet school, you need to be picking their brain as much as they will allow you to. Obviously don't ask or expect special treatment, but they would in theory understand the ins/outs of that school's process very well.

I was going to apply to UCD due to their distance travelled score but I was discouraged after people pointed out they really only accept OOS students with super high GPAs.

There are two ways that I'm 'filtering' schools by location. The first one is whether the school is in the US or not. The cost of moving to another country and the difficulty is honestly something I'm not too interested at the moment. Another factor of location is how likely my partner will be able to get a good paying job where that school is located. It's something sitting in the back of my mind at the moment and will likely only be used as a 'tie breaker' if I'm deciding between similar schools. He will be supporting us during the 4 years of vet school, which will ultimately reduce my debt. I feel like my location requirements aren't terribly picky and pretty reasonable despite my lower stats.

As for testing requirements, I think two schools still require the GRE (last time I checked) and like 4 or 5 require the CASPer. I'm going to avoid those schools.

Sadly, my pre-req GPA is only average for schools that don't have physics as a pre-req. That's what tanked my GPA. Looking back, I shouldn't have taken physics my senior year. I've heard mixed reviews on my experiences, with some people telling me it's very diverse and would somewhat make-up for my average academics while other's said it was just average as well. I feel like I just need to find some schools that value the experience I bring to the table, as my lab animal medicine and research hours are fairly unique.

 

[pp9]

I was going to apply to UCD due to their distance travelled score but I was discouraged after people pointed out they really only accept OOS students with super high GPAs.

There are two ways that I'm 'filtering' schools by location. The first one is whether the school is in the US or not. The cost of moving to another country and the difficulty is honestly something I'm not too interested at the moment. Another factor of location is how likely my partner will be able to get a good paying job where that school is located. It's something sitting in the back of my mind at the moment and will likely only be used as a 'tie breaker' if I'm deciding between similar schools. He will be supporting us during the 4 years of vet school, which will ultimately reduce my debt. I feel like my location requirements aren't terribly picky and pretty reasonable despite my lower stats.

As for testing requirements, I think two schools still require the GRE (last time I checked) and like 4 or 5 require the CASPer. I'm going to avoid those schools.

Sadly, my pre-req GPA is only average for schools that don't have physics as a pre-req. That's what tanked my GPA. Looking back, I shouldn't have taken physics my senior year. I've heard mixed reviews on my experiences, with some people telling me it's very diverse and would somewhat make-up for my average academics while other's said it was just average as well. I feel like I just need to find some schools that value the experience I bring to the table, as my lab animal medicine and research hours are fairly unique.

Yeah not suggesting you add UC Davis to your list, just giving an example of one school that makes a point to consider non academic/experience factors that would be unique to you.

Agree that lab animal med is a more unique experience to have, but you still have to pass through any academic cutoffs that exist. The fact of the matter is that none of us actually know what the cutoffs will be from year to year, and sometimes it is hard to tell what schools look at the whole application before making the first cut.

 

[honeyday]

Yeah not suggesting you add UC Davis to your list, just giving an example of one school that makes a point to consider non academic/experience factors that would be unique to you.

Agree that lab animal med is a more unique experience to have, but you still have to pass through any academic cutoffs that exist. The fact of the matter is that none of us actually know what the cutoffs will be from year to year, and sometimes it is hard to tell what schools look at the whole application before making the first cut.

Honestly, the uncertainty off academic cutoffs is killing me 😭 I'm just really hoping the schools I picked let me past the cutoffs or will at least review my full application, even if it's reviewed more harshly. The only way to find out is to do it, sadly.

 

[pp9]

Honestly, the uncertainty off academic cutoffs is killing me 😭 I'm just really hoping the schools I picked let me past the cutoffs or will at least review my full application, even if it's reviewed more harshly. The only way to find out is to do it, sadly.

Yeah it's unpredictable, but you're exactly right in that you kinda just have to apply and see what happens. There are definitely schools I wouldn't readily consider in your shoes (using UC Davis as an example again), but I would be looking into all schools. There isn't a single school that is more likely to admit someone with lower GPAs. So instead of trying to cast a wide net, you have to be a bit strategic and understand the schools and know what you bring to the table.

And just something to thing about, but even the ultra-competitive schools do admit students with fairly low GPAs. Some schools publish the entire range of admitted GPAs and people with at least one GPA in the 2's are getting in every year somewhere. That includes UC Davis. I'd assume the rest of that person's application knocks the socks off the admissions committee, though...Idk if I would say you would do that based on what you've said in your first post. That's not to say you aren't a good applicant, but some people have many thousands of hours, have an extremely compelling background, etc.

Admissions Statistics as an example. And not saying you should/should not apply to Oregon. Just an example.

 

[honeyday]

Yeah it's unpredictable, but you're exactly right in that you kinda just have to apply and see what happens. There are definitely schools I wouldn't readily consider in your shoes (using UC Davis as an example again), but I would be looking into all schools. There isn't a single school that is more likely to admit someone with lower GPAs. So instead of trying to cast a wide net, you have to be a bit strategic and understand the schools and know what you bring to the table.

And just something to thing about, but even the ultra-competitive schools do admit students with fairly low GPAs. Some schools publish the entire range of admitted GPAs and people with at least one GPA in the 2's are getting in every year somewhere. That includes UC Davis. I'd assume the rest of that person's application knocks the socks off the admissions committee, though...Idk if I would say you would do that based on what you've said in your first post. That's not to say you aren't a good applicant, but some people have many thousands of hours, have an extremely compelling background, etc.

Admissions Statistics as an example. And not saying you should/should not apply to Oregon. Just an example.

Yeah, I've seen people post their stats with over 3k hours and I'm really jealous. Getting a vet job that paid well and gave enough hours was almost impossible in undergad. I paid for undergrad by myself (other than student loans and grants of course) so I had to prioritize being able to pay for tuition and stuff like rent and food over vet hours :/ I finally caved my senior year and got the occasional help with rent from my parents since I wasn't making enough as a VA. I honestly wish there was an area that I could explain my low vet hours lol

Seeing those ranges make me feel some sort of hope. Here's my current list of schools: Ohio State (in state), Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Midwestern. Kansas, Arizona, Purdue, UPenn, Missouri, Mississippi, and Rowan. If you have any info on these schools, let me know! I'm still doing my research and trying to find out more about them.

 

[indysadventures]

I have been going off the cost of attendances on a spreadsheet of all the vet schools I found. The spreadsheet quoted LIU as costing $535K, which really put me off. I looked into costs of both Midwestern and LIU myself, and it put them at $302,808 and $242, 896 respectively. That's a lot lower than I though for LIU, and that cost is honestly acceptable for me. I'm lucky that I don't need to factor cost of living to with tuition as my partner will be moving with me and working full time. I've been following the new loan regulations since before they passed so I'm fairly up to date with them. I'm trying to figure out how much I want to spend to go vet school, and right now I know anything costing me over $400K is a big no. I'm a bit iffy on the $300K range, though Midwestern's is low enough in the 300K's that I might be willing to give it a shot. I've heard some bad things about WesternU which is pushing me more towards Midwestern as my safety school replacement.



Yeah, I can agree I'm not very competitive there. I've decided to remove them from my list. Thank you for the help! Let me know if you have any other advice or critiques.



I saw someone a WAMC posts below me say they made it past Washington's academic screening so I thought I'd give it go! I honestly haven't seen anyone in the successful c/o2029 applicants thread say they got accepted into Washington, so it's difficult for me to pinpoint who gets admitted and what they like.

Hi, I got accepted into WSU! I think they had an internal cutoff this year that was around 3.5 - some people lower made it through that, but they did have additional academic review before being put back in the pool. LMK if you have any questions about the school!

 

[indysadventures]

Honestly, the uncertainty off academic cutoffs is killing me 😭 I'm just really hoping the schools I picked let me past the cutoffs or will at least review my full application, even if it's reviewed more harshly. The only way to find out is to do it, sadly.

As PP said, unfortunately they vary year-to-year so you’ll have to do a lot of research on past threads to get an idea. Some will be just hoping that you’ve presented a good enough case to be one of those who beats the internal cutoff, but it’s really useful to understand how hard and fast the cutoffs are. For example, I think Illinois typically cuts anyone under 3.6-3.7, and it seemed pretty strict. (Anyone from Illinois correct me if I’m wrong.)

But while somewhere like Minnesota or Oregon or Washington or UPenn may have higher internal cutoffs, they don’t automatically deny anyone lower.

So much of preparing for this cycle will be sending out emails to talk to admissions officers ASAP. Minnesota does appts, so does Penn and Cornell (though it may be a bit late to get a personalized appt at every school). I think it would really benefit you to start emailing schools and attaching a CV or some document that lists your stats. Ask about how competitive you’d be at a school.

I agree that UCD, Wisconsin, Cornell are very, very likely not worth your time, but some schools may be worth the gamble if your personality “fits” with the school. Then build an application plan based on a good amount of reasonable schools (75% of your apps) and then like 25% teach schools.

ETA: because of the new student loan rules, I heavily suggest you get in touch with Ohio and really try to build your application to be competitive at your in-state! Excellent school and reasonably priced.

 

[indysadventures]

Should I replace Purdue with UPenn? If I have a better shot with them, I would happily swap the two. I may keep both depending on how much I can afford.

The thing that puts me off LIU is the cost of attendance. I'm honestly not entirely sure it's worth it with how expensive it is. I looked into ASU and I'm definitely heavily considering adding it to my list.

I have sadly discovered that both LMU and Iowa require the CASPer test. Because of that, I decided to remove them from my list. I feel like I could use both my time and money in better ways. I am swapping Kansas in place of Iowa and deciding between WesternU and Midwestern as the LMU replacement. Which ones do you guys think would be a better fit for my application? Would ASU be a better replacement for Iowa or should I keep both ASU and Kansas?

Oregon State also required the Casper as of this year, so check in with them. Tess (their admissions officer) is amazing, very nice and helpful!

 

[honeyday]

As PP said, unfortunately they vary year-to-year so you’ll have to do a lot of research on past threads to get an idea. Some will be just hoping that you’ve presented a good enough case to be one of those who beats the internal cutoff, but it’s really useful to understand how hard and fast the cutoffs are. For example, I think Illinois typically cuts anyone under 3.6-3.7, and it seemed pretty strict. (Anyone from Illinois correct me if I’m wrong.)

But while somewhere like Minnesota or Oregon or Washington or UPenn may have higher internal cutoffs, they don’t automatically deny anyone lower.

So much of preparing for this cycle will be sending out emails to talk to admissions officers ASAP. Minnesota does appts, so does Penn and Cornell (though it may be a bit late to get a personalized appt at every school). I think it would really benefit you to start emailing schools and attaching a CV or some document that lists your stats. Ask about how competitive you’d be at a school.

I agree that UCD, Wisconsin, Cornell are very, very likely not worth your time, but some schools may be worth the gamble if your personality “fits” with the school. Then build an application plan based on a good amount of reasonable schools (75% of your apps) and then like 25% teach schools.

ETA: because of the new student loan rules, I heavily suggest you get in touch with Ohio and really try to build your application to be competitive at your in-state! Excellent school and reasonably priced.

I've been wanting to reach out to admissions officers but I'm very nervous to, for some reason. I'm not entirely too sure what say or ask. Also, even though this is an pretty unreasonable fear, I'm scared that I'll somehow ruin my chances if I reach out to them (saying the wrong thing or coming off as rude, etc). Would any be able to guide into what I could email them or ask when I reach out? I feel like I should say more than, "There are my stats. Amy I competitive?"

Oregon State also required the Casper as of this year, so check in with them. Tess (their admissions officer) is amazing, very nice and helpful!

Honestly, I'll probably just remove them from my list. I've been trying to figure a school or two cut since I'm applying to so many and it's expensive. This gives me a good reason to remove them.

 

[honeyday]

Hi, I got accepted into WSU! I think they had an internal cutoff this year that was around 3.5 - some people lower made it through that, but they did have additional academic review before being put back in the pool. LMK if you have any questions about the school!

Do you know what the additional academic review was?

 

[honeyday]

Also, another general question, I got a 3 on my AP Physics exam but retook the class in college. Would most schools accept the 3? If they take the AP credit instead of the class, that would remove a 5 credit hour C+ from my GPA (possibly). That would leave me with only one C left, which is probably a better look.

 

[JaynaAli]

Also, another general question, I got a 3 on my AP Physics exam but retook the class in college. Would most schools accept the 3? If they take the AP credit instead of the class, that would remove a 5 credit hour C+ from my GPA (possibly). That would leave me with only one C left, which is probably a better look.

This is a unique situation you’d need to ask the schools about. But I’m betting that if the course is on your transcript with a grade I think it’s unlikely a school would go back and consider an AP test. For my school, to get an AP test applied for course credit you had to be an active student, fill out forms, get department heads to sign them, and then it was added to your transcript as a neutral P (pass). Meaning approval was on the UG university’s side, not an admissions committee’s side. If you’re graduated my university (which is not on your list, fwiw) wouldn’t even add it to your transcript at this point. Two Cs in physics will not be the reason you don’t get into vet school in and of themselves. And honestly, I’d find someone showing a passing AP test AND then getting a C in a course they should presumably understand (bc they passed an AP test) an even weirder situation that raised more eyebrows than someone just getting a C. But others may disagree.

If anything, if you’re trying to raise your GPAs in some way I’d recommend taking more classes to raise your last 45. But if you don’t want to even pay for one course or a Casper test I’m assuming you don’t want to take more classes, which is also fine. It would be a fair amount of money and time for probably minimal app improvement.

 

[honeyday]

This is a unique situation you’d need to ask the schools about. But I’m betting that if the course is on your transcript with a grade I think it’s unlikely a school would go back and consider an AP test. For my school, to get an AP test applied for course credit you had to be an active student, fill out forms, get department heads to sign them, and then it was added to your transcript as a neutral P (pass). Meaning approval was on the UG university’s side, not an admissions committee’s side. If you’re graduated my university (which is not on your list, fwiw) wouldn’t even add it to your transcript at this point. Two Cs in physics will not be the reason you don’t get into vet school in and of themselves. And honestly, I’d find someone showing a passing AP test AND then getting a C in a course they should presumably understand (bc they passed an AP test) an even weirder situation that raised more eyebrows than someone just getting a C. But others may disagree.

If anything, if you’re trying to raise your GPAs in some way I’d recommend taking more classes to raise your last 45. But if you don’t want to even pay for one course or a Casper test I’m assuming you don’t want to take more classes, which is also fine. It would be a fair amount of money and time for probably minimal app improvement.

Weirdly enough, my school counted my AP class toward my graduation reqs and not the actual class I took with them. I looked at my degree audit today and it had the physics class listed as "courses not counted toward graduation" but the AP grade listed in the section for my physics graduation requirement.

I am planning to add an academic statement. I started a medication in early senior year that negatively affected both my physical and mental health. Due to that, I wasn't able to preform my best, and with more difficult classes like physics, I didn't do very well either semester. I spoke with my provider and we stopped the medication as it clearly wasn't working for me. I was able to bring my grades up a bit at the end of my last semester, but not enough. Hopefully that helps my case a bit.

I'm on the fence about either retaking physics 2 or adding the Medical Terminology class. However, it would cost me a few hundred dollars at least and that's not something I can afford now, not with the cost of the actual application on top of it. I feel like focusing strengthening hours if I don't get in this round would be more beneficial for me. If that doesn't seem right, let me know.

 

[indysadventures]

I've been wanting to reach out to admissions officers but I'm very nervous to, for some reason. I'm not entirely too sure what say or ask. Also, even though this is an pretty unreasonable fear, I'm scared that I'll somehow ruin my chances if I reach out to them (saying the wrong thing or coming off as rude, etc). Would any be able to guide into what I could email them or ask when I reach out? I feel like I should say more than, "There are my stats. Amy I competitive?"

So, no worries at all! Feel free to PM me if you want more help with this. I reached out to a ton of schools and most were helpful, some were incredibly kind and gave me excellent advice that I could apply to all my applications (not just their school).

I think you’ll want to reach out, introduce yourself and explain what you love about their school. Then pick some targeted questions to ask that show that you’ve researched their program. Ask any program-specific or prerequisite questions in your email, too. Then ask if you’d be able to ask some more specific advice on your competitiveness as you prepare your application. Here’s where you’d also ask if they offer individual advisory sessions. Thank them profusely!

ETA: A note on your school-specific prerequisites - I would simply list things like cell biology (CSU) and medical terminology (VMCVM) as pending. You’d have time to take them online as an asynchronous course after you got your decision. It will save you money. I did this with both VMCVM and CSU, and I got into the former and was waitlisted at the latter, though I had 5 prerequisites pending for CSU so I think I pushed it there. 😬😬 lol

 

[indysadventures]

Do you know what the additional academic review was?

I’m not 100% sure. Let me see if I can find the email they sent…. I think they just looked at your academics more closely - course load each semester, difficulty of program, etc. - as well as the strength of your experiences and your qualitative application (essays, LORs). Everyone over a certain GPA got through, but under only some would move forward but they did review everyone. Hope that helps and I’ll look to see if I could find more info!

 

[Tech_Penguin]

Is there no way to get the fee waive through VMCAS? Or ask your parents for help? I mean this could be the difference between your one acceptance vs a gap year.

Also, it may be helpful to ask your academic advisors, vet mentors, and parents about drafting emails if you’re worried about professionalism. Not many schools will actually include your emails with your application, though

 

[CeeGee14]

Is there no way to get the fee waive through VMCAS? Or ask your parents for help? I mean this could be the difference between your one acceptance vs a gap year.

Also, it may be helpful to ask your academic advisors, vet mentors, and parents about drafting emails if you’re worried about professionalism. Not many schools will actually include your emails with your application, though

You can get 2 waivers through VMCAS. And Ohio and Kansas does waive the supplemental fee if you qualify. I would reach out to all the schools you've applied to that have a supplemental application to see if the fee can be waived. Worst they can say is no and if they say yes, you can save a couple hundred dollars and use it to apply to one more school.

 

[honeyday]

So, no worries at all! Feel free to PM me if you want more help with this. I reached out to a ton of schools and most were helpful, some were incredibly kind and gave me excellent advice that I could apply to all my applications (not just their school).

I think you’ll want to reach out, introduce yourself and explain what you love about their school. Then pick some targeted questions to ask that show that you’ve researched their program. Ask any program-specific or prerequisite questions in your email, too. Then ask if you’d be able to ask some more specific advice on your competitiveness as you prepare your application. Here’s where you’d also ask if they offer individual advisory sessions. Thank them profusely!

ETA: A note on your school-specific prerequisites - I would simply list things like cell biology (CSU) and medical terminology (VMCVM) as pending. You’d have time to take them online as an asynchronous course after you got your decision. It will save you money. I did this with both VMCVM and CSU, and I got into the former and was waitlisted at the latter, though I had 5 prerequisites pending for CSU so I think I pushed it there. 😬😬 lol

Thanks for your advice! I will definitely reach out to you to see if you can proofread my emails before sending them out! Hopefully it will seem a lot easier to write them once I sit down and start typing. If I have trouble coming up with things to write, I'll reach out as well.

As for the school-specific prereqs, I'm a bit confused/worried on the timeline. I've heard that decisions usually come out in the spring semester, meaning I wouldn't be able to take them until the summer. For VMCVM, all prereqs have to be completed by the end of spring sem. CSU gives you until July 15th but that's basically the same as VMCVM. Is my timeline off?

I’m not 100% sure. Let me see if I can find the email they sent…. I think they just looked at your academics more closely - course load each semester, difficulty of program, etc. - as well as the strength of your experiences and your qualitative application (essays, LORs). Everyone over a certain GPA got through, but under only some would move forward but they did review everyone. Hope that helps and I’ll look to see if I could find more info!

Thanks for the info! Hearing that makes me a bit nervous but it's worth a try.

Is there no way to get the fee waive through VMCAS? Or ask your parents for help? I mean this could be the difference between your one acceptance vs a gap year.

Also, it may be helpful to ask your academic advisors, vet mentors, and parents about drafting emails if you’re worried about professionalism. Not many schools will actually include your emails with your application, though

Sadly, my parents wouldn't be able to help financially or with drafting emails. That's okay, though. I'm meeting with the advisor from my Scholar's Program on Monday to talk about an LOR and go over my application. I have a good amount of questions for her so hopefully she will help me a lot!

 

[honeyday]

You can get 2 waivers through VMCAS. And Ohio and Kansas does waive the supplemental fee if you qualify. I would reach out to all the schools you've applied to that have a supplemental application to see if the fee can be waived. Worst they can say is no and if they say yes, you can save a couple hundred dollars and use it to apply to one more school.

This is honestly super helpful! I was willing to only apply to 10 schools max due to finances, but this information opens up the door for two more applications. Depending on how much I can save from waived supplemental fees, I might be able to throw in a couple more, too. Thank you!

 

[_rae_]

Heads up, waived fees from VMCAS are need based and limited, and your application needs to be submitted within 30 days of the approval, regardless of the deadline. I qualified but applied too late to actually get one because I wasn’t ready to submit.

 

[CeeGee14]

Heads up, waived fees from VMCAS are need based and limited, and your application needs to be submitted within 30 days of the approval, regardless of the deadline. I qualified but applied too late to actually get one because I wasn’t ready to submit.

They changed the deadline. You have to submit your application within 14 days of getting approved.

 

[_rae_]

Lordy that’s so much worse