WAMC- Applying this Upcoming Cycle

[mayacat1717]

Hi everyone! I recently joined SDN, so this is my first post. I am currently a first-generation, female, sophomore in undergrad (majoring in Animal Sciences on the pre-vet track) and will be graduating a year early (in the Spring of 2023), so I will be applying to vet schools this upcoming cycle (fall of 2022). I am looking for advice on how to strengthen my application (and also to know what my chances are currently)- any opinions and tips would be much appreciated! Below are my current stats:

• Cumulative GPA: 4.0
• Science GPA: 4.0
• Veterinary Experience:
  • ~90 hours small animal general practice
  • 256 hours as a veterinary assistant and shadow in an ER/specialty hospital (probably returning this upcoming summer)
  • 40 hours as a clinical pathology shadow/extern (will do more during this upcoming summer)
  • 5 hours as a medical/radiation oncology shadow
  • 19 hours as a zoo medicine shadow (possibly will do more this upcoming summer)
  • Several hours in pre-veterinary and wildlife symposiums (not sure what category this would go under; veterinarians presented at all of these events)
• Animal Experience:
  • 204 hours volunteering in a shelter with cats and dogs
  • 44 hours volunteering at a wildlife rehab center
  • 95 hours walking and feeding patients at an animal hospital (ER setting)
  • ~20 hours learning to work with large animals and poultry as part of a class I took last semester
  • ~30 hours as a medical volunteer (no vet present) for a cat shelter (ongoing experience)
• Research Experience:
  • ~112 hours in a reproductive toxicology lab (I stain slides via immunohistochemistry procedures) (ongoing experience)
  • 7 hours helping sort through tissue samples for a research project for a major zoo
• Extracurriculars/Leadership/Volunteering:
  • Last 2 semesters- chemistry honors program where we go out to local middle/high schools and teach the students about chemistry
  • Last 3 semesters- Pre-Vet Club (I am on the executive board this year as one of the fundraising co-chairs)
  • Last 3 semesters- service dog club where we help train mobility service dogs
  • 4 years as an assistant volleyball coach for a middle school boys team
  • 4 years volunteering at my middle school/parish's summer sale; several of those years I was in charge of the toy room and considered a team leader
  • 4 years as a tutor (Spanish, math)
  • 2 years on volleyball team (school and club, was captain for my club team one year)
• Non-Veterinary Medicine Employment:
  • 4 years as a babysitter/nanny
• Awards/Scholarships:
  • Last 3 semesters- Dean's List
  • Several merit scholarships
  • MVP of volleyball school team
  • I've also taken several honors classes so far

The schools I am looking at include: UIUC (my in-state), Ohio State, Wisconsin, Cornell, Penn, Mizzou, Minnesota, and Kansas State. I am obviously planning on getting even more experiences this upcoming semester and summer, so any advice on how to diversify those experiences would be great. I also am very interested in pathology (especially clinical pathology or zoological pathology), so if anyone has any experiences with these areas or knows how to get more involved with these fields, please let me know! TIA!

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[battie]

UIUC alumna! I definitely recommend applying to Illinois (in state tuition for sure!), but you'll also love to get involved with our pathology departments (clinical, anatomical, and zoological all present).

You're competitive everywhere and I'd be surprised if you didn't get any love. Some of the schools on your list are a bit more competitive due to academics and/or numbers, but you cross that barrier.

My suggestions:
1. Gain more vet experience, varied if at all possible. If pathology is a passion, see if any labs are nearby that will allow you to get in on their pathology radar for necropsies/cytology/biopsies.
2. Make sure your subjective stuff (letters, essays, etc) are solid.

 

[mayacat1717]

UIUC alumna! I definitely recommend applying to Illinois (in state tuition for sure!), but you'll also love to get involved with our pathology departments (clinical, anatomical, and zoological all present).

You're competitive everywhere and I'd be surprised if you didn't get any love. Some of the schools on your list are a bit more competitive due to academics and/or numbers, but you cross that barrier.

My suggestions:
1. Gain more vet experience, varied if at all possible. If pathology is a passion, see if any labs are nearby that will allow you to get in on their pathology radar for necropsies/cytology/biopsies.
2. Make sure your subjective stuff (letters, essays, etc) are solid.

Thank you for your reply! I am at UIUC right now for undergrad, and I love it so much, so I think I definitely would want to stay here for vet school, too. I will for sure look out for any labs in the area so I can do more things within pathology!

 

[battie]

Thank you for your reply! I am at UIUC right now for undergrad, and I love it so much, so I think I definitely would want to stay here for vet school, too. I will for sure look out for any labs in the area so I can do more things within pathology!

See if you can get involved in the VDL at vet med!!