WAMC -c/o 2029 Need help with school list!

[ShaWalla]

Hi SDN friends. I've lurked here a lot and I appreciate all the advice I've gotten from this community. I am a junior in undergrad and am planning to apply without a gap year because if I can go ahead and start school I'd really like to.

21, F, VA, Traditional, First time applicant.

Applying to: VMCVM, NC State, Illinois, Purdue, Cornell, Florida, Wisconsin-Madison, Kansas, Georgia?

Cumulative GPA: 3.97
science GPA: 3.93 maybe 4.00 if they don't count calc 2 as a science pre-req
last 45: Don't know yet - above 3.85 at least

Any degrees achieved: B.S. Chemistry w/ concentration in biochemistry, minor in biology - in Spring 2025

Veterinary Experience:
- SA GP Assistant ~200 hours
- SA Urgent Care assistant ~1000 hours
- Assistant at the Street Dog Coalition (free clinic) ~20 hours
- Shadowing a Lab animal vet (hands on) ~100 hours
- Shadowing at an equine hospital ~30 hours

Animal Experience:
- Kennel Assistant GP ~400 hours
- Yard Assistant at a Doggy Daycare ~100 hours
- Shelter Volunteer at local SPCA ~25 hours (hopefully closer to 50 when I submit)

Research Experience:
- Presented a poster of a paper I wrote at the 2023 National Conference of Undergraduate Research - Paper was about how pet insurance can change/improve the vet-client-patient relationship. ~8 hours presenting, ~50 hours of research
- Volunteer research assistant for a biology lab focused on the genetic development of plants - I mostly just worked on plant upkeep ~10 hours (maybe more at the time of application)

Awards/scholarships:
- Local merit scholarship from my high school
- Dean's scholarship at my university
- Endowed honors merit scholarship
- ACS organic Chemistry Student Award
- A bunch of awards from science fair in HS - don't know if I should include these

Extracurriculars:
- President of my HS environmental club
- Honors College at my university
- Honors Student Board Service Chair (Spring 2022 - present) - I expect to have the president role in this club next semester, my senior year
- Bunch of volunteer hours through my service chair position: Sponsored Red Cross blood drive a few times, helped make blankets and build furniture for those in need, helped out at local community garden, organized and volunteered at many of the local marathons/10k races = totals ~200 hours
- Genetics Teaching Laboratory Preceptor (present)
- Honors College Eco Team (2021)
- LGBTQ STEM org Treasurer (Fall 2022 - present)
- Pre-vet club member (Spring 2023 - present)
- Dean's list (all years)
- Various awards in 5k/10k races

Employment (non-veterinary):
- Lifeguard & Pool supervisor in HS ~1540 hours
- Barista in HS ~100 hours
- Algebra TA ~200 hours

LORs:
- DVM: lab animal vet I shadowed
- DVM: at the urgent care I work at currently
- Employer: Manager (LVT) at the urgent care
- Professor: Biochemistry (PhD) - I will probably doing some research for him this semester
- Honors Advisor: I have worked closely with him since freshman year

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
I wrote several totally difference drafts. The one I like best is about how each of my veterinary experiences connects to my learning, especially chemistry and biochemistry. I Included a story about a time I helped a client have a positive experience when she lost her rabbit by using my prior knowledge about rodent medicine. I also talked about how I enjoying taking to people and educating them to give their pet the best care they can - this meshed well with my time helping at the free clinic. Overall it's about how all my experiences, in school and in the clinic, have connected to make me a better person, and one day a good vet.

Questions: I have no idea exactly what kind of vet I'd like to be. I have really enjoyed emergency, shelter medicine, and lab animal medicine - heck I've even thought about equine! I am planning to be honest in my application that I do not have an exact career path in mind; I am hoping that rotations in vet school and learning more about each area of vetmed will help me decide. Is this an okay stance to take? Or should I have a specific career plan in mind after vet school?

Lastly, I have no clue where to apply. I am not super drawn to any schools except those close to me - VMCVM and NC state. I tried to pick ones with not terrible OOS rates and that emphasize a good GPA. Open to any suggestions to change my school list.

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[battie]

Is this an okay stance to take? Or should I have a specific career plan in mind after vet school?

You absolutely don't need to know what you want to do!! Most people change at some point during school, and many of us change after we graduate!! So don't worry about that quite yet. It won't hurt your application.

Lastly, I have no clue where to apply. I am not super drawn to any schools except those close to me - VMCVM and NC state. I tried to pick ones with not terrible OOS rates and that emphasize a good GPA. Open to any suggestions to change my school list.

VMCVM, NC State, Illinois, Purdue, Cornell, Florida, Wisconsin-Madison, Kansas, Georgia

Quite frankly, you can apply wherever you want. From a financial perspective, VMCVM is your best shot and best financial decision within reason. But your application itself is competitive essentially everywhere.

 

[Georgethecat]

With your stats, I'd only apply to the LEAST expensive options on this round. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but as an IS applicant you should have a good shot at VAMD. Nc State is the next closest in cost, but after that it starts going up. Purdue would be your 4th least expensive option, but is approx $60k more than VAMD. $60k is real money. If this cycle doesn't work out, do a file review with VAMD and then expand your school list.

Best of luck!

 

[ShaWalla]

You absolutely don't need to know what you want to do!! Most people change at some point during school, and many of us change after we graduate!! So don't worry about that quite yet. It won't hurt your application.



Quite frankly, you can apply wherever you want. From a financial perspective, VMCVM is your best shot and best financial decision within reason. But your application itself is competitive essentially everywhere.

Thank you lots for the advice.

 

[ShaWalla]

With your stats, I'd only apply to the LEAST expensive options on this round. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but as an IS applicant you should have a good shot at VAMD. Nc State is the next closest in cost, but after that it starts going up. Purdue would be your 4th least expensive option, but is approx $60k more than VAMD. $60k is real money. If this cycle doesn't work out, do a file review with VAMD and then expand your school list.

Best of luck!

Thank you, this was my plan but I was not sure how competative I am as an applicant. I'll stick to the cheaper options now and expand next cycle if I don't get in.

 

[Georgethecat]

Thank you, this was my plan but I was not sure how competative I am as an applicant. I'll stick to the cheaper options now and expand next cycle if I don't get in.

I think your stats are quite competitive Maybe add large animal hours?? But other wise your grades are great and you have varied experiences. Work hard on your PS/essays, practice interviewing, and do your best to line up strong LOR's.