WAMC Low GPA- 4th time applicant

[PlumPoppy]

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Hello again! I'm applying to the most schools I've EVER applied to this cycle as I decided this is my last year applying, so I'm giving it my all. However, I still want to apply smartly and not waste time and money on schools that will outright deny me.

Current list of potential schools: A&M, Iowa, LSU, tOSU, Michigan, Mississippi, LMU, and Virginia-Maryland (Not applying due to costs)

I am also debating UMN, but I know their internal cut-offs are considerably high. My current prereq GPA for them is 3.60. (Also axed due to costs)

Things against me other than GPA:

• I'm a financially disadvantaged applicant and have paid for all of my classes out of pocket, so it has taken me quite a while to boost my GPA. Over the past 5 years, I have taken no more than 7 credits in a semester while working full-time, and I know some schools will look poorly on my application because of this.
• My academic LOR (required by LMU) would be by my academic advisor for undergrad in 2020. While we have maintained a friendly relationship, obviously he hasn't observed me academically in almost 6 years. I don't really have any better options for an academic LOR since I have taken most classes online since that time.

My last 30-45 GPAs will change as I'm taking classes this semester and next. Possibly in the fall as well since Iowa allows those to be considered.

Texas Resident
Cumulative GPA: 3.37 (3.43 w/ grade replacement)
Graduate GPA: 3.66
Science GPA: 3.28 (3.39 w/ grade replacement)
Last 45 GPA: 3.60
Last 36 GPA: 3.78 (Michigan)
Last 30 GPA: 3.86 (tOSU)
(Edited: 8/19/26)

Degrees:
B.S., Wildlife Ecology; Minor in Sociology (2020)
A.S., General Science (2025)

Veterinary Experience: (10,100+ hrs)
- Mixed animal (SA/exotics/avian/aquatic) Vet Asst: 5200+ hrs
- Research Associate 3/Microbiology Tech: 1000 hrs
- Lab RA 1/Necropsy Tech: 2400 hrs
- Small animal Vet Tech: 1300 hrs
- Overnight ER tech: 200 hrs
- Wildlife Sanctuary w/ Vet: 5 hrs

Research Experience: (162 hrs)
- Setting up bacterial and fungal cultures: 30 hrs
- Helping with different MS/PhD theses/dissertations pertaining to pesticides: 12 hrs
- Senior capstone project surveying public opinions on feral cat population management: 120 hrs

Animal Hours: (1160+ hrs)
- Fostering neonate kittens and elderly cats: 180 hrs
- Kennel Tech: 300 hrs
- Cat Rescue: 50 hrs
- Wildlife Sanctuary: 90+ hrs
- Raptor Rehab: 8 hrs
- Exotic Pet Rescues: 80 hrs
- Police Horse Clean-up: 5 hrs
- Pet-Sitting: 380+ hrs
- Pilling Sick Personal Pets: 65 hrs (Separated because I've had ill pocket pets that needed daily medication for months, palliative care)

Non-Animal Volunteer Experience: (200+ hrs)
- Food pantry and making meals for local youths: 40+ hrs
- Planting trees around university campus for Earth Day: 3 hrs
- Hospital shadowing program: 120hrs
- Renovating the local library's YA section Committee member: 40hrs
- Various local marathons for a cause: 18hrs
- Shadowing an OBGYN: 6hrs
- Local "get healthy" fair set-up and face-painting: 5hrs

Honors/Awards:
- Academic Honors (awarded with 2025 A.S.)
- Dean's List (2 semesters)
- Resident Merit-Based Scholarship
- HS AP Scholar Award (2 yrs)
- HS First Chair Flute/Piccolo (1 yr)
- HS 1st Place District English III
- HS 2nd Place District French I
- HS 3rd Place in a Statewide Mixed Media Art Competition
- HS Highest Average Award in Honors Biology I, French II, Talented Art III, and Talented Art IV

Certifications: Food Safety, Fear Free, LGBTQ+ Safe Space, Forklift operation, CPR/AED

Extracurriculars:
- Hobbies: painting, hiking, cooking/baking
- Students over 25 Social Club: 2 semesters
- LGBTQ+ Faculty Caucus: 1 yr
- Local Cactus & Succulents club: 3 yrs
- Pre-Vet Club member: 2 yrs
- Wildlife Club member: 3 yrs
- Wildlife Club Treasurer: 1 yr
- Exotic Animal Club member: 2 yrs
- LGBTQ+ undergrad club: 4 yrs
- PreMed Honor Society: 1 semester
- HS Key Club Treasurer: 1 yr
- HS Beta Club member: 2 yrs
- HS Student Council Treasurer: 1 yr
- HS Marching and Concert Band: 2 yrs

Employment: (~2600 hrs)
- Environmental/GIS Analyst Intern: 1 yr
- Ag Chemistry Lab Assistant: 3 years
- Medical Records Student worker: 1 yr
- Barista: 2 yr
- Cashier: 2 yrs

Anticpated eLORs: 2 small animal/exotic vets, current medical director, professor/academic advisor of my B.S., veterinary pathologist I worked with (5 total)

 

[battie]

Current list of potential schools: A&M, Iowa, LSU, tOSU, Michigan, Mississippi, LMU, and Virginia-Maryland

You need to add Texas Tech to your list as an in state option. There's no reason not to.

 

[PlumPoppy]

You need to add Texas Tech to your list as an in state option. There's no reason not to.

Thank you. I will consider this! I only worry because I know they heavily factor in candidates with rural experience (possibly large/food animal?), and my only rural experience is volunteering at a Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica
If we're talking (live) large animal, my experience is limited to shoveling horse poop 😆

 

[JaynaAli]

Thank you. I will consider this! I only worry because I know they heavily factor in candidates with rural experience (possibly large/food animal?), and my only rural experience is volunteering at a Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica
If we're talking (live) large animal, my experience is limited to shoveling horse poop 😆

They may like and prioritize those experiences, but you should still apply for the potential for in-state tuition even if it’s a fairly slim chance. Your chances are still likely higher there vs OOS, especially if your GPAs are pretty average to slightly lower than average depending on what is calculated.

 

[battie]

Thank you. I will consider this! I only worry because I know they heavily factor in candidates with rural experience (possibly large/food animal?), and my only rural experience is volunteering at a Wildlife Sanctuary in Costa Rica
If we're talking (live) large animal, my experience is limited to shoveling horse poop 😆

Sure I can see that. Even with that in mind, your chances of acceptance there are still higher than almost any OOS school just on the merits of number of applicants to the number of seats

 

[PlumPoppy]

I updated my stats a few days ago. I'm definitely applying to Tech, and focused one of my essays on my small town upbringing and how that's influenced me to want to work with small animal+exotics GP in a small town to increase accessibility to care.

Additionally, I'm considering writing one of my essays about my previous work in necropsy, but as I believe I've mentioned before in previous cycles, I'm hesitant to write about such a...frequently grotesque aspect of vetmed (though I know we've all seen some gnarly things). A few of the cases that still stick with me years later are the forensic cases. For essays about overcoming challenges, I keep finding myself going back to one such case where an animal was harmed. All of us working on that case were very emotional, but being able to bring that person to justice gave us the motivation to see it through. Other than that, I enjoyed being able to give grieving owners answers to what happened to their pet. However, I do not expect to pursue a pathology residency as I like working with live patients more. So should I even write about those experiences? If anyone has any insight or advice, I would greatly appreciate it!

 

[pp9]

I updated my stats a few days ago. I'm definitely applying to Tech, and focused one of my essays on my small town upbringing and how that's influenced me to want to work with small animal+exotics GP in a small town to increase accessibility to care.

Additionally, I'm considering writing one of my essays about my previous work in necropsy, but as I believe I've mentioned before in previous cycles, I'm hesitant to write about such a...frequently grotesque aspect of vetmed (though I know we've all seen some gnarly things). A few of the cases that still stick with me years later are the forensic cases. For essays about overcoming challenges, I keep finding myself going back to one such case where an animal was harmed. All of us working on that case were very emotional, but being able to bring that person to justice gave us the motivation to see it through. Other than that, I enjoyed being able to give grieving owners answers to what happened to their pet. However, I do not expect to pursue a pathology residency as I like working with live patients more. So should I even write about those experiences? If anyone has any insight or advice, I would greatly appreciate it!

If necropsy is an important part of your path and you can write a good essay, I'd write about it. There's no reason not to. It's not going to make you look bad/weird, adcoms won't care in that way. If anything, it's unique and might set you apart. And I wouldn't even be writing about plans to specialize/not specialize at this stage so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[battie]

One of the admissions heads at our school is a clinical pathologist and obviously had to do some anatomic pathology as part of residency. One of our old professors that did admissions stuff was a preeminent specialist in forensics (left us for sunnier places). So you might actually end up with a fellow forensics enthusiast as an admissions committee member

 

[JaynaAli]

Also let’s not forget that there’s a whole half of the world of pathology that only deals with living patients. I wouldn’t particularly expect the average pre-vet to know about clinical pathology versus anatomic pathology, but not every pathologist only deals with dead things. 99.9% of my patients I get samples from are alive. Heck, most of the anatomic pathologists who work for commercial diagnostic labs are reading surgical biopsies from living patients as well. It’s really only the anatomics in academia who do a lot of necropsy work. Wanting to be hands on with patients is fine but be careful shoehorning a really broad specialty into one small aspect of the field.

I think it’s fine to talk about the experiences if they answer the prompt and provide good examples. But just mentioning to mention almost never pays off. Just depends on what your essays look like.

 

[PlumPoppy]

Also let’s not forget that there’s a whole half of the world of pathology that only deals with living patients. I wouldn’t particularly expect the average pre-vet to know about clinical pathology versus anatomic pathology, but not every pathologist only deals with dead things. 99.9% of my patients I get samples from are alive. Heck, most of the anatomic pathologists who work for commercial diagnostic labs are reading surgical biopsies from living patients as well. It’s really only the anatomics in academia who do a lot of necropsy work. Wanting to be hands on with patients is fine but be careful shoehorning a really broad specialty into one small aspect of the field.

I'm sorry. I meant no offense. I should've chosen my words more carefully. I worked in anatomic pathology, but I did communicate with clinpath quite regularly when I helped out in accessioning samples. I meant that I want to work directly with live patients. Maybe that's still highlighting some of my ignorance, so correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

[JaynaAli]

I'm sorry. I meant no offense. I should've chosen my words more carefully. I worked in anatomic pathology, but I did communicate with clinpath quite regularly when I helped out in accessioning samples. I meant that I want to work directly with live patients. Maybe that's still highlighting some of my ignorance, so correct me if I'm mistaken.

No worries! My point was just to be careful how you phrase things…it’s perfectly fine to not want to pursue something you “tried out”, but you never know if someone who loves that thing you didn’t love will be on your admissions committee so focus it more on you and positives more so than negatives! 🙂 “Not wanting to work with dead things” is fine but saying it more like you “have learned that you enjoy face to face interactions with pet owners and your patients” or something like that is a little less likely to accidentally offend someone.