WAMC! LOW GPA

[farsprinkles257]

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Hey y’all! I’m a first time applicant this cycle and I’m super nervous. I wanted to see if anyone had any advice for me! I know the SDN does this forum as well but I wanted to see what anyone on here thought!


I am a rising senior and I currently have a 3.2 overall gpa (i think its almost at a 3.3). I have a major in animal science with a minor in one health. I have a few failed classes on my transcript (one way too many) that I’ve retaken to improve the grade. I have over 3000 hours working under a veterinarian as a mixed animal and large animal vet assistant; 450 strictly with equine. I have about 5000 animal hours (therapeutic riding center and animal shelter). I’ve worked for 3 different vets. I have 2 vet rec letters, one animal science professor and 1 advisor. I was the VP of PR for my pre vet club. I started my own club at my school, an Irish dance club. I’ve shadowed at my undergrad vet school hospital. I studied abroad in Dublin for a whole semester and maintained great grades in genetics and nutrition there. I was a peer mentor instructor for freshman animal science students for a semester. I have volunteer experience working for a homeless shelter and an animal shelter. I had an assistant position in my sorority. I have over 100 hours of research working with dairy cattle. I was a competitive irish dancer for over 15 years and was ranked internationally, placed top 5 in the nation numerous times and was the regional champion numerous times. I was a top student in high school too, earning college credit and being in things such as NHS among others. I also worked as a hostess at a steakhouse for two years. This is not in any way meant to sound snotty but I would consider myself a very good writer and am good in an interview setting, so I’m hoping my essays and interviews will be stellar. Clearly the glaring issue is my GPA and the numerous failed classes. My in-state vet school is Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Do you think my GPA will completely hold me back? Do I have any chance at getting in this application cycle? I really am aiming for my in-state, but know they only reserve 30 spots for Maryland kids. Do I gap year if I don’t get in in-state and only get into the island schools? My head is all over the place lol. I really also don’t want to be anywhere without a teaching hospital for clinical year with the exception of the island schools. I know beggars can’t be choosers and I really am willing to go anywhere if I get in my first try, but I just hope and pray VMCVM lets me in somehow. I really also don’t want to be anywhere without a teaching hospital for clinical year with the exception of the island schools. I know beggars can’t be choosers and I really am willing to go anywhere if I get in my first try, but I just hope and pray VMCVM lets me in somehow.

APPLYING LIST: Tennessee, Purdue, VMCVM, Ross, Kstate, Iwoa, Midwestern, Ohio

Also, if anyone has ANY suggestions on what to do for a personal statement. I’m at a complete standstill despite looking and digging through the depths of my mind for something to write about lol.


Thank you all!!

 

[JaynaAli]

If your cumulative GPA is a 3.2, what are your other GPAs like your last 45 and pre-req GPAs? Were your failed classes prereqs or other courses? Were they recent fails or years ago? Why did you fail multiple classes? Was is all one semester or a trend over years? Is that 3.2 cumulative GPA averaging all attempts for those courses you've retaken?…it looks like VM averages retakes rather than replaces. Most of these questions are somewhat rhetorical but would help us better assess your chances.

It looks like VM’s selection criteria is 60% academics, 40% non-academics so your GPA very well might hold you back. Obviously your experience is good. You say you’re a strong writer, but I’d be sure to have multiple people read and give feedback on your essays in case you’re not as good at it as you think. I wouldn’t say it’s impossible to get an acceptance with your stats but your in-state is always going to be your statistically best shot for anyone but especially those with below average GPAs. Be sure to critically evaluate yourself and explain/own your failures and show how you’ve grown and how that won’t be a problem in an explanation statement.

A choice to only apply in-state is a very personal decision. With recent changes to student loan laws/the new limits to federal loans I would highly recommend that people find the cheapest routes for vet school possible. Looks like in-state VM is 120k ish tuition plus living expenses…the school estimates cost of attendance at 230k for IS which is luckily not much over the future limit of 200k…you might be able to shave 30k off living expenses or find scholarships or something to stay under the federal loan limit. If you go OOS, your chances of acceptance are lower and the cost rapidly rises above the loan limits which means being wealthy, borrowing from family, or considering private loans which can be even more predatory than federal loans with their interest rates and lack of income based repayment options. Midwestern’s cost of attendance is over 400k, so have you truly thought about what that high of a loan balance would mean in repayment, especially if 200k of that is in private loans? (Rhetorical) I think it would potentially be smart to try in-state only if you’d be okay taking a gap year if you didn’t get in. It definitely doesnt hurt to apply to other places and take a shot, but only apply to places you’d actually go if accepted. The loan changes really change things for students your year and in the future, unfortunately.