WAMC Narrowing Down School List (stats)

[pawprintsandponytails]

Hi! I am a 24 year old re-applicant from Arkansas! This is my second application cycle, I am wrapping up my master's in the spring in ADS (thesis based) and have my bachelors in biology.

Previous I applied to: LSU(did folder review- 3 points away from interview, one rec letter wasn't the best apparently) , Missouri(denied, no review), Ross (accepted), SGU(accepted), LMU(denied no review), Mississippi(denined auto missing pre-req), Colorado (denied, did folder review, GPA)

This cycle I am planning to apply to the following: Mississippi State (where I am doing my masters research), Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Purdue, Michigan, Colorado and Virginia-Maryland

Cumulative GPA: UG: 3.391 Grad 4.0 (19 hours) (combined GPA including all repeated course work 3.4)
science GPA: varies based on how school calculates, but around a 3.2 to 3.5 (1st time my science was 2.85)
Last 45: 3.5

Any degrees achieved: BS biology, MS in Animal Science (2021, spring)

GRE results (I am 99% sure that Oklahoma is the only school still considering): 154 (63%), 153 (48%), 4.0 (55%)

Veterinary Experience:
~4650 small animal
~10 food animal
~200 equine
~15 exotic

Animal Experience:
~4000 ownership/pet sitting
~40 food animal (working with dairy cows for research project)
~2500 working and volunteering at barns/training/showing/ownership
~300 exotic ownership


Research Experience:
~800 hours
I am currently pursuing research in bovine reproduction studying sperm subjected to cryopreservation. I specifically am looking. at cholesterol level in the membranes of sperm categorized as high or low freezability, as well as the ratio to other lipids and ratio to proteins in the membrane. I am also looking at membrane fluidity and developing an extender that using antioxidants to reduce damage by ROS. I have assisted with another projects with sample collection (fecal, urine, blood and rumen) looking at the microbiome of dairy cattle, as well as rode and collection of blood samples in a project looking at oxidative stress in unfit horses as a preliminary study for supplementation with melatonin.

Awards/scholarships:
Full ride honors scholarship
Academic challenge scholarship
Tom Courtway (Presidential) scholarship - 1 yr
Women of Integrity award
Who's Who award
RA of the year for area
Deans/Presidents list
Top 10 dairy team in FFA during high school
Valedictorian in high school

Extracurriculars:
Sorority: held 2 leadership positions within chapter then served as Panhellenic president
Volunteer: lead big event team, other project such as habitat for humanity, animal shelter, A21 human trafficking, Bethlehem house, Safe haven, extension projects during my masters, and at the horse unit for the university
Teaching assistant: 2 courses as primary instructor and one as a second TA
Resident's Assistant
Academic ambassador- for undergrad university and honors college
Order of Omega
Guest speaker on diversity panel put on by the Students for the propagation of black culture
Publications: one review article under review with frontiers in veterinary science and an extension article on breeding your mare, others in the works as part of my thesis research


Employment:
Graduate service assistant during masters for distance education (COVID has been greattttt)
Vet assistant: two different clinics (40 hours a week during school)
Manager of bar (worked 40 hours a week during school and volunteered at a clinic)
Student worker at art gallery while working 40 hours at vet clinic during school
spray tan tech- 20 hours a week (while working at bar too)
worked at a restaurant during freshman year 20 hours a week during school
summer job as life guard for 2 summers


Letter of Recommendations:
3 vets (2 i worked with, 1 i shadowed during my masters), 2 professors (1 masters advisor and main one I TA for; 1 masters instructor and volunteered on projects and TA for **my research advisor has had my request for recommendation since may and never completed it so I pulled my request*), 1 from the advisor from when I was panhellenic president during undergrad

Biggest hurdle during my first round: poor poor poor POOR academic marks due to a sexual assault, lack of a support system (1st gen college student), working full time to support my self (parents didn't pay any bills not even car insurance). I discuss this very frank during the hardships section of my application. I admit that I should have sought mental health professionals sooner, then went on to explain how all of these experiences have taught me vauluable lessons as I continue. {wrote to take ownership, not give excuses}

Moving forward from first time: I chose to not attend an island school because I have intentions on pursing large animal medicine, so I decided to do my masters to make myself more well rounded to continue into the field. I grew up on farms, but my masters course work and experiences has allowed me to develop so many more skills. I know sometimes a masters program can seem easier than undergrad, but I can say my master's courses are NOT a cake walk, they still challenge us while we work 20 hours a week, complete research and teach our courses.


I took a gap year and saved money to apply to a higher number of schools this year. I feel as though I have improved myself as an applicant. After repeat course work I only have a C in physics 1, the rest are A's with a B in physics 2. I selected schools that have contract seats or take a large number of arkansas residents, programs that seem to take master's studies into consideration, programs with more holistic approaches and programs with strong large animal options.

I am seeking advice on if you think any of these schools are a complete waste or if you have recommendations for another school maybe I should consider!

Thanks in advance for the advice!

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[battie]

Consider adding Illinois. We have ~50% OOS students and higher degrees are considered. Holistic approach with objectives and subjectives considered equally prior to interview offer. Once you interview, only the interview and subjectives are considered. You're welcome to ask for any info. Current 4th year.

 

[pawprintsandponytails]

@batsenecal Thank you for that recommendation! I reached out to the school with a few Prereq questions today! Do you feel that students who are looking for large animal opportunities are satisfied? I plan on going more large animal focused then hopefully a residency in therio, I know things can always change based on experiences and lessons learned in vet school, but this is my general plan!

 

[battie]

We have a whole elective stream for large animal folks and 16 weeks of large animal rotations for 4th year without including the free electives (between production animal and equine). The free electives give an extra 8 weeks you could use. I'd say our production medicine clubs and chapter of AAEP are on the top 3 or 4 most active clubs on campus. Plenty of research to go around if you go looking for it. We also have a therio program through our boarded theriogenologist and our therio residency. He focuses on horses, but definitely a good foot in the door source. And production med is covered extensively just in the core curriculum to be honest.