WAMC - Non-trad, Most Likely 1st and Only Time Applying

[jk2512]

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Hi all! Non-trad, first-time applicant. Although being a vet is really all I ever wanted to be, I have to be realistic about life and my responsibilities as a parent, so if I don't get in this cycle, I most likely will change course and adapt.

cGPA: 3.83
sGPA: 3.66
last 45: 3.80

I have well over 5000 hours working with veterinarians (mostly equine at a teaching hospital, as well as livestock and some small animals in a shelter environment), and more than enough animal hours. I believe I have 3 strong LORs - two from equine board-certified internal medicine clinicians at two different teaching hospitals, as well as 1 letter from a former supervisor who's the Chief of Veterinary Nursing Operations at one of the teaching hospitals.
I do not have research hours, but I do have plenty of volunteer hours. Previous employment hours are all veterinary or animal-related, so unfortunately, I do not have any non-animal employment hours.

I plan to apply to Auburn (IS), North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M. I'm aware that it's incredibly hard to get into Texas A&M as an OOS, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Also, these are all universities I would be willing to relocate for.
I do still have some science classes I'm completing this fall, but I expect my grades to stay the same or slightly improve.

I guess I'm just curious to see what some of you think my chances are or if there are any other schools you would recommend I apply to. I do have a husband and two kids who will not be moving with me. My husband has a secure/steady job that is paying for part of my degree if I get accepted. Auburn would be ideal as I would be able to go home every other weekend, but my husband is in the loop with the other schools and is supportive.

Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[JaynaAli]

I think you have a reasonable shot. Your chances are going to be highest at your in-state for sure. You’ve picked very competitive and/or GPA-heavy OOS options. NCSU and TAMU don’t offer a lot of OOS seats and because of that they usually go to very high GPA applicants. Oklahoma State has significantly more OOS seats but is very GPA heavy for OOS and makes a first cut solely based upon prereq/last45/cum GPAs. I still think you’re reasonably competitive though and those schools are worth a shot. Your GPAs aren’t bad by any means, they’re really on the higher side of average, but things could go either way OOS.

 

[dew5]

I agree with Jayna that you are a strong contender, especially with Auburn being your IS school. I was accepted and will be attending Auburn as an OOS applicant and had relatively comparable stats to yours. The OOS schools on your list might be a bit of a toss-up, but it seems you are already well aware of that. I completely understand the process behind choosing schools that will keep you somewhat close to your family, as I chose Auburn to be within driving distance to my husband (we will also be doing weekend visits). As you probably know, commuting to and from Auburn is pretty practical (as someone coming from a major metropolitan area in CA, the "traffic" in AL is minimal to nonexistent). Best of luck! If you have any questions regarding Auburn or the application process specifically, feel free to message me.

 

[jk2512]

I think you have a reasonable shot. Your chances are going to be highest at your in-state for sure. You’ve picked very competitive and/or GPA-heavy OOS options. NCSU and TAMU don’t offer a lot of OOS seats and because of that they usually go to very high GPA applicants. Oklahoma State has significantly more OOS seats but is very GPA heavy for OOS and makes a first cut solely based upon prereq/last45/cum GPAs. I still think you’re reasonably competitive though and those schools are worth a shot. Your GPAs aren’t bad by any means, they’re really on the higher side of average, but things could go either way OOS.

Appreciate the input. It’s such a tough decision when it comes to which schools to apply to.

 

[jk2512]

I agree with Jayna that you are a strong contender, especially with Auburn being your IS school. I was accepted and will be attending Auburn as an OOS applicant and had relatively comparable stats to yours. The OOS schools on your list might be a bit of a toss-up, but it seems you are already well aware of that. I completely understand the process behind choosing schools that will keep you somewhat close to your family, as I chose Auburn to be within driving distance to my husband (we will also be doing weekend visits). As you probably know, commuting to and from Auburn is pretty practical (as someone coming from a major metropolitan area in CA, the "traffic" in AL is minimal to nonexistent). Best of luck! If you have any questions regarding Auburn or the application process specifically, feel free to message me.

Thank you! It’s a struggle for sure 🤣 We live in North Alabama currently, almost 4 hours to Auburn - not crazy, but Birmingham traffic can be a lot at times lol.
I’ve actually worked at Auburn as an equine tech before we moved so I’m super familiar with the university and area. But I may hit you up “when” I get accepted. Good luck with vet school - Auburn is a great place!

 

[dew5]

Thank you! It’s a struggle for sure 🤣 We live in North Alabama currently, almost 4 hours to Auburn - not crazy, but Birmingham traffic can be a lot at times lol.
I’ve actually worked at Auburn as an equine tech before we moved so I’m super familiar with the university and area. But I may hit you up “when” I get accepted. Good luck with vet school - Auburn is a great place!

Gotcha! Comparable distance to what we’ll be doing, as husband is stationed 4 hours south of Auburn. Thank you! Good luck to you