WAMC - science GPA higher than cum. GPA

[aw02]

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This is my first cycle applying to vet schools. I have a B.S. in Biology and will be 2/3 done with a M.S. in Molecular & Cellular Biology at the time that i'm applying. I am primarily interested in exotics/zoomed and sports medicine (equine) at the moment, but i'm keeping an open mind. I'm also considering the HPSP. Illinois is my in-state. I am planning to apply to UIUC & CSU.

Cumulative GPA: 3.60
Science GPA: 3.71
Last 45: 3.62

Degrees achieved:
BS Biology (3.61 cum. GPA)
MS Molecular & Cellular Biology in progress (3.51 cum. GPA so far, with an upward trend)

Veterinary Experience:
-Shelter med intern - 128 hours
-Shelter med staff - 200 hours
-SmA GP shadow - 68 hours
-Equine vet shadow - 104 hours
-Surgical prep assistant at a rescue - 36 hours

Animal Experience:
-Large animal caretaker - 70 hours
-Exotic animal caretaker (pet store) - 576 hours
-Chicken husbandry assistant - 16 hours
-Rover dog sitting - 25 hours

Research Experience:
-undergrad research project on shark metabolism - 288 hours
-grad research assistant in plant lab - 140 hours

Awards/scholarships:
-4 year division I athletic scholarship during my undergrad
-multiple semesters on deans/presidents list
-team community service award

Extracurriculars:
-Division I athlete - 3000 hours
-Recruiting committee - 200 hours
-Pre-vet program - 50 hours
-Future Vets Club - 80 hours

Employment:
-Lifeguard - 320 hours

LORs:
-SmA GP that I have shadowed over the course of 3 years at 2 different clinics, Illinois alum, prev. wrote me a LOR for MS MCB/biomedical sciences programs (accepted to all)
-undergrad PI who oversaw my physiology/shark metabolism project, prev. wrote me a LOR for MS MCB/biomedical sciences programs (accepted to all)
-owner of the exotic pet shop I worked at for 9mo, Illinois alum, speaks very highly of my husbandry skills
-former division I athletics coach, speaks very highly of my leadership and communication abilities, offered to write me a LOR before I even asked

I think my biggest concern is that my GPA isn't high enough for Illinois, I know they are not very holistic in their admissions and that GPA is a big factor for them. They do allow you to request that they ignore 1 semester of grades due to special circumstances - if I do this then I will have a 3.73 cum. GPA and 3.76 science. I'm still not sure if that makes me competitive enough. I'm also not sure how having a science GPA that's higher than my cumulative GPA affects my chances, I have seen that it's the opposite for most people.
I also did not decide on vet med until halfway through undergrad and did not have many resources/time to get animal/vet hours while being an athlete at the specific school I attended, so I am worried that I have less hours than other applicants my age.

I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this, and thank you for any advice in advance!

 

[indysadventures]

Why CSU? If you’re only applying to two schools, I’d focus on a school where you have more chances as an OOS student. CSU is great but notoriously competitive for OOS, with close to 4000 applicants. Plus, with the new loan changes happening for incoming students in the class of 2030 and after, I’d also seriously pause on CSU as an OOS due to its expense. Unless you’re independently wealthy, you’d be looking at close to $200k in private loans on top of that $200k federal cap.

I think if you’re only applying to two schools, your IS and then another school that allows you to establish residency after first year would be a good option. You’re above Washington State’s initial internal cutoffs for OOS so you hopefully wouldn’t be rejected before full review of your app, at least.

Ohio State is another option but they really favor those with exceptional experiences across all categories, and I think your veterinary experience is on the low side. If you can get some experience in zoo, exotics, or small animal specialty - even just a little bit can help, I think it would improve your application. Ohio state loves to see community involvement and leadership, so consider including relevant experiences if you choose to apply there. They’re competitive, but with solid essays, experiences, and LORs, it’s certainly possible.

I think your best option is to get in touch with Illinois personally if you have not already. I’m not sure what their IS internal cutoffs are, but I’d say you likely have a good shot to get through it and into Phase 2. Be aware that internal cutoffs change year to year. But, once past that phase, from there (others can correct me if I’m wrong) I think GPA matters much less. I also just wanted to make sure you ensure you have an academic reference because I think they require it - PIs don’t count even if they are a professor unless they taught you in an actual course.

A small side note that in your application, you’ll need to be careful leaning into your zoo, exotics and equine interests with little to no relevant veterinary experience. It doesn’t sound like you plan to, but just in case. Summoning @pp9 for Illinois and zoomed purposes. 🙂

If you reconsider applying to a school like WSU or Ohio State, and focus on submitting excellent written essays, experience sections, and LORs, I think your chances of getting in will be even better. Other good options for you (but way less affordable) could be MSU, VMCVM, or Minnesota. (Not to deter you from CSU, but if you’re focusing on chances alone and two schools, it makes sense to choose a different OOS.)

 

[JaynaAli]

Isn’t Illinois the school that only counts 8 credits of graduate coursework towards your science GPA? Are those GPAs you posted your total ones including all the graduate classes, undergrad stats or what? If you haven’t read up on how Illinois factors in masters classes I recommend you look into it because it’s different than at other schools.

I think you’ve got a decent chance. As you initially listed them, your GPAs would be average for out of state applicants but probably right in line for IS. There’ll certainly be people applying with lower GPAs. Your experience has good breadth but not a lot of depth; really I would like to see more hours, but I don’t think what you have now is uncompetitive. Research experience is always a nice thing to have. Your essays and stuff may factor in a lot to help you stand out. I’d caution you against strongly committing to one aspect of vet med when you have minimal experience hours in the field, imo it looks better to not give a specific interest than to claim an interest in something with little experience, because people may think you don’t have enough exposure or are naive.

 

[mw1356]

I think your best option is to get in touch with Illinois personally if you have not already. I’m not sure what their IS internal cutoffs are, but I’d say you likely have a good shot to get through it and into Phase 2. Be aware that internal cutoffs change year to year. But, once past that phase, from there (others can correct me if I’m wrong) I think GPA matters much less. I also just wanted to make sure you ensure you have an academic reference because I think they require it - PIs don’t count even if they are a professor unless they taught you in an actual course.

Illinois doesn't consider GPA at all after Phase I! If you pass their cut-off and move onto Phase II, they look solely at experiences, personal statement, and LORS to determine interview invites. Their website says final decisions are 75% Phase II and 25% interview performance.

Ohio State is another option but they really favor those with exceptional experiences across all categories, and I think your veterinary experience is on the low side. If you can get some experience in zoo, exotics, or small animal specialty - even just a little bit can help, I think it would improve your application. Ohio state loves to see community involvement and leadership, so consider including relevant experiences if you choose to apply there. They’re competitive, but with solid essays, experiences, and LORs, it’s certainly possible.

Seconding this as well. I got in with a fairly low number of vet hours, but they were spread across small, large, equine, zoo, and shelter (+ a lot of extracurriculars/leadership in undergrad). I see that you listed a team community service award - I think it would also be worth listing the community service you did as a separate experience (even if you did it with your team).

 

[pp9]

Isn’t Illinois the school that only counts 8 credits of graduate coursework towards your science GPA?

This is correct, and the credits have to check certain boxes.

Happy to answer zoo-specific and Illinois-specific questions. Yes, their GPA cuts have been higher than ever, but that doesn't mean you have no chance or should skip applying to your IS. I agree that your experience might be an issue for you

 

[aw02]

Isn’t Illinois the school that only counts 8 credits of graduate coursework towards your science GPA? Are those GPAs you posted your total ones including all the graduate classes, undergrad stats or what? If you haven’t read up on how Illinois factors in masters classes I recommend you look into it because it’s different than at other schools.

I think you’ve got a decent chance. As you initially listed them, your GPAs would be average for out of state applicants but probably right in line for IS. There’ll certainly be people applying with lower GPAs. Your experience has good breadth but not a lot of depth; really I would like to see more hours, but I don’t think what you have now is uncompetitive. Research experience is always a nice thing to have. Your essays and stuff may factor in a lot to help you stand out. I’d caution you against strongly committing to one aspect of vet med when you have minimal experience hours in the field, imo it looks better to not give a specific interest than to claim an interest in something with little experience, because people may think you don’t have enough exposure or are naive.

I’ve been trying to find info online about how they calculate BS+MS GPA and have not been successful yet, where did you see the 8 cr hours at? The GPAs I posted are all credits cum. undergrad + grad combined.

I appreciate your feedback on backing away from mentioning specific specialties! My interest in sports med comes from my personal experience as an athlete (spent a lot of time around the athletic trainers/doctors and did a lot of rehab myself) & my time shadowing/working around equine vets (~170 hours). I do understand that it might work against me not having any real experience with equine sports med yet! My interest in exotics/zoomed comes from working directly with sharks for my undergrad research (~280 hours) & being an exotic animal caretaker (~500 hours).

 

[JaynaAli]

I’ve been trying to find info online about how they calculate BS+MS GPA and have not been successful yet, where did you see the 8 cr hours at? The GPAs I posted are all credits cum. undergrad + grad combined.

Some things you just learn from hanging around SDN for years. But I googled for you and it’s on the same page where it talks about getting a semester excluded and other special considerations.

Special Considerations - Veterinary Medicine at Illinois

Residency Considerations in Admission Deferral of Admission Petition for Deletion of One Semester of Grades (Optional) Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding this information. Petition to Ignore Academic Record Completed Over 6 Years... Read More >

vetmed.illinois.edu

 

[aw02]

Some things you just learn from hanging around SDN for years. But I googled for you and it’s on the same page where it talks about getting a semester excluded and other special considerations.

Special Considerations - Veterinary Medicine at Illinois

Residency Considerations in Admission Deferral of Admission Petition for Deletion of One Semester of Grades (Optional) Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding this information. Petition to Ignore Academic Record Completed Over 6 Years... Read More >

vetmed.illinois.edu

Thank you so much!! This actually helps me out since my grad school GPA is lower than undergrad.