WAMC, second time applicant. Any advice would be amazing!!

[Ivy2020]

Hi all! I am also a second time applicant! Just looking for advice on the new cycle. Any advice would be amazing!

female: 22 years old, traditional applicant
First round applied: WSU, ISU (in state), UF, LMU, Midwestern

• my experiences consisted of 1200 small animal, exotic/avian (paid) as a vet assistant
• some volunteer work with local shelter and volunteer vet assistant at an animal rescue
• full time soccer player, volunteer work with children’s miracle network hospitals

GPA science - 3.5
GPA cum - 3.44
Last 45 - 3.7

3 LORS -
Bio professor, lead small animal veterinarian, college soccer coach

Had one 1 year left before obtaining my Bachelors in Biology
Got rejected from everywhere and only 1 interview at Midwestern and was waitlisted.

Second round: applied ISU (in state), Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Midwestern, U of Arizona, CSU, NC state, Ohio

- experience now is

• 2100 hours small animal exotic, avian
• 70 hours large animal (cattle and swine)
• 25 hours equine job shadow with vet
• 32 hours vet assistant with wildlife veterinarians (cheetahs, tigers, lion, giant anteater knockdown procedures and care)
• ^^^ i actually got hands on experience with jugular blood draws on cheetahs and tail draws as well as iv catheterization, and anesthesia management and recovery
• ^^this experience is ongoing with more vet experience with ungulate species to come (20 more hours planned)
• 600 hours carnivore/cheetah care internship (Positive reinforcement husbandry training, diet prep, enrichment, cleaning, and working in cheetah breeding and ambassador cheetah handling and training with education to the public - animals consist of Sumatran tigers, Siberian tigers, African lions, black bears, brown bears, cougars, and cheetahs
• ^^ I was offered an extension and will be completing 1200 total hours here!
• Not listed on VMCAS application since it’s closed now: working with feeding and daily care of giraffes, rhinos, elk, bison, hippos, fallow deer, ostriches, yaks, and sika deer - 10 hours
• Also included daily husbandry and care for ring tailed lemurs, red panda, maned wolf, gibbons, cougar and anteater - 10 hours (very sad this experience came after the application closed

Other experience:
- 40 hours vet tech volunteer - small
- 10 hours pocket pet Care volunteer
- 120 hours equine barn care volunteer (included chickens, swine, and goats)
- 24 hours food pantry volunteer
- 40 hours youth soccer coaching
- extensive hours waitressing and working in food industry and customer service 2000 + (had to put myself through college)
- 800 hours corn detasseling (High school)
- 3000 + hours competitive college soccer player

Science GPA: 3.6
Last 45: 3.7
Cum: 3.44
Bachelors Degree in Biology

5 LORS:
2 bio professors
1 large animal vet
1 small animal exotic vet
1 equine barn volunteer coordinator

GRE: not needed this cycle

I pretty much added all the experience I could due to Covid and got really lucky with my wildlife internship. I really really hope it’s enough!

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[PreciousMoments2024]

You were able to bump up your science GPA and added to the number and diversity of your hours, so you are definitely looking much stronger this round. I think the number of veterinary hours and variation will absolutely help you become a pretty competitive candidate. I had an interview at Mizzou and from that experience I felt like they placed a pretty large amount of focus on experience. I think as long as you have strong LORs that you have a decent chance at an interview there! I applied to ISU, which is not my in-state, and I was waitlisted there with similar undergrad GPA and less diverse experience. Good luck!

 

[Ivy2020]

You were able to bump up your science GPA and added to the number and diversity of your hours, so you are definitely looking much stronger this round. I think the number of veterinary hours and variation will absolutely help you become a pretty competitive candidate. I had an interview at Mizzou and from that experience I felt like they placed a pretty large amount of focus on experience. I think as long as you have strong LORs that you have a decent chance at an interview there! I applied to ISU, which is not my in-state, and I was waitlisted there with similar undergrad GPA and less diverse experience. Good luck!

Thanks so much for your response! That is helpful to hear because even though you try to do all this stuff you never really know if it’ll be enough for the particular cycle. Thanks so much! I just wish I could keep adding experiences after the cycle is closed though

 

[Ivy2020]

You were able to bump up your science GPA and added to the number and diversity of your hours, so you are definitely looking much stronger this round. I think the number of veterinary hours and variation will absolutely help you become a pretty competitive candidate. I had an interview at Mizzou and from that experience I felt like they placed a pretty large amount of focus on experience. I think as long as you have strong LORs that you have a decent chance at an interview there! I applied to ISU, which is not my in-state, and I was waitlisted there with similar undergrad GPA and less diverse experience. Good luck!

I actually just heard back yesterday that i was declined to interview at Missouri (so sad). But i was invited to interview at Kansas in January! So im pumped about that and still hoping to hear from the rest that are doing interviews this cycle. Keeping my hopes up

 

[PreciousMoments2024]

I actually just heard back yesterday that i was declined to interview at Missouri (so sad). But i was invited to interview at Kansas in January! So im pumped about that and still hoping to hear from the rest that are doing interviews this cycle. Keeping my hopes up

I'm sorry to hear about Mizzou, but that's awesome with Kansas! Good luck!!