What are my chances?

[BishopFaust]

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Do you have any specific reason for choosing those schools? Other than your IS?

I like several factors about each school, including teaching styles/clinics within the schools themselves. I also (honestly) meet the prereqs for those schools so they seemed like the optimal choice.

Ok then here's how admissions at Davis works:
Davis looks solely at last 45 GPA and science GPA then quantitative GRE score. They will also be looking at how your letters of recommendation ranked you on a 1-5 scale. They weight things in this order.

The out of state applicants will still be evaluated in the same way and the top 10% will be offered interviews. In state applicants will be divided into two categories. The top 180 applicants, ranked by the same standards as before, will be offered interviews automatically, while the next 180 ranked applicants will be given a wholesome review where the admissions committee will read over the entire application and give consideration to any outstanding circumstances and other things like veterinary hours, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. 60 of those applicants will be offered interviews. From there everything is a level playing field as admission will be offered solely on how you score on the MMI.

Bottom line your scores are a little lower than average for Davis, unfortunately that's just how they do things. But since you're an IS resident you could get a holistic review but only if you rank in the top 360 applicants of IS residents.

I'm afraid I won't be of much help for the other schools but if you improve your last 45 GPA you'd have a great shot at Davis. Best of luck to you.

Do you know if Davis would look at my last 45 on a veterinary related MS?

I think the red flag is that your last 45 is quite low. Schools like to see either an upward trajectory or a solid one, not a downward trend. A lower last 45 indicates that upper levels were a struggle, meaning they may doubt how you would perform at vet school. I think an MS would help much more than RVT cred. However, some schools do not look at masters programs for changing your last 45 which is something to consider. You could try to boost other aspects of your app (research and animal hours are low but vet experience is high so it probably doesn't matter) but honestly it's probably the GPA that's holding you back. Definitely try to get file reviews if possible also!

I totally get the last 45. Unfortunately, I dealt with a lot of family-related struggles during my last 2 years of undergrad. I was taking care of my two younger teenage brothers while living across town, taking classes full time, working full time, and volunteering. It isn't an excuse, I know...but just unfortunate timing. If I were focused exclusively on education I know my last 45 would have been much better. I should have done the file reviews last year, but getting rejected so many times...stung. I'll try and do that this year.

Do you know what school look at last 45 including MS degrees? Or for RVT credentials?
I know there's a thread out there about this topic, but it isn't very comprehensive yet.
Also, I'm considering the workload of a MS vs. RVT schooling - I've taken many classes that would transfer over to Penn Foster (I think), so I could focus on the core classes and possibly do much better while still working full time.

 

[flameshock]

I like several factors about each school, including teaching styles/clinics within the schools themselves. I also (honestly) meet the prereqs for those schools so they seemed like the optimal choice.


Do you know if Davis would look at my last 45 on a veterinary related MS?


I totally get the last 45. Unfortunately, I dealt with a lot of family-related struggles during my last 2 years of undergrad. I was taking care of my two younger teenage brothers while living across town, taking classes full time, working full time, and volunteering. It isn't an excuse, I know...but just unfortunate timing. If I were focused exclusively on education I know my last 45 would have been much better. I should have done the file reviews last year, but getting rejected so many times...stung. I'll try and do that this year.

Do you know what school look at last 45 including MS degrees? Or for RVT credentials?
I know there's a thread out there about this topic, but it isn't very comprehensive yet.
Also, I'm considering the workload of a MS vs. RVT schooling - I've taken many classes that would transfer over to Penn Foster (I think), so I could focus on the core classes and possibly do much better while still working full time.

Do the MS. I don’t really think RVT will help in your situation. You need to show you can handle a full, rigorous courseload of sciences and I doubt penn foster will read that way to admissions. Some people do the rvt thing and then decide to be a vet, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the reverse. You already have oodles of hours of experience, so if you’re sure you want to be a vet, at this point what does an RVT program get you?

 

[LabLuv004]

I like several factors about each school, including teaching styles/clinics within the schools themselves. I also (honestly) meet the prereqs for those schools so they seemed like the optimal choice.

I agree with everyone else about the last 45 credits if you can, they really want to see either stable or upward trend to show you can handle the rigor of vet school. I was even asked about mine at Midwestern specifically (because mine was not an upward trend). I would call the schools and do a file review and see if they would accept MS credits.
I also think some strategic applications could help you next time you apply. Cornell likes to see a high GPA both overall and last 45 and put significant weight on it. Tufts looks more at the whole applicant, but when I went for open house the numbers they gave us and the ones I looked at in their past class scores they were all pretty high. Honestly from my experience and watching my friends apply to vet school, most of them had to leave New England area for school because Tufts and Cornell are very competitive and Tufts especially is so small.
I would suggest, next time you apply, broaden your net a bit. Maybe add a school with a larger program or an accredited out of country school that won't put so much weight on your GPA (if you're able to relocate for a few years). If you can boost the last 45 with one awesome semester and bring it up closer to your overall, you should be more attractive to all the schools as well.

 

[BishopFaust]

Do the MS. I don’t really think RVT will help in your situation. You need to show you can handle a full, rigorous courseload of sciences and I doubt penn foster will read that way to admissions. Some people do the rvt thing and then decide to be a vet, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen the reverse. You already have oodles of hours of experience, so if you’re sure you want to be a vet, at this point what does an RVT program get you?

I agree with everyone else about the last 45 credits if you can, they really want to see either stable or upward trend to show you can handle the rigor of vet school. I was even asked about mine at Midwestern specifically (because mine was not an upward trend). I would call the schools and do a file review and see if they would accept MS credits.
I also think some strategic applications could help you next time you apply. Cornell likes to see a high GPA both overall and last 45 and put significant weight on it. Tufts looks more at the whole applicant, but when I went for open house the numbers they gave us and the ones I looked at in their past class scores they were all pretty high. Honestly from my experience and watching my friends apply to vet school, most of them had to leave New England area for school because Tufts and Cornell are very competitive and Tufts especially is so small.
I would suggest, next time you apply, broaden your net a bit. Maybe add a school with a larger program or an accredited out of country school that won't put so much weight on your GPA (if you're able to relocate for a few years). If you can boost the last 45 with one awesome semester and bring it up closer to your overall, you should be more attractive to all the schools as well.

Would an online MS be sufficient? I'm looking at a degree through University of Florida College of Vet. Medicine.

 

[ahallowell]

@BishopFaust I think it really depends on the school and the program.. I’m currently completing my online masters through a vet school. Most schools I applied to took my grades for this program in consideration regarding GPA calculations while I believe Iowa State did not. Definetly call the schools you’re interested in applying to to verify. My advice is if you do get a Masters make sure it’s affordable, something that will help you grow professionally if a DVM doesn’t pan out, and that you do extremely well.

 

[Coopah]

I like several factors about each school, including teaching styles/clinics within the schools themselves. I also (honestly) meet the prereqs for those schools so they seemed like the optimal choice.


Do you know if Davis would look at my last 45 on a veterinary related MS?



I totally get the last 45. Unfortunately, I dealt with a lot of family-related struggles during my last 2 years of undergrad. I was taking care of my two younger teenage brothers while living across town, taking classes full time, working full time, and volunteering. It isn't an excuse, I know...but just unfortunate timing. If I were focused exclusively on education I know my last 45 would have been much better. I should have done the file reviews last year, but getting rejected so many times...stung. I'll try and do that this year.

Do you know what school look at last 45 including MS degrees? Or for RVT credentials?
I know there's a thread out there about this topic, but it isn't very comprehensive yet.
Also, I'm considering the workload of a MS vs. RVT schooling - I've taken many classes that would transfer over to Penn Foster (I think), so I could focus on the core classes and possibly do much better while still working full time.

I believe they would but I can't speak for them, I would contact the school and ask because it's important. I would echo that you want to go to the cheapest school possible. You might look into Washington State as they allow IS tuition after the first year. I see you're looking at teaching styles but I would look at how places rate their applicants to see where you might be accepted. You are looking at some of the most competitive schools out there which may not fit your stats. Remember every vet school will give you a brilliant education no matter what. Best of luck to you.

 

[BishopFaust]

UF also offers a certificate in Veterinary Forensics. If that raises my last 45 (depending on the school and their protocol) would that be a better, faster option than a MS degree in vet med?

 

[Coopah]

UF also offers a certificate in Veterinary Forensics. If that raises my last 45 (depending on the school and their protocol) would that be a better, faster option than a MS degree in vet med?

I would honestly take something in a degree you want to work in. What would a masters in vet med give you? What would this UF give you? Look at it as if you're not applying to vet school. I realize that's the end goal but it will set you up better if you don't get in or decide down the line this isn't what you want. I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to explore outside of vet med. I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm quiet sure you'll succeed, but I want everyone to explore a little outside the field 🙂.

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Hey all - I'm hoping to get some advice about my application. This is my second cycle applying and I'm not getting anywhere...again. No waitlists, nothing...
(If this is in the wrong spot - sorry! I didn't want to make a separate thread just for this question.)
I don't feel as though my stats are really bad...obviously, they could be better. I was working and taking care of family through undergrad and I think that did affect my GPA a little. I would LOVE to pursue the most effective path towards improving my stats, if possible. I think that increasing my science or last 45 GPA would help a lot. I have too many units to really affect my overall GPA. Would an MS in Veterinary Forensic Science or RVT credentials through Penn Foster help? I could finish those in the next year and have most of the schooling completed before the next cycle is completed.
I'm looking for admission to Cornell, UC Davis, Tufts, Midwestern if possible.


Here are my stats:

AAS in Liberal Arts, 2010
AAS in Biology, 2013
BS in Biochemistry, 2015

GRE: 157V/151Q/4.0AW

GPA (per VMCAS): 3.50
SciGPA: 3.30
last 45: 3.00

Vet Experience:

• Lead assistant, inventory manager, surgical assistant, and more - appoximately 55,000 hours
  • The math on that - 14 years x 10-14 hours a day x 4-6 days a week, almost no vacation during this time between 3 hospitals
  • I've worked in clinical, hospital, ranch and ER environments
  • I have experience with exotics, cats, dogs and horses

Animal Experience:

• Horse care / riding / training - 60 hours
• Best Friends Animal Society, Neonatal unit - 18 hours
• Local 501c Rescue and Spay/Neuter group - 60 hours

Research:

• Recearch on beetles and feeding habits - 90 hours over 2 years

Employment:

• Pet sitting - 150 hours
• multiple years of employment at veterinary facilities
• home business - squid and jellyfish plushies, 3 years

Achievements:

• Dean's List -- 3 years
• Congressional Recognition for volunteer hours
• President's List -- 1 year
• Vet CPR certified through Cornell
• Fear Free certified
• VCA Anesthesia certification

Extracurriculars:

• AGS Honor society - 3 years
• Voluntereed at my local chuch - 8 years
• Volunteer art teacher - 1 semester
• Tournament of Roses float decorator - 3 years

eLORs:

• 1 from a research professor (I had an extra eLOR submitted to Tufts from another research professor)
• 3 veterinarians (both are practice owners / medical directors)

Any advice on how to proceed? I'm not ready to give up just yet!​

I'll offer some alternative advice to what you've been given so far.

I applied last cycle and didn't get in, nor any interviews. This cycle I've been invited to each of the schools I applied to (haven't began the interviews yet). I also know someone who knows someone, etc bottom line without me even asking ended up with a short file review and it was mentioned that I'd have to really bomb my interview to not receive an offer, not that it is a guarantee but certainly feels nice to hear.

The kicker? My stats are really not much different than last year. In fact, I'm pretty sure my GPA even dropped.
A very clean application may make your GPA more forgivable. I would see if any of the schools you applied to offer a file review. Washington State does, and they were able to pinpoint my weak areas last year.
Some places you may look:
-Essays. This was my worst part of my application last year. I was told mine had a "negative" tone. This year, I really focused on the positives and then asked a veterinarian I worked under to give me feedback (which was a strategy recommended by a friend who was accepted last year). From many people over the years, they suggest to give stand-out answers. Everyone who goes into vet medicine loves animals and has wanted to do this for a really, really long time so those things can't be the focus of your answers, because they all look the same. Something interesting might be the area of medicine you wish to practice in (I focused on my interest in being faculty, for instance), or examples of wanting to give back to the community through volunteer services.
-Extracurriculars. I recall that volunteer and extracurriculars are separated on the application. I was told that each section should be buffed up. Get creative. The woman doing my file review said even things like reading can go in extracurriculars. This year I added all sorts of hobbies to make myself look more interesting-dancing, hiking, canoeing, etc. They want to see that you are diversified and able to take care of your own needs/wants during school. Also consider choosing a volunteer activity where you engage with disadvantaged persons.
-GRE. You can overshadow your GPA with solid GRE scores. Your verbal looks okay but if you retook it and improved your quantitative score that might help.
-Research. I think your research area looks a little weak, and not that it is required, but is another way that you can stand out. Personally, I decided to go very research-heavy because in my head it communicates that I enjoy learning even though I'm not as academically strong as other applicants. There may be some no-commitment research opportunities available at your local university. I once responded to a flyer looking for single or multiple day volunteers to aid in a research project on mussel physiology.

 

[adriata88]

Hey guys!
I've been struggling to figure out a way to obtain more diverse vet experiences while maintaining my current long-term experiences and was wondering if anyone could give some advice.
I am a current freshman in college and I have been a veterinary assistant -paid - at a SA hospital since high school (about 450 hours currently) and I am also doing research in a biomedical research setting. I know that it is good to get diverse vet experiences (LA, exotics, zoo, etc.) but I'm not sure how to make time for these new experiences without terminating my current 2 experiences that I would like to continue throughout college. Has anyone been in a similar situation, and what did you end up doing?

An additional question, I'm on track to graduate in 3 years thanks to AP credit. Do vet schools take this into account when looking at vet experience hours? In other words, if a student graduates in 3 years, will a vet school expect this candidate to have the same amount of experience as a traditional 4 year graduate? Thanks so much in advance everyone!

 

[realfrida]

Hello guys! I wanted to ask advice and honest feedback through these forums.

22 year old, female, Texas resident

Degrees:
B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Cum GPA: 3.32
Science GPA:3.5
Last 45 hours: 3.71

Veterinary Experience:
- 1k+ hours experience in the clinic of a zoo
- 300+ hours experience in a private small animal clinic

Animal Experience:
- 200+ hours experience at a zoo herpaturium
- 50 hours experience at the education center of the zoo (same zoo as previously mentioned)

Animal Research Experience:
Zoological Animal Nutrition,helping balance existing diets and proposing diets of the animals in the collection, with a concentration on exotic birds and hoofstock

Research Experience:
Cloning of T. vaginalis through serial dilution

Club Affiliations:
Kappa Omega
Biomedical Student Association
President and Founder of APVMA chapter

Non-Animal Volunteer Work:
RGV Science Fair Judge for Middle School (2015, 2016, 2017) Categories: Animal Science, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Natural Sciences, and Microbiology
MLK Day of Service (2016, 2017); basically you go out for MLK day and do community service. 2016 was helping prepare an essential/toiletries bag for homeless veterans. 2017 was helping at a farm.
Volunteer at Soup Kitchen for the Homeless Summer 2015
Clinical Volunteer at a Hospice Fall 2016
Conservation Awareness Speaker at a high school fair 2016
Translator at RGV Health Fair 2016
HESTEC Presenter: Disease Prevention and Vaccination Awareness 2017
Local Shelter Wishlist Item Drive 2017

Letters of Recommendation
-University of Texas RGV Research Professor
-Pre-vet club adviser
-Associate Veterinarian of the zoo I volunteer at
-Senior Veterinarian of the zoo I volunteer at

GRE: 156 verbal; 144 quant; 5.0 essay. I will be retaking before submitting application for this upcoming cycle.

My concerns:

-Most of my vet and animal experience is from one zoo. I am truly scared that it does not show enough diversity.
-I have no outside extracurricular or volunteer work other than what is listed. Between the zoo volunteer, jobs, and classes I felt I should not stretch myself too thin.

I am currently getting a certification to be a human phlebotomist, so that I can work in a human clinical setting, since I have bills to pay. Other than that, I will continue going to the zoo to get more experience and I want to add farm experience. I actually have an interest in large animals.

I am applying this year to: Texas A&M, Auburn, Western, Colorado, Atlantic University, and maybe Oklahoma State. Texas A&M is my desired school since it is also my IS. Otherwise, I would want to go to Western or Atlantic University.

Please ask me about anything or please feel free to recommend schools.

Thank you so much!

 

[SkiOtter]

Already a thread for this. What are my chances?

 

[realfrida]

Already a thread for this. What are my chances?

I am new at this. I have no idea how to add this to a thread. Sorry 🙁

 

[realfrida]

Hello guys! I wanted to ask advice and honest feedback through these forums. this is a repost since I don't know how else to add my other post on this thread. So I'll just add the whole thing.

22 year old, female, Texas resident

Degrees:
B.S. in Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Cum GPA: 3.32
Science GPA:3.5
Last 45 hours: 3.71

Veterinary Experience:
- 1k+ hours experience in the clinic of a zoo
- 300+ hours experience in a private small animal clinic

Animal Experience:
- 200+ hours experience at a zoo herpaturium
- 50 hours experience at the education center of the zoo (same zoo as previously mentioned)

Animal Research Experience:
Zoological Animal Nutrition,helping balance existing diets and proposing diets of the animals in the collection, with a concentration on exotic birds and hoofstock

Research Experience:
Cloning of T. vaginalis through serial dilution

Club Affiliations:
Kappa Omega
Biomedical Student Association
President and Founder of APVMA chapter

Non-Animal Volunteer Work:
RGV Science Fair Judge for Middle School (2015, 2016, 2017) Categories: Animal Science, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Natural Sciences, and Microbiology
MLK Day of Service (2016, 2017); basically you go out for MLK day and do community service. 2016 was helping prepare an essential/toiletries bag for homeless veterans. 2017 was helping at a farm.
Volunteer at Soup Kitchen for the Homeless Summer 2015
Clinical Volunteer at a Hospice Fall 2016
Conservation Awareness Speaker at a high school fair 2016
Translator at RGV Health Fair 2016
HESTEC Presenter: Disease Prevention and Vaccination Awareness 2017
Local Shelter Wishlist Item Drive 2017

Letters of Recommendation
-University of Texas RGV Research Professor
-Pre-vet club adviser
-Associate Veterinarian of the zoo I volunteer at
-Senior Veterinarian of the zoo I volunteer at

GRE: 156 verbal; 144 quant; 5.0 essay. I will be retaking before submitting application for this upcoming cycle.

My concerns:

-Most of my vet and animal experience is from one zoo. I am truly scared that it does not show enough diversity.
-I have no outside extracurricular or volunteer work other than what is listed. Between the zoo volunteer, jobs, and classes I felt I should not stretch myself too thin.

I am currently getting a certification to be a human phlebotomist, so that I can work in a human clinical setting, since I have bills to pay. Other than that, I will continue going to the zoo to get more experience and I want to add farm experience. I actually have an interest in large animals.

I am applying this year to: Texas A&M, Auburn, Western, Colorado, Atlantic University, and maybe Oklahoma State. Texas A&M is my desired school since it is also my IS. Otherwise, I would want to go to Western or Atlantic University.

Please ask me about anything or please feel free to recommend schools.

Thank you so much!

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

If you have an interest in large animals, would highly highly suggest getting some LA experience under your belt. Also some equine. If not vet, even just working or volunteering on a farm so you have an idea how things work. 🙂

 

[realfrida]

If you have an interest in large animals, would highly highly suggest getting some LA experience under your belt. Also some equine. If not vet, even just working or volunteering on a farm so you have an idea how things work. 🙂

Will do! I definitely need to get my foot in the water with that. The closest I get is some hand raising at the clinic 🙁 But I do need farm experience!

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

Will do! I definitely need to get my foot in the water with that. The closest I get is some hand raising at the clinic 🙁 But I do need farm experience!

I found that working with livestock in larger-scale production situations gave me a very different perspective that I hadn't been exposed to before, and that was very eye opening!

In my area (no idea if it is true anywhere else) it was far easier to offer to volunteer places than try to find a job. I've also found farms are less concerned with liability than clinics, are enthusiastic at the idea of free help, and (at least at the dairy farm I was at) the staff were very enthusiastic about teaching me things like AI and palpation. Would do it again in a heartbeat. 🙂

 

[realfrida]

I found that working with livestock in larger-scale production situations gave me a very different perspective that I hadn't been exposed to before, and that was very eye opening!

In my area (no idea if it is true anywhere else) it was far easier to offer to volunteer places than try to find a job. I've also found farms are less concerned with liability than clinics, are enthusiastic at the idea of free help, and (at least at the dairy farm I was at) the staff were very enthusiastic about teaching me things like AI and palpation. Would do it again in a heartbeat. 🙂

I will definitely look into volunteering at farms. I know that it is harder to find a job here as well. But I am willing to volunteer and be taught. They will be paying me with knowledge haha!

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

I will definitely look into volunteering at farms. I know that it is harder to find a job here as well. But I am willing to volunteer and be taught. They will be paying me with knowledge haha!

My thoughts exactly!

In terms of the rest of your application, I think it looks pretty good? But others will be able to give better input because I don't know the requirements and preferences of the schools you are applying to.

 

[safthegiraffe]

Hello! I too am graduating in a 3-year time span rather than a 4-year plan with a B.S. in Biology. I have lots of research spanning from Caltech to my own university. With all this, I would shadow my SA vet ever since high school, and then got an externship at a LA hospital which then turned into a job. With all of this, I was President of a few clubs, and volunteered as well. Basically, prioritize what you need. I continued research because I knew this would lead to a publication, get more LA experience because I know I need that experience, and then focus in school because that is a HUGE factor, duh. Don't overbook yourself, especially as a Freshman in college. Courses only get harder as you get into your upper division classes. Time management is something that you need to develop quickly because everything catches up super fast! Hope this helps!

 

[Nottodaysatan821]

I still have a year (at least) left before I can get my bachelors. I am looking for ways to improve my application and therefore boost my chances of getting accepted. Also, I would like to know where to apply and be as competitive as I possibly can. Finally, I could use some help with where things "go" on my application. For example, does my job as a laboratory technician count as research experience, or animal experience? I know that this is widely disputed, but should I include volunteer hours from high school (Stable hand)?

20 year old female, Oklahoma resident? (I married into military, so I am waiting to hear confirmation)

Degree:
B.A. Biology, Minot State University, ND

Cum GPA: 3.380 ( I really struggle with chemistry, and may retake the o-chem series)
Science GPA: because I cant seem to login to my okey account I will assume somewhere around 3.0-3.2
I have not taken the GRE yet.

Veterinary Experience:
~ 70 hours job shadowing a SA vet (high school)
~ 500 hours working in SA clinic
I plan to start shadowing a LA vet soon.

Animal Experience:
~ 1000+ hours volunteering as stable hand at a therapeutic riding center (High school)
~ horse owner, dog owner
Applied for an animal care internship at the local zoo this summer. I might also shadow the veterinarian at the zoo.
~ 20 hours volunteering at a humane society

Research Experience:
I am not sure where this goes.
~1500+ as laboratory technician in an EPA funded lab. We dealt with fish (P. promelas, O. latipes, etc.) and frogs (X. laevis) and some wild rice. We did studies that observed the impact of certain chemicals on the development of the larvae of these animals. I worked under the director of the lab, and my name is on a piece of work that was published. I was responsible for the daily husbandry practices with these animals. Furthermore, I was all tasked with taking daily parameters, performing necropsies, preparing test substances, and recording data in excel spreadsheets while remaining compliant with GLP practices.
I also plan on preforming research with a professor at my school over the summer.

Employment:
~1000+ hours as hostess in a busy restaurant (high school)

Extracurricular:
~ Elected treasurer for Dufrense Riding Club on Minot AFB. This is a nonprofit club that is made entirely of horse owners that are employed through the air force. With so many families coming and going, having to manage bills, and following the rules set forth by the US Army, this challenging office is my favorite extracurricular activity. I plan to run for president next year; this is even more of a responsibility as we are given our land as a gift. We have to follow the rules set forth by the Army and the leadership on base, as well as having a positive impact on the base community, in order to stay.
~ Member of the 2016 Okstate Horse Judging Team (This was a 15+ hour weekly commitment that I took on while working and going to school full time.)

Achievements:
~ Academic all American- Meaning I placed top ten in a national contest and kept my GPA above 3.5 while judging.
~ Deans list for two years

eLORs:
I haven't applied yet, but I plan to use:
~ 1 from my horse judging coach
~ 1 From my adviser. He is also my biology professor and I plan to do research with him over the summer.
~ 1 from a vet (of course)

Of course, I could be leaving things out. I know my GPA is on the lower side. I know this means I must be phenomenal everywhere else. I still have 1 year (2 max) to boost my GPA and gather more experience. I am open to suggestions. Thanks, everyone.

 

[adriata88]

Hello! I too am graduating in a 3-year time span rather than a 4-year plan with a B.S. in Biology. I have lots of research spanning from Caltech to my own university. With all this, I would shadow my SA vet ever since high school, and then got an externship at a LA hospital which then turned into a job. With all of this, I was President of a few clubs, and volunteered as well. Basically, prioritize what you need. I continued research because I knew this would lead to a publication, get more LA experience because I know I need that experience, and then focus in school because that is a HUGE factor, duh. Don't overbook yourself, especially as a Freshman in college. Courses only get harder as you get into your upper division classes. Time management is something that you need to develop quickly because everything catches up super fast! Hope this helps!

Wow! It sounds like you have a ton on your plate! May I ask how often you shadow your SA vet, work at the LA hospital, and do research a week? During the school year, I’m currently doing about 8 hours of research and 6 hours of work at the SA hospital. Time management is something I developed early on and don’t have much of a problem with, but even so, it’s difficult to imagine fitting something else into my schedule.

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

I still have a year (at least) left before I can get my bachelors. I am looking for ways to improve my application and therefore boost my chances of getting accepted. Also, I would like to know where to apply and be as competitive as I possibly can. Finally, I could use some help with where things "go" on my application. For example, does my job as a laboratory technician count as research experience, or animal experience? I know that this is widely disputed, but should I include volunteer hours from high school (Stable hand)?

20 year old female, Oklahoma resident? (I married into military, so I am waiting to hear confirmation)

Degree:
B.A. Biology, Minot State University, ND

Cum GPA: 3.380 ( I really struggle with chemistry, and may retake the o-chem series)
Science GPA: because I cant seem to login to my okey account I will assume somewhere around 3.0-3.2
I have not taken the GRE yet.

Veterinary Experience:
~ 70 hours job shadowing a SA vet (high school)
~ 500 hours working in SA clinic
I plan to start shadowing a LA vet soon.

Animal Experience:
~ 1000+ hours volunteering as stable hand at a therapeutic riding center (High school)
~ horse owner, dog owner
Applied for an animal care internship at the local zoo this summer. I might also shadow the veterinarian at the zoo.
~ 20 hours volunteering at a humane society

Research Experience:
I am not sure where this goes.
~1500+ as laboratory technician in an EPA funded lab. We dealt with fish (P. promelas, O. latipes, etc.) and frogs (X. laevis) and some wild rice. We did studies that observed the impact of certain chemicals on the development of the larvae of these animals. I worked under the director of the lab, and my name is on a piece of work that was published. I was responsible for the daily husbandry practices with these animals. Furthermore, I was all tasked with taking daily parameters, performing necropsies, preparing test substances, and recording data in excel spreadsheets while remaining compliant with GLP practices.
I also plan on preforming research with a professor at my school over the summer.

Employment:
~1000+ hours as hostess in a busy restaurant (high school)

Extracurricular:
~ Elected treasurer for Dufrense Riding Club on Minot AFB. This is a nonprofit club that is made entirely of horse owners that are employed through the air force. With so many families coming and going, having to manage bills, and following the rules set forth by the US Army, this challenging office is my favorite extracurricular activity. I plan to run for president next year; this is even more of a responsibility as we are given our land as a gift. We have to follow the rules set forth by the Army and the leadership on base, as well as having a positive impact on the base community, in order to stay.
~ Member of the 2016 Okstate Horse Judging Team (This was a 15+ hour weekly commitment that I took on while working and going to school full time.)

Achievements:
~ Academic all American- Meaning I placed top ten in a national contest and kept my GPA above 3.5 while judging.
~ Deans list for two years

eLORs:
I haven't applied yet, but I plan to use:
~ 1 from my horse judging coach
~ 1 From my adviser. He is also my biology professor and I plan to do research with him over the summer.
~ 1 from a vet (of course)

Of course, I could be leaving things out. I know my GPA is on the lower side. I know this means I must be phenomenal everywhere else. I still have 1 year (2 max) to boost my GPA and gather more experience. I am open to suggestions. Thanks, everyone.

It sounds like your lab experience should stay under research. Research experience can include animal handling or even be under a veterinarian, as it kind of supersedes those categories, so long as you are actually contributing to/advancing a particular project. What I might question is whether each project should be listed separately or not. Also, I would include your gigs from high school as a stable hand, etc.

I don't believe that you have competitive veterinary experience at this point. Try to aim to have ~1000+ hours when you apply.
Also, should you not get the internship at the zoo, continue looking for ways to diversify the kinds of animals you have worked with.
These are important parts of strengthening your application since you have a lower GPA.

One final note, it goes for any applicant, you need to have volunteer experience. Not talking with animals but with people. They like to see vets giving back to society as well as displaying empathy for people (being that a large part of being a vet is working with people). More than just that, I was told when I received a file review last year that none of the categories (volunteer, extracurricular, animal etc) are optional, so it is really bad to just have a blank category (It hurt me because I didn't have that kind of volunteer experience, but easily filled it in by taking part in tutoring disadvantaged children through my university)

 

[battie]

More than just that, I was told when I received a file review last year that none of the categories (volunteer, extracurricular, animal etc) are optional

I feel like this is very school and applicant dependant. I had maybe ~50 hours of volunteering from high school on my application. Other than that, nothing, not even in an animal shelter or old folks home; and I'm not the only person I know who didn't have volunteer hours. In doing my file reviews, my non-academic stuff was considered fine despite having no real meaningful volunteer experience to speak of. Depending on what the rest of your non-academic application looks like, volunteer hours aren't necessarily a requirement.

With that being said, having volunteer experience would almost always be only a help. So it certainly would be worth an applicant's time and effort to volunteer in something they care about (versus just checking a box for the application).

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Hey guys!
I've been struggling to figure out a way to obtain more diverse vet experiences while maintaining my current long-term experiences and was wondering if anyone could give some advice.
I am a current freshman in college and I have been a veterinary assistant -paid - at a SA hospital since high school (about 450 hours currently) and I am also doing research in a biomedical research setting. I know that it is good to get diverse vet experiences (LA, exotics, zoo, etc.) but I'm not sure how to make time for these new experiences without terminating my current 2 experiences that I would like to continue throughout college. Has anyone been in a similar situation, and what did you end up doing?

An additional question, I'm on track to graduate in 3 years thanks to AP credit. Do vet schools take this into account when looking at vet experience hours? In other words, if a student graduates in 3 years, will a vet school expect this candidate to have the same amount of experience as a traditional 4 year graduate? Thanks so much in advance everyone!

Hey there! This is just my personal experience, so keep that in mind. Everyone is different!

I finished my degree and graduated in three years and was lucky enough to be accepted to vet school on my first try. I took a lot of AP in high school which is what ultimately allowed me to do this, though honestly that wasn’t my plan at the time.

I didn’t decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian until my freshman year of undergrad, which was when I started shadowing a veterinarian. When I applied I had a lot of SA GP experience and a lot of very hands on research experience, some equine veterinary experience and only a little bit of LA veterinary experience. The only experience on my application that I had before undergrad was my extensive equine experience from working in multiple barns that I put under “animal experience” on my VMCAS. So all my veterinary and research experience occurred during the two year period before I submitted VMCAS.

When I decided to graduate in three years, I made sure that my application, would be just as competitive at someone who would graduate in four.

You started shadowing in HS, so you’re ahead of where I was!

First and foremost, keep your grades up and don’t bog yourself down with too much extra stuff at their expense.

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

I feel like this is very school and applicant dependant. I had maybe ~50 hours of volunteering from high school on my application. Other than that, nothing, not even in an animal shelter or old folks home; and I'm not the only person I know who didn't have volunteer hours. In doing my file reviews, my non-academic stuff was considered fine despite having no real meaningful volunteer experience to speak of. Depending on what the rest of your non-academic application looks like, volunteer hours aren't necessarily a requirement.

With that being said, having volunteer experience would almost always be only a help. So it certainly would be worth an applicant's time and effort to volunteer in something they care about (versus just checking a box for the application).

Not suggesting that a lot is needed, just that it doesn't look great to leave it blank (the section is there for a reason right?)
Also that it is not as important if the rest of the application is top notch, but when having to make up for potentially lower than average GPA, and vet experience, it is an easy fix.

 

[BishopFaust]

@BishopFaust I think it really depends on the school and the program.. I’m currently completing my online masters through a vet school. Most schools I applied to took my grades for this program in consideration regarding GPA calculations while I believe Iowa State did not. Definetly call the schools you’re interested in applying to to verify. My advice is if you do get a Masters make sure it’s affordable, something that will help you grow professionally if a DVM doesn’t pan out, and that you do extremely well.

I would honestly take something in a degree you want to work in. What would a masters in vet med give you? What would this UF give you? Look at it as if you're not applying to vet school. I realize that's the end goal but it will set you up better if you don't get in or decide down the line this isn't what you want. I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to explore outside of vet med. I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm quiet sure you'll succeed, but I want everyone to explore a little outside the field 🙂.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into that. No matter what I'm still set on working with animals or in a science field, so the MS or Certificate in Veterinary Forensics seems like the best option for me right now (depending on what the schools will consider). Either that or public health.

I'll offer some alternative advice to what you've been given so far.

I applied last cycle and didn't get in, nor any interviews. This cycle I've been invited to each of the schools I applied to (haven't began the interviews yet). I also know someone who knows someone, etc bottom line without me even asking ended up with a short file review and it was mentioned that I'd have to really bomb my interview to not receive an offer, not that it is a guarantee but certainly feels nice to hear.

The kicker? My stats are really not much different than last year. In fact, I'm pretty sure my GPA even dropped.
A very clean application may make your GPA more forgivable. I would see if any of the schools you applied to offer a file review. Washington State does, and they were able to pinpoint my weak areas last year.
Some places you may look:
-Essays. This was my worst part of my application last year. I was told mine had a "negative" tone. This year, I really focused on the positives and then asked a veterinarian I worked under to give me feedback (which was a strategy recommended by a friend who was accepted last year). From many people over the years, they suggest to give stand-out answers. Everyone who goes into vet medicine loves animals and has wanted to do this for a really, really long time so those things can't be the focus of your answers, because they all look the same. Something interesting might be the area of medicine you wish to practice in (I focused on my interest in being faculty, for instance), or examples of wanting to give back to the community through volunteer services.
-Extracurriculars. I recall that volunteer and extracurriculars are separated on the application. I was told that each section should be buffed up. Get creative. The woman doing my file review said even things like reading can go in extracurriculars. This year I added all sorts of hobbies to make myself look more interesting-dancing, hiking, canoeing, etc. They want to see that you are diversified and able to take care of your own needs/wants during school. Also consider choosing a volunteer activity where you engage with disadvantaged persons.
-GRE. You can overshadow your GPA with solid GRE scores. Your verbal looks okay but if you retook it and improved your quantitative score that might help.
-Research. I think your research area looks a little weak, and not that it is required, but is another way that you can stand out. Personally, I decided to go very research-heavy because in my head it communicates that I enjoy learning even though I'm not as academically strong as other applicants. There may be some no-commitment research opportunities available at your local university. I once responded to a flyer looking for single or multiple day volunteers to aid in a research project on mussel physiology.

Thank you for that comprehensive answer!
Essays Are something I definitely my least favorite portion of the cycle. I get SO MUCH advice from so many sources. Glad to hear that a file review may help with that.
For extracurriculars, I do have a side job making giant plush squids and jellyfish. I included that last cycle on my personal statement but was told by other professionals that it made my PS look silly so I removed it :/
I'm not sure I can do much better on the GRE without paying for tutoring, but I understand. I was really hoping for a better quant score and ONLY studied that portion of my books and Magoosh. I did raise my score a few points, but not by much.
I can look into doing more reseach!

 

[sonagi]

Hello fellow pre-vets/vet students!

I'm currently going into my second semester of sophomore year at Tufts undergrad. I wanted to gather some opinions on what I could do in the next year or so before the application cycle to help increase my chances of getting into vet school. I'm planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn, Cornell, Ohio State, Guelph, Michigan State, and V-M as of now.

Major: Biopsychology
Minor: Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies
Cum. GPA: 3.63

GRE: haven't taken, planning on taking during junior year after studying this upcoming summer.

Veterinary Experience:
- 619 hours SA as a Veterinary Assistant
- 15 hours SA shadowing

My first time shadowing/working in an animal hospital was during my freshmen summer break - when I contacted clinics near/in my hometown during my junior year of high school, they all declined saying they only took in students above or in undergrad. I've been working as a Veterinary Assistant every break & will be starting as a Vet Tech this upcoming summer. My only concern is that this is all at one clinic - I'm planning on sending out resumes this week to other vets to see if I could balance going to two clinics during the summer. The clinic I USED to shadow at is near my school but I disliked the practice & the vet seemed unwilling to teach me anything so I will (hopefully) be able to find another hospital near my school to gain experience during the school year as well.

Animal Experience
- 25 hours Pet Therapy Escort at a hospital (high school)
- 80.5 hours Animal Lab on campus
- Will be starting a DLAM Animal Husbandry part-time job this upcoming spring semester

Extracurricular Activities
- Korean Students Association, Event Planning/Peer Group Leader (expecting to join Executive Board this upcoming semester)
- Animal Welfare Club, Outreach Chair/Social Media Chair (Executive Board)
- Pre-Veterinary Society, Secretary (Executive Board)
- School newspaper, Staff Writer & Assistant Editor
- Bookkeeper part-time job for small business owner (I only work like 2~3 hours/week)

My concerns:
- No LA/farm animal experience (is this necessary if you know you want to do SA?)
- gpa lol hopefully it'll go up to a 3.7/3.8 before I apply
- lack of animal experience

I'm also an international student (Canadian citizen) & I was told that int. students have a much harder time getting into vet school. Does anyone know more about this? I should be getting my green card soon & I've been attending school in the U.S. for ~7 years.

Any suggestions or opinions would truly be appreciated, thank you so much!

 

[LabLuv004]

Hello fellow pre-vets/vet students!

I'm currently going into my second semester of sophomore year at Tufts undergrad. I wanted to gather some opinions on what I could do in the next year or so before the application cycle to help increase my chances of getting into vet school. I'm planning on applying to Tufts, UPenn, Cornell, Ohio State, Guelph, Michigan State, and V-M as of now.

Major: Biopsychology
Minor: Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies
Cum. GPA: 3.63

GRE: haven't taken, planning on taking during junior year after studying this upcoming summer.

Veterinary Experience:
- 619 hours SA as a Veterinary Assistant
- 15 hours SA shadowing

My first time shadowing/working in an animal hospital was during my freshmen summer break - when I contacted clinics near/in my hometown during my junior year of high school, they all declined saying they only took in students above or in undergrad. I've been working as a Veterinary Assistant every break & will be starting as a Vet Tech this upcoming summer. My only concern is that this is all at one clinic - I'm planning on sending out resumes this week to other vets to see if I could balance going to two clinics during the summer. The clinic I USED to shadow at is near my school but I disliked the practice & the vet seemed unwilling to teach me anything so I will (hopefully) be able to find another hospital near my school to gain experience during the school year as well.

Animal Experience
- 25 hours Pet Therapy Escort at a hospital (high school)
- 80.5 hours Animal Lab on campus
- Will be starting a DLAM Animal Husbandry part-time job this upcoming spring semester

Extracurricular Activities
- Korean Students Association, Event Planning/Peer Group Leader (expecting to join Executive Board this upcoming semester)
- Animal Welfare Club, Outreach Chair/Social Media Chair (Executive Board)
- Pre-Veterinary Society, Secretary (Executive Board)
- School newspaper, Staff Writer & Assistant Editor
- Bookkeeper part-time job for small business owner (I only work like 2~3 hours/week)

My concerns:
- No LA/farm animal experience (is this necessary if you know you want to do SA?)
- gpa lol hopefully it'll go up to a 3.7/3.8 before I apply
- lack of animal experience

I'm also an international student (Canadian citizen) & I was told that int. students have a much harder time getting into vet school. Does anyone know more about this? I should be getting my green card soon & I've been attending school in the U.S. for ~7 years.

Any suggestions or opinions would truly be appreciated, thank you so much!

From what you have here it looks like your weakest point is the animal and veterinary experience. You’ll really want to try and get some variation in the next year. I recommend looking into a large or mixed animal practice instead of a second small animal one. If you can’t find a job, then shadow and volunteer with large animals. If you can get some other experience (exotics, zoo, etc) that would be great as well. Vet schools like varied experiences even if you only want to do small animal because in vet school you’ll need to learn it all.

Your GPA seems okay to me. Just keep on top of it and don’t overload yourself with too much during the semester so you can continue to do well.

With your Animal Welfare Club Or Pre-Vet Club- do they offer any volunteer opportunities? Sometimes clubs like that will have activities like a day of shelter volunteering, helping with a horse show, animal-related fundraisers that are all a good way to get some animal experience hours. For example, my school’s equestrian team was always looking for help with the horses during shows and it was a good opportunity to learn about handling the animals and get some hours for your applications but it wasn’t a big commitment. Something like a therapeutic riding center may be a good place to volunteer with horses as well. I’m not as familiar with other large animal volunteer opportunities (cattle, sheep, etc), but I’m sure someone else on here is or your advisor/other students at your school.

I can’t say I’ve heard of schools not accepting based on being Canadian. From the Canadians in my class, the problem is more the expense since I don’t think you’d qualify for a US loan. Other than that I don’t see why you wouldn’t have similar chances to any other OOS applicant. I would contact the schools and ask them specifically about their policy about international students.

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Thank you for that comprehensive answer!
Essays Are something I definitely my least favorite portion of the cycle. I get SO MUCH advice from so many sources. Glad to hear that a file review may help with that.
For extracurriculars, I do have a side job making giant plush squids and jellyfish. I included that last cycle on my personal statement but was told by other professionals that it made my PS look silly so I removed it :/
I'm not sure I can do much better on the GRE without paying for tutoring, but I understand. I was really hoping for a better quant score and ONLY studied that portion of my books and Magoosh. I did raise my score a few points, but not by much.
I can look into doing more reseach!

This year they changed it (the essays) and asked very specific veterinary questions, so it might not even be relevant any more. Personally I thought they were easier than the last cycle so dont worry about it too much, and get started on them early

 

[Skimble]

I took my GRE yesterday and got 154V/158Q, so pretty average I would say. UMN's (my top choice) recently admitted class had an average of 156V/155Q. Would you recommend re-taking it? Or would it be more worthwhile to use that time getting more experience (especially in large animal medicine)/community service instead of studying?

I think you are fine. Your academics and experience all seems pretty good. Just be a good person and have a life outside vet med.

 

[truffleshufflermm]

Hello! I am currently awake at 3AM worrying about if I have any chance of getting in to vet schools and am wondering what I could do to improve my application in the next few months. I plan to apply to CSU (I live in Colorado), Kansas State, Auburn, Midwestern, Lincoln Memorial and possibly Cornell.

I received my BS in Biology in 2016- I graduated a semester early and worked throughout my undergrad. I hope this will help explain my subpar GPA
My GPA upon graduation was 3.4 I have taken some supplementary classes which will hopefully raise it slightly
Science GPA: 3.22 🙁
Last 45 GPA: 3.76
GRE Scores:
Verbal: 158 (80th percentile)
Quantitative: 156 (62nd percentile)
Writing: 5.0 (93rd percentile)

Vet experience:
Close to 2,500 hours currently but I work full time so it will be significantly higher by the time of application.
Most of my hours are at a small, low-cost ER where I work. I have also shadowed an equine sports medicine doctor, a shelter vet, a small and large animal vet specializing in chiropractic and acupuncture, and a board-certified surgeon. I plan to do more shadowing at small animal ER's other than the one I work at because that's my main interest in the field.
Animal Experience:
10,000+ with horses as I have spent most of my life riding, training, teaching lessons, etc
5,000+ with small animals (fostering for a local rescue, dog walking, petsitting, volunteering at local shelter, etc)
30 with cattle
Research Experience:
30 hours researching wild Howler and Capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica for a primate ecology course

I have extensive work experience outside of vet med and worked throughout my undergrad education. I also have a lot of interests/life experiences outside of vet med that I hope will help make my application unique. If you read all of this, thank you and I'm sorry! What do you think my chances are?! What could I do to improve my application and do you have school suggestions that might be good options for me?

 

[flameshock]

Hello! I am currently awake at 3AM worrying about if I have any chance of getting in to vet schools. I plan to apply to CSU (I live in Colorado), Kansas State, Auburn, Midwestern, Lincoln Memorial and possibly Cornell

That is way too early to be awake.

Are you asking for opinions/recommendations on your application materials? If so you'll need to post them 😉

 

[truffleshufflermm]

That is way too early to be awake.

Are you asking for opinions/recommendations on your application materials? If so you'll need to post them 😉

Sorry, I hit send too early (3AM, remember?) but I just edited my original post with my stats

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Sorry, I hit send too early (3AM, remember?) but I just edited my original post with my stats

My personal opinion is that you have a pretty solid application. I dont think your GPA will be a factor unless you choose to apply to schools where GPA is heavily weighted (such as Davis) but I presume you've looked at previous applicant stats to know if the schools you're looking at are or not.

Good GRE, plenty of animal experiences and extracurricular (from the sound of it)

The only notes I have I suppose are pick your LORs wisely and get at least one DVM to look over your essays for good measures

 

[ERDVM2023]

Hi everyone,

I applied this past cycle and was rejected from Michigan State (my IS school) and Colorado State, waitlisted for an interview at Florida and still waiting to hear from Georgia. I'm looking to re-apply next cycle to Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Auburn. Just wondering how my application looks now and what areas you would suggest improvement on.

GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.60
Last 45 GPA: 3.48 (this will be much higher next application)

I got a 3.71 over the summer with 7 credits and a 4 credit science class and a 4.0 last semester with 14 credits and a 3 credit science class. I'm not sure how to factor those into those GPAs. I didn't take many of my non-science classes until this year.

GRE Scores:
Verbal: 160 (86th percentile)
Quantitative: 158 (69th percentile)
Writing: 4.0 (60th percentile)

Vet experience:
800 hours emergency vet hospital vet assistant: lots of hands-on experience, drawing blood, running various lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, monitor sedated patients (I had 300 hours of this when I applied last cycle)
50 hours study abroad: breeding cheetahs, assisting with surgeries, obtaining various samples (blood, hair, feces), assist in ophthalmic exam, assist in post-tranquilization recovery
125 hours surgical assistant at a county animal shelter: prepping animals for surgery, recovering animals after surgery, wrapping packs, drawing blood, administering vaccinations

Animal Experience:
3 hours helping farrow piglets
15 hours working with chickens for a class project
100 hours volunteering/fostering for a pet rescue and working with special needs pets
1600 hours working at a doggy daycare
120 hours working at a shelter walking dogs
7 hours working at a dairy farm (just started this last week)
60 hours at a whale camp working with whales and some very basic research (observing feeding patterns and such but nothing published)

Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience:
Order of Omega (Greek Leadership Fraternity): social chair first year as an active member
Pre-Vet Club: active member as freshman & sophomore, social chair as junior, vice president as senior
APVMA Symposium: attended in 2017
Panhellenic Sorority: active member as sophomore, alum relations chair junior/senior
National Honor Society member: in high school 720 hours volunteering
Varsity field hockey & lacrosse in high school: captain for field hockey junior and senior year
Student Government: active member all 4 years of high school
3 hours American Red Cross blood drive
140 hours high school mission trips: building staircases and decks, cleaning landscape, hurricane recovery aid

Employment:
120 hours front desk receptionist for dorm
780 hours restaurant hostess

My LORs last cycle:
the shelter veterinarian I have worked with for the past 2 years
my sorority advisor I had worked closely with for a year and a half
my zoology advisor

Thank you so much if you read all of this! I just want some suggestions as soon as possible since I can't get personalized suggestions from schools until April and I want to work on improving my application now so I can better it before VMCAS opens again

 

[mht2k3]

Hi everyone,

I applied this past cycle and was rejected from Michigan State (my IS school) and Colorado State, waitlisted for an interview at Florida and still waiting to hear from Georgia. I'm looking to re-apply next cycle to Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Auburn. Just wondering how my application looks now and what areas you would suggest improvement on.

GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.60
Last 45 GPA: 3.48 (this will be much higher next application)

I got a 3.71 over the summer with 7 credits and a 4 credit science class and a 4.0 last semester with 14 credits and a 3 credit science class. I'm not sure how to factor those into those GPAs. I didn't take many of my non-science classes until this year.

GRE Scores:
Verbal: 160 (86th percentile)
Quantitative: 158 (69th percentile)
Writing: 4.0 (60th percentile)

Vet experience:
800 hours emergency vet hospital vet assistant: lots of hands-on experience, drawing blood, running various lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, monitor sedated patients (I had 300 hours of this when I applied last cycle)
50 hours study abroad: breeding cheetahs, assisting with surgeries, obtaining various samples (blood, hair, feces), assist in ophthalmic exam, assist in post-tranquilization recovery
125 hours surgical assistant at a county animal shelter: prepping animals for surgery, recovering animals after surgery, wrapping packs, drawing blood, administering vaccinations

Animal Experience:
3 hours helping farrow piglets
15 hours working with chickens for a class project
100 hours volunteering/fostering for a pet rescue and working with special needs pets
1600 hours working at a doggy daycare
120 hours working at a shelter walking dogs
7 hours working at a dairy farm (just started this last week)
60 hours at a whale camp working with whales and some very basic research (observing feeding patterns and such but nothing published)

Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience:
Order of Omega (Greek Leadership Fraternity): social chair first year as an active member
Pre-Vet Club: active member as freshman & sophomore, social chair as junior, vice president as senior
APVMA Symposium: attended in 2017
Panhellenic Sorority: active member as sophomore, alum relations chair junior/senior
National Honor Society member: in high school 720 hours volunteering
Varsity field hockey & lacrosse in high school: captain for field hockey junior and senior year
Student Government: active member all 4 years of high school
3 hours American Red Cross blood drive
140 hours high school mission trips: building staircases and decks, cleaning landscape, hurricane recovery aid

Employment:
120 hours front desk receptionist for dorm
780 hours restaurant hostess

My LORs last cycle:
the shelter veterinarian I have worked with for the past 2 years
my sorority advisor I had worked closely with for a year and a half
my zoology advisor

Thank you so much if you read all of this! I just want some suggestions as soon as possible since I can't get personalized suggestions from schools until April and I want to work on improving my application now so I can better it before VMCAS opens again

Just curious, were you rejected outright from Michigan State or was it only after the interview? Did you do a file review? I'm honestly kind of surprised that you got rejected from Michigan with those stats (although I know they got rid of the GRE which would have helped you). If you are going to have a much higher 45 (or 30 is what MSU uses right?) you probably have a pretty good shot at next year. Only thing I would really add is to try and get more varied veterinary experience.

 

[SkiOtter]

If you are going to have a much higher 45 (or 30 is what MSU uses right?) you probably have a pretty good shot at next year.

MSU uses last 36, but I was told that once you make it past the initial stage and into the file review stage(so all the gpas they use at or above 3.0), they don’t look at your grades again and it doesn’t factor into admissions offers after an interview (at least starting this cycle)

 

[ERDVM2023]

Just curious, were you rejected outright from Michigan State or was it only after the interview? Did you do a file review? I'm honestly kind of surprised that you got rejected from Michigan with those stats (although I know they got rid of the GRE which would have helped you). If you are going to have a much higher 45 (or 30 is what MSU uses right?) you probably have a pretty good shot at next year. Only thing I would really add is to try and get more varied veterinary experience.

I was outright rejected from MSU. They disregard your GPA as long as it's above a 3.0. So having a 3.9 vs a 3.1 gives you no advantage. They don't offer personalized file reviews until April but the denial workshop I attended was honestly frustrating. They grade you based on 5 categories: small animal, large animal, research, diversity, and disadvantaged background. You automatically get 1 point in each category and can get up to 3 points. To get 3 points in large animal you must have grown up on a farm. It's just difficult to get enough points. Thank you!

 

[SkiOtter]

I was outright rejected from MSU. They disregard your GPA as long as it's above a 3.0. So having a 3.9 vs a 3.1 gives you no advantage. They don't offer personalized file reviews until April but the denial workshop I attended was honestly frustrating. They grade you based on 5 categories: small animal, large animal, research, diversity, and disadvantaged background. You automatically get 1 point in each category and can get up to 3 points. To get 3 points in large animal you must have grown up on a farm. It's just difficult to get enough points. Thank you!

I feel that

 

[Skimble]

I was outright rejected from MSU. They disregard your GPA as long as it's above a 3.0. So having a 3.9 vs a 3.1 gives you no advantage. They don't offer personalized file reviews until April but the denial workshop I attended was honestly frustrating. They grade you based on 5 categories: small animal, large animal, research, diversity, and disadvantaged background. You automatically get 1 point in each category and can get up to 3 points. To get 3 points in large animal you must have grown up on a farm. It's just difficult to get enough points. Thank you!

Sounds like you should definitely try to get more LA and research experience though! Definitely do a file review with every school you get rejected from that allows it.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

Dumb question: does "large animal" include equine, or is that its own category? does it refer more to just cows, pigs?

 

[Skimble]

Dumb question: does "large animal" include equine, or is that its own category? does it refer more to just cows, pigs?

I do believe equine falls under LA, but LA has many sub categories, such as swine, dairy, small ruminants, etc.

 

[ERDVM2023]

Dumb question: does "large animal" include equine, or is that its own category? does it refer more to just cows, pigs?

Equine actually doesn’t fall under large animal when they look at hours because they consider it a companion animal. So I think it’s like its own category

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Hi everyone,

I applied this past cycle and was rejected from Michigan State (my IS school) and Colorado State, waitlisted for an interview at Florida and still waiting to hear from Georgia. I'm looking to re-apply next cycle to Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Auburn. Just wondering how my application looks now and what areas you would suggest improvement on.

GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.60
Last 45 GPA: 3.48 (this will be much higher next application)

I got a 3.71 over the summer with 7 credits and a 4 credit science class and a 4.0 last semester with 14 credits and a 3 credit science class. I'm not sure how to factor those into those GPAs. I didn't take many of my non-science classes until this year.

GRE Scores:
Verbal: 160 (86th percentile)
Quantitative: 158 (69th percentile)
Writing: 4.0 (60th percentile)

Vet experience:
800 hours emergency vet hospital vet assistant: lots of hands-on experience, drawing blood, running various lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, monitor sedated patients (I had 300 hours of this when I applied last cycle)
50 hours study abroad: breeding cheetahs, assisting with surgeries, obtaining various samples (blood, hair, feces), assist in ophthalmic exam, assist in post-tranquilization recovery
125 hours surgical assistant at a county animal shelter: prepping animals for surgery, recovering animals after surgery, wrapping packs, drawing blood, administering vaccinations

Animal Experience:
3 hours helping farrow piglets
15 hours working with chickens for a class project
100 hours volunteering/fostering for a pet rescue and working with special needs pets
1600 hours working at a doggy daycare
120 hours working at a shelter walking dogs
7 hours working at a dairy farm (just started this last week)
60 hours at a whale camp working with whales and some very basic research (observing feeding patterns and such but nothing published)

Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience:
Order of Omega (Greek Leadership Fraternity): social chair first year as an active member
Pre-Vet Club: active member as freshman & sophomore, social chair as junior, vice president as senior
APVMA Symposium: attended in 2017
Panhellenic Sorority: active member as sophomore, alum relations chair junior/senior
National Honor Society member: in high school 720 hours volunteering
Varsity field hockey & lacrosse in high school: captain for field hockey junior and senior year
Student Government: active member all 4 years of high school
3 hours American Red Cross blood drive
140 hours high school mission trips: building staircases and decks, cleaning landscape, hurricane recovery aid

Employment:
120 hours front desk receptionist for dorm
780 hours restaurant hostess

My LORs last cycle:
the shelter veterinarian I have worked with for the past 2 years
my sorority advisor I had worked closely with for a year and a half
my zoology advisor

Thank you so much if you read all of this! I just want some suggestions as soon as possible since I can't get personalized suggestions from schools until April and I want to work on improving my application now so I can better it before VMCAS opens again

Your stats are really good and it surprises me that you didn't get any interviews. Check into having a file review for sure.
Maybe verify that you're listing everything appropriately and are having people look over your essays.
Consider whether it is possible your LORs are reviewing you well or not - potentially having a sorority advisor as an LOR is harmful? IMO, it is an odd choice.
Most applicants on here it seems list some research experience (and by the way, anything that you can put in that category you should, such as the whale camp). Frankly aside from that you are pretty well diversified and likely is a matter of issues other than statistics.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Hello! I am currently awake at 3AM worrying about if I have any chance of getting in to vet schools and am wondering what I could do to improve my application in the next few months. I plan to apply to CSU (I live in Colorado), Kansas State, Auburn, Midwestern, Lincoln Memorial and possibly Cornell.

I received my BS in Biology in 2016- I graduated a semester early and worked throughout my undergrad. I hope this will help explain my subpar GPA
My GPA upon graduation was 3.4 I have taken some supplementary classes which will hopefully raise it slightly
Science GPA: 3.22 🙁
Last 45 GPA: 3.76
GRE Scores:
Verbal: 158 (80th percentile)
Quantitative: 156 (62nd percentile)
Writing: 5.0 (93rd percentile)

Vet experience:
Close to 2,500 hours currently but I work full time so it will be significantly higher by the time of application.
Most of my hours are at a small, low-cost ER where I work. I have also shadowed an equine sports medicine doctor, a shelter vet, a small and large animal vet specializing in chiropractic and acupuncture, and a board-certified surgeon. I plan to do more shadowing at small animal ER's other than the one I work at because that's my main interest in the field.
Animal Experience:
10,000+ with horses as I have spent most of my life riding, training, teaching lessons, etc
5,000+ with small animals (fostering for a local rescue, dog walking, petsitting, volunteering at local shelter, etc)
30 with cattle
Research Experience:
30 hours researching wild Howler and Capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica for a primate ecology course

I have extensive work experience outside of vet med and worked throughout my undergrad education. I also have a lot of interests/life experiences outside of vet med that I hope will help make my application unique. If you read all of this, thank you and I'm sorry! What do you think my chances are?! What could I do to improve my application and do you have school suggestions that might be good options for me?

Hi everyone,

I applied this past cycle and was rejected from Michigan State (my IS school) and Colorado State, waitlisted for an interview at Florida and still waiting to hear from Georgia. I'm looking to re-apply next cycle to Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Auburn. Just wondering how my application looks now and what areas you would suggest improvement on.

GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.60
Last 45 GPA: 3.48 (this will be much higher next application)

I got a 3.71 over the summer with 7 credits and a 4 credit science class and a 4.0 last semester with 14 credits and a 3 credit science class. I'm not sure how to factor those into those GPAs. I didn't take many of my non-science classes until this year.

GRE Scores:
Verbal: 160 (86th percentile)
Quantitative: 158 (69th percentile)
Writing: 4.0 (60th percentile)

Vet experience:
800 hours emergency vet hospital vet assistant: lots of hands-on experience, drawing blood, running various lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, monitor sedated patients (I had 300 hours of this when I applied last cycle)
50 hours study abroad: breeding cheetahs, assisting with surgeries, obtaining various samples (blood, hair, feces), assist in ophthalmic exam, assist in post-tranquilization recovery
125 hours surgical assistant at a county animal shelter: prepping animals for surgery, recovering animals after surgery, wrapping packs, drawing blood, administering vaccinations

Animal Experience:
3 hours helping farrow piglets
15 hours working with chickens for a class project
100 hours volunteering/fostering for a pet rescue and working with special needs pets
1600 hours working at a doggy daycare
120 hours working at a shelter walking dogs
7 hours working at a dairy farm (just started this last week)
60 hours at a whale camp working with whales and some very basic research (observing feeding patterns and such but nothing published)

Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience:
Order of Omega (Greek Leadership Fraternity): social chair first year as an active member
Pre-Vet Club: active member as freshman & sophomore, social chair as junior, vice president as senior
APVMA Symposium: attended in 2017
Panhellenic Sorority: active member as sophomore, alum relations chair junior/senior
National Honor Society member: in high school 720 hours volunteering
Varsity field hockey & lacrosse in high school: captain for field hockey junior and senior year
Student Government: active member all 4 years of high school
3 hours American Red Cross blood drive
140 hours high school mission trips: building staircases and decks, cleaning landscape, hurricane recovery aid

Employment:
120 hours front desk receptionist for dorm
780 hours restaurant hostess

My LORs last cycle:
the shelter veterinarian I have worked with for the past 2 years
my sorority advisor I had worked closely with for a year and a half
my zoology advisor

Thank you so much if you read all of this! I just want some suggestions as soon as possible since I can't get personalized suggestions from schools until April and I want to work on improving my application now so I can better it before VMCAS opens again

Just so you both know CSU gave interview offers to approximately the top 20% of their applicants. Approximately 380 people were interviewed this last weekend. As far as IS the lady wasn't 100% sure but thought around 80/200 IS people were there for interviews and everyone else was OSS out of 2100+ applications. Also so you know CSU likes to see an upward trend overall for you GPA so if your last 45 is low CSU probably isn't the best school to apply to unfortunately. I would suggest to really apply to schools you can see yourself realistically getting into and subsequently attending. So I'm saying apply to your IS and then pick other schools based on your stats compared to previous accepted class stats and factor in cost and apply to schools like Mizzou, WA, and NC that allow residency after 1 year.

 

[pp9]

Hi everyone,

I applied this past cycle and was rejected from Michigan State (my IS school) and Colorado State, waitlisted for an interview at Florida and still waiting to hear from Georgia. I'm looking to re-apply next cycle to Florida, Georgia, Michigan State, Tennessee, and Auburn. Just wondering how my application looks now and what areas you would suggest improvement on.

GPA: 3.68
Science GPA: 3.60
Last 45 GPA: 3.48 (this will be much higher next application)

I got a 3.71 over the summer with 7 credits and a 4 credit science class and a 4.0 last semester with 14 credits and a 3 credit science class. I'm not sure how to factor those into those GPAs. I didn't take many of my non-science classes until this year.

GRE Scores:
Verbal: 160 (86th percentile)
Quantitative: 158 (69th percentile)
Writing: 4.0 (60th percentile)

Vet experience:
800 hours emergency vet hospital vet assistant: lots of hands-on experience, drawing blood, running various lab tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, monitor sedated patients (I had 300 hours of this when I applied last cycle)
50 hours study abroad: breeding cheetahs, assisting with surgeries, obtaining various samples (blood, hair, feces), assist in ophthalmic exam, assist in post-tranquilization recovery
125 hours surgical assistant at a county animal shelter: prepping animals for surgery, recovering animals after surgery, wrapping packs, drawing blood, administering vaccinations

Animal Experience:
3 hours helping farrow piglets
15 hours working with chickens for a class project
100 hours volunteering/fostering for a pet rescue and working with special needs pets
1600 hours working at a doggy daycare
120 hours working at a shelter walking dogs
7 hours working at a dairy farm (just started this last week)
60 hours at a whale camp working with whales and some very basic research (observing feeding patterns and such but nothing published)

Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience:
Order of Omega (Greek Leadership Fraternity): social chair first year as an active member
Pre-Vet Club: active member as freshman & sophomore, social chair as junior, vice president as senior
APVMA Symposium: attended in 2017
Panhellenic Sorority: active member as sophomore, alum relations chair junior/senior
National Honor Society member: in high school 720 hours volunteering
Varsity field hockey & lacrosse in high school: captain for field hockey junior and senior year
Student Government: active member all 4 years of high school
3 hours American Red Cross blood drive
140 hours high school mission trips: building staircases and decks, cleaning landscape, hurricane recovery aid

Employment:
120 hours front desk receptionist for dorm
780 hours restaurant hostess

My LORs last cycle:
the shelter veterinarian I have worked with for the past 2 years
my sorority advisor I had worked closely with for a year and a half
my zoology advisor

Thank you so much if you read all of this! I just want some suggestions as soon as possible since I can't get personalized suggestions from schools until April and I want to work on improving my application now so I can better it before VMCAS opens again

I'll admit that I'm surprised you got rejected given that you were on the e-board for the pre-vet club.

More experience (which you mentioned you already have 500 more hours). Try to get large animal hours, like at least 100 if you can swing it. Most people only have like a day or two of shadowing a LA vet, if even that, so really striving to spend some time with a LA vet will set you apart.

I also wonder about the letters...I'm not a sorority person, what exactly is a "sorority advisor?" Is it someone you would consider to be a 'professional?' Not that all letters have to be from someone with letters after their name, but if it's like your house mother or sorority prez or whatever you may want to reconsider.

Side question: Who is your zoology advisor? Is good ol' Dr. Snider still around? Easily one of my favorite people during my 4 years there! (I'm assuming you went to MSU for undergrad)

I was outright rejected from MSU. They disregard your GPA as long as it's above a 3.0. So having a 3.9 vs a 3.1 gives you no advantage. They don't offer personalized file reviews until April but the denial workshop I attended was honestly frustrating. They grade you based on 5 categories: small animal, large animal, research, diversity, and disadvantaged background. You automatically get 1 point in each category and can get up to 3 points. To get 3 points in large animal you must have grown up on a farm. It's just difficult to get enough points. Thank you!

MSU is also my IS, and they rejected me twice, although I did get an interview the second time (which was the first year for interviews I think). They're overhauling their admissions and it was pretty different when I applied just a few years ago....but, their admissions never made sense to me. I remember talking to the pre-vet advisor about those categories and basically being told "very few accepted applicants actually achieve in these categories." Hella confusing, given that they advertised high numbers in those categories on their admissions page at the time. No one could give me criteria of what would make a person achieve in any of the five either.

The major lesson I learned from MSU is that there's no real point in striving to achieve in any of those categories. It was explained to me that they essentially exist to elevate certain desired applicants above the rest of the crowd. If you didn't grow up on a farm/disadvantaged enough, you can't change that. If you haven't had significant involvement in research by the time you apply, you won't get that either. And so on. All you can do is get as many hours as possible in a variety of areas of vet med, write good essays, and do well during the MMI.

Your stats are fairly similar to mine and I couldn't get a real suggestion for improvement out of MSU...they kind of just told me to keep trying. With that being said, know that there probably isn't any major flaw to your application and that you just need to stand out more/keep improving what you can.

 

[foofoofoo]

Hi there. I am currently a senior and will apply vet school this year.
Unfortunately I am an international student and won't be able to get green card when I apply vet school. Davis is the one I really want to get in. I heard Davis is extreme strict on OOS, and I was wondering if I have tiny little bit chance to get in? MY other choice are Cornell, CSU, Ohio state, Tufts and UPenn.

My overall GPA: 3.627
My Science GPA: 3.64
My last 45 GPA : 3.95

GRE Verbal 163 93%
Quantitative 170 97%
Writing: 4.5

Vet Experience
480 hrs small animal vet clinic in China
440 hrs large animal dairy farm vet assistant in China
1200 hrs small animal vet clinic in U.S

Animal Experience
40 hrs Panda volunteer program
450 hrs animal shelter in China
380+ hrs milker in junior year
96 hrs research intern with dairy

Research experience
swine nutrition: 40 hrs
Epidemiology research 360 hrs

Letter of rec
1. Animal science research professor
2. Vet clinic veterinarian
3. Epidemiology research professor with a DVM and PhD degree.

I know that my GPA is a bit low as an international student, and my friend who got rejected by UC Davis show me the average GPA for OOS this year is about 3.93, last 45 is 3.95, and I felt really hopeless. The thing is I got perfect score on quantitative, I was wondering if this can fix my low GPA?

Thank you so much

 

[SkiOtter]

Hi there. I am currently a senior and will apply vet school this year.
Unfortunately I am an international student and won't be able to get green card when I apply vet school. Davis is the one I really want to get in. I heard Davis is extreme strict on OOS, and I was wondering if I have tiny little bit chance to get in? MY other choice are Cornell, CSU, Ohio state, Tufts and UPenn.

My overall GPA: 3.627
My Science GPA: 3.64
My last 45 GPA : 3.95

GRE Verbal 163 93%
Quantitative 170 97%
Writing: 4.5

Vet Experience
480 hrs small animal vet clinic in China
440 hrs large animal dairy farm vet assistant in China
1200 hrs small animal vet clinic in U.S

Animal Experience
40 hrs Panda volunteer program
450 hrs animal shelter in China
380+ hrs milker in junior year
96 hrs research intern with dairy

Research experience
swine nutrition: 40 hrs
Epidemiology research 360 hrs

Letter of rec
1. Animal science research professor
2. Vet clinic veterinarian
3. Epidemiology research professor with a DVM and PhD degree.

I know that my GPA is a bit low as an international student, and my friend who got rejected by UC Davis show me the average GPA for OOS this year is about 3.93, last 45 is 3.95, and I felt really hopeless. The thing is I got perfect score on quantitative, I was wondering if this can fix my low GPA?

Thank you so much

I’m really confused what you’re talking about when you refer to a 3.95 as a “low gpa”

 

[ERDVM2023]

I'll admit that I'm surprised you got rejected given that you were on the e-board for the pre-vet club.

More experience (which you mentioned you already have 500 more hours). Try to get large animal hours, like at least 100 if you can swing it. Most people only have like a day or two of shadowing a LA vet, if even that, so really striving to spend some time with a LA vet will set you apart.

I also wonder about the letters...I'm not a sorority person, what exactly is a "sorority advisor?" Is it someone you would consider to be a 'professional?' Not that all letters have to be from someone with letters after their name, but if it's like your house mother or sorority prez or whatever you may want to reconsider.

Side question: Who is your zoology advisor? Is good ol' Dr. Snider still around? Easily one of my favorite people during my 4 years there! (I'm assuming you went to MSU for undergrad)

MSU is also my IS, and they rejected me twice, although I did get an interview the second time (which was the first year for interviews I think). They're overhauling their admissions and it was pretty different when I applied just a few years ago....but, their admissions never made sense to me. I remember talking to the pre-vet advisor about those categories and basically being told "very few accepted applicants actually achieve in these categories." Hella confusing, given that they advertised high numbers in those categories on their admissions page at the time. No one could give me criteria of what would make a person achieve in any of the five either.

The major lesson I learned from MSU is that there's no real point in striving to achieve in any of those categories. It was explained to me that they essentially exist to elevate certain desired applicants above the rest of the crowd. If you didn't grow up on a farm/disadvantaged enough, you can't change that. If you haven't had significant involvement in research by the time you apply, you won't get that either. And so on. All you can do is get as many hours as possible in a variety of areas of vet med, write good essays, and do well during the MMI.

Your stats are fairly similar to mine and I couldn't get a real suggestion for improvement out of MSU...they kind of just told me to keep trying. With that being said, know that there probably isn't any major flaw to your application and that you just need to stand out more/keep improving what you can.

So I was the Alumnae Relations chair so my advisor was an alumni from my chapter who has a different full time job (she works for Ford) and advises my position on the E-board. I have worked closely with her over the past few years so she was someone I felt had a good idea of who I am as a person and thought it would be good to get a letter from her since one of my schools asked what I spent most of my free time doing and being an active member of my sorority was a big part of that essay plus I had a decent amount of leadership in that area so she could attest to my leadership skills since MSU's pre-vet club advisor hasn't attended a single meeting and hardly ever responds to emails in the past 3 years I've been involved.

Yes, Dr. Snider is still around and was one of my letters of rec but I just wasn't sure how good of a letter he wrote since I had only known him off-and-on for a year. Overall for MSU, their denial workshop was just disheartening as it basically was that if you don't have a rare ethnic background or a significant traumatic event in your life, it was very difficult to get in.