What are my chances?

[that redhead]

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I am looking particularly at MSU and UMN because they don't look at cumulative gpa. Thanks guys in advance for all the advice and help.

I would apply to a lot more than just two schools, especially since you last 45 is strong. I'd add in KSU and Illinois (Illinois has a grade forgiveness you might look in to).

 

[Vet1234]

I am looking particularly at MSU and UMN because they don't look at cumulative gpa. Thanks guys in advance for all the advice and help.

Sorry forgot to mention I'm a California resident :/[/QUOTE]

I don't know if it is fair to say that they don't look at the cumulative gpa. I would go with the logic that if it is on your vmcas app then they are going to look at it.

 

[Ashgirl]

I don't know if it is fair to say that they don't look at the cumulative gpa. I would go with the logic that if it is on your vmcas app then they are going to look at it.

Actually, there are a few schools who don't factor in cumulative GPA at all, or put more emphasis on the last 45 credits or pre - req or science GPA. Some calculate their own GPA that differs completely from VMCAS GPA. It all depends on the individual school.

 

[bakedjps]

I would apply to a lot more than just two schools, especially since you last 45 is strong. I'd add in KSU and Illinois (Illinois has a grade forgiveness you might look in to).

Thank you that redhead! I was planning on applying to western, and wsu too, but I will definitely look into KSU and Illinois! (didn't consider those before)

 

[ethereal_goldfish]

Hi everyone! I just want to know what my chances are to getting into UC Davis.
Currently attending UC Davis, 3rd year Animal Science major and CA resident

Cum: 3.351
Science: 3.236
Last 45: 3.413

Experience:
150+ Research
500+ SA clinic
60 Dairy Facility

Basically, I know Davis weighs GPA 90% for consideration then PPIs are 10%. I just don't think I have a shot at all. I am taking the GRE in a couple of weeks, and then again (probably) in mid August. I need to score in the 95 Percentile in the Quant section of the GRE to even be glimpsed at and considered. I'm really doubtful I'll get in, but honestly have not considered where else to apply. I would really like to stay in CA, but I did not like WesternU much when I visited, plus they are way more expensive (comparable to going out of state). I am considering on applying to west coast schools: Oregon, Washington, Midwestern, and Colorado. But is there any remote chance I can get to at least the interview stage for Davis? :\

Of course, if I don't get in, I could always apply again next year, which may help raise my GPA for all categories considerably since I already know my coursework for senior year. I guess I am debating on whether I should drop the dream to go to Davis if I get accepted to another school. I understand that at the end of 4 years, I will still obtain the same DVM degree, no matter what school I attended. But there are multiple reasons and factors on why I would want to stay in California (family, cost, convenience, etc.)

 

[NavyDoxie13]

Hello everyone!
I am a first-time applicant that is considering applying to Western University this year as they do grade replacement. I graduated with my bachelor's degree a year ago and my GPA is on the lower end. I have also just taken the GRE for the first time a few weeks ago. I do have reasons for my non-stellar academics and am currently taking classes to increase my GPA. I also plan on retaking the GRE since I KNOW I can do better. I have fantastic hours in animal and veterinary experience as well as great LOR. Here are my current stats that I calculated based on Western's required prereqs and their admitted class statistics:

Overall GPA: 3.34 School's average accepted: 3.29
Prerequisite GPA: 3.22 School's average accepted: 3.40
Science Prerequisite GPA: 2.97 School's average accepted: 3.26

GRE Verbal: 155
GRE Quant: 149
GRE Writing: 4.0

Does anyone think I have a chance at getting accepted to Western University with these stats? I haven't applied to any other schools because my cGPA is lower than this without the grade replacement and I know I would be rejected. I just wanted to know if I should expect a rejection from Western as well or if anyone here has been accepted to the vet school with stats like this. Also, I know the application is due in October but would retaking some of the prereq science classes this fall and this spring be considered when reviewing my application? Thanks in advance!

 

[onisteverina]

Hi everyone! I just want to know what my chances are to getting into UC Davis.
Currently attending UC Davis, 3rd year Animal Science major and CA resident

Cum: 3.351
Science: 3.236
Last 45: 3.413

Experience:
150+ Research
500+ SA clinic
60 Dairy Facility

Basically, I know Davis weighs GPA 90% for consideration then PPIs are 10%. I just don't think I have a shot at all. I am taking the GRE in a couple of weeks, and then again (probably) in mid August. I need to score in the 95 Percentile in the Quant section of the GRE to even be glimpsed at and considered. I'm really doubtful I'll get in, but honestly have not considered where else to apply. I would really like to stay in CA, but I did not like WesternU much when I visited, plus they are way more expensive (comparable to going out of state). I am considering on applying to west coast schools: Oregon, Washington, Midwestern, and Colorado. But is there any remote chance I can get to at least the interview stage for Davis? :\

Of course, if I don't get in, I could always apply again next year, which may help raise my GPA for all categories considerably since I already know my coursework for senior year. I guess I am debating on whether I should drop the dream to go to Davis if I get accepted to another school. I understand that at the end of 4 years, I will still obtain the same DVM degree, no matter what school I attended. But there are multiple reasons and factors on why I would want to stay in California (family, cost, convenience, etc.)

Hey ethereal... like you mentioned, Davis is really numbers based when it comes to who they offer interviews to. I've been told that they pretty much punch your numbers into an equation and the top 230 people (something around that number) are offered interviews. With that in mind, it is hard for anyone to really judge your chances of getting an interview since it would really depend on the pool of applicants you are competing with. When I was applying last cycle, I compared my stats to the previously admitted class and kept my fingers crossed. If it is your dream school... obviously apply, but I would try to keep an open mind. I'm also from California and was really hoping to get in to Davis.. was offered an interview and then waitlisted. I was far enough down the list to view it as a rejection and moved past hoping for Davis.. I chose to not apply to Western this cycle because my thought was that it was going to pay that high of tuition, I rather move farther away and have a little adventure. Ultimately, I was offered a spot at a couple of places and did not even consider reapplying in at attempt to get into Davis... no guarantees when you decline acceptances and apply again.. My reasons for wanting to stay in CA/go to Davis were not worth risking the opportunity to go to vet school.

Oh, and I don't know much about Oregon or Washington.. but I do know that Colorado takes very few OOS peeps.. When I applied to schools (other than Davis), I was looking at admitted applicant stats and number of OOS students (some schools take very very few people OOS) to help eliminate schools off my list. You gotta figure out what is important to you (location, program, tuition,etc etc) and go from there. Looking back, I probably would have looked more closely at tuition because I ended up applying to a couple of the very expensive schools and may have chosen not to if I realized (no price is too big to follow your dream, right..😱) Anyway, end ramble.

 

[WildVet18]

Hi NavyDoxie, welcome to the forum! First of all I just wanted to make sure you know about Western's problem-based curriculum and extramural clinical rotations at different sites. Have you checked out these aspects of the program? I went I undergrad down the road from them and my pre vet club has done several preview days there...it is certainly great for some people, but it's a different learning style and doesn't work for everyone, so just make sure it's what you want. Don't just apply there because of average GPAs, you want to end up somewhere where you will be happy/learn the best! 🙂

As for your chances I did not apply there myself, but from what I heard on visits it seems like they are willing to e more flexible on grades and definitely have accepted some people with stats like yours. However these people usually have either a) been through something drastic medically/family wise/etc. which has affected their performance and/or b) done some really extraordinary things in terms of vet experience, leadership, research.

So I guess my questions for you (to better gauge your chances) are...

What are (generally) your reasons for poor grades, if you don't mind saying? Was it just not knowing how to study, or was there a family/medical emergency?

What specifically do you have in terms of veterinary/anima hours...what are you considering "excellent"?

What other extra curriculars do you have? Research? Leadership roles?

Why does your last 45 look like? Schools like to see an upward trend in grades and if your last 45 is good, some other vet schools look at that heavily (Illinois I know, I think Kansas as well?)

Unfortunately they won't see your fall/spring classes initially, but if you get interviews and or are wait listed they will certainly consider those grades I you update them!

I would definitely retake the GRE...it can really help boost your chances! Also if you could take a summer course, especially a science one, that would end up in your initial application and could be really helpful!

Good luck!

 

[ethereal_goldfish]

Hey ethereal... like you mentioned, Davis is really numbers based when it comes to who they offer interviews to. I've been told that they pretty much punch your numbers into an equation and the top 230 people (something around that number) are offered interviews. With that in mind, it is hard for anyone to really judge your chances of getting an interview since it would really depend on the pool of applicants you are competing with. When I was applying last cycle, I compared my stats to the previously admitted class and kept my fingers crossed. If it is your dream school... obviously apply, but I would try to keep an open mind. I'm also from California and was really hoping to get in to Davis.. was offered an interview and then waitlisted. I was far enough down the list to view it as a rejection and moved past hoping for Davis.. I chose to not apply to Western this cycle because my thought was that it was going to pay that high of tuition, I rather move farther away and have a little adventure. Ultimately, I was offered a spot at a couple of places and did not even consider reapplying in at attempt to get into Davis... no guarantees when you decline acceptances and apply again.. My reasons for wanting to stay in CA/go to Davis were not worth risking the opportunity to go to vet school.

Oh, and I don't know much about Oregon or Washington.. but I do know that Colorado takes very few OOS peeps.. When I applied to schools (other than Davis), I was looking at admitted applicant stats and number of OOS students (some schools take very very few people OOS) to help eliminate schools off my list. You gotta figure out what is important to you (location, program, tuition,etc etc) and go from there. Looking back, I probably would have looked more closely at tuition because I ended up applying to a couple of the very expensive schools and may have chosen not to if I realized (no price is too big to follow your dream, right..😱) Anyway, end ramble.

Yes, I totally understand. I think if I were in the same situation that happened to you, I would consider attending schools that accepted me, rather than waiting on Davis. Still just kind of sucks when you dream/aspire to go to a school, but you simply just can't :\

 

[lhmhtd]

Is anyone familiar with UGA? Like what they look for, types of applicants accepted, etc. I am planning on applying this cycle, but this is the only school I'll be applying to. In general, my stats are decent, but then I'm only applying to one school.

 

[WildVet18]

lhmhtd, I think that like any school, there is no one type of applicant that they really are looking for. They are looking for a diverse class, so what "type" they are looking for really depends on the whole applicant pool. For instance if there is an applicant pool full of people interested in small animal, then of course they will be excited to see someone passionate about food animal medicine. It's all about diversity and there is no way to predict what will make you diverse in any specific applicant pool...just show what you are truly passionate about!

One thing, however, is that UGA is definitely in-state heavy. Are you a Georgia resident? If not and that is your number one school, I would suggest moving there ASAP and trying to gain residency.

An important things I learned by applying there this past cycle and being "disqualified" is that they are VERY strict about the credit hours for pre-requisites. Whereas all of the other schools I applied to would say something like "8 credit hours or 2 semesters", UGA was all about the credits. I had taken all of the prerequisites but because my school does credit hours a little different from most, I was ONE credit hour short in a science pre-req. The school contacted me and asked if I would be able to sign up for another science course for spring semester (they would not consider summer courses for the summer before matriculation), and I couldn't so they stopped considering my application. They are also strict about online classes...if you have any online courses for pre-reqs, you need to submit them by a certain deadline and have UGA approve them.

One final piece of advice is that they do not interview students...instead they call one or more of your LOR writers (if your application passes the first cut) and speak to them about you. So make sure that whoever writes your letters know you REALLY well, and definitely give them a heads up that UGA might be calling them so that they are not caught off guard. Good luck!

 

[lhmhtd]

lhmhtd, I think that like any school, there is no one type of applicant that they really are looking for. They are looking for a diverse class, so what "type" they are looking for really depends on the whole applicant pool. For instance if there is an applicant pool full of people interested in small animal, then of course they will be excited to see someone passionate about food animal medicine. It's all about diversity and there is no way to predict what will make you diverse in any specific applicant pool...just show what you are truly passionate about!

One thing, however, is that UGA is definitely in-state heavy. Are you a Georgia resident? If not and that is your number one school, I would suggest moving there ASAP and trying to gain residency.

An important things I learned by applying there this past cycle and being "disqualified" is that they are VERY strict about the credit hours for pre-requisites. Whereas all of the other schools I applied to would say something like "8 credit hours or 2 semesters", UGA was all about the credits. I had taken all of the prerequisites but because my school does credit hours a little different from most, I was ONE credit hour short in a science pre-req. The school contacted me and asked if I would be able to sign up for another science course for spring semester (they would not consider summer courses for the summer before matriculation), and I couldn't so they stopped considering my application. They are also strict about online classes...if you have any online courses for pre-reqs, you need to submit them by a certain deadline and have UGA approve them.

One final piece of advice is that they do not interview students...instead they call one or more of your LOR writers (if your application passes the first cut) and speak to them about you. So make sure that whoever writes your letters know you REALLY well, and definitely give them a heads up that UGA might be calling them so that they are not caught off guard. Good luck!

Thank you for all the helpful tips! It is a complicated situation, but I THINK I'll be a resident. This depends on a few things right now.. My husband got accepted to the Odum school of ecology (at UGA) for graduate school, so we are moving up there in August and already have a house and whatnot. Two separate sets of rent, bills, etc is not financially feasible for us, so I really hope that things work out in my favor, and that I gain Georgia residency so that I have a better chance of getting in and tuition is not as steep as OOS.
I will definitely double check that my classes and pre reqs mesh with their requirements.
I didn't realize they did not interview. That's kind of bizarre. I wonder why that is?

 

[bakedjps]

Hey ethereal... like you mentioned, Davis is really numbers based when it comes to who they offer interviews to. I've been told that they pretty much punch your numbers into an equation and the top 230 people (something around that number) are offered interviews.

I was just looking at UC Davis' website. It's a little ambiguous, but does UCD only look at science gpa and last 2-year gpa?

 

[ethereal_goldfish]

I was just looking at UC Davis' website. It's a little ambiguous, but does UCD only look at science gpa and last 2-year gpa?

Hey bakedjps, I attend UCD right now for undergrad, and the admissions director Yasmin Williams held a workshop at my school a couple of weeks ago. She basically stressed that Davis ONLY looks at your GPA/GRE: Total Science, Last 45 Semester units (or 68 quarter units), Cumulative GPA, and the QUANT score of your GRE. All this weight 90% of your acceptance with PPIs weighing 10%. Once you are passed the "first round", you'll be invited for an interview and everyone starts with a CLEAN SLATE, and they offer admissions solely based on your MMI scores via ranking.

Basically, if you are lacking in one part of your GPA, say for example, you have a low Cum and Science GPA, then you must have a relatively high Last 45 GPA and/or Quant score from your GRE (and vice versa). And from what I heard, they don't consider your LORs/Personal Statements/Vet Experience Hours for admission (though they are required only because they are VMCAS requirements); they only look at those when there are people with relative same MMI scores and they need to make a decision about cut offs.

She also gave us some stats about the c/o 2018. She said a person who was accepted with a 3.0 Science GPA had around a 3.8 Last 45 and was in the 95 percentile for Quant Scores (165?). So, I guess that is an example of how the GPAs/GRE have to balance out.

 

[bakedjps]

Hey bakedjps, I attend UCD right now for undergrad, and the admissions director Yasmin Williams held a workshop at my school a couple of weeks ago. She basically stressed that Davis ONLY looks at your GPA/GRE: Total Science, Last 45 Semester units (or 68 quarter units), Cumulative GPA, and the QUANT score of your GRE. All this weight 90% of your acceptance with PPIs weighing 10%. Once you are passed the "first round", you'll be invited for an interview and everyone starts with a CLEAN SLATE, and they offer admissions solely based on your MMI scores via ranking.

Basically, if you are lacking in one part of your GPA, say for example, you have a low Cum and Science GPA, then you must have a relatively high Last 45 GPA and/or Quant score from your GRE (and vice versa). And from what I heard, they don't consider your LORs/Personal Statements/Vet Experience Hours for admission (though they are required only because they are VMCAS requirements); they only look at those when there are people with relative same MMI scores and they need to make a decision about cut offs.

She also gave us some stats about the c/o 2018. She said a person who was accepted with a 3.0 Science GPA had around a 3.8 Last 45 and was in the 95 percentile for Quant Scores (165?). So, I guess that is an example of how the GPAs/GRE have to balance out.

omgoodness this information is very helpful! Thank you so much 😀 makes me even more motivated to do well my last year of undergrad

 

[haley120892]

Hello everyone! I am looking to apply this upcoming cycle and like most individuals I am extremely nervous about my chances of getting into Veterinary School. The Schools that I am looking to possibly apply to are: Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, and Massachusetts. I actually just graduated from college a whole year early (It happened rather unexpectedly) and I emailed each of the schools asking if they had an recommendations on how to spend my newly discovered free time. After looking over my resume and transcripts the consensus from most of the schools was to simply acquire some more hours and focus on improving my lousy GRE score. Anyhow if you guys could give me some input I would be extremely grateful!!!!

Cummulative GPA: 3.65
Last 45: 3.653

GRE scores: I really bombed my first attempt, so I am scheduled to retake them...I made the mistake of not studying until a week before, I have since changed my ways and have been studying for months now.
Vet Experience:
Large Animals (~200)
Small Animals (~300 hours)
Wild Animals (~250 hours)
**I am currently working with another local small animal vet so estimated (~150 hours)

Animal Experience
Rehabilitation of Various Species of Wild Animals: bears, deer, owls, hawks, falcons, beavers, and many others (~1500 hours)
^^^My father has been a Game Warden for my entire life^^^

Extracurricular/Academic:
Dean's List Every Semester
Honor's Program
Student Ambassador
Mercy Presidential Scholarship
Biology Fellowship
English Fellowship
Supplemental Instructor for Organic Chemistry I and II
Vice-President of Colleges Against Cancer Club
Writer for college's student newspaper
Member of the National Society of Leadership and Success
Part time job as a Cashier at a local grocery store (~20 hours a week)

 

[beatles1964]

You're

Hello everyone! I am looking to apply this upcoming cycle and like most individuals I am extremely nervous about my chances of getting into Veterinary School. The Schools that I am looking to possibly apply to are: Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, and Massachusetts. I actually just graduated from college a whole year early (It happened rather unexpectedly) and I emailed each of the schools asking if they had an recommendations on how to spend my newly discovered free time. After looking over my resume and transcripts the consensus from most of the schools was to simply acquire some more hours and focus on improving my lousy GRE score. Anyhow if you guys could give me some input I would be extremely grateful!!!!

Cummulative GPA: 3.65

GRE scores: I really bombed my first attempt, so I am scheduled to retake them...I made the mistake of not studying until a week before, I have since changed my ways and have been studying for months now.
Vet Experience:
Large Animals (~200)
Small Animals (~250 hours)
Wild Animals (~150 hours)
**I am currently working with another local small animal vet so estimated (~150 hours)

Animal Experience
Rehabilitation of Various Species of Wild Animals: bears, deer, owls, hawks, falcons, beavers, and many others (~1500 hours)
^^^My father has been a Game Warden for my entire life^^^

Extracurricular/Academic:
Dean's List Every Semester
Honor's Program
Student Ambassador
Mercy Presidential Scholarship
Biology Fellowship
English Fellowship
Supplemental Instructor for Organic Chemistry I and II
Vice-President of Colleges Against Cancer Club
Writer for college's student newspaper
Member of the National Society of Leadership and Success
Part time job as a Cashier at a local grocery store (~20 hours a week)

You have a very diverse application, and I think that will definitely help schools notice you! Your GPA really isn't bad at all and although you don't mention your GRE scores, they may not be as awful as you think... but regardless, it's good you're retaking them just to be safe. Just a plug, Mizzou only counts GRE for 4% of the overall admissions score, so that might be of interest to you.

 

[clairebear210]

Posted this a little while back. I think it got lost in the mix. Would appreciate some feedback! 🙂

Hey guys!

I've posted here before, but that was over a year ago. A lot has changed in my life, and I just wanted some feedback as to how to approach this upcoming application process. This will be my second time applying, and I'm planning on applying to UGA(IS), Auburn, Florida, Miss St, and Ok St. I graduated from UGA in December 2013.

GPA: 3.14
Last 45: Probably around the same. Unimpressive.
I was in an abusive/codependent relationship for the second half of my undergraduate career. The semester before I started dating him, I finally figured out college and got Dean's List. However, this relationship affected my studies in a HUGE way. Got rid of him a couple months ago, but now I'm taking post-bacc classes at Athens Tech to help out with that. I'll obviously explain all of this in my explanation statement.

GRE:
First round: Verbal: 152 (53%)
Math: 158 (72%)
Writing: 4.0 (54%)
Second round: Verbal: 156 (70%)
Math: 153 (53%)
Writing: 4.0 (54%)
UGA is my top choice, and they take the best score out of each section of the GRE, which is why I only focused on improving my verbal score the second round.

Vet Experience:
Small Animal: 852.5 at 2 different small animal practices. One was a job, and one was shadowing.
Large Animal: ~30 and counting as a volunteer in UGA vet school.
Small Animal w/ exotics: ~100 and counting as a vet assistant.
Wildlife/Zoo: 12 shadowing the veterinarian from my zoo internship last summer.

Animal Experience:
Over 600 hours interning at a zoo/wildlife center/petting zoo last summer.
Over 1000 hours training and showing horses in AQHA.
Around 50 hours as a zoo volunteer, taking care of reptiles.
Probably more, but those are the long term ones.

Non-animal Employment:
Retail - 1 summer
Bartending - 1 year and counting

Research: None 🙁

Extra-Curricular Activities:
Leader of campus ministry - 1 year as elderly caregiver, 2 years as worship leader
Different Choirs
Voice Lessons
Volleyball
Tennis
Pre-Vet Club
Vacation Bible School leader
Taught 3rd grade science once a week for a year

Awards:
Dean's List 1 semester
I can't remember if high school stuff counts, but I earned the National Choral Award and the Academic-Athletic Award. I was also in NHS and Beta Club every year I could have been.

ELORS:
Tech from small animal hospital I used to work at
Vet from small animal/exotics hospital I now work at
Zookeeper from zoo I interned at
Academic Advisor who taught one of my upper science classes, in which I got an A

Like I said, I'm currently taking a few classes over the summer. I'm also working as a bartender and a vet assistant at the small animal/exotic clinic, which adds up to about 35 hours of work a week. I am also continuing to volunteer at the UGA large animal hospital. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Since this is only my second cycle, I'm not yet looking into any overseas stuff or Western, since they're so expensive and far away from me.

 

[haley120892]

You're



You have a very diverse application, and I think that will definitely help schools notice you! Your GPA really isn't bad at all and although you don't mention your GRE scores, they may not be as awful as you think... but regardless, it's good you're retaking them just to be safe. Just a plug, Mizzou only counts GRE for 4% of the overall admissions score, so that might be of interest to you.

Thanks so much for the feedback, you probably can relate to the amount of time I have spent freaking out about this whole application process!
🙂

 

[bakedjps]

Posted this a little while back. I think it got lost in the mix. Would appreciate some feedback! 🙂

Hii i don't know how much help i can be because i'm also still in undergrad, but i've looked a lot into different schools and forums, so i will try my best since it seems like you haven't gotten any feedback twice already 🙁 I think in terms of vet/animal experience and leadership, you're great! You have a diverse range of experience and the fact you're still volunteering at the UGA teaching hospital to gain more depth in large animal medicine is very good. I think you would need to work a little more on your grades and gre. Often, a low cumulative/science GPA can be balanced out with an excellent last 45-hour GPA or stellar GRE scores.

**THIS PART IS JUST MY VERY HUMBLE OPINION, but for me while your top gre scores are good/above average, they aren't good enough to balance both your currrent GPA and last 45. I really think you should try maybe one more time and aim for ideally low 160s or higher, closer to the 80-90 percentile range, which I also understand is also very difficult, but not impossible with good prep books. Of course, it depends on the specific schools too, some barely look at GRE and some weigh it more heavily. **

For your cumulative I don't think there's much to be done about it if you're doing post-bac already. However, good news is that because you're doing post-bac, you should be strivingg for A's in order to help your last 45, I really think you can do it! I would try to aim for having 3.7 or higher for last 45, although i believe as long as it's significantly higher than your cumulative, it will show that you have become a more focused student, which vet schools like.

For the schools you're applying to, if you're able to boost your last 45 hour gpa to a competitive level, I would try applying smart and choose the schools that ignore cumulative GPA and focus more on last 45 and science GPA. Even with a low science GPA, the rest of your application should be able to balance it out. Some schools that come to mind include Michigan State, UMN, Iowa, and Kansas. Other universities have a grade forgiveness policy where they will replace your most recent grade if you repeat a class, which can help your prereq/science GPA. Some of these schools include Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi. You should def look into the websites of each vet school and see how they select their applicants, it's really useful for narrowing down your choices and saving you some money!!

Sorry for the long post, I'm in a similar position as you, low cumulative and trying to get a really strong last 45-hour gpa next year before i apply, so i've gotten a lot of feedback, hope some of this was useful, and definitely good luck! You can do it.🙂

 

[Kyoht]

Other universities have a grade forgiveness policy where they will replace your most recent grade if you repeat a class, which can help your prereq/science GPA. Some of these schools include Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi.

I'm pretty sure Illinois does not replace your old grade with a more recent one. They average the two. The school does have a forgiveness policy but it involves deleting the first year of study or there is also an option to delete work completed more than 6 years ago. Here is the link to the details. http://publish.illinois.edu/vetmed-admissions/special-considerations/

Of course if anyone is looking into details about schools it is always good to just call and ask the school so you get the correct info.

 

[bakedjps]

I'm pretty sure Illinois does not replace your old grade with a more recent one. They average the two. The school does have a forgiveness policy but it involves deleting the first year of study or there is also an option to delete work completed more than 6 years ago. Here is the link to the details. http://publish.illinois.edu/vetmed-admissions/special-considerations/

Of course if anyone is looking into details about schools it is always good to just call and ask the school so you get the correct info.

yeaa i knew that, but i kind of just lumped it together with the others for schools clairebear could check out, sorry for not being more clear and thanks for the clarification!

 

[epivetlove]

I believe LSU does grade replacement.

 

[haley120892]

Does anybody have a time line that the schools tend to stick to? Like I know October 2 is the deadline for the applications, but I have heard that most schools do not get back to you about interviews until December? Anybody know about when they start looking at the applications and when the long torturous waiting period will come to an end?

 

[Tante]

Hello everyone, I'm OOS everywhere, probably applying to Penn, OVC and Michigan, large animal

cGPA: 3.952
Last 45: 3.938
Science: 4.0
GRE: didn't take yet

Vet Experience:
Small Animal ~230
Large Animal ~4

Research ~170
Animal ~275 large animal

Other
Honors Program
Dean's List most semesters
Work in a pharmacy ~15 hours/week
Doing a senior honor's research project with goats

My weakest point is probably my vet experience. I'm currently working at a vet clinic, but only one day a week. Trying to find jobs elsewhere, but haven't been successful. Clinics won't let me volunteer for liability reasons . Hopefully going to be shadowing a LA vet again this summer.

 

[hagel100]

Hi Guys -

I would like some honest feedback about my chances of getting accepted into vet school. I'm planning on applying this fall and I'm terrified that I won't get accepted.

Academics:

I got my B.S. from Clarkson University in Global Supply Chain Management. Being that I was a business major I only took only one science course to meet my gen ed requirement - 2 semester college bio series (10 cr) - which I didn't do fantastic in. Lecture was 3 credits and I got a C+ both semesters, lab was 2 credits and I got a B+ in the first semester and an A in the second semester. I also took some math here stats (A), precalc (B), calc I (D+ - horrible I know), Calc II (C+ - again horrible, don't remind me). All my other classes were business related or gen ed. I was on the Dean's list 6 out of the 8 semesters (as you can probably figure, the semesters that I didn't make it and which wrecked my GPA were the semesters I took calc). Cumulative GPA was not super impressive - 3.19.

Then I decided I wanted to get into vet school and got serious. I enrolled in a veterinary technology program and have been taking vet tech classes while completing my science prereqs. I just finished my first year and got a 4.o both semesters, president's list both semesters and was awarded for having the highest GPA in the program. For science courses I took physics I & II, college chem I & II, biology and society (300 level) and genetics (300 level). Tech courses - vet nursing skills I&II, issues and perspectives in vet med, clin path, A&P, intro to animal science. Will be taking biochem this summer and ochem, micro and pathophysiology + more tech courses next year.

So as you can see my overall cum is probably a little on the low side, but my last 30-45 cr. gpa and science gpa should be really high.

I have not yet taken the GRE but I'm signed up to take it at the end of the summer. Not to jinx anything, but I typically do very well on standardized tests (got a 2250 on my SAT).

Extracurricular/Misc:

Volunteering at the animal shelter (yes I work there but I've also logged a lot of volunteer hours for special events and such).
Member of the VTA student chapter at my school.
I studied abroad for a summer in Italy.

Experience:

I've worked at a Humane Society for 4 years. I have over 5,000 hours there. I help on surgery days, do adoption counseling, behavior testing, clean kennels and tech duties. The techs are great and allow me to do so much and have shown me so many things - I'm not just forced to "shadow." I'm allowed to give injections, do blood draws, fecals, anesthesia, clip & prep for surgery, assist the vet during surgery, give meds, etc. etc.

I'm getting experience with a large animal vet this summer and should have 300-400 hours by the end of summer.

I'm 24. I'm a New York State resident. I'm planning on applying to Cornell, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Auburn. I'm also considering applying to Murdoch.

 

[WildVet18]

Does anybody have a time line that the schools tend to stick to? Like I know October 2 is the deadline for the applications, but I have heard that most schools do not get back to you about interviews until December? Anybody know about when they start looking at the applications and when the long torturous waiting period will come to an end?

Hi haley...this is the million-dollar question really. Everyone wants to know/tries to figure it out, but the timeline differs each year and between schools. For instance Davis switched from being one of the latest to interview/accept a few years ago, to being one of the earliest these last few years (interviews in December). Some schools send out interview invites pretty much all at the same time, while some, like Penn, send invites/interview/accept over the course of several months. Some schools, like Tufts and Florida, have early interviews for highly qualified applicants, and some, like Cornell and Georgia, don't interview at all. Plus there's the whole issue of state residency, because some schools invite/interview/accept in state people separately than out of state.

The only way to approximate a timeline is to look through the interview invite/acceptance threads from previous years or threads from the schools you are interested in to see when people started hearing back. But this is no guarantee, since it changes year-to-year.

 

[WildVet18]

Hello everyone, I'm OOS everywhere, probably applying to Penn, OVC and Michigan, large animal

cGPA: 3.952
Last 45: 3.938
Science: 4.0
GRE: didn't take yet

Vet Experience:
Small Animal ~230
Large Animal ~4

Research ~170
Animal ~275 large animal

Other
Honors Program
Dean's List most semesters
Work in a pharmacy ~15 hours/week
Doing a senior honor's research project with goats

My weakest point is probably my vet experience. I'm currently working at a vet clinic, but only one day a week. Trying to find jobs elsewhere, but haven't been successful. Clinics won't let me volunteer for liability reasons . Hopefully going to be shadowing a LA vet again this summer.

Hi Tante...I think you are right that your vet experience is your weakest point. Your grades are great, and hopefully you will do well on your GRE, but even if it's just average your grades are high enough to make up for that.

So that being said, your vet/animal experience is VERY low compared to most applicants. I understand the issue of liability concerns in clinics...I had a lot of difficulty getting in to clinics this way too. I think that the best thing to do is find any kind of animal facility that has a program specifically set up for pre-veterinary students...this is how I got most of my experience. They will already have the proper paperwork and safety precautions set up so that liability is not really an issue. Try vet schools...some of them have summer programs to gain experience. I know that Penn and Tufts do, and I believe several other schools as well. Basically just google "Pre-Veterinary or Animal Care internships near (wherever you want to be)" and hopefully you can find some suggestions! There are threads about this on SDN too.

Another suggestion is looking at zoos, wildlife rehab centers, shelters, university animal science departments and labs that work with animals. These types of facilities have legal control/ownership over their own animals (rather than clients who bring in their pets) so there are fewer liability issues. Also, have you tried asking the clinic where you work one day a week if you can shadow on other days? If you are already a paid employee, you should be covered by their liability insurance.

Are you planning on applying this cycle? If so, I think you might have a difficult time getting in even with your excellent grades. Your hours are just really low compared with a lot of applicants who also have top grades. Particularly schools are going to want to see a LOT more large animal hours if that is your area of interest. Basically as your applications is now, adcoms will no doubt see that you would have no problem succeeding academically in vet school, but they would question if you really understand the veterinary profession.

I think if you are waiting another year (applying for the class of 2020) and if you can get your hours up over that year, you will have a great chance. Also I would recommend trying to get involved in some other non-vet related extra curricula's, especially in leadership roles. Schools like applicants you are very involved outside of veterinary medicine 🙂

Hi Guys -

I would like some honest feedback about my chances of getting accepted into vet school. I'm planning on applying this fall and I'm terrified that I won't get accepted.

Academics:

I got my B.S. from Clarkson University in Global Supply Chain Management. Being that I was a business major I only took only one science course to meet my gen ed requirement - 2 semester college bio series (10 cr) - which I didn't do fantastic in. Lecture was 3 credits and I got a C+ both semesters, lab was 2 credits and I got a B+ in the first semester and an A in the second semester. I also took some math here stats (A), precalc (B), calc I (D+ - horrible I know), Calc II (C+ - again horrible, don't remind me). All my other classes were business related or gen ed. I was on the Dean's list 6 out of the 8 semesters (as you can probably figure, the semesters that I didn't make it and which wrecked my GPA were the semesters I took calc). Cumulative GPA was not super impressive - 3.19.

Then I decided I wanted to get into vet school and got serious. I enrolled in a veterinary technology program and have been taking vet tech classes while completing my science prereqs. I just finished my first year and got a 4.o both semesters, president's list both semesters and was awarded for having the highest GPA in the program. For science courses I took physics I & II, college chem I & II, biology and society (300 level) and genetics (300 level). Tech courses - vet nursing skills I&II, issues and perspectives in vet med, clin path, A&P, intro to animal science. Will be taking biochem this summer and ochem, micro and pathophysiology + more tech courses next year.

So as you can see my overall cum is probably a little on the low side, but my last 30-45 cr. gpa and science gpa should be really high.

I have not yet taken the GRE but I'm signed up to take it at the end of the summer. Not to jinx anything, but I typically do very well on standardized tests (got a 2250 on my SAT).

Extracurricular/Misc:

Volunteering at the animal shelter (yes I work there but I've also logged a lot of volunteer hours for special events and such).
Member of the VTA student chapter at my school.
I studied abroad for a summer in Italy.

Experience:

I've worked at a Humane Society for 4 years. I have over 5,000 hours there. I help on surgery days, do adoption counseling, behavior testing, clean kennels and tech duties. The techs are great and allow me to do so much and have shown me so many things - I'm not just forced to "shadow." I'm allowed to give injections, do blood draws, fecals, anesthesia, clip & prep for surgery, assist the vet during surgery, give meds, etc. etc.

I'm getting experience with a large animal vet this summer and should have 300-400 hours by the end of summer.

I'm 24. I'm a New York State resident. I'm planning on applying to Cornell, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Auburn. I'm also considering applying to Murdoch.

Hi hagel,

Well over all that GPA is low, but if you look through accepted students stats threads you will see that there are definitely people who get in with GPAs like yours, and like you many of them are non-trad applicants who have much stronger last 45/science gpas. But I am kind of confused as to what you are doing now academically. So just to clarify...you are studying to become a vet tech full-time, but also taking science pre-requisites? Are you hoping to work as a tech for a while first or are you doing the program to gain veterinary experience/knowledge? While being a tech certainly gets you great experience and many applicants have worked as a tech (either certified or trained on the job), most of these people have started with studying to be a tech, worked in the field for a while, then took pre-reqs/applied to vet school. It is pretty unusual to be in a vet-tech program when you are planning to apply to vet school ASAP, and I'm not quite sure how adcoms will view this. Most vet schools don't count vet tech classes for pre-requisites, so they won't figure in to your science/pre-req GPA, and if you are applying to schools that require A&P or animal science, you may have to re take them outside of your tech program. Also not sure what the class is like at your school specifically, but a lot of vet schools don't count "biology and society" type classes as fulfilling the biology pre-requisite, even if it is 300 level. When did you take your Bio class at Clarkson? Pre-requisites usually expire after 5-10 years (depending on the school). If you took this class recently, your C+ will count as fulfilling your bio pre requisite, but you might want to consider re-taking intro biology to improve your chances at schools that do grade-replacement. Also most schools have some form of a math pre-requisite...for some your stats will be fine, but you might have to take another semester of calc.

Were you planning on applying this cycle? Even though you can apply with some pre-requisites left, having ochem, microbio, and maybe math and animal sciences classes left will make it difficult to get in this year since those are pretty key classes. But if you keep on the grade/experience track you are on now, you should have a solid chance next cycle! Just rock the GREs and get some diversity of experience!

Also a side note, I don't think pathophysiology is required at any vet school, so unless it is required for your tech program, you might want to take that time to retake a calc class or animal science if needed, or take cell bio or another course required at certain schools. Good luck!

 

[orca2011]

Hello everyone, I'm OOS everywhere, probably applying to Penn, OVC and Michigan, large animal

cGPA: 3.952
Last 45: 3.938
Science: 4.0
GRE: didn't take yet

Vet Experience:
Small Animal ~230
Large Animal ~4

Research ~170
Animal ~275 large animal

Other
Honors Program
Dean's List most semesters
Work in a pharmacy ~15 hours/week
Doing a senior honor's research project with goats

My weakest point is probably my vet experience. I'm currently working at a vet clinic, but only one day a week. Trying to find jobs elsewhere, but haven't been successful. Clinics won't let me volunteer for liability reasons . Hopefully going to be shadowing a LA vet again this summer.

Pretty much going to second what Wildvet said, but I can speak a little more specifically about Penn and their application. Your hours are definitely your weak spot and Penn specifically asks you to list how many hours you have in the area of your interest. You will most definitely need to boost those by the fall if you plan on applying this year. Each year, it seems like the application pool keeps getting more competitive, so you definitely need to do what you can to put your best application forward. The research hours will help you out some (esp. if you at all interested in research) but I don't think they're high enough to fully make up for lower vet hours.

And it seems to be a common misconception that everything needs to be hands on. It does not. Hours count even if your standing in the corner watching how the doctor interacts with clients in a variety of situations. That is equally important (if not more important at times) than knowing how to draw blood, etc. You'll learn that in school. Ask around at clinics and specifically mention that you'd like to shadow/observe. It might get your foot in the door and there is less concern about liability. And only ask for one day at a time. If it goes well, then mention at the end of the day how you had a positive experience and would like to come back. Definitely contact any shelters in the area. They might have kennel tech positions that will allow you to work your way up to more vet related skills or need extra help on vaccine clinic days. I've volunteered at vaccine clinics where they have done 700+ animals in a day, so you can definitely get some experience there. Even look at receptionist jobs. You'll learn how to deal with people when they're in all kinds of moods that way. Do you have any friends who ride horses or work on farms? Ask them who their vet is and then contact that vet. Basically, the more people you talk to and contact, the more likely you're going to get a yes from someone.

 

[hagel100]

Hi Tante...I think you are right that your vet experience is your weakest point. Your grades are great, and hopefully you will do well on your GRE, but even if it's just average your grades are high enough to make up for that.

So that being said, your vet/animal experience is VERY low compared to most applicants. I understand the issue of liability concerns in clinics...I had a lot of difficulty getting in to clinics this way too. I think that the best thing to do is find any kind of animal facility that has a program specifically set up for pre-veterinary students...this is how I got most of my experience. They will already have the proper paperwork and safety precautions set up so that liability is not really an issue. Try vet schools...some of them have summer programs to gain experience. I know that Penn and Tufts do, and I believe several other schools as well. Basically just google "Pre-Veterinary or Animal Care internships near (wherever you want to be)" and hopefully you can find some suggestions! There are threads about this on SDN too.

Another suggestion is looking at zoos, wildlife rehab centers, shelters, university animal science departments and labs that work with animals. These types of facilities have legal control/ownership over their own animals (rather than clients who bring in their pets) so there are fewer liability issues. Also, have you tried asking the clinic where you work one day a week if you can shadow on other days? If you are already a paid employee, you should be covered by their liability insurance.

Are you planning on applying this cycle? If so, I think you might have a difficult time getting in even with your excellent grades. Your hours are just really low compared with a lot of applicants who also have top grades. Particularly schools are going to want to see a LOT more large animal hours if that is your area of interest. Basically as your applications is now, adcoms will no doubt see that you would have no problem succeeding academically in vet school, but they would question if you really understand the veterinary profession.

I think if you are waiting another year (applying for the class of 2020) and if you can get your hours up over that year, you will have a great chance. Also I would recommend trying to get involved in some other non-vet related extra curricula's, especially in leadership roles. Schools like applicants you are very involved outside of veterinary medicine 🙂



Hi hagel,

Well over all that GPA is low, but if you look through accepted students stats threads you will see that there are definitely people who get in with GPAs like yours, and like you many of them are non-trad applicants who have much stronger last 45/science gpas. But I am kind of confused as to what you are doing now academically. So just to clarify...you are studying to become a vet tech full-time, but also taking science pre-requisites? Are you hoping to work as a tech for a while first or are you doing the program to gain veterinary experience/knowledge? While being a tech certainly gets you great experience and many applicants have worked as a tech (either certified or trained on the job), most of these people have started with studying to be a tech, worked in the field for a while, then took pre-reqs/applied to vet school. It is pretty unusual to be in a vet-tech program when you are planning to apply to vet school ASAP, and I'm not quite sure how adcoms will view this. Most vet schools don't count vet tech classes for pre-requisites, so they won't figure in to your science/pre-req GPA, and if you are applying to schools that require A&P or animal science, you may have to re take them outside of your tech program. Also not sure what the class is like at your school specifically, but a lot of vet schools don't count "biology and society" type classes as fulfilling the biology pre-requisite, even if it is 300 level. When did you take your Bio class at Clarkson? Pre-requisites usually expire after 5-10 years (depending on the school). If you took this class recently, your C+ will count as fulfilling your bio pre requisite, but you might want to consider re-taking intro biology to improve your chances at schools that do grade-replacement. Also most schools have some form of a math pre-requisite...for some your stats will be fine, but you might have to take another semester of calc.

Were you planning on applying this cycle? Even though you can apply with some pre-requisites left, having ochem, microbio, and maybe math and animal sciences classes left will make it difficult to get in this year since those are pretty key classes. But if you keep on the grade/experience track you are on now, you should have a solid chance next cycle! Just rock the GREs and get some diversity of experience!

Also a side note, I don't think pathophysiology is required at any vet school, so unless it is required for your tech program, you might want to take that time to retake a calc class or animal science if needed, or take cell bio or another course required at certain schools. Good luck!

Hi -

Thanks for the feedback. I probably should have clarified a bit more about what I'm currently doing academically. I'm not really planning on becoming a tech. I already had a degree and needed to go back to school to fulfill prereqs and I know (or at least I'm told) that schools like to see you taking a full course load when you're taking prereqs so I figured that going back full time would be better than just taking a few courses here and there as a non-degree seeking student. I also liked the idea that taking some of the vet tech courses would give me some base knowledge for vet school (I realize that any courses I take in vet school would be way beyond the scope of the classes in the tech curriculum - but I thought this would help me out a little). I also figured that in the event a can't get into vet school, this would be my backup plan. If I just went back to school and took science prereqs and then didn't get accepted I'd be in the same boat I was in originally - a degree in GSCM with no desire to work in that field - with some extra science credits. BTW - the tech program offered at my school is a 4 year program designed to set graduates up for advanced degrees (like vet school) after graduation. It includes a lot more science than the traditional 2 year programs.

The only prereq courses I won't have completed by the time I apply are Ochem (but I will have biochem!) - which, unfortunately, I know is a big one. Pathophysiology and genetics were through the Bio Dept, so I was thinking they could count for upper level science prereqs. A&P is through the vet tech dept. I'm going to try to apply to schools that just require stats so I don't have to worry about that calc grade being a bigger issue than it already is. I'm not sure why Bio & Society wouldn't count? It was a very challenging course - we had units on immunology, cancer, GMOs, etc.

Bio at Clarkson was 2008-2009 so 5-6 years ago. I was considering re-taking it but my advisor (who is a vet) told me not to, he said it would be a waste of my time to retake a 100 level course and that it would look much better to just continue taking UL science courses and doing well. I called Cornell's admissions to run it by them and they told me the same thing, they'd rather see students take upper level courses and do well than retake lower level courses. They also told me that they would kind of "disregard" a grade on an intro course if upper level courses were taken and the student got a higher grade.

I figured this application cycle would be a bit of a reach for me.

 

[lhmhtd]

I posted my stats about a year ago, and just recently in the c/o of 2019 applicant thread but I haven't gotten feedback there yet. I am applying to UGA for sure, which will most likely be my IS (depends on a couple things right right now), and maybe A couple other schools in the southeast as well. My first choice is UGA. Here are my stats:

Current cum GPA: 3.55, I still have my summer courses to factor in- I'm taking 12 credits right now. I also still have a few classes left in the fall
Not sure about my last 45 GPA

Vet experience:
~1500 hrs at a small animal clinic as a vet assistant
~20 hrs at the emergency vet

Animal experience:
~750 hrs at a grooming facility
~1500 (?) hrs at boarding kennel
-almost a year of being the aquaculture project manager at my schools marine research facility. I maintained several species of zooplankton (and phytoplankton)
-don't know if this counts, nursing newborn kittens a couple summers ago which included waking up every TWO hrs to feed and potty the kittens
-pet ownership? I see some people list this but idk of it counts
-mucking poop at a horse rescue farm. Had no interaction w animals so idk if this counts
-a day at a wolf preserve helping to socialize wolf pups

Awards:
-presidents list one semester
-deans list 5 semesters

Research:
-I have been the lead investigator for characterizing bacteria collected in the Gulf of Mexico near the BP oil spill.
- I also did some work on apple snails in the Everglades. We studied capture probability, and whether snail kites had a preference for exotic or native apple snails

Other:
-VP and activities and events chairperson of Pre vet society
-VP of Association for a Women in Science
-secretary of American society of microbiology
-TA for zoology lab and microbiology lab

 

[lhmhtd]

Whoops forgot to mention aquatic animal husbandry. This consisted of caring for fish, crabs, urchins, corals, turtles, and sea snails 🙂

 

[WildVet18]

I'm not really planning on becoming a tech. I already had a degree and needed to go back to school to fulfill prereqs and I know (or at least I'm told) that schools like to see you taking a full course load when you're taking prereqs so I figured that going back full time would be better than just taking a few courses here and there as a non-degree seeking student.

Hi hagel...I think that it is true to some degree that vet schools like to see you succeed on a full course load, but you can have a full course load without being a degree-seeking student. You can do post bacc programs, for instance, or simply enroll in four pre-req classes at a time. I'm just saying this because, while there's nothing wrong with getting your tech degree and it is good to have a back-up plan, it might look a little odd to vet schools that you went in to a degree program that you didn't want to pursue. I may be totally wrong about this, just something to consider. Also not sure what your situation is financially, but it would probably save you some money to just take pre-reqs! Again nothing wrong with finishing your tech degree, just something to consider!

BTW - the tech program offered at my school is a 4 year program designed to set graduates up for advanced degrees (like vet school) after graduation. It includes a lot more science than the traditional 2 year programs...A&P is through the vet tech dept.

I'm not positive on this but I think that vet schools still don't count courses taken through vet tech programs even if they are four year programs...the rule (although I'm not sure this is really valid for all tech programs) is in place at most vet schools not because vet tech courses are any less advanced, but because they want you coming in with a general A&P course (or whatever the class may be) designed for all science majors/pre-professional students rather than a course focused towards vet techs. It's the same reason med schools won't generally accept courses taken at nursing programs, even if they are very competitive or masters-level. But I think the only way to know for sure is to contact the schools you are interested in and explain your program...they might do something like request your syllabi to evaluate your specific courses. Or I guess the most simple solution is to just apply to schools that don't require A&P (which a lot don't) 🙂.

I'm not sure why Bio & Society wouldn't count? It was a very challenging course - we had units on immunology, cancer, GMOs, etc.

Again this varies depending on your specific course so you will really have to ask vet schools directly. But I think generally the reason they don't accept these courses is not because they aren't challenging, but because they focus on multiple specific issues, like the ones you mentioned, and therefore do not really focus on one upper-level biology subject, like cell bio or microbio. I'm not saying they will ignore the course...it will probably still look good, I'm just not sure if it would count as an upper division science course in terms of fulfilling pre-requisites.

Bio at Clarkson was 2008-2009 so 5-6 years ago. I was considering re-taking it but my advisor (who is a vet) told me not to, he said it would be a waste of my time to retake a 100 level course and that it would look much better to just continue taking UL science courses and doing well. I called Cornell's admissions to run it by them and they told me the same thing, they'd rather see students take upper level courses and do well than retake lower level courses. They also told me that they would kind of "disregard" a grade on an intro course if upper level courses were taken and the student got a higher grade.

Yah I think this is definitely true of most schools...doing well in upper div can definitely outweigh previous poor grades in gen bio. Just make sure to check out the course-expiration rules at ALL of your schools....if any of them consider your Clarkson bio class to be too old, then you will definitely have to retake it even if you do amazingly in upper division courses. Missing a pre-requisite like that is a way to get your application put aside immediately, and it would be an unfortunate reason to be rejected after all of your hard work if you could have easily done well in gen bio!

 

[kdonalds]

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if anyone could tell me US schools that are more focused on your grades from the last 2 years over your science GPA. Most of my core science classes (basic bio, chem and physics) were taken in my first 2 years and I got an average of around a 65 for those however my last 2 years (4 semesters) my avg was around an 82, so hoping some schools will take that into account, considering that most of my last years courses were higher biology classes (genetics, nutrition, physiology, etc). Any ideas?
PS. Sorry for the % I'm from canada and really don't know how to convert to GPA, cause that is not how our grades were delivered up here.

 

[KCgophervet]

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if anyone could tell me US schools that are more focused on your grades from the last 2 years over your science GPA. Most of my core science classes (basic bio, chem and physics) were taken in my first 2 years and I got an average of around a 65 for those however my last 2 years (4 semesters) my avg was around an 82, so hoping some schools will take that into account, considering that most of my last years courses were higher biology classes (genetics, nutrition, physiology, etc). Any ideas?
PS. Sorry for the % I'm from canada and really don't know how to convert to GPA, cause that is not how our grades were delivered up here.

I know UMN focuses on last 45 credits and prerequisite GPA. I think Kansas also does? Not sure there.
As far as converting your grades go if you want a better idea, typically an A is between 90-100% = 3.7-4.0; B would be 80-89% = 2.7-3.3; C would be 70-79% = 1.7-2.3; and a D is 60-69% = 0.7-1.3. Then you take the number of credits for each class into account as well. http://gpacalculator.net/college-gpa-calculator/ that might help.

 

[WildVet18]

Hi Guys,
Just wondering if anyone could tell me US schools that are more focused on your grades from the last 2 years over your science GPA. Most of my core science classes (basic bio, chem and physics) were taken in my first 2 years and I got an average of around a 65 for those however my last 2 years (4 semesters) my avg was around an 82, so hoping some schools will take that into account, considering that most of my last years courses were higher biology classes (genetics, nutrition, physiology, etc). Any ideas?
PS. Sorry for the % I'm from canada and really don't know how to convert to GPA, cause that is not how our grades were delivered up here.

Hi kdonalds!

I believe that Illinois looks heavily at last 45 as well! However I think that your issue is that even if your last 45 is good, a "65" average on your core pre-req classes (which would be some kind of "D" in the US, as kcoughli said) would make those classes not count at most/all US (or foreign AVMA-accredited) schools. Most schools will only count a pre-requisite if you have a "C" or above (so around 72/73% and up)...a few will allow "C-" (~70-72) but most will not even allow that. So I think that you unfortunately will have to retake any class you got low 70s or below in before you can consider applying to vet schools. The good news is that this can make your last 45 GPA even higher!

 

[Dal00ch13]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking here for quite a while now, and have decided to post my stats. I would appreciate any pieces of advice you have for me! 🙂


21 year old female New York Resident. First time applicant for this cycle!!
Applying to: Cornell (dream school and my IS), Tufts, UPenn, NC State, UF, Ohio, maybe Virginia/Maryland?


Currently Attending: Mercy College- Honors, going to be a senior this fall

Major: Veterinary Technology specializing in Pre-Med (slightly worried they may look down on my "major choice" because it is a tech program even though it is a 4yr prgram and I am basically double majoring with my course load)


GPA: 3.98

Last 45hrs – 4.0

GRE: no scores yet, taking July 19th

I will have some prereqs in progress at the time of application (biochem and physics II). Over the summer I will also be taking an online course through Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute on energy meridians in small and large animals. My future goals are to be certified through their program in animal acupressure and become certified in acupuncture through the Chi Institute once I obtain my DVM! (I have a HUGE passion for holistic and non-traditional medicine and that is what I hope to do in the future 😍)


Veterinary Experience:

1100 as an assistant small animal private practice

400 hours as an emergency/critical care assistant at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists à continuing to work here throughout the summer so I will accumulate more hours

400 hours as an assistant to a SA holistic veterinarian certified in acupuncture and traditional Chinese western medicine.

130 hours with an avian/exotics vet

10 hours with a bovine vet in Costa Rica- performed palpations, assisted with castrations, administered vaccines

20 hours- Primate/Wildlife veterinarian in Costa Rica- worked with small primates, administered IM injections and performed physical exams with the vet

20 hours- Sea Turtle vet in Costa Rica at a rehabilitation and rescue center. **also collected data for research so I may include this in research as well**

50 hours with an equine vet at my barn à going to try and shadow at an emergency center this summer for additional hours




Animal Experience:

Horses- have owned and competed horses in various disciplines my whole life (hunter/jumper/eventing/dressage). 15,000+ hours. Also took a 16 hours Farrier’s Workshop freshman year, dissected and disarticulated a forelimb and worked in the barn with the farrier.

Sheep- 50 bathed, sheared, and worked with for a livestock show

Cows- 20 hours. Worked with on the campus farm taking rumen samples from fistulated cows and observing samples under the microscope. Also worked with further in Costa Rica deworming/giving injections/ milking/ moving between pens.

Pigs- about 10 hours from Costa Rica experience and working with on the campus farm.

Lemurs- volunteer at fundraiser for an animal sanctuary where you took a photo with the lemur. Worked with him to “pose” on peoples shoulders ect.

Saltwater Reefkeeping- 10,000+ hours owned a large number/ variety of saltwater tanks for 10 years. Part of various online reef clubs and participated in club meets and coral swaps. Also successfully bred and sold captive bred seahorses for 5 years. Tasks included raising live food sources for the fry and training onto frozen food sources.

**I am going to emphasize this part of my application because I feel not only is it unique, but it is one of the major reasons I developed such an interest in vet med. My seahorse “herd” became very ill, and I tried all the known treatments in the field. I went to the lengths of contacting veterinarians and sending their bodies out for necropsies. They ended up having a nasty strain of Mycobacterium and I tragically lost them all. This was a major event that sparked such a passion for the daily process in vet med- diagnosis, treatment, successes/failures ect. **

Pet Sitting- 200 hours

I will be obtaining some more wildlife hours this summer with a certified NYS rehabilitator as well. May also obtain a volunteer position at an aquarium in Long Island for some additional hours.


Other work experience:

-Anatomy Lab TA through my school for one semester

-STEM student mentor through my school- started this summer

-Independent Artist- I paint murals in restaurants, nurseries, and other businesses. Seasonal work for the most part but a lot of time has been spent doing this.

Camp Counselor at my barn for the summer riding program. Also have worked with Pegasus.


Research:

20 hours right now in perineuronal net formation in the chick retina, moving the project to focus on zebrafish. I am working with a research professor who is also the head of the natural sciences department to establish a zebrafish breeding facility at our college. Continuing this much more over the summer so the number will most likely be 150+ hours
Including the sea turtle research above^ 20 hours


Leadership positions:

Vice President of the Veterinary Technology Club 2012-2013

President of the Veterinary Technology Club 2013-2014

Captain of the riding team and my barn – 2012-present


Awards and other stuff:

Won the Hellenic Times Scholarship in 2013

Canine CPR certified through the Red Cross

Presidential Transfer Merit Scholarship 2012- 2013

Dean’s List 2011- present

Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Fraternity 2011- present

Phi Eta Sigma Honors Fraternity 2011- present

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars 2011- present

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: Won Gold Key Award for Painting Division 2010

eLORs-
-My academic advisor (who is a DVM)
-SA vet
-Professor I am doing research with
-Holistic veterinarian
(unsure about a 5th letter)



My only concern is I do have one “W” on my transcript. My first year of undergrad I attended the University of Maryland and I was placed with a bipolar depressive roommate who attempted to commit suicide and also physical abused someone on our floor (my best friend at the time who lived across the hall). Once this event occurred, things simply fell apart for me there. I was terrified of her, and she was nocturnal to boot, so I never even felt safe when it was time to go to sleep. She created a world of lies and turned the entire floor against me, making the situation even more horrible. My female RA was basically MIA (she failed to remember our names by the end of the first year, pretty pathetic) so I felt I had nowhere to turn and quickly found myself in a depression myself. I was suffering from anxiety attacks and really lost a sense for who I was 😢. I dropped Orgo because I knew my own limitations, and felt that I did not have the energy to put into it in my current state, and instead focused on myself and my other courses (made it out with an A in all of those). Since then, I have transferred to a school closer to home, addressed my depression and anxiety with the help of a doctor, and have retaken Orgo and received an A for I & II. I am back on my groove and plan to explain all of this on my application so they are not left wondering what happened there.

Sorry for the lengthy post!! I appreciate it so much if you hung in there to read it all haha. Looking forward to ANY advice. Thanks in advance🙂🙂!

 

[Rattietoo]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading threads for months now, trying to figure out what I should be doing (or not doing). After a lot of soul searching I applied to vet tech school and fell in love with veterinary medicine. I am hoping for advice on how to improve my acceptance chances. I was not focused when working towards my bachelors and ended up with a low GPA. I ended up getting almost all A’s in tech school, even though it is much harder than my bachelors in bio courses, I guess that's what persistence can help you do! Anyways, here are my stats, I'd appreciate any feedback, thank you so much!
Major: BA in Biology 2010, AAS in Veterinary Technology 2014
GPA: 2.97 with BA (2.8 with 2 years community college, 3.14 with 2 years at 4 year college), 3.94 in Veterinary Technology=3.29 total GPA
Science GPA: I'm not sure, I still need Physics I & II, O Chemistry I & II and Biochemistry, I'm guessing it will be around 3.4
Last 45 hours: Again, I'm not sure but I'm guessing it will be around 3.5
With my many credits, I can't improve my GPA much. I definitely have an upward trend. I am returning to my old 4 year college postbacc to get my last prereqs needed.

GRE: I haven't taken them yet, I am planning on taking them this fall/winter
Veterinary experience:
170 hours shelter medicine
40 hours exotic exclusive vet
100 hours assistant at SA vaccination/wellness clinic
40 hours emergency clinic
100 hours LA

Animal experience:
150 hours shelter farm assistant
600 hours shelter kennel assistant
70 hours zoo keeper internship
240 hours pet sitter
Employment:
Kennel assistant, vet assistant, secretary, snack bar manager.
Achievements:
National Technical Honor Society in Criminal Justice, Deans list, Presidents list, student of the month in Criminal Justice.
Other activities:
Phi Theta Kappa member, Vet Tech club member, Wildlife Rehab license (pending), Walk for Farm Animals, high school activities: SADD, French club, peer counseling.
Personal Statement:
I started with a story about helping an animal when I was young even though I was getting criticized by the neighborhood kids. I then went into my education and how I wasn’t really sure how to help animals as a career. After starting my vet tech program, I discussed how I ended up finding a lot of opportunities in the field and started diving into veterinary medicine. I ended with my goals of wanting to become a shelter vet and eventually operate a spay and neuter mobile clinic.
I am continuing to get vet experience and hoping to work 20-30 hours a week at a vet office to gain more experience. I’m looking into applying at Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and Cornell (IS). Thank you!

 

[Gwenevre]

I've never posted my stats, but I've been really looking into schools so I figured why not. I'm a senior at Purdue, graduating in December a semester early. I'm looking to apply to Purdue, Illinois, and considering Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee.

Cummulative GPA: 3.49
Last 45: 3.52
Science: 3.45 (I honestly wasn't sure what courses to include in this calculation, because physics tanked me, and I know that I have other science classes that could really bump this up)
GRE scores: V: 155 Q: 151 AW: 3.5

Vet Experience
Large Animals: ~3 (will be volunteering at LAH in fall)
Small Animals: 1,000+ (have volunteered in Neurology department for 2.5 years)
Exotics: 0

Animal Experience
Personal Pet Ownership, breeding of Pomeranians
Volunteering at grooming salon in high school
*(Will be volunteering at local zoo in fall)

Research
Meat Color Trial; was trained to discern between hues in color spectrum to properly evaluate cuts of meat based on color brightness and percent of discoloration related to meat oxidation, and how that related to customer perception of "bad meat." ~15 hours

Heat Stress and Perch Conditions on Laying Hens; evaluate behavioral and physiologic changes in laying hens when subject to heat stress, and how varying perch conditions may affect these behaviors.

Employment
A lot. Starting with high school to now:
-Office Associate for three months in a Health Care office, answered phones, organized files and folders, filled out paperwork, made copies. My mom got me the job, and she went out for surgery halfway through the summer, so I ended up taking over half her position.
-Worked as a student aid for three years in high school at the library as customer service
-Working as a Libraries Student Associate for full time I've been at college in the vet library. Customer service, assisted in remodeling of library, being in charge of office after hours and open and close library.
-Notetaker for Purdue's Disability Resource Center. Attend class for a student, take detailed notes, deliver notes in a timely fashion. Also serve as a reader/writer for exams in the testing facility
-TA'ed for our Domestic Physiology and Anatomy course for a semester
-Student Office Coordinator for Purdue Res life. I'm in charge of 21 students over four buildings, making sure that the front desks have coverage for summer conferences, summer school students. Serve as liaison between students and administrative staff. I'm the person my students call when something goes wrong, even when i'm not On-Call... On top of that, this is my first time working in Res Life and I was offered a supervisory position off the bat.

Extracurricular
Archery Club
Western Equestrian Team. I served as webmaster for two years
Student Usher Club
Sound Board/tech assistant for Purdue Cru for a year and a half
Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader (our week-long orientation program, lead a group of 14 freshmen)
Animal Science Team Facilitator (semester-long ansc career course, lead a group of 5 freshmen)

Academic
A whole holy host of scholarships and semester honors from freshman year until now

LORs
-Physio professor I TA'ed for
-Libraries Supervisor
-Neurology tech
-Neurology tech
-Neurology DVM
-debating whether or not to ask another one of the docs at Neuro or as my SOC supervisor (only three weeks in and she raves about how good of a job I do)

I'm a re-applicant, and I was told during my last file review that my PS was great, so I will most likely update and submit that (thank God VMCAS saved my final draft because I didn't ) as well as not re-take the GRE, simply because I know I don't do well with standardized testing and I'd rather take my scores as they are.
I'm mostly worried that my experiences won't be enough, or not diverse enough by the time I actually submit my application. I've spent a lot of time in the Neuro department, and I love the people there. I was never able to get over to Large Animal because you had ot have certain blocks of time available to you.

 

[wildchild210]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking here for quite a while now, and have decided to post my stats. I would appreciate any pieces of advice you have for me! 🙂

21 year old female New York Resident. First time applicant for this cycle!!
Applying to: Cornell (dream school and my IS), Tufts, UPenn, NC State, UF, Ohio, maybe Virginia/Maryland?

Currently Attending: Mercy College- Honors, going to be a senior this fall

Major: Veterinary Technology specializing in Pre-Med (slightly worried they may look down on my "major choice" because it is a tech program even though it is a 4yr prgram and I am basically double majoring with my course load)

GPA: 3.98

Last 45hrs – 4.0

GRE: no scores yet, taking July 19th

I will have some prereqs in progress at the time of application (biochem and physics II). Over the summer I will also be taking an online course through Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute on energy meridians in small and large animals. My future goals are to be certified through their program in animal acupressure and become certified in acupuncture through the Chi Institute once I obtain my DVM! (I have a HUGE passion for holistic and non-traditional medicine and that is what I hope to do in the future 😍)

Veterinary Experience:

1100 as an assistant small animal private practice

400 hours as an emergency/critical care assistant at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists à continuing to work here throughout the summer so I will accumulate more hours

400 hours as an assistant to a SA holistic veterinarian certified in acupuncture and traditional Chinese western medicine.

130 hours with an avian/exotics vet

10 hours with a bovine vet in Costa Rica- performed palpations, assisted with castrations, administered vaccines

20 hours- Primate/Wildlife veterinarian in Costa Rica- worked with small primates, administered IM injections and performed physical exams with the vet

20 hours- Sea Turtle vet in Costa Rica at a rehabilitation and rescue center. **also collected data for research so I may include this in research as well**

50 hours with an equine vet at my barn à going to try and shadow at an emergency center this summer for additional hours


Animal Experience:

Horses- have owned and competed horses in various disciplines my whole life (hunter/jumper/eventing/dressage). 15,000+ hours. Also took a 16 hours Farrier’s Workshop freshman year, dissected and disarticulated a forelimb and worked in the barn with the farrier.

Sheep- 50 bathed, sheared, and worked with for a livestock show

Cows- 20 hours. Worked with on the campus farm taking rumen samples from fistulated cows and observing samples under the microscope. Also worked with further in Costa Rica deworming/giving injections/ milking/ moving between pens.

Pigs- about 10 hours from Costa Rica experience and working with on the campus farm.

Lemurs- volunteer at fundraiser for an animal sanctuary where you took a photo with the lemur. Worked with him to “pose” on peoples shoulders ect.

Saltwater Reefkeeping- 10,000+ hours owned a large number/ variety of saltwater tanks for 10 years. Part of various online reef clubs and participated in club meets and coral swaps. Also successfully bred and sold captive bred seahorses for 5 years. Tasks included raising live food sources for the fry and training onto frozen food sources.

**I am going to emphasize this part of my application because I feel not only is it unique, but it is one of the major reasons I developed such an interest in vet med. My seahorse “herd” became very ill, and I tried all the known treatments in the field. I went to the lengths of contacting veterinarians and sending their bodies out for necropsies. They ended up having a nasty strain of Mycobacterium and I tragically lost them all. This was a major event that sparked such a passion for the daily process in vet med- diagnosis, treatment, successes/failures ect. **

Pet Sitting- 200 hours

I will be obtaining some more wildlife hours this summer with a certified NYS rehabilitator as well. May also obtain a volunteer position at an aquarium in Long Island for some additional hours.

Other work experience:

-Anatomy Lab TA through my school for one semester

-STEM student mentor through my school- started this summer

-Independent Artist- I paint murals in restaurants, nurseries, and other businesses. Seasonal work for the most part but a lot of time has been spent doing this.

Camp Counselor at my barn for the summer riding program. Also have worked with Pegasus.

Research:

20 hours right now in perineuronal net formation in the chick retina, moving the project to focus on zebrafish. I am working with a research professor who is also the head of the natural sciences department to establish a zebrafish breeding facility at our college. Continuing this much more over the summer so the number will most likely be 150+ hours
Including the sea turtle research above^ 20 hours

Leadership positions:

Vice President of the Veterinary Technology Club 2012-2013

President of the Veterinary Technology Club 2013-2014

Captain of the riding team and my barn – 2012-present

Awards and other stuff:

Won the Hellenic Times Scholarship in 2013

Canine CPR certified through the Red Cross

Presidential Transfer Merit Scholarship 2012- 2013

Dean’s List 2011- present

Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Fraternity 2011- present

Phi Eta Sigma Honors Fraternity 2011- present

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars 2011- present

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: Won Gold Key Award for Painting Division 2010

eLORs-
-My academic advisor (who is a DVM)
-SA vet
-Professor I am doing research with
-Holistic veterinarian
(unsure about a 5th letter)


My only concern is I do have one “W” on my transcript. My first year of undergrad I attended the University of Maryland and I was placed with a bipolar depressive roommate who attempted to commit suicide and also physical abused someone on our floor (my best friend at the time who lived across the hall). Once this event occurred, things simply fell apart for me there. I was terrified of her, and she was nocturnal to boot, so I never even felt safe when it was time to go to sleep. She created a world of lies and turned the entire floor against me, making the situation even more horrible. My female RA was basically MIA (she failed to remember our names by the end of the first year, pretty pathetic) so I felt I had nowhere to turn and quickly found myself in a depression myself. I was suffering from anxiety attacks and really lost a sense for who I was 😢. I dropped Orgo because I knew my own limitations, and felt that I did not have the energy to put into it in my current state, and instead focused on myself and my other courses (made it out with an A in all of those). Since then, I have transferred to a school closer to home, addressed my depression and anxiety with the help of a doctor, and have retaken Orgo and received an A for I & II. I am back on my groove and plan to explain all of this on my application so they are not left wondering what happened there.

Sorry for the lengthy post!! I appreciate it so much if you hung in there to read it all haha. Looking forward to ANY advice. Thanks in advance🙂🙂!

I think your stats and experiences look great. As long as you have all the prereqs for the schools they don't look harshly at your major (although I think Cornell pays attention to the rigor of your college? someone else can correct me/give more info about it)

I wouldn't be too worried about the one W on your transcript, especially since you have a good GPA. As long as you do okay on the GRE I think you'll be just fine. Good luck!

 

[Iselia]

I am thinking of becoming a veterinarian but I'm not sure if my chances are already shot. In college, I debated between zoology and psychology as my major and decided on a BS in Psy instead of a BA due to the added sciences courses. However, I am worried about the grades I earned. Namely:
Gen Chem I- B
Gen Chem II- C
Intro to bio w/ lab- tested out with AP score from high school
Animal Behavior- B
Evolution- B
Genetics- C
Engineering Calculus- D (!!!)
Business Calculus (my attempt to re-take w/o the horror of engineering cal haha)- C
Statistics- A

Not sure if these two count but they were very, very science heavy:
Physiological Psychology (neuroscience)- A
Evolutionary Psychology- A

So you can see my science GPA is maybe a 3.0 at the point. :/ My cum GPA is a 3.4. I'd obviously have to go back to school and get pre-reqs out of the way. I'm afraid that I won't do so hot in Organic chemistry due to my track record with chemistry and how I've always struggled with it. I'm also not sure how committees will view all those low grades even if I go back to school and try my hardest to churn out As in science courses. Furthermore, I'm not sure how to get the required clinical vet experience. It seems many, many vets won't take volunteers due to liability for getting hurt on the job. So, I'm wondering if doing a vet tech program is a requirement to get this experience although that's A LOT of money that I'm not sure I can afford on top of going back to university for pre-reqs. Maybe I already screwed up too much. I'd appreciate all honest feedback.

 

[Aggievetgirl2013]

So I applied to TAMU vet school last year. My GPA starting out wasn't very good. I had 3,124 hrs of vet supervised experience & 3,303 hrs of animal experience. My GRE: 153, 153, 4.5 on writing. When I submitted my application last year my overall gpa was 3.2 with a 3.1 in science. Since last year, I have joined a biomedical science masters program & completed a certificate in nonprofit administration (I took business classes, management classes, leadership classes, etc) In the fall I received a 3.7 and last semester I had a 4.0. I'm taking summer school and expect an A. This past year I've shadowed an equine vet & helped out on a research project. I've been a camp counselor at my local humane society as well. SO, what do yall think my chances are going into this application cycle? Is it worth it to apply to out of state (I'm worried with my low gpa I won't be competitive enough). I'm still working to improve my GPA but I'm still worried. Any suggestions?

 

[WildVet18]

I am thinking of becoming a veterinarian but I'm not sure if my chances are already shot. In college, I debated between zoology and psychology as my major and decided on a BS in Psy instead of a BA due to the added sciences courses. However, I am worried about the grades I earned. Namely:
Gen Chem I- B
Gen Chem II- C
Intro to bio w/ lab- tested out with AP score from high school
Animal Behavior- B
Evolution- B
Genetics- C
Engineering Calculus- D (!!!)
Business Calculus (my attempt to re-take w/o the horror of engineering cal haha)- C
Statistics- A

Not sure if these two count but they were very, very science heavy:
Physiological Psychology (neuroscience)- A
Evolutionary Psychology- A

So you can see my science GPA is maybe a 3.0 at the point. :/ My cum GPA is a 3.4. I'd obviously have to go back to school and get pre-reqs out of the way. I'm afraid that I won't do so hot in Organic chemistry due to my track record with chemistry and how I've always struggled with it. I'm also not sure how committees will view all those low grades even if I go back to school and try my hardest to churn out As in science courses. Furthermore, I'm not sure how to get the required clinical vet experience. It seems many, many vets won't take volunteers due to liability for getting hurt on the job. So, I'm wondering if doing a vet tech program is a requirement to get this experience although that's A LOT of money that I'm not sure I can afford on top of going back to university for pre-reqs. Maybe I already screwed up too much. I'd appreciate all honest feedback.

I don't think you've screwed up your chances, but you do have a good chunk of work to do! You can get in to vet school with any major, so don't worry about choosing psychology instead of zoology. Adcoms definitely won't just automatically put your application aside because of a few C's...you just need to be strategic about where you apply. Some schools weigh your last 45 GPA really heavily, so if you do really well in the classes you take from now forward, it can make a huge difference! Some schools will also do grade-replacement or average grades together if you retake a class.

First of all, you definitely will have to take some more classes in order to finish your pre-requisites. Schools will usually count C's and and above as being high enough to count a course towards your prerequisites. So while you might consider retaking one or two of the "C" classes, it isn't required. You will have to take two semesters of biology because vet schools will not let AP credits count towards a pre-requisite. SOME schools will let AP bio get you out of taking Gen/Intro Bio, but those schools require that you take two semesters of advanced biology courses with labs to count as your biology prerequisite. These two courses usually cannot include other biology pre-requisites courses needed for that school, so if they specifically require Genetics, Microbiology, Biochem, etc., these courses will not count towards your "general biology" pre-requisites. Some schools will not let you get out of Intro Bio even with the AP credit, so it might be the best idea to just take the two-semester intro bio with lab sequence.

You may need to take a few other advanced biology classes, depending on where you want to apply. Biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology and/or anatomy and physiology are courses that some schools require. Some schools might count your neuroscience class as an advanced bio class, but probably not evolutionary psychology. You DEFINITELY will need to take ochem...don't freak out about it! People make it out to be really scary, and it doesn't have to be. Some people who don't do so hot in gen chem actually do really well in ochem, and vice versa. It's a different kind of thinking in ochem. You will also have to take one or two semesters of physics, depending on what schools you apply to.

In terms of calculus, a few schools do require it but many only require statistics or they require a semester of math and don't have a specific preference. So if you stick to schools that don't require calculus, you don't have to worry about retaking it.

I know how hard it is to find vet hours, but you DON'T have to go to a vet tech program! In fact adcoms don't like to see people going in to vet tech programs just for the purpose of getting vet experience. If you go to a vet tech program it should be because you want to become a vet tech! Start by looking for specific internship programs set up for pre-vet students...you can find them by looking around on the internet and by looking through this forum, as well as asking your university's (even if you have graduated) career center or pre-health advisor. Also look at vet schools...several of them have summer programs (or longer-term volunteer opportunities) for pre-vet students. You can also look around to get jobs/volunteer positions that are not directly vet-related, but in animal care settings, For instance you could be a kennel or cattery assistant or a receptionist at a veterinary hospital, volunteer at a shelter, a zoo, a wildlife center, etc. All of these places work with vets to some degree, even if they do not have full-time vets. So if you do good work at one of these places, you can ask them to put you in touch with the vets they work with and maybe get a shadowing opportunity that way. Also when you contact any vet, make sure you are clear that you don't have to be hands on with the animals...let them know you will clean up after appointments, organize files, etc., and that you just want to observe appointments/surgeries. Vets are a lot more willing to let you come in if they realize you have no expectations of actually handling the animals!

So in general explore schools, look at what pre-requisite classes you need and get signed up for them! Start looking for any kind of animal experience, and eventually think about signing up for and taking the GRE! Good luck!

So I applied to TAMU vet school last year. My GPA starting out wasn't very good. I had 3,124 hrs of vet supervised experience & 3,303 hrs of animal experience. My GRE: 153, 153, 4.5 on writing. When I submitted my application last year my overall gpa was 3.2 with a 3.1 in science. Since last year, I have joined a biomedical science masters program & completed a certificate in nonprofit administration (I took business classes, management classes, leadership classes, etc) In the fall I received a 3.7 and last semester I had a 4.0. I'm taking summer school and expect an A. This past year I've shadowed an equine vet & helped out on a research project. I've been a camp counselor at my local humane society as well. SO, what do yall think my chances are going into this application cycle? Is it worth it to apply to out of state (I'm worried with my low gpa I won't be competitive enough). I'm still working to improve my GPA but I'm still worried. Any suggestions?

First of all, did you get an interview at TAMU? Did you do a file review? That is the best and most direct way to know what your chances are! Also what grades were bringing you down? Were they in pre-requisite/science classes? I think that you definitely have a chance out-of-state, particularly at schools that weigh last 45 heavily! Looks like you have a significant amount of hours, so also look at schools that weigh experience very heavily! I think it would also serve you well to study really hard, take a lot of practice tests and retake the GRE! Your scores are below average for a lot of schools, and it is a part of your application that is relatively easy to improve! 🙂

 

[neocia]

Just opened VMCAS and looking for any suggestions to flesh it out over the summer (I know I need LA vet experience but I do have a lot of LA experience in the "animal" category); I tried to have pretty varied experience so hoping that's a plus. Thank you to everyone who posts and responds in this thread - I love reading all of it! 🙂
GPA: 3.76
Science GPA: probably around 3.3 (that's probably a low estimate, A's in orgo, physics, etc.)
GRE: Taking in August

Vet Experience:
900 hours dogs and cats clinic - first shadowed, then worked as vet tech/vet assist. (I still work here)
70 hours exotics (mostly reptiles and rabbits) clinic - shadow
30 hours low cost spay and neuter clinic - shadow
30 hours cat rescue TNR clinic - shadow

Animal Experience:
200 hours educational farm with cows, goats, and chickens at a well-respected zoo - volunteer
90 hours marine animal (sea lions, penguins, otters, rays) care at aquarium - volunteer
400+ hours farm animal rescue with horses, potbelly pigs, camelids, & goats - volunteer
1000+ hours dog shelter - volunteer/work
Unsure how much pet ownership truly counts but have owned dozens of rats, mice, pigeons, hamsters, rabbits, chickens, a gecko, a tarantula, dogs, raised newborn kittens, maintain a lot of freshwater fish tanks, etc.

Research:
Biochem lab with fish and frogs - 100+ hours

Misc:
Worked at a natural history museum where I was basically a tour guide and taught frog dissections to grade school kids
Volunteer in art department at home for people with disabilities
Dean's List all through undergrad
Won some random English scholarship senior year of high school - not sure if that counts?
Pre-Vet Club pres.

ELORS: Orgo professor, 2 vets I work with, animal shelter manager (volunteered there 2 yrs, employed there for ~2 yrs)

 

[Dal00ch13]

wildchild210, thanks for the reply! I am slightly worried about Cornell as well. Anybody else have more insight into this? Does Cornell look more closely than the others at your undergrad school?

 

[TheComfyCat]

wildchild210, thanks for the reply! I am slightly worried about Cornell as well. Anybody else have more insight into this? Does Cornell look more closely than the others at your undergrad school?

Your stats are awesome. I wouldn't bother worrying about things like this that are totally out of your control, since it's not like you can change your school now. But for what it's worth, I think a small percentage of their admissions criteria includes rigor of your undergraduate institution... Well, it was included last year, but I can't find it on their website now. You could look for their admissions criteria, or email them and ask. They were really nice (and quick to respond) when I had questions for them.

But honestly, I don't think you should worry about it. Focus on writing a strong personal statement and studying for your GRE.

 

[TheComfyCat]

Hello everyone,
I have been reading threads for months now, trying to figure out what I should be doing (or not doing). After a lot of soul searching I applied to vet tech school and fell in love with veterinary medicine. I am hoping for advice on how to improve my acceptance chances. I was not focused when working towards my bachelors and ended up with a low GPA. I ended up getting almost all A’s in tech school, even though it is much harder than my bachelors in bio courses, I guess that's what persistence can help you do! Anyways, here are my stats, I'd appreciate any feedback, thank you so much!
Major: BA in Biology 2010, AAS in Veterinary Technology 2014
GPA: 2.97 with BA (2.8 with 2 years community college, 3.14 with 2 years at 4 year college), 3.94 in Veterinary Technology=3.29 total GPA
Science GPA: I'm not sure, I still need Physics I & II, O Chemistry I & II and Biochemistry, I'm guessing it will be around 3.4
Last 45 hours: Again, I'm not sure but I'm guessing it will be around 3.5
With my many credits, I can't improve my GPA much. I definitely have an upward trend. I am returning to my old 4 year college postbacc to get my last prereqs needed.

GRE: I haven't taken them yet, I am planning on taking them this fall/winter
Veterinary experience:
170 hours shelter medicine
40 hours exotic exclusive vet
100 hours assistant at SA vaccination/wellness clinic
40 hours emergency clinic
100 hours LA

Animal experience:
150 hours shelter farm assistant
600 hours shelter kennel assistant
70 hours zoo keeper internship
240 hours pet sitter
Employment:
Kennel assistant, vet assistant, secretary, snack bar manager.
Achievements:
National Technical Honor Society in Criminal Justice, Deans list, Presidents list, student of the month in Criminal Justice.
Other activities:
Phi Theta Kappa member, Vet Tech club member, Wildlife Rehab license (pending), Walk for Farm Animals, high school activities: SADD, French club, peer counseling.
Personal Statement:
I started with a story about helping an animal when I was young even though I was getting criticized by the neighborhood kids. I then went into my education and how I wasn’t really sure how to help animals as a career. After starting my vet tech program, I discussed how I ended up finding a lot of opportunities in the field and started diving into veterinary medicine. I ended with my goals of wanting to become a shelter vet and eventually operate a spay and neuter mobile clinic.
I am continuing to get vet experience and hoping to work 20-30 hours a week at a vet office to gain more experience. I’m looking into applying at Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and Cornell (IS). Thank you!

Since you have a low GPA, you need to stand out in other areas. Plus you can apply to schools that play to your strengths, such as schools that don't look at cumulative GPA. It sounds like you're continuing to increase your experience hours, which is a good idea, since your vet hours are pretty average. It's nice to see you have diversity, though. Do you have any leadership experiences? If so, I recommend stressing them in your application. For example, do you do adoption counseling at the animal shelter? There are often a lot of great leadership experiences you can get at an animal shelter if you interact with/ educate the public. You might also want to have people read over your personal statement for you to make sure it's really strong. Study for your GRE and try to get a good score. Some schools weigh the GRE heavily, so a high GRE can make up for a lower GPA. If you're planning to apply this year, you have to be sure not to take the GRE too late, though. Most schools want your GRE scores before October, some want you to take it before September.

I'd recommend applying to Michigan as well, since they don't look at cumulative GPA (UMN doesn't either). Did you retake any classes? If so, check which schools replace grades rather than average the two together, and see if you're interested in applying to those schools. There are also some schools with grade forgiveness, like Mizzou, which will eliminate courses from 6 years or older.

 

[tori_luvs_dogz]

Hi Guys -
I would like some honest feedback about my chances of getting accepted into vet school. I'm in the process of applying and I am terrified... I will be an undergrad junior this fall and am only going to apply to my IS school -Iowa State.

GPA: 3.88
Science GPA: Probably around 3.7
GRE: taking it on June 28th! but my practice tests consistently have me scoring in the 150-154 range.. :/

Vet Experience:
200 hours - shelter medicine internship (cats, dogs, exotics) - prepped animals for surgeries, drew blood, vaccinated, etc.
200 hours - large animal (horses, cattle, sheep, hogs) - worked chutes, vaccinated, moved cattle/hogs/sheep, kept records, etc.
~600 hours - small animal - shadowing

Animal Experience:
Grew up with chickens, horses, dogs, cats, and rabbits
Showed dogs, horses, pigs, and sheep in 4H for ~10 years
Showed dogs in AKC
~300 Hours - work at IS vet school as kennel assistant (still work here)
~300 hours - receptionist/groomer/kennel hand at boarding facility (still work here)
~250 hours - fostered and trained dogs for local shelter; gave obedience seminars to other volunteers

Research:
~300 hours - Microbiology lab at Vet school - antibiotic resistance research (still work here, I have a lot of part time jobs 😛 )

Campus Involvement:
I am super involved in my undergrad university, so I am hoping this will help in areas that I am lacking.
Honors: Honors Ambassador, Honors Service trip to Belize, Taught a semester-long Freshman honors seminar (basically to help students become acclimated to campus), Honors research project
Microbiology Department: In the process of setting up a high school workshop for students interested in majoring in microbiology; Microbiology peer mentor (again, help freshmen become acclimated to campus); Teaching assistant for Micro Labs
PreVet Club: Volunteer at random spay/neuter clinics; got sponsorships from vet schools for the APVMA Symposium 2014; helped plan/work at/set up APVMA Symposium 2014
Random Stuff: President of my residence hall freshman year; On a student panel for the dean/president/important people of my university to answer questions from a "disadvantaged rural student's view"

ELORS: A vet I worked for in high school (I hope this isn't someone from too long ago :/ ); the honors administrator who went to Belize with me for my service project; My research boss (PhD); The professor that I TA'd for; my academic advisor

 

[Aggievetgirl2013]

I don't think you've screwed up your chances, but you do have a good chunk of work to do! You can get in to vet school with any major, so don't worry about choosing psychology instead of zoology. Adcoms definitely won't just automatically put your application aside because of a few C's...you just need to be strategic about where you apply. Some schools weigh your last 45 GPA really heavily, so if you do really well in the classes you take from now forward, it can make a huge difference! Some schools will also do grade-replacement or average grades together if you retake a class.

First of all, you definitely will have to take some more classes in order to finish your pre-requisites. Schools will usually count C's and and above as being high enough to count a course towards your prerequisites. So while you might consider retaking one or two of the "C" classes, it isn't required. You will have to take two semesters of biology because vet schools will not let AP credits count towards a pre-requisite. SOME schools will let AP bio get you out of taking Gen/Intro Bio, but those schools require that you take two semesters of advanced biology courses with labs to count as your biology prerequisite. These two courses usually cannot include other biology pre-requisites courses needed for that school, so if they specifically require Genetics, Microbiology, Biochem, etc., these courses will not count towards your "general biology" pre-requisites. Some schools will not let you get out of Intro Bio even with the AP credit, so it might be the best idea to just take the two-semester intro bio with lab sequence.

You may need to take a few other advanced biology classes, depending on where you want to apply. Biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology and/or anatomy and physiology are courses that some schools require. Some schools might count your neuroscience class as an advanced bio class, but probably not evolutionary psychology. You DEFINITELY will need to take ochem...don't freak out about it! People make it out to be really scary, and it doesn't have to be. Some people who don't do so hot in gen chem actually do really well in ochem, and vice versa. It's a different kind of thinking in ochem. You will also have to take one or two semesters of physics, depending on what schools you apply to.

In terms of calculus, a few schools do require it but many only require statistics or they require a semester of math and don't have a specific preference. So if you stick to schools that don't require calculus, you don't have to worry about retaking it.

I know how hard it is to find vet hours, but you DON'T have to go to a vet tech program! In fact adcoms don't like to see people going in to vet tech programs just for the purpose of getting vet experience. If you go to a vet tech program it should be because you want to become a vet tech! Start by looking for specific internship programs set up for pre-vet students...you can find them by looking around on the internet and by looking through this forum, as well as asking your university's (even if you have graduated) career center or pre-health advisor. Also look at vet schools...several of them have summer programs (or longer-term volunteer opportunities) for pre-vet students. You can also look around to get jobs/volunteer positions that are not directly vet-related, but in animal care settings, For instance you could be a kennel or cattery assistant or a receptionist at a veterinary hospital, volunteer at a shelter, a zoo, a wildlife center, etc. All of these places work with vets to some degree, even if they do not have full-time vets. So if you do good work at one of these places, you can ask them to put you in touch with the vets they work with and maybe get a shadowing opportunity that way. Also when you contact any vet, make sure you are clear that you don't have to be hands on with the animals...let them know you will clean up after appointments, organize files, etc., and that you just want to observe appointments/surgeries. Vets are a lot more willing to let you come in if they realize you have no expectations of actually handling the animals!

So in general explore schools, look at what pre-requisite classes you need and get signed up for them! Start looking for any kind of animal experience, and eventually think about signing up for and taking the GRE! Good luck!



First of all, did you get an interview at TAMU? Did you do a file review? That is the best and most direct way to know what your chances are! Also what grades were bringing you down? Were they in pre-requisite/science classes? I think that you definitely have a chance out-of-state, particularly at schools that weigh last 45 heavily! Looks like you have a significant amount of hours, so also look at schools that weigh experience very heavily! I think it would also serve you well to study really hard, take a lot of practice tests and retake the GRE! Your scores are below average for a lot of schools, and it is a part of your application that is relatively easy to improve! 🙂

I don't think you've screwed up your chances, but you do have a good chunk of work to do! You can get in to vet school with any major, so don't worry about choosing psychology instead of zoology. Adcoms definitely won't just automatically put your application aside because of a few C's...you just need to be strategic about where you apply. Some schools weigh your last 45 GPA really heavily, so if you do really well in the classes you take from now forward, it can make a huge difference! Some schools will also do grade-replacement or average grades together if you retake a class.

First of all, you definitely will have to take some more classes in order to finish your pre-requisites. Schools will usually count C's and and above as being high enough to count a course towards your prerequisites. So while you might consider retaking one or two of the "C" classes, it isn't required. You will have to take two semesters of biology because vet schools will not let AP credits count towards a pre-requisite. SOME schools will let AP bio get you out of taking Gen/Intro Bio, but those schools require that you take two semesters of advanced biology courses with labs to count as your biology prerequisite. These two courses usually cannot include other biology pre-requisites courses needed for that school, so if they specifically require Genetics, Microbiology, Biochem, etc., these courses will not count towards your "general biology" pre-requisites. Some schools will not let you get out of Intro Bio even with the AP credit, so it might be the best idea to just take the two-semester intro bio with lab sequence.

You may need to take a few other advanced biology classes, depending on where you want to apply. Biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology and/or anatomy and physiology are courses that some schools require. Some schools might count your neuroscience class as an advanced bio class, but probably not evolutionary psychology. You DEFINITELY will need to take ochem...don't freak out about it! People make it out to be really scary, and it doesn't have to be. Some people who don't do so hot in gen chem actually do really well in ochem, and vice versa. It's a different kind of thinking in ochem. You will also have to take one or two semesters of physics, depending on what schools you apply to.

In terms of calculus, a few schools do require it but many only require statistics or they require a semester of math and don't have a specific preference. So if you stick to schools that don't require calculus, you don't have to worry about retaking it.

I know how hard it is to find vet hours, but you DON'T have to go to a vet tech program! In fact adcoms don't like to see people going in to vet tech programs just for the purpose of getting vet experience. If you go to a vet tech program it should be because you want to become a vet tech! Start by looking for specific internship programs set up for pre-vet students...you can find them by looking around on the internet and by looking through this forum, as well as asking your university's (even if you have graduated) career center or pre-health advisor. Also look at vet schools...several of them have summer programs (or longer-term volunteer opportunities) for pre-vet students. You can also look around to get jobs/volunteer positions that are not directly vet-related, but in animal care settings, For instance you could be a kennel or cattery assistant or a receptionist at a veterinary hospital, volunteer at a shelter, a zoo, a wildlife center, etc. All of these places work with vets to some degree, even if they do not have full-time vets. So if you do good work at one of these places, you can ask them to put you in touch with the vets they work with and maybe get a shadowing opportunity that way. Also when you contact any vet, make sure you are clear that you don't have to be hands on with the animals...let them know you will clean up after appointments, organize files, etc., and that you just want to observe appointments/surgeries. Vets are a lot more willing to let you come in if they realize you have no expectations of actually handling the animals!

So in general explore schools, look at what pre-requisite classes you need and get signed up for them! Start looking for any kind of animal experience, and eventually think about signing up for and taking the GRE! Good luck!



First of all, did you get an interview at TAMU? Did you do a file review? That is the best and most direct way to know what your chances are! Also what grades were bringing you down? Were they in pre-requisite/science classes? I think that you definitely have a chance out-of-state, particularly at schools that weigh last 45 heavily! Looks like you have a significant amount of hours, so also look at schools that weigh experience very heavily! I think it would also serve you well to study really hard, take a lot of practice tests and retake the GRE! Your scores are below average for a lot of schools, and it is a part of your application that is relatively easy to improve! 🙂

I didnt get an interview at TAMU unfortunately… I did a file review and they said it was basically my GPA. I had all the points for animal/vet experience but the GPA wasn't there. Do you think I have a chance after this past year? All the classes I took weren't science. I took about half science and then half nonprofit so I could finish those business classes. Do you know which schools weigh last 45 heavily? or the ones that weigh experience heavily by chance? I plan to look at all their websites. yes I agree about GRE!!

 

[futurehealervet]

Hi Everyone, I posted here a while back but now that I'm FINALLY applying , I'd just like to get a feel for my chances. Sorry if this post is a bit long-winded.

21, NY resident, Female
Major: Neuroscience
cumGPA: 3.895
GRE: taking it soon, did well on SATs so I I'm not too worried

Vet Experience:
800 hours SA and exotics clinic
75 hours LA (horses) clinic, though I plan on continuing over the summer and having around 200 hours
15 hours shadowing a vet at belmont racetrack

Animal Experience:
100 hours LA (horses)--study abroad program
80 hours wildlife rehab
100 hours zoo internship in high school
Pet Ownership

Research Experience:
500 hours research on the mouse barrel cortex (have done a few poster presentations)

Extracurriculars and Leadership:
Bio honors society tutor
mentor pre-med and pre-vet students
Paid tutoring position for elementary school student
Honors School Ambassador- around 5 hours between two events
Currently on a study abroad in China (non-vet related)
I'm not really in any school clubs but I have hobbies (play guitar, run)

Now that I compare my stats to others, my list of accomplishments seems disturbingly short. Here are a few concerns:
1. Does my tutoring and mentoring count for leadership experience?
2. I'm very family oriented so instead of getting involved in clubs, I like to hang with my parents and siblings ad have a few hobbies. How much will my lack of E.C.s affect my chances? Does my high school E.C. life count at all because I did way more in high school.
3. I still have the rest of the summer to work on my hours, so I want to pick the best kind of experience possible. Should I focus on LA more or switch to something else. I had heard 3 areas is s/t to shoot for, but now that research isn't vet experience, am I lacking?
4. I'm planning on applying to penn, tufts and cornell. With my stats, should I widen the net?
5. General input would be greatly appreciated

Thanks to everyone on the forum for always being so helpful and supportive. Fingers crossed that I can get in and return the favor for future hopefuls!