What are my chances?

[Emmy Senpai]

Hey guys,
Ive been lurking on this forum for quite a while now, and I've finally decided to post! I was wondering if you guys could give me input regarding my current stats, and if you'd advise me to improve anywhere.


23 YO / Male / Florida resident

Applying to: UF, LMU, MSU, Auburn, and UGA

I want to pursue Large Animal.

Degrees:
Seeking BS in Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University ***Go Owls!!***

Cum GPA: 3.45
Science GPA:3.5
Last 45 GPA: 3.9


Veterinary Experience:
- 2,000+ hours experience SA
- 500 hours experience LA

Animal Experience:
- 250 hours volunteering at animal shelters in High School

GRE: I haven't taken it yet. I took a Kaplan practice test and got a 301; 154Q and 147V. I'm working on studying to improve on practice test before actually taking the GRE.

Extracurricular:
Pre-vet Club
Running

Research:
Doing research in an Integrative Biology/ Biomechanics lab; more specifically on Shark Ecomorphology.

Other:
Honors Thesis Program

My concerns:
-I'm really concerned about my GPA, I know that my CumGPA isn't very competitive. In addition, I know that I'm lacking in extracurriculars. I want to apply this cycle; It'll be my graduation year, and I already have in mind to apply early and If i don't get in, then I'll have time to improve and become a more competitive applicant.

Get more experience. You have hours, but you don't have diverse hours, so try to supplement that with exotic work or equine. And like vetmedhead said, boost your LA hours to back up the fact that you want to be a large animal vet. Maybe you could say something like after working all those hours in SA, you realized you didn't want to be a SA vet.
As for extracurriculars, I put things from high school on my application because I wasn't involved in many college clubs. Any awards from high school that make you stand out is valid too, along with non-animal high school volunteer work. Use Magoosh's free GRE verbal practice. They have flashcards that you can practice with online. This should improve your verbal score! Also, use the practice test that ETS gives you when you sign up to take the GRE because it's the most accurate score.

Side note for Auburn: In previous years, I saw on SDN that Auburn has rejected OOS applicants if they have under a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Not sure if this is in effect now, but do as well as possible this semester to bump your 3.45 to a solid 3.5.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

Hey guys,
Ive been lurking on this forum for quite a while now, and I've finally decided to post! I was wondering if you guys could give me input regarding my current stats, and if you'd advise me to improve anywhere.


23 YO / Male / Florida resident

Applying to: UF, LMU, MSU, Auburn, and UGA

I want to pursue Large Animal.

Degrees:
Seeking BS in Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University ***Go Owls!!***

Cum GPA: 3.45
Science GPA:3.5
Last 45 GPA: 3.9


Veterinary Experience:
- 2,000+ hours experience SA
- 500 hours experience LA

Animal Experience:
- 250 hours volunteering at animal shelters in High School

GRE: I haven't taken it yet. I took a Kaplan practice test and got a 301; 154Q and 147V. I'm working on studying to improve on practice test before actually taking the GRE.

Extracurricular:
Pre-vet Club
Running

Research:
Doing research in an Integrative Biology/ Biomechanics lab; more specifically on Shark Ecomorphology.

Other:
Honors Thesis Program

My concerns:
-I'm really concerned about my GPA, I know that my CumGPA isn't very competitive. In addition, I know that I'm lacking in extracurriculars. I want to apply this cycle; It'll be my graduation year, and I already have in mind to apply early and If i don't get in, then I'll have time to improve and become a more competitive applicant.

Be aware that the OOS UGA accepts generally have above a 3.8GPA+ or a very high GRE score.

 

[Opal6458]

Your experiences are great, just make sure you highlight the ones that make you stand out in the new application questions and interviews for the upcoming cycle. I think that schools will really like that you were on the wrestling team, and as far as vet/animal hours go, your high amt of large animal experience already makes you stand out. Seems like you're working to get more SA which will further enhance your application.
Personally, I didn't count pet ownership because I figured I could just bring it up in the interview during the classic "tell me about yourself" explanation. Some people put pet ownership on their app. If you choose to do this, make sure the hours are low so that the admissions committees don't think you're trying to skew your hours. And for your ag courses in high school, if you feel like they would enhance your app then put them on there.

Grades are fine, they're a little below avg but I got in this cycle with below-average grades. Just continue to raise your GPA should you not get in this upcoming cycle.

My GPA is my biggest concern, but I have 44 hours of pre-reqs to finish. I used an online GPA calculator to determine what I could end up with. The highest cGPA I can get with just the 44 hours of pre-reqs is a 3.5, but I can get a 3.78 GPA in science/pre-reqs. I'm just trying to pick elective/filler classes that will help my app. and GPA. I know I can do it because I took 21 hours a semester in undergrad and got straight A's. Then I didn't take my last semester too seriously and my GPA suffered. I plan to be much more dedicated and serious this time around since I know what I want to do. I have an in state school if that matters? It's UTK.

 

[Bonbon567]

Hello everyone!

I am going to be applying in this next app cycle and I am just wondering what my chances are.

I am 20 years old and a resident of Texas.

Cumulative GPA: Will probably end with a 3.1 or 3.2 (I still have about 30 credit hours left)
Experience: By the time I apply I will have 2,000+ hours
*Shadowed in 2 separate clinics
*Working in another clinic so far for a year as a technician
*Volunteered with horses

I have NOT taken the GRE yet, I plan to this upcoming summer before applying.


Letters of rec: I will have AT LEAST 2-3 from veterinarians, 1 from a past employer, and am undecided on the last one.

Throughout high school and undergrad I have worked as a swim coach and have played on a masters water polo team.

Volunteering: Lots of volunteering for clinics, shelters, and other "random" hours I've picked up.

Just curious, thanks!

 

[nohika]

There's a thread called 'What are my Chances' in the sticky threads, I'd post there for help.

 

[Great Butts]

Hello everyone!

I am going to be applying in this next app cycle and I am just wondering what my chances are.

I am 20 years old and a resident of Texas.

Cumulative GPA: Will probably end with a 3.1 or 3.2 (I still have about 30 credit hours left)
Experience: By the time I apply I will have 2,000+ hours
*Shadowed in 2 separate clinics
*Working in another clinic so far for a year as a technician
*Volunteered with horses

I have NOT taken the GRE yet, I plan to this upcoming summer before applying.


Letters of rec: I will have AT LEAST 2-3 from veterinarians, 1 from a past employer, and am undecided on the last one.

Throughout high school and undergrad I have worked as a swim coach and have played on a masters water polo team.

Volunteering: Lots of volunteering for clinics, shelters, and other "random" hours I've picked up.

Just curious, thanks!

What other extracurriculars do you have? Are you involved in other student organizations or leadership? What does your science/pre-req GPA look like? Are both of those clinics small animal/mixed/large?

Keep in mind that some schools, such as Tufts, require that one letter be from a professor who can speak for your academic skills.

 

[Emmy Senpai]

My GPA is my biggest concern, but I have 44 hours of pre-reqs to finish. I used an online GPA calculator to determine what I could end up with. The highest cGPA I can get with just the 44 hours of pre-reqs is a 3.5, but I can get a 3.78 GPA in science/pre-reqs. I'm just trying to pick elective/filler classes that will help my app. and GPA. I know I can do it because I took 21 hours a semester in undergrad and got straight A's. Then I didn't take my last semester too seriously and my GPA suffered. I plan to be much more dedicated and serious this time around since I know what I want to do. I have an in state school if that matters? It's UTK.

GPA is usually everyone's biggest concern; you're not alone. If it makes you feel better, I was admitted to my IS school with a 3.35 cGPA and 3.07 science GPA. You have plenty of classes to boost your GPA. Don't worry about the highest calculated GPA you can get, just focus on getting the best grades you can possibly get before applying. This is easier said than done, and like you, I also calculated my GPA with an online calculator... I realized there was no possible way for me to raise my 3.3 to a 3.5 and just did the best I could do with the classes I took. While grades are important, vet schools will take into consideration what you're like as a person and you really have good experiences that make you a well-rounded, competitive individual. You have a slight upward trend in GPA which is good. My advice is to succeed in organic chemistry, physics, and biochem if you have not taken these classes yet.
As for UTK, I applied there as an OOS applicant and did not receive an interview, however the IS pool will be much smaller and less competitive for you.

 

[SoFloGryffindor]

Just commenting on this specifically, but is wanting to pursue LA a recent development for you? Admissions folks may sometimes raise eyebrows if you have an interest in entering an area but the predominance of your experience is in something else, and here you have about 4x as much experience in small animal practice as you do in large. You don't exactly have low hours in LA, which is good, but if there are reasons why it's difficult to get a massive amount of experience in large animal work compared to small it might be good to note that somewhere in a PS or supplemental essay so schools have an idea of why the experiences don't line up with your interests as well as they theoretically could.

Thanks for the feedback. I obtained my LA during one of my summers. Otherwise, there are not many, if any, LA vets in South Florida.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[SoFloGryffindor]

Get more experience. You have hours, but you don't have diverse hours, so try to supplement that with exotic work or equine. And like vetmedhead said, boost your LA hours to back up the fact that you want to be a large animal vet. Maybe you could say something like after working all those hours in SA, you realized you didn't want to be a SA vet.
As for extracurriculars, I put things from high school on my application because I wasn't involved in many college clubs. Any awards from high school that make you stand out is valid too, along with non-animal high school volunteer work. Use Magoosh's free GRE verbal practice. They have flashcards that you can practice with online. This should improve your verbal score! Also, use the practice test that ETS gives you when you sign up to take the GRE because it's the most accurate score.

Side note for Auburn: In previous years, I saw on SDN that Auburn has rejected OOS applicants if they have under a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Not sure if this is in effect now, but do as well as possible this semester to bump your 3.45 to a solid 3.5.

Thanks for the advice! I work as a Vet Tech, so I obtained SA hours that way. Otherwise, LA experience is very limited.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Bonbon567]

What other extracurriculars do you have? Are you involved in other student organizations or leadership? What does your science/pre-req GPA look like? Are both of those clinics small animal/mixed/large?

Keep in mind that some schools, such as Tufts, require that one letter be from a professor who can speak for your academic skills.

My main extracurriculars are swimming and water polo, I haven't had time for much on campus stuff as I've had to work to put myself through school.

I have 1 letter of rec that will be from a Professor.

I need to calculate my science and pre-req GPA.

 

[Great Butts]

My main extracurriculars are swimming and water polo, I haven't had time for much on campus stuff as I've had to work to put myself through school.

I have 1 letter of rec that will be from a Professor.

I need to calculate my science and pre-req GPA.

If you're working with a full schedule, on top of your sports, they'll take that into account when looking at your application and they'll see why you haven't had much time for campus stuff. I'd try to slip something in if possible, but I wouldn't worry too much about that then.

When you're calculating your stats, keep in mind that certain schools will also have certain components of the application they look at. Kansas State only looks at your prereqs when calculating sciGPA, and mine was low, but they luckily have a more holistic view of their applicants and it didn't hurt me.

What schools are you planning on applying to?

 

[Bonbon567]

If you're working with a full schedule, on top of your sports, they'll take that into account when looking at your application and they'll see why you haven't had much time for campus stuff. I'd try to slip something in if possible, but I wouldn't worry too much about that then.

When you're calculating your stats, keep in mind that certain schools will also have certain components of the application they look at. Kansas State only looks at your prereqs when calculating sciGPA, and mine was low, but they luckily have a more holistic view of their applicants and it didn't hurt me.

What schools are you planning on applying to?

If you're working with a full schedule, on top of your sports, they'll take that into account when looking at your application and they'll see why you haven't had much time for campus stuff. I'd try to slip something in if possible, but I wouldn't worry too much about that then.

When you're calculating your stats, keep in mind that certain schools will also have certain components of the application they look at. Kansas State only looks at your prereqs when calculating sciGPA, and mine was low, but they luckily have a more holistic view of their applicants and it didn't hurt me.

What schools are you planning on applying to?

I plan on applying to: A&M, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Western University, and Iowa.
I broke down which schools took the most OOS students and then my state school (A&M).

 

[Great Butts]

I plan on applying to: A&M, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Western University, and Iowa.
I broke down which schools took the most OOS students and then my state school (A&M).

I think the better way to strategically apply is to look at the accepted stats for OOS. Ohio and UPenn are kind of competitive for OOSers with low GPA, but Kansas, Iowa, and Western seem like solid choices.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I think the better way to strategically apply is to look at the accepted stats for OOS. Ohio and UPenn are kind of competitive for OOSers with low GPA, but Kansas, Iowa, and Western seem like solid choices.

Look at cost too!

OSU (and a couple others...) allows you to get IS tuition after the first year!

 

[Great Butts]

Look at cost too!

OSU (and a couple others...) allows you to get IS tuition after the first year!

Nothing beats IS tuition, that's for sure

 

[Bonbon567]

I think the better way to strategically apply is to look at the accepted stats for OOS. Ohio and UPenn are kind of competitive for OOSers with low GPA, but Kansas, Iowa, and Western seem like solid choices.

Where else would you suggest besides Kansas, Iowa, and Western??

 

[battie]

Where else would you suggest besides Kansas, Iowa, and Western??

I would throw in Illinois as well.

 

[Bonbon567]

I would throw in Illinois as well.

Thank you everyone for the advice

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Hey guys I am currently sitting pretty on the waitlist for 3 schools but I am working on a plan for improving my application. (I am interested in shelter med)

I applied to LSU (waitlisted), UGA (waitlisted), UF (IS, rejected after interview), and Auburn (waitlisted after interview).

Here are my stats when I first applied, the numbers in bold are the hours/experiences I will have when re applying.

GPA: 3.82 cum, 3.76 science, 3.84 last 45 (All GPAs will be higher by a little when reapplying)
GRE: 309

Vet experience:
Surgical Vet Tech at a spay+neuter clinic: 392/460
*Vet Tech at a shelter: 306/ 1317 (if I continue part time)
LA colic shadowing: 4

Animal Experience:
Volunteering in a barn: 55/205
Shelter (walking dogs, events) 36/50
Riding therapy for special needs kids: 12
Docent at wildlife hospital: 30
Volunteer at wolf sanctuary: 50

Research:
Organic chemistry research: 195/250
Biology research: 40/ 150

Extracurriculars/Volunteering
Make a Wish volunteer- 57/70
Dance Marathon- 30
Two leadership positions in my sorority: 800
Vice President of the school dance company: 200
March for Science organizer- 80
Honors College
Order of Omega Greek Honor Society

Employment:
Orientation Leader- 930
Science tutor- 306
Retail- 1620
Server- 720

Awards:
$1000 Honors program research grant
$500 Honors program involvement scholarship
Panhellenic Scholarship award
Presidents list (2 semesters)
Deans list (4 semesters)

Some questions for you all:
Should I retake the GRE? I studied really hard for my (crappy) score so it would require a lot of time to improve it.
*I currently work part time here and would be able to work full time after graduating. Should I stay here and work full time or continue part time get another part time vet tech job at a small animal clinic (more money+a different experience)
I have plans to shadow an exotic vet as all the local large animal vets in my area do not allow shadows. Is this a waste of time (I could spend working) or something that will help?

My vet who lives in Loxahatchee needs an intern and one who can travel to central FL.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

My vet who lives in Loxahatchee needs an intern and one who can travel to central FL.

Messaging you!

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

I think (waiting on vmcas to send me their calculations):

3500hrs equine doing tech qualified treatments on my own.
700 small animal shot clinic/small animal clinic

2000hrs LA ( rescue and being LA vets groom..also horses of friends/shows)
1000 SA ( shelters)

CumGPA: 3.0-3.1 ( averaging retakes) 3.2 ( not averaging)
Science ( with math): around the same for replacement and around rounded 3.0 might be slightly lower.
Science without: prob higher

Gre: 145 Q/157V
Retaking it to make Q similar to V

Research: 400hrs freshwater spring research undergrad.

I had many life issues in undergrad. Taking care of sick grandparents. My house flooded. Bad stuff. I rushed my math in hopes that he could see me graduate and its Cs.

I retook 8-9 courses and made nothing but As and Bs to replace the c- to C+'s, and two d's in science.

 

[TrashPanda]

I think (waiting on vmcas to send me their calculations):

3500hrs equine doing tech qualified treatments on my own.
700 small animal shot clinic/small animal clinic

2000hrs LA ( rescue and being LA vets groom..also horses of friends/shows)
1000 SA ( shelters)

CumGPA: 3.0-3.1 ( averaging retakes) 3.2 ( not averaging)
Science ( with math): around the same for replacement and around rounded 3.0 might be slightly lower.
Science without: prob higher

Gre: 145 Q/157V
Retaking it to make Q similar to V

Research: 400hrs freshwater spring research undergrad.

I had many life issues in undergrad. Taking care of sick grandparents. My house flooded. Bad stuff. I rushed my math in hopes that he could see me graduate and its Cs.

I retook 8-9 courses and made nothing but As and Bs to replace the c- to C+'s, and two d's in science.

What's your last 45 GPA?

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

What's your last 45 GPA?

Of post bacc retakes or undergrad?

 

[TrashPanda]

Of post bacc retakes or undergrad?

Whatever your most recent 45 are (so post-bacc/retakes, I guess). Or 30 if you're applying to schools that consider the last 30.

I'm asking because of the schools that only consider last 45 or at least consider it and don't look at cumulative GPA. Since your cumulative and science GPAs are low, you'l need to focus on those schools primarily.

EDIT: Knowing your science GPA with retakes averaged (not including math) would also help.

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Last 45:3.3 without these courses im going to take summer wise at UF

3.4 if I do. This is just what I retook

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

2.8 averaged before ansci/nutrition but vmcas had it higher I have weirdly weighted courses.

3.1 pretty much with them and more if I take physiology/anatomy

3.1 with replaced
3.3 with the two im taking summer more with physio anatomy

Waiting to get the vmcas numbers

Was told by uf I wasnt a snowball in hell and to up my gre to be competitive

 

[TrashPanda]

Last 45:3.3 without these courses im going to take summer wise at UF

3.4 if I do. This is just what I retook

MSU only looks at the last 36 hours and doesn't consider the GRE, so that would be a good option. LMU, Midwestern, and Western all take more students with low GPAs than other schools. Kansas also seems to like upward trends, and Minnesota is another one that doesn't look at cumulative GPA. Unfortunately, these are all very expensive and at least some of them still want a high last 45 and science GPA.

I'm not too familiar with U of F, but I know they look at cumulative GPA and strongly weight GRE scores, so they may be difficult for you. If you can keep taking classes, do so- I made an excel chart to see what my last 45/science/cumulative GPA looked like after x number of additional classes, and that really helped. A mix of As and Bs are definitely an improvement over Cs and lower, but even Bs are dragging you down. If you're open to moving, moving to a state with a school with more favorable admissions criteria (or just a higher percentage of in-state applicants) could help, but I know that's not an option for everyone.

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

MSU only looks at the last 36 hours and doesn't consider the GRE, so that would be a good option. LMU, Midwestern, and Western all take more students with low GPAs than other schools. Kansas also seems to like upward trends, and Minnesota is another one that doesn't look at cumulative GPA. Unfortunately, these are all very expensive and at least some of them still want a high last 45 and science GPA.

I'm not too familiar with U of F, but I know they look at cumulative GPA and strongly weight GRE scores, so they may be difficult for you. If you can keep taking classes, do so- I made an excel chart to see what my last 45/science/cumulative GPA looked like after x number of additional classes, and that really helped. A mix of As and Bs are definitely an improvement over Cs and lower, but even Bs are dragging you down. If you're open to moving, moving to a state with a school with more favorable admissions criteria (or just a higher percentage of in-state applicants) could help, but I know that's not an option for everyone.

UF said its not a hopeless GPA but I need to bring up the quant. Im looking at other places as well. The numbers I gave might be lower than they really are because I havent been able to calculate the quality points.

Such as my 2.9 AA went to 3.54 when I calculated them in replaced. UF favors in state heavily over OOS so im trying my hardest to get in there.

 

[TrashPanda]

UF said its not a hopeless GPA but I need to bring up the quant. Im looking at other places as well. The numbers I gave might be lower than they really are because I havent been able to calculate the quality points.

Not hopeless at all! I hope I didn't imply that. There are definitely people who get in with GPAs around yours, and you have a ton of quality experience. I was thinking more along the lines of if you don't get in this round/don't want to apply to expensive OOS schools.

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Not hopeless at all! I hope I didn't imply that. There are definitely people who get in with GPAs around yours, and you have a ton of quality experience. I was thinking more along the lines of if you don't get in this round/don't want to apply to expensive OOS schools.

My budget for OOS is around 40k so im not worried about some just the 50k+ schools.
One of the Cs is a bio three course thats just the second Bio 2 broken into two courses so hopefully that factors out.

Im hoping living in gainesville helps. I really dont want to take a masters at 27...

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

My budget for OOS is around 40k so im not worried about some just the 50k+ schools.
One of the Cs is a bio three course thats just the second Bio 2 broken into two courses so hopefully that factors out.

Im hoping living in gainesville helps. I really dont want to take a masters at 27...
Looking at a few spreadsheets ive tried its anywhere between a 3.1-3.2 cum. Then again I know some folks who got into uf IS with a 2.94 gpa.

 

[TrashPanda]

My budget for OOS is around 40k so im not worried about some just the 50k+ schools.
One of the Cs is a bio three course thats just the second Bio 2 broken into two courses so hopefully that factors out.

Im hoping living in gainesville helps. I really dont want to take a masters at 27...

Just so you know, 40k or less per year (not including cost of living) knocks off every OOS school I've mentioned and gives you U of F, NC State (you need a 3.4 cumulative GPA to apply), Missouri (only looks at classes up to your first undergrad degree), Washington State, Texas A&M, and UC Davis (need very high last 45 and science). I had similar tuition requirements, and it's very limiting.

Unfortunately, living in Gainesville is unlikely to help. Focus on retaking classes (or taking other science classes) and making your LORs/essays/etc. the best they can be. You don't need to get a master's an taking classes at community college can save you some money.

It's not impossible with your GPAs, but the rest of your application has to be very high quality (which it sounds like it can be based on your experiences).

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Just so you know, 40k or less per year (not including cost of living) knocks off every OOS school I've mentioned and gives you U of F, NC State (you need a 3.4 cumulative GPA to apply), Missouri (only looks at classes up to your first undergrad degree), Washington State, Texas A&M, and UC Davis (need very high last 45 and science). I had similar tuition requirements, and it's very limiting.

Unfortunately, living in Gainesville is unlikely to help. Focus on retaking classes (or taking other science classes) and making your LORs/essays/etc. the best they can be. You don't need to get a master's an taking classes at community college can save you some money.

It's not impossible with your GPAs, but the rest of your application has to be very high quality (which it sounds like it can be based on your experiences).

Lmu was 44k Im ok up to 50 but not over I have living expenses covered.

How much more should I take? Im taking courses at UF so that they can transfer over smoothly. Should I retake the math? Im tapped out retake funds wise almost. Dipping into vet school money. I can rake a full semester come fall hopefully to show I can handle it but thats it.

 

[vetmedhead]

Just so you know, 40k or less per year (not including cost of living) knocks off every OOS school I've mentioned and gives you U of F, NC State (you need a 3.4 cumulative GPA to apply), Missouri (only looks at classes up to your first undergrad degree), Washington State, Texas A&M, and UC Davis (need very high last 45 and science). I had similar tuition requirements, and it's very limiting.

Unfortunately, living in Gainesville is unlikely to help. Focus on retaking classes (or taking other science classes) and making your LORs/essays/etc. the best they can be. You don't need to get a master's an taking classes at community college can save you some money.

It's not impossible with your GPAs, but the rest of your application has to be very high quality (which it sounds like it can be based on your experiences).

You didn't mention it but I just want to add that TAMU takes ~10 OOS students a year and getting one of those slots is very competitive

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

You didn't mention it but I just want to add that TAMU takes ~10 OOS students a year and getting one of those slots is very competitive

Which is why I haven't looked at texas. Im looking at UF, LMU, Michigan, wisconson, Iowa, and Minnesota.

 

[vetmedhead]

Which is why I haven't looked at texas. Im looking at UF, LMU, Michigan, wisconson, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Oh I know, I was just adding on to TP's post

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Oh I know, I was just adding on to TP's post

Im wondering if taking 3 courses in the fall could help or am I just floundering. Sorry for asking so many questions.

I had good reasons for why my gpa was lower and im trying to make up for it. I just feel like even now im failing and need to give up.

 

[TrashPanda]

Lmu was 44k Im ok up to 50 but not over I have living expenses covered.

How much more should I take? Im taking courses at UF so that they can transfer over smoothly. Should I retake the math? Im tapped out retake funds wise almost. Dipping into vet school money. I can rake a full semester come fall hopefully to show I can handle it but thats it.

Ah, gotcha. You don't need to take them at UF. If you're retaking specific pre-reqs then definitely check with them to make sure they qualify, but you can also just take whatever science classes you'd like. You can probably save a lot by taking some community college classes, though definitely check first to make sure U of F will take them (most other schools will, especially if they're not pre-reqs).

For schools that highly value the last-45 GPA, it's worth looking at how many classes you need to take to make a significant difference. Putting it all into a spreadsheet will take a little time, but I found it very helpful. You may find that just a few more classes will knock out a bad semester and give you a much higher GPA.

 

[Old-Country-Vet-Tech]

Ah, gotcha. You don't need to take them at UF. If you're retaking specific pre-reqs then definitely check with them to make sure they qualify, but you can also just take whatever science classes you'd like. You can probably save a lot by taking some community college classes, though definitely check first to make sure U of F will take them (most other schools will, especially if they're not pre-reqs).

For schools that highly value the last-45 GPA, it's worth looking at how many classes you need to take to make a significant difference. Putting it all into a spreadsheet will take a little time, but I found it very helpful. You may find that just a few more classes will knock out a bad semester and give you a much higher GPA.

I figured since im going up there to take anisci/nutrition then its easiest to take up there.

My vet who had a hard time getting in there was told to take one semester there of upper division science to get her in and she did.

UF said not to take at a community college as it doesnt show difficulty.

Sorry for bugging folks.

I figured out im pretty much at 3.0 science ( took out all transcripts) and doing one more semester will bring that up a good bit. So im going to go from there.

 

[GoPackers44]

Well, here it goes.
Indiana resident. Due to my debt unknowingly accumulated for my undergrad degree (a long story about that...), my only option for school is going to be my IS, Purdue. I did horribly my freshman (and to a lesser extent, my sophomore year) in undergrad. I actually failed out of college after my freshman year, and was readmitted. I was not pursuing vet med as a career at this time. As soon as I decided to step up and actually pursue my dreams in vet med, I basically did a 180 academically, and basically in every other area.
I realize that my cGPA is BAD, and I've been doing everything I can to try to improve it, but loads of A's later on does not seem to make up for my atrocious freshman year and mediocre sophomore year. I have been told by Purdue grads that they really only look at the cumulative and core GPA.

Biology-Chemistry major
Graduating in May 2018 (as a super senior due to changing majors a million times)
cGPA: 2.90
pre-req GPA: 3.11 (includes a couple serious blunders from that freshman year)
Last 45 GPA: 3.82 (Almost all upper level Biology and Chemistry courses)

Vet Experience:

~265 hours unpaid intern at a small animal clinic
~40 hours (and counting) surgery volunteer at low cost spay and neuter/wellness clinic
~20 hours other miscellaneous shadowing

Animal experience:

-400 hour internship this summer at an exotic animal sanctuary, for which I will be receiving payment through a "servant leader internship award" that I competed for at my school
-Vice President of Service dog club at my school, work to socialize the dogs. Also started a sort of community outreach program where I take the dogs to a local retirement home and socialize them with dementia patients
-Volunteered at and fostered lots of animals from local shelter when I was a kid, not sure if this counts for anything

There are a handful of other accomplishments and things that I would put on my application (Dean's list for past 2 years, Tri Beta Biological Honor Society member, etc...), but I really feel almost hopelessly discouraged with my stats. As of this coming application cycle, Purdue no longer requires the GRE for admission. I am not sure what this means for me, and whether or not I should even take it then (I was hoping to try to use it to make up for my awful previous grades, but Purdue seems to have sort of rejected its value in their decision-making process ).

I don't know what to do. I am giving up a lot to go to school for the 5th year, and the amount of work I have at all times between school and my several part-time jobs/volunteer positions, I rarely even get to see friends or family. I just need to know if I even have a chance, or specific things that I could do to try to improve my chances. This is basically all I worry about day and night. If it helps, my intended area of practice would be shelter medicine, and would like to eventually work as vet in a spay and neuter clinc, but I am also interested in doing wildlife work for non-profit sanctuaries like the one where I will be interning this summer. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[mht2k3]

Well, here it goes.
Indiana resident. Due to my debt unknowingly accumulated for my undergrad degree (a long story about that...), my only option for school is going to be my IS, Purdue. I did horribly my freshman (and to a lesser extent, my sophomore year) in undergrad. I actually failed out of college after my freshman year, and was readmitted. I was not pursuing vet med as a career at this time. As soon as I decided to step up and actually pursue my dreams in vet med, I basically did a 180 academically, and basically in every other area.
I realize that my cGPA is BAD, and I've been doing everything I can to try to improve it, but loads of A's later on does not seem to make up for my atrocious freshman year and mediocre sophomore year. I have been told by Purdue grads that they really only look at the cumulative and core GPA.

Biology-Chemistry major
Graduating in May 2018 (as a super senior due to changing majors a million times)
cGPA: 2.90
pre-req GPA: 3.11 (includes a couple serious blunders from that freshman year)
Last 45 GPA: 3.82 (Almost all upper level Biology and Chemistry courses)

Vet Experience:

~265 hours unpaid intern at a small animal clinic
~40 hours (and counting) surgery volunteer at low cost spay and neuter/wellness clinic
~20 hours other miscellaneous shadowing

Animal experience:

-400 hour internship this summer at an exotic animal sanctuary, for which I will be receiving payment through a "servant leader internship award" that I competed for at my school
-Vice President of Service dog club at my school, work to socialize the dogs. Also started a sort of community outreach program where I take the dogs to a local retirement home and socialize them with dementia patients
-Volunteered at and fostered lots of animals from local shelter when I was a kid, not sure if this counts for anything

There are a handful of other accomplishments and things that I would put on my application (Dean's list for past 2 years, Tri Beta Biological Honor Society member, etc...), but I really feel almost hopelessly discouraged with my stats. As of this coming application cycle, Purdue no longer requires the GRE for admission. I am not sure what this means for me, and whether or not I should even take it then (I was hoping to try to use it to make up for my awful previous grades, but Purdue seems to have sort of rejected its value in their decision-making process ).

I don't know what to do. I am giving up a lot to go to school for the 5th year, and the amount of work I have at all times between school and my several part-time jobs/volunteer positions, I rarely even get to see friends or family. I just need to know if I even have a chance, or specific things that I could do to try to improve my chances. This is basically all I worry about day and night. If it helps, my intended area of practice would be shelter medicine, and would like to eventually work as vet in a spay and neuter clinc, but I am also interested in doing wildlife work for non-profit sanctuaries like the one where I will be interning this summer. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I dont know much about Purdue, but if they mostly look at cGPA, I think you will have a tough time being admitted there. Have you tried contacting the school to see what they say? Sometimes admission staff will be pretty honest about that kind of stuff if you talk to them. You might want to also look through previous years successful applicant threads to see if others with low cGPA were admitted to Purdue.

Another option, would be to take a year off, move to a different state that favors last 45 GPA instead of cGPA (Michigan, Minnesota, probably others) and apply as IS there. You might want to also look at schools that still accept the GRE if you feel confidant you can do well on that, I know michigan isn't looking at it anymore.

Its definitely not impossible for you to get into vet school though! I had a low cGPA (around 3.2) and got into multiple schools, although my pre-req GPA was much higher than yours.

Unfortunately, after being in school for 5 years, whatever you do isn't going to change your cGPA significantly so my advice would be to apply smartly to only schools that favor last 45. You can also look into retaking some of the pre-reqs that you didn't do well in and look at schools that do grade replacements instead of averaging them.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Well, here it goes.
Indiana resident. Due to my debt unknowingly accumulated for my undergrad degree (a long story about that...), my only option for school is going to be my IS, Purdue. I did horribly my freshman (and to a lesser extent, my sophomore year) in undergrad. I actually failed out of college after my freshman year, and was readmitted. I was not pursuing vet med as a career at this time. As soon as I decided to step up and actually pursue my dreams in vet med, I basically did a 180 academically, and basically in every other area.
I realize that my cGPA is BAD, and I've been doing everything I can to try to improve it, but loads of A's later on does not seem to make up for my atrocious freshman year and mediocre sophomore year. I have been told by Purdue grads that they really only look at the cumulative and core GPA.

Biology-Chemistry major
Graduating in May 2018 (as a super senior due to changing majors a million times)
cGPA: 2.90
pre-req GPA: 3.11 (includes a couple serious blunders from that freshman year)
Last 45 GPA: 3.82 (Almost all upper level Biology and Chemistry courses)

Vet Experience:

~265 hours unpaid intern at a small animal clinic
~40 hours (and counting) surgery volunteer at low cost spay and neuter/wellness clinic
~20 hours other miscellaneous shadowing

Animal experience:

-400 hour internship this summer at an exotic animal sanctuary, for which I will be receiving payment through a "servant leader internship award" that I competed for at my school
-Vice President of Service dog club at my school, work to socialize the dogs. Also started a sort of community outreach program where I take the dogs to a local retirement home and socialize them with dementia patients
-Volunteered at and fostered lots of animals from local shelter when I was a kid, not sure if this counts for anything

There are a handful of other accomplishments and things that I would put on my application (Dean's list for past 2 years, Tri Beta Biological Honor Society member, etc...), but I really feel almost hopelessly discouraged with my stats. As of this coming application cycle, Purdue no longer requires the GRE for admission. I am not sure what this means for me, and whether or not I should even take it then (I was hoping to try to use it to make up for my awful previous grades, but Purdue seems to have sort of rejected its value in their decision-making process ).

I don't know what to do. I am giving up a lot to go to school for the 5th year, and the amount of work I have at all times between school and my several part-time jobs/volunteer positions, I rarely even get to see friends or family. I just need to know if I even have a chance, or specific things that I could do to try to improve my chances. This is basically all I worry about day and night. If it helps, my intended area of practice would be shelter medicine, and would like to eventually work as vet in a spay and neuter clinc, but I am also interested in doing wildlife work for non-profit sanctuaries like the one where I will be interning this summer. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Have you talked to anyone from admissions? Sometimes you can really good/helpful information from them. I agree that if they really only look at cumulative GPA it is going to be difficult. Some schools even have 3.0 cut off but Purdue may not. I don't know if Purdue averages retakes or replaces them but I would look into definitely retaking classes...especially classes that factor into your prerequisite GPA. Your last 45 is great which could help you out a lot if you decided to apply to schools that weigh your last 45 heavily...

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I figured since im going up there to take anisci/nutrition then its easiest to take up there.

My vet who had a hard time getting in there was told to take one semester there of upper division science to get her in and she did.

UF said not to take at a community college as it doesnt show difficulty.

Sorry for bugging folks.

I figured out im pretty much at 3.0 science ( took out all transcripts) and doing one more semester will bring that up a good bit. So im going to go from there.

You aren't bugging anyone...we all know the feeling well. Applying to vet school brings a lot of anxiety/self doubt with it. Just take a deep breath and do what you can to put forth the best application possible

 

[GoPackers44]

Have you talked to anyone from admissions? Sometimes you can really good/helpful information from them. I agree that if they really only look at cumulative GPA it is going to be difficult. Some schools even have 3.0 cut off but Purdue may not. I don't know if Purdue averages retakes or replaces them but I would look into definitely retaking classes...especially classes that factor into your prerequisite GPA. Your last 45 is great which could help you out a lot if you decided to apply to schools that weigh your last 45 heavily...

Yep, Purdue averages retakes. My pre-rew GPA is low for a couple really stupid reasons. I failed communications freshman year because I missed a speech assignment. I got a D in upper level physics because I was registered for the class when I had not taken the required pre-reqs and had no idea what was going on (I started our as a physics major). I've honestly never talked to anyone who made me feel any better about the situation, and even though I've gone from one of the worst students at my school to among the best, nothing I do now matters, even though my lowest semester GPA since switching to pre-vet was 3.8. All the rest was irrelevant nonsense that doesn't reflect my academic ability whatsoever. There are even classes that I took in high school at a community college when I was 16 that are counted in my cGPA. I guess it doesn't matter how hard I work or that I know I would be successful in vet school. The numbers aren't high enough, and there's nothing I can ever do to change them.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Yep, Purdue averages retakes. My pre-rew GPA is low for a couple really stupid reasons. I failed communications freshman year because I missed a speech assignment. I got a D in upper level physics because I was registered for the class when I had not taken the required pre-reqs and had no idea what was going on (I started our as a physics major). I've honestly never talked to anyone who made me feel any better about the situation, and even though I've gone from one of the worst students at my school to among the best, nothing I do now matters, even though my lowest semester GPA since switching to pre-vet was 3.8. All the rest was irrelevant nonsense that doesn't reflect my academic ability whatsoever. There are even classes that I took in high school at a community college when I was 16 that are counted in my cGPA. I guess it doesn't matter how hard I work or that I know I would be successful in vet school. The numbers aren't high enough, and there's nothing I can ever do to change them.

Have you retaken any of those classes to at least get a higher grade from the average?

Your last 45 and the fact that you haven't gotten lower than a 3.8 while doing vet school prerequisites says that you definitely have the potential to succeed in vet school. How long ago was your first attempt at undergrad? There are schools that will not look at certain grades if they were beyond a certain time from. I guess you have to decide how much you want Purdue. Would you be willing to move and gain residency in a place that is more likely to look favorably on your academic record? There are also schools that allow you to gain residency after one year. Some schools will even replace grades instead of averaging which could potentially impact your GPA a lot. I'm not saying you still couldn't get into Purdue if it is what you want, but you might have an easier time at other schools. If this is what you want, find a way to make it happen. You may not get in on the first try, but you just have to decide how badly you want it.

 

[GoPackers44]

Have you retaken any of those classes to at least get a higher grade from the average?

Your last 45 and the fact that you haven't gotten lower than a 3.8 while doing vet school prerequisites says that you definitely have the potential to succeed in vet school. How long ago was your first attempt at undergrad? There are schools that will not look at certain grades if they were beyond a certain time from. I guess you have to decide how much you want Purdue. Would you be willing to move and gain residency in a place that is more likely to look favorably on your academic record? There are also schools that allow you to gain residency after one year. Some schools will even replace grades instead of averaging which could potentially impact your GPA a lot. I'm not saying you still couldn't get into Purdue if it is what you want, but you might have an easier time at other schools. If this is what you want, find a way to make it happen. You may not get in on the first try, but you just have to decide how badly you want it.

My first attempt was only my freshman year-I had no time off between failing out and going right back. I definitely don't anticipate getting in this coming cycle when I do apply. I am retaking some of those classes, and am hoping to remove even more of them by taking other upper-level non-science classes that will fit into Purdue' s non-science pre-req categories. My undergrad advisor told me that I had the potential to maybe get into Ross...if I got a master's. I have nothing against the school, but my cumulative debt from going there would be irresponsible. I also can't move more than few hours drive away due to some family issues. I don't think anyone like me has ever gotten into vet school, so I really don't know why I am still deluding myself into trying.

 

[Coopah]

My first attempt was only my freshman year-I had no time off between failing out and going right back. I definitely don't anticipate getting in this coming cycle when I do apply. I am retaking some of those classes, and am hoping to remove even more of them by taking other upper-level non-science classes that will fit into Purdue' s non-science pre-req categories. My undergrad advisor told me that I had the potential to maybe get into Ross...i have nothing against the school, but my cumulative debt from going there would be irresponsible. I also can't move more than few hours drive away due to some family issues. I don't think anyone like me has ever gotten into vet school, so liberally don't know why I am still deluding myself into trying.

People have failed out multiple time from college and still gotten in. You have to apply smartly. A lot of schools don't consider cGPA. I know you only want your IS and I can respect that but for those like myself low cGPA but high science GPA and last 45, schools like Kansas and UC Davis were a life saver. What's your science GPA?

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I don't think anyone like me has ever gotten into vet school, so liberally don't know why I am still deluding myself into trying.

I assure you that this is not true. There are people on this forum who had a rough freshman year and are now doctors.

All schools weigh things differently. For example Iowa doesn't even look at cumulative GPA. And Illinois, LMU, and Kansas are often good at looking at applications more holistically. Your last 45 is solid. If you could retake some classes and get your prerequisite GPA up, you could be a good applicant for certain schools. I completely respect maybe not wanting to go OOS, but just know that cumulative GPA is not the be all end all for every school. You might want to go post in the Purdue 2021 applicant thread too. I'm sure there's people over there who would know more about Purdue specifically.

How I see it, you have two options. You can say "I'm never going to get in" and move on and prove yourself right or you can do what you have to do to make it happen.

 

[deleted676737]

Yep, Purdue averages retakes. My pre-rew GPA is low for a couple really stupid reasons. I failed communications freshman year because I missed a speech assignment. I got a D in upper level physics because I was registered for the class when I had not taken the required pre-reqs and had no idea what was going on (I started our as a physics major). I've honestly never talked to anyone who made me feel any better about the situation, and even though I've gone from one of the worst students at my school to among the best, nothing I do now matters, even though my lowest semester GPA since switching to pre-vet was 3.8. All the rest was irrelevant nonsense that doesn't reflect my academic ability whatsoever. There are even classes that I took in high school at a community college when I was 16 that are counted in my cGPA. I guess it doesn't matter how hard I work or that I know I would be successful in vet school. The numbers aren't high enough, and there's nothing I can ever do to change them.

I won't detail you my entire academic history, but long story short... I nearly failed out of high school, went into undergrad as a Spanish major/Japanese minor, got some really poor grades (Ds) in various gen ed and language classes that drug down my GPA a lot even after five years of college, switched to pre-vet/biology after shadowing and did much better there now that I had a little bit more direction. I ended with a 3.21 cumulative GPA and 3.6ish for both science/pre-req and last 45 hours. I was accepted on my first application cycle---outright to Iowa State and off of waitlists to Glasgow and Midwestern.

I know several vet students both here at Iowa State and at other schools that were accepted with sub-3.0 GPAs. We've had multiple members on SDN come through now who have been accepted with your GPA or even lower.

It is not a hopeless endeavor. Is it harder? Most definitely. And it may take several cycles as the applicant pools seem to only get more competitive yearly. You may find that it isn't worth the time, money, or effort, and that's fine. But it is still possible for you if you want to try.

Purdue is definitely a bit heavier on cumulative GPA, at least from what I've seen, as are a lot of the cheaper vet schools and/or those that allow you to switch residency status for IS tuition (Mizzou, Ohio State, NCSU, etc.). There are actually a good number of vet schools that either do not consider cumulative GPA or weigh it less heavily than the science/pre-req and last 45 hours GPAs. There's probably others I'm not thinking of, but these are off of the top of my head... a lot of them also tend to have much higher odds for OOS applicants than other schools and may be worth targeting.

- Louisiana State: last 45 GPA and science/pre-req GPA only
- Michigan State: last 45 GPA and science/pre-req GPA only
- Iowa State: cumulative GPA minimum of 2.5, but after meeting that cut-off only last 45 and science/pre-req GPAs are considered
- Kansas State: last 45 GPA and science/pre-req GPA only
- Minnesota: last 45 GPA and science/pre-req GPA only
- UC Davis: last 45 GPA and science/pre-req GPA only, although they are extremely numbers heavy for OOS and they also like very high quantitative GRE scores

Another potential option is take a gap year, move to a state with a vet school whose application process more favors your particular set of stats---you'd also have the benefit, in most cases, of paying IS tuition rates, too (definitely check with the schools individually, though). Since you'd likely be considered IS, that would also increase your chances of acceptance quite substantially.

You could also do a post-bacc/masters and rock it out of the park and apply selectively to those schools who consider post-bacc work in the cumulative GPA... if you do well enough, that would really help out your application by boosting both cumulative and last 45 hours GPAs.

If you're going to run with what you've currently got, though, I would at least work to obtain more vet experience. Most people who have gotten in with lower GPAs either have very high numbers of hours (usually ranging into the thousands), lots of diversity in experiences, or preferably both. If you can feasibly get over the 1000 hour mark, that'd help you out in that regard.

Another quick note... try to do well on the GRE. If you can hit scores on quant, verbal, and AWA that correspond to around the 60th percentile or higher, that could potentially go a long way in compensating for your GPA.

 

[finnickthedog]

Yep, Purdue averages retakes. My pre-rew GPA is low for a couple really stupid reasons. I failed communications freshman year because I missed a speech assignment. I got a D in upper level physics because I was registered for the class when I had not taken the required pre-reqs and had no idea what was going on (I started our as a physics major). I've honestly never talked to anyone who made me feel any better about the situation, and even though I've gone from one of the worst students at my school to among the best, nothing I do now matters, even though my lowest semester GPA since switching to pre-vet was 3.8. All the rest was irrelevant nonsense that doesn't reflect my academic ability whatsoever. There are even classes that I took in high school at a community college when I was 16 that are counted in my cGPA. I guess it doesn't matter how hard I work or that I know I would be successful in vet school. The numbers aren't high enough, and there's nothing I can ever do to change them.

If I remember correctly from when I looked at Purdue, they require a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative gpa in order to even consider you for admissions. You need to take a look at your grades, figure out how many classes you would have to take to get there, and then decide whether that's something you can realistically do. If it isn't, then you aren't going to get into Purdue and it's time to start considering your other options.

You last 45 is great and some schools really favor that in their admissions process. Your stats are not hopeless, but Purdue may not be the best bet for you. You have to remember that even if you do pull your cumulative up to the minimum requirement, you may still struggle at a school that places emphasis on the cumulative gpa. Is moving to establish residency in another state an option for you?

I notice you said you can't move more than a few hours away from your family but Illinois is only a couple hours away from Purdue and has a minimum gpa requirement of 2.75. Michigan State is 4 hours away and doesn't consider cumulative gpa at all. So those are couple options you might consider where your chances might be better and you don't have to move horribly far.