What are my chances?

[Skimble]

Yeah Tufts uses VMCAS now. I'm pretty sure all schools in the states (except a&m) use vmcas now.

I don't think Tuskegee uses vmcas, unless they changed in the past 2 years.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[mht2k3]

I don't think Tuskegee uses vmcas, unless they changed in the past 2 years.

they are listed here as part of vmcas:

VMCAS College Descriptor Pages

 

[Skimble]

they are listed here as part of vmcas:

VMCAS College Descriptor Pages

Guess they started using it again! Good to know.

 

[Lupin21]

Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017

Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78

GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5

LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for

Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin

Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet

Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary

Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo

Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls

Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)

Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society

Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University

All looks good. Make sure you spend time to make your PS hit all the high points of what makes you tick and why you would be an asset to the vet med field. I think as long as you can present all these accomplishments and your individuality in a pleasing VMCAS form, you've got a great chance of meeting your goals.

 

[TrashPanda]

Hey guys, any tips/advice?

Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017

Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78

GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5

LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for

Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin

Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet

Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary

Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo

Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls

Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)

Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society

Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University

Looks good! If you could get some LA or wildlife vet experience that would be nice, but your stats are strong enough that I don't think it's vital.

What state are you from that you're applying everywhere OOS? Applying to NCSU is smart (it's the most affordable OOS tuition) and UC Davis is fairly reasonable too. Keep in mind that NCSU is very, very, very competitive (no one on here got in OOS this year, even though several people had basically perfect stats with lots of experience). Your GPAs are just a teensy bit low for Davis (they say above a 3.80 average for last 45 and science GPAs is competitive for OOS), but your quant GRE might be high enough to get you an interview. To be clear, I think you have a very strong application- those schools are just particularly competitive.

The other schools on your list are all very expensive for OOS students and you can't switch to in-state tuition for any of them. Unless money truly isn't a concern for you, I strongly recommend looking at some less expensive schools. Missouri and Washington are both very reasonable (you can switch to IS tuition after the first year) and I think you have a good chance of getting into both. Mizzou in particular likes research.

All looks good. Make sure you spend time to make your PS hit all the high points of what makes you tick and why you would be an asset to the vet med field. I think as long as you can present all these accomplishments and your individuality in a pleasing VMCAS form, you've got a great chance of meeting your goals.

VMCAS doesn't have a PS anymore- just three short essays. (Though your advice still stands!)

 

[Lupin21]

Looks good! If you could get some LA or wildlife vet experience that would be nice, but your stats are strong enough that I don't think it's vital.

What state are you from that you're applying everywhere OOS? Applying to NCSU is smart (it's the most affordable OOS tuition) and UC Davis is fairly reasonable too. Keep in mind that NCSU is very, very, very competitive (no one on here got in OOS this year, even though several people had basically perfect stats with lots of experience). Your GPAs are just a teensy bit low for Davis (they say above a 3.80 average for last 45 and science GPAs is competitive for OOS), but your quant GRE might be high enough to get you an interview. To be clear, I think you have a very strong application- those schools are just particularly competitive.

The other schools on your list are all very expensive for OOS students and you can't switch to in-state tuition for any of them. Unless money truly isn't a concern for you, I strongly recommend looking at some less expensive schools. Missouri and Washington are both very reasonable (you can switch to IS tuition after the first year) and I think you have a good chance of getting into both. Mizzou in particular likes research.



VMCAS doesn't have a PS anymore- just three short essays. (Though your advice still stands!)

Holy cow. Not sure I approve, but out with the old and in with the new since there isn't a choice. haha

 

[tbirdd123]

Looks good! If you could get some LA or wildlife vet experience that would be nice, but your stats are strong enough that I don't think it's vital.

What state are you from that you're applying everywhere OOS? Applying to NCSU is smart (it's the most affordable OOS tuition) and UC Davis is fairly reasonable too. Keep in mind that NCSU is very, very, very competitive (no one on here got in OOS this year, even though several people had basically perfect stats with lots of experience). Your GPAs are just a teensy bit low for Davis (they say above a 3.80 average for last 45 and science GPAs is competitive for OOS), but your quant GRE might be high enough to get you an interview. To be clear, I think you have a very strong application- those schools are just particularly competitive.

The other schools on your list are all very expensive for OOS students and you can't switch to in-state tuition for any of them. Unless money truly isn't a concern for you, I strongly recommend looking at some less expensive schools. Missouri and Washington are both very reasonable (you can switch to IS tuition after the first year) and I think you have a good chance of getting into both. Mizzou in particular likes research.



VMCAS doesn't have a PS anymore- just three short essays. (Though your advice still stands!)

Thanks for the advice! I'm from CT, we have five seats at Iowa, but currently not planning on applying for them. Based the AAVMC cost comparison tool, Wisconsin seemed on the 'somewhat' more affordable end, although I know their tuition continues to increase. I'm also hoping for a school with a strong equine program, which is what brings me to applying to the more expensive schools (UPenn, CSU, Cornell).

 

[TrashPanda]

Thanks for the advice! I'm from CT, we have five seats at Iowa, but currently not planning on applying for them. Based the AAVMC cost comparison tool, Wisconsin seemed on the 'somewhat' more affordable end, although I know their tuition continues to increase. I'm also hoping for a school with a strong equine program, which is what brings me to applying to the more expensive schools (UPenn, CSU, Cornell).

The AAVMC tool is way out of date. They list $109k as the total tuition for Wisconsin, but starting in fall 2018, it'll be $48k per year for a total of $192k (only it'll actually be more because they say they're still going to continue to raise tuition each year).

You don't need to go to a school with a particularly strong equine program to be an equine vet. Any school will prepare you just fine, and the rest (networking, grades, etc.) is up to you no matter where you get your DVM.

Oddly enough, at my Mizzou interview I talked to a fourth-year who will soon be starting his dream job as an equine vet working on racehorses. He chose Mizzou because tuition there is low, and because he felt their curriculum would prepare him well for that goal. (Students there get tons more elective rotations than most schools and you can do many away.) I'm not saying you have to go to Mizzou- my point is just that long-term, debt will have a bigger effect on your life and career than the university name on your degree.

I think it would be a huge mistake to not even apply for your IS seats. At least investigate some of the less expensive schools, make sure you have accurate figures for all, and do some basic budgeting and research on loans (will you be doing direct loans? grad plus? private? how much do you expect to earn, keeping in mind that equine salaries are particularly low? what are housing costs where you might live? etc.) I hope I'm not being too harsh, but seriously, debt should be your number one consideration (unless you're independently wealthy, and then you should ignore everything I said )

 

[Coopah]

Hey guys, any tips/advice?

Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017

Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78

GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5

LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for

Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin

Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet

Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary

Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo

Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls

Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)

Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society

Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University

I agree with basically everything TrashPanda said, definitely consider cost as your number 1 factor. I do think you have a good shot at almost every school you listed as your stats are solid. For Davis in particular your stats are only going to get you to the interview phase, from then on it's a clean slate and entirely dependent on how you do in the interview. I think you've got a great shot just about everywhere, so I would stongly urge you to consider cost. Map out what you will be borrowing for each school. Keep in mind potential financial aid. I'm not sure about other schools, but at Davis everyone gets about $25-28k over their four years taken off their cost of tuition via grants. So look into how large of a endowment each school has. It doesn't hurt to ask the admissions departments directly if you will get need based aid either. Places like Tufts will only grant you need based aid if you, your parents, and your SO all combined make under a certain amount. Feel free to ask any other questions about cost, aid, or the admissions process. I applied to some of the schools you are looking into (Davis, Tufts, CSU) and would be happy to help answer any questions.

 

[tbirdd123]

The AAVMC tool is way out of date. They list $109k as the total tuition for Wisconsin, but starting in fall 2018, it'll be $48k per year for a total of $192k (only it'll actually be more because they say they're still going to continue to raise tuition each year).

You don't need to go to a school with a particularly strong equine program to be an equine vet. Any school will prepare you just fine, and the rest (networking, grades, etc.) is up to you no matter where you get your DVM.

Oddly enough, at my Mizzou interview I talked to a fourth-year who will soon be starting his dream job as an equine vet working on racehorses. He chose Mizzou because tuition there is low, and because he felt their curriculum would prepare him well for that goal. (Students there get tons more elective rotations than most schools and you can do many away.) I'm not saying you have to go to Mizzou- my point is just that long-term, debt will have a bigger effect on your life and career than the university name on your degree.

I think it would be a huge mistake to not even apply for your IS seats. At least investigate some of the less expensive schools, make sure you have accurate figures for all, and do some basic budgeting and research on loans (will you be doing direct loans? grad plus? private? how much do you expect to earn, keeping in mind that equine salaries are particularly low? what are housing costs where you might live? etc.) I hope I'm not being too harsh, but seriously, debt should be your number one consideration (unless you're independently wealthy, and then you should ignore everything I said )

Thank you so much for your advice, I don't have all the pre-reqs for my in state seats and won't be able to achieve them in one semester as I was intending to graduate in January. I'll give it further thought though based on your advice, I completely understand debt will have a major impact on my life. There are other factors in play with certain more pricier schools as well that may make them a more reasonable option for me.

I agree with basically everything TrashPanda said, definitely consider cost as your number 1 factor. I do think you have a good shot at almost every school you listed as your stats are solid. For Davis in particular your stats are only going to get you to the interview phase, from then on it's a clean slate and entirely dependent on how you do in the interview. I think you've got a great shot just about everywhere, so I would stongly urge you to consider cost. Map out what you will be borrowing for each school. Keep in mind potential financial aid. I'm not sure about other schools, but at Davis everyone gets about $25-28k over their four years taken off their cost of tuition via grants. So look into how large of a endowment each school has. It doesn't hurt to ask the admissions departments directly if you will get need based aid either. Places like Tufts will only grant you need based aid if you, your parents, and your SO all combined make under a certain amount. Feel free to ask any other questions about cost, aid, or the admissions process. I applied to some of the schools you are looking into (Davis, Tufts, CSU) and would be happy to help answer any questions.

Thank you so much, I'll definitely come to you with more specific questions for those schools as they arise!

 

[TrashPanda]

Thank you so much for your advice, I don't have all the pre-reqs for my in state seats and won't be able to achieve them in one semester as I was intending to graduate in January. I'll give it further thought though based on your advice, I completely understand debt will have a major impact on my life. There are other factors in play with certain more pricier schools as well that may make them a more reasonable option for me.



Thank you so much, I'll definitely come to you with more specific questions for those schools as they arise!

Sounds like a plan Tuition should be the number one consideration, but that doesn't mean it has to be the only consideration. Another thing to keep in mind is that even though you're graduating in January, you can still take classes as a non-degree student (at another school, if not where you'll be graduating from). Just something to consider. Best of luck!

 

[ejs429]

Hey guys, any advice based on my stats? I’m part of a double major program in Ag/Life Sciences and Humanities/Social Sciences which is why I’m taking a 5th year. I’ve got pretty much one full year before applying so I mainly need advice on what I should focus on improving during this time. I know my GPA isn’t great, which is due to a combination of financial issues (and having to work 25-30 hours/week on top of class) and some family issues that was dragging me down. My grades have been improving and I’m hoping my last 45 will really reflect that. I have taken a W in two science courses in my worst personal times. I decided I would rather take the W and retake the class instead of getting a D, having it negatively affect my GPA, and then retaking the class anyway. I’ve already retaken one and got a B+ so definitely some improvement.


Female, 20 years old, Graduating in May 2019 as 5th year senior.
Will have 2 degrees in Animal Science and International Studies

Cum GPA: 3.36 Science GPA: currently ~3.4 Last 45 ~aiming for 3.6 and higher

GRE: Haven’t taken yet

LOR's – Small animal vet (will have worked there for 4 years when I apply), research mentor (works at NC State CVM), and the head of my internship (also my professor for a couple classes)

Schools Applying to: First cycle I only want to apply to NC State. It’s my IS and I currently am attending for undergrad. If I don’t get in the first time, I’ll consider some OOS that will allow you to apply for IS but I really want to attend NCSU.

Vet Experiences
-Over 1,300 hours at SA hospital (kennel attendant at beginning and now vet tech)
-80 hours with equine vet (some hands on)

Research
-35 hours assisting with organic dairy trials (could also be animal experience?)
-200 hours created own research involving national survey of organic dairy producers/alternative treatments for mastitis

Animal Experience
-120 hours working at chicken farm
-150 hours (and counting) working at swine farm
-50 hours equine therapeutic riding program (volunteer)
-4 years of horseback riding lessons and 6 years of owning horses

Other Employment
-1 year (will have 2.5 when applying) working at vet school library
-6 months at Walgreens
-6 months at landscaping/feed company
-1 year (unpaid) VetPAC Intern - assisting prevet students with finding internships/resources/high school outreach

Leadership
-Community Service committee in Thomas Jefferson Scholars (my dual-degree program)
-Fundraising committee in TJ Scholars
-Possibly secretary upcoming year in TJ Scholars
-Community service chair at a campus organization

Achievements
-TJ Dual Degree Scholars
-University Scholars
-Ag & Life Sciences Honors Program
-Received a few agricultural scholarships
-Dean’s list 2 semesters


Also, I’m wanting to do the food animal focus area, so I really want to get experience with a livestock vet but it’s really difficult to find someone in the city and no one back home wants undergrad students. I don’t know if this will hurt me if I can’t find someone.

 

[CheeryMartini]

Hey guys, any tips/advice?

Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017

Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78

GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5

LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for

Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin

Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet

Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary

Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo

Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls

Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)

Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society

Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University

You have amazing stats, but just a heads up...
I was OOS for UC Davis and had a 3.85 science/cumulative GPA and a 82% Quantitative GRE score, and I got waitlisted for an interview (ultimately I didn't get off the waitlist and was rejected). Your GRE score is higher than mine, so maybe that will be the push that will get you an interview, but just wanted to let you know!

Wisconsin was also veeerrry competitive this year. I personally was flat out rejected and I know people who had perfect 4.0 GPAs and still got rejected... However you have really strong research experience and I heard that Wisconsin looks really favorably upon that, so who knows!

Also, you seem to have an interest in equine medicine. If you hope to pursue that professionally, consider applying to A&M. Their OOS tuition is dirt cheap (in comparison to other schools) and they're famous for their large animal medicine. If you love small animal medicine, Tufts or Ohio are great choices, but I don't think their large-animal medicine programs are as good as others.

 

[tbirdd123]

You have amazing stats, but just a heads up...
I was OOS for UC Davis and had a 3.85 science/cumulative GPA and a 82% Quantitative GRE score, and I got waitlisted for an interview (ultimately I didn't get off the waitlist and was rejected). Your GRE score is higher than mine, so maybe that will be the push that will get you an interview, but just wanted to let you know!

Wisconsin was also veeerrry competitive this year. I personally was flat out rejected and I know people who had perfect 4.0 GPAs and still got rejected... However you have really strong research experience and I heard that Wisconsin looks really favorably upon that, so who knows!

Also, you seem to have an interest in equine medicine. If you hope to pursue that professionally, consider applying to A&M. Their OOS tuition is dirt cheap (in comparison to other schools) and they're famous for their large animal medicine. If you love small animal medicine, Tufts or Ohio are great choices, but I don't think their large-animal medicine programs are as good as others.

Thanks for the heads up! Do you know how Davis calculates last 45? My school is on the semester system and trying to get the best estimate for myself. I assume it would include courses completed only by the time the application is submitted?

 

[CheeryMartini]

Thanks for the heads up! Do you know how Davis calculates last 45? My school is on the semester system and trying to get the best estimate for myself. I assume it would include courses completed only by the time the application is submitted?

You would only include the last 45 hours of classes you have completed! However, you have to include all the semester grades those 45 hours extend to (so say in your last 3 semesters you had a total of 48 hours instead of 45 - you would include all 48 hours in your calculation). The supplemental application is emailed pretty late in the game (I think it was in September?) so you would include Spring 2017's grades as well (and any summer classes you plan on taking).

 

[echoing]

Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.

 

[PippyPony]

Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.

Some schools do take this into account. I know Tufts does to some degree, and I believe Cornell does as well.

Davis, I'm not sure about.

 

[Coopah]

Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.

Certain schools do take rigor of coursework, like Cornell or Tufts. UC Davis, however, is strictly numbers based from my understanding. It might be a little disappointing for your circumstances, but for others it's a wonderful opportunity.

 

[PippyPony]

Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.

But also...not to be a debbie downer here, but prestigious school does not necessarily = harder classes or lower grades. Example: Harvard's had a notorious problem with grade inflation for a long, long time. The schools that look at academic rigor are probably (hopefully) looking at it on a per institution basis, rather than just saying "oh this person went to an Ivy, it's ok that their GPA is a little lower".

You will also likely be going up against people who have come out of similar schools but who still have GPAs well above the mean for accepted students. It's the nature of the beast.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

But also...not to be a debbie downer here, but prestigious school does not necessarily = harder classes or lower grades. Example: Harvard's had a notorious problem with grade inflation for a long, long time. The schools that look at academic rigor are probably (hopefully) looking at it on a per institution basis, rather than just saying "oh this person went to an Ivy, it's ok that their GPA is a little lower".

You will also likely be going up against people who have come out of similar schools but who still have GPAs well above the mean for accepted students. It's the nature of the beast.

I guess what I've always wondered about...and totally not trying to pick on echoing or anything...is how does anyone actually know that their GPA would be higher at a "non-prestigious" institution? Just kinda seems like a weird statement to make, at least to me. Maybe such places really do have classes that are harder than anything I ever took, but without someone experiencing other schools I feel like that's just an assumption? Idk I went to my state university so I know nothing about the ivy leagues but I've always wondered about this...does someone like study these things or something? Lol

 

[PippyPony]

I guess what I've always wondered about...and totally not trying to pick on echoing or anything...is how does anyone actually know that their GPA would be higher at a "non-prestigious" institution? Just kinda seems like a weird statement to make, at least to me. Maybe such places really do have classes that are harder than anything I ever took, but without someone experiencing other schools I feel like that's just an assumption? Idk I went to my state university so I know nothing about the ivy leagues but I've always wondered about this...does someone like study these things or something? Lol

I'm sure someone somewhere has studied it at some point -- it is academia, after all

But this is also one of the reasons why standardized tests exist.

 

[bombai]

I guess what I've always wondered about...and totally not trying to pick on echoing or anything...is how does anyone actually know that their GPA would be higher at a "non-prestigious" institution? Just kinda seems like a weird statement to make, at least to me. Maybe such places really do have classes that are harder than anything I ever took, but without someone experiencing other schools I feel like that's just an assumption? Idk I went to my state university so I know nothing about the ivy leagues but I've always wondered about this...does someone like study these things or something? Lol

I have taken courses at prestigious and non-prestigious institutions. Out of all of them, the most rigorous courses have been at junior colleges. In my opinion, the prestige of a school says nothing about the rigor of the education. In fact, after taking preparatory courses at a junior college, I found myself more prepared than those who took courses at higher-end universities. This is just my experience. In other words, I don't think it is possible or fair to rank a student based on the college they came from, as the level of education is variable and probably depends more on the teacher(s) of the course(s) taken. Yes, some veterinary schools will give you a little boost based on your undergraduate institution, but from my experience that carries very little weight. My two cents for you .

 

[SummerTheLynx]

I'm sure someone somewhere has studied it at some point -- it is academia, after all

But this is also one of the reasons why standardized tests exist.

Sounds like someone in the informatics field needs to even the playing field and determine what equivalent grades from different schools would be .

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Sounds like someone in the informatics field needs to even the playing field and determine what equivalent grades from different schools would be .

You get right on that STL

 

[SummerTheLynx]

You get right on that STL

I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )

 

[PippyPony]

I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )

You'd like to get paid for your work? I think you may be going into the wrong field

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )

You'd like to get paid for your work? I think you may be going into the wrong field

I think he should just be doing everything for free always. Helping humanity and all that good stuff

 

[SnowshoeDog143]

Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.

There are definitely studies that show certain schools grade harder then others and it's probably best to ask the individual schools to know for sure, but in general I don't think it's going to be much of a factor in their admissions. I can't speak for the USA, but I definitely know that some of the more prestigious schools here are difficult to get in (high gpas, interviews, etc) , but once in the grading is more lax (saying that very loosely). Other schools have much easier admissions requirements, but "weed" out people by having harder grading in there classes. It ends up leveling out the playing field and so I don't think it's a major factor if a factor at all in most vet school admissions. I guess it works like community college and small universities vs large universities. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. But overall one is not better then the other.

It all depends on what you do with YOUR situation. Sometimes you can choose your school, so you should pick the one that will help you as an individual succeed (based on learning style, interests, personality, etc..). Sometimes you can't choose your school and you are forced to work within that system to succeed. Look at courses you did really well on and try to pinpoint why you did great in them. Did the subject interest you? Did the professor teach in your type of learning style? Does that subject come naturally to you? Was there more grade weight on papers vs testing or the other way? Did you have a group of friends you studied with? Those are important things that you can select courses based on. Talk to people in your major about the classes/professors/subjects and see if it fits your "success" plan. Don't be afraid to wait to take a class until the professor you like or your study friends are in it. Your schedule is probably more malleable then you think. Do the same reflection on courses you have done poorly in and if you have to take a similar course or a course you know you will struggle in, plan ahead for it (get a tutor, make a study group, whatever you know helps you). Everyone has different life situations, different learning styles, different backgrounds.. and vet school admissions have their requirements because they can't afford to just take everyone. So work with what you have, learn from your mistakes, and take responsibility because blaming your school on your grades helps nothing and only hurts you (This is coming from someone in the exact situation).

 

[mht2k3]

Fwiw I went to two schools in undergrad that are both usually ranked in the top25 by us news. I've been taking my pre-reqs at a local school that isn't anywhere near a top tier university and the courses aren't easier here! You will probably get more serious students at a more prestigious university but intro physics is intro physics, organic Chem is organic chem. I wouldn't necessarily believe that a gpa from one school is really all that different from a gpa at a different school. I know Cornell does adjust for the perceived rigor of the school but most schools don't. I'm sure if you ask admissions almost every school will tell you that there is no correlation between where you went to undergrad and how well you succeed in their veterinary school.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[battie]

Took a fifth year at a big university back home. Compared to my tiny state college, the big university classes felt/were way easier. The Ornithology at my undergrad vs big university was drastic. Granted, it's hard to gauge since I'm comparing 25-30 credits of one school to 150-160 credits of another, but I feel had I gone to the big university over my tiny state college, I very well might have done better (with everything else being equal of course). My tiny state college has little dog syndrome where they feel they have to make up for the perceived difference in education quality that comes with being a small school. But then again, grass is always greener on the other side.

 

[coffeelauren]

Hey! I have a lot of work to do, but I'm only 19. I guess I probably know what I need to do? (I've posted before but I have some updates I guess?)

My GPA will likely sit around 3.3 at the end of this semester (Low, I know...shoutout to chemistry...). This is my first year at a university im slowly realizing is a lot harder than I thought it would be...

My vet experience sits pretty low right now, as I only have a few hours from volunteering at spay neuter clinics (somewhere around 30)

As for animal I have:
About 280-300 hours working as a stable hand
and around 100 this semester interning at a Clydesdale farm (Small amounts of vet experience, like a few hours observing ultrasounds and such)
around 15 hours volunteering at a big cat rescue

Extracirriculars:
I've been heavily involved in Rowing for about 6 years now, most of which I spent as a coxswain.

What I really wanted advice on was this summer:
So far I'll be working at the Poultry Diagnostic Research Center, which is at the vet school here (I'm an Avian bio major if that's relevent).
I also have the opportunity to help out with two research projects with Vets: one basically involves calves and viruses, and the other is centered around bull reproduction.
I'll also be taking Ochem, and retaking a gen chem 1 lab for a high grade.

Should I try to shadow at a more traditional, small animal clinic over the summer as well? Or would that be pushing it for one summer?
Thanks!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Hey! I have a lot of work to do, but I'm only 19. I guess I probably know what I need to do? (I've posted before but I have some updates I guess?)

My GPA will likely sit around 3.3 at the end of this semester (Low, I know...shoutout to chemistry...). This is my first year at a university im slowly realizing is a lot harder than I thought it would be...

My vet experience sits pretty low right now, as I only have a few hours from volunteering at spay neuter clinics (somewhere around 30)

As for animal I have:
About 280-300 hours working as a stable hand
and around 100 this semester interning at a Clydesdale farm (Small amounts of vet experience, like a few hours observing ultrasounds and such)
around 15 hours volunteering at a big cat rescue

Extracirriculars:
I've been heavily involved in Rowing for about 6 years now, most of which I spent as a coxswain.

What I really wanted advice on was this summer:
So far I'll be working at the Poultry Diagnostic Research Center, which is at the vet school here (I'm an Avian bio major if that's relevent).
I also have the opportunity to help out with two research projects with Vets: one basically involves calves and viruses, and the other is centered around bull reproduction.
I'll also be taking Ochem, and retaking a gen chem 1 lab for a high grade.

Should I try to shadow at a more traditional, small animal clinic over the summer as well? Or would that be pushing it for one summer?
Thanks!

Is it possible you'll be working with veterinary pathologists at the poultry center? If so, that's vet experience.

How much you are willing to take on is entirely up to you to decide. It may not be unreasonable to try to get 5 or so hours of clinic time a week. You have a few years to continue to build up your hours as well.

 

[coffeelauren]

Is it possible you'll be working with veterinary pathologists at the poultry center? If so, that's vet experience.

How much you are willing to take on is entirely up to you to decide. It may not be unreasonable to try to get 5 or so hours of clinic time a week. You have a few years to continue to build up your hours as well.

Yeah, I'm wondering that too- there's a change the poultry center could include some vet experience, I'm not really sure yet (Either way, it's paid so I'm excited haha). I think I'll give it a shot- the hard part is going to finding someplace to shadow

 

[TrashPanda]

Yeah, I'm wondering that too- there's a change the poultry center could include some vet experience, I'm not really sure yet (Either way, it's paid so I'm excited haha). I think I'll give it a shot- the hard part is going to finding someplace to shadow

If you're involved in research, it counts as research experience (not vet experience) even if your supervisor is a vet. If your supervisor is a vet and it's not research, then it is vet experience. Based on what you said, it will probably count as research experience. That's not a bad thing! Research experience is great, especially since it's veterinary/animal-related.

That said, if you can get veterinary experience this summer, you should. But keep in mind that you can always get more hours later, but it's much harder to bring a GPA up. You may want to start putting feelers out for a very limited number of vet hours or wait to see how you're doing in your chemistry classes. If there's time before or after the summer semester, that would also be a good time for vet hours. Even if you only get a day or two, that might set you up for more hours during the school year.

 

[johnsmith123]

Hey everyone,

I posted here a month back and have some updates that I'd like to add, specifically my GRE scores and some strides I am making to get enough vet hours. I would like to get some opinions on if I am still on the right track.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish (might add biochemistry)

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE:
Verbal: 159 (82nd percentile)
Quant: 155 (59th percentile)
Writing: 4.5 (82nd percentile)

Veterinary Experience:
- 225 hours spays, neuters, general exams with VIDA
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
2 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Emergency vet I'm working with

Awards/recognition:
4 year undergrad scholarship
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Significantly low science GPA which I can't change much at this point
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

What I'm doing to correct my concerns:
I have started shadowing at 2 clinics; one companion animal practice as well as a high volume emergency clinic that deals with companion animals and exotics. At my current rate, I should be able to get in another 100-200 hours of vet experience before applying.

Since my last post, I have also started narrowing down school choices. Here are the ones I'm thinking of right now. Washington state university, oregon state university, CSU, Texas, mizzou, and possibly NC state.

Do these choices seem like reasonable choices for an AZ resident? I'm definitely hoping to get accepted to one that allows you to apply for in state after a year because I don't want to cripple myself with $300k in debt unless I have to. Any other schools you recommend I look into? I know I most definitely want to stay in the US, even though there are multiple good choices in other countries.

 

[battie]

Hey everyone,

I posted here a month back and have some updates that I'd like to add, specifically my GRE scores and some strides I am making to get enough vet hours. I would like to get some opinions on if I am still on the right track.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish (might add biochemistry)

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE:
Verbal: 159 (82nd percentile)
Quant: 155 (59th percentile)
Writing: 4.5 (82nd percentile)

Veterinary Experience:
- 225 hours spays, neuters, general exams with VIDA
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
2 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Emergency vet I'm working with

Awards/recognition:
4 year undergrad scholarship
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Significantly low science GPA which I can't change much at this point
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

What I'm doing to correct my concerns:
I have started shadowing at 2 clinics; one companion animal practice as well as a high volume emergency clinic that deals with companion animals and exotics. At my current rate, I should be able to get in another 100-200 hours of vet experience before applying.

Since my last post, I have also started narrowing down school choices. Here are the ones I'm thinking of right now. Washington state university, oregon state university, CSU, Texas, mizzou, and possibly NC state.

Do these choices seem like reasonable choices for an AZ resident? I'm definitely hoping to get accepted to one that allows you to apply for in state after a year because I don't want to cripple myself with $300k in debt unless I have to. Any other schools you recommend I look into? I know I most definitely want to stay in the US, even though there are multiple good choices in other countries.

Do you know if Arizona is in WICHE? If so, I would apply to every WICHE school, several of which are already on your list.

CSU, Texas, and NC State may be reaches here, especially with that science GPA. At SAVMA this year, the dean of TAMU said 90% of their students are IS, making OOS very competitive (similar for Oregan too, for that matter). CSU likes to see upward trends, so if your GPA is low from your freshman days, then that may be a less of a concern. NC State has an OOS GPA cut off of 3.4ish, but I don't know if to applies to your science GPA as well.

I would recommend K-State with your stellar last 45 GPA. That's something they favor heavily and I'm biased lol. My favorite OOS school when I was applying.

 

[johnsmith123]

Do you know if Arizona is in WICHE? If so, I would apply to every WICHE school, several of which are already on your list.

CSU, Texas, and NC State may be reaches here, especially with that science GPA. At SAVMA this year, the dean of TAMU said 90% of their students are IS, making OOS very competitive (similar for Oregan too, for that matter). CSU likes to see upward trends, so if your GPA is low from your freshman days, then that may be a less of a concern. NC State has an OOS GPA cut off of 3.4ish, but I don't know if to applies to your science GPA as well.

I would recommend K-State with your stellar last 45 GPA. That's something they favor heavily and I'm biased lol. My favorite OOS school when I was applying.

Yes, Arizona is included in WICHE. I actually haven't read up about the program too much yet but that definitely could be a good option to save some money. I recently checked up on NC state's GPA reqs and it looks like they calculate the pre req GPA instead, which should be above their cutoff (but I haven't calculated that out yet).

 

[fosterfail314]

I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!

Female, 28 years old, Pennsylvania Resident
Bachelors degree in early childhood education
Master's of Education in Early Intervention with specialization in autism spectrum disorder
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (certification requiring graduate level certificate in applied behavior analysis, 1500 hour apprenticeship, and passing the board exam)

Cum GPA: 3.6 (currently) Science GPA: N/A (only taken science for non-majors in undergrad) Last 45 Currently 3.9, but doesn't include any science courses

GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)

LOR's – None yet

Schools Applying to: My tentative plan is to apply only to UPenn the first cycle (to begin 2021). If I don't get in then consider other schools out of state that are close enough to a city where my husband could hopefully find a job.

Vet Experiences
-80 hours with medical intake at large shelter
-60 hours with small animal low-cost clinic
-60 hours with high volume spay/neuter clinic

Research
-200 hours (approximately) as a research assistant evaluating a behavioral intervention to increase social and communication skills in toddlers with autism
None animal related

Animal Experience
-4000 hours (approximately) volunteering through a variety of small animal shelters/rescues doing cat care, dog walking, fostering, helping with events, transporting animals

Other Employment
-1 year lead teacher in a preschool classroom
-1 year on-call substitute at a (different) preschool while in grad school
-18 months behavior consultant for behavioral health agency (going into homes, providing behavioral consultation for young children with challenging behaviors, supervising direct care staff)
-1 year (and counting, current position) as a clinician at a residential treatment facility for children with severe challenging behaviors and developmental disabilities
-1 year supervising graduate students completing their apprenticeship for board certification through University of Pittsburgh and now Drexel (unpaid)

Honors/Awards
-Award for excellence in Early Childhood Education recipient (in undergrad)
-NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Educator's grant recipient - presented a poster at Glenn Research Center in Ohio (also in undergrad)
-Merit scholarship to attend graduate school in education
-Government grant funding to attend graduate school in education, participate in pilot practicum program and courses

Extracurricular Activities
-After school tutor for at-risk youth (mostly in undergrad)
-High school math tutor (algebra and geometry)
-I have taken an adult tap dance class for the past 8 years

I know I'm low on the vet experience hours, but I have plenty of time to get more experience. My ideal career in the veterinary field would be to apply my background in behavior modification to shelter animals. I know that could be a whole discussion by itself, but my interests are primarily in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine.

Any advice on whether I should put in the effort to raise my GRE scores or not is greatly appreciated!

 

[Coopah]

I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!

Female, 28 years old, Pennsylvania Resident
Bachelors degree in early childhood education
Master's of Education in Early Intervention with specialization in autism spectrum disorder
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (certification requiring graduate level certificate in applied behavior analysis, 1500 hour apprenticeship, and passing the board exam)

Cum GPA: 3.6 (currently) Science GPA: N/A (only taken science for non-majors in undergrad) Last 45 Currently 3.9, but doesn't include any science courses

GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)

LOR's – None yet

Schools Applying to: My tentative plan is to apply only to UPenn the first cycle (to begin 2021). If I don't get in then consider other schools out of state that are close enough to a city where my husband could hopefully find a job.

Vet Experiences
-80 hours with medical intake at large shelter
-60 hours with small animal low-cost clinic
-60 hours with high volume spay/neuter clinic

Research
-200 hours (approximately) as a research assistant evaluating a behavioral intervention to increase social and communication skills in toddlers with autism
None animal related

Animal Experience
-4000 hours (approximately) volunteering through a variety of small animal shelters/rescues doing cat care, dog walking, fostering, helping with events, transporting animals

Other Employment
-1 year lead teacher in a preschool classroom
-1 year on-call substitute at a (different) preschool while in grad school
-18 months behavior consultant for behavioral health agency (going into homes, providing behavioral consultation for young children with challenging behaviors, supervising direct care staff)
-1 year (and counting, current position) as a clinician at a residential treatment facility for children with severe challenging behaviors and developmental disabilities
-1 year supervising graduate students completing their apprenticeship for board certification through University of Pittsburgh and now Drexel (unpaid)

Honors/Awards
-Award for excellence in Early Childhood Education recipient (in undergrad)
-NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Educator's grant recipient - presented a poster at Glenn Research Center in Ohio (also in undergrad)
-Merit scholarship to attend graduate school in education
-Government grant funding to attend graduate school in education, participate in pilot practicum program and courses

Extracurricular Activities
-After school tutor for at-risk youth (mostly in undergrad)
-High school math tutor (algebra and geometry)
-I have taken an adult tap dance class for the past 8 years

I know I'm low on the vet experience hours, but I have plenty of time to get more experience. My ideal career in the veterinary field would be to apply my background in behavior modification to shelter animals. I know that could be a whole discussion by itself, but my interests are primarily in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine.

Any advice on whether I should put in the effort to raise my GRE scores or not is greatly appreciated!

If you have the time I would. Above 75% in all categories is the general rule of thumb I believe. As a note, your undergrad science courses will still count even if they were science for nonmajors. What department where they in?

 

[Staffie]

I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!


GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)

Those scores are ok and probably enough for most schools if the rest of your application is good. If you feel that you can get at least 10 percentile points higher in each category with more studying, then do it. If you feel that you already tried your best and don't think you can get much higher then it's not worth it. Have a plan for how you're going to prepare for it and take it very seriously, or don't bother. Also make sure you check with schools to make sure your scores aren't too old for when you apply.

 

[mht2k3]

I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!

Female, 28 years old, Pennsylvania Resident
Bachelors degree in early childhood education
Master's of Education in Early Intervention with specialization in autism spectrum disorder
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (certification requiring graduate level certificate in applied behavior analysis, 1500 hour apprenticeship, and passing the board exam)

Cum GPA: 3.6 (currently) Science GPA: N/A (only taken science for non-majors in undergrad) Last 45 Currently 3.9, but doesn't include any science courses

GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)

LOR's – None yet

Schools Applying to: My tentative plan is to apply only to UPenn the first cycle (to begin 2021). If I don't get in then consider other schools out of state that are close enough to a city where my husband could hopefully find a job.

Vet Experiences
-80 hours with medical intake at large shelter
-60 hours with small animal low-cost clinic
-60 hours with high volume spay/neuter clinic

Research
-200 hours (approximately) as a research assistant evaluating a behavioral intervention to increase social and communication skills in toddlers with autism
None animal related

Animal Experience
-4000 hours (approximately) volunteering through a variety of small animal shelters/rescues doing cat care, dog walking, fostering, helping with events, transporting animals

Other Employment
-1 year lead teacher in a preschool classroom
-1 year on-call substitute at a (different) preschool while in grad school
-18 months behavior consultant for behavioral health agency (going into homes, providing behavioral consultation for young children with challenging behaviors, supervising direct care staff)
-1 year (and counting, current position) as a clinician at a residential treatment facility for children with severe challenging behaviors and developmental disabilities
-1 year supervising graduate students completing their apprenticeship for board certification through University of Pittsburgh and now Drexel (unpaid)

Honors/Awards
-Award for excellence in Early Childhood Education recipient (in undergrad)
-NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Educator's grant recipient - presented a poster at Glenn Research Center in Ohio (also in undergrad)
-Merit scholarship to attend graduate school in education
-Government grant funding to attend graduate school in education, participate in pilot practicum program and courses

Extracurricular Activities
-After school tutor for at-risk youth (mostly in undergrad)
-High school math tutor (algebra and geometry)
-I have taken an adult tap dance class for the past 8 years

I know I'm low on the vet experience hours, but I have plenty of time to get more experience. My ideal career in the veterinary field would be to apply my background in behavior modification to shelter animals. I know that could be a whole discussion by itself, but my interests are primarily in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine.

Any advice on whether I should put in the effort to raise my GRE scores or not is greatly appreciated!

Those scores aren't that bad. I'd probably wait and see what your GPA for your pre-reqs ends up being before taking it again. Also some schools are doing away with the GRE, so maybe by the time you are applying it wont be needed anyways. From my experience interviewing/talking with people at Penn, they seem to really like non-traditional students so thats a good thing for you. My advice is to get a bunch more vet hours (try to get some large animal ones), kick ass in your pre-reqs and you should be in great shape. Since you are already at Penn, you should definitely try to get some experience within the school. See if you can shadow out at new bolton or at the small animal hospital or at the very least make yourself known to some of the staff/professors there. Having someone know you that can speak up when they are deciding your application will be a huge plus in your favor. Also when you you apply, you should really emphasize the experience you have with your previous career and how you think it will benefit you in vet school/being a veterinarian.

 

[fosterfail314]

Thanks for the responses! I definitely think I can improve my score with some more studying. I'm thinking about the magoosh study tools.

If you have the time I would. Above 75% in all categories is the general rule of thumb I believe. As a note, your undergrad science courses will still count even if they were science for nonmajors. What department where they in?

One course was in the biology department (basic bio for non-science majors), and 3 in the physics department (basic physics for non-science majors and two astronomy courses). 3 As and one A-

 

[aqua125]

Hi I was wondering if volunteering at a horse rehabilitation center would look good for vet school? I really want to do it and it is more convenient than volunteering at a vet for me right now because I do not have a car and it is right across the street, while the vet would require driving. I plan on doing lots of other volunteer work in the future because I am only a freshman, but I was just wondering if this is a good idea. Thank you!

 

[Coopah]

Thanks for the responses! I definitely think I can improve my score with some more studying. I'm thinking about the magoosh study tools.



One course was in the biology department (basic bio for non-science majors), and 3 in the physics department (basic physics for non-science majors and two astronomy courses). 3 As and one A-

Those definitely count towards your science GPA, I would double check with schools but I am pretty sure. Keep up those grades and you'll have a great shot!

 

[love2hunt]

Those definitely count towards your science GPA, I would double check with schools but I am pretty sure. Keep up those grades and you'll have a great shot!

Agreed. I had one BIO 101 class from my non-science undergrad so my VMCAS science GPA was entirely based on that one class.

 

[bombai]

Hi I was wondering if volunteering at a horse rehabilitation center would look good for vet school? I really want to do it and it is more convenient than volunteering at a vet for me right now because I do not have a car and it is right across the street, while the vet would require driving. I plan on doing lots of other volunteer work in the future because I am only a freshman, but I was just wondering if this is a good idea. Thank you!

Why not? Most vet schools look for well-rounded applicants. My interviewers mostly asked me about my non-vet-related extracurriculars, so make sure you have other things as well. But yeah, this sounds like a great opportunity .

 

[bhiu15]

Hey guys,
Long time stalker, first time poster.


24 years old, female, Indiana resident

Degrees:
B.A. in Biology, Spanish
Minors in Business, Chemistry

Other Honors:
General Honors Notation
Phi Beta Kappa
Multiple Dean's Lists
Many academic scholarships for tuition, living stipends, study abroad, etc.

Cum GPA: 3.82
Science GPA: 3.63
Last 45: 3.66

Veterinary Experience:
- 170 hours experience SA (and increasing weekly)
- 85 hours experience LA
- Upcoming two-week Veterinary Student Program with ARCAS in Guatemala
I shadowed an ambulatory large animal vet 1x/week for a semester, and I've shadowed in several SA clinics. I currently volunteer one or two days per week at a low-cost spay/neuter/wellness clinic.

Animal Experience:
- 3500 hours between 9 years of 4H, many years of riding and competing horses, and growing up on a hobby farm

LORs:
- SA veterinarian at the high-volume spay and neuter clinic I volunteer at now
- LA veterinarian I used to shadow with
- Spanish professor from university
- Microbiology professor from university (tentative)
- Exotic veterinarian from this summer's program (tentative)

Volunteer experience:
- Four-year volunteer for second largest dance marathon in the US benefitting a local children's hospital

Other Experience:
- Spent 9 months after college living and traveling in Australia, Cambodia, and Vietnam
- Two weeks backpacking Peru
- Upcoming: Two weeks around Guatemala and Peru
- Upcoming: Three months in Europe
Obviously travel is massively important to me, and I'd love to figure out a way to incorporate my love for traveling and global affairs into practicing medicine.

Employment:
- Currently a full-time bartender and manager at a modern-Amercian restaurant and cocktail bar (was part-time for most of college)

GRE verbal: 163
GRE quant: 158
GRE writing: 4.5

Applying: Purdue, NCSU, CSU

Concerns:
- Somewhat low veterinary experience hours, hoping that will be added to this summer and balanced by my animal experience.
- Three years between graduating college and matriculating (if I'm accepted).

I'm sure I've forgotten something!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

I was planning to take a year off before vet school but I'm now reconsidering!

21 year old female, Oregon resident
Degree: BA in Biochemistry with Environmental studies minor (May '18)
current Cum GPA: 3.86
Science GPA: 3.84

Vet experience:
700ish: volunteer at a non-profit vet clinic assisting mostly with walk-ins and administrative duties but also surgeries

Animal experience:
650ish: worked two summers at a nature center. cared for resident raptors and herps in addition to wildlife rehab (mostly birds). Administered meds, food, and monitored wellbeing. Handled raptors and reptiles for presentations. Interacted with a couple vets when bringing animals in to be seen but not extensively
80: volunteered on waterfowl sanctuary
Don't know if this counts but fostering kittens for the clinic

Research:
I will be working this summer on a project that involves mice. I have the opportunity to meet and interact with lab animal vets. Will be around 280 hours of work.
Tanzania biology field research
Independent lab research on horse feed composition

GRE:
I haven't taken! As I am just now starting to consider applying this fall. Ugh! I got a 33 on the ACT but a 30 was a much more typical score for me. How much does this score weigh in?

LORs:
Biology prof or committee letter. Which would be better?
Vet at the non-profit clinic
Probably previous employer at the nature center or owner of the clinic. Which would be better?

Other:
Studied abroad in Tanzania. Conducted 2 week long research on impala and shorter project on brittlestars
I was an intern at a family planning clinic in TZ for a few weeks. some hours volunteering at a local hospital.
2 season d3 varsity athlete
service based scholarship that requires 140 hours community service per semester (which I do at the clinic)
merit, need based financial aid and chemistry scholarship
Short study abroad in Berlin on multiculturalism

Worries:
All of my vet experience is at the same clinic. How can I improve this over the next few months? Shadow other vets? I'm mostly interested in wildlife which I have done a lot of. The lab vet experience could be good although I am pretty darn sure I don't want to do that lol.
I haven't taken the GRE
I'm just beginning to look at the specifics of applying! And getting overwhelmed. Yikes.

Planning to apply to Oregon, Washington, and NC. Possible a few others on the lower price range like TAMU, Wisconsin, Missouri, UC. Thanks!

 

[battie]

Yes, Arizona is included in WICHE. I actually haven't read up about the program too much yet but that definitely could be a good option to save some money. I recently checked up on NC state's GPA reqs and it looks like they calculate the pre req GPA instead, which should be above their cutoff (but I haven't calculated that out yet).

Yeah, definitely look into that WICHE life. A friend from Wyoming is at Washington State as a first year and was accepted as WICHE. Will save you so much money and I think half the schools are on your list anyways. Lol

 

[love2hunt]

Hey guys,
Long time stalker, first time poster.


24 years old, female, Indiana resident

Degrees:
B.A. in Biology, Spanish
Minors in Business, Chemistry

Other Honors:
General Honors Notation
Phi Beta Kappa
Multiple Dean's Lists
Many academic scholarships for tuition, living stipends, study abroad, etc.

Cum GPA: 3.82
Science GPA: 3.63
Last 45: 3.66

Veterinary Experience:
- 170 hours experience SA (and increasing weekly)
- 85 hours experience LA
- Upcoming two-week Veterinary Student Program with ARCAS in Guatemala
I shadowed an ambulatory large animal vet 1x/week for a semester, and I've shadowed in several SA clinics. I currently volunteer one or two days per week at a low-cost spay/neuter/wellness clinic.

Animal Experience:
- 3500 hours between 9 years of 4H, many years of riding and competing horses, and growing up on a hobby farm

LORs:
- SA veterinarian at the high-volume spay and neuter clinic I volunteer at now
- LA veterinarian I used to shadow with
- Spanish professor from university
- Microbiology professor from university (tentative)
- Exotic veterinarian from this summer's program (tentative)

Volunteer experience:
- Four-year volunteer for second largest dance marathon in the US benefitting a local children's hospital

Other Experience:
- Spent 9 months after college living and traveling in Australia, Cambodia, and Vietnam
- Two weeks backpacking Peru
- Upcoming: Two weeks around Guatemala and Peru
- Upcoming: Three months in Europe
Obviously travel is massively important to me, and I'd love to figure out a way to incorporate my love for traveling and global affairs into practicing medicine.

Employment:
- Currently a full-time bartender and manager at a modern-Amercian restaurant and cocktail bar (was part-time for most of college)

GRE verbal: 163
GRE quant: 158
GRE writing: 4.5

Applying: Purdue, NCSU, CSU

Concerns:
- Somewhat low veterinary experience hours, hoping that will be added to this summer and balanced by my animal experience.
- Three years between graduating college and matriculating (if I'm accepted).

I'm sure I've forgotten something!

I graduated undergrad in 2013 and am starting vet school in the fall. Seem to be a lot of accepted students who are going to vet school after being well out of undergrad ("non-traditional students"). It's a non-issue.

All of your stats look pretty darn good to me. Your vet hours are obviously low but you're already aware of that and taking steps to fix it. You're well on your way!


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