What are my chances?

[prevetdreamer]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So, I've been lurking for a couple months and posting occasionally, so I figured I would try to get some honest feedback about my stats.

About me: Non-trad, 30 years old, female. Tennessee resident. First time applying.
Applied to Auburn (interview Feb 4), Mississippi State (interview Feb 6), and Tennessee (no news yet)

Degrees: Bachelors of Music (education) '04 and Masters of Music (performance) '06

Cum GPA: 3.75
Physical sci GPA: 3.85
Bio and Ag GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE: 159v (84%), 151q (56%), 4.5w (72%)

Veterinary Experience:
~2000 hours at a single doctor SA clinic as a vet assistant
~9000 hours at a multi doctor SA clinic as a vet assistant
~250 hours at a rural mixed practice as a vet assistant
~600 and counting hours working the emergency shift at a different mixed practice

Animal Experience:
12 hours of riding lessons (they're so expensive!!)
5 hours of volunteering to draw blood for HW tests at the humane society

Employment:
Gulf Coast Symphony musician, Rapides Symphony musician, TA during my masters degree, camp counselor at a music camp

Honors/Awards:
Deans list, graduated Cum Laude for my bachelors, featured soloist with the Lake Charles Symphony

Other: pre-vet club, student science association, community band, music sorority

Letters of Reccomendation: two of the vets I worked with for 5 years, and my genetics professor (all my schools only wanted three...). I waived my right to see them.

Personal statement: I opened by comparing a specific orchestra piece I played to a dog with a broken premolar. I talked about how playing that piece gave me a sense of personal accomplishment that was the same as when I got a personal thank you letter from the aforementioned dog's owner. When I realized I got more satisfaction from that thank you note than from playing an important orchestral work, I knew I needed to go back to pursue my DVM. I then talked about the different clinics I worked in and the types of cases I saw. I gave some examples of interesting cases I'd seen and how I wasn't satisfied just assisting the doctor, I wanted to be the doctor.

I had lots of people read it and like it, but when I went to submit it (the week before VMCAS was due) I was 6k characters too long! I cut out lots of unnecessary fluff and am happy with the end product.

I didn't write anything in the explanation area because I didn't really feel like I needed to explain anything.... Maybe I should have put why I switched from music to veterinary medicine? I'm preparing to answer that in my interviews.

I feel like my GPA is pretty strong, but my GRE isn't. I'm not a great standardized test taker. I also couldn't come up with very much for animal experience because it is pretty much all veterinary related. I never had pets growing up, so I couldn't even put that 😳.

I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me 😍

Overall, I think your application looks great! Your grades are good, your last 45 is perfect. As long as you've done a good amount of upper level sciences, I'd say you're golden on that aspect. I think your GRE is actually pretty good. If you don't get in this cycle maybe you could improve the quant a bit, but I don't think it's anything to worry about right now especially with your grades the way they are.

Your vet experience looks great! If you don't get in you could maybe do some food animal or exotics to diversify a bit more, but what you have is pretty good. I don't think animal exp is as important as vet exp, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. Your PS sounds super interesting! It sounds like you explained why you switched to vet med pretty well so I don't think you'd need it in the explanation statement.

I think you have a pretty good shot for this cycle! Good luck on your interviews!

 

[Kpowell14]

So, I've been lurking for a couple months and posting occasionally, so I figured I would try to get some honest feedback about my stats.

About me: Non-trad, 30 years old, female. Tennessee resident. First time applying.
Applied to Auburn (interview Feb 4), Mississippi State (interview Feb 6), and Tennessee (no news yet)

Degrees: Bachelors of Music (education) '04 and Masters of Music (performance) '06

Cum GPA: 3.75
Physical sci GPA: 3.85
Bio and Ag GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE: 159v (84%), 151q (56%), 4.5w (72%)

Veterinary Experience:
~2000 hours at a single doctor SA clinic as a vet assistant
~9000 hours at a multi doctor SA clinic as a vet assistant
~250 hours at a rural mixed practice as a vet assistant
~600 and counting hours working the emergency shift at a different mixed practice

Animal Experience:
12 hours of riding lessons (they're so expensive!!)
5 hours of volunteering to draw blood for HW tests at the humane society

Employment:
Gulf Coast Symphony musician, Rapides Symphony musician, TA during my masters degree, camp counselor at a music camp

Honors/Awards:
Deans list, graduated Cum Laude for my bachelors, featured soloist with the Lake Charles Symphony

Other: pre-vet club, student science association, community band, music sorority

Letters of Reccomendation: two of the vets I worked with for 5 years, and my genetics professor (all my schools only wanted three...). I waived my right to see them.

Personal statement: I opened by comparing a specific orchestra piece I played to a dog with a broken premolar. I talked about how playing that piece gave me a sense of personal accomplishment that was the same as when I got a personal thank you letter from the aforementioned dog's owner. When I realized I got more satisfaction from that thank you note than from playing an important orchestral work, I knew I needed to go back to pursue my DVM. I then talked about the different clinics I worked in and the types of cases I saw. I gave some examples of interesting cases I'd seen and how I wasn't satisfied just assisting the doctor, I wanted to be the doctor.

I had lots of people read it and like it, but when I went to submit it (the week before VMCAS was due) I was 6k characters too long! I cut out lots of unnecessary fluff and am happy with the end product.

I didn't write anything in the explanation area because I didn't really feel like I needed to explain anything.... Maybe I should have put why I switched from music to veterinary medicine? I'm preparing to answer that in my interviews.

I feel like my GPA is pretty strong, but my GRE isn't. I'm not a great standardized test taker. I also couldn't come up with very much for animal experience because it is pretty much all veterinary related. I never had pets growing up, so I couldn't even put that 😳.

I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me 😍

Hey fellow Tennessean!! Congrats on your two interviews! Just wanted to say that based on Tennessee's evaluation procedure, I think you have a very very good chance of getting an interview based on your stats! Once you get the interview invite I think the biggest hurdle has been overcome- this goes for all schools! Now you just have to rock your interviews and I think you'll be Golden! Make sure to Use the interview feedback section of SDN to prep for your interviews and just be yourself! I wish you the best of at your upcoming interviews!!!!

 

[happykitty1005]

Hi!
I'm a first time applicant and I'm planning on applying this upcoming Fall.
Undergrad: UC Davis (graduated Fall 2011); 23 years old
Major: Exercise Biology (B.S.)
Cum GPA: 2.83
Last 90 quarter units: 3.2
Science Prereq GPA: 3.02
Prereq GPA: 3.22
GRE: 660(Q), 440(V), 4(W)

I have 1417 hours of experience so far:
SA: 150 hours
Zoo: 106 hours
Ostrich Exhibit at Zoo/Aquarium: 926- worked full time raising ostrich chicks, which included medicating them
Aquarium: 80
Intern for PhD student studying chicken behavior: 90 hours
SPCA volunteer: 65 hours

Letters of Rec:
Supervisor: Animal Curator I worked with raising ostriches
Zoo/Avian Vet
Professor- I was a lab assistant for a plant pathology lab and he was the professor in charge of the lab.
I am working on getting to know other Vets more so I can have another vet write me a rec.

I want to go to Western University. I'm looking for suggestions to improve my application. I'm considering retaking some classes. For my science prereq I have 2 C's- one in stats and one in o-chem and 2 B- (genetics and cell bio). The rest of my science Prereqs are mostly B's with some A's.

 

[parula]

Hey y'all! I'm doing this because I'm nervous ad nauseum about this ap cycle and would like some input...

About me: 23 year old, female. Illinois resident. First time applying.
Applied to Illinois (interview Feb 18), Oregon (waitlisted), Mizzou (Jan 2 interview), and Tennessee (haven't heard)

Degrees: Bachelors of Science in Animal Sciences and Bachelors of Science in Integrative Biology

Cum GPA: 3.90
Sci GPA: 3.85
Last 45 GPA: 3.95

GRE: 160v (83%), 157q (71%), 4.0w (48%) (yikes!)

Veterinary Experience:
~200 hours LA
~2000 hours SA
~3000 hours veterinary research- epidemiology, repro physio, Pfizer drug trial
~400 hours on necropsy floor/gross path rounds
~200 hours wildlife- shadowing a wildlife vet and managing and curating natural history collections (not with a vet, but a Ph.D.)

Animal Experience:
1000's of hours of wildlife work, field work and lab
~500 hours horse riding/ranch hand work
~1000 hours working at a groomer

Honors/Awards:
Deans list 8/9 semesters (boo orgo 2), graduated Magna Cum Laude and with honors in both degrees, scholarships, research grants, yadda, yadda

Other: leadership in a variety of clubs, playing instruments my whole life and preforming with that, mentoring students on their undergraduate research projects

Letters of Reccomendation: vet from SA clinic, research adviser (a vet), Dr. from a Pfizer drug trial (Ph.D.), and a close mentor and adviser for a club I was president of

Personal statement: About my life-long love of parasitology (seriously, I was a weird kid) and how that led me to veterinary medicine. How I developed an interest in veterinary parasitology research and a little about my experience spaying and neutering cats/dogs in Central America. (It tied together well, despite how random it sounds right here...!)

I think I'm a competitive candidate, and I felt good about my Mizzou interview but I've been stressing about it since (especially since I haven't heard yet...). I don't know what to think, maybe I screwed up the interview so bad they'll overlook all the stress and long hours I put in and reject me...

Thanks!

 

[wildcatj]

Hey y'all! I'm doing this because I'm nervous ad nauseum about this ap cycle and would like some input...

About me: 23 year old, female. Illinois resident. First time applying.
Applied to Illinois (interview Feb 18), Oregon (waitlisted), Mizzou (Jan 2 interview), and Tennessee (haven't heard)

Degrees: Bachelors of Science in Animal Sciences and Bachelors of Science in Integrative Biology

Cum GPA: 3.90
Sci GPA: 3.85
Last 45 GPA: 3.95

GRE: 160v (83%), 157q (71%), 4.0w (48%) (yikes!)

Veterinary Experience:
~200 hours LA
~2000 hours SA
~3000 hours veterinary research- epidemiology, repro physio, Pfizer drug trial
~400 hours on necropsy floor/gross path rounds
~200 hours wildlife- shadowing a wildlife vet and managing and curating natural history collections (not with a vet, but a Ph.D.)

Animal Experience:
1000's of hours of wildlife work, field work and lab
~500 hours horse riding/ranch hand work
~1000 hours working at a groomer

Honors/Awards:
Deans list 8/9 semesters (boo orgo 2), graduated Magna Cum Laude and with honors in both degrees, scholarships, research grants, yadda, yadda

Other: leadership in a variety of clubs, playing instruments my whole life and preforming with that, mentoring students on their undergraduate research projects

Letters of Reccomendation: vet from SA clinic, research adviser (a vet), Dr. from a Pfizer drug trial (Ph.D.), and a close mentor and adviser for a club I was president of

Personal statement: About my life-long love of parasitology (seriously, I was a weird kid) and how that led me to veterinary medicine. How I developed an interest in veterinary parasitology research and a little about my experience spaying and neutering cats/dogs in Central America. (It tied together well, despite how random it sounds right here...!)

I think I'm a competitive candidate, and I felt good about my Mizzou interview but I've been stressing about it since (especially since I haven't heard yet...). I don't know what to think, maybe I screwed up the interview so bad they'll overlook all the stress and long hours I put in and reject me...

Thanks!

I don't think you have anything to worry about.
I got into Mizzou with a lower GPA, GRE was a little higher 163 in Q and v, 4.0 like you in A, and I only had wildlife, zoo, and SA experience, no LA. I would be VERY surprised if you didn't multiple acceptances.

 

[parula]

I don't think you have anything to worry about.
I got into Mizzou with a lower GPA, GRE was a little higher 163 in Q and v, 4.0 like you in A, and I only had wildlife, zoo, and SA experience, no LA. I would be VERY surprised if you didn't multiple acceptances.

....yeah I actually just got into Mizzou today! Phewww! Sorry for the freak out everyone, I was going crazy!

 

[pir8vettech]

Hello all! I can't lie - looking at everyone elses credentials has been extremely intimidating, especially since my cumulative GPA for undergrad was very low. I'm posting this for suggestions and recommendations as to what I can do to strengthen my credentials in order to apply. Currently, I need about 30-45 semester hours of the required chemistry and biology classes and I also haven't taken the GRE. I am planning to begin taking the pre-reqs this fall and I am aware that this will all be an uphill battle. I would greatly appreciate constructive criticism and advice about this endeavor.

Name: Marianne
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Major: Anthropology (c/o Fall 2011)
Minor: Ethnic Studies
G.P.A. Cumulative: 2.19
G.P.A. Required Courses: Have yet to fulfill all necessary bio/chem courses
G.P.A. Last 45 Credit Hours: 2.5
GRE: Have yet to take the GRE
Verbal: -
Quantitative: -
Analytical: -
Hours Under D.V.M. - (see below)
Vet Experience: 1000+ hours at small animal vet; ~500+ hours at ER vet (I am still employed at both, but primarily working full time at the ER vet)
Animal Experience: 3 years at a not-for-profit small animal rescue; ~3 years experience at boarding/grooming facilities
Distinctions: Honor Roll or Dean's List throughout various semesters

Additionally, I have a great rapport with the daytime and ER vets I currently work with and have been offered LOR by several.

 

[cowgirla]

Hello all! I can't lie - looking at everyone elses credentials has been extremely intimidating, especially since my cumulative GPA for undergrad was very low. I'm posting this for suggestions and recommendations as to what I can do to strengthen my credentials in order to apply. Currently, I need about 30-45 semester hours of the required chemistry and biology classes and I also haven't taken the GRE. I am planning to begin taking the pre-reqs this fall and I am aware that this will all be an uphill battle. I would greatly appreciate constructive criticism and advice about this endeavor.

Name: Marianne
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Major: Anthropology (c/o Fall 2011)
Minor: Ethnic Studies
G.P.A. Cumulative: 2.19
G.P.A. Required Courses: Have yet to fulfill all necessary bio/chem courses
G.P.A. Last 45 Credit Hours: 2.5
GRE: Have yet to take the GRE
Verbal: -
Quantitative: -
Analytical: -
Hours Under D.V.M. - (see below)
Vet Experience: 1000+ hours at small animal vet; ~500+ hours at ER vet (I am still employed at both, but primarily working full time at the ER vet)
Animal Experience: 3 years at a not-for-profit small animal rescue; ~3 years experience at boarding/grooming facilities
Distinctions: Honor Roll or Dean's List throughout various semesters

Additionally, I have a great rapport with the daytime and ER vets I currently work with and have been offered LOR by several.

Your biggest problem is going to be that many schools have a minimum GPA to apply - 2.5 is the lowest that I know of, and some schools are even higher than that.

How long ago were those classes taken? You might consider looking into schools with a grade forgiveness program after X number of years.
There are a few schools (one?) that look only at last 45 GPA, but even that is on the low end of the spectrum. At least that one is fixable, but you really need to start showing an upward trend and kicking butt and get that as high as you can. You might consider taking some time after you finish prereqs to take upper level classes to prove you can do well in them, and also help that GPA up.

If you haven't already, check out an online grade calculator that's based on how many credits you've already taken - and see how many more credits you need to raise your GPA to a 2.75 or 3.0 or 3.2, etc. The more A's you get from here on out, the better off you'll be.

A kickass GRE will also help you a lot - take it early, do lots of prep, and consider investing in a prep course.

Also, you say "Honor Roll or Dean's List throughout various semesters" -- how does that correlate to your GPA? Is there a specific area you've done poorly, a specific semester, something that can be explained in your application? (there's a section for explanations)

 

[pir8vettech]

Your biggest problem is going to be that many schools have a minimum GPA to apply - 2.5 is the lowest that I know of, and some schools are even higher than that.

How long ago were those classes taken? You might consider looking into schools with a grade forgiveness program after X number of years.
There are a few schools (one?) that look only at last 45 GPA, but even that is on the low end of the spectrum. At least that one is fixable, but you really need to start showing an upward trend and kicking butt and get that as high as you can. You might consider taking some time after you finish prereqs to take upper level classes to prove you can do well in them, and also help that GPA up.

If you haven't already, check out an online grade calculator that's based on how many credits you've already taken - and see how many more credits you need to raise your GPA to a 2.75 or 3.0 or 3.2, etc. The more A's you get from here on out, the better off you'll be.

A kickass GRE will also help you a lot - take it early, do lots of prep, and consider investing in a prep course.

Also, you say "Honor Roll or Dean's List throughout various semesters" -- how does that correlate to your GPA? Is there a specific area you've done poorly, a specific semester, something that can be explained in your application? (there's a section for explanations)

Thanks for your feedback cowgirla! I just graduated in December of 2011, and the classes/semesters I did most poorly in were about 2-3 years ago. I know that the school has some type of grade forgiveness program, but I will have to look into that to see if I would be eligible to replace those grades at a later time. I definitely intend to take more upper level classes even after completing my pre-reqs because I understand it will help my GPA and also show the admissions folks that I am going above and beyond the general requirements. There were specific semesters where I did extremely poor due to personal reasons and I would be comfortable explaining (but not making excuses!) as to why I did not perform at the level I know I am capable of. I'll also look into the GPA calculator to determine how many more hours I'd need to give me a boost, which I hope I can fulfill by making As in the pre-req and upper level courses I'd take.

 

[bullyluver2013]

I just graduated with my bachelor degree in animal science in May 2012. My cumulative GPA is not good at all with a 2.75 ( I actually went to a community college and got my associate degree in science and had a GPA of 3.2 there but the 4 year university is what kicked my butt and I only had a 2.27 GPA there and did terrible in chemistry and physics classes). I was looking at Ross University Vet school because I know they don't just look at your GPA. The only class I have not taken that is a pre req for Ross is Biochemistry. Would it help me any to retake a few of my chemistry and physics classes that I did so bad in? I already retook general chemistry 1 and organic chemistry 2 at the 4 year university but when retaking them I still only got C's where I had first gotten a D+ in general chem 1 and an F in organic chem 2 (final exam was worth 50% of my grade because I had kidney stones and missed an exam and it was included in the final 🙁 ) Is there anything I might could do now to even have a chance to get into Ross? Ugh I had a rough time at the university and had kidney stones every semester and my bulldog (which was like a child to me and I was very very attached to and moved with me when I went off to school) was diagnosed with cancer while I was there and died and I took that very hard of course. Last semester I decided to enroll in Vet Tech classes online because I figured I would not have a chance at vet school but just decided recently that vet tech is not what I really want to do, I really want to be a vet and would not be happy as just a vet tech. I do however have 19 credit hours of vet tech classes and made all A's, too bad I didn't have those grades for my bachelor's degree 🙁 I would appreciate any advice!

 

[parula]

I just graduated with my bachelor degree in animal science in May 2012. My cumulative GPA is not good at all with a 2.75 ( I actually went to a community college and got my associate degree in science and had a GPA of 3.2 there but the 4 year university is what kicked my butt and I only had a 2.27 GPA there and did terrible in chemistry and physics classes). I was looking at Ross University Vet school because I know they don't just look at your GPA. The only class I have not taken that is a pre req for Ross is Biochemistry. Would it help me any to retake a few of my chemistry and physics classes that I did so bad in? I already retook general chemistry 1 and organic chemistry 2 at the 4 year university but when retaking them I still only got C's where I had first gotten a D+ in general chem 1 and an F in organic chem 2 (final exam was worth 50% of my grade because I had kidney stones and missed an exam and it was included in the final 🙁 ) Is there anything I might could do now to even have a chance to get into Ross? Ugh I had a rough time at the university and had kidney stones every semester and my bulldog (which was like a child to me and I was very very attached to and moved with me when I went off to school) was diagnosed with cancer while I was there and died and I took that very hard of course. Last semester I decided to enroll in Vet Tech classes online because I figured I would not have a chance at vet school but just decided recently that vet tech is not what I really want to do, I really want to be a vet and would not be happy as just a vet tech. I do however have 19 credit hours of vet tech classes and made all A's, too bad I didn't have those grades for my bachelor's degree 🙁 I would appreciate any advice!

I don't know much about Ross but I think that if you've got the time to retake those classes (and you think you can put the time in to do well) I would do it. If you have to choose between doing well in biochem or doing mediocre in biochem while retaking other classes, it may not be worth it. I think if you can stick out a vet tech program, and get a good GPA in that, it would be very worth your time.

 

[wildcatj]

I don't know much about Ross but I think that if you've got the time to retake those classes (and you think you can put the time in to do well) I would do it. If you have to choose between doing well in biochem or doing mediocre in biochem while retaking other classes, it may not be worth it. I think if you can stick out a vet tech program, and get a good GPA in that, it would be very worth your time.

I'm going to disagree with you here. Unless you think you might want to be a vet tech instead, OP, tech school is not going to serve you better than taking some upper level science courses at a 4yr university. You're likely going to end up in a lot more debt than taking classes at a 4yr and it's not really going to show them as much as you'd like it to. It isn't so much the chemistry, physics, bio that a lot of the schools like to see you can handle. Take some upper division bio classes and retake some of the classes you didn't do well in to pull up your cum gpa (probably not by much) and have a great last 45 credits.

 

[parula]

I'm going to disagree with you here. Unless you think you might want to be a vet tech instead, OP, tech school is not going to serve you better than taking some upper level science courses at a 4yr university. You're likely going to end up in a lot more debt than taking classes at a 4yr and it's not really going to show them as much as you'd like it to. It isn't so much the chemistry, physics, bio that a lot of the schools like to see you can handle. Take some upper division bio classes and retake some of the classes you didn't do well in to pull up your cum gpa (probably not by much) and have a great last 45 credits.

Sorry, let me clarify a little..I wasn't sure if you could pull up your GPA after graduating, which is why I thought it couldn't hurt to show you can rock vet related classes by finishing a vet tech program. I could be wrong (or interpreted the OP wrong) since I really don't know how going back to take more bachelors classes impacts your GPA post-grad.

 

[wildcatj]

Sorry, let me clarify a little..I wasn't sure if you could pull up your GPA after graduating, which is why I thought it couldn't hurt to show you can rock vet related classes by finishing a vet tech program. I could be wrong (or interpreted the OP wrong) since I really don't know how going back to take more bachelors classes impacts your GPA post-grad.

Most schools (all?) schools calculate cum GPA based off ALL the courses you've taken at an institution of higher learning, regardless of whether it was part of a degree. So I believe the vet tech credits would count as would any further credits at a 4 yr/community college. A fair number of students take classes outside of pursuing a degree which is why they do this.

 

[Rainheart]

I'm not sure if it matters, but when I was at Mizzou interviewing, I asked admissions if they would need my transcripts from the vet tech classes that I started this January. They said they wouldn't need them since they didn't have any of the pre-req classes.

 

[wildcatj]

I'm not sure if it matters, but when I was at Mizzou interviewing, I asked admissions if they would need my transcripts from the vet tech classes that I started this January. They said they wouldn't need them since they didn't have any of the pre-req classes.

That's probably only because you've already been accepted.

 

[Rainheart]

I wasn't accepted at the time, it was right after my interview I asked them if they needed anything else from me.

 

[wildcatj]

I wasn't accepted at the time, it was right after my interview I asked them if they needed anything else from me.

Hm. That's interesting then.

 

[vetwannabe1]

First time applicant. UCVM, WCVM
3rd Year Bachelor of Science

Last 2 years GPA: 3.7
10 required courses: 3.47
I also have quite a bit of volunteer experience (vet related and non vet related).

 

[emacc]

Interested in: Auburn, Wisconsin
Will be applying for Fall 2014 matriculation, looking for some motivation/advice

Alabama resident, graduating December 2013
Major: Biology (B.S.)
Physics 1 and 2 and Animal Nutrition still in progress
Cumulative GPA: 3.91
Required courses GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0
GRE: 163V (650 old score), 161Q (770 old score), 5.0 Writing

Vet Experience
~1200 hours as a vet assistant in a small animal practice
~300-400 hours as a caretaker and clinical assistant in the rescue and rehabilitation of native songbirds and birds of prey

I'm worried that I don't really have any large animal experience, for living in a rural farming area there is a surprising shortage of large animal veterinarians and those that are around seem to refuse shadows based on bad previous experiences.

I should be starting a shadow in a mixed animal practice that does exotics as well soon, and will be applying for rehabilitation internships when I graduate in December. My primary interest is in rescue/rehabilitation and shelter medicine.

 

[kernel]

Interested in: Auburn, Wisconsin
Will be applying for Fall 2014 matriculation, looking for some motivation/advice

Alabama resident, graduating December 2013
Major: Biology (B.S.)
Physics 1 and 2 and Animal Nutrition still in progress
Cumulative GPA: 3.91
Required courses GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0
GRE: 163V (650 old score), 161Q (770 old score), 5.0 Writing

Vet Experience
~1200 hours as a vet assistant in a small animal practice
~300-400 hours as a caretaker and clinical assistant in the rescue and rehabilitation of native songbirds and birds of prey

I'm worried that I don't really have any large animal experience, for living in a rural farming area there is a surprising shortage of large animal veterinarians and those that are around seem to refuse shadows based on bad previous experiences.

I should be starting a shadow in a mixed animal practice that does exotics as well soon, and will be applying for rehabilitation internships when I graduate in December. My primary interest is in rescue/rehabilitation and shelter medicine.

Welcome, emacc!

Your stats look fantastic, great job 🙂 I think you will make a very competitive applicant. Keep chugging along though, there's always room for improvement.

While I think it is important to have large animal experience, I don't think you should worry excessively about accruing a mountain of hours. Your vet assistant experience shows that you have had a lot of exposure to the field in general...I would only be worried if you told us that you really wanted to go into equine, but as you said, your interests lie elsewhere.

Nevertheless, it's best to have a well-rounded app. If you can gain the trust of one of those elusive equine vets in your area, all the better. If you can't, you've got the mixed animal practice shadowing as your back up. Better yet, you might also try to find volunteer work that exposes you to horses while you shadow at the mixed practice. It may not be veterinary experience, you can still put that under animal experience on your app.

Good luck!!

 

[485501]

Interested in: Auburn, Wisconsin
Will be applying for Fall 2014 matriculation, looking for some motivation/advice

Alabama resident, graduating December 2013
Major: Biology (B.S.)
Physics 1 and 2 and Animal Nutrition still in progress
Cumulative GPA: 3.91
Required courses GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0
GRE: 163V (650 old score), 161Q (770 old score), 5.0 Writing

Vet Experience
~1200 hours as a vet assistant in a small animal practice
~300-400 hours as a caretaker and clinical assistant in the rescue and rehabilitation of native songbirds and birds of prey

I’m worried that I don’t really have any large animal experience, for living in a rural farming area there is a surprising shortage of large animal veterinarians and those that are around seem to refuse shadows based on bad previous experiences.

I should be starting a shadow in a mixed animal practice that does exotics as well soon, and will be applying for rehabilitation internships when I graduate in December. My primary interest is in rescue/rehabilitation and shelter medicine.

Do you have any shelter experience? I might shy away from saying one of your primary interests is shelter medicine unless you have a significant number of hours in that area. I would suggest looking for a shelter where you can volunteer or a shelter vet you can shadow, even if it's just occasionally. You've got a lot of time to build up that experience, but it might be difficult to find an opportunity, so start looking now.

 

[cs5910]

Interested in: Auburn, Wisconsin
Will be applying for Fall 2014 matriculation, looking for some motivation/advice

Alabama resident, graduating December 2013
Major: Biology (B.S.)
Physics 1 and 2 and Animal Nutrition still in progress
Cumulative GPA: 3.91
Required courses GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0
GRE: 163V (650 old score), 161Q (770 old score), 5.0 Writing

Vet Experience
~1200 hours as a vet assistant in a small animal practice
~300-400 hours as a caretaker and clinical assistant in the rescue and rehabilitation of native songbirds and birds of prey

I'm worried that I don't really have any large animal experience, for living in a rural farming area there is a surprising shortage of large animal veterinarians and those that are around seem to refuse shadows based on bad previous experiences.

I should be starting a shadow in a mixed animal practice that does exotics as well soon, and will be applying for rehabilitation internships when I graduate in December. My primary interest is in rescue/rehabilitation and shelter medicine.

I had ZERO large animal vet experience and was accepted to OSU as an out of state student. I had a hard time finding large animal vets in Miami, so I supplemented all my small animal experience by working with a wildlife vet for a year, with a veterinary surgeon for another year, and by doing undergrad research, which all helped balance out my lack in large animal experience. So, not having large animal experience wont kill you, but you do want to make sure to have other types of medical experience besides small animal. Admission committees love varied experiences. You still have a year to get experience though, so I would recommend it so that you can make your application shine even more! Congrats! You have outstanding stats!

I would just recommend not going into interviews or writing your personal statement saying that you want to do large animal/equine medicine since you have no experience in those areas. My friend did that this cycle and they ripped her apart during her interviews. Make sure your goals for the field correlate with your experiences, doesn't mean they have to stay like that forever, but it looks better to admission committees when you say you want to get involved in a certain track and actually have experience in it.

 

[emacc]

Do you have any shelter experience? I might shy away from saying one of your primary interests is shelter medicine unless you have a significant number of hours in that area. I would suggest looking for a shelter where you can volunteer or a shelter vet you can shadow, even if it's just occasionally. You've got a lot of time to build up that experience, but it might be difficult to find an opportunity, so start looking now.

I don't have any experience with a primarily shelter vet, most of the humane societies around here don't tend to keep one on full-time staff so it is harder to find, but the small animal vet I work with is partnered with a no kill shelter and we do all of their intakes and treatments until adoption.

I guess that might be something I should talk about in that context, but I'll definitely look and see if maybe there's one at a different shelter network that I could go work with spring break or something similar. I'll have some extra time since I'll be graduating a semester early.

 

[krh696]

so i have looking to see if anybody has any other suggestions on what to improve for the next cycle..applied to Florida as IS, and to Mississippi, Auburn and north Carolina as OOS, rejected by all four

cumulative GPA: 3.47-3.55 depending on how you calculate it
science and overall both around 3.5
verbal: 152 or 490
math 150 or 630
overall equals 302 or around 1120

already planning on retaking the gre, bought more books to study from, took a verbal practice test and already went up to a 590

vet experience
4000+ at small animal clinic

animal experience
7 hours volunteering with horses and handicapped children
2 hours at a equine clinic
3 hours at a dairy farm
2 hours on a sheep/pony/donkey farm
200+ hours petsitting dogs and cats

going to ask the vet who runs the sheep farm if I can come back for more experience

definitely applying to florida again next year....not sure about others, considering Ohio, Kansas, Western, Tufts, Penn, Washington, Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma

 

[Rainheart]

I have a few suggestions for you- definitely retake your GRE like you said. Study as much as you can for it... my best scores I got (and I have been accepted) were 154Q, 149V 4.0W. My cGPA is 3.7. What helped me was taking a class from Kaplan for the GRE since my scores were really bad the first 2 times and I did not get into school last cycle. It was definitely an expensive class, but paid off.

Also, try to get more animal and vet experience overall and diversify. Shadow a large animal vet or wildlife. Also, what about some research? I know my IS school likes to see a good amount of research.

And look at all the schools around to see how many OOS students they accept. I choose the ones I applied to based on that, if I met the requirements, and if I could realistically see myself going there.

Good luck!

 

[Virginger]

I have a few suggestions for you- definitely retake your GRE like you said. Study as much as you can for it... my best scores I got (and I have been accepted) were 154Q, 149V 4.0W. My cGPA is 3.7. What helped me was taking a class from Kaplan for the GRE since my scores were really bad the first 2 times and I did not get into school last cycle. It was definitely an expensive class, but paid off.

Also, try to get more animal and vet experience overall and diversify. Shadow a large animal vet or wildlife. Also, what about some research? I know my IS school likes to see a good amount of research.

And look at all the schools around to see how many OOS students they accept. I choose the ones I applied to based on that, if I met the requirements, and if I could realistically see myself going there.

Good luck!

I agree.

I wish I had a GPA like yours KRH!

I bet you could easily break through GPA/GRE cuts (which have killed my apps in the past) with a little more improvement to the GRE.

Then its about making yourself stand out. So if ~70% of vet med is small animal, then most opportunities are with small animal... then many applicant will have similar experience to you (even if you have greater depth to yours than others). Production medicine, equine medicine, food safety/public health, lab animal, research, exotics/zoo, and research all all out there occupying smaller portions. Also, making sure you have some substantial time spent there I think helps, especially if you want to talk more intelligently about what you saw/learned.

So if I may, I will use myself as an example... and I am saying this because your SO close, and I want you to be able to kick it into high gear and kick butt next cycle 🙂 ...and remember, I have to over compensate my grades with experience. So, I have: small animal (preventative, emergency, internal, and oncology experience), equine (emergency and surgery), research (oncology, parasitology, and non-human primate/nutritional), and a little bit of exotics/wildlife exposure from working in emergency too. Each of these I have anywhere from 30, to 600, to 5000 hours in separately. I really believe this has made the difference with getting interview for me following the initial academic cuts.

Anyways, I bet your really close, I swear!!! ... also, when you write up your application next cycle, have an english major review it, make sure your writing in an active voice, and that you are projecting a very confident/talented you within your writing... I have heard that it can really help too.

 

[Trilt]

so i have looking to see if anybody has any other suggestions on what to improve for the next cycle..applied to Florida as IS, and to Mississippi, Auburn and north Carolina as OOS, rejected by all four

cumulative GPA: 3.47-3.55 depending on how you calculate it
science and overall both around 3.5
verbal: 152 or 490
math 150 or 630
overall equals 302 or around 1120

already planning on retaking the gre, bought more books to study from, took a verbal practice test and already went up to a 590

vet experience
4000+ at small animal clinic

animal experience
7 hours volunteering with horses and handicapped children
2 hours at a equine clinic
3 hours at a dairy farm
2 hours on a sheep/pony/donkey farm
200+ hours petsitting dogs and cats

going to ask the vet who runs the sheep farm if I can come back for more experience

definitely applying to florida again next year....not sure about others, considering Ohio, Kansas, Western, Tufts, Penn, Washington, Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma

I think retaking the GRE and getting some more diverse experiences (here, I have a blog post on that!) would put you in a really good place. Make sure you get your application (including personal statement) read over by a couple people. SDN can be a great resource for people willing to help out on that! And get file reviews with the schools that you were rejected from, as they could probably point out some specific problems in your application.

But most of all, don't lose hope! There are lots of people who didn't get in first go around on SDN (and in our classes!), and that doesn't stop them from being awesome vets.

 

[krh696]

thanks everybody for your suggestions.....do u know if north carolina does file reviews? in the letter it says you can come to the applicant review session in april but you see florida is a little far from north carolina and it says no individual sessions will be conducted...i emailed them anyway asking if i could have somebody go over it with me by email or phone....florida said in march i can do a review, auburn said may and mississippi said april.....i do have a question about the personal statement, i already have an idea on how to start my new one is it ok tell about something that happened while i was petsitting that is funny? if somebody would be willing to read my idea in pm that would be awesome 🙂

 

[Emiloo4]

thanks everybody for your suggestions.....do u know if north carolina does file reviews? in the letter it says you can come to the applicant review session in april but you see florida is a little far from north carolina and it says no individual sessions will be conducted...i emailed them anyway asking if i could have somebody go over it with me by email or phone....florida said in march i can do a review, auburn said may and mississippi said april.....i do have a question about the personal statement, i already have an idea on how to start my new one is it ok tell about something that happened while i was petsitting that is funny? if somebody would be willing to read my idea in pm that would be awesome 🙂

Last time I checked, NCSU will only file review wait listers and not straight rejections. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. May I also suggest you take a look at their OOS accepted stats? Apply strategically to places next cycle. I am sort of surprised you didn't at least interview at FL 😕 but they do wait the GRE extremely heavily. Definitely work on that.

 

[Kpowell14]

Last time I checked, NCSU will only file review wait listers and not straight rejections. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. May I also suggest you take a look at their OOS accepted stats? Apply strategically to places next cycle. I am sort of surprised you didn't at least interview at FL 😕 but they do wait the GRE extremely heavily. Definitely work on that.

I cannot stress this enough. Applying smart can really make or break a cycle.

Every school has different criteria they use to "score" applicants. It's important to find schools that score in a way that favors your stats.

For example.. I have a high cum gpa and last 45 hrs, but a lower GRE. It was important to find schools that focused on grades more than GRE. It just so happened that Mizzou weighs GPA highly, and GRE pretty low ( only 4% of their academic scoring!!! Wahhhooo!! ) turns out Mizzou was my dream school so it worked out.. Now if I applied to Florida they probably would've rejected me outright bc they weigh the GRE at 50% of their academic scoring!! Does that make me a bad applicant or less deserving? I don't think so.

The moral of the story is that when your deciding where to apply, figure out what your strengths/weaknesses are and apply with that in mind! Look for places that emphasize what your strength is and it can really help!!

 

[Rainheart]

I cannot stress this enough. Applying smart can really make or break a cycle.

Every school has different criteria they use to "score" applicants. It's important to find schools that score in a way that favors your stats.

For example.. I have a high cum gpa and last 45 hrs, but a lower GRE. It was important to find schools that focused on grades more than GRE. It just so happened that Mizzou weighs GPA highly, and GRE pretty low ( only 4% of their academic scoring!!! Wahhhooo!! ) turns out Mizzou was my dream school so it worked out.. Now if I applied to Florida they probably would've rejected me outright bc they weigh the GRE at 50% of their academic scoring!! Does that make me a bad applicant or less deserving? I don't think so.

The moral of the story is that when your deciding where to apply, figure out what your strengths/weaknesses are and apply with that in mind! Look for places that emphasize what your strength is and it can really help!!

Definitely, I second this as I don't have a high GRE but my cumGPA is pretty good. Last year I only applied to 3 schools and I really didn't think much about it (mostly distance) but this year I branched out and really looked at each school with their requirements, etc. This page I found to be invaluable!! I think you can definitely get in next year if you improve and diversify you experience and retake the GRE!
http://www.aavmc.org/College-Specif...ific-Requirements_College-Specifications.aspx

 

[krh696]

jessica aycock from north carolina state said she took a quick peak at my file and the main thing is that while my GPA meets the minimum requirement it isn't high enough to make me a competitive applicant, the average admitted GPA for non resident was 3.8, my cumulative is 3.47, my my required courses is a 3.4 and my last 45 is a 3.37......i could have sworn my last 45 was higher than that but ok

 

[cvanthof]

jessica aycock from north carolina state said she took a quick peak at my file and the main thing is that while my GPA meets the minimum requirement it isn't high enough to make me a competitive applicant, the average admitted GPA for non resident was 3.8, my cumulative is 3.47, my my required courses is a 3.4 and my last 45 is a 3.37......i could have sworn my last 45 was higher than that but ok

As a fellow OOS applicant for NCSU, I am wondering if you checked out their OOS admissions stats before applying? I would agree with others' advice and just apply smarter. Sets a person up for far less disappointment, IMO.

 

[happykitty1005]

Hi!
I'm a first time applicant and I'm planning on applying this upcoming Fall.
Undergrad: UC Davis (graduated Fall 2011); 23 years old
Major: Exercise Biology (B.S.)
Cum GPA: 2.83
Last 90 quarter units: 3.2
Science Prereq GPA: 3.02
Prereq GPA: 3.22
GRE: 660(Q), 440(V), 4(W)

I have 1417 hours of experience so far:
SA: 150 hours
Zoo: 106 hours
Ostrich Exhibit at Zoo/Aquarium: 926- worked full time raising ostrich chicks, which included medicating them
Aquarium: 80
Intern for PhD student studying chicken behavior: 90 hours
SPCA volunteer: 65 hours

Letters of Rec:
Supervisor: Animal Curator I worked with raising ostriches
Zoo/Avian Vet
Professor- I was a lab assistant for a plant pathology lab and he was the professor in charge of the lab.
I am working on getting to know other Vets more so I can have another vet write me a rec.

I want to go to Western University. I'm looking for suggestions to improve my application. I'm considering retaking some classes. For my science prereq I have 2 C's- one in stats and one in o-chem and 2 B- (genetics and cell bio). The rest of my science Prereqs are mostly B's with some A's.

 

[wildcatj]

Hi!
I'm a first time applicant and I'm planning on applying this upcoming Fall.
Undergrad: UC Davis (graduated Fall 2011); 23 years old
Major: Exercise Biology (B.S.)
Cum GPA: 2.83
Last 90 quarter units: 3.2
Science Prereq GPA: 3.02
Prereq GPA: 3.22
GRE: 660(Q), 440(V), 4(W)

I have 1417 hours of experience so far:
SA: 150 hours
Zoo: 106 hours
Ostrich Exhibit at Zoo/Aquarium: 926- worked full time raising ostrich chicks, which included medicating them
Aquarium: 80
Intern for PhD student studying chicken behavior: 90 hours
SPCA volunteer: 65 hours

Letters of Rec:
Supervisor: Animal Curator I worked with raising ostriches
Zoo/Avian Vet
Professor- I was a lab assistant for a plant pathology lab and he was the professor in charge of the lab.
I am working on getting to know other Vets more so I can have another vet write me a rec.

I want to go to Western University. I'm looking for suggestions to improve my application. I'm considering retaking some classes. For my science prereq I have 2 C's- one in stats and one in o-chem and 2 B- (genetics and cell bio). The rest of my science Prereqs are mostly B's with some A's.

Take a look at the schools you want to apply to and see what their policy is on retaking classes. Some will average the two grades together, some will replace the first one, some won't consider the retake at all. You just want to see if that's worth it for you. You're GPA is a big hurdle to overcome especially because many schools have a min GPA cutoff of 3.0 (some are 2.75, but you'd be hard pressed to get looked at with a GPA that low).
You also should consider retaking the GRE. I think some schools are requiring the new format anyways, but a higher GRE score may help compensate a little for your GPA.
Your experience looks great if the majority of it is vet experience. Keep it up on that front.
Good luck!

 

[Virginger]

Western replaces courses you retake, which can really do an overhaul on your GPA if you retake the right courses... many other schools do not have this policy, so take that into consideration when applying to other courses. Good luck!!!

 

[krh696]

i had a question about animal experience...for 5 years from age 11-16, my parents dragged me all over the state of florida to go to dog shows...i didn't actually show them but i had to watch and i knew what to do if i needed to show them. does that count as animal experience?

 

[wildcatj]

i had a question about animal experience...for 5 years from age 11-16, my parents dragged me all over the state of florida to go to dog shows...i didn't actually show them but i had to watch and i knew what to do if i needed to show them. does that count as animal experience?

I would say no.

 

[aynnette]

Sometimes, you just have to choose where you really love to apply. Then try your best on the interview. Seriously, a lot can happen in an interview and also, even you've got weaknesses in your resume, you can make it up on the interview 🙂

 

[kenggy]

First Time applicant:


Graduated w/ B.S. in Biology in 2009
GPA: 3.21
Not sure how to calculate my science GPA or last 45 GPA?

First time taking GRE:
155 V (65%) 150 Q (45%) 4.0 A (49%)

I have 700 hours working as a Vet Assistant at an animal shelter
Over 4000 hours working as a Tech in a SA practice

I would say my only other perk is that I graduated with my Bachelors at age 19, I did my associates at a CC during high school, which I graduated at 16, then I took three years at a university to finish up (thought I wanted to be a business major, a whole year wasted!)

I am definitely just an average student, somewhat lazy as far as excelling goes, but when I'm determined to finish something I do. Thus, not so good grades, but amazing finishing time. I'm a runner at heart, can you tell? lol

 

[Escalla]

First time applicant. UCVM, WCVM
3rd Year Bachelor of Science

Last 2 years GPA: 3.7
10 required courses: 3.47
I also have quite a bit of volunteer experience (vet related and non vet related).

Hey, so it doesn't look like you're having as much luck here as I thought you might, so I figured I'd try and help you out a bit. Your GPA looks good for UCVM and you should be competitive for an interview there. Of course, the interview/essay counts for 65% of your admissions score, so getting the interview is not as big a step as it is for other schools. If you rock the MMI, you will have no problem getting in! 🙂

WCVM looks at your cumulative GPA and last 30 credits I believe. So if this semester and last semester are good, you should be good to go there. Interview is worth 30% I believe there, so there is some more breathing room, but they do really dig through your experiences in the interview and your knowledge of the industry which is completely different than UCVM.

But overall I think you're in good standing! PM me if you have any questions. UCVM invites are only about a month away so at least we won't have to wait too long now! 🙂

 

[happykitty1005]

Thanks for your advice! I'm retaking classes this summer

 

[Virginger]

First Time applicant:


Graduated w/ B.S. in Biology in 2009
GPA: 3.21
Not sure how to calculate my science GPA or last 45 GPA?

First time taking GRE:
155 V (65%) 150 Q (45%) 4.0 A (49%)

I have 700 hours working as a Vet Assistant at an animal shelter
Over 4000 hours working as a Tech in a SA practice

I would say my only other perk is that I graduated with my Bachelors at age 19, I did my associates at a CC during high school, which I graduated at 16, then I took three years at a university to finish up (thought I wanted to be a business major, a whole year wasted!)

I am definitely just an average student, somewhat lazy as far as excelling goes, but when I'm determined to finish something I do. Thus, not so good grades, but amazing finishing time. I'm a runner at heart, can you tell? lol

I will be posting my stats on the successful applicant's thread in a week (I want to hear from Iowa first), it might be helpful with helping you figure out what you might want to do next to prepare for applications. I have a somewhat similar background as you. Good Luck!! 🙂

 

[kenggy]

I will be posting my stats on the successful applicant's thread in a week (I want to hear from Iowa first), it might be helpful with helping you figure out what you might want to do next to prepare for applications. I have a somewhat similar background as you. Good Luck!! 🙂

Great! I will look for that! Also I retook the GRE today and increased my scores slightly.

157 V(73%) 152 Q(53%)

 

[AURunner]

Degree: Animal Science
Graduating Spring 2014

GPA: 3.44
Last 45 hrs: 3.37
Science GPA: 3.22
GRE: V 141 Q 156 (didn’t study, plan on retaking it soon)

Experience:
-200 hours SA clinic
-70 with cattle
-50 with swine
-25 with raptors
-20 shadowing a vet
-200+ hours of research

Other:
-Learned many lab techniques while doing research
-Scholarship Athlete at Div. I University in two sports (track and cross country)
-Team Captain
-National College Athletic Honor Society Chi Alpha Sigma member

Also I am currently applying for a research fellowship. Hoping it makes all of these stats above look better. I am just curious as to what level of vet schools would even consider me. I should have above a 3.5 after this semester based off of what I am taking.

 

[BGoodl]

AURunner: You still have some time in your undergrad degree. A lot of schools place emphasis on the last 45 credits, even though your GPA isn't perfect getting up those last 45 can really boost your application. Vet schools take a lot into consideration other than just GPA. Getting a lot of veterinary hours could really help. Use this summer wisely. Letters of recommendation from a veterinarian are important. Getting a strong connection to a veterinarian could really help your application. Keep in mind a lot of applicants have thousands of hours of experience. What sorts of experiences can you find to make you stand out? Would taking a year to work in a relevant field be worth it to you in order to improve your application? Also spend some significant time to bring up your GRE scores. The time you put in really does matter. Lastly apply smart. Do you have an in state vet school? Know which schools take a lot of out of state students- Western, Tufts and UPenn are good examples.

I know those are all kind of obvious but I hope it helps.

 

[XiLove]

Okay, it was suggested to me to post on this and get some feedback. I'd love everyone's thoughts. Rejected from Iowa (broke my heart) but I'm an alternate at LSU, KSU, and Mizzou. Help?

About me: Traditional 21 year old female. South Dakota resident. First time applying.
Applied to Iowa (interview Nov, rejected), Mizzou (interview Jan, waitlisted), Kansas (interview Jan, waitlisted), and LSU (waitlisted, no interview)

Degrees: Bachelors of Science in Animal Science

Cum GPA: 3.43
Last 45 GPA: 3.35
Science GPA: 3.03 (as calculated by Iowa)

GRE: 154 verbal, 165 quantitative, 4 writing

Veterinary Experience:
~250 hours with SA veterinarians
~10 hours with LA veterinarian

Animal Experience:
Many hours (200+) volunteering at Humane Society
200+ hours working as Riding Instructor at Girls Camp

Employment:
Microbio lab (only one semester)

Other: Studied abroad in Australia Spring '11, Horse Club (secretary), Pre-Vet Club, Sorority, taught dance at a church

Letters of Reccomendation: 2 academic advisers, 1 SA veterinarian who I have worked with a lot, Kennel Manager at local Humane Society.

Personal statement: It's hard to go into details, but it is an awesome personal statement. I had a old teacher help me to compose it and it was very very good.


Hope this helps. I realize my GPA kinda sucks, but you know.

 

[cowgirla]

Okay, it was suggested to me to post on this and get some feedback. I'd love everyone's thoughts. Rejected from Iowa (broke my heart) but I'm an alternate at LSU, KSU, and Mizzou. Help?

About me: Traditional 21 year old female. South Dakota resident. First time applying.
Applied to Iowa (interview Nov, rejected), Mizzou (interview Jan, waitlisted), Kansas (interview Jan, waitlisted), and LSU (waitlisted, no interview)

Degrees: Bachelors of Science in Animal Science

Cum GPA: 3.43
Last 45 GPA: 3.35
Science GPA: 3.03 (as calculated by Iowa)

GRE: 154 verbal, 165 quantitative, 4 writing

Veterinary Experience:
~250 hours with SA veterinarians
~10 hours with LA veterinarian (he was mean)

Animal Experience:
Many hours (200+) volunteering at Humane Society
200+ hours working as Riding Instructor at Girls Camp

Employment:
Microbio lab (only one semester)

Other: Studied abroad in Australia Spring '11, Horse Club (secretary), Pre-Vet Club, Sorority, taught dance at a church

Letters of Reccomendation: 2 academic advisers, 1 SA veterinarian who I have worked with a lot, Kennel Manager at local Humane Society.

Personal statement: It's hard to go into details, but it is an awesome personal statement. I had a old teacher help me to compose it and it was very very good.


Hope this helps. I realize my GPA kinda sucks, but you know.

Your GPA is decent, but not for the schools you applied to. I know Mizzour and LSU have a very high average GPA for their OOS students (3.8+ or something like that). You'd be probably be fine if your experience hours were higher- generally high in one area can balance out being a little lower in one area. 200ish is on the low side compared to many applicants.
I'd keep accumulating those vet hours and if none of the waitlists pan out, try applying more broadly next to year based on what particular schools like to focus on (IE, look at what their average GPA/GREs are, how heavily they weight each category, etc).. And don't talk about vets being mean - won't get you very far in a field as small as vet med.
I'd also wonder what your interview skills are like, and if your LORs are strong. Did someone besides your old teacher tell you your personal statement was awesome or is that just your opinion of it?

 

[Rainheart]

Okay, it was suggested to me to post on this and get some feedback. I'd love everyone's thoughts. Rejected from Iowa (broke my heart) but I'm an alternate at LSU, KSU, and Mizzou. Help?

About me: Traditional 21 year old female. South Dakota resident. First time applying.
Applied to Iowa (interview Nov, rejected), Mizzou (interview Jan, waitlisted), Kansas (interview Jan, waitlisted), and LSU (waitlisted, no interview)

Degrees: Bachelors of Science in Animal Science

Cum GPA: 3.43
Last 45 GPA: 3.35
Science GPA: 3.03 (as calculated by Iowa)

GRE: 154 verbal, 165 quantitative, 4 writing

Veterinary Experience:
~250 hours with SA veterinarians
~10 hours with LA veterinarian

Animal Experience:
Many hours (200+) volunteering at Humane Society
200+ hours working as Riding Instructor at Girls Camp

Employment:
Microbio lab (only one semester)

Other: Studied abroad in Australia Spring '11, Horse Club (secretary), Pre-Vet Club, Sorority, taught dance at a church

Letters of Reccomendation: 2 academic advisers, 1 SA veterinarian who I have worked with a lot, Kennel Manager at local Humane Society.

Personal statement: It's hard to go into details, but it is an awesome personal statement. I had a old teacher help me to compose it and it was very very good.


Hope this helps. I realize my GPA kinda sucks, but you know.

The above poster has good advice. I would highly suggest getting much more experience in the vet field. A lot of applicants have thousands of hours. And diversify, so try to get some Large and small (I know you just have a little bit of large).

Get that GPA up this last semester, that will help a lot! Plus, try to get some more animal experience, too. I see you are an Animal Science Major, I was as well. I put down a lot of my experiences from labs in my animal experience and I volunteered out at the barns to get some (since I did not grow up any where near a farm).

Maybe try for some more leadership as well- I see secretary on there but not much else. Schools also like to see some research, so I don't know if you can get involved in that and do some large animal research (kill 2 birds with one stone?)

PS- Did you interview at Mizzou on that last day, on Sunday? I talked to someone's parents who were from South Dakota, so just curious!

And, of course if you don't get in (not wanting to say you won't) but try to talk to the schools about your application, too! And see what you can do to improve them. And, if you don't hear anything the next few months, don't worry. I know someone who got admitted in July the month before classes started.