What are my chances?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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What are my chances?

  • Great!

    Votes: 12 8.8%

  • Good, but some areas could be improved

    Votes: 28 20.6%

  • You're a pretty average candidate, so it could go either way

    Votes: 21 15.4%

  • Not great, but there's room for improvement

    Votes: 7 5.1%

  • Have you considered under water basket weaving?

    Votes: 68 50.0%
  • Total voters
    136
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CoffeeQuestionMark said:
Your club participation in college should count.. did you list that on your application?
Volunteering is an easy way to show leadership but if it is directly involved with animals, that is listed under animal experience and not volunteer experience. Though public education for a wildlife rescue could swing either way. If you need more ideas, check out VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins. They can match your interests with an organization. Another random thought; there are likely opportunities within your cities parks for trail maintenance if you prefer outdoorsy stuff.

Does your wildlife clinic have a veterinarian? Either one that works for them, or one that they use? Also, the parrot rescue...? often times, if you can go through an organization that knows you and likes you, they can make you a good recommendation to meet with their veterinarian.
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I listed my club activities on my app but I don’t have a lot of non-animal volunteer experiences, so I’ll definitely look into the link you posted!

The wildlife clinic is ran by an RVT, and animals are sent to an outside veterinarian if needed. I’ve never thought of reaching out to them, so I’ll look into that. The owner (RVT) said she’d give me a good recommendation for vet school, so I’m guessing she’d also put a good word in with the veterinarians we use. The parrot rescue is also an avian veterinary clinic. I’ve gotten to shadow the vet for a couple patients.

Thank you for the suggestions!
 
LabLuv004 said:
I believe for all international applicants they look at you for the 4 year first and then the 5 year if you don't have all the courses/grades. I would say though, it is worth trying to take microbio before because the extra year of international tuition plus an extra year of living in London is a lot of money. I was able to take some summer classes at a community college to save time and money, so that may be an option. I would check with the schools specifically to see if they would care about a microbio class at CC (because I took lower level sciences and I'm not sure their stance on CC for other courses). I get the feeling they wouldn't mind at RVC so I think it is worth checking on. I have also heard of some people taking it over winter break--in 3 weeks-- so its your whole break but then it's done.

If you are going to be in London area while you're in the UK, you could schedule a tour of the school and you may be able to sit down with someone from the admissions to go through your application before you submit. Admissions was really friendly to me and they would be able to give you the most reliable information.
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Okay great, thank you! I have seen on their websites that if you are lacking them, they will review you for the 5 year program! So hopefully they will for me! I unfortunately don't have the time to take any more courses but if they gave me a conditional offer for the 4 year program saying to get a course done that summer, I definitely would. Although the 5 year cost would be a bit more pricey than the 4 year, the price per year is a bit cheaper so it's overall not as much as you'd expect (a few thousand so still quite a bit, but not much compared to the tons of debt overall ) and I think I may qualify for UK tuition after 3 years? I'm not sure if you would happen to know? I'm
Not positive but I am a U.K. citizen so there might be a chance. I'm not visiting RVC this summer but I am visiting UCD so I could always ask them if I'd qualify. Sorry for all the questions, thank you!!
 
britzen said:
I think most people make a list of questions and practice answering outloud. You can make flash cards with questions and shuffle them so that you have to think on your feet.

Also, find people to help you practice interviewing. The career center at your college probably does mock interviews (I think they'd help you even if you've already graduated since you are an alum). You can also ask people you know who are interviewers (college or workplace) that can give you mock interviews. All else fails, really any friend or family member who is willing to help you can work too.

I'd also suggest having people give you different types of interview styles: MMI style, longer behavioral, traditional... Also ask people to vary their interviewing style - nice, relaxed, intense, kind of a jerk, slow vs rapid fire pace, etc. That way no matter the school interview philosophy or interviewer personality, you'll be used to it.

@LetItSnow might have some thoughts since I think he's an vet school interviewer (if he's allowed to say anything).

I'm happy to give you a mock interview online in the summertime if you want. I do undergrad admission interviews for my alma mater, so not quite the same, but it might help if you can't find others to help you practice.

Sent from my SM-G892U using SDN mobile
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Thank you SO much for your time & help.
I didn't think to check if my school covered interview prep to alumni-I know the pre vet club did but I never ended up joining the club.

I'd love to take you up on that offer this summer if I need to reapply. U of F isn't even offering file reviews for waitlist students until summer time, I need to check with the other schools but until then I may not know if it was my interviewing that was the issue. I didn't feel they went poorly, except WSU though I heard that was typical, but I have no idea what vet school interviewers are looking for.

Thanks much to @SkiOtter and @Coopah too for all your advice and offers. You guys rock :happy:
 
I had a couple of stress dreams of me losing my mind and flashing my interviewers but luckily that never happened :hilarious:

For real though best interview advice I can give is just be yourself. They're not looking for anything in particular they just want to see who you are as a person! My best interviews I had cracked jokes with my interviewers and answered questions genuinely. The worst interviews I've had I was tense, over-rehersed, and tried to answer questions to please them. You are interesting and good enough trust me! Just be you 🙂
CoffeeQuestionMark said:
but I have no idea what vet school interviewers are looking for.
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greeneyegal92 said:
I had a couple of stress dreams of me losing my mind and flashing my interviewers but luckily that never happened :hilarious:

For real though best interview advice I can give is just be yourself. They're not looking for anything in particular they just want to see who you are as a person! My best interviews I had cracked jokes with my interviewers and answered questions genuinely. The worst interviews I've had I was tense, over-rehersed, and tried to answer questions to please them. You are interesting and good enough trust me! Just be you 🙂
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Well I did all that!! :laugh:
 
CoffeeQuestionMark said:
Well I did all that!! :laugh:
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RedLauren said:
Maybe it’s possible you were more nervous and tense than you thought you were?
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Jumping off @RedLauren, I thought I had great interviews the previous year too. But I sat there and practiced questions I thought they would ask a million times. "Perfecting" my responses and being prepared like every pre vet student likes to be. I was tense, robotic, and sounded rehearsed.

This year I didnt practice at all. YOU READ THAT RIGHT, I FREE-BALLED IT. My responses were soooooo much better and my real personality came out. Dont practice next year (if you have to apply again next year) and walk in like you own the place 😉
 
@CoffeeQuestionMark I'm mentioning this because I know your instate is Minnesota right? I know for a fact I wouldn't of been selected as an OOS applicant this year if it wasn't for my killer interview and varied experience. In comparison to other applicants (especially OOS) my GPA/GRE stats bring me way down in ranking. But I made it through by giving a great memorable interview! I know you can do the same 🙂
 
greeneyegal92 said:
Jumping off @RedLauren, I thought I had great interviews the previous year too. But I sat there and practiced questions I thought they would ask a million times. "Perfecting" my responses and being prepared like every pre vet student likes to be. I was tense, robotic, and sounded rehearsed.

This year I didnt practice at all. YOU READ THAT RIGHT, I FREE-BALLED IT. My responses were soooooo much better and my real personality came out. Dont practice next year (if you have to apply again next year) and walk in like you own the place 😉
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Yo I didn’t practice this year either
But I cannot say I walked in like I owned the place. :laugh:
greeneyegal92 said:
@CoffeeQuestionMark I'm mentioning this because I know your instate is Minnesota right?
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And I think her IS was Washington State?
 
SkiOtter said:
I actually thought my interview went low key terribly BUT APPARENTLY NOT THAT TERRIBLE.
My KSU interview, however, I thought went great. Spoiler: it apparently did not.
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Who knows sometimes...My KSU one was not my favorite. Ugh I cleaned a couple horse stalls once....Ugh I like to eat beef... :hilarious:
 
greeneyegal92 said:
Jumping off @RedLauren, I thought I had great interviews the previous year too. But I sat there and practiced questions I thought they would ask a million times. "Perfecting" my responses and being prepared like every pre vet student likes to be. I was tense, robotic, and sounded rehearsed.

This year I didnt practice at all. YOU READ THAT RIGHT, I FREE-BALLED IT. My responses were soooooo much better and my real personality came out. Dont practice next year (if you have to apply again next year) and walk in like you own the place 😉
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I did the exact same. This year was the first year I applied and got an interview. I was a 4th - yes, 4th! - time applicant! I did not practice at all and walked in with a lot of confidence. I think all of my years working as a veterinary assistant interacting with clients really boosted my interpersonal skills. I was amazed how well my interview went because I was not rehearsed at all and, like you mentioned above, my true personality shined. 🙂
 
SkiOtter said:
You flashed your interviewers?!?!?!?! 😱
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Gotta standout somehow 😉
greeneyegal92 said:
@CoffeeQuestionMark I'm mentioning this because I know your instate is Minnesota right? I know for a fact I wouldn't of been selected as an OOS applicant this year if it wasn't for my killer interview and varied experience. In comparison to other applicants (especially OOS) my GPA/GRE stats bring me way down in ranking. But I made it through by giving a great memorable interview! I know you can do the same 🙂
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Ski is right, I'm a WA gal. But Minnesota was my favorite school. I did practice a lot! You went freestyle? Jeez! I have to say I had never practiced for a job interview before and have always owned them. But vet school interviews are so unpredictable, I don't know if I could take that approach
 
@CoffeeQuestionMark, my bad on my confusion of your home state!

Minnesota was my favorite too! (even though they straight rejected me post interview last year 🙁) Point being if the waitlist doesn't move do a file review, mine was very helpful last year. Get very comfortable with client and professional interactions (this will make interviewing a breeze), and hang tough! It took me 3 times to be accepted. it would have been nice to have been accepted my first go but I dont regret my journey, I think itll make me a great vet in the future 😉

End point: You dont necessarily have to spend thousands on retaking the GRE and improving your GPA. How you represent yourself on your app and in person can make a world of difference 🙂
 
greeneyegal92 said:
End point: You dont necessarily have to spend thousands on retaking the GRE and improving your GPA. How you represent yourself on your app and in person can make a world of difference 🙂
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I definitely wouldn’t say to retake the gre for her. I went and looked back she was 160/162 which is more than fine, especially considering most schools the average for both sections is around 155 iirc
 
SkiOtter said:
I definitely wouldn’t say to retake the gre for her. I went and looked back she was 160/162 which is more than fine, especially considering most schools the average for both sections is around 155 iirc
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Holy jesus!! definitely not what I got :hilarious:
 
Any ideas of how much movement Wisconsin and Iowa will actually continue to have? 3rd time applicant here, first time waitlist anywhere. Really hoping to make it off the waitlist for one of these schools.
Currently sitting at 104 at Iowa State and 102 at UW-CVM
 
thegoldendvm said:
Any ideas of how much movement Wisconsin and Iowa will actually continue to have? 3rd time applicant here, first time waitlist anywhere. Really hoping to make it off the waitlist for one of these schools.
Currently sitting at 104 at Iowa State and 102 at UW-CVM
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You might want to hop over to the wait list or school specific forms- there's way more accurate information over on those threads than you'll get here. I think last I was creeping as far as Iowa went they only has 11 seats to fill with offers out for all of them.
 
Are we still posting on this stickied thread for chances or should I just create a new thread? I'm prepping for the 2019 cycle!
 
Lupin21 said:
This is a permanent thread for all what are my chances talk
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Thanks! I just hadn't seen a full "What are my Chances" Post in a while. Here goes!

23 years old, female, Canadian (Manitoba) resident

Degrees:
B.Sc in Psych with a double major in History, Dalhousie University
Graduated June 2017

Cumulative GPA: 3.27 on a 4.3 scale (I still can't figure out the GPA conversion but it's somewhere between a B and B+ I think?)

Veterinary Experience:
- 16 hours experience in a SA clinic when I was a teenager
- 8 hours vet experience with LA
- i'm currently volunteering at a SA/LA clinic about 1-2 hours per week. So far I have about 12 hours but I plan to volunteer here indefinitely (by application cycle i'll have 24 more hours)

Animal Experience:
- 40 hours volunteering at a therapeutic riding facility for disabled children
- 20 hours dairy farm volunteering
- 30 hours showing and grooming cows
- I've owned my horse Aspen since I was 11 (over 8,000 hours) does this count? I know pets generally don't count but I also competed with him extensively so I thought perhaps it might
- 54 hours in canine olfactory lab (sniffer testing for the presence of diabetes in urine, training dogs, clicker training, handling, etc.)
- 20 hours animal behaviour lab - rat handling experience
- 80 hours dog sitting (does this count? It is through Rover/personal business, not just a hobby for friends)

Letters of Recommendation
- Riding Coach of 4 years
- Current vet I shadow
- My horse's vet, whom i've also shadowed and have known for 8 years
- Neuroscience professor is also an option

GRE: N/A

Certifications:
- Animal Ethics Certification
- Research Ethics Certification
- PADI Dive (don't know if this is worth mentioning)
- Sustainability Leadership Certificate
- Level 1 Riding Certification

Etc:
- Sorority throughout uni, held four positions (including money/budget management, event planning, and teaching)
- TA course (30 hours, estimate)
- held positions in my town's local equivalent of 4-H: Lakehead Light Horse Association)
- Run my own business, going on two years (candle making)
- Currently work full time at an investment firm, work part time as a make up artist, manage my business, and volunteer 4 hours a week
- Dean's List in my last year of Uni

My concerns:
- Not enough vet experience or legit animal experience (a lot of it is hobby stuff)
- low GPA
- not working in an animal field right now (i'm trying so hard you guys! There are no jobs...i'm considering taking the Dairy Herdsperson position on a local farm)
- I don't have genetics, biochem, or microbio yet (currently enrolled and completing genetics)

I had a science heavy degree, with calculus, neuroscience, animal behaviour courses, biology, cell bio, cellular neuro, three years of stats, physics, organic chemistry, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, etc. Basically all my electives were history, my second major.

I'm planning to try to volunteer in more vet clinics, the local humane shelter, and upcoming spay/neuter clinics. For future suggestions and such, I just wanted to let you know that anything to do with my horse Aspen is unfortunately no longer an option as he passed away a few months ago.

I have not yet applied to vet school.

I am applying this year to: WCVM (Saskatchewan), Dublin, Edinburgh, potentially Glasgow, Queensland, Brisbane, Sydney, RVC, and any others you think I might have a chance at!

Thank you in advance!!
 
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In regards to Sask, since that is the only admissions I know:

What is your best year? Your admissions average is 1/3 best year 2/3 overall GPA. By my rough math which could very well be wrong your average would be a little low for the Manitoba pool. Last year the lowest accepted GPA was 80.5%, and I don’t know what application pool that was from. Since interviews are given out based solely on GPA, you might need to increase that more. I would recommend asking the admissions team how your transcripts would be converted to a %, since that will give you a better idea. If you apply, they will also let you know what number on the list you were so you know how much you would need to improve to get an interview, if you didn’t already have one.

Do you have aboriginal status? You could apply for the equity spots at WCVM if so. That would increase your odds.

You need more veterinary hours than what you will have by application cycle, especially due to your lower GPA. Everyone I know (with the exception of 1, but she had a 95% average), had at least 500 veterinary hours. Plus your references need to fill in a bubble on how many hours they have worked with you, and it looks better if they fill in the >100 bubble since that shows that they have spent a lot of time with you. Would that small animal clinic let you do more shadowing? Ask your horse’s former vet if you can shadow more? (Sorry to hear about her passing 🙁 )

For animal experience, I wound include the horse showing and lessons but not the ownership.

You have lots of leadership and non-animal related stuff, which definitely helps make you a more well rounded applicant. 🙂

Good luck on your classes this coming semester!

PS come join us in the WCVM/UCVM 2022 thread! We don’t bite and people there often have great advice. 🙂

PPS I’m a BC applicant so this may be different for you, but for us those international schools (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Melbourne, the islands, etc) tend to be less competitive than the tiny amount of WCVM seats. They are just waaaaayyyyyyyy more expensive.
 
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TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo said:
In regards to Sask, since that is the only admissions I know:

PPS I’m a BC applicant so this may be different for you, but for us those international schools (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Melbourne, the islands, etc) tend to be less competitive than the tiny amount of WCVM seats. They are just waaaaayyyyyyyy more expensive.
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Thanks so much!! Yeah, I honestly would bite the debt bullet if it meant getting into vet school - I understand that my chances at WCVM are waaaay low haha. My best year was a 3.9 (again, on a 4.3, d*$#n you Dalhousie!) I believe, so that helps! I do not have aboriginal status.

I'll definitely check out the Class of 2022 thread after this, thanks! I totally realize it's not enough hours, the clinic would totally let me volunteer more so i'll try for Saturdays as well. That's when they do large animal stuff usually. It's just tough when I work full time to get out volunteering more than a few hours a week, which is why i'm trying to find a job in a clinic or animal field instead. When they fill out the bubble, is it time spent in the clinic? Or is it just time they've known me/spent time with me period? My riding coach would be like 300 hours, and each vet would be about 100 probably.

Edit: Aspen's vet is the clinic i'm currently working in so that's that!
 
Hi all,

I have recently decided that I want to apply to veterinary school and I am currently in my sophomore year of my undergrad going into my junior year... I wanted to get some feedback on my experiences and if there was anything else that I should consider participating in or joining to make my application stand out...

Right now my GPA is not fantastic, I had a very hard fall semester and it made my GPA tank but this semester I should be climbing my way back up... Other than grades of course, please offer me any advice or things I should consider. I would really appreciate it.

Current overall GPA: 3.068 (this semester is looking like a 4.0, so I should be at a 3.328 at the end of this semester)

Major: Animal Science
Minor: Communication

Work experience relating to animals:
-Receptionist at a mobile pet vaccine clinic since my sophomore year of high school/veterinary technician/shift leader for this place: ~2000 hours
-Horse caretaker at a boarding facility: 150 hours
-Intern at a rodeo working with exotic large animals: 40 hours

Work experience not relating to animals:
-Microbiology lab intern: ~800 hours

Research experience:
-Research assistant for reproductive physiology: 90 hours
-Research assistant for department of poultry science: 45 hours
-Had my own research project this semester and I designed and implemented a biosecurity plan for the poultry barn I work in

Extra curricular:
-I was in a freshman leadership organization in the business school and learned a lot about business and making connections
-I am in a sorority
-I am a guide dog puppy sitter/raiser

Animal handling experience:
-Raised cattle and pigs through FFA for 4 years (so many hours I’m not sure what I will call that)
-Horses at the barn
-Sheep in the physiology department
-Red jungle fowl in the poultry department
-Cats and dogs
-hobbyist: dogs, guinea pigs, turtles, hamsters, birds, cattle

Honors:
-San Antonio rodeo 4 year scholarship
-Houston livestock show and rodeo 4 year scholarship
-Deans list
-Research scholar certificate

Potential LOR:
-CEO/President of the micro lab I work for and huge donor of the animal science department at my school
-CEO of the mobile clinic and a member of the board of the vet school I plan on applying to
-The physiology professor I assist is an endowed chair of the vet school I plan on applying to

I want to get a masters before I apply to vet school, I plan on getting into another lab in the vet school next semester, I plan on starting my own research project with a strain of salmonella I worked with in the micro lab next semester, I will continue to work in the poultry and physiology labs, will continue to work at the mobile clinic as the shift leader and a vet tech, and planning on continuing to work at the horse place. I have plans on also minoring in biology so i can take more micro classes because I love it so much. I feel like I’m lacking in leadership positions but I am so afraid of overwhelming myself because I am so busy all the time. Will not having a leadership position kill me? Maybe in my sorority I can try to get a position. Please give me some feedback!
 
23 years old, female, Kansas resident

Degrees:
B.Sc in Wildlife - Conservation Biology, Kansas State University
Graduated May 2017
Currently enrolled - Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Masters program (Thesis option), Kansas State University
Should graduate December 2018

Cumulative GPA: 2.89 according to VMCAS
Science GPA depends- most schools that use grade replacement, my science GPA is in the 3.2-3.5 ballpark
Last 45 GPA - 3.71 if they stop right at 45 credit hours or 3.53 if they have to include the whole semester the last 45 falls in


Research:
- 1125 hours experience in LA microbiology epidemiology lab at KSU CVM including animal experience as getting samples from mainly swine but some cattle and then processing samples in the lab for different species of bacteria (depending on the project)
- 270 hours experience of veterinary microbiology lab work, but no animal experience and was mainly autoclaving and assisting with MIC procedures

Animal Experience:
- 300 hours volunteering as a zoo keeper intern at zoo
- 505 hours pet sitting over the course of many many years
- 24 hours assisting with herpetology society survey in collection of specimens
- ~1000 of horses and goats that were used for 4H projects

Vet Experience:
- 120 hours on wildlife vet study abroad trip in south Africa that involved applied physiology, pharmacology, and principles of Conservation Medicine for various animals (mainly southern white rhinos)
- 600 hours of veterinary assistant at mainly SA vet hospital but had the occasional wildlife case come in
- 160 hours of Kennel Tech/Surgical Assistant for humane society in my hometown
- 30 hours of surgical shadowing at SA animal hospital (different than one above) in hometown

Letters of Recommendation
- Graduate advisor on my committee that is in charge of veterinary grad school program and teaches multiple classes to the vet students at KSU CVM
- My major professor for my master's
- Veterinary clinical/researcher that works at vet school that I have taken a few courses from
- Anatomy and physiology professor
-Still a toss up - I should probably get one of my clinical veterinarians that I shadowed for a few years ago so all of mine are research affiliated but its been a longgg time (3 years) since I have seen/worked with them

GRE: Plan is to take in August - my goal is around 160 for both verbal and quantitative, but I might need to shoot higher to make up GPA

Other work:
- Multiple certifications for Air Force (enlisted from 2012-current)
- Worked at a coffee shop
- Volunteer for non profit called boo radley that is kind of animal related but really looks using veterinary medicine as a tool for comparative medicine so I just plan as listing it as volunteer (not animal related)~200 hours

Etc:
- Various awards in high school (do they care about this kind of stuff?)
-In KSU bible study group for 5 years
- Sudler trophy for KSU marching band
-Awards for pre vet club officer positions
-Awards for boo radley non profit position
-First place in Kansas State One Health Research Day
-First place for masters category for KSU CVM Phi-Zeta Day

My concerns:
- low GPA (seriously cannot not stress this concern enough)
- applying to all schools that basically do not look at cumulative GPA
- Some schools do not look like they consider summer before application in GPA consideration (I'm freaking out, a lot of the replacement grades I need and last 45 GPA boost is riding on these courses)

I am applying this year to: Washington, Michigan, Kansas State, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi(?), Western(?), UF(?), or Midwestern(?)
(If you know of any other holistic/no cum GPA consideration schools that actually accept OOS students, please let me know!)

Ya'll are a blessing!
 
Chandler Scott said:
Right now my GPA is not fantastic, I had a very hard fall semester and it made my GPA tank but this semester I should be climbing my way back up... Other than grades of course, please offer me any advice or things I should consider. I would really appreciate it.

Current overall GPA: 3.068 (this semester is looking like a 4.0, so I should be at a 3.328 at the end of this semester)
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Definitely do your best to absolutely kill it for your finals this semester and kill your junior year. There are schools who don’t care so much (or at all) about cumulative gpa and only look at last 45 credit gpa and science or prereq gpa. Do well in your prereqs and do well your junior year. You can do it!!!!
Or, if you’re not planning on applying until after you graduate, keep the grades up and focus on schools that look at last 45. Some schools will count graduate classes in the gpa calculations but some will not or will only count a certain number of credit hours towards it.
 
rimfree said:
Currently enrolled - Veterinary Biomedical Sciences Masters program (Thesis option), Kansas State University
Should graduate December 2018

Cumulative GPA: 2.89 according to VMCAS
Science GPA depends- most schools that use grade replacement, my science GPA is in the 3.2-3.5 ballpark
Last 45 GPA - 3.71 if they stop right at 45 credit hours or 3.53 if they have to include the whole semester the last 45 falls in



My concerns:
- low GPA (seriously cannot not stress this concern enough)
- applying to all schools that basically do not look at cumulative GPA
- Some schools do not look like they consider summer before application in GPA consideration (I'm freaking out, a lot of the replacement grades I need and last 45 GPA boost is riding on these courses)

I am applying this year to: Washington, Michigan, Kansas State, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi(?), Western(?), UF(?), or Midwestern(?)
(If you know of any other holistic/no cum GPA consideration schools that actually accept OOS students, please let me know!)
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All schools look at the whole semester the last 45 falls in. You don’t get to pick which one class is included in your last 45 from that semester and just toss the rest.
Also, double check that the schools you are applying to will include your graduate level classes in the gpa calculations, because some don’t and some only take a certain number of credits.
Illinois doesn’t factor gpa into admissions decisions, but you do have to make it past the gpa round to be considered. I’m not sure which GPAs they look at during that round, so you could check with Illinois and if they don’t use cumulative, potentially could add that as another option.
Iowa State does not use cumulative gpa for admissions decisions either, they just require that your cumulative gpa is over 2.75, I believe, but they don’t initially count summer grades into your gpa. This past year, they didn’t interview so this didn’t really have too much of an effect afaik because summer and fall grades were added before the final decisions were made. But if they do decide to bring interviews back this year, it would matter because they used to interview in October I think? (Don’t quote me on that). Not sure of their policies for grade replacement though, so that would be something you’d need to look into.
 
Thanks for the quick response! I talked to an admissions person at KSU and they just said to calculate your last 45, you just count back the exact last 45 credits and calculate the GPA. So maybe you're right and maybe she misunderstood what I was asking? Which very well could be true...

But yeah, these are all good points. I definitely will need to look into all this, including applying to Illinois. If I take undergrad classes now to replace pre-req, do you know if that is considered in my cumulative undergrad GPA or not since I have already received a degree?
 
rimfree said:
Thanks for the quick response! I talked to an admissions person at KSU and they just said to calculate your last 45, you just count back the exact last 45 credits and calculate the GPA. So maybe you're right and maybe she misunderstood what I was asking? Which very well could be true...

But yeah, these are all good points. I definitely will need to look into all this, including applying to Illinois. If I take undergrad classes now to replace pre-req, do you know if that is considered in my cumulative undergrad GPA or not since I have already received a degree?
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If it was count back to the exact last 45, it would be different based on where the class is on your transcript that semester. The whole semester is what should be counted. 🙂
And idk if you’re including your masters classes in your last 45, but definitely check with the individual schools about if they’ll include it in the calculation or not. I think KSU might be one of the ones that doesn’t include graduate level work in the last 45 GPA.

As long as the classes are still undergraduate level classes, schools that replace grades will replace it with the new grade, whether it was completed for the degree or post-bacc. If the school doesn’t replace grades, it’ll still be added to the cumulative gpa, but the previous attempt will be there too.
 
gabynicolex said:
I saw on a previous thread something about your GPA/GRE/experiences playing a role in whether or not you received an interview, then everyone is on the same playing field going forward and an acceptance is based on how you do in your interview.
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Does anyone know a school that has a process similar to this?
 
Hi guys! I've been sort of avoiding posting this thread but i'm both overwhelmed and undecided on my next steps. I've been out of school for about a year now (BSc. w/ a B/B+ GPA), haven't taken the GRE, and still have three pre-reqs to take in order to apply to a lot of schools (as well as more clinic experience).

I'm Canadian so I can only apply to one school here (all competing for 15 seats), and am looking to apply to some US, UK/Ireland, and Australia/NZ schools. I've heard that the Australia and NZ schools are easier to get into than US/UK/Ireland, and i've been doing a lot of comparing and research. I likely have the best chance at Massey (NZ) because they have the lowest GPA cutoff BUT:

I wanted your help and expertise in deciding which schools I should apply to this cycle (my first cycle). I would hate to apply to NZ this year, get in, and go so far away for a 5 year program - when maybe I could have gotten into UCD or a school in the US if I just waited. The start date for NZ is July, so in theory I could apply to all of them I suppose.

Has anyone been in this situation? Do I even have a chance at the other schools with my low GPA?

I am holding off on taking the GRE because I only need it for RVC and Edinburgh, both of which may not even be in my realm of possibility.

** For reference, I have a post on "What are my Chances"

Thank you in advance!
 
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t canadian applicants find out in like June or July if they are accepted? So if you got into an NZ school and hadn’t heard back from your Canadian school, you’d kind of be screwed because you’d have to make that decision early enough to apply for a visa and also move there. I’m not saying DON’T go there, just think about it a bit more before applying. Also double check that July start date. Most regular AUS/NZ universities start at the beginning of the year because opposite hemisphere and I would expect vet school would be the same. If that’s the case, you’d have to make the decision way sooner and likely wouldn’t have even heard back from other schools about interviews.
 
SkiOtter said:
Also double check that July start date. Most regular AUS/NZ universities start at the beginning of the year because opposite hemisphere and I would expect vet school would be the same. If that’s the case, you’d have to make the decision way sooner and likely wouldn’t have even heard back from other schools about interviews.
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Hey! Thanks so much for the quick reply, usually they do have an early start date (February) which is why i've just decided to hold off on Oz for this cycle! New Zealand, however, has two streams (pre-professional and professional entry) where the professional entry starts in July.

Secondly, I have an extremely low chance in Canada so I will likely be applying for a few cycles if I do end up getting in, so it's not really high on my priority list of schools. This might seem a bit pessimistic, but i'm just trying to be smart with my applications!
 
Hi Everyone!

I'm 21 years old, female, and a Pennsylvania resident

I'm applying this cycle (2018). Currently getting my B.S. in Animal Science at Ohio State (will be graduating in December of this year)

Cumulative GPA: 3.983
Science GPA probably around a 3.97
Major GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE:
160 quantitative, 165 verbal, 6 analytical writing

Research:
Getting ready to defend my honors research thesis. I studied the affects of various music genres on dog behavior and adoption rates at a local humane society

Animal Experience:
-100 hours volunteering at local shelters/sanctuaries
-160 spent in South Africa learning about exotic animal conservation/rehabilitation
-400 hours interning at a dairy calf ranch
-100 hours working with animals on my university's farms
-150 hours working with a local therapy dog organization and teaching local middle schools about therapy dogs (started in high school)

Vet Experience:
-70 hours shadowing at various clinics in my hometown
-270 hours interning as a kennel assistant
-400 (and counting) hours working as a vet assistant at an emergency and critical care facility

Letters of Recommendation
- my academic advisor
- the head of the therapy dog organization
- veterinarian at the emergency center

Etc:
- member of my church orchestra
- three time recipient of the American Society of Animal Science student scholar award
-Vice President/competition coordinator of my dance team
-public relations chair for both sophomore and junior class honoraries
-general and organic chemistry tutor

So far I am planning on applying to OSU, Penn, and Davis. I want to pick 1 or 2 more schools, but am not sure which yet.

Thanks in advance!
 
dancelover12 said:
Hi Everyone!

I'm 21 years old, female, and a Pennsylvania resident

I'm applying this cycle (2018). Currently getting my B.S. in Animal Science at Ohio State (will be graduating in December of this year)

Cumulative GPA: 3.983
Science GPA probably around a 3.97
Major GPA: 4.0
Last 45 GPA: 4.0

GRE:
160 quantitative, 165 verbal, 6 analytical writing

Research:
Getting ready to defend my honors research thesis. I studied the affects of various music genres on dog behavior and adoption rates at a local humane society

Animal Experience:
-100 hours volunteering at local shelters/sanctuaries
-160 spent in South Africa learning about exotic animal conservation/rehabilitation
-400 hours interning at a dairy calf ranch
-100 hours working with animals on my university's farms
-150 hours working with a local therapy dog organization and teaching local middle schools about therapy dogs (started in high school)

Vet Experience:
-70 hours shadowing at various clinics in my hometown
-270 hours interning as a kennel assistant
-400 (and counting) hours working as a vet assistant at an emergency and critical care facility

Letters of Recommendation
- my academic advisor
- the head of the therapy dog organization
- veterinarian at the emergency center

Etc:
- member of my church orchestra
- three time recipient of the American Society of Animal Science student scholar award
-Vice President/competition coordinator of my dance team
-public relations chair for both sophomore and junior class honoraries
-general and organic chemistry tutor

So far I am planning on applying to OSU, Penn, and Davis. I want to pick 1 or 2 more schools, but am not sure which yet.

Thanks in advance!
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Honestly your app looks pretty solid overall. Is there opportunity for you to get vet experience with larger animals and with some exotics? Continue rocking! I would say just articulate your responses to the questions on VMCAS and supplementals well. Make sure you are getting GOOD lors and maybe think of someone for a back up incase one falls through. My advice for you for picking other schools is to pick ones that would be cheap-NC,WA, and Mizzou come to mind. I think all of those would probably be cheaper or close to the same cost as that of OSU as an instate student. Just make sure to include everything and that you meet all the prereqs for those schools (all your experiences per VMCAS instructions which last year meant going back like 10ish years or so. So I had stuff on my app from high school.) I'm sure others may have something I missed, more to add. Overall though I think you're on the right track. Goodluck!
 
dancelover12 said:
Vet Experience:
-70 hours shadowing at various clinics in my hometown
-270 hours interning as a kennel assistant
-400 (and counting) hours working as a vet assistant at an emergency and critical care facility
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Not 100% sure if your kennel assistant job would be considered vet experience or not.
I agree with mixys post above though
 
Hello! So I've wanted to be a wildlife veterinarian since I was a kid. Freshman year I started off with a good gpa at 3.86, however, it is now a 3.4 and I am currently a first semester junior. This past year I was diagnosed with major anxiety and depression disorder. I thought the meds were going to help but it is finally the end of this semester and they are finally working. So I've had trouble this year, I probably should've taken a year off but I didn't know if that would've been for the best. Anyways, this semester I received my first C+ and it was in animal physiology. It is my lowest grade but I'm nervous it is going to ruin vet school or hinder my chances. Also, I'm in orgo 2 right now and I am either going to get my 2nd C+ or a just another B-. I still have 3 semesters to get my gpa back up and I know I will. Below I'm going to kind of summarize my hours/involvement. Please write back with any advice you have! I am very stressed and don't know what to do. Should I retake animal physiology and orgo 2? Should I get more experience? What can set me apart from other students? Thank you!

Vet experience:
animal assistant for 2 years at one animal hospital
currently working as an assistant/technician at a vet clinic
vet experience hours total=1200

Animal experience:
350 hours working with cheetahs/lions/leopards/caracals/servals/tiger in South Africa volunteering
150 hours working at a sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica
100 hours with equine, and goats,internship at a horse stable
100 hours with cows, working at a dairy farm

Leadership:
President of Students Protecting Animal Rights
President of the Biology Club
Community Service, Philanthropy, and Current Events Chair in Phi Sigma Sigma
Active participant in Beta Beta Beta, National Biology Honors Society
Teachers Assistant for BIOL 181

Research:
150 hours performing full necropsies on perch, identifying parasites
40 hours with research on how climate change is affecting the life of salamanders (I will be continuing this research for another year to gain more hours/experience)
 
Your best bet is to get that GPA up. I barely got into one school off the waitlist with a 3.45 GPA, which was the main concern for my file reviews. What's that animal rights club? As important as animal rights is, many animal rights organizations have a bad reputation for a variety of reasons. If it's associated with something like PETA then it might not be the best thing to put on your application or be involved with in general. That's just my opinion as someone who knows nothing about that specific club though.
 
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