Thank you for the response, I knew there was a large amount of applicants and people need to be weeded out. I just wasn't sure if there was also a common theme among some of them [need more large animal, more extracurriculars, exposure to exotics, etc.]. I had looked at their previous class stats and I stand right there among those numbers, so I felt like I atleast stood a chance applying and giving it a try, but then I saw all the rejections of students with 3.8-3.9 GPA, a good amount of experience, etc. etc..
And I apologize I probably should have worded that a little better. I do have an IS, and I hold up well with those stats and I do love that school very much. Ideally that would be my 'go to' for multiple reasons.. but if not accepted there I would choose CSU over any other acceptances, even though it is much farther and pricier for me to go that route than to take an acceptance at one of the vet schools in several states closer to me. I went to Colorado a few years ago and I absolutely LOVED it; hard to explain, but I have a 'pull' to be there. And from what I've been able to research of the school and prior students statements, it looks like a school I would enjoy with a solid program. Sorry, my wording wasn't very clear on that.