So I logged on to see where all of you ended up being accepted - congratulations to you all. To those of you that are planning on applying in the future I thought I would give you the perspective of someone that sat on a medical school admissions committee for over a decade.
I actually started looking at this website in the fall, as my daughter was applying to vet school and we were looking for information. I got a little hooked hearing some of your stories, so wanted to check to see how everything turned out! After reading some of the posts though, I thought I would give you the perspective of someone who actually reviewed medical student applications for many years (I doubt the vet school admission process is that much different, but if anyone has additional information on the vet school process please feel free to comment). Also this is just my experience at one school, it is possible other schools have different perspectives.
Medical school admission committees are looking for people who are going to be great physicians. They want people who are empathetic, smart, ethical, and have the ability to think critically and make appropriate diagnoses. Surgical and technical skills generally can be taught (though some individuals clearly have the "hands" the rest of us can only admire from afar
lol). There is a great deal of material to learn in medical school, and it is very expensive to train students (the cost is not only yours, though tuition is high the cost to train a student is in excess of that and is born by school/government). Therefore they want to choose people who are going to be successful. Schools do have individual focuses and goals, I know when my daughter talked to UPenn they seemed most interested in her research/academics. So it is important to know the individual schools you are applying to to know what they are looking for. You should of course always apply to your IS school (if you are lucky enough to have one) and when you are applying OOS you need to look at the acceptance rates and be realistic (average GPA, GRE, acceptance rates for OOS) - UC Davis is rated one of the top vet schools in the nation (and I understand the controversy about vet school rankings, however..), and only takes a handful of OOS applicants. So I wouldn't recommend applying there as an OOS candidate there unless everything in your application is perfect). But I think there are some basic tenets that apply to all.
First, grades are generally the first cut, or will weigh the highest in the admissions algorithm. Yes some people are accepted with a lower than average GPA, but you don't want to be in that position if you can help it. The reason behind this is that there is a lot of material to learn in professional schools. It is well known that incoming students with higher GPAs are less likely to have difficulty with course work (it doesn't say anything about what kind of vet you are going to be - it just predicts academic success). The school does not want you to fail out, it wants you to be successful. If you are doing well with your course load you will have more time and opportunity to expand in other areas (research, joining vet specialty groups). The school will not care if you withdrew from one course in college (so long as your GPA is otherwise good), grades are important to show you can complete the professional curriculum. If you had a bad semester then you need to explain it briefly, without blaming anyone. The requirements for applying to vet school are rigorous, therefore you don't need to really worry about the difficulty of the coursework you sign up for, regardless of your major. You are better off taking a minimal course load each semester and getting all A's than taking 18 units and getting Bs. You might get a little consideration coming from a highly ranked college, but again not enough to overcome a low GPA. Finally major does not matter (though given the number of prerequisites it is hard to take a major other than some form of biology) Still if you are an English major and have all the appropriate course work completed with a good GPA your major is likely going to be at least neutral, and will likely seen as a plus (uniqueness, diversity, makes you stand out from the crowd).
GREs help, but do not make up for the GPA. GREs at best show potential. GPA is a measure of both ability and performance (good study skills, ability to do well under pressure at the end of the semester, time management - all of these are critical for success in professional school). Still you want the best GRE score you can get, and your GRE score will improve with a review course and if necessary taking it multiple times (performance anxiety is real for a lot of people). Don't take the GRE cold, the quantitative portion is basically high school math (proportions, algebra, trig) and quite frankly you won't remember a lot of it by the time you graduate from college (well unless you are a math guru or a math major). The cost of the course is worth it (think of how much applications, traveling to interviews and vet school is going to cost). Start early in case you do need to take the test multiple times. Plus remember whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. My niece took the exam and unfortunately the testing center had a power outage after she finished the essays, and her test was lost. They rescheduled her for 3 weeks later, but she was pretty traumatized and ended up having to take it a third time to get good scores.
I have read with interest the number of people on this website retaking classes to improve their GPA. This is something you will have to weigh for yourself, and likely depends on what the schools you are applying to do with this information. If they completely replace the grade this will likely be helpful. Clearly if you have a course you failed or got a D in it, you are going to have to retake it (but please don't fail - this is a major red flag, withdrawing is better). In general for the classic applicant with the C in chemistry or physics and otherwise good grades elsewhere - I always preferred the candidate taking upper division, challenging courses in an area of their interest and killing them. It made them more interesting applicants (and one of the biggest problems with the "average" candidate is standing out from the crowd, there are just so many applicants) and being able to be successful in an upper division course is telling. These courses also often have fewer students in them, and give you a good opportunity to get to know a professor well, so you can get an outstanding letter of recommendation. If you have really blown your GPA but feel being a vet is your true calling - consider a masters program in something you are interested in (Plan B). And get A's!! This shows you can be successful academically at a graduate level, and if you still don't get into vet school you have a masters to fall back on. I do understand there are financial concerns with this option.
Letters of recommendation are generally all positive, but many are very generic and don't really say anything about the candidate. Ive written hundreds, and if I feel I can't write a good letter when someone asks me I suggest they seek an alternative person (but most people do not do this, they just write a basic letter - cut and paste). You do not want this type of letter, so you need to be sure you have developed relationships with individuals that know you well, and care for you enough to take the time to write you a great letter with examples of why you are great and why you will be the best veterinarian ever. Most schools are looking for one academic letter and two letters from vets, so plan for that. If you have a thesis or an undergraduate research project, your mentor for this body of work is an excellent choice for your academic letter. Research is not required for acceptance, but is a big plus (and some vet schools will be looking for this, so if you don't have it and have no interest in research, then don't apply to those schools). And if you have worked on a research project with a professor they will know you well. If research isn't your thing, then you need to make the effort to get to know at least one of your academic professors as well, preferably try to spend some time with a professor in a field you genuinely have an interest (we can smell it when people suck up to us just for a letter - so don't do it). You can give the individual additional information (a copy of your CV and/or application) if you think it will help you.
Veterinary schools seem to require more experience than medical schools, and I think this reflects the diversity of the field (large animal, small animal, exotics). Experience is important, because it tells the committee you know what you are getting yourself into. When you are being interviewed and you are asked why you want to be a vet do not say "because I love animals". Everyone loves animals, and everyone applying to vet school really loves animals. You don't need to know everything about veterinary medicine, but you need an answer to that question that is well considered. They want to see you have done things that have allowed you to see the depth and breadth of veterinary medicine. Schools differ on the exact hours, and the amount of experience required. My daughter said at her Tufts interview she was one of the only candidates with large animal experience, but they had a lot of candidates with experience with exotics (that appeared to be a focus for them). However at UF when she met with admissions prior to applying they told her flat out she would have difficulty being considered without experience in both small and large animal. The bottom line here for all schools is you do need a certain amount of experience, and it should be quality experience. Cleaning glassware in a lab, caring for your horse, etc - these do not count. The exact number of hours does not count as long as you have "enough"(and don't say you have 4000 hours if you are 21 at the time of your application, you will come across as dishonest). Quality is definitely better than quantity. Having experience is really important for you as well - you do need to really decide if this is what you want to do. Being a vet isn't easy, as many of the current vets posting on this website will attest, and you need to be really sure this is what you want to do before you take on 4 years of additional school and all the debt that this entails.
You need to stand out on your application. If you are a perfect candidate (GPA > 3.8, good GRE scores, an appropriate amount of quality experience and good letters) you are going to be accepted somewhere. However for the average candidate you need to try to stand out from the crowd. The essay is one place for this. Whatever you do don't leave the essay to the last minute. (Remember many schools also have secondary applications with additional essays or short answer questions, so try to get your application in early so you have time to spend on the secondary essays/questions as well). My daughter actually thinks her essay for Tufts got her the interview there - they spent the first 20 mins asking her about the essay as they were very interested in what she wrote. Make sure someone reads your essay and edits it (typos are terrible - even if it is the best essay ever bad grammar and misspelled words are a big turnoff). Make sure the essay reflects you as a person, the committee does want to know who you are. Hobbies, other activities, sports, these also help you stand out, one of my friends is sure she got into med school due to her participation on the college tennis team. Anything that makes you a well rounded individual, different from everyone else applying, or that reflects that you will be the best veterinarian ever. Take your time as you fill out the application. Decide what you want to emphasize about yourself and make sure that stands out. For UF my daughter had to write an essay on diversity, and she came laughing to me with her first line "I am a middle class white girl who has had a fortunate life thus far……" She had to really think about how she is in fact different and diverse (I think it took her about a month for that essay - but each and everyone of you is unique in your own way and has something outstanding to contribute - and that is what you want to show in your application so you stand out).
Of course what the admissions committee wants is to produce smart, technically competent, caring veterinarians with excellent diagnostic acumen, and none of the above can identify individuals that will guarantee that. In fact as far as I know nothing can predict what will make a good physician, so I doubt there is anything that will predict a good veterinarian (it definitely isn't good grades). And that is where there is some leeway, and why you can get in with a lower GPA, particularly when you are applying later in life or with special circumstances. Schools also want to see commitment (they really don't want people who are going to drop out when the going gets tough - remember the cost of training), which is why people who are "average candidates" are more likely to be accepted with a second application, particularly if they have worked to improve their application in the intervening year. We once accepted a medical student who had a 3.0 GPA whose primary degree was in a foreign language (I can't remember exactly which one, but it was one of the African nations). She then spent about 4 years in that country teaching and working with young girls in health and education. She came back to the US and completed her prerequisites (still not a great GPA, but met the minimum cutoff to get her file reviewed) and applied. She was accepted because of the commitment and empathy she had demonstrated. She successfully navigated medical school and residency and is a very good physician actively practicing.
Finally I would suggest you identify the one or two schools you are concentrating on (your IS and perhaps one other you think you have a good chance at) and see if you can talk with one of the admissions counselors early in the process. Visit the school if you can (and I know there is a cost here). Particularly if there is anything of concern on your application. They are really helpful, and can help you focus your application and fix any shortcomings before you apply and get rejected (remember how many applicants there are, and they are all good - so you want to avoid anything on your application that raises a flag). Do your research (school webpages, etc) and really know the school before you approach them. Summer would likely be a good time, once they start receiving applications they will be too busy.
If you did not get in this year and are reapplying a file review is absolutely necessary, and you should do it for each school you applied to that will grant you one, as some counselors will be more helpful than others. And some schools are looking for different things, and that can help you tailor you application for next year. You should do that now.
I am very happy for all of you who were accepted and it has been a pleasure watching this application process unfold this year and seeing all this enthusiasm for your field. Im still keeping my eye on the wait list…… hoping for some more good news for those of you still hoping (Im keeping positive thoughts). My daughter did get helpful information from SDN as she was applying (and waiting to hear) and we would like to thank you for that. I hope this posting is helpful - but remember it is the consensus of one medical school admissions committee and vet schools may differ, so do your own research.
For all of you out there planning applications in the future - good luck and best wishes!