Successful Applicants Stats - Class of 2023

[DairyGirl24]

I just always felt like they never gave a crap about me when I visited the vet school and for undergrad. Literally every other school I visited gave me a vibe that "this is home and everyone feels like family", but Cornell made me feel like I was just a number. People who go there definitely don't feel that way, but it was saddening and 100% off-putting

I am also a NY resident and completely agree!!! I had that experience when trying to visit the Animal Science department at Cornell for undergrad after being accepted. They said they were too busy to meet with individual students. I ended up going to an out-of-state school for undergrad because of that. The OOS school was so much more welcoming; they set up meetings for me to meet with dairy professors and students. I will be going to Cornell for vet school though this fall (it is the cheapest of all my options).

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[acc10]

I am also a NY resident and completely agree!!! I had that experience when trying to visit the Animal Science department at Cornell for undergrad after being accepted. They said they were too busy to meet with individual students. I ended up going to an out-of-state school for undergrad because of that. The OOS school was so much more welcoming; they set up meetings for me to meet with dairy professors and students. I will be going to Cornell for vet school though this fall (it is the cheapest of all my options).

I was also accepted for undergrad and attended an OOS school that I am to this day absolutely in love with after visiting cornell and feeling repulsed. I was extremely lucky in that after scholarships, my OOS undergrad ended up being cheaper than cornell IS. I was waitlisted for vet and will likely decline if I am called off because i can't stand the school and am accepted at a school I love (even though its more expensive lol kill me) but honestly I don't anticipate being called off anyway

 

[SkiOtter]

They charge you for that??!

Yeah, like others have said, most schools charge summer tuition when you’re on clinics.

 

[mass1516]

Just want to put a different perspective out there about Cornell. I was in the area before I applied and reached out just to see if anyone would be willing to meet and give any pointers on my application. They were completely receptive and set up an appointment for me to meet with the head of admissions. I had found that a lot of vet schools were not willing to do this and was pleasantly surprised. I personally felt really welcomed by everyone when I was there.

I have no experience with the undergrad administration at Cornell, but I have nothing but good things to say about about my experience with the vet school. Just wanted to mention that, but I know everyone has different experiences!

 

[MOOSEygoosey]

Heads up to those out there. This is a forum where you can feel free to speak about stuff as you please but be mindful of the things you say about schools! You can be upset about not getting in or about how you felt you were treated but bashing isn't the best route to go.

 

[Grassdogs]

Heads up to those out there. This is a forum where you can feel free to speak about stuff as you please but be mindful of the things you say about schools! You can be upset about not getting in or about how you felt you were treated but bashing isn't the best route to go.

100% agree. I am in no way bashing the school. It’s a wonderful program and I know people that are loving their time at the vet school. The students I spoke to when I visited were extremely helpful and friendly. The administrative staff, who are probably very lovely people, just didn’t seem interested in helping me and making me feel welcome when I visited.
PS: I’m very jealous that you guys use problem based learning

 

[acc10]

Heads up to those out there. This is a forum where you can feel free to speak about stuff as you please but be mindful of the things you say about schools! You can be upset about not getting in or about how you felt you were treated but bashing isn't the best route to go.

I also agree, but wouldn't say that anything any of us involved in the conversation said could really be considered "bashing." No one said anything that was untrue, we were all simply sharing our own personal experiences and opinions, which I think is important because those reading the thread/currently deciding which school to go to/applying in the future should have access to different perspectives. If someone had a bad experience at a school I'm considering attending, I would for sure want to know about it so I could be aware.

 

[dolphin106258]

I'm pretty sure summer semester tuition 4th year is NOT unique to Minnesota.

A lot of schools do

Not charging for summer between 3rd and 4th year is one of the big selling points for Illinois that our dean says to everyone. So it sounds like a majority of schools charge fr that.

That’s really cool about Illinois!!! NC State’s summer tuition is 15$ which is fabulous and I wanted to brag on my IS for a moment but also...it’s hella hard to get into so you know it’s an empty brag

 

[2018APreVetOdyssey]

Third time applicant, 24 years old, Male, Maryland resident.
Applied: LMU, MWU, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, VMCVM, and Penn
Rejected: Tennessee and Illinois
Interview: LMU, MWU, Michigan, VMCVM, and Penn
Interview declined: MWU and Michigan
Alternate: VMCVM and Iowa
Accepted: LMU and Penn
Attending: Penn!

Cum GPA: 3.24
Last 45 credit hrs: 3.34
Science GPA: 3.35
GRE: 161V, 168Q, 4.0A

Veterinary Experience:
Couple thousand hours working as a veterinary technician at an animal shelter
~250 shadowing in a local small animal clinic
~50 shadowing in a larger small animal clinic
~50 shadowing a horse vet

Animal Experience:
Worked as a dog walker for a summer
Volunteered at the aforementioned animal shelter before working there
Helped my PI with her sheep
Also mentioned care of my cats and foster dog who become my dog dog

Research Experience:
I spent a summer volunteering in a lab at the end of my undergrad career
I spent 6 months following graduation working as a lab tech

Extracurricular/Community Activities:
Eagle Scout
12 season athlete in High School, Varsity athlete in college
Member of prevet and animal welfare clubs in college

eLORS:
Two vets at my shelter and a former PI who is also a vet

I mostly wanted to post this to give encouragement to those going through rejections right now. It sucks but it's not the end of the world. Sometimes it just takes a few shots. Before this year I had only gotten one interview. I'd say the two changes in my application really put it over the edge. For one, I took three postbac classes. While they only marginally boosted my GPA, they allowed me to show that I had matured and become a better student since my undergraduate studies. Additionally, I really focused my essays and experiences on one tangible goal which helped me better showcase who I am and why I'd like to be a vet.

 

[ajs513]

Third time applicant, 24 years old, Male, Maryland resident.
Applied: LMU, MWU, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, VMCVM, and Penn
Rejected: Tennessee and Illinois
Interview: LMU, MWU, Michigan, VMCVM, and Penn
Interview declined: MWU and Michigan
Alternate: VMCVM and Iowa
Waiting on: LMU
Accepted: Penn!

Cum GPA: 3.24
Last 45 credit hrs: 3.34
Science GPA: 3.35
GRE: 161V, 168Q, 4.0A

Veterinary Experience:
Couple thousand hours working as a veterinary technician at an animal shelter
~250 shadowing in a local small animal clinic
~50 shadowing in a larger small animal clinic
~50 shadowing a horse vet

Animal Experience:
Worked as a dog walker for a summer
Volunteered at the aforementioned animal shelter before working there
Helped my PI with her sheep
Also mentioned care of my cats and foster dog who become my dog dog

Research Experience:
I spent a summer volunteering in a lab at the end of my undergrad career
I spent 6 months following graduation working as a lab tech

Extracurricular/Community Activities:
Eagle Scout
12 season athlete in High School, Varsity athlete in college
Member of prevet and animal welfare clubs in college

eLORS:
Two vets at my shelter and a former PI who is also a vet

I mostly wanted to post this to give encouragement to those going through rejections right now. It sucks but it's not the end of the world. Sometimes it just takes a few shots. Before this year I had only gotten one interview. I'd say the two changes in my application really put it over the edge. For one, I took three postbac classes. While they only marginally boosted my GPA, they allowed me to show that I had matured and become a better student since my undergraduate studies. Additionally, I really focused my essays and experiences on one tangible goal which helped me better showcase who I am and why I'd like to be a vet.

I feel like Penn is truly the epitome of a school that accepts people with extremely high academic stats, while also giving dedicated people with other strong stats a shot even if they don’t have great GPA’s. My academic stats were very similar to yours, except you crushed the GRE for sure while I did pretty alright. Some schools go lower overall for academics and some go much higher. Penn has been all over the place.

 

[BigRedEquine]

Those of you saying you "hate the attitude at Cornell," I'm really sorry that you had bad experiences with the undergraduate administration. Just wanted to clarify that the vet school administration is extremely supportive and willing to help us vet students with anything, whether it be academic, professional, personal, financial, etc. The head of admissions is also super accommodating and was always willing to meet with me when I was applying to go over every detail of my application. The faculty here are incredible and will literally meet with you at 10pm (I would know, I've done it) if that's what works for you because they just want us to succeed. I feel like there's a lot of negativity about Cornell in this thread so just wanted to provide perspective from a student who's actually here. I absolutely love it here and it is great having such amazing, supportive faculty!

 

[Grassdogs]

Those of you saying you "hate the attitude at Cornell," I'm really sorry that you had bad experiences with the undergraduate administration. Just wanted to clarify that the vet school administration is extremely supportive and willing to help us vet students with anything, whether it be academic, professional, personal, financial, etc. The head of admissions is also super accommodating and was always willing to meet with me when I was applying to go over every detail of my application. The faculty here are incredible and will literally meet with you at 10pm (I would know, I've done it) if that's what works for you because they just want us to succeed. I feel like there's a lot of negativity about Cornell in this thread so just wanted to provide perspective from a student who's actually here. I absolutely love it here and it is great having such amazing, supportive faculty!

And I totally believe you! I like to try and believe that everyone is inherently a good person and give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were just having a bad day when I met with them. Everyone has bad days. That was just my only impression of the vet school and if I didn’t live on the opposite end of the state, I would have loved to give them another chance. I’m even going to visit a friend at the vet school soon, so hopefully I can report back that I had a great time (as great as it can be in up state NY weather )

 

[outdoorsydvm]

23 yr old female, 2nd time applicant, VA resident

1st round (OOS applicant for all):
Applied: Penn, Tufts, Mizzou, Auburn, Illinois, VMCVM, Tennessee, UF, and UW-Madison
Interviewed: Penn, Tufts, Auburn, Illinois, VMCVM
Waitlisted: Penn, Tufts, VMCVM, Illinois
Rejected: Auburn, Tennessee, UF, UW-Madison, Mizzou

2nd round:
Applied: Minnesota, Tufts, Illinois, OK State, Cornell, LMU, Michigan State, VMCVM
Rejected: VMCVM (waitlisted for interview) Michigan State, LMU
Interviews: Minnesota, Tufts, Illinois,
Waitlist: Tufts, Cornell
Accepted: Minnesota and Illinois !!!!
Attending: still deciding (help me please)

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.32
Science GPA: 2.90

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 166/166/5

Veterinary Experience
SA general practice shadowing - 120 hours
Mixed animal practice - 50 hours
Pathology technician, shadowing a veterinary pathologist, assisting in necropsies - 500 hours
veterinary assistant at a SA practice - 60 hours (at the time of application)

Research Experience
Molecular Biophysics lab research assistant (got credit for my undergrad major) - 310 hours

Animal Experience
Summer intern at PennVet WDC - 170 hours
dog walking - 50 hours

Other EC's
Captain of my club sports team - 2 years
Eboard for pre-vet club on campus - 2 years

Non-Animal Employment
Summer camp counselor - 1 summer
Desk assistant for undergrad housing - 1 year

LORs
SA veterinarian (UF grad)
Veterinary pathologist (Mississippi State grad)
Professor/PI of my lab
Professor (taught my intro bio class)

**
I think my second time around I focused a lot more in my essays on actual veterinary/leadership experiences I had that pertained to the questions, and I wrote a lot about discovery of certain skills and qualities I personally have that make me a good fit for the profession. My first time applying I definitely sounded like I wanted to apply because "I've been dreaming about this profession since I was 8 and held a puppy for the first time". I definitely learned how to refine my application the second time!
I also think practicing for the behavioral interview questions at Minnesota helped a great deal.

also a note: during my first time around I got a lot of interview offers and was devastated that I was waitlisted (made for an interesting summer lol). I know how it feels but don't be discouraged!! this gap year has been awesome for me in growing and don't be too disappointed if you have to apply again. wishing everyone the best of luck.

 

[SkiOtter]

Attending: still deciding (help me please)

GO TO THE CHEAPEST SCHOOL.

 

[spottedfeatherik]

23 yr old female, New Hampshire resident, 1st time applicant, sorta non-traditional?

Applied: AVC, Tufts, Mizzou, Purdue, Colorado State, Ohio State
Interview Invites: AVC, Tufts, Mizzou, Ohio State (declined)
Accepted: AVC, Tufts, alternate at Mizzou
Attending: Tufts

Overall Undergrad GPA: Psychology - 3.77, Biology - 3.96
Science undergrad GPA: 3.96

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 159 /162 /5

Undergrad Degree: BA Psychology, minor in political science (2017); BS Biology, minor in chemistry (2019)

Veterinary Experience
Shelter veterinary assistant: 1000+ hrs (240 hr internship + subsequent employment)
Shadowing (SA vet, Internal Medicine specialist, ophthalmologist): 100+ hrs
Tufts AVM program: 40 hrs

Animal Experience
Lab caretaker in psychology rat lab: 130 hrs
Neonatal kitten foster: 240+ hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards
Psychology Senior Award (given to top psychology students/students who did extensive work in the department)
Second place poster presentation at state psychology association conference
Chemistry Student of the Year (given to student with highest chemistry GPA
Certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy
Raised 2 litters of Springer spaniel puppies

Research
Neurobiology coursework - effects of pharmaceutical pollution on behavior of American Horseshoe Crab, 200 hrs
Developmental biology coursework - following gene expression in regenerating planarian digestive system, 200 hrs
Independent undergraduate research (biology) - following gene expression in regenerating planarian digestive system (continued), 120 hrs
Independent undergraduate research (psychology) - superfamiliarity effect on change blindness phenomenon, 520 hrs

Non-Animal Employment
Writing consultant at university writing center

LORs
Small animal vet whom I shadowed (Mizzou grad)
Shelter vet who oversaw internship and hired me afterwards (Tufts grad)
Biology professor/adviser
Psychology research adviser

When did you interview at Mizzou and when did you do Tufts AVM? I also did both of those things lol so it would be cool if I’ve met you before!!

 

[Dinashadow]

Super stoked to be posting here, can't believe I got one acceptance (let alone 3)!!!

26 year old female, CT resident (OOS everywhere), Non-traditional 1st time applicant

Applied: VMCVM, Ohio State, UPenn, U of Minnesota, Tufts, Illinois
Interview Invites: UPenn, U of Minn., Tufts, Illinois (declined)
Rejected: VMCVM (after interview waitlist), Ohio State (w/o interview)
Accepted: UPenn, Tufts, U of Minn.
Attending: TUFTS!!!

B.S. degree in Veterinary and Biomed. Sciences

Overall GPA: 3.53
Last 45 GPA : 3.60
Science GPA: 3.58

GRE (Q/V/W): 159 (72%)/166 (97%)/4.0 (59%)

Veterinary Exp.
2,204 hrs as a vet tech at a SA hospital. (I’ve learned how to draw blood, place catheters, room appts., take radiographs, monitor anesthesia, doing dental cleanings, etc.)
480 hrs working for a vaccine clinic doing customer service, drawing vaccines, and restraining
40 hrs at Tufts AVM program
20 hrs volunteering at a rescue clinic at a local aquarium

Animal Exp.
180 hrs of working on a poultry/goat farm
64 hrs of volunteering as an assistant trainer at an animal rescue
42 hrs. of running puppy class at my job (paid)
78 hrs of volunteering with a guide dog foundation
10 hours grooming/walking horses at a equine rescue

Other Employment/Volunteering
2,000 hrs. working at my college creamery
90 hrs. Paid tutoring
480 hrs. working as a Trading Post Manager at a boy scout camp
400 hrs. as a CNA in a long term care facility
280 hrs. As a home health aide
500 hours volunteering with our school's annual dance marathon and fundraising
80 hours hospital volunteer

Achievements
Dean’s list 5 out of 8 semesters
I added scholarships I had gotten for college
Student of the Month during H.S.

Research
NONE

Extracurricular/Certifications
Added 2 clubs and that I had leadership positions in
International Affairs/Debate club
Competing and training my dog in rally and agility
IM Soccer
CNA Cert.
Fear Free Cert.
VCA Anesthesia Cert.


LORS
Medical Director at my current place of employment
Veterinarian at my current place of employment who knows me really well
College Advisor
College Professor I took a lot of classes with

Essays

1. Talked about how I was interested in small animal GP, how I love the client relationships you build and how you experience everything as a GP. Also mentioned how I want to apply my behavior and fear free knowledge as a veterinarian and how important it is to understand animal behavior as a vet.

2. Talked about how much veterinarians contribute to both animal and human health, how important it is for GP's to educate clients about wellness/vaccination/parasite prevention especially for zoonotic diseases. Mentioned how I want to bring more awareness to behavior issues and how important fear free is to making sure clients/patients have good experiences and feel comfortable bringing their pets in regularly

3. The attributes I talked about were flexibility and communication

For my Tufts essay I talked about my experience joining the debate club in college and how it helped me overcome my public speaking anxiety and how I ended up running my own committee for our Model UN conference.

Takeaway
I was worried about my average GPA and my lack of research and LA experience but I really think my GRE scores helped (I got interviews at the four schools that required it and rejected at the two that didn't). I also think I interviewed well and showed that I was knowledgeable about the career, the debt that comes along with as well as the mental health issues plaguing the profession (at least that's what my interviewers said)

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Super stoked to be posting here, can't believe I got one acceptance (let alone 3)!!!

26 year old female, CT resident (OOS everywhere), Non-traditional 1st time applicant

Applied: VMCVM, Ohio State, UPenn, U of Minnesota, Tufts, Illinois
Interview Invites: UPenn, U of Minn., Tufts, Illinois (declined)
Rejected: VMCVM (after interview waitlist), Ohio State (w/o interview)
Accepted: UPenn, Tufts, U of Minn.
Attending: TUFTS!!!

B.S. degree in Veterinary and Biomed. Sciences

Overall GPA: 3.53
Last 45 GPA : 3.60
Science GPA: 3.58

GRE (Q/V/W): 159 (72%)/166 (97%)/4.0 (59%)

Veterinary Exp.
2,204 hrs as a vet tech at a SA hospital. (I’ve learned how to draw blood, place catheters, room appts., take radiographs, monitor anesthesia, doing dental cleanings, etc.)
480 hrs working for a vaccine clinic doing customer service, drawing vaccines, and restraining
40 hrs at Tufts AVM program
20 hrs volunteering at a rescue clinic at a local aquarium

Animal Exp.
180 hrs of working on a poultry/goat farm
64 hrs of volunteering as an assistant trainer at an animal rescue
42 hrs. of running puppy class at my job (paid)
78 hrs of volunteering with a guide dog foundation
10 hours grooming/walking horses at a equine rescue

Other Employment/Volunteering
2,000 hrs. working at my college creamery
90 hrs. Paid tutoring
480 hrs. working as a Trading Post Manager at a boy scout camp
400 hrs. as a CNA in a long term care facility
280 hrs. As a home health aide
500 hours volunteering with our school's annual dance marathon and fundraising
80 hours hospital volunteer

Achievements
Dean’s list 5 out of 8 semesters
I added scholarships I had gotten for college
Student of the Month during H.S.

Research
NONE

Extracurricular/Certifications
Added 2 clubs and that I had leadership positions in
International Affairs/Debate club
Competing and training my dog in rally and agility
IM Soccer
CNA Cert.
Fear Free Cert.
VCA Anesthesia Cert.


LORS
Medical Director at my current place of employment
Veterinarian at my current place of employment who knows me really well
College Advisor
College Professor I took a lot of classes with

Essays

1. Talked about how I was interested in small animal GP, how I love the client relationships you build and how you experience everything as a GP. Also mentioned how I want to apply my behavior and fear free knowledge as a veterinarian and how important it is to understand animal behavior as a vet.

2. Talked about how much veterinarians contribute to both animal and human health, how important it is for GP's to educate clients about wellness/vaccination/parasite prevention especially for zoonotic diseases. Mentioned how I want to bring more awareness to behavior issues and how important fear free is to making sure clients/patients have good experiences and feel comfortable bringing their pets in regularly

3. The attributes I talked about were flexibility and communication

For my Tufts essay I talked about my experience joining the debate club in college and how it helped me overcome my public speaking anxiety and how I ended up running my own committee for our Model UN conference.

Takeaway
I was worried about my average GPA and my lack of research and LA experience but I really think my GRE scores helped (I got interviews at the four schools that required it and rejected at the two that didn't). I also think I interviewed well and showed that I was knowledgeable about the career, the debt that comes along with as well as the mental health issues plaguing the profession (at least that's what my interviewers said)

YAAY DINA!

 

[Bkr0202]

When did you interview at Mizzou and when did you do Tufts AVM? I also did both of those things lol so it would be cool if I’ve met you before!!

I was at Mizzou 1/5 and AVM this past June!

 

[spottedfeatherik]

I was at Mizzou 1/5 and AVM this past June!

Gotcha! I interviewed I think the 12th, and I did AVM many moons ago when I was a rising junior in high school

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

GO TO THE CHEAPEST SCHOOL.

I feel like you are the poor IT person that just has too keep telling people to try turning it off and on again.

 

[SkiOtter]

I feel like you are the poor IT person that just has too keep telling people to try turning it off and on again.

100%. And only a fraction of people actually turn it off and on again.

 

[DairyGirl24]

Those of you saying you "hate the attitude at Cornell," I'm really sorry that you had bad experiences with the undergraduate administration. Just wanted to clarify that the vet school administration is extremely supportive and willing to help us vet students with anything, whether it be academic, professional, personal, financial, etc. The head of admissions is also super accommodating and was always willing to meet with me when I was applying to go over every detail of my application. The faculty here are incredible and will literally meet with you at 10pm (I would know, I've done it) if that's what works for you because they just want us to succeed. I feel like there's a lot of negativity about Cornell in this thread so just wanted to provide perspective from a student who's actually here. I absolutely love it here and it is great having such amazing, supportive faculty!

Glad to hear the vet school administration sounds much more supportive than the undergraduate administration at Cornell! Makes me less nervous for the next 4 years. My experience with rude faculty/administration in the AnSci department had really soured my opinion on Cornell. I have friends who go there for undergrad & they complain about how unsupportive the faculty are. Several have said that their advisors never respond to their emails about scheduling classes (even as incoming freshman) and a 4-H extension person that works in Morrison Hall ends up helping advise them/ schedule courses (which is not in her job description). Very happy to hear that is not the case at the vet school.

 

[Court122]

22 y/o female, Colorado resident, a 1st-time applicant

Applied: Colorado State, North Carolina State, Oregon State, Washington State, Cornell, Tufts and Royal Veterinary College
Interview Invites: CSU, Tufts and RVC
Waitlisted: Cornell and OSU
Rejections: NCSU and WSU
Waiting to hear: RVC
Accepted: CSU and Tufts!
Attending: CSU!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.7
Science GPA: 3.6
Last 45: 3.6
GRE (Q/V/W): 154/158/4.0
Degree: B.S. in Biological Sciences as of May ‘19

Veterinary Experience: ( Total Hours ~960 hrs )
- Volunteer tech for house-call veterinarian ~70 hrs
- Volunteer for an ambulatory equine veterinarian ~230 hrs
- Volunteer for mixed small animal practice ~170 hrs
- Volunteer for specialty pain clinic/small animal hospital ~200 hrs
- Intern at a spay and neuter clinic as a surgery and vaccination tech ~260 hrs
- Intern at a specialty behavioral clinic ~30 hrs

Animal Experience: ( Total hours ~1290 hrs )
- Volunteer at a local cat rescue (adoption/intake/iso/ringworm wards) ~150 hrs
- Volunteer at a local dog rescue ~350 hrs
- Pony club (UK) and years of horse riding ~160 hrs
- Volunteer at the Wild Animal Sanctuary ~280 hrs
- Animal Care at a science camp ~250 hrs
- Lab animal socialization at the CSU VTH ~50 hrs
- Odd bits of volunteering here and there ~50 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Volunteer at an English equivalent of a kindergarten teaching arithmetic and reading ~240 hrs
- Volunteer in the CCU at CSU VTH. Helped organize visits so that owners could see their sick pets ~240 hrs
- Deans list 3 semesters
- Sorority (Kappa Delta)
- Publicity Coordinator for the pre-vet club
- Founding VP for the CSU chapter of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project
- Tri Beta (National Biology Honorary)
- National Society of Collegiant Scholars
- National Society for Leadership and Success
- Royal Yacht Club levels 1-2 (for sailing)
- NICAS climbing levels 1-7

Research:
- Research assistant in a lab investigating salinity tolerance of Trinidadian Guppies ~200 hrs

Non-Animal Employment:
- Subway sandwich shop cashier ~700 hrs
- Babysitting ~250 hrs
- Tutoring (biology, stats and anatomy) ~50 hrs

LORs:
- Small animal veterinarian
- Graduate student who I worked under in the lab (he was also my TA in two classes)
- Microbiology professor
- Biology Advisor
- Volunteer Coordinator at the cat rescue I interned at (just RVC)

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
- Future goals: Specialty in zoological medicine followed by hopefully working at a wildlife research facility or a clinic that sees a myriad of species.
- Ways to contribute: I wrote about how veterinarians inspire children and that if it wasn’t for my own animals veterinarians inspiring me and teaching me neat things, then maybe my dream of becoming a vet wouldn’t have happened! If it wasn’t for becoming a vet, I think I would have become a teacher and I love that fact that in many ways’ veterinarians are teachers.
- Attributes: I said that two important attributes for veterinarians are empathy and leadership. I then related this to my own experiences. For leadership I related it to having leadership positions in clubs, and for empathy I related it to helping at the CCU at the CSU VTH dealing with distressed owners.


Can’t believe I get to post this and that I got into more than one school! CONGRATS EVERYONE and GOOD LUCK TO FUTURE APPLICANTS!

 

[vetmedhead]

22 y/o female, Colorado resident, a 1st-time applicant

Applied: Colorado State, North Carolina State, Oregon State, Washington State, Cornell, Tufts and Royal Veterinary College
Interview Invites: CSU, Tufts and RVC
Waitlisted: Cornell and OSU
Rejections: NCSU and WSU
Waiting to hear: RVC
Accepted: CSU and Tufts!
Attending: CSU!!!!

Overall GPA: 3.7
Science GPA: 3.6
Last 45: 3.6
GRE (Q/V/W): 154/158/4.0
Degree: B.S. in Biological Sciences as of May ‘19

Veterinary Experience: ( Total Hours ~960 hrs )
- Volunteer tech for house-call veterinarian ~70 hrs
- Volunteer for an ambulatory equine veterinarian ~230 hrs
- Volunteer for mixed small animal practice ~170 hrs
- Volunteer for specialty pain clinic/small animal hospital ~200 hrs
- Intern at a spay and neuter clinic as a surgery and vaccination tech ~260 hrs
- Intern at a specialty behavioral clinic ~30 hrs

Animal Experience: ( Total hours ~1290 hrs )
- Volunteer at a local cat rescue (adoption/intake/iso/ringworm wards) ~150 hrs
- Volunteer at a local dog rescue ~350 hrs
- Pony club (UK) and years of horse riding ~160 hrs
- Volunteer at the Wild Animal Sanctuary ~280 hrs
- Animal Care at a science camp ~250 hrs
- Lab animal socialization at the CSU VTH ~50 hrs
- Odd bits of volunteering here and there ~50 hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards:
- Volunteer at an English equivalent of a kindergarten teaching arithmetic and reading ~240 hrs
- Volunteer in the CCU at CSU VTH. Helped organize visits so that owners could see their sick pets ~240 hrs
- Deans list 3 semesters
- Sorority (Kappa Delta)
- Publicity Coordinator for the pre-vet club
- Founding VP for the CSU chapter of the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project
- Tri Beta (National Biology Honorary)
- National Society of Collegiant Scholars
- National Society for Leadership and Success
- Royal Yacht Club levels 1-2 (for sailing)
- NICAS climbing levels 1-7

Research:
- Research assistant in a lab investigating salinity tolerance of Trinidadian Guppies ~200 hrs

Non-Animal Employment:
- Subway sandwich shop cashier ~700 hrs
- Babysitting ~250 hrs
- Tutoring (biology, stats and anatomy) ~50 hrs

LORs:
- Small animal veterinarian
- Graduate student who I worked under in the lab (he was also my TA in two classes)
- Microbiology professor
- Biology Advisor
- Volunteer Coordinator at the cat rescue I interned at (just RVC)

Essay Questions/Personal Statement:
- Future goals: Specialty in zoological medicine followed by hopefully working at a wildlife research facility or a clinic that sees a myriad of species.
- Ways to contribute: I wrote about how veterinarians inspire children and that if it wasn’t for my own animals veterinarians inspiring me and teaching me neat things, then maybe my dream of becoming a vet wouldn’t have happened! If it wasn’t for becoming a vet, I think I would have become a teacher and I love that fact that in many ways’ veterinarians are teachers.
- Attributes: I said that two important attributes for veterinarians are empathy and leadership. I then related this to my own experiences. For leadership I related it to having leadership positions in clubs, and for empathy I related it to helping at the CCU at the CSU VTH dealing with distressed owners.


Can’t believe I get to post this and that I got into more than one school! CONGRATS EVERYONE and GOOD LUCK TO FUTURE APPLICANTS!

Hi! I think I know you in real life

 

[Court122]

Hi! I think I know you in real life

Ohhhh now I’m curious as to who you are!

 

[vetmedhead]

Ohhhh now I’m curious as to who you are!

I'm not hard to figure out - I used to be a president of Pre-Vet Club and now I lurk around a lot as a liaison between PVC and the DVM program

 

[Court122]

I'm not hard to figure out - I used to be a president of Pre-Vet Club and now I lurk around a lot as a liaison between PVC and the DVM program

Think I’ve cracked it!

 

[203mantis]

Now that I know all my decisions I'd figure i'd share them to give people a good sense of where someone like me stood! I hope this can help out others and if you have any questions for me, please feel free to message me!

21 yr old female traditional, Connecticut resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Virginia Maryland, Tennessee, Illinois, UF, Tufts, Iowa, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Atlantic
Rejected: Virginia Maryland, Tennessee
Interview Invites: UF, Tufts, Atlantic, Kansas State, Illinois (Declined)
Waiting to hear: n/a
Waitlist: Iowa, UF
Accepted: Tufts, Kansas, Oklahoma, Atlantic
Attending: Kansas (or UF if pulled off waitlist)

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.56
Science undergrad GPA: 3.51
Last 45 graduate GPA: 3.71

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 161 /152 /5.5

Undergrad Degree: BS in Pathology, Minor in Animal Science

Veterinary Experience (~2200hrs at time of submission)
Veterinary assistant at small animal/exotics/wildlife hospital: 350 hours
Receptionist at same small animal/exotics/wildlife hospital: 700 hours
Necropsy Technician at Accredited Pathology Lab: 680 hours
Shadowed a Large Animal Vet: 150 hours
Shadowed a small animal clinic, worked in kennel/watched surgeries: 300 hours
Class where we did rat surgeries: 30 hours

Animal Experience (~1000hrs)
Animal Husbandry Intern at Aquarium: 300 hours
Camp Counselor at 4H camp where I ran a barn: 400 hours
Camp Counselor at a Nature Center working with farm animals: 125 hours
Worked in campus poultry barn, helped do handling training: 100 hours
Pet Sitting: 100 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Pre-vet club vice president
Pre-vet club treasurer
Poultry Club Treasurer
Dean's List 1 Semester
Scholarships within the college

Research
Helped with research on types of fish in the bp oil spill (100 hours)

Non-Animal Employment
Worked at the family business through the past 10 years (a dance school)

LORs
Dean of our College/my advisor
Department head
Two small animal/exotics vets

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Talked about how I want to do pathology and how I was supposed to become a dancer but ended up in vet med instead!

A lot of people have asked me why I chose kansas over tufts especially since I live in the northeast. I just thought the school was a much better fit for me, and the tufts cost of living would be higher. Feel free to ask me any questions about my application!

 

[Allyal]

22 yr old female, Ohio resident, 2nd time applicant

Applied: Virginia Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Ohio State, Mississippi, Minnesota, Purdue
Interview Invites: Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota
Waitlist: Iowa, Minnesota
Accepted: Illinois


Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.49
Science undergrad GPA: 3.18
Last 45 graduate GPA: 3.7

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 151 /155 /3

Undergrad Degree: BS in Zoology, Minor in Animal Science

Veterinary Experience
Volunteer for large animal clinic~50 hours
Volunteer at large animal hospital ~90 hours
Intern at wildlife hospital~270 hours
Volunteer at various small animal clinics~60 hours

Animal Experience
Dog daycare worker~200 hours
Intern at Columbus Zoo~310 hours
Volunteer at animal shelters~ 140 hours
Intern at therapeutic horse~280 hours
Volunteer at various horse barns~130 hours
Volunteer at dairy barn~50 hours

Extracurriculars/Awards
Collaboration and Logistics Chair for a social diversity club
Dean's List 3 Semesters
Scholarships within the college
Numerous volunteer activities ~220 hours

Research (at time of submission)
Research intern for studying meat qualities in turkeys~ 400 hours
Research Tech at Charles River Laboratories toxicology site~ 100+ hours (my current job)

Non-Animal Employment
McDonald's worker~80 hours

LORs
Large Animal veterinarian
Research mentor
Shelter supervisor

Takeaway:
Wow! I can't believe I'm posting here. I was worried that my lack of veterinary experience and my grades might of held me back again. Since this was my second cycle I want to say for those who haven't gotten in or have been wait listed that its not the end of the world. I know it feels like it. Trust me I was in your shoes cause I was rejected by all my schools last time. For my second round I focused on gaining experience in areas that I was lacking and I found a job that really helped me along the way. I also practiced a lot for my interviews. Honestly, I'm glad I got rejected my first time because of the experiences I gained helped me grow as a person. Anyways congrats to everyone who got in and good luck for the others on their future endeavors. I hope I will be seeing you all in the profession.

 

[JustTryingtoHelpSomeCows]

First off, I GET TO POST HERE???? WHAT??!!!
Now that I have gotten that out of my system...
21 yr old female traditional, Florida resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Purdue
Rejected: Florida, North Carolina
Interview Invites: Purdue, Mississippi, Missouri
Waiting to hear: n/a
Waitlist: Iowa, Purdue, Georgia
Accepted: Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi
Attending: Missouri!!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.76
Science undergrad GPA: 3.64
Last 45 undergrad GPA: 3.60
GRE (Q/V/W)-: 155/155 /6.0

Undergrad Degree: Animal Sciences

Veterinary Experience (~1900 hrs at time of submission)
Volunteering in high school at a small animal clinic (~250 hours)
Shadowing at a mixed animal practice during one summer in undergrad (~150 hours)
Shadowing at a small animal clinic in my last two years of undergrad (~300+ hours)
Shadowing a food animal veterinarian located on the only feedlot in Florida (~100 hours)
Working at an equine hospital for a summer internship (~1000 hours)
Working for a mobile small animal vaccination clinic for two weekends (~20 hours)
Volunteering through the WorldVets organization at a week-long trip in Nicaragua (~50 hours)

Animal Experience (~1000hrs)
Bred and raised rabbits for showmanship competitions from ages 8-11 (~500 hours) (They asked about this at every interview-they loved this!!)
Worked as a Kennel Technician part-time during two summers (~400 hours)
Volunteering at a local Pet Rescue (~100 hours)

Extracurriculars/Awards
Had a full-ride scholarship to my university
Dean's List for 5 semesters
A handful of college-specific scholarships
AFA Delegate- attended the Animal Institute in Kansas City in 2017
Received a scholar's award for being in the top 10% of the Animal Sciences Department for three years
General Body Member- Pre-Vet Club
General Body Member for a Philanthropy Council
General Body Member for a Pre-Professional Service Organization
Mentor for first-generation college freshmen for 3 years (totaling 15 mentees!)
Was an Introduction to Animal Sciences Undergraduate Lab TA my sophomore year

Research
Research assistant for a project involving the cognitive abilities of dairy calves (~250 hours)
Research assistant for a blind study on the effects of a certain protein added to the diet of weaned piglets (~75 hours)
Research Technician for a colony of Glycogen Storage Disease affected dogs (~200 hours)

Non-Animal Employment
Worked at Michaels Arts and Crafts all through high school (~1900 hours)

LORs
1 small animal veterinarian I shadowed under in college
1 equine veterinarian from the internship I had
1 professor I TA'd for in Intro to Animal Sciences
1 personal reference- my family dentist who I interned under in high school who has known me my whole life
Essay Questions/Personal Statement
I talked a lot about growing up on my family's beef cattle farm and being the first in my family to attend any form of college (most of my family never even graduated high school!) I mentioned how these experiences have shaped me and will always allow me to relate to clients from low economic standpoints.

 

[-Catecholamine-]

.

 

[scags]

21 year old female, Connecticut resident, 1st time applicant

Applied: Auburn, Kansas State, Lincoln Memorial, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Illinois, VAMD, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Mizzou
Rejected: Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, Mizzou, VAMD (interview waitlist), Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Auburn, Kansas State, Lincoln Memorial, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Illinois (declined)
Waiting to hear: Lincoln Memorial
Waitlist: Iowa State, Mississippi State
Accepted: Auburn and Kansas State
Attending: Auburn!!!

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.38
Science undergrad GPA: 3.32
Last 45 undergrad GPA: 3.58
GRE (Q/V/W)-: 147/155/3.5

Undergraduate Degree: Animal and Veterinary Sciences, minor in Biological Sciences

Veterinary Experience (~1600 hours)
Worked at various SA clinics (5 different clinics) (~1400 hours)
Shadowed ambulatory equine vet (~24 hours)
Veterinary Dental Lab (~3 hours)
Interned at equine surgery hospital (~130)

Animal Experience (~2600 hours)
Horse Care Techniques class (~24 hours)
Dairy Science Techniques class (~34 hours)
Dog Foster (~120 hours)
Animal Care/Conservation Intern at Beardsley Zoo (~210 hours)
SA/LA Rescue Intern (~24 hours)
Receptionist in SA hospital (~320 hours)
Horseback riding (~1900 hours)

Extracurriculars
Pre-Vet Club
Delta Zeta Sorority (VP of Academics on Executive Board)
Equestrian Team
Habitat for Humanity
Colleges Against Cancer
Relay for Life

Awards
Out of State Merit Scholarship
President's List (Spring '18)
Dean's List (Fall '17)
Order of Omega Greek Honor Society
CPI Service Runner-Up Scholarship

Research
Research assistant for a study comparing fetal growth rates in ewes that were fed Citrulline as a supplement. (~130 hours)

Non-Animal Employment
Bussed tables for an Italian restaurant in high school (~300 hours)

LORs
1 small animal veterinarian worked for
1 small animal veterinarian worked for
1 professor/adviser who I've had in multiple classes
1 professor/veterinarian I've done research with

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
I talked about both my short term goals of joining the Veterinary Corps and being a veterinarian in the military and my long term goals about going into small animal private practice. I am really interested in public health and vaccine/drug development, so I talked about how the Army can open doors in that area as well as financially in terms of their HPSP scholarship.
I also talked about moving from CT to SC for college, and how that transition really made me more open and able to see things from a different perspective.

 

[ReptilesRCool]

22 yr old male, Texas resident, 1st time applicant


Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Waiting to hear: N/A
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.96
Overall graduate GPA: N/A
Science undergrad GPA: 4.0
Science graduate GPA: N/A

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 154 /158 /4.1

Undergrad Degree: Associates of Arts

Veterinary Experience
3 years clinical experience, kennel tech -> vet tech/surgical tech

Animal Experience:
3 years small animal practice experience (dogs/cats)
3 years keeping snakes (ball pythons/Green Tree Pythons)
Some years keeping chickens
~120 hours of lab animal experience

Extracurriculars/Awards
Besides academic awards, not much.

LORs
3 letters from TAMU alumni vets I worked with.

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Rather not disclose that information.

 

[SkiOtter]

LORs
Not sure what these are

Letters Of Recommendation.

 

[vetmedhead]

22 yr old male non-traditional, Texas resident, 1st time applicant


Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Waiting to hear: N/A
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.96
Overall graduate GPA: N/A
Science undergrad GPA: 4.0
Science graduate GPA: N/A

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 154 /158 /4.1

Undergrad Degree: Associates of Arts

Veterinary Experience
3 years clinical experience, kennel tech -> vet tech/surgical tech

Animal Experience:
3 years small animal practice experience (dogs/cats)
3 years keeping snakes (ball pythons/Green Tree Pythons)
Some years keeping chickens
~120 hours of lab animal experience

Extracurriculars/Awards
Besides academic awards, not much.

LORs
3 letters from TAMU alumni vets I worked with.

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Rather not disclose that information.

Is there a thing where avid reptile keepers have brief forays into chicken keeping? I did the same thing and so did a few other reptile people I know

 

[ReptilesRCool]

Is there a thing where avid reptile keepers have brief forays into chicken keeping? I did the same thing and so did a few other reptile people I know

Well, technically they were my parent's chickens, but I helped take care of them quite a lot. They're such cool animals though. A couple of mine always came up to me and let me hold them. Super cute.

 

[WateryTart]

Out of curiosity, how are you 22 and already a nontraditional applicant?

 

[M.v.123]

Out of curiosity, how are you 22 and already a nontraditional applicant?

Non-trads doesn’t just have to do with age, it means they took a non-traditional route to apply to vet school (ie. Not majoring in a science related field, which equates to having to obtain pre-reqs in a non-traditional way).

 

[SkiOtter]

Out of curiosity, how are you 22 and already a nontraditional applicant?

Non-trads doesn’t just have to do with age, it means they took a non-traditional route to apply to vet school (ie. Not majoring in a science related field, which equates to having to obtain pre-reqs in a non-traditional way).

That doesn’t make someone non traditional though...
Non trad is someone who goes back for a second career and is older or starts college later in life for their first degree. Just majoring in a non-science subject doesn’t make you non-traditional.

 

[ajs513]

That doesn’t make someone non traditional though...
Non trad is someone who goes back for a second career and is older or starts college later in life for their first degree. Just majoring in a non-science subject doesn’t make you non-traditional.

For med or vet school it does. You’re thinking of non-trad undergrads.

 

[SkiOtter]

For med or vet school it does. You’re thinking of non-trad undergrads.

no. for anything it's what non-trad means. you can major in whatever or not major in anything at all as long as you take the prereqs.

 

[ajs513]

no. for anything it's what non-trad means. you can major in whatever or not major in anything at all as long as you take the prereqs.

https://www.usnews.com/education/bl...s-can-be-attractive-medical-school-applicants

 

[DVMoftheFuture]

https://www.usnews.com/education/bl...s-can-be-attractive-medical-school-applicants

Not majoring in science subject is not reason enough alone to be considered non-traditional. If you majored in a non-science subject for your first degree, changed your mind, and went back to complete pre-reqs and/or a second degree, then you're non-traditional.

 

[SkiOtter]

https://www.usnews.com/education/bl...s-can-be-attractive-medical-school-applicants

did you even read that article?
it says career changers or people going and getting a post-bac degree to get pre-reqs or just taking the prereqs after their initial degree.
THOSE are non-trad. just majoring in something different your first time through undergrad in the few years after high school does not make you non-trad.

 

[vetmedhead]

I think this depends on how you're thinking of non-traditional. It's mainly used as shorthand for students coming back to vet med as a second career or similar, and if you're familiar with the field that is probably largely how you will use the term. At the same time I think you can hardly say that a student who double majored in history and Shakespearean theater is a "traditional" student in the sense of what a typical applicant looks like, and I can see the source of confusion.

 

[roadtovetschool]

did you even read that article?
it says career changers or people going and getting a post-bac degree to get pre-reqs or just taking the prereqs after their initial degree.
THOSE are non-trad. just majoring in something different your first time through undergrad in the few years after high school does not make you non-trad.

Agreed! I am a non traditional student. Practiced as a a Registered Dietitian for 7 years then quit my job to work in vet med, went back to school to complete prerequisites and applied to vet school. 32 y/o starting in vet school... Here I go!!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

23 yr old female, New Hampshire resident, 1st time applicant, sorta non-traditional?

Applied: AVC, Tufts, Mizzou, Purdue, Colorado State, Ohio State
Interview Invites: AVC, Tufts, Mizzou, Ohio State (declined)
Accepted: AVC, Tufts, alternate at Mizzou
Attending: Tufts

Overall Undergrad GPA: Psychology - 3.77, Biology - 3.96
Science undergrad GPA: 3.96

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 159 /162 /5

Undergrad Degree: BA Psychology, minor in political science (2017); BS Biology, minor in chemistry (2019)

Veterinary Experience
Shelter veterinary assistant: 1000+ hrs (240 hr internship + subsequent employment)
Shadowing (SA vet, Internal Medicine specialist, ophthalmologist): 100+ hrs
Tufts AVM program: 40 hrs

Animal Experience
Lab caretaker in psychology rat lab: 130 hrs
Neonatal kitten foster: 240+ hrs

Extracurriculars/Awards
Psychology Senior Award (given to top psychology students/students who did extensive work in the department)
Second place poster presentation at state psychology association conference
Chemistry Student of the Year (given to student with highest chemistry GPA
Certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy
Raised 2 litters of Springer spaniel puppies

Research
Neurobiology coursework - effects of pharmaceutical pollution on behavior of American Horseshoe Crab, 200 hrs
Developmental biology coursework - following gene expression in regenerating planarian digestive system, 200 hrs
Independent undergraduate research (biology) - following gene expression in regenerating planarian digestive system (continued), 120 hrs
Independent undergraduate research (psychology) - superfamiliarity effect on change blindness phenomenon, 520 hrs

Non-Animal Employment
Writing consultant at university writing center

LORs
Small animal vet whom I shadowed (Mizzou grad)
Shelter vet who oversaw internship and hired me afterwards (Tufts grad)
Biology professor/adviser
Psychology research adviser

22 yr old male non-traditional, Texas resident, 1st time applicant


Applied: Texas A&M
Interview Invites: Texas A&M
Waiting to hear: N/A
Accepted: Texas A&M
Attending: Texas A&M

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.96
Overall graduate GPA: N/A
Science undergrad GPA: 4.0
Science graduate GPA: N/A

GRE (Q/V/W)-: 154 /158 /4.1

Undergrad Degree: Associates of Arts

Veterinary Experience
3 years clinical experience, kennel tech -> vet tech/surgical tech

Animal Experience:
3 years small animal practice experience (dogs/cats)
3 years keeping snakes (ball pythons/Green Tree Pythons)
Some years keeping chickens
~120 hours of lab animal experience

Extracurriculars/Awards
Besides academic awards, not much.

LORs
3 letters from TAMU alumni vets I worked with.

Essay Questions/Personal Statement
Rather not disclose that information.

Out of curiosity, how are you 22 and already a nontraditional applicant?

You read my mind bc I was wondering how either of these applicants are nontrad lol

 

[vetmedhead]

I don't see how it's productive or useful to gatekeep the "non-traditional" term

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

I don't see how it's productive or useful to gatekeep the "non-traditional" term

I don't really think anyone is trying to gate keep here. But people point out when words are misused, and I see this as no exception.

I think using the word incorrectly does a disservice to applicants who are actually nontraditional and may be looking at these posts for other people's life experiences who they may be able to connect with and find inspiration through. That is merely my opinion and you may feel differently of course.

 

[ReptilesRCool]

I quickly googled traditional vs non traditional, so I could be mistaken. Feel free to educate me on the differences.

Edit: I re googled it and found I was incorrect, sorry for the confusion.