What are my chances?

[johnsmith123]

Hi everyone, I am a Junior pre-vet student and will be applying this upcoming summer. I would like some input on my application and how I can go about improving it/how much of a chance I have. I know that is a fairly broad request but I do have some reservations about my current stats.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE: Taking it very soon. I can hit around 157 in verbal and 153 in quantitative on the practice tests. I am working on bumping those both up to as close to 160 as possible in the next week or two.


Veterinary Experience:
- 150 hours spays/neuters/general exams with VIDA (will bump up to 225 shortly after submitting the VMCAS. I'm not sure if they'll want me to include that.)
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 3000+? hours with my dogs while growing up
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Hopefully whichever vet I end up shadowing

Awards/recognition:
$32,000 scholarship for undergrad
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list with distinction 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Slightly lower than average cumulative GPA and significantly lower science GPA.
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

In my personal statement, I plan to explain how my GPA was not optimal Freshman and Sophomore years due to working 40-50 hours per week in order to afford basic living costs. However, I don't really have any explanation as to why my vet/animal experience is so low. I am planning on getting a shadowing gig/do volunteering on weekends once I'm done with the GRE in a little over a week.

I don't really know where to even apply to, though I know for sure that I do not want to attend an island school. It would be nice going to a school as prestigious as say, UC Davis or Cornell, though I don't know if it's worth my money applying to schools that selective when I don't have the most competitive profile at this point.

I would appreciate any feedback!

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[finnickthedog]

In my personal statement, I plan to explain how my GPA was not optimal Freshman and Sophomore years due to working 40-50 hours per week in order to afford basic living costs. However, I don't really have any explanation as to why my vet/animal experience is so low. I am planning on getting a shadowing gig/do volunteering on weekends once I'm done with the GRE in a little over a week.

I just wanted to address this portion. First of all, I believe they're changing the personal statement to three shorter questions. Even if that weren't the case though, it wouldn't be the place for you to explain why certain parts of your application aren't what they could be. If you have a part of your application that warrants further explanation then you use the explanation statement for that. In your case though... I would not use the explanation statement. Your GPA wasn't optimal freshman and sophomore year but your overall gpa isn't bad and your last 45 is good so you clearly improved your performance and that's great. Let the grades speak for themselves. You don't want to sound like you're making excuses for yourself.

The other thing I will add is that I'm pretty sure all schools (at least most of them) will require you to have a LOR from a veterinarian. I see that you don't have one yet so I think that getting veterinary experience and building a relationship with a veterinarian who will be able to write you a letter should be a priority for you right now.

 

[RecLeagueCurry]

Hi everyone, I am a Junior pre-vet student and will be applying this upcoming summer. I would like some input on my application and how I can go about improving it/how much of a chance I have. I know that is a fairly broad request but I do have some reservations about my current stats.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE: Taking it very soon. I can hit around 157 in verbal and 153 in quantitative on the practice tests. I am working on bumping those both up to as close to 160 as possible in the next week or two.


Veterinary Experience:
- 150 hours spays/neuters/general exams with VIDA (will bump up to 225 shortly after submitting the VMCAS. I'm not sure if they'll want me to include that.)
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 3000+? hours with my dogs while growing up
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Hopefully whichever vet I end up shadowing

Awards/recognition:
$32,000 scholarship for undergrad
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list with distinction 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Slightly lower than average cumulative GPA and significantly lower science GPA.
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

In my personal statement, I plan to explain how my GPA was not optimal Freshman and Sophomore years due to working 40-50 hours per week in order to afford basic living costs. However, I don't really have any explanation as to why my vet/animal experience is so low. I am planning on getting a shadowing gig/do volunteering on weekends once I'm done with the GRE in a little over a week.

I don't really know where to even apply to, though I know for sure that I do not want to attend an island school. It would be nice going to a school as prestigious as say, UC Davis or Cornell, though I don't know if it's worth my money applying to schools that selective when I don't have the most competitive profile at this point.

I would appreciate any feedback!

Veterinary hours are for sure on the low side, and I think would make it difficult this cycle. It's certainly not an impossibilty though, I was accepted to Illinois with pretty low hours myself. Any way to get those up?

Last 45 GPA is excellent, and those GRE scores would be just about where you need to be. I would take a hard look at schools that weigh last 45/30 more heavily or as heavily as cumulative GPA.

Tldr, you would benefit from more veterinary hours but some other facets of your application are strong points.

 

[RecLeagueCurry]

I just wanted to address this portion. First of all, I believe they're changing the personal statement to three shorter questions. Even if that weren't the case though, it wouldn't be the place for you to explain why certain parts of your application aren't what they could be. If you have a part of your application that warrants further explanation then you use the explanation statement for that. In your case though... I would not use the explanation statement. Your GPA wasn't optimal freshman and sophomore year but your overall gpa isn't bad and your last 45 is good so you clearly improved your performance and that's great. Let the grades speak for themselves. You don't want to sound like you're making excuses for yourself.

The other thing I will add is that I'm pretty sure all schools (at least most of them) will require you to have a LOR from a veterinarian. I see that you don't have one yet so I think that getting veterinary experience and building a relationship with a veterinarian who will be able to write you a letter should be a priority for you right now.

Good point, and that would presumably come with more hours working under a veterinarian.

 

[johnsmith123]

I just wanted to address this portion. First of all, I believe they're changing the personal statement to three shorter questions. Even if that weren't the case though, it wouldn't be the place for you to explain why certain parts of your application aren't what they could be. If you have a part of your application that warrants further explanation then you use the explanation statement for that. In your case though... I would not use the explanation statement. Your GPA wasn't optimal freshman and sophomore year but your overall gpa isn't bad and your last 45 is good so you clearly improved your performance and that's great. Let the grades speak for themselves. You don't want to sound like you're making excuses for yourself.

The other thing I will add is that I'm pretty sure all schools (at least most of them) will require you to have a LOR from a veterinarian. I see that you don't have one yet so I think that getting veterinary experience and building a relationship with a veterinarian who will be able to write you a letter should be a priority for you right now.

Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely shy away from using the explanation section for that purpose. I will most definitely put more work into the veterinary experience side of the application as I agree that it one of my weak points right now.

Veterinary hours are for sure on the low side, and I think would make it difficult this cycle. It's certainly not an impossibilty though, I was accepted to Illinois with pretty low hours myself. Any way to get those up?

Last 45 GPA is excellent, and those GRE scores would be just about where you need to be. I would take a hard look at schools that weigh last 45/30 more heavily or as heavily as cumulative GPA.

Tldr, you would benefit from more veterinary hours but some other facets of your application are strong points.

It's comforting to know that at least a few aspects of my application are fairly strong. I think I'll definitely have to put any extra time I have into veterinary experience. I'm thinking it might be wise to apply towards the second half of summer so I can nail out an extra 100-200 hours of experience at that time in addition to as many as I can work in my schedule this semester.

 

[TrashPanda]

Hi everyone, I am a Junior pre-vet student and will be applying this upcoming summer. I would like some input on my application and how I can go about improving it/how much of a chance I have. I know that is a fairly broad request but I do have some reservations about my current stats.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE: Taking it very soon. I can hit around 157 in verbal and 153 in quantitative on the practice tests. I am working on bumping those both up to as close to 160 as possible in the next week or two.


Veterinary Experience:
- 150 hours spays/neuters/general exams with VIDA (will bump up to 225 shortly after submitting the VMCAS. I'm not sure if they'll want me to include that.)
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 3000+? hours with my dogs while growing up
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Hopefully whichever vet I end up shadowing

Awards/recognition:
$32,000 scholarship for undergrad
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list with distinction 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Slightly lower than average cumulative GPA and significantly lower science GPA.
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

In my personal statement, I plan to explain how my GPA was not optimal Freshman and Sophomore years due to working 40-50 hours per week in order to afford basic living costs. However, I don't really have any explanation as to why my vet/animal experience is so low. I am planning on getting a shadowing gig/do volunteering on weekends once I'm done with the GRE in a little over a week.

I don't really know where to even apply to, though I know for sure that I do not want to attend an island school. It would be nice going to a school as prestigious as say, UC Davis or Cornell, though I don't know if it's worth my money applying to schools that selective when I don't have the most competitive profile at this point.

I would appreciate any feedback!

Are you open to taking a gap year and applying in a year from now? Your GPAs aren't bad, but they're not great (besides your last 45) and your hours are really, really low. Animal experience with your own pets (with few exceptions like breeding, showing, etc.) don't really count. Schools want to see lots of experience, but also strong LORs from those experiences as finnick mentioned.

Don't worry about school prestige. It really doesn't matter. Since you're from AZ, you should definitely apply to the WICHE schools for less expensive tuition. Davis is one of them, but they will almost certainly want a higher science GPA. If you could boost your science GPA, that would open a few doors for you as there are a number of schools (including Davis) that don't look at cGPA but do look at last 45 and sciGPA.

"1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)"- was this with a veterinarian? If so, you can count it as veterinary experience, which would help. Definitely a good experience either way!

 

[johnsmith123]

Are you open to taking a gap year and applying in a year from now? Your GPAs aren't bad, but they're not great (besides your last 45) and your hours are really, really low. Animal experience with your own pets (with few exceptions like breeding, showing, etc.) don't really count. Schools want to see lots of experience, but also strong LORs from those experiences as finnick mentioned.

Don't worry about school prestige. It really doesn't matter. Since you're from AZ, you should definitely apply to the WICHE schools for less expensive tuition. Davis is one of them, but they will almost certainly want a higher science GPA. If you could boost your science GPA, that would open a few doors for you as there are a number of schools (including Davis) that don't look at cGPA but do look at last 45 and sciGPA.

"1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)"- was this with a veterinarian? If so, you can count it as veterinary experience, which would help. Definitely a good experience either way!

I was thinking about taking a gap year for a while but I really feel like I would benefit more from continuing straight into vet school, though I might have to take one if I don't get in on my first attempt. For the pathology position, we have a head veterinarian who supervises our department, but he has only works in the lab with me on rare occasions. Most of the time, it's just my supervisor who is not a vet so I was thinking it wouldn't really fit all that well under the vet experience tab. It is an experience most applicants don't have so I'm hoping that helps give me a leg up on the application.

 

[TrashPanda]

I was thinking about taking a gap year for a while but I really feel like I would benefit more from continuing straight into vet school, though I might have to take one if I don't get in on my first attempt. For the pathology position, we have a head veterinarian who supervises our department, but he has only works in the lab with me on rare occasions. Most of the time, it's just my supervisor who is not a vet so I was thinking it wouldn't really fit all that well under the vet experience tab. It is an experience most applicants don't have so I'm hoping that helps give me a leg up on the application.

Eh, there are pluses and minuses to gap years. You have a bunch of options with WICHE and that's nice, but there's also the whole mess of possibly being accepted by a school and then not getting WICHE funding. The difference between attending an in-state school and an out-of-state one can easily be $100,000 before interest (and it's not like in-state tuition is cheap to begin with) and if you wait a year, you'll have a much better chance of not having to pay that. Unless you/your family are very, very wealthy or you have unusual circumstances, it's a big thing to consider. If you do want to apply this summer, I strongly recommend only applying to schools where you could get in-state tuition. You can always apply next year after improving your GPA a bit and getting more experience, which would greatly improve your chances.

It'll definitely give you a leg up! Your supervisor would probably be a good person to get an LOR from- one has to be a vet, but not all of them.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Hi everyone, I am a Junior pre-vet student and will be applying this upcoming summer. I would like some input on my application and how I can go about improving it/how much of a chance I have. I know that is a fairly broad request but I do have some reservations about my current stats.

20 year old male, Arizona resident

Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish

The following GPAs are approximately what I will have by the time I am applying.
Cum GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.3
Last 45: 3.90

GRE: Taking it very soon. I can hit around 157 in verbal and 153 in quantitative on the practice tests. I am working on bumping those both up to as close to 160 as possible in the next week or two.


Veterinary Experience:
- 150 hours spays/neuters/general exams with VIDA (will bump up to 225 shortly after submitting the VMCAS. I'm not sure if they'll want me to include that.)
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 3000+? hours with my dogs while growing up
- 150+ hours adopting out dogs
- 70 hours mice, rat, and guinea pig necropsies, cardiocentesis, euthanasia.
- 50 hours at animal shelters

Other Experience:
- 30 hours trimming rodent tissues down

Non Animal Related Work:
<1 year Cashier
1.5 years as animal pathology lab technician (most of the time not working directly with animals)
Owned an SEO business for a year
Miscellaneous work for amazon

LORs (tentative):
-Pre-vet professor
-Pathology supervisor (not veterinarian)
-Hopefully whichever vet I end up shadowing

Awards/recognition:
$32,000 scholarship for undergrad
Active member in pre-vet club
Active member in VIDA club
Active member in club that volunteers with animal shelters
IB diploma in high school
Deans list with distinction 2 semesters


My concerns:
- Slightly lower than average cumulative GPA and significantly lower science GPA.
- Low amount of vet/animal experience

In my personal statement, I plan to explain how my GPA was not optimal Freshman and Sophomore years due to working 40-50 hours per week in order to afford basic living costs. However, I don't really have any explanation as to why my vet/animal experience is so low. I am planning on getting a shadowing gig/do volunteering on weekends once I'm done with the GRE in a little over a week.

I don't really know where to even apply to, though I know for sure that I do not want to attend an island school. It would be nice going to a school as prestigious as say, UC Davis or Cornell, though I don't know if it's worth my money applying to schools that selective when I don't have the most competitive profile at this point.

I would appreciate any feedback!

Your last 45 is excellent and your cumulative is right about average/maybe a tad below. Your science GPA is a weak point, but if you apply strategically, you may be able to get past that. Honestly, I think your low hours will hurt you more than anything. The most substantial experience you have is a VIDA trip and I worry that vet schools might not think you've had enough experience (remember experience isn't just for schools...it's for you too, so you know what you are getting yourself into...).

Do you have any C's in science prerequisites? If you took a gap year, I would consider retaking such classes and definitely getting more experience. Both would help a lot.

Also, your personal statement is to sell yourself, not try to bring attention to your weak points.

 

[johnsmith123]

Your last 45 is excellent and your cumulative is right about average/maybe a tad below. Your science GPA is a weak point, but if you apply strategically, you may be able to get past that. Honestly, I think your low hours will hurt you more than anything. The most substantial experience you have is a VIDA trip and I worry that vet schools might not think you've had enough experience (remember experience isn't just for schools...it's for you too, so you know what you are getting yourself into...).

Do you have any C's in science prerequisites? If you took a gap year, I would consider retaking such classes and definitely getting more experience. Both would help a lot.

Also, your personal statement is to sell yourself, not try to bring attention to your weak points.

I will most definitely retake my general chemistry classes if I do end up not getting in the first round. Both of those are the main reasons behind the low science GPA. The thing about the experience is that I have had enough to solidify the fact that I want to be a vet and to give myself a main focus (surgery is one of my favorite parts about the field). However, it's understandable that vet schools want more experience because it is quite the commitment to go into. Thanks for the advice!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I will most definitely retake my general chemistry classes if I do end up not getting in the first round. Both of those are the main reasons behind the low science GPA. The thing about the experience is that I have had enough to solidify the fact that I want to be a vet and to give myself a main focus (surgery is one of my favorite parts about the field). However, it's understandable that vet schools want more experience because it is quite the commitment to go into. Thanks for the advice!

I never did a VIDA trip, but I had friends that did. I think the biggest thing to remember is that a VIDA trip is not a day in the life of most veterinarians. So even if you just do it for yourself, get more experience.

 

[vethopeful_2]

Hello everyone! I've been looking for the correct place to post this, so please let me know if I should redirect my question to a different thread!
I am getting ready to be a first-time applicant (class of 2022) and am desperate for some advice pertaining to boosting my application. I basically feel like I have no chance of getting accepted ANYWHERE. Please give me honest feedback! I will post a summary of what my stats will be at the time of application:


Major: Biology

GPA (overall): 3.345
GPA (science): ~3.20 (depends on which school is calculating)
GPA (last 45): 3.70

Animal Experience:

Internship at SA clinic- ~90 hours
Internship at mixed practice clinic- ~85 hours
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Volunteer- ~100 hours
Humane society volunteer- ~120 hours
Vet assistant/client service coordinator at small animal clinic (current job)- ~500 hours
Grandparents farm (horses, cattle, chickens) -500 hours at least
Wildlife observation volunteer- 200 hours

Life experience:

-Worked in customer service for about 2 years
-Volunteer for Family Readiness Group attached to husband's company in the US army
-Became Treasurer of the FRG later that year
-Getting ready to take over the FRG group entirely so I will be official leader
-assistant coach for a kids team for about 1.5-2 years
-worked as a human hospital volunteer for about 6 weeks in the summer

Honors/Awards:
Deans list
2 GPA-based scholarships awarded



I just applied for a research position with one of my favorite microbiology professors, so hopefully will be able to add some experience in that area once app time comes around.

TENTATIVE LOR's-

-SA veterinarian that I currently work for
-Microbiology professor that I will *hopefully* have research experience with (has his PhD)
-Office manager at the clinic I work at
-My volunteer manager at the humane society



My GPA is definitely low compared to most students who are applying to vet school. I don't have any traumatic experiences to account for the poor grades I got my first couple semesters. My only explanation is that I had a very hard time with transitioning to my husbands army life, and developed a bad case of anxiety because he was constantly leaving for deployments/training. I eventually learned how to thrive in a constantly changing environment and how to keep myself grounded in the midst of chaos. I do think the experience will make me a better vet one day.

Thank you so much in advance for any recommendations or feedback you may have. I am rooting for all of you!!


*also should note that I am taking the GRE in a month so I don't have those scores yet, but have always been a good test taker*









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[mmmdreamerz]

Hello everyone! I've been looking for the correct place to post this, so please let me know if I should redirect my question to a different thread!
I am getting ready to be a first-time applicant (class of 2021) and am desperate for some advice pertaining to boosting my application. I basically feel like I have no chance of getting accepted ANYWHERE. Please give me honest feedback! I will post a summary of what my stats will be at the time of application:


Major: Biology

GPA (overall): 3.345
GPA (science): ~3.20 (depends on which school is calculating)
GPA (last 45): 3.70

Animal Experience:

Internship at SA clinic- ~90 hours
Internship at mixed practice clinic- ~85 hours
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Volunteer- ~100 hours
Humane society volunteer- ~120 hours
Vet assistant/client service coordinator at small animal clinic (current job)- ~500 hours
Grandparents farm (horses, cattle, chickens) -500 hours at least
Wildlife observation volunteer- 200 hours

Life experience:

-Worked in customer service for about 2 years
-Volunteer for Family Readiness Group attached to husband's company in the US army
-Became Treasurer of the FRG later that year
-Getting ready to take over the FRG group entirely so I will be official leader
-assistant coach for a kids team for about 1.5-2 years
-worked as a human hospital volunteer for about 6 weeks in the summer

Honors/Awards:
Deans list
2 GPA-based scholarships awarded



I just applied for a research position with one of my favorite microbiology professors, so hopefully will be able to add some experience in that area once app time comes around.

My GPA is definitely low compared to most students who are applying to vet school. I don't have any traumatic experiences to account for the poor grades I got my first couple semesters. My only explanation is that I had a very hard time with transitioning to my husbands army life, and developed a bad case of anxiety because he was constantly leaving for deployments/training. I eventually learned how to thrive in a constantly changing environment and how to keep myself grounded in the midst of chaos. I do think the experience will make me a better vet one day.

Thank you so much in advance for any recommendations or feedback you may have. I am rooting for all of you!!


*also should note that I am taking the GRE in a month so I don't have those scores yet, but have always been a good test taker*









Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Welcome to SDN! You're in the right place

If your applying this cycle, I think you'll be class of 2022? Unless your applying to Ross or something?

Your cummulative and science GPAs are a little low but your last 45 is pretty good. Any C's in science classes? You've got some good variety of experience which is good. I suggest rocking the GRE to help make up for your lower GPAs and maybe retake a class or two if you have any C's in science classes...Research is always a plus to an application (I think it definitely made me stand out).

What schools are you looking at?

 

[vethopeful_2]

Welcome to SDN! You're in the right place

If your applying this cycle, I think you'll be class of 2022? Unless your applying to Ross or something?

Your cummulative and science GPAs are a little low but your last 45 is pretty good. Any C's in science classes? You've got some good variety of experience which is good. I suggest rocking the GRE to help make up for your lower GPAs and maybe retake a class or two if you have any C's in science classes...Research is always a plus to an application (I think it definitely made me stand out).

What schools are you looking at?

Haha, you're right! I'm class of 2022. I've been reading so many "C/o 2021" threads on here recently that I got confused! I do have a couple C's in science classes. I got pre-reqs waived for one of my micro classes, and it ended up being a terrible decision because I failed a whole unit due to not having had chemistry yet. I also got a C in my first year bio class because...well.... I didn't realize the ramifications of my poor study habits. I have thought about retaking some classes, but I've read many mixed reviews about whether or not it would actually be beneficial. I plan on applying to MANY schools (I seriously feel desperate), but my top choices are: LMU, UPenn, Illinois, and KSU. I am really hoping to do well on the GRE to show that I am more intelligent than my GPA says I am! Haha! And thank you for responding I appreciate it

* also, since you said you had some research experience, do you have any tips for getting research positions?


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[mmmdreamerz]

Haha, you're right! I'm class of 2022. I've been reading so many "C/o 2021" threads on here recently that I got confused! I do have a couple C's in science classes. I got pre-reqs waived for one of my micro classes, and it ended up being a terrible decision because I failed a whole unit due to not having had chemistry yet. I also got a C in my first year bio class because...well.... I didn't realize the ramifications of my poor study habits. I have thought about retaking some classes, but I've read many mixed reviews about whether or not it would actually be beneficial. I plan on applying to MANY schools (I seriously feel desperate), but my top choices are: LMU, UPenn, Illinois, and KSU. I am really hoping to do well on the GRE to show that I am more intelligent than my GPA says I am! Haha! And thank you for responding I appreciate it

* also, since you said you had some research experience, do you have any tips for getting research positions?


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Haha no biggie, I was just confused but wasn't sure if maybe you were looking at a school like Ross that has multiple classes every year.

Retaking C's in science classes *can* be beneficial if their upper level type classes...I don't think I would retake your gen bio classes, personally. You could also take some upper level science classes (and get A's in them!) to help you science GPA out. The goal, ultimately, is to show schools that you can handle the vet school curriculum.

Do you have an instate? Def apply there. Kansas, Illinois, and LMU definitely have a good reputation of looking beyond grades, so those would be good choices. I know UPenn is pretty quantitative. Definitely do your homework and apply strategically to schools.

I always recommend Magoosh to people for the GRE because it relayed helped me a lot (the GRE was probably the weakest part of my app, though...I improved my score a lot using it).

With regard to research, I tell people to talk to their advisors about who has projects going on...that's how I ended up with extensive research involvement in undergrad. Also, just reach out to professors who are doing things you think you might be interested in. Once I was associated with a lab, I made myself useful and ultimately was given more and more responsibility. It was a great experience that came up a lot in my interview. Research isn't necessary but it is absolutely a boost to an application IMO.

 

[vethopeful_2]

Haha no biggie, I was just confused but wasn't sure if maybe you were looking at a school like Ross that has multiple classes every year.

Retaking C's in science classes *can* be beneficial if their upper level type classes...I don't think I would retake your gen bio classes, personally. You could also take some upper level science classes (and get A's in them!) to help you science GPA out. The goal, ultimately, is to show schools that you can handle the vet school curriculum.

Do you have an instate? Def apply there. Kansas, Illinois, and LMU definitely have a good reputation of looking beyond grades, so those would be good choices. I know UPenn is pretty quantitative. Definitely do your homework and apply strategically to schools.

I always recommend Magoosh to people for the GRE because it relayed helped me a lot (the GRE was probably the weakest part of my app, though...I improved my score a lot using it).

With regard to research, I tell people to talk to their advisors about who has projects going on...that's how I ended up with extensive research involvement in undergrad. Also, just reach out to professors who are doing things you think you might be interested in. Once I was associated with a lab, I made myself useful and ultimately was given more and more responsibility. It was a great experience that came up a lot in my interview. Research isn't necessary but it is absolutely a boost to an application IMO.

I'm from Tennessee, so I believe my IS would be UTK, but we got relocated to GA this past year so it may actually be UGA. Pretty sure I don't have a chance at either of those schools, but maybe I should go ahead and submit an app anyways! Thank you SO much for the GRE recommendation... I've been looking for a better prep book for a long time. Although I'm not a shoe-in, I hope we are colleagues someday!


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[vetmedhead]

I'm from Tennessee, so I believe my IS would be UTK, but we got relocated to GA this past year so it may actually be UGA. Pretty sure I don't have a chance at either of those schools, but maybe I should go ahead and submit an app anyways! Thank you SO much for the GRE recommendation... I've been looking for a better prep book for a long time. Although I'm not a shoe-in, I hope we are colleagues someday!


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You might want to double check the residency requirements for GA, if I recall correctly they may need you to have lived in the state for a certain period of time and a few other things before you apply to qualify as an IS resident.

 

[vethopeful_2]

You might want to double check the residency requirements for GA, if I recall correctly they may need you to have lived in the state for a certain period of time and a few other things before you apply to qualify as an IS resident.

Ok! It's confusing because I no longer have any form of identification that proves I'm a Tennesseean, but I don't think I'll qualify as an "official" GA resident either.. I'll have to do some research!


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[mmmdreamerz]

I'm from Tennessee, so I believe my IS would be UTK, but we got relocated to GA this past year so it may actually be UGA. Pretty sure I don't have a chance at either of those schools, but maybe I should go ahead and submit an app anyways! Thank you SO much for the GRE recommendation... I've been looking for a better prep book for a long time. Although I'm not a shoe-in, I hope we are colleagues someday!


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Definitely apply to your instate. Veterinary school admissions are very hard to predict, so don't count yourself out anywhere. Did you say your husband is active duty army? You may be able to get instate tuition at more schools...you may have to ask the schools specifically/search on here but I've definitely read where people have gotten instate at different schools because of military status....

Magoosh is great. I took the GRE twice and it helped me improve my score a lot the second time.

If you want this badly enough, you can make it happen!

 

[greeneyegal92]

Well I never really wanted to put myself out there but I didn't have success on my second go around So advice for improving and/or Suggestions on schools to apply to appreciated!

Female 24, will be 25 in July
3rd time applicant for May 2017
Illinois Resident
BS is Zoology, Chem minor

Cumulative GPA: 3.39
Science GPA: 3.21
Last 45: 3.64

GRE: I took the test twice
Quantitative: 152. Verbal: 152 Writing: 4.5
**I hate standardized tests this is the last thing I'd want to improve if possible.

Veterinary Experience:
~3000 hours working as a Vet Tech (uncertified)
~60 hours Alumni association externship
~ 840 hours wildlife medicine externship
~ 600 hours professional job shadow

Animal experience:
~1200 hours animal nutrition interns
~500 hours pet care associate (pet store)
~80 hours farm animal handling; class related
~850 hours wildlife care intern

Research:
~250 hours: Inbreeding coefficient importance in dairy cattle in relation to milk quality.

Non Animal Related Work:
RA for 2 years
Math tutor for 1

Awards/recognition:
Companion Animal Nutrition certificaton
Environmental Ambassador
Dean's List 2 times
University Housing Certificate of Excellence 2 times
USA Gymnastics State Champion Titles (5)
Sigma Alpha Pi Leadership Society member
Sigma Alpha Lambda Science Excellence member
Beta Theta Pi Sweetheart

I believe that's everything but I can give more these messages are so long to begin with...thanks all

Posted my stats before but I believe I have a new list of schools I'll be applying to for c/o 2022 and here it is: U of I, Minnesota, Kansas State, Michigan State, Iowa, Mississippi, Western, Purdue, Midwestern, and Ohio.
Thoughts/opinions appreciated besides how broke I'll be after I turn all of these apps in...

 

[Teepster87]

Ok! It's confusing because I no longer have any form of identification that proves I'm a Tennesseean, but I don't think I'll qualify as an "official" GA resident either.. I'll have to do some research!


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Is your husband still active military? Look into schools residency requirements. I got IS at MSU because I'm a vet (classmate got it because her husband is).
I think you'll find quite a few places you can be considered IS for

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Posted my stats before but I believe I have a new list of schools I'll be applying to for c/o 2022 and here it is: U of I, Minnesota, Kansas State, Michigan State, Iowa, Mississippi, Western, Purdue, Midwestern, and Ohio.
Thoughts/opinions appreciated besides how broke I'll be after I turn all of these apps in...

I think Illinois, Kansas, and Midwestern are all good choices because they tend to look more at things beyond grades. Maybe think about LMU too. I think Iowa doesn't look at cumulative GPA, if I remember correctly (just last 45/science...I think). I got an interview at Mississippi (though I didn't actually interview there) and I know they claim to look at the bigger picture and I think that seems to be true based on what my friends going there have told me. Ohio loves diversity, and though they are still pretty quantitative, they are definitely trying to look more at the whole applicant. Purdue has a pretty small class size if I remember correctly (so smaller class=less seats=more competitive). I basically know nothing about Minnesota and Michigan State, but @LetItSnow @kcoughli and @finnickthedog might have more insight....

My biggest advice isn't necessarily to apply to a bunch of schools but maybe apply strategically to whatever schools you do choose to apply to.

 

[vethopeful_2]

Is your husband still active military? Look into schools residency requirements. I got IS at MSU because I'm a vet (classmate got it because her husband is).
I think you'll find quite a few places you can be considered IS for

Yes he is. I had no idea that there are schools who take that into consideration! You guys could have possibly just saved us a lot of heartache and $$! Haha! Thank you!


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[vethopeful_2]

@vethopeful_2 ISU is another school that will give you IS status for being a vet/active military or having one in your immediate family or as a spouse. Although I'm from Missouri, I'm paying IS tuition rates this way and it is saving me a decent chunk of extra debt (it actually ended up being slightly cheaper for me to attend IS at ISU than IS at Mizzou).

It's definitely not something that is advertised at all and it does take a little bit of work to secure the discount in terms of paperwork and the like, but it's totally worth the effort if you can do it and are accepted. If you've got any questions about how to apply to be considered for that, let me know.

Finding all this info out has made my day! I'll add ISU to my list. Congrats on getting in, by the way!


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[mmmdreamerz]

I'll be rooting for you @vethopeful_2 !!!

If you haven't already checked it out, there's a 2022 applicant thread...
https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/class-of-2022-hopefuls.1220715/page-6

 

[finnickthedog]

Posted my stats before but I believe I have a new list of schools I'll be applying to for c/o 2022 and here it is: U of I, Minnesota, Kansas State, Michigan State, Iowa, Mississippi, Western, Purdue, Midwestern, and Ohio.
Thoughts/opinions appreciated besides how broke I'll be after I turn all of these apps in...

Since @mmmdreamerz has summoned me, I think you would stand a decent chance at Michigan State. They're no longer considering the GRE starting with this cycle so since standardized testing is something you dislike that's good news for you. They're one of the schools that doesn't really look at your cumulative and they actually look at last 36 credits instead of 45 so that may or may not give you a boost there. And they do try to look at the whole applicant, not just the academic factors. I only applied to one school though so although I know a good amount about Michigan State... I can't really tell you how it compares to the other options you might apply to. I don't think it's a bad one to have on your list with your stats though.

 

[m_b2016]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on strengthening my application for vet school. I'm a junior undergrad right now so I will be applying this coming cycle for the class of 2022. I'm getting really worried that my GPA will hold me back from being accepted anywhere.

Major: Biology
Minors: Classics and Economics

Cumulative GPA: 3.5
Science GPA 3.3

Animal Experience:
150 hours of animal care at a college research facility
150 hours of small, large, and exotic animal medicine done through a study abroad program in Belize
100 hours of volunteer work at my local animal shelter

Extra Curricular Activities:
Division I athlete (I spend about 20 hours a week on the track training)
Active member of several clubs and volunteer organizations on campus

LOR:
Small/Large animal veterinarian from Belize
Exotic veterinarian/ conservationist from Mexico (but he did his residency in the states)
Professor
Previous Employer at the research facility

This summer I will be working in a small animal clinic and this veterinarian could potentially give me a letter of recommendation also.

I have yet to take the GRE's, I plan on doing that this summer

Any advice?

 

[Emmy Senpai]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on strengthening my application for vet school. I'm a junior undergrad right now so I will be applying this coming cycle for the class of 2022. I'm getting really worried that my GPA will hold me back from being accepted anywhere.

Major: Biology
Minors: Classics and Economics

Cumulative GPA: 3.5
Science GPA 3.3

Animal Experience:
150 hours of animal care at a college research facility
150 hours of small, large, and exotic animal medicine done through a study abroad program in Belize
100 hours of volunteer work at my local animal shelter

Extra Curricular Activities:
Division I athlete (I spend about 20 hours a week on the track training)
Active member of several clubs and volunteer organizations on campus

LOR:
Small/Large animal veterinarian from Belize
Exotic veterinarian/ conservationist from Mexico (but he did his residency in the states)
Professor
Previous Employer at the research facility

This summer I will be working in a small animal clinic and this veterinarian could potentially give me a letter of recommendation also.

I have yet to take the GRE's, I plan on doing that this summer

Any advice?

Do you have any clinical experience other than going to Belize? If not, that will hold you back much more than your GPA.

 

[m_b2016]

Do you have any clinical experience other than going to Belize? If not, that will hold you back much more than your GPA.

At the moment no, but I will be working full time in a clinic this summer.

 

[Emmy Senpai]

At the moment no, but I will be working full time in a clinic this summer.

That's good! Some schools have a minimum number of veterinary hours to complete before applying, so make sure you have those before you submit.
As for your GPA, it's honestly not bad. I received 3 interview invites with my GPA, and it's lower than yours. My advice for you is to get as much experience this summer as possible. Your hours are low and unless you have a 4.0, it's hard to get in with low experience hours. You also want to have something to talk about in the interviews. That being said, my first interview did not ask anything about my veterinary experiences and focused more on my non animal volunteer experiences. Put things on your application that you did in high school/college and would set you apart from the crowd, for example volunteering at the children's hospital, doing arts and crafts with the elderly, etc. Also, the interviewers did ask questions that I wouldn't have known the answer to had I not worked in a clinic for a year, so the experience is important.

Play up your differences and strengths. Being a divison I athlete is pretty cool. Put it on your app. Talk about how your Economics minor will help you be a good veterinarian. Good business is good medicine!

The GRE: I didn't do so well on the math section, so if I could take my own advice, I would get a test prep program or tutor for that section. I used a book to practice problems from and I thought that it helped, but then when I got to the test the questions were extremely confusing and not at all like what I studied. I used the Magoosh free flash cards and study sets for the verbal portion and got above the 50th percentile. I also told my boyfriend who is awful at standardized tests to use Magoosh and he did better than me on the verbal section. So... use Magoosh!! If you can afford it, buy the test prep thing on Magoosh, a lot of people swear by it and I think it would have helped me on the math portion. For the writing portion, I just looked up YouTube videos on how to get a good score and I did well. A robot grades your essays first and then an actual person grades it. If the person agrees with the robot score, you get that score. If the person disagrees, they average the writing score between the robot and person. The robot is basically doing a word count. It counts up the number of words you use, the number of words you have that are more than 5 letters long, and the number of repeated words you use. Therefore make sure you write with large words, write a lot, and write with variation. That will boost your score. The person looks to see if you're writing about what the prompt asks and if you're forming coherent sentences.

Hope this helps!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on strengthening my application for vet school. I'm a junior undergrad right now so I will be applying this coming cycle for the class of 2022. I'm getting really worried that my GPA will hold me back from being accepted anywhere.

Major: Biology
Minors: Classics and Economics

Cumulative GPA: 3.5
Science GPA 3.3

Animal Experience:
150 hours of animal care at a college research facility
150 hours of small, large, and exotic animal medicine done through a study abroad program in Belize
100 hours of volunteer work at my local animal shelter

Extra Curricular Activities:
Division I athlete (I spend about 20 hours a week on the track training)
Active member of several clubs and volunteer organizations on campus

LOR:
Small/Large animal veterinarian from Belize
Exotic veterinarian/ conservationist from Mexico (but he did his residency in the states)
Professor
Previous Employer at the research facility

This summer I will be working in a small animal clinic and this veterinarian could potentially give me a letter of recommendation also.

I have yet to take the GRE's, I plan on doing that this summer

Any advice?

What's your last 45? Your cumulative GPA is pretty average, but your science is low.

What schools are you looking at?

Like I mentioned to someone else whose only experience was with an international volunteer trip, you definitely need more experience. Schools want to know that you know what you are getting yourself into, and even more importantly YOU need to realize what you are getting yourself into. A trip like that is simply not a good view of the life of your average veterinarian. You don't need thousands of hours of experience to get into vet school, but you have to keep in mind that you will be competing with people who do have that kind of experience.

 

[echoing]

I'm a current junior in college planning on applying this summer to: UC Davis, Penn (I'm a PA resident), Cornell, Tufts, U Florida, NC State, Colorado State, and potentially Ohio State

Major: Biology
Minors: Environmental Studies

Interested in wildlife medicine (especially aquatic)

Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Science GPA 3.81
GRE Quantitative: 164
Verbal: 163
Haven't gotten my writing score back yet

Vet Experience:
200 hours interning at a local small animal clinic
100 hours large animal
500 hours aquatic wildlife (this summer)
100 hours small animal clinic abroad
15 hours aquatic (at an aquarium during a husbandry internship)

Animal Experience:
2,000 hours working at a barn caring for horses, chickens, and other farm animals
1,000 hours as a cat and dog volunteer at a shelter
350 hours with sharks and rays at an aquarium
A few more hundred hours from various sources

Research:
2 years during school year with a forest ecology professor
1 summer with marine ecology professor (will be published)

Extra Curricular Activities:
Tour guide at my college
Biology research assistant
Started a ballroom group
ThinkFood (an environmental group working on food security and sustainability)
Music (percussion ensemble and wind ensemble)

Got Udall Scholarship Honorable Mention (and hopefully a full scholar this year)
Dean's List every semester

LOR:
Small animal vet at the local clinic
Aquatic wildlife vet this summer
Summer research professor
Physiology professor for schools that need a pre-req professor

Few questions:
1. Would doing a senior thesis in Biology be a good idea or just a waste of a lot of time (although I do enjoy research)?
2. Any suggestions for other places to consider that are particularly strong in wildlife medicine?
3. Think I'll get in?

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I'm a current junior in college planning on applying this summer to: UC Davis, Penn (I'm a PA resident), Cornell, Tufts, U Florida, NC State, Colorado State, and potentially Ohio State

Major: Biology
Minors: Environmental Studies

Interested in wildlife medicine (especially aquatic)

Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Science GPA 3.81
GRE Quantitative: 164
Verbal: 163
Haven't gotten my writing score back yet

Vet Experience:
200 hours interning at a local small animal clinic
100 hours large animal
500 hours aquatic wildlife (this summer)
100 hours small animal clinic abroad
15 hours aquatic (at an aquarium during a husbandry internship)

Animal Experience:
2,000 hours working at a barn caring for horses, chickens, and other farm animals
1,000 hours as a cat and dog volunteer at a shelter
350 hours with sharks and rays at an aquarium
A few more hundred hours from various sources

Research:
2 years during school year with a forest ecology professor
1 summer with marine ecology professor (will be published)

Extra Curricular Activities:
Tour guide at my college
Biology research assistant
Started a ballroom group
ThinkFood (an environmental group working on food security and sustainability)
Music (percussion ensemble and wind ensemble)

Got Udall Scholarship Honorable Mention (and hopefully a full scholar this year)
Dean's List every semester

LOR:
Small animal vet at the local clinic
Aquatic wildlife vet this summer
Summer research professor
Physiology professor for schools that need a pre-req professor

Few questions:
1. Would doing a senior thesis in Biology be a good idea or just a waste of a lot of time (although I do enjoy research)?
2. Any suggestions for other places to consider that are particularly strong in wildlife medicine?
3. Think I'll get in?

If your last 45 GPA is as good as your cumulative and science, then you are in great shape there. Great GRE scores too.

You have good variety of experience and research always is a plus (my extensive research experience definitely helped me stand out and came up a lot in my interviews...). As for whether or not you should do the senior thesis, I think you should decide if that is something you WANT to do. If you like research, go for it!

Get good letters of rec and write an excellent personal statement (or three questions lol) and you'll be a solid applicant. Vet school admissions can be a bit of a crapshoot, but I'd say you have great chances.

Good luck applying!

And you should definitely apply to Ohio State because it's an awesome school haha

 

[Coopah]

I'm a current junior in college planning on applying this summer to: UC Davis, Penn (I'm a PA resident), Cornell, Tufts, U Florida, NC State, Colorado State, and potentially Ohio State

Major: Biology
Minors: Environmental Studies

Interested in wildlife medicine (especially aquatic)

Cumulative GPA: 3.87
Science GPA 3.81
GRE Quantitative: 164
Verbal: 163
Haven't gotten my writing score back yet

Vet Experience:
200 hours interning at a local small animal clinic
100 hours large animal
500 hours aquatic wildlife (this summer)
100 hours small animal clinic abroad
15 hours aquatic (at an aquarium during a husbandry internship)

Animal Experience:
2,000 hours working at a barn caring for horses, chickens, and other farm animals
1,000 hours as a cat and dog volunteer at a shelter
350 hours with sharks and rays at an aquarium
A few more hundred hours from various sources

Research:
2 years during school year with a forest ecology professor
1 summer with marine ecology professor (will be published)

Extra Curricular Activities:
Tour guide at my college
Biology research assistant
Started a ballroom group
ThinkFood (an environmental group working on food security and sustainability)
Music (percussion ensemble and wind ensemble)

Got Udall Scholarship Honorable Mention (and hopefully a full scholar this year)
Dean's List every semester

LOR:
Small animal vet at the local clinic
Aquatic wildlife vet this summer
Summer research professor
Physiology professor for schools that need a pre-req professor

Few questions:
1. Would doing a senior thesis in Biology be a good idea or just a waste of a lot of time (although I do enjoy research)?
2. Any suggestions for other places to consider that are particularly strong in wildlife medicine?
3. Think I'll get in?

UC Davis counts your last 45 GPA as the most critical factor, so I would need to know that. Everything looks great otherwise, I'd expect you'd get an interview at UC Davis. After that admission is based solely on how you do at that. Good luck.

 

[echoing]

UC Davis counts your last 45 GPA as the most critical factor, so I would need to know that. Everything looks great otherwise, I'd expect you'd get an interview at UC Davis. After that admission is based solely on how you do at that. Good luck.

My college doesn't have semester hours/credits, it's just one per class. But my last two semesters were both 4.0s, though this semester I'll probably have a 3.75 or so. Thanks for the advice (and encouragement)!

 

[lilylilac]

My college doesn't have semester hours/credits, it's just one per class. But my last two semesters were both 4.0s, though this semester I'll probably have a 3.75 or so. Thanks for the advice (and encouragement)!

My undergrad was like that too, and they provided a conversion table. Class that was 1 credit = 4 hours. Hopefully that might help you calculate last 45!

 

[Coopah]

My college doesn't have semester hours/credits, it's just one per class. But my last two semesters were both 4.0s, though this semester I'll probably have a 3.75 or so. Thanks for the advice (and encouragement)!

I ran into the same problem with my undergrad (specifically they used units) and on the back of your transcript that your going to need to submit grades to VMCAS, there should be a conversion there. Mine was especially weird because I went to a quarter school but my classes where in units then the conversion went to semester credits... long story short if you're unsure ask VMCAS, they're helpful.

 

[Opal6458]

I’m a female, non-trad, and I’ll be 23 at the time of my application.

Animal Science B.S. 2013 (completed in 3 years if that matters?)

I still need to complete my pre-reqs, so I’m going post-bach next year.

Overall GPA- 3.41

Math/Science GPA- 3.21

Last 45 GPA- 3.47

GRE- have not completed yet


Vet experience

8 hours shadowing a large animal vet on a high school field trip and touring a goat farm

8 hours shadowing small animal vet

1074 hours at a large animal vet assistant

Currently working at a small animal vet that specializes in cats; 60% cat, 40% dog


Animal Experience

38 hours volunteering for a non-profit goat farm

294 hours working on a dairy farm

40 hours working with poultry

15 hours livestock shows for clubs

275 hours kennel tech

504 hours fostering puppies

31 hours administering SQ fluids to family members dog

AI certified through my beef production class

Can I count high school ag. Classes?

Can I count owning pets? 2 dogs, 2 cats


Work
recreational complex nursery/daycare

softball concession stand

Hollister seasonal employee- most horrible job ever!

Tractor Supply

Dairy farm

Kennel

LA vet

Domestic violence court advocate

SA vet


Extracurricular

Collegiate FFA for a year

Block and Bridle for 3 years; 2x reporter

Student Agriculture Government Association for 1 year; sophomore rep

college Women’s Wrestling team; 2x captain

Volunteer wrestling camp counselor at ***** high school summer 2013; ***** middle school Christmas break 2013; ***** youth summer 2014; ******youth summer 2015; ******youth camp 2014

Volunteer assistant wrestling coach ****** High school 2016-2017

2013 Relay for Life

2014 Relay for Life

High school FFA

High school Spanish club

High school Wrestling

High School Track


Awards

******* Scholarship 2013-2016

******* Scholarship 2013-2016

******* Scholarship 2014-2015

******* Scholarship 2015-2016

******* Scholarship 2015-2016

Wrestling team Leadership award 2013

NCWWA All-American

NCWWA Academic All-American; I only received it once because they do not award freshman because they only have 1 semester completed by nationals.

NCWWA 2nd place in 2014 and 6th in 2015

 

[Emmy Senpai]

I’m a female, non-trad, and I’ll be 23 at the time of my application.

Animal Science B.S. 2013 (completed in 3 years if that matters?)

I still need to complete my pre-reqs, so I’m going post-bach next year.

Overall GPA- 3.41

Math/Science GPA- 3.21

Last 45 GPA- 3.47

GRE- have not completed yet


Vet experience

8 hours shadowing a large animal vet on a high school field trip and touring a goat farm

8 hours shadowing small animal vet

1074 hours at a large animal vet assistant

Currently working at a small animal vet that specializes in cats; 60% cat, 40% dog


Animal Experience

38 hours volunteering for a non-profit goat farm

294 hours working on a dairy farm

40 hours working with poultry

15 hours livestock shows for clubs

275 hours kennel tech

504 hours fostering puppies

31 hours administering SQ fluids to family members dog

AI certified through my beef production class

Can I count high school ag. Classes?

Can I count owning pets? 2 dogs, 2 cats


Work
recreational complex nursery/daycare

softball concession stand

Hollister seasonal employee- most horrible job ever!

Tractor Supply

Dairy farm

Kennel

LA vet

Domestic violence court advocate

SA vet


Extracurricular

Collegiate FFA for a year

Block and Bridle for 3 years; 2x reporter

Student Agriculture Government Association for 1 year; sophomore rep

college Women’s Wrestling team; 2x captain

Volunteer wrestling camp counselor at ***** high school summer 2013; ***** middle school Christmas break 2013; ***** youth summer 2014; ******youth summer 2015; ******youth camp 2014

Volunteer assistant wrestling coach ****** High school 2016-2017

2013 Relay for Life

2014 Relay for Life

High school FFA

High school Spanish club

High school Wrestling

High School Track


Awards

******* Scholarship 2013-2016

******* Scholarship 2013-2016

******* Scholarship 2014-2015

******* Scholarship 2015-2016

******* Scholarship 2015-2016

Wrestling team Leadership award 2013

NCWWA All-American

NCWWA Academic All-American; I only received it once because they do not award freshman because they only have 1 semester completed by nationals.

NCWWA 2nd place in 2014 and 6th in 2015

Your experiences are great, just make sure you highlight the ones that make you stand out in the new application questions and interviews for the upcoming cycle. I think that schools will really like that you were on the wrestling team, and as far as vet/animal hours go, your high amt of large animal experience already makes you stand out. Seems like you're working to get more SA which will further enhance your application.
Personally, I didn't count pet ownership because I figured I could just bring it up in the interview during the classic "tell me about yourself" explanation. Some people put pet ownership on their app. If you choose to do this, make sure the hours are low so that the admissions committees don't think you're trying to skew your hours. And for your ag courses in high school, if you feel like they would enhance your app then put them on there.

Grades are fine, they're a little below avg but I got in this cycle with below-average grades. Just continue to raise your GPA should you not get in this upcoming cycle.

 

[mrd006]

Hi there! I'm still new to this and learning how to use it hah, but I was reading some of your comments and it seems like we have some things in common. I am Female as well, 20, but an Ohio resident. A lot of people on here/applying I feel are in their mid 20's...unless that's just something I've noticed in my short time scanning through forums. What caught my eye is that I also for sure know I want to do small animal, but have really enjoyed equine as well (not so much a bovine person haha I tolerate that aspect). As far as your chances getting in, just comparing to myself, I guess I agree with what other people have said (more lg animal hours, GRE, etc..).

Speaking of, have you started studying for the GRE? I have a little, but not quite sure how to go about it the right way without spending a ridiculous amount on a special class or something. Standardized tests have never been one of my strong points, but I'm just hoping for median scores considering they take so much more into consideration then the GRE.

I have taken it once, but am definitely taking it again. I am taking a GRE prep class through my school that is taught by the Princeton Review! We meet live online once a week and it is SUPER helpful.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

Hey guys I am currently sitting pretty on the waitlist for 3 schools but I am working on a plan for improving my application. (I am interested in shelter med)

I applied to LSU (waitlisted), UGA (waitlisted), UF (IS, rejected after interview), and Auburn (waitlisted after interview).

Here are my stats when I first applied, the numbers in bold are the hours/experiences I will have when re applying.

GPA: 3.82 cum, 3.76 science, 3.84 last 45 (All GPAs will be higher by a little when reapplying)
GRE: 309

Vet experience:
Surgical Vet Tech at a spay+neuter clinic: 392/460
*Vet Tech at a shelter: 306/ 1317 (if I continue part time)
LA colic shadowing: 4

Animal Experience:
Volunteering in a barn: 55/205
Shelter (walking dogs, events) 36/50
Riding therapy for special needs kids: 12
Docent at wildlife hospital: 30
Volunteer at wolf sanctuary: 50

Research:
Organic chemistry research: 195/250
Biology research: 40/ 150

Extracurriculars/Volunteering
Make a Wish volunteer- 57/70
Dance Marathon- 30
Two leadership positions in my sorority: 800
Vice President of the school dance company: 200
March for Science organizer- 80
Honors College
Order of Omega Greek Honor Society

Employment:
Orientation Leader- 930
Science tutor- 306
Retail- 1620
Server- 720

Awards:
$1000 Honors program research grant
$500 Honors program involvement scholarship
Panhellenic Scholarship award
Presidents list (2 semesters)
Deans list (4 semesters)

Some questions for you all:
Should I retake the GRE? I studied really hard for my (crappy) score so it would require a lot of time to improve it.
*I currently work part time here and would be able to work full time after graduating. Should I stay here and work full time or continue part time get another part time vet tech job at a small animal clinic (more money+a different experience)
I have plans to shadow an exotic vet as all the local large animal vets in my area do not allow shadows. Is this a waste of time (I could spend working) or something that will help?

 

[mht2k3]

I"m actually surprised you didn't get accepted anywhere with those stats!

What is the breakdown of your GRE score? My only suggestion would be to get more variety in your vet experiences. Thats a bummer that no large animal vets in your area will allow shadowing. If its a possibility you might want to expand your search to large animal vets a little further away. I ended up doing the majority of my shadowing with a vet clinic that was almost 1.5 hours away, but they were amazing and I got a ton of really useful experience.

You might want to also look into a few different types of small animal clinics. It looks like you have mostly shelter experience so shadowing an exotic vet will be great. You might want to also try and get some experience at an emergency clinic and just a general small animal practice.

You might want to look into schools that aren't requiring the GRE if you feel like your scores aren't competitive. I know Michigan State will not be requiring the GRE's next year, as well as I think Virginia-Maryland.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

I"m actually surprised you didn't get accepted anywhere with those stats!

What is the breakdown of your GRE score? My only suggestion would be to get more variety in your vet experiences. Thats a bummer that no large animal vets in your area will allow shadowing. If its a possibility you might want to expand your search to large animal vets a little further away. I ended up doing the majority of my shadowing with a vet clinic that was almost 1.5 hours away, but they were amazing and I got a ton of really useful experience.

You might want to also look into a few different types of small animal clinics. It looks like you have mostly shelter experience so shadowing an exotic vet will be great. You might want to also try and get some experience at an emergency clinic and just a general small animal practice.

You might want to look into schools that aren't requiring the GRE if you feel like your scores aren't competitive. I know Michigan State will not be requiring the GRE's next year, as well as I think Virginia-Maryland.

I was a little surprised I didn't get just one but what can you do

My GRE break down was 154 (64%) and 155 (59%) and 3.5 writing (42%) (which I made up for with really well written essays). It's good to know some schools are doing away with it, I am pretty sure I would've killed the MCAT compared to just a general knowledge test

I've contacted places up to an hour away. I may contact some equine hospitals 2+ hours away and see if I can just do one day there shadowing.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[SoFloGryffindor]

...

 

[Lupin21]

Hey guys I am currently sitting pretty on the waitlist for 3 schools but I am working on a plan for improving my application. (I am interested in shelter med)

I applied to LSU (waitlisted), UGA (waitlisted), UF (IS, rejected after interview), and Auburn (waitlisted after interview).

Here are my stats when I first applied, the numbers in bold are the hours/experiences I will have when re applying.

GPA: 3.82 cum, 3.76 science, 3.84 last 45 (All GPAs will be higher by a little when reapplying)
GRE: 309

Vet experience:
Surgical Vet Tech at a spay+neuter clinic: 392/460
*Vet Tech at a shelter: 306/ 1317 (if I continue part time)
LA colic shadowing: 4

Animal Experience:
Volunteering in a barn: 55/205
Shelter (walking dogs, events) 36/50
Riding therapy for special needs kids: 12
Docent at wildlife hospital: 30
Volunteer at wolf sanctuary: 50

Research:
Organic chemistry research: 195/250
Biology research: 40/ 150

Extracurriculars/Volunteering
Make a Wish volunteer- 57/70
Dance Marathon- 30
Two leadership positions in my sorority: 800
Vice President of the school dance company: 200
March for Science organizer- 80
Honors College
Order of Omega Greek Honor Society

Employment:
Orientation Leader- 930
Science tutor- 306
Retail- 1620
Server- 720

Awards:
$1000 Honors program research grant
$500 Honors program involvement scholarship
Panhellenic Scholarship award
Presidents list (2 semesters)
Deans list (4 semesters)

Some questions for you all:
Should I retake the GRE? I studied really hard for my (crappy) score so it would require a lot of time to improve it.
*I currently work part time here and would be able to work full time after graduating. Should I stay here and work full time or continue part time get another part time vet tech job at a small animal clinic (more money+a different experience)
I have plans to shadow an exotic vet as all the local large animal vets in my area do not allow shadows. Is this a waste of time (I could spend working) or something that will help?

File reviews are what I would recommend for sure. Each school should offer advice on what it was that you need to do for improvement.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

File reviews are what I would recommend for sure. Each school should offer advice on what it was that you need to do for improvement.

I already contacted the schools and most don't do them until late May, which only leaves about 2 months for me to make fixes :/

 

[Lupin21]

I already contacted the schools and most don't do them until late May, which only leaves about 2 months for me to make fixes :/

oh blergh. That is unfortunate. The only things visible are the GRE needing to be bumped and the lack of diversity, but it is also possible you need to rework your PS a good bit to also stand out better. You did get two interviews but didn't get results, so maybe also take some time to think about interview skills as to shine bright as the sun in person.

 

[Lupin21]

I already contacted the schools and most don't do them until late May, which only leaves about 2 months for me to make fixes :/

Actually though, it leaves a bit more as the deadline for submission isn't until October, so that adds a couple more months as well. Especially if it does involve little things like PS and such. It is amazing what happens when you take the same data and present it in a different light.

 

[Florida_Future_DVM]

oh blergh. That is unfortunate. The only things visible are the GRE needing to be bumped and the lack of diversity, but it is also possible you need to rework your PS a good bit to also stand out better. You did get two interviews but didn't get results, so maybe also take some time to think about interview skills as to shine bright as the sun in person.

Great advice, thank you! I am hoping the file reviews will help me with easier fixes such as essays, interviews, etc.

 

[vetmedhead]

I want to pursue Large Animal.

Veterinary Experience:
- 2,000+ hours experience SA
- 500 hours experience LA

Animal Experience:
- 250 hours volunteering at animal shelters in High School

Just commenting on this specifically, but is wanting to pursue LA a recent development for you? Admissions folks may sometimes raise eyebrows if you have an interest in entering an area but the predominance of your experience is in something else, and here you have about 4x as much experience in small animal practice as you do in large. You don't exactly have low hours in LA, which is good, but if there are reasons why it's difficult to get a massive amount of experience in large animal work compared to small it might be good to note that somewhere in a PS or supplemental essay so schools have an idea of why the experiences don't line up with your interests as well as they theoretically could.