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I don't think Tuskegee uses vmcas, unless they changed in the past 2 years.Yeah Tufts uses VMCAS now. I'm pretty sure all schools in the states (except a&m) use vmcas now.
I don't think Tuskegee uses vmcas, unless they changed in the past 2 years.Yeah Tufts uses VMCAS now. I'm pretty sure all schools in the states (except a&m) use vmcas now.
I don't think Tuskegee uses vmcas, unless they changed in the past 2 years.
Guess they started using it again! Good to know.
All looks good. Make sure you spend time to make your PS hit all the high points of what makes you tick and why you would be an asset to the vet med field. I think as long as you can present all these accomplishments and your individuality in a pleasing VMCAS form, you've got a great chance of meeting your goals.Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017
Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78
GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5
LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for
Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin
Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet
Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary
Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo
Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls
Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)
Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society
Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University
Hey guys, any tips/advice?
Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017
Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78
GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5
LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for
Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin
Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet
Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary
Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo
Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls
Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)
Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society
Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University
All looks good. Make sure you spend time to make your PS hit all the high points of what makes you tick and why you would be an asset to the vet med field. I think as long as you can present all these accomplishments and your individuality in a pleasing VMCAS form, you've got a great chance of meeting your goals.
Holy cow. Not sure I approve, but out with the old and in with the new since there isn't a choice. hahaLooks good! If you could get some LA or wildlife vet experience that would be nice, but your stats are strong enough that I don't think it's vital.
What state are you from that you're applying everywhere OOS? Applying to NCSU is smart (it's the most affordable OOS tuition) and UC Davis is fairly reasonable too. Keep in mind that NCSU is very, very, very competitive (no one on here got in OOS this year, even though several people had basically perfect stats with lots of experience). Your GPAs are just a teensy bit low for Davis (they say above a 3.80 average for last 45 and science GPAs is competitive for OOS), but your quant GRE might be high enough to get you an interview. To be clear, I think you have a very strong application- those schools are just particularly competitive.
The other schools on your list are all very expensive for OOS students and you can't switch to in-state tuition for any of them. Unless money truly isn't a concern for you, I strongly recommend looking at some less expensive schools. Missouri and Washington are both very reasonable (you can switch to IS tuition after the first year) and I think you have a good chance of getting into both. Mizzou in particular likes research.
VMCAS doesn't have a PS anymore- just three short essays. (Though your advice still stands!)
Looks good! If you could get some LA or wildlife vet experience that would be nice, but your stats are strong enough that I don't think it's vital.
What state are you from that you're applying everywhere OOS? Applying to NCSU is smart (it's the most affordable OOS tuition) and UC Davis is fairly reasonable too. Keep in mind that NCSU is very, very, very competitive (no one on here got in OOS this year, even though several people had basically perfect stats with lots of experience). Your GPAs are just a teensy bit low for Davis (they say above a 3.80 average for last 45 and science GPAs is competitive for OOS), but your quant GRE might be high enough to get you an interview. To be clear, I think you have a very strong application- those schools are just particularly competitive.
The other schools on your list are all very expensive for OOS students and you can't switch to in-state tuition for any of them. Unless money truly isn't a concern for you, I strongly recommend looking at some less expensive schools. Missouri and Washington are both very reasonable (you can switch to IS tuition after the first year) and I think you have a good chance of getting into both. Mizzou in particular likes research.
VMCAS doesn't have a PS anymore- just three short essays. (Though your advice still stands!)
Thanks for the advice! I'm from CT, we have five seats at Iowa, but currently not planning on applying for them. Based the AAVMC cost comparison tool, Wisconsin seemed on the 'somewhat' more affordable end, although I know their tuition continues to increase. I'm also hoping for a school with a strong equine program, which is what brings me to applying to the more expensive schools (UPenn, CSU, Cornell).
Hey guys, any tips/advice?
Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017
Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78
GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5
LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for
Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin
Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet
Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary
Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo
Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls
Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)
Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society
Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University
The AAVMC tool is way out of date. They list $109k as the total tuition for Wisconsin, but starting in fall 2018, it'll be $48k per year for a total of $192k (only it'll actually be more because they say they're still going to continue to raise tuition each year).
You don't need to go to a school with a particularly strong equine program to be an equine vet. Any school will prepare you just fine, and the rest (networking, grades, etc.) is up to you no matter where you get your DVM.
Oddly enough, at my Mizzou interview I talked to a fourth-year who will soon be starting his dream job as an equine vet working on racehorses. He chose Mizzou because tuition there is low, and because he felt their curriculum would prepare him well for that goal. (Students there get tons more elective rotations than most schools and you can do many away.) I'm not saying you have to go to Mizzou- my point is just that long-term, debt will have a bigger effect on your life and career than the university name on your degree.
I think it would be a huge mistake to not even apply for your IS seats. At least investigate some of the less expensive schools, make sure you have accurate figures for all, and do some basic budgeting and research on loans (will you be doing direct loans? grad plus? private? how much do you expect to earn, keeping in mind that equine salaries are particularly low? what are housing costs where you might live? etc.) I hope I'm not being too harsh, but seriously, debt should be your number one consideration (unless you're independently wealthy, and then you should ignore everything I said )
I agree with basically everything TrashPanda said, definitely consider cost as your number 1 factor. I do think you have a good shot at almost every school you listed as your stats are solid. For Davis in particular your stats are only going to get you to the interview phase, from then on it's a clean slate and entirely dependent on how you do in the interview. I think you've got a great shot just about everywhere, so I would stongly urge you to consider cost. Map out what you will be borrowing for each school. Keep in mind potential financial aid. I'm not sure about other schools, but at Davis everyone gets about $25-28k over their four years taken off their cost of tuition via grants. So look into how large of a endowment each school has. It doesn't hurt to ask the admissions departments directly if you will get need based aid either. Places like Tufts will only grant you need based aid if you, your parents, and your SO all combined make under a certain amount. Feel free to ask any other questions about cost, aid, or the admissions process. I applied to some of the schools you are looking into (Davis, Tufts, CSU) and would be happy to help answer any questions.
Thank you so much for your advice, I don't have all the pre-reqs for my in state seats and won't be able to achieve them in one semester as I was intending to graduate in January. I'll give it further thought though based on your advice, I completely understand debt will have a major impact on my life. There are other factors in play with certain more pricier schools as well that may make them a more reasonable option for me.
Thank you so much, I'll definitely come to you with more specific questions for those schools as they arise!
You have amazing stats, but just a heads up...Hey guys, any tips/advice?
Female, 20 years old, Graduating in January 2018. First time applying in May 2017
Cum GPA: 3.77 Science GPA: ~3.75 Last 45 ~3.78
GRE Verbal – 160 (85) Quantitative - 165 (89) AW- 4.5
LOR's – Based on different requirements for each school - Large animal vet, small animal vet, research advisor/professor, academic advisor/professor, large animal vet I work for
Schools Applying to (OOS for all): Cornell, UC Davis, NCSU, Tufts, UPenn, CSU, Wisconsin
Vet Experiences
- 104 hours shadowing GP ambulatory equine vet
- 320 hours shadowing GP small animal vet (2 different practices, fairly hands on)
- 510 hours shadowing (hands on) at equine clinic - shadowed & assisted with therio procedures & ambulatory medicine, shadowed surgeries
- ~240 hours technician for GP ambulatory equine vet
Research
- 520 hours - investigating the role of vision and chemosensory in relation to agonistic behavior in the American Lobster
- 100 hours - seismic activity in oceans in relation to increase in whale strandings
- 220 hours - health survey of sea fans in Belize, specifically investigated progression of one disease
- 160 hours - genomics research on Nematostella vectensis
- 160 hours - effect of anthropogenic noise on silverside fish
- 40 hours - collecting data on whales & sea birds for long-term project in Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary
Animal Experience
- ~2,000 hours - horseback riding and competing
- ~750 hours - feeding and care taking for horses (paid)
- 60 hours - dog sitting
- 9 hours - volunteering at cat shelter
- 5 hours - volunteering at zoo
Other Employment
- 96 hours - waitress
- 160 hours - husbandry in marine science lab
- ~900 hours - cleaning horse stalls
Volunteer
- Relay for Life - Sponsorship committee chair (~100 hours)
- Hope Lodge - making dinner and spending time and cancer patients staying at lodge (5 hours)
Leadership
-President of school's pre-veterinary society
Achievements
-Dean’s List
-President's merit scholarship to University
You have amazing stats, but just a heads up...
I was OOS for UC Davis and had a 3.85 science/cumulative GPA and a 82% Quantitative GRE score, and I got waitlisted for an interview (ultimately I didn't get off the waitlist and was rejected). Your GRE score is higher than mine, so maybe that will be the push that will get you an interview, but just wanted to let you know!
Wisconsin was also veeerrry competitive this year. I personally was flat out rejected and I know people who had perfect 4.0 GPAs and still got rejected... However you have really strong research experience and I heard that Wisconsin looks really favorably upon that, so who knows!
Also, you seem to have an interest in equine medicine. If you hope to pursue that professionally, consider applying to A&M. Their OOS tuition is dirt cheap (in comparison to other schools) and they're famous for their large animal medicine. If you love small animal medicine, Tufts or Ohio are great choices, but I don't think their large-animal medicine programs are as good as others.
You would only include the last 45 hours of classes you have completed! However, you have to include all the semester grades those 45 hours extend to (so say in your last 3 semesters you had a total of 48 hours instead of 45 - you would include all 48 hours in your calculation). The supplemental application is emailed pretty late in the game (I think it was in September?) so you would include Spring 2017's grades as well (and any summer classes you plan on taking).Thanks for the heads up! Do you know how Davis calculates last 45? My school is on the semester system and trying to get the best estimate for myself. I assume it would include courses completed only by the time the application is submitted?
Some schools do take this into account. I know Tufts does to some degree, and I believe Cornell does as well.Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.
Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.
But also...not to be a debbie downer here, but prestigious school does not necessarily = harder classes or lower grades. Example: Harvard's had a notorious problem with grade inflation for a long, long time. The schools that look at academic rigor are probably (hopefully) looking at it on a per institution basis, rather than just saying "oh this person went to an Ivy, it's ok that their GPA is a little lower".Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.
But also...not to be a debbie downer here, but prestigious school does not necessarily = harder classes or lower grades. Example: Harvard's had a notorious problem with grade inflation for a long, long time. The schools that look at academic rigor are probably (hopefully) looking at it on a per institution basis, rather than just saying "oh this person went to an Ivy, it's ok that their GPA is a little lower".
You will also likely be going up against people who have come out of similar schools but who still have GPAs well above the mean for accepted students. It's the nature of the beast.
I'm sure someone somewhere has studied it at some point -- it is academia, after allI guess what I've always wondered about...and totally not trying to pick on echoing or anything...is how does anyone actually know that their GPA would be higher at a "non-prestigious" institution? Just kinda seems like a weird statement to make, at least to me. Maybe such places really do have classes that are harder than anything I ever took, but without someone experiencing other schools I feel like that's just an assumption? Idk I went to my state university so I know nothing about the ivy leagues but I've always wondered about this...does someone like study these things or something? Lol
I have taken courses at prestigious and non-prestigious institutions. Out of all of them, the most rigorous courses have been at junior colleges. In my opinion, the prestige of a school says nothing about the rigor of the education. In fact, after taking preparatory courses at a junior college, I found myself more prepared than those who took courses at higher-end universities. This is just my experience. In other words, I don't think it is possible or fair to rank a student based on the college they came from, as the level of education is variable and probably depends more on the teacher(s) of the course(s) taken. Yes, some veterinary schools will give you a little boost based on your undergraduate institution, but from my experience that carries very little weight. My two cents for you .I guess what I've always wondered about...and totally not trying to pick on echoing or anything...is how does anyone actually know that their GPA would be higher at a "non-prestigious" institution? Just kinda seems like a weird statement to make, at least to me. Maybe such places really do have classes that are harder than anything I ever took, but without someone experiencing other schools I feel like that's just an assumption? Idk I went to my state university so I know nothing about the ivy leagues but I've always wondered about this...does someone like study these things or something? Lol
Sounds like someone in the informatics field needs to even the playing field and determine what equivalent grades from different schools would be .I'm sure someone somewhere has studied it at some point -- it is academia, after all
But this is also one of the reasons why standardized tests exist.
Sounds like someone in the informatics field needs to even the playing field and determine what equivalent grades from different schools would be .
I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )You get right on that STL
I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )
I have all intentions, just would like to be paid to do it rather than do it for free (and also, I need data to work with, and time that I can allocate to doing this )
You'd like to get paid for your work? I think you may be going into the wrong field
Does anyone know if admissions offices take what college you're coming from into consideration, especially for numbers heavy admissions like UC Davis? I'm at a prestigious college and definitely would have different grades if I went to a different school. It's kind of disheartening if it is truly numbers based and school profiles aren't taken into account.
Is it possible you'll be working with veterinary pathologists at the poultry center? If so, that's vet experience.Hey! I have a lot of work to do, but I'm only 19. I guess I probably know what I need to do? (I've posted before but I have some updates I guess?)
My GPA will likely sit around 3.3 at the end of this semester (Low, I know...shoutout to chemistry...). This is my first year at a university im slowly realizing is a lot harder than I thought it would be...
My vet experience sits pretty low right now, as I only have a few hours from volunteering at spay neuter clinics (somewhere around 30)
As for animal I have:
About 280-300 hours working as a stable hand
and around 100 this semester interning at a Clydesdale farm (Small amounts of vet experience, like a few hours observing ultrasounds and such)
around 15 hours volunteering at a big cat rescue
Extracirriculars:
I've been heavily involved in Rowing for about 6 years now, most of which I spent as a coxswain.
What I really wanted advice on was this summer:
So far I'll be working at the Poultry Diagnostic Research Center, which is at the vet school here (I'm an Avian bio major if that's relevent).
I also have the opportunity to help out with two research projects with Vets: one basically involves calves and viruses, and the other is centered around bull reproduction.
I'll also be taking Ochem, and retaking a gen chem 1 lab for a high grade.
Should I try to shadow at a more traditional, small animal clinic over the summer as well? Or would that be pushing it for one summer?
Thanks!
Is it possible you'll be working with veterinary pathologists at the poultry center? If so, that's vet experience.
How much you are willing to take on is entirely up to you to decide. It may not be unreasonable to try to get 5 or so hours of clinic time a week. You have a few years to continue to build up your hours as well.
Yeah, I'm wondering that too- there's a change the poultry center could include some vet experience, I'm not really sure yet (Either way, it's paid so I'm excited haha). I think I'll give it a shot- the hard part is going to finding someplace to shadow
Hey everyone,
I posted here a month back and have some updates that I'd like to add, specifically my GRE scores and some strides I am making to get enough vet hours. I would like to get some opinions on if I am still on the right track.
20 year old male, Arizona resident
Major: Veterinary Science
Minor: Spanish (might add biochemistry)
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:
Verbal: 159 (82nd percentile)
Quant: 155 (59th percentile)
Writing: 4.5 (82nd percentile)
Veterinary Experience:
- 225 hours spays, neuters, general exams with VIDA
- 40 hours calving, including helping in dystocias and preg checks.
- 5 hours general exams, handling, jugular venipuncture, and nasolacrimal flushing in horses.
Animal Experience:
- 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
2 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)
-Emergency vet I'm working with
Awards/recognition:
4 year undergrad scholarship
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 2 semesters
My concerns:
- Significantly low science GPA which I can't change much at this point
- Low amount of vet/animal experience
What I'm doing to correct my concerns:
I have started shadowing at 2 clinics; one companion animal practice as well as a high volume emergency clinic that deals with companion animals and exotics. At my current rate, I should be able to get in another 100-200 hours of vet experience before applying.
Since my last post, I have also started narrowing down school choices. Here are the ones I'm thinking of right now. Washington state university, oregon state university, CSU, Texas, mizzou, and possibly NC state.
Do these choices seem like reasonable choices for an AZ resident? I'm definitely hoping to get accepted to one that allows you to apply for in state after a year because I don't want to cripple myself with $300k in debt unless I have to. Any other schools you recommend I look into? I know I most definitely want to stay in the US, even though there are multiple good choices in other countries.
Yes, Arizona is included in WICHE. I actually haven't read up about the program too much yet but that definitely could be a good option to save some money. I recently checked up on NC state's GPA reqs and it looks like they calculate the pre req GPA instead, which should be above their cutoff (but I haven't calculated that out yet).Do you know if Arizona is in WICHE? If so, I would apply to every WICHE school, several of which are already on your list.
CSU, Texas, and NC State may be reaches here, especially with that science GPA. At SAVMA this year, the dean of TAMU said 90% of their students are IS, making OOS very competitive (similar for Oregan too, for that matter). CSU likes to see upward trends, so if your GPA is low from your freshman days, then that may be a less of a concern. NC State has an OOS GPA cut off of 3.4ish, but I don't know if to applies to your science GPA as well.
I would recommend K-State with your stellar last 45 GPA. That's something they favor heavily and I'm biased lol. My favorite OOS school when I was applying.
If you have the time I would. Above 75% in all categories is the general rule of thumb I believe. As a note, your undergrad science courses will still count even if they were science for nonmajors. What department where they in?I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!
Female, 28 years old, Pennsylvania Resident
Bachelors degree in early childhood education
Master's of Education in Early Intervention with specialization in autism spectrum disorder
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (certification requiring graduate level certificate in applied behavior analysis, 1500 hour apprenticeship, and passing the board exam)
Cum GPA: 3.6 (currently) Science GPA: N/A (only taken science for non-majors in undergrad) Last 45 Currently 3.9, but doesn't include any science courses
GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)
LOR's – None yet
Schools Applying to: My tentative plan is to apply only to UPenn the first cycle (to begin 2021). If I don't get in then consider other schools out of state that are close enough to a city where my husband could hopefully find a job.
Vet Experiences
-80 hours with medical intake at large shelter
-60 hours with small animal low-cost clinic
-60 hours with high volume spay/neuter clinic
Research
-200 hours (approximately) as a research assistant evaluating a behavioral intervention to increase social and communication skills in toddlers with autism
None animal related
Animal Experience
-4000 hours (approximately) volunteering through a variety of small animal shelters/rescues doing cat care, dog walking, fostering, helping with events, transporting animals
Other Employment
-1 year lead teacher in a preschool classroom
-1 year on-call substitute at a (different) preschool while in grad school
-18 months behavior consultant for behavioral health agency (going into homes, providing behavioral consultation for young children with challenging behaviors, supervising direct care staff)
-1 year (and counting, current position) as a clinician at a residential treatment facility for children with severe challenging behaviors and developmental disabilities
-1 year supervising graduate students completing their apprenticeship for board certification through University of Pittsburgh and now Drexel (unpaid)
Honors/Awards
-Award for excellence in Early Childhood Education recipient (in undergrad)
-NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Educator's grant recipient - presented a poster at Glenn Research Center in Ohio (also in undergrad)
-Merit scholarship to attend graduate school in education
-Government grant funding to attend graduate school in education, participate in pilot practicum program and courses
Extracurricular Activities
-After school tutor for at-risk youth (mostly in undergrad)
-High school math tutor (algebra and geometry)
-I have taken an adult tap dance class for the past 8 years
I know I'm low on the vet experience hours, but I have plenty of time to get more experience. My ideal career in the veterinary field would be to apply my background in behavior modification to shelter animals. I know that could be a whole discussion by itself, but my interests are primarily in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine.
Any advice on whether I should put in the effort to raise my GRE scores or not is greatly appreciated!
I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!
GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)
I am hoping for some advice about whether or not I should retake the GRE. I will be starting the post-bacc program at UPenn in the fall and currently have zero prerequisite courses completed. My plan was to get the GRE out of the way before starting the science courses, so I still have time to retake before the fall. Any advice is appreciated!
Female, 28 years old, Pennsylvania Resident
Bachelors degree in early childhood education
Master's of Education in Early Intervention with specialization in autism spectrum disorder
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (certification requiring graduate level certificate in applied behavior analysis, 1500 hour apprenticeship, and passing the board exam)
Cum GPA: 3.6 (currently) Science GPA: N/A (only taken science for non-majors in undergrad) Last 45 Currently 3.9, but doesn't include any science courses
GRE: Verbal: 155 (67th percentile) Quant: 158 (70th percentile)
LOR's – None yet
Schools Applying to: My tentative plan is to apply only to UPenn the first cycle (to begin 2021). If I don't get in then consider other schools out of state that are close enough to a city where my husband could hopefully find a job.
Vet Experiences
-80 hours with medical intake at large shelter
-60 hours with small animal low-cost clinic
-60 hours with high volume spay/neuter clinic
Research
-200 hours (approximately) as a research assistant evaluating a behavioral intervention to increase social and communication skills in toddlers with autism
None animal related
Animal Experience
-4000 hours (approximately) volunteering through a variety of small animal shelters/rescues doing cat care, dog walking, fostering, helping with events, transporting animals
Other Employment
-1 year lead teacher in a preschool classroom
-1 year on-call substitute at a (different) preschool while in grad school
-18 months behavior consultant for behavioral health agency (going into homes, providing behavioral consultation for young children with challenging behaviors, supervising direct care staff)
-1 year (and counting, current position) as a clinician at a residential treatment facility for children with severe challenging behaviors and developmental disabilities
-1 year supervising graduate students completing their apprenticeship for board certification through University of Pittsburgh and now Drexel (unpaid)
Honors/Awards
-Award for excellence in Early Childhood Education recipient (in undergrad)
-NASA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Educator's grant recipient - presented a poster at Glenn Research Center in Ohio (also in undergrad)
-Merit scholarship to attend graduate school in education
-Government grant funding to attend graduate school in education, participate in pilot practicum program and courses
Extracurricular Activities
-After school tutor for at-risk youth (mostly in undergrad)
-High school math tutor (algebra and geometry)
-I have taken an adult tap dance class for the past 8 years
I know I'm low on the vet experience hours, but I have plenty of time to get more experience. My ideal career in the veterinary field would be to apply my background in behavior modification to shelter animals. I know that could be a whole discussion by itself, but my interests are primarily in shelter medicine and behavioral medicine.
Any advice on whether I should put in the effort to raise my GRE scores or not is greatly appreciated!
If you have the time I would. Above 75% in all categories is the general rule of thumb I believe. As a note, your undergrad science courses will still count even if they were science for nonmajors. What department where they in?
Those definitely count towards your science GPA, I would double check with schools but I am pretty sure. Keep up those grades and you'll have a great shot!Thanks for the responses! I definitely think I can improve my score with some more studying. I'm thinking about the magoosh study tools.
One course was in the biology department (basic bio for non-science majors), and 3 in the physics department (basic physics for non-science majors and two astronomy courses). 3 As and one A-
Those definitely count towards your science GPA, I would double check with schools but I am pretty sure. Keep up those grades and you'll have a great shot!
Why not? Most vet schools look for well-rounded applicants. My interviewers mostly asked me about my non-vet-related extracurriculars, so make sure you have other things as well. But yeah, this sounds like a great opportunity .Hi I was wondering if volunteering at a horse rehabilitation center would look good for vet school? I really want to do it and it is more convenient than volunteering at a vet for me right now because I do not have a car and it is right across the street, while the vet would require driving. I plan on doing lots of other volunteer work in the future because I am only a freshman, but I was just wondering if this is a good idea. Thank you!
Yes, Arizona is included in WICHE. I actually haven't read up about the program too much yet but that definitely could be a good option to save some money. I recently checked up on NC state's GPA reqs and it looks like they calculate the pre req GPA instead, which should be above their cutoff (but I haven't calculated that out yet).
Hey guys,
Long time stalker, first time poster.
24 years old, female, Indiana resident
Degrees:
B.A. in Biology, Spanish
Minors in Business, Chemistry
Other Honors:
General Honors Notation
Phi Beta Kappa
Multiple Dean's Lists
Many academic scholarships for tuition, living stipends, study abroad, etc.
Cum GPA: 3.82
Science GPA: 3.63
Last 45: 3.66
Veterinary Experience:
- 170 hours experience SA (and increasing weekly)
- 85 hours experience LA
- Upcoming two-week Veterinary Student Program with ARCAS in Guatemala
I shadowed an ambulatory large animal vet 1x/week for a semester, and I've shadowed in several SA clinics. I currently volunteer one or two days per week at a low-cost spay/neuter/wellness clinic.
Animal Experience:
- 3500 hours between 9 years of 4H, many years of riding and competing horses, and growing up on a hobby farm
LORs:
- SA veterinarian at the high-volume spay and neuter clinic I volunteer at now
- LA veterinarian I used to shadow with
- Spanish professor from university
- Microbiology professor from university (tentative)
- Exotic veterinarian from this summer's program (tentative)
Volunteer experience:
- Four-year volunteer for second largest dance marathon in the US benefitting a local children's hospital
Other Experience:
- Spent 9 months after college living and traveling in Australia, Cambodia, and Vietnam
- Two weeks backpacking Peru
- Upcoming: Two weeks around Guatemala and Peru
- Upcoming: Three months in Europe
Obviously travel is massively important to me, and I'd love to figure out a way to incorporate my love for traveling and global affairs into practicing medicine.
Employment:
- Currently a full-time bartender and manager at a modern-Amercian restaurant and cocktail bar (was part-time for most of college)
GRE verbal: 163
GRE quant: 158
GRE writing: 4.5
Applying: Purdue, NCSU, CSU
Concerns:
- Somewhat low veterinary experience hours, hoping that will be added to this summer and balanced by my animal experience.
- Three years between graduating college and matriculating (if I'm accepted).
I'm sure I've forgotten something!