I was recently denied admission from Iowa State (my IS) this cycle and would really appreciate some advice on how to improve my application for next cycle, especially since as of now they will not be doing reviews on unsuccessful applicants.
BS in biology
Science Prerequisite GPA- 3.64 (O chem is the only prerequisite I have a B, the rest are A's and A-'s. Would retaking O chem be beneficial?)
Last 45 GPA- 3.44 (400/500 level histology, physiology, and advanced cellular biology are dragging this down)
Cumulative GPA- 3.58
Experience
Veterinary-
SA- 300 hours shadowing/volunteering at a small animal veterinary clinic (Currently at 700 hours)
LA- 100 hours shadowing/volunteering at a large animal veterinary clinic (Currently at 200 hours)
Zoo Animal- 50 hours observing a variety of procedures performed on zoo animals
Board certified orthopedic surgeon shadowing- 15 hours (currently 30 hours)
Animal-
500 hours as an avian/reptile animal care intern at a zoo
Research-
1000 hours as a lab tech collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data for the research and development department for a drug, grooming, and cosmetic manufacturing company (Not sure if this is considered research? The research and development lead had a masters in chemistry)
50 hours doing a research project on African Spurred Tortoise behavior, I presented a poster of my findings to the zoo staff and other interns.
Non animal employment-
400 hours as a field inspector for Syngenta
800 hours as a detasseler eventually becoming a detasseling supervisor in my last season
Extracurriculars-
Played football in college and was a team leader
Raised money for the Iowa Shriners Hospital
Involved in volunteering for the local community throughout undergrad, everything from snow removal to giving speeches to elementary students to supervising a football camp for children with intellectual disabilities.
Judged multiple middle school science fairs
LORs-
Zoo supervisor
Advisor who is a PhD professor that earned his degree from Iowa State
Coach
(I was not able to get a LOR from a veterinarian this cycle which is probably the primary reason my application was denied, although it is not a requirement for Iowa State. I should be able to get a few veterinarian LORs this next cycle, should I ask them what they will write about me beforehand?)
Essays-
My traits I tried to sell to the committee were critical thinking, leadership/teamwork, aptitude in biology and biologic processes, ability to simplify and elaborate on complex scientific topics, and my strong interest with solving cases
(Any essay tips would also be great)
(I have also gotten a job offer to work at a bovine IVF company, would a vet school look favorably at this experience, even if it is only lab work?)
