Re-applicant 2020

[WanttheDVM]

Hi !

I am re-applying this year and would like tips in order to improve my application profile.
I have a GPA: 3.73, sGPA: 3.4 and tons of animal experiences(800hrs). However my GRE scores are not so good.
I am planning to re-take the GRE and improve my score. In addition, I am planning in acquiring new animal experiences.
Nonetheless, I have no idea on how to improve my essays, as I think they say everything that I think of the veterinary career and my future goals. Do universities like Illinois, NC, and others require to change all of the essays? If so, how do you recommend that I improve them. This gives me anxious, as I feel like doing the from 0, I am repeating everything of my last essays

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[supershorty]

You say you have 800 hours of animal experience, but how much veterinary experience do you have? Those are 2 different things.

Did you do file reviews with the program(s) you applied to this year? What is your last 45 GPA? The more information you give us, the more we can offer suggestions.

I would highly recommend revising essays, as the person you are now isn't the same person you were a year ago.

 

[Georgethecat]

It would be easier for people to give advice if you post full stats. Look at other What are my Chances posts and copy the format.

Do you have an in state school? What are your gre scores? How do they compare with the averages for the schools you want to apply to. Take advantage of the thread where people volunteer to give advice on your personal statement/essays.

2025 Personal Statement Readers!

Since VMCAS opened back in January for this current cycle, that means there's much more time available for applicants to have their essays read/reviewed/edited than in previous years. Much more time to polish things up and make them as perfect as possible. :) To applicants: You can send a PM...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Your cumulative gpa is great and your science gpa is fine. Are these the gpa's that VMCAS calculated? Be aware that each school calculates gpa's differently. Some average retakes and some allow replacement. Some schools calculate your science gpa using every math and science course you've taken and others only count their pre-req's.

As supershorty said, be clear which experiences are veterinary hours (under the direct supervision of a veterinarian) and which are animal experience hours. Most schools care far more about vet hours than animal experience hours. And definitely take advantage of file reviews for all of the schools you applied to this cycle.

Each school has a different formula for admissions. Your best bet is to do a lot of research and see which schools would favor your application.

Best of luck!

 

[WanttheDVM]

You say you have 800 hours of animal experience, but how much veterinary experience do you have? Those are 2 different things.

Did you do file reviews with the program(s) you applied to this year? What is your last 45 GPA? The more information you give us, the more we can offer suggestions.

I would highly recommend revising essays, as the person you are now isn't the same person you were a year ago.

Thank you for responding!

Of those 800hrs, 450hrs are veterinary experiences

I made an appointment, but they haven't responded or set a date yet. I am just anticipating things. My last 45 GPA is 3.75

I am trying to make changes to them, but I am having difficulties

 

[battie]

Where did you apply?

 

[ajs513]

Thank you for responding!

Of those 800hrs, 450hrs are veterinary experiences

I made an appointment, but they haven't responded or set a date yet. I am just anticipating things. My last 45 GPA is 3.75

I am trying to make changes to them, but I am having difficulties

Other people will tell you what to focus on. I agree it’s extremely difficult to assess your application without much info. But I’m going to focus on the experience aspect.
Your experience hours are actually pretty low in comparison to many applicants. 400-500 veterinary hours is usually the low end of what people end up acquiring. It equates to just a few months of part time work at a veterinary hospital. You have to consider that most applicants begin getting experience early on in undergrad, with some starting as early as high school. I’m one of those people with a ton of hours, which I did to make up for my mediocre academics, and I ended up with around 5,000 hours of veterinary experience and I think 1,300 hours of other animal experience since my sophomore year of undergrad. The average on the AAVMC website is 1,200 hours of veterinary experience and 1,200 hours of animal experience. This is obviously skewed high by people with way more than that, but what it also means is that around 500 hours is what basically everyone will have completed by the time they apply. Some will have less, and I’m sure someone will come on and say “I had 200 hours and got in.” Sure. It happens sometimes. But don’t go into your application with the expectation that 450 veterinary hours will make you stand out. In time alone, it’s actually pretty low.

What matters more at this point is what those hours are made up of. If it’s all in one field at one or two hospitals, for example, that wouldn’t look very good and certainly wouldn’t help you stand out. If it’s made up of 6+ experiences in all different areas of veterinary medicine, for example, then that would look much better. So the actual number of hours is less important than what they’re made up of. The point is to show that you have a comprehensive understanding of veterinary medicine and what that means. If you can prove that with 450 hours, then great. But, again, that number of hours isn’t really that much.

 

[WanttheDVM]

Where did you apply?

I applied to 3 Grad schools: Illinois (currently on the waitlist), NC and Michigan


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[WanttheDVM]

It would be easier for people to give advice if you post full stats. Look at other What are my Chances posts and copy the format.

Do you have an in state school? What are your gre scores? How do they compare with the averages for the schools you want to apply to. Take advantage of the thread where people volunteer to give advice on your personal statement/essays.

2025 Personal Statement Readers!

Since VMCAS opened back in January for this current cycle, that means there's much more time available for applicants to have their essays read/reviewed/edited than in previous years. Much more time to polish things up and make them as perfect as possible. :) To applicants: You can send a PM...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Your cumulative gpa is great and your science gpa is fine. Are these the gpa's that VMCAS calculated? Be aware that each school calculates gpa's differently. Some average retakes and some allow replacement. Some schools calculate your science gpa using every math and science course you've taken and others only count their pre-req's.

As supershorty said, be clear which experiences are veterinary hours (under the direct supervision of a veterinarian) and which are animal experience hours. Most schools care far more about vet hours than animal experience hours. And definitely take advantage of file reviews for all of the schools you applied to this cycle.

Each school has a different formula for admissions. Your best bet is to do a lot of research and see which schools would favor your application.

Best of luck!

Thank you! I will research more!


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[WanttheDVM]

Other people will tell you what to focus on. I agree it’s extremely difficult to assess your application without much info. But I’m going to focus on the experience aspect.
Your experience hours are actually pretty low in comparison to many applicants. 400-500 veterinary hours is usually the low end of what people end up acquiring. It equates to just a few months of part time work at a veterinary hospital. You have to consider that most applicants begin getting experience early on in undergrad, with some starting as early as high school. I’m one of those people with a ton of hours, which I did to make up for my mediocre academics, and I ended up with around 5,000 hours of veterinary experience and I think 1,300 hours of other animal experience since my sophomore year of undergrad. The average on the AAVMC website is 1,200 hours of veterinary experience and 1,200 hours of animal experience. This is obviously skewed high by people with way more than that, but what it also means is that around 500 hours is what basically everyone will have completed by the time they apply. Some will have less, and I’m sure someone will come on and say “I had 200 hours and got in.” Sure. It happens sometimes. But don’t go into your application with the expectation that 450 veterinary hours will make you stand out. In time alone, it’s actually pretty low.

What matters more at this point is what those hours are made up of. If it’s all in one field at one or two hospitals, for example, that wouldn’t look very good and certainly wouldn’t help you stand out. If it’s made up of 6+ experiences in all different areas of veterinary medicine, for example, then that would look much better. So the actual number of hours is less important than what they’re made up of. The point is to show that you have a comprehensive understanding of veterinary medicine and what that means. If you can prove that with 450 hours, then great. But, again, that number of hours isn’t really that much.

Thank you, I am planning on doing more hours in vet clinics. I regret not knowing this since my first year


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[WanttheDVM]

Sorry I forgot to add this. Where I live, there are no vet schools so I don’t have the in state option. This year I plan on re-applying to Illinois (my dream grad school), Arizona, and Purdue.


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[battie]

Sorry I forgot to add this. Where I live, there are no vet schools so I don’t have the in state option. This year I plan on re-applying to Illinois (my dream grad school), Arizona, and Purdue.


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If you have specific questions about Illinois, let me know. I am a 4th year.

You should look into schools that factor in last 45 GPA, because yours is pretty solid.