Trying to change careers

[fleursauvage]

Hey, I think I am an odd case, because I’m a non-traditional student. I got my bachelor’s degree at 19. I’m now 25, and have been working in finance since graduating. This year will be my first application cycle. I’m interested in seeing if anyone knows of schools that accept stats like mine. I’m definitely applying to UF, as it’s my in-state school, and I’m lucky that they post their yearly demographics, but it seems like a lot of schools don’t do that.


Cumulative GPA: 3.47
science GPA: 3.46
last 45: 3.46
I'm still taking prerequisites, so these don't include the current semester.

Any degrees achieved

B.A. in Art History

GRE results: Taking in June

Veterinary Experience:
-~200 hours large animal
-~150 hours small animal/ shelter (ongoing)

Animal Experience:
-150 hours volunteering at animal shelters/ humane societies

Research Experience:
~50 hours of large animal research
180 hours of plant-based research (ongoing)

Employment:
-Finance for the past 6 years-full time

Letters of Recommendation:
-Large animal vet
-Shelter vet
-My research professor
-My current boss, the CFO


I’m worried that my GPA will be too low. I can expect to get at least 100 hours more of shelter experience, and probably 200 more of research experience, but that will only put me at 1000 hours, and I know many people apply with way more. I’m looking into getting some wildlife experience, but I won’t be able to fit in hundreds of hours by September. I historically do well on standardized tests, so I’m obviously hoping to do the same with the GRE. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[Lupin21]

Hey, I think I am an odd case, because I’m a non-traditional student. I got my bachelor’s degree at 19. I’m now 25, and have been working in finance since graduating. This year will be my first application cycle. I’m interested in seeing if anyone knows of schools that accept stats like mine. I’m definitely applying to UF, as it’s my in-state school, and I’m lucky that they post their yearly demographics, but it seems like a lot of schools don’t do that.


Cumulative GPA: 3.47
science GPA: 3.46
last 45: 3.46
I'm still taking prerequisites, so these don't include the current semester.

Any degrees achieved

B.A. in Art History

GRE results: Taking in June

Veterinary Experience:
-~200 hours large animal
-~150 hours small animal/ shelter (ongoing)

Animal Experience:
-150 hours volunteering at animal shelters/ humane societies

Research Experience:
~50 hours of large animal research
180 hours of plant-based research (ongoing)

Employment:
-Finance for the past 6 years-full time

Letters of Recommendation:
-Large animal vet
-Shelter vet
-My research professor
-My current boss, the CFO


I’m worried that my GPA will be too low. I can expect to get at least 100 hours more of shelter experience, and probably 200 more of research experience, but that will only put me at 1000 hours, and I know many people apply with way more. I’m looking into getting some wildlife experience, but I won’t be able to fit in hundreds of hours by September. I historically do well on standardized tests, so I’m obviously hoping to do the same with the GRE. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Most schools post the admitted stats for the previous years, they can be hard to find though. What type of vet are you currently interested in being? You have average everything, so a lot of this will be based on the unique things about you to help you stand out from the crowd.

 

[cheval12]

Hey, I think I am an odd case, because I’m a non-traditional student. I got my bachelor’s degree at 19. I’m now 25, and have been working in finance since graduating. This year will be my first application cycle. I’m interested in seeing if anyone knows of schools that accept stats like mine. I’m definitely applying to UF, as it’s my in-state school, and I’m lucky that they post their yearly demographics, but it seems like a lot of schools don’t do that.


Cumulative GPA: 3.47
science GPA: 3.46
last 45: 3.46
I'm still taking prerequisites, so these don't include the current semester.

Any degrees achieved

B.A. in Art History

GRE results: Taking in June

Veterinary Experience:
-~200 hours large animal
-~150 hours small animal/ shelter (ongoing)

Animal Experience:
-150 hours volunteering at animal shelters/ humane societies

Research Experience:
~50 hours of large animal research
180 hours of plant-based research (ongoing)

Employment:
-Finance for the past 6 years-full time

Letters of Recommendation:
-Large animal vet
-Shelter vet
-My research professor
-My current boss, the CFO


I’m worried that my GPA will be too low. I can expect to get at least 100 hours more of shelter experience, and probably 200 more of research experience, but that will only put me at 1000 hours, and I know many people apply with way more. I’m looking into getting some wildlife experience, but I won’t be able to fit in hundreds of hours by September. I historically do well on standardized tests, so I’m obviously hoping to do the same with the GRE. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Wow hi! I'm 25 and worked in finance and hated my life and now I'm going to vet school in the fall! I was soooo nervous because I feel like for career changers there's a lot riding on you to get in the first time around because you threw away a stable, well-paid career to do this craziness.
But I got in! And you will, too. Thoughts on your stats:

Your cumulative GPA is better than mine was, but my last 45 and science were a 3.6-ish. Just work hard in the remaining prereqs and you'll be fine.

My GRE was 161 Verbal/157 Quant/5.5 Analytical. Just so you have a basis when you take it in June.

It looks like your hours are good to me. Mayyybe try and get some food animal in there. I'm doing research for the whole year at the USDA on pigs so that helped I think.

Other than that, talk up the career change thing in your essays. All those diversity questions are perfect for it.

Feel free to DM with any other questions! Good luck

 

[ajs513]

The only issue I see is your number of vet and animal hours. Not that it’ll prevent you from getting into schools outright, but I don’t think it’ll open any doors. The average this cycle for animal and vet hours was 1,200, respectively. Granted, it’s not the most important part of an application, but it can help to boost your application if you fall short in other areas. As long as you do well in your prereq courses this semester and do well on the GRE (for schools that require it), your hours will probably matter a little less. On top of that, it’s more important to show that your experience was beneficial to you and was unique rather than just something you did to put on an application. So as long as you can get that across with the hours you currently have, you’ll be in a better position.