WAMC C/O 2028 Non-Trad 1st time

[Alie1996]

Hi all,
I'm a 26yo non-trad hoping to apply for the first time this year despite still having an academic year of classes I need to complete... Wish me luck and I appreciate any advice.
My number one is Cornell and my number two is my in state WSU.

Cumulative GPA: 3.81
science GPA: 3.88
last 45: 4.0

Any degrees achieved: BS in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production

GRE results: Q/V/W - Didn’t take the GRE

Veterinary Experience:

• 17 months as Vet Assistant (PT/FT) at a one doctor companion animal primary care clinic
• Just started a job as a Vet Assistant for a 2 doctor companion animal primary care clinic

Animal Experience:

• Long time pet and farm sitter
• Worked as a herdsman/cheesemaker on a 60 goat dairy for 6 months
• Lots of animal experience in college (Animal Behavior class, worked with draft horses, poultry raising and processing, dairy goat care, some time spent with pigs nothing official though).
• Dog groomer for 3 months FT

Research Experience: None

Awards/scholarships:

• Deans list for 3 semesters in undergrad
• President’s list for the other 3 semesters in undergrad
• Graduated Magna Cum Laude
• I don’t remember the scholarships I got. I think I got a merit scholarship for volunteering in high school but I went to undergrad in 2014.

Extracurriculars:

• What does this even mean as a non-trad? Lol
• I do BJJ, Rock Climbing, Volunteer at Raves as Medical Assistnace

Employment:

• EMT for 18 months FT
• Medical Receptionist (Human PA clinic) for 4 months FT
• Park Ranger for a summer FT
• Brewer for a large brewing company in the SW for 11 months FT

Summarize any concerns you have: I’m concerned about applying in September 2023 for C/O 2028 because I still have a lot of my science classes to take (Finishing O Chem, Biochem, Genetics, Physics, and Microbio). I will be finished with all of these classes by June of 2024 which is still before I would be going to vet school if I get in this cycle.

Also a big question I have: I want to apply to Oregon, Colorado and Western (the Cali one) and they all require physiology which is weird to me. Do I take A&P at my community college and go for it??? Or should I just apply without it?

TIA

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[wayne455338]

For WSU, you can only have 2 prerequisites maximum planning to take or in progress at the time of the application. Are you taking o chem 1 and Physics 1 in Fall 2023? If yes, then you are not qualified to apply WSU because you will have over 2 prerequisites not taken yet including genetics, biochem, ochem 1, and physics 1. If it is o chem 2 and physics 2, then you are fine since you will have biochem and genetics left. For Cornell, you are allowed to have 12 semester credits of prerequisite works in progress at the time of the application but you must have at least one grade in organic chemistry. That being said, you are probably not qualified for Cornell either if you have not taken ochem 1 yet. However, if you take some of the science classes during the summer, I think you will be fine applying to both schools. For the physiology class, the best way to make sure the class taken at community college is fine is to call the admission. They will tell you whether the class will be approved. No matter where the class is taken, you must have it because it is their prerequisite. If you get accepted and you don't have that class, your acceptance can be taken away. By the way, CSU adds several new prerequisites this year including cell biology. Make sure you have those classes on your schedule. good luck on your application.

 

[Alie1996]

For WSU, you can only have 2 prerequisites maximum planning to take or in progress at the time of the application. Are you taking o chem 1 and Physics 1 in Fall 2023? If yes, then you are not qualified to apply WSU because you will have over 2 prerequisites not taken yet including genetics, biochem, ochem 1, and physics 1. If it is o chem 2 and physics 2, then you are fine since you will have biochem and genetics left. For Cornell, you are allowed to have 12 semester credits of prerequisite works in progress at the time of the application but you must have at least one grade in organic chemistry. That being said, you are probably not qualified for Cornell either if you have not taken ochem 1 yet. However, if you take some of the science classes during the summer, I think you will be fine applying to both schools. For the physiology class, the best way to make sure the class taken at community college is fine is to call the admission. They will tell you whether the class will be approved. No matter where the class is taken, you must have it because it is their prerequisite. If you get accepted and you don't have that class, your acceptance can be taken away. By the way, CSU adds several new prerequisites this year including cell biology. Make sure you have those classes on your schedule. good luck on your application.

Thanks for this info. I'm finishing Ochem 2 now.
The WSU pre-reqs I won't have completed by September are Genetics, Biochem, and Physics.
If what you're saying is true I'm at a loss.
Where did you get that information? I can't find it on their prerequisite page. https://dvm.vetmed.wsu.edu/admissions/prerequisites
Maybe I missed it.

 

[wayne455338]

Thanks for this info. I'm finishing Ochem 2 now.
The WSU pre-reqs I won't have completed by September are Genetics, Biochem, and Physics.
If what you're saying is true I'm at a loss.
Where did you get that information? I can't find it on their prerequisite page. https://dvm.vetmed.wsu.edu/admissions/prerequisites
Maybe I missed it.

I checked the website and I couldn't find the information either but it was there when I applied last year. I don't know if they change any rules this year. The advisor also told me I cannot have more than 2 prerequisites at the time of the application. I think it is good to double-check with the admission. They will tell you the correct information.

 

[Alie1996]

I checked the website and I couldn't find the information either but it was there when I applied last year. I don't know if they change any rules this year. The advisor also told me I cannot have more than 2 prerequisites at the time of the application. I think it is good to double-check with the admission. They will tell you the correct information.

Thanks!
I definitely emailed them in a panic after I read your reply. I'll report back. It looks like most schools want no more than 3 pre-reqs missing by the time the app is due in September.
It looks like I might be only applying to 2 schools this year based on that info.
We'll see
Otherwise any advice?

 

[coolprius]

Hi! Incoming Cornell first-year here… This might be an unpopular opinion, but I do not regret waiting another year to apply (which means I’m starting at age 30 instead of 29) so that I could increase and diversify my veterinary experience and maintain a high GPA with post-bac classes. I think this really helped me be a successful first time applicant with multiple options on where to attend (including Oregon and Colorado both OOS). Seems like you’ve got really solid grades, but not very diverse veterinary experience. It might be worth waiting a year to potentially give yourself more options. Perhaps look into working outside of small animal GP if it’s possible. For me, the extra year of experience was worth waiting another year to start vet school. I loved my work and found it very fulfilling, so it didn’t feel like “wasted” time. Also at this point graduating at 33 vs 34 isn’t going to make or break the rest of my career. Not sure if this was the advice you were looking for but hope it’s helpful. Cornell’s director of admissions does also meet with prospective students and if it’s your top choice it might be worth scheduling a meeting with her to get some advice.