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I dicked around in high school and can't go back to tell my younger self to stop being stupid, so might as well try and fix the damage now. I graduated two years ago with a low GPA and now I'm slowly getting into a position to take myself back to school.
Currently I plan on going to a community college and trying to get my associates in whatevers closest to animal sciences (based on college). Also to really try and relearn math and science. I learned I can take the SAT and ACT after high school, so I plan on retaking my ACT (I got a 24 the first time, math/science was VERY low) and studying for the SAT. Continue to work my current job (animal hospital) and try to volunteer more at the shelters while I'm at it. I am currently asking the vet techs and vets at my job what school was like for tips. I know I'll have to keep my GPA up and schools look at extracurricular activities, so I plan on doing clubs and sports (sports for the sake of my sanity). Is there anything else I'm missing that'll help? Before college advice and things I can do now would be greatly helpful, as I won't be enrolled for another year based on time, bills, and something I'm still paying off currently.
In your particular situation, I would concentrate on grades. That is, if you are sure that is what you want to do. Vet school is competitive.
Maybe even live at home and go to school full time and just ... school and nothing else.
Grades are not everything, but the thing is that, it's difficult to go back and repair messed up college grades (don't worry about HS GPA, totally meaningless).
For instance, if you have a 3.8 GPA and get rejected from Vet School because you don't have enough experience with animals, you can always spend another couple of years and get more work experience and volunteering and work with associations (I assume you are really young and time is totally on your side). And your 3.8 will still be a 3.8.
OTOH, if you have all the work experience in the world but a 3.1 GPA, that's tough.
If it was like an Electrical Engineering student, I'd tell them the opposite. Go get work experience, internships, network. Don't worry about grades so much and certainly don't spend all your time in the library just studying. But you already have real life experience...
The biggest misconception / disillusionment I hear concerning wannabee-veterinarians (I have a brother -- Cornell grad -- who is one, and so is his wife -- Penn grad) is that the profession is overly attractive to the animal-lovers / animal-rights crowd (disproportionately female, BTW) who have no idea what daily life "in the ranks" is really like. They all expect to deal exclusively with small animals in a moneyed suburban setting, and blanch at the thought of donning a shoulder-length rubber glove and dealing with the south end of a northbound horse or dairy cow.
But unfortunately for the dream, this is exactly where the dynamics of the marketplace (a/k/a supply and demand) will impel most of them; that or "animal industry", such as working as a USDA inspector in a packing plant.
If the OP is sincere about getting a set of skills that will lead to a satisfying (and reasonably rewarding ) career, then I'm sure that the grades issue can be overcome -- particularly if you can adapt to the grittier side of the profession common to schools outside the Northeast. But please be aware that the "real world" of a veterinarian is far removed from what our over-sanitized mass media portray.
In your particular situation, I would concentrate on grades. That is, if you are sure that is what you want to do. Vet school is competitive.
Maybe even live at home and go to school full time and just ... school and nothing else.
Grades are not everything, but the thing is that, it's difficult to go back and repair messed up college grades (don't worry about HS GPA, totally meaningless).
For instance, if you have a 3.8 GPA and get rejected from Vet School because you don't have enough experience with animals, you can always spend another couple of years and get more work experience and volunteering and work with associations (I assume you are really young and time is totally on your side). And your 3.8 will still be a 3.8.
OTOH, if you have all the work experience in the world but a 3.1 GPA, that's tough.
A 3.8 might not even be enough. DVM programs are very impacted. . Then ace your GRE. Tufts average undergrad GPA is 3.53, UC Davis' ug GPA is between 3.6-3.7, Penn's is 3.58 for 2017.
Florida: 12.3% admitted. 3.65 GPA. GRE Verbal 70%, Quantitative 62% - I don't know what that translate to in the actual 700 point scale.
In my experience, schools actually look favorably at the 'non-traditional' student--someone who hasn't wanted to be a vet since they were 5, and has a perfect GPA and spends every waking moment working with animals. Someone who took time to figure out what they want out of life will usually be more dedicated to achieving it. Non-traditional students are usually better able to cope with the stresses of academia, and bring a real-life perspective that traditional students can't. Schools like to have diversity in their population.
You might find this forum helpful...this thread is from 2012 but if you search around you can probably find a more recent one. In this thread vet school applicants list their success/failure rates and what their GPA and what extra curricular experience they have.
While the general thought is that you have to have a near 4.0 to get accepted, as that thread shows, some people get accepted even with a 3.0! So I think all is not lost. You do need to do very well in community college and undergrad, but having something unique that makes you stand out could be just as valuable. Extracurricular activities at this point shouldn't be in the form of 'clubs and sports'. You need something like volunteering in a remote Andes village over the summer, or starting up your own charity.
Take lots of science at community college--and you need to ace them. If you can't ace community college science, you won't make it through vet school. At the community college level, an animal studies curriculum will probably be very vocational-focused....like turning out vet techs. Not preparing students for advanced studies. Look for a program in biology or chemistry.
Have a solid backup plan if you don't get in (especially if you don't get in on your first try--as that thread shows, many people reapplied for several years).
Last edited by MarianRavenwood; 09-20-2017 at 08:51 AM..
In my experience, schools actually look favorably at the 'non-traditional' student--someone who hasn't wanted to be a vet since they were 5, and has a perfect GPA and spends every waking moment working with animals. Someone who took time to figure out what they want out of life will usually be more dedicated to achieving it. Non-traditional students are usually better able to cope with the stresses of academia, and bring a real-life perspective that traditional students can't. Schools like to have diversity in their population.
You might find this forum helpful...this thread is from 2012 but if you search around you can probably find a more recent one. In this thread vet school applicants list their success/failure rates and what their GPA and what extra curricular experience they have.
While the general thought is that you have to have a near 4.0 to get accepted, as that thread shows, some people get accepted even with a 3.0! So I think all is not lost. You do need to do very well in community college and undergrad, but having something unique that makes you stand out could be just as valuable. Extracurricular activities at this point shouldn't be in the form of 'clubs and sports'. You need something like volunteering in a remote Andes village over the summer, or starting up your own charity.
Take lots of science at community college--and you need to ace them. If you can't ace community college science, you won't make it through vet school. At the community college level, an animal studies curriculum will probably be very vocational-focused....like turning out vet techs. Not preparing students for advanced studies. Look for a program in biology or chemistry.
Have a solid backup plan if you don't get in (especially if you don't get in on your first try--as that thread shows, many people reapplied for several years).
Well I'm from a very poor background, volunteering in a "remote village" isn't remotely (and financially) realistic. I get I'm about to spend tons in debt, which is why I asking the vets at my job what they did in school and undergrad to lessen my costs. They do approve of my vet tech first idea (in case it turns out I like it more), but did tell me to talk to the techs about tech school. Haven't had a moment too, works been busy lately. Otherwise they said it's true about the math and science basis.
I'll figure out what I can do to bump myself up some more.
Well I'm from a very poor background, volunteering in a "remote village" isn't remotely (and financially) realistic. I get I'm about to spend tons in debt, which is why I asking the vets at my job what they did in school and undergrad to lessen my costs. They do approve of my vet tech first idea (in case it turns out I like it more), but did tell me to talk to the techs about tech school. Haven't had a moment too, works been busy lately. Otherwise they said it's true about the math and science basis.
I'll figure out what I can do to bump myself up some more.
Well, I read through that thread I linked. One person said they thought what 'tipped the scales' for them was their experience as a fire throwing performer. So you could always do that.....
My point is, while GPA isn't the only criteria....everyone is going to have experience working in a small animal clinic and be a member of some campus club. That isn't unique, it's what everyone else is doing.
I do get where you are coming from. I grew up poor too, and didn't have much opportunity even to volunteer locally. Advanced classes and extra curricular activities weren't even an option for me--I had to work to put food on the table. I think that actually worked in my favor.
The biggest misconception / disillusionment I hear concerning wannabee-veterinarians (I have a brother -- Cornell grad -- who is one, and so is his wife -- Penn grad) is that the profession is overly attractive to the animal-lovers / animal-rights crowd (disproportionately female, BTW) who have no idea what daily life "in the ranks" is really like. They all expect to deal exclusively with small animals in a moneyed suburban setting, and blanch at the thought of donning a shoulder-length rubber glove and dealing with the south end of a northbound horse or dairy cow.
But unfortunately for the dream, this is exactly where the dynamics of the marketplace (a/k/a supply and demand) will impel most of them; that or "animal industry", such as working as a USDA inspector in a packing plant.
If the OP is sincere about getting a set of skills that will lead to a satisfying (and reasonably rewarding ) career, then I'm sure that the grades issue can be overcome -- particularly if you can adapt to the grittier side of the profession common to schools outside the Northeast. But please be aware that the "real world" of a veterinarian is far removed from what our over-sanitized mass media portray.
Yup, found this out the hard way. I had the same idea as this: I volunteered at an animal shelter for years with the plans of eventually attending Tufts Veterinary school after college. First year of undergrad I was working at the shelter and saw the results of what was either a dog fight/dog baiting and a HBC come into the neighboring clinic, which all resulted in deaths. Literally had a vet tech tell me that she thought I was a bit too sensitive for the field. She was right--changed my major the next week (seriously, I was crying thinking about those poor dead dogs).
It is not the profession to go into if you expect to snuggle with puppies and kittens all day. If you're even lucky enough to mainly see dogs and cats (I personally wanted to specialize in exotics and either work in a zoo and/or cater to exotic pet owners), it is a rough gig (the suicide rate for vets and those in animal care/welfare is pretty grim). I'm not trying to dissuade the OP, but I would get as much real-world experience as possible while also trying to maintain a high GPA. It would suck to go into such a highly competitive, highly specialized area of study to later discover it's not what you wanted in the long haul.
Resign yourself to the fact you'll likely end up treating as much livestock as pets, that you may even have to relocate to a rural area to find steady employment. Also, not all vet programs are equal in terms of what they teach; some are better if you want to be a zoo vet. Oh, and be wary about Caribbean vet schools. I don't think they have the same stigma as Caribbean med schools, but I remember coming across one program with a red flag way back in the day (10+ years ago).
Well I'm from a very poor background, volunteering in a "remote village" isn't remotely (and financially) realistic. I get I'm about to spend tons in debt....
Do NOT go to vet school if you're going to have to take out huge amounts of loan money to go! On the average vet's salary, you'll never get the loans paid off. And there's no other way to be rid of student loans except by paying them off. The debt will be a severe financial shackle for the rest of your life.
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