I honestly didn’t know that this forum was a thing until I frantically started googling for help on the Cornell supplemental responses. Since we are in the wake of anxiously waiting for interview invites, I might as well ask how you think I might stand up against everyone.
I feel so average compared to everyone else I know, and, average for this application is basically a bad thing.
22 year old female, WA resident, senior year of undergrad, traditional student, first time applicant. Interested in Mixed/general small animal practice right now (I can decide more on specialty later if I become interested in it later during clinical years, etc)
GPA Stuff
Major: BS Zoology, Minor: Business Administration. Attending Colorado State University
Cum. GPA: currently 3.77
Science GPA: 3.8
Last 45 GPA: 3.67
GRE
V: 161
Q: 156
W: 5
(Experience hours are estimates, I don’t remember what everything was that I input into ymcas)
Veterinary Experience
~400 hours- veterinary assistant at BluePearl (an emergency and specialty hospital)
~30 hours- Job shadowing veterinarians (in high school/middle school)
~40 hours (current experience, so it’s continuing)- Volunteer in Oncology Clinic at the CSU Veterinary Hospital
Animal Experience (I’m pretty sure I have more than this but I don’t remember every single thing I put down on my application)
300+ hours- doggy daycare technician
~ 50 hours- Canine 4H (I did like two to four months in middle school)
1000ish hours- Raising/training/caring for foals (it was about two years worth of work)
15 hours- caring and whelping of two separate puppy litters
Research Experience
~80 hours doing animal socialization with research animals (it was with the Lab Animal Research team at my university as part of a class)
Extracurricular Activities/Awards
I was part of CSU’s pre-vet club for a year (officially) plus one semester (not officially)
I have made deans list for my college 4/6 semesters so far.
I am in the CSU Honor’s college
Recreational Softball Player (like on a team with other students for the city)
Intramural Softball
I worked at the library on campus for the first two years of my college career (~15 hours per week)
For the past year until now, I work at the Flint Animal Cancer Center at CSU’s VTH (in an administrative position (12 hours per week))
I was a dual sport athlete in high school
Had a bunch of honors from high school including: Valedictorian, NHS member, AP award (For taking 7 or more AP classes)
Plus all of my high school activities they wanted to include (I did way more in high school than I do now, which is sad)
– There are a few more but I really can’t remember everything off the top of my head right now –
LOR
1) Emergency Veterinarian I worked with over the summer
2) Lab TA from an Invertebrates class
3) Lab TA from Cell Biology (upper division lab class)
4) Current Supervisor at Flint Animal Cancer Center (She’s an administrative manager, essentially)
Schools I’m Applying To:
WSU
CSU
UC Davis
Cornell
Midwestern
Concerns
I know I lack SUPER hardcore on the veterinary contact hours. I know everyone else in the world has a billion veterinary specific contact hours but a lot of it isn’t my fault. I spent my high school summers trying to obtain more hours via trying to get a job as a veterinary assistant but no one ever wanted to hire me (until I got hired on at BluePearl this past summer). I also tried contacting one vet, and honestly, I think he assumed I was trying to go to vet tech school? His wording to me was weird and it was like he didn’t understand I wanted to become him (He was a mixed-animal veterinarian). My hours is really where I am lacking though, and it really bothers me. I’ve known that my hours are probably what will be killing me.
My GPA is strong but not excellent. I got a C+ in the second semester of Organic Chem II (This is my absolute worst grade on my transcript). I feel like my GRE scores are fairly strong, but not really sure how I got a 156 on the actual test when I was getting around 160s on the practice ones I took (I think someone above me said something similar as well).
I also know that my eLOR (especially the academic ones) are maybe “weaker” because they’re from TA’s rather than from professors. BUT, I have a legit reason for that. I had asked a professor I had recently (for a full academic year) and he told me no because he is partially retired and I didn’t have any other professors that I took enough or interacted with enough to ask them. Also, I think my TA’s were able to get to know a bit better (one of those TA’s is now my honors thesis advisor so that’s cool)
I just know so many other friends that have so many more hours than I do, or they seem more involved, or their experience is just better. I like to tear myself down for some reason so I’ve just been making myself more and more nervous.
Anyway, any advice would be mucho helpful!