The Student Room Group

Applying for veterinary science??

Hi everyone, i've been wracking my brains as to what to do for the best this year in respect to applying to uni for veterinary science. My initial plan was to get some solid AS results under my belt and apply this year for 2009 entry but my exams didn't go as well as i'd hoped and i got ABCC, Geog, Chem, Biol, Physics and even though my teachers are going to predict me AABB i was wondering if it is worth me applying this time round because my AS results aren't very good and i've heard you need to be predicted all A's; or should i just wait until i've completed my A-levels and then apply?? I'm going to drop Physics so i have it as an AS (but also do a resit in one module that has brought the whole thing down to a C so it gets bumped up).
I have an endless amount of work-experience and am confident with this, but it goes without saying that the grades are much more important!!!!
Any advice will be helpful and very much appreciated.
jenni-lime
Hi everyone, i've been wracking my brains as to what to do for the best this year in respect to applying to uni for veterinary science. My initial plan was to get some solid AS results under my belt and apply this year for 2009 entry but my exams didn't go as well as i'd hoped and i got ABCC, Geog, Chem, Biol, Physics and even though my teachers are going to predict me AABB i was wondering if it is worth me applying this time round because my AS results aren't very good and i've heard you need to be predicted all A's; or should i just wait until i've completed my A-levels and then apply??


Can you get your predicted grades up? They should only asking for 3 As max, they won't be as concerned for what you get in your 4th as long as it's a goodish pass (ie; a B). It is worth still applying because they interview people across the board and there are other methods on how they chose people for interview (ie: the state of your PS, references, GCSE grades, etc).

jenni-lime
I'm going to drop Physics so i have it as an AS (but also do a resit in one module that has brought the whole thing down to a C so it gets bumped up).


If anything drop the geography, it is the least academic subject out of the lot, most of the vet schools want 3 good passes in 3 sciences. That should give you more time to concentrate on bumping up the grades on your other subjects, have a bit more time to get extra work exp, etc. Work hard, resit modules if you can, improve your marks to the best of your ability.

Plus it depends on how you do at interview but some places are known to make offers as low as BBB if you impress them.

jenni-lime
I have an endless amount of work-experience and am confident with this, but it goes without saying that the grades are much more important!!!!
Any advice will be helpful and very much appreciated.


How much work exp have you got? What extra curricular activities have you done? If you are a weaker student on the grades front you need to stand out in a good way elsewhere. Start doing your Gold D of E, get some extra, more varied work exp, do you grade double star in the harp, etc.

Grades are only part of the package, they want people who can work with others as well as animals.

And next time post in the vet sci forum, you'll get a quicker and better response.
good combination of subjects
Reply 3
Hi everyone, i've been wracking my brains as to what to do for the best this year in respect to applying to uni for veterinary science. My initial plan was to get some solid AS results under my belt and apply this year for 2009 entry but my exams didn't go as well as i'd hoped and i got ABCC, Geog, Chem, Biol, Physics and even though my teachers are going to predict me AABB i was wondering if it is worth me applying this time round because my AS results aren't very good and i've heard you need to be predicted all A's; or should i just wait until i've completed my A-levels and then apply?? I'm going to drop Physics so i have it as an AS (but also do a resit in one module that has brought the whole thing down to a C so it gets bumped up). I don't want to drop geography because i got nearly full marks overall at AS so think it would be sensible to keep at it for an A2 subject.
I have an endless amount of work-experience and am confident with this, but it goes without saying that the grades are much more important!!!!
Any advice will be helpful and very much appreciated.
Reply 4
Thanks for the advice!! I worked at a racehorse yard for 2 years while i was at highschool, have worked at a mixed practice for 3 years (1year of that full time), done a week at a large animal practice, 1 week milking, kennels/cattery work, lots of labwork at my practice. I don't really want to drop Geography because i got such a high mark in it and it would be a waste to drop it and most unis accept 2 sciences and one other academic subject dont they?? I'm just more curious about whether they will even look at me with what grades i got in my AS results, do you think i even have a good chance?
Reply 5
you have nothing to lose applying this year, if you dont get in you can take a gap year and apply again next year, so even if you dont get in this year you will gain experiecne of the application process. I wouldnt worry about your predicted grades, there fine, you dont need to be predicted AAA, i wasnt predicted straight A's and 'm off to vet school in 3 weeks!! :biggrin: Dont worry about your AS grades either, as long as your confident you can bump them up to AAB at least at A2 and you know you can put the work in their is nothing to stop yu applying this year. I got ABBB at my AS levels and my retaking a few as modules i ended up with AABC at A2.

It makes sense for you to keep geog and drop physics as you have a much greater chance of gaining an A. Although this does mean you can only apply to bristol notts RVC and liverpool with a none science/maths 3rd subject. But since you can only apply to 4 vet schools, this only means you dont have to decide on which ones you want to apply to! :biggrin:

The grades are important yes, but work exp and passion and all that extra stuff is EXTREMELY important!

How were you gcse's and how much exp do you have? and how about extra curricular?

my advice is apply this year, and give it your best shot and if you dont get in then just take a gap year and try again, so many people get in 2nd time round.
Reply 6
I read this the royal veterinary college website (as i am planning to become a veterinary surgeon) about the entry grades to take a course like batchelor of veterinary medicine :

'GCE Advanced Subsidiary/AS
We support the opportunity to take additional subjects at AS level, but do not prescribe or prefer any particular subject choices or combinations.'

i hope this helps :s-smilie:
Reply 7
Thankyou soooo much, i think i'm at that point where i need some good old fashioned reassurance lol. I know that i want this so much and that i am more than capable of getting it if i put the work in (and do some resits!!). Will my Physics AS not count for my third science in regards to applying to edinburgh instead of RVC??
GCSE i got 5As-Science double, Eng lang/lit, PE
3Bs-Maths, art, foodtech
2Cs-German/French
Worked at a racehorse yard for 2 years, since worked at a mixed practice for 3yrs (1yr full time after taking a year out after highschool), 1 week dairy farm, 1 week LA practice, kennels/cattery work and loadsa labwork at the practice i'm still at.
Hey well done you for getting into l'pool thats fantastic (that'll be my first choice!), 3 of my friends are starting there this year too!!
Reply 8
only if you carry physics on instead of geog. which you could do, but the 4 unis i mentioned dont mind what your 3rd subject is and as you gained almost full marks it would seem silly to drop it and therefore mean alot more work in the physics pulling it up to an A/B.
Reply 9
i hope you stand a chance with your rpedicted grades, cos theyre gonna be the same as mine - AAB with B in chemistry

PS how were you able to work full time for a year?
Reply 10
Annaconda
i hope you stand a chance with your rpedicted grades, cos theyre gonna be the same as mine - AAB with B in chemistry

PS how were you able to work full time for a year?


Fingers crossed for both of us then!! What did you get for your AS results?? I took a year out straight from highschool and worked (Got offered a job at the practice after doing wrk exp in yr 10), so i started college with all the year below me.
What wrk exp have you done??
Reply 11
Thankyou btw for all that have replied!! x
i got AABC at AS As in maths and bio, C in geology

work exp ive done:
2 years stables
1 week different stables
2 weeks SA vets
1 week different SA vets
6 months saturdays city farm
2 weeks farm park
2 day lambing course
1 week dog grooming
1 week kennels
may '08 onwards saturday exotics vet 1 day a month

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