If you’re applying to veterinary school, chances are you’ve done it.
You open social media.
You see another student posting their GPA.
Their research experience.
Their leadership positions.
Their thousands of veterinary hours.
Their acceptance letter.
And suddenly, instead of feeling proud of your own progress, you’re wondering if you’re behind.
If you’re good enough.
If you even belong in the same applicant pool.
I’ve seen this happen to countless pre-vet students.
And while it may feel harmless, comparison can quietly become one of the biggest obstacles in your application journey.
I have struggled with posting the success stories of my students, for this very reason. I am so proud of them, but I never want a reader to feel that this journey is easy or without major low-points.
Most of the time, you’re not comparing your full story to someone else’s full story.
You’re comparing your behind-the-scenes reality to someone else’s highlight reel.
You see their accomplishments.
You don’t see their setbacks.
You see their acceptance.
You don’t see their rejections.
You see their strengths.
You don’t see the areas they struggled to improve.
Social media has made it easier than ever to compare ourselves to others, but it rarely gives us the full picture.
One of the most interesting things I’ve learned from working with students is that the applicants who seem “perfect” on paper almost never feel perfect themselves.
The student with the 4.0 GPA is worried about their experience.
The student with thousands of veterinary hours is worried about their grades.
The student with incredible leadership experience is worried about their science GPA.
Everyone has something they wish they could improve.
Everyone.
When students compare themselves to others, they often jump to conclusions that simply aren’t true.
They think:
“My GPA isn’t high enough.”
“I don’t have enough experience.”
“Everyone else is more competitive.”
“I probably won’t get accepted.”
The problem is that these conclusions are often based on incomplete information.
Admissions committees evaluate the entire application.
Not one statistic.
Not one experience.
And certainly not a comparison between two social media profiles.
This is the part I wish more students understood.
Every minute spent worrying about another applicant is a minute you’re not investing in your own growth.
Instead of asking:
“What do they have that I don’t?”
Try asking:
“What can I do this week to strengthen my application?”
That’s a question that leads to action.
And action is always more productive than comparison.
Admissions committees aren’t looking for 100 copies of the same applicant.
They’re building a class.
They want students with different experiences, perspectives, strengths, and backgrounds.
Your goal isn’t to become someone else.
Your goal is to communicate what makes you a strong future veterinarian.
The qualities that make you unique may be the exact qualities that help you stand out.
You cannot control another student’s GPA.
You cannot control another student’s experience hours.
You cannot control another student’s application.
You can control:
How you prepare
How you present your experiences
How you choose schools
How you write your essays
How you respond to challenges
Those are the things worth focusing on.
Comparison is tempting because it feels like information.
It feels like you’re learning where you stand.
But more often than not, it’s just creating stress, self-doubt, and distraction.
The strongest applicants I’ve worked with aren’t the ones who spend the most time watching everyone else.
They’re the ones who stay focused on their own growth, their own goals, and their own application.
So the next time you find yourself comparing your journey to someone else’s, remember:
You don’t need their application.
You need the strongest version of yours.
And that’s where your attention belongs.
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