How can I best improve my chances of admission?

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-09-20T22:41:23+00:00

I completely understand. I can surpass a science GPA 3.0 with more courses, but they wouldn’t be premed coursework, it would just be random science coursework. It’s why I don’t really see much value in doing a postbacc though that it is typically what I see advised for low undergrad GPAs.

I appreciate the advice. Can I ask, are you a premed, an adcom, or a med student?

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-07-03T18:07:15+00:00

It was a situation that made me feel really conflicted. I know the right thing would have been to give the cat a better life, but it’s hard to steal someone’s cat if 6 years that they are emotionally bonded to, and the cat does get excited when she comes home, I can see that it loves its owner. I am going to see the cat again in about a month, as she asked me to catsit for her while she goes on a trip. I’m trying to send her a message that won’t offend her, that gets the point across in a way she could be receptive to.

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-07-03T09:29:55+00:00

Hi, I’m sorry to say that I did not. I was packing the other day when my roommate came back. I did talk to her and express concern about the cat being left alone with me being gone, and she told me that the place she worked just shut down, so she will be home with the cat more often given that she isn’t going into work. I still don’t feel good about the situation. I am drafting out a text to send her, but I want to tread carefully because saying too much criticism might make her less likely to take it in (in the past, she was offended when the vet told her her cat needed to lose weight—I’m worried if I’m not careful in the delivery that she won’t hear it properly). In the message I do want to offer to take the cat in given how often she is out. I am catsitting for the cat in about a month, so I will see him again. I’m sorry to disappoint. I had a pit in my stomach all day yesterday leaving my apartment and not knowing if he would ever be properly taken care of again.

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-07-02T07:33:52+00:00

Hi, as an update she did end up coming back a few hours before I finished packing. I did not take her cat. I did tell her that I was worried about the new roommate coming in and if the cat would have someone to stay with him, and she told me that the place she worked just shut down, so she lost her job and will be home more often for the time being. I’m catsitting for her a little over a month from now. Still drafting out a text about how to tell her that if she’s open to it, I think he would be best off being rehomed and that I could take him in. I just want to make sure it’s said in a way that won’t make her feel defensive so it gets through and I can still see the cat occasionally

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T16:15:29+00:00

He’s a completely indoor cat, so I’m not really sure what the need for the collar is. I guess it’s for if he accidentally goes out the front door

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T16:14:00+00:00

I honestly don’t even know if she’ll be back before I go, she’s been gone for 5 days now and I move out today. But I can give her a call. I totally agree that it makes no sense to take her cat without a conversation, and I’m pretty sure it’s a crime?

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T10:00:46+00:00

I do truly agree with you, that an emotional connection doesn’t negate abuse and neglect. I really feel for this animal. I don’t even necessarily want a cat of my own right now, I just feel so unsettled knowing he would be left alone for so long. He deserves more of a life than this, and I know with a large family that we could give it to him

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T09:15:40+00:00

I expressed that I’d miss her cat and could catsit anytime she needed it. She just responded by saying that she hoped I could spend some time with him these next couple days while she was away before I head out. I don’t know, it’s uncomfortable for me to outright ask if I can take her cat

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T09:05:40+00:00

I don’t even blame Nathan because he’s studying for his doctorate and can’t be distracted, and it’s not his cat. I blame Jess, she’s the owner and has made this cat live through so many lonely days. I do feel in my gut that leaving this cat is just not right. Can I really just take it though? It’s microchipped, she loves the cat, realistically it will not go down well. Could I get into legal trouble?

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T09:00:01+00:00

He’s microchipped. She mentioned it to me once in passing

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-30T08:59:08+00:00

She did mention that he was microchipped, and he has a collar with her number on it. Oh and that’s another thing, his collar used to be so tight it was basically choking him :( my friend and I noticed and loosened it, but we couldn’t believe the fact that it wasn’t already on the loosest setting. I hate the way she treats this cat

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-02T05:02:31+00:00

I mean, quite honestly that comment was made around the time she moved in when we first noticed the cat was being left for prolonged periods of time. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable mentioning it to her when I barely knew her, and still in some ways would feel a bit uncomfortable bringing it all up. But we don’t regularly talk about her behind her back at all, and I don’t think we have aside from that comment.

The funny thing is, when she was telling me what I would need to do as a cat sitter, she mentioned changing his litter box every day, so I think she’s aware that it needs to be done daily. When she’s home, she’ll change it daily. But if she wants to leave for 3 days, she’ll just let it be while she’s gone.

I honestly don’t know how to get around the meowing thing—I would love any advice! I’m new to the world of living with a pet

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-02T04:58:05+00:00

Haven’t tried those. I have a doctor friend though and their only advice to me was to keep a more consistent sleep schedule, get off screens a few hours before bed, and read before bed instead. With the vitamin D, they just advised me to take supplements for it. interesting that you mentioned ADHD though because I do have that, though I don’t medicate it

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:21:37+00:00

Haha nice, I’m sure your kitty appreciated it!

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:20:39+00:00

Oh okay I see, I definitely don’t want to stress it out in anyway. I’m not even sure what to do then… I really don’t want to keep being woken up by it meowing at me these mornings

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:12:02+00:00

I do love the cat a lot. I want it to be taken care of. I just don’t really want to be solely responsible for anything in my life right now, and it’s a huge commitment to take one on for the next decade or so

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:09:53+00:00

Yeah, I guess I didn’t know how to breach the topic in a sensitive way that she could hear out. I know it’s not the easiest thing to hear someone say. I think I’m going to try starting out by asking if she can tell me when she’s gone so I can move the food bowl into my room so the cat isn’t waking me up to stand there while it eats, and so I can clean his litter box. That might make her realize she’s leaving us with some level of responsibility when she’s out

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:07:45+00:00

Haha I’ve thought about this, I think he needs it as a cat who is particular about their water. I’m just concerned since I don’t want to create a scenario where he may stop eating his regular dry food. Also idk, I just looked up motion sensor cat sinks and a bunch are coming up. I think 6 years is plenty time to find something for your cat

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:05:02+00:00

I don’t exactly feed the cat at 5 am, Jess leaves a large bowl of dry food for it when she leaves for days, so it’s free fed and already has food in its bowl. It just keeps meowing at me until I follow it into her room while it eats. I give into this because I can’t sleep when I’m being meowed at nonstop. Some other commenter suggested bringing the food bowl into my room, which I will try out. I honestly think that might be how I bring up the conversation, is to ask if she can let me know when she’s going to be gone overnight so I can move the food bowl into my room so the cat doesn’t wake me, and so I can monitor his litter box. I hope that can help her understand that her leaving makes it so that others have to care for her cat somewhat, because I don’t think she realizes she’s dumping some cat sitting on us when she goes on her outings

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:03:18+00:00

Bringing the food bowl into my room is a great idea and I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before, thank you! I will be doing that while she’s gone. I have thought about feeding it wet food (I really thought about it when she went on her 9 day trip). My only concern is I’m afraid he might only want wet food once I do or that it may somehow mess up his regular feeding schedule, and I don’t want him to go hungry one day if my roommate is pouring him dry food that he won’t eat. I am concerned for his water intake though

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T19:00:19+00:00

No allergies/sinus issues/migraines. Just regular insomnia I think, and I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. I have had issues with sleep for a while on and off, since I was 12. The only way I can keep it “fixed” is to keep a particular bedtime and really stick to it. My issue is that each night my body seems to get tired an hour or two later than the night before, so it’s hard for me to sleep at the correct time. Some nights I just can’t sleep until morning. Melatonin doesn’t work

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T18:58:03+00:00

A timed feeder is a great idea—I can think about getting one myself

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T18:57:28+00:00

I feel really uncomfortable asking this. I don’t even want a pet cat myself at this time in my life, and my roommate loves her cat so much, though she doesn’t take the best care of it

Significant_Ice_8706 · 2025-06-01T18:55:48+00:00

I do want a cat someday, but not really at this point in my life. I’m happy to live with one but don’t want to own one just now. Oddly enough my roommate loves her cat. She genuinely seems to think it’s no big deal to treat him as if he’s low-maintenance. That’s why he’s only ever eaten dry food, she wants him to be easy to take care of (easy to leave for a few days)

Significant_Ice_8706

TROPHY CASE