Do's and Don'ts of Applying to Vet School

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Well when you make a whole lot of wrong turns and mistakes yourself, you tend to be able to extrapolate what the easier ways would have been pretty easily, you know?

And actually, it's funny you say that. My goal is in veterinary academia, so even if vet med does work out for me I may end up doing some advising and counseling of students.

thanks for all the help!

Originally Posted by nyanko

Unless you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician for the sake of actually being a veterinary technician, I honestly wouldn't bother with doing a vet tech degree. Many of the prerequisites for vet school are not included in that sort of degree, and you'll have to wind up taking more undergraduate courses at the end if you want to apply for vet school.

Ditto!

And I will add, that Ive been told "off the record" that being a registered, certified, licensed, credentialed or formally educated technician, could be a HINDERANCE for gaining admittance. Weird, I know but it falls along the lines of wanting vet students to have a clean learning slate and not taking techs out of the field. I dont agree with that personally; Rejection is certainly not going to make me stay a field that I no longer want to be in, but nevertheless, this is the thought process of some.

I would say, only pursue a technology degree if you want to work in the vet field while you get you BS and you live in a state where having that degree will afford you a significantly higher salary.

Wow! this thread has totally gone off on a tangent. Sorry for my adding my superfulous, yada yada.

this week i'm going to make some calls to a couple colleges and see what some of my options are. what ever i'm going to do, i have to do it quick. i only have two months left before this semester is over and i go to a new college.
:-/

back to the OP:

1. Make sure you meet all the requirements for each school you apply to.

2. Make a list that spells out what and when everything is due for each school you appy to(VMCAS, GRE scores, transcripts, supplemental apps, fees, veterinary verification forms, or any other bells and whistles, etc).

3. As stated before, start early...

4. DON'T overextend yourself during the last few months of the application process (August/September/October) especially if you don't heed #3 (see above).

For example, don't do all this @ the same time: take 8 upper level classes that are @ a university an hour away, study for and take the GRE for the 1st time, work 20 hours a week, work on your VMCAs and supplementals for each school, and be in an october wedding.... or you will do this: and then.....

Can you take your GRE before you graduate?

Originally Posted by MooSuga

Can you take your GRE before you graduate?

you best!

applications are due in october, usually of your senior year if you're applying for admission right out of undergrad. the application requires your GRE scores, so I took mine the summer before I applied.

also keep in mind that you have to wait 30 days between taking tests, should you not be happy with your first score. it's recommended to take it early to allow for retests. if you're happy, then you have the rest of the summer off!

As we all can see from the posts on this forum, getting into a state school is very tough, even if you have a great GPA, GRE score, animal exp., and other misc. aspects that may make one seem very well qualified. It is just unfortunate that there are thousands of students applying and maybe a couple hundred have really impressive applications to move on to the interviews. If you get an interview, the committee is really looking to see how you answer the question (context, logical layout, flow of sentences, etc.).....not your actually answer. If state schools seem to be out of reach, try some of the AVMA accredited schools outside the US like in Canada, UK (I AM GOING TO EDINBURGH), and even Australia. Ross and St. George's are really desperation if you can't get into an AVMA accredited school (although I am not saying the Carribean schools are bad) just a bit more of an uphill struggle to become a veterinarian.

Originally Posted by jaydog12

As we all can see from the posts on this forum, getting into a state school is very tough, even if you have a great GPA, GRE score, animal exp., and other misc. aspects that may make one seem very well qualified. It is just unfortunate that there are thousands of students applying and maybe a couple hundred have really impressive applications to move on to the interviews. If you get an interview, the committee is really looking to see how you answer the question (context, logical layout, flow of sentences, etc.).....not your actually answer. If state schools seem to be out of reach, try some of the AVMA accredited schools outside the US like in Canada, UK (I AM GOING TO EDINBURGH), and even Australia. Ross and St. George's are really desperation if you can't get into an AVMA accredited school (although I am not saying the Carribean schools are bad) just a bit more of an uphill struggle to become a veterinarian.

so going to a school in canada or edinburgh is better than going to say, ross?

Originally Posted by fanye

so going to a school in canada or edinburgh is better than going to say, ross?

Depends on how you define better

AVMA accredited schools carry less of a stigma with them.
You will be eligible for federal student loans with an AVMA school.
You will know where you will be doing your clinicals from the start.
You won't be battling the horrible attrition rates of carribean schools.

As a side note (and for lack of a better thread to put this on), I just made a map showing the locations of all the US vet schools. I like being able to visibly see the locations of each school for one reason or another, and I couldn't find one online. If anyone here would like a copy, PM me.

Fanye, here's a fairly recent and relevant thread regarding Ross U's reputation.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/show...oss+veterinary

Originally Posted by kate_g

Heh... Yeah, but I almost wasn't. I had the delivery confirmation receipts, and I kept them until the website said "delivered". Then in a fit of desk-cleaning efficiency I recycled them. Then weeks later I got the "we don't have your transcript" e-mail. Luckily, I hadn't put out the paper recycling in a while, so I dug back through the bin and found the receipt... Let's hear it for procrastination! (Hey... that could make a darn good "tell us about a weakness but make sure it really comes out sounding like a strength" interview story...)

Hey, this is something! Here I thought procrastination was just a big problem. Now, what do you do if there is only ONE school around, and ONE that you want to go to?

I would say take the GRE early, before August or the first week of August. After that, the GRE company (apparently) is extremely busy with so many score requests and they can send your scores after OCT 1 (the universal VET deadly-DEADLINE!!!!!!!). That happened to me. I was . However, to my joy, I got accepted.

Originally Posted by MarineVet

I would say take the GRE early, before August or the first week of August. After that, the GRE company (apparently) is extremely busy with so many score requests and they can send your scores after OCT 1 (the universal VET deadly-DEADLINE!!!!!!!). That happened to me. I was . However, to my joy, I got accepted.

While I wholeheartedly agree with MarineVet that taking the GRE early is a good idea, I just wanted to say that some schools do have a later deadline for taking the GRE than Oct 1st. So just make sure you have checked with your school about taking it on time.

and for my piece of advice, when you're going to an interview, do not assume that mapquest gives you a correct length of time for getting there, especially if it's a big traffic-y city. Give yourself way more time than you think you need.

Originally Posted by bunnity

While I wholeheartedly agree with MarineVet that taking the GRE early is a good idea, I just wanted to say that some schools do have a later deadline for taking the GRE than Oct 1st. So just make sure you have checked with your school about taking it on time.

and for my piece of advice, when you're going to an interview, do not assume that mapquest gives you a correct length of time for getting there, especially if it's a big traffic-y city. Give yourself way more time than you think you need.

I second that. I was almost late to an interview at my IS because I had one thing after another go wrong on the drive, even though I left early and knew exactly where it was. As it was I pulled in to the parking lot and didn't even have time to put on my lip gloss.

Hey, I'm currently a pre-vet at CSU right now and an out of state student, so I've been trying to get all the scoops I can get on the admissions here. As far as I can tell, it's a bit different from the usual. There was a presentation by some of the people who were on the admissons committee and they said gpa wasn't looked at. I know this sounds strange, but in terms of academics they look at individual grades for classes, especially important ones like O-Chem. They even admitted to granting admissions to students occasionally who had 2.5, etc. because thy had outstanding experiences, obstacles, etc. The competition here is extremely fierce, there were 1800 applicants this year with 30 seats for the out of state pool, which rose from 25 from last year. Make sure you are solid on a broad range of experiences and have LORs that vouch for various aspects of you, not just on the animal exp. Best of luck!

So, south of the border (I'm in Canada) they let you apply anywhere you want?

In Canada, we have 5 schools to choose from and you apply to the one in the region that you live in. Period. End of story.

If I want to apply to any other schools, they have to be international. Which is crappy, because then I have to foot the huge bill should I not be granted acceptance to my Canadian school. I was looking at the bills and to pay for that I'd have to win the lottery, and then maybe sell one of my organs in the black market for a little extra cash on the side.

Originally Posted by swinks

So, south of the border (I'm in Canada) they let you apply anywhere you want?

In Canada, we have 5 schools to choose from and you apply to the one in the region that you live in. Period. End of story.

If I want to apply to any other schools, they have to be international. Which is crappy, because then I have to foot the huge bill should I not be granted acceptance to my Canadian school. I was looking at the bills and to pay for that I'd have to win the lottery, and then maybe sell one of my organs in the black market for a little extra cash on the side.

I know, crappy eh? I was shocked a few years ago when I found out that I could only apply to OVC...Many of the vets I've worked with rave about AVC, and I was seriously considering it...The Maritimes are so gorgeous and peaceful...

However, while I'm not sure if this is true or not, I've heard that the reason we can only apply to our *designated* vet school is because the region you are in partially pays for the tuition, which is why it costs just a little more than undergrad tuition...And while I totally appreciate the government footing a portion of the tuition, I don't like that fact that it limits you that way...and agreed, the lottery would be the only way I could attend vet school other than OVC...and (although you'll get in to your desired school, so it won't come to that,) may I suggest kidney, and maybe a portion of your liver. :P

I'm Nova Scotian- AVC is my designated Canadian school.
I too have heard only good things about it- which is certainly why I'd love to gain admittance. Yes, I really hope it doesn't come to international schools for me, or applying for 7 years before they let me in.

Ahh yes- the liver with its regenerative capabilities would indeed be a good choice, and the kidney- since I have 2 and really only need one.

I've been doing some research on this topic as well. I also had a run in with at student at UCVM (calgary) and she told me about a few problems that she noted. First, the program is still fairly new and it was very disorganized. There are a lot of kinks to work out. Second, construction isn't fully done. I personally dislike it while you have to deal with construction noise during classes. Thirdly, the teachers are new and under experienced so the quality of learning you get is significantly less than well established places.

Other research on the internet has also agreed with what I was told.

Choosing the right school is very important to me, so that's why I would look at WCVM in Saskaton for Canada instead. It's a recognizable school with proven success.

Hello there, I just joined! I am in the process of applying and this board has been quite helpful. Thanks to all of you for the great advice!
P.S. Anyone else an RVT?

There are a couple. The one that comes most readily to mind is, of course, LVT2DVM. She has a pretty amazing story...

Originally Posted by Emio

you best!

applications are due in october, usually of your senior year if you're applying for admission right out of undergrad. the application requires your GRE scores, so I took mine the summer before I applied.

also keep in mind that you have to wait 30 days between taking tests, should you not be happy with your first score. it's recommended to take it early to allow for retests. if you're happy, then you have the rest of the summer off!

You don't have to wait 30 days between taking the tests. You are just only allowed to take it once every calendar month. (For instance, you can take it June 29 and then again on July 1st)

Originally Posted by swinks

So, south of the border (I'm in Canada) they let you apply anywhere you want?

In Canada, we have 5 schools to choose from and you apply to the one in the region that you live in. Period. End of story.

Hi Swinks

For the Ontario Veterinary College we require one year of Ontario residency (while not in college or university) at any time by the application date (January 1st). So some Canadians outside of Ontario who want to apply here can if they move to Ontario for a year and work. Some lived here as a child and went to elementary or high school and they can use that time as residency.

So if you really really want to come to OVC, move to Ontario and work for a year ... and come for a free guided tour of the college (plug)!

Just don't apply to Ross. It is to dangerous on the island. You have to live off campus after the first semester. VERY dangerous.

Hey everyone!

I have a quick question about choosing where to apply so I figured this would be the thread to post it on. ( If anyone knows of any other threads where this has been discussed before, a link would be greatly appreciated.)

I'm a New Jersey state resident and although I am still a freshman at Drew Uni, I'm trying to put together a very general list of what vet schools I may apply to in the future. I want to make sure I cover the all of the pre-reqs!

So, what schools are most accepting towards out-of-state applicants? Also if anyone who is a New Jersey resident and has already applied, I would love to hear what schools you chose to apply to and why.

Thank you so much!

EDIT: I know NJ has contract seats with 7 vet schools, how do the contract seats affect admission rates, if at all? Also what are the policies for applying to schools that do not have contract seats for NJ residents?

Originally Posted by WannaBeVet

I'm trying to put together a very general list of what vet schools I may apply to in the future. I want to make sure I cover the all of the pre-reqs! So, what schools are most accepting towards out-of-state applicants?

This is a great place to start: http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/college_requirement.htm . Required pre-reqs are listed as are the rough number of out-of-state students. However, not all of the U.S. vet schools are listed nor are the international schools. For the ones that are not, you can find links to the school websites here: http://www.aavmc.org/students_admiss...et_schools.htm

Originally Posted by WannaBeVet

How do the contract seats affect admission rates, if at all? Also what are the policies for applying to schools that do not have contract seats for NJ residents?

Most states either offer in-state prices or an intermediate between in-state and out-of-state. You should also be able to find this information at the AAVMC site.

You fill out the same VMCAS application for most U.S. schools regardless of whether or not you are in-state, out-of-state or contract.

I think OKSU is one of the schools that NJ has a contract with. You guys get about 5 seats, and I think we still charge OOS tuition. That's fair, right?

Remember to give extra consideration to states that allow you to gain residency while in school.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=691823

If you are going to take the GRE early like I did (I took mine over spring break, so several months before the deadline) MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT SCHOOLS YOU WANT TO APPLY TO (at least 4 of them!)

I wasn't sure what schools then, so I just skipped the part that asks you where you want to send your scores - BIG MISTAKE. You are allowed to send it free to 4 schools, but after that, even if you sent it to none the first time, it costs maybe 40 bucks a school?

so yeah don't take the GRE until you know what schools you want unless you just want to waste money later.

Hopefully this is the right thread to be posting this on....but I heard from one of the admissions offices that it's a bad thing to apply to a lot of vet schools. So, I ended up only applying to three. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Cheers!

Originally Posted by Tech2Vet

Hopefully this is the right thread to be posting this on....but I heard from one of the admissions offices that it's a bad thing to apply to a lot of vet schools. So, I ended up only applying to three. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Cheers!

I think it depends on the school. I applied to 21, and so far I have 9 interviews, 1 supplemental (michigan doesn't interview) and 2 acceptances. I think its all about how you explain yourself. Applying to a lot of places 'because I was scared I wouldn't get in anywhere' will make you look like you have no self confidence, and you may not be a good candidate. Applying lots of places 'because this is what I want to do and I wasn't about to let applying to too few schools stop me'...well, I have had some really positive response to that. It had come up in all 3 of my interviews so far, so they def don't ignore it, but it hasn't seemed to put a damper on anyone of their opinions thus far. The only exception to this that I can think of are some of the schools that accept very few OOS students (ie. Washington, TAMU etc..). I have been rejected from 4 schools, all which accept like 10 OOS tops, and this may be in part to an average GPA, but also because they may have thought since I applied to so many places, why would I go to their school. I don't know if thats true, but it is something to think about. Minus the cost, I have NO regrets applying to EVERYWHERE, haha.

Originally Posted by Tech2Vet

Hopefully this is the right thread to be posting this on....but I heard from one of the admissions offices that it's a bad thing to apply to a lot of vet schools. So, I ended up only applying to three. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Cheers!

I only applied to the three, too. For me it wasn't so much about what adcoms would think, but where I would prefer to attend and where I thought I had the best chance of getting in.

If you're willing to go anywhere, I think you should apply to more, if you want. It's so expensive, however, and I felt that my chances were relatively good of getting into at least one of the schools where I applied. If I don't get into one of my three (one of which is my IS school), I didn't think my odds were any better if I added my fourth and fifth choice schools (both of which are super-competitive and don't have that many out-of-state seats).

It was a bit of a gamble, but one with which I feel comfortable.

So I went through the list of all of the vet schools and picked a few (10 or so) that I would consider applying to.

Do you guys think this a good list for a NJ student?

UPenn, Cornell, Tufts, Michigan State, Uni of Missouri, Uni of Illinois, Uni of Wisconsin, Virginia-Maryland Regional, Ohio State, and Purdue.

As you can see I chose by distance, for the most part. I really want to say as close to NJ as possible.

I figured out the requirements for each and have a nice excel spreadsheet with all of the pre-reqs in order. I'm just overwhelmed with all that is required of me.

So I was thinking, should I cut this list down evn more and then try to plan out my schedule for the next 4 years, or should I continue with what I'm doing and try to squeeze in the requirements for all of these 10?

I'm only asking because I am curious and want some opinions. I'm going to see my pre-vet advisor at schol really soon and I plan on asking her all of these questions also. ( I don't know how helpful she will be since my school only has 1 student a year going off to vet school.)

Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to answer my questions!

I would start on the long list of pre-reqs and see how you feel as you continue. It's fine to apply to that many places, but you may decide to shorten the list as time goes on. Also, make sure you are able to explain your interest in each school (or justify applying there somehow).

Doesn't NJ have contract seats with OKSU?

Originally Posted by twelvetigers

I would start on the long list of pre-reqs and see how you feel as you continue. It's fine to apply to that many places, but you may decide to shorten the list as time goes on. Also, make sure you are able to explain your interest in each school (or justify applying there somehow).

Doesn't NJ have contract seats with OKSU?

Oof, that seems like such a daunting task. Especially since I want to double major! Well I'm sure when the time comes for me to explain myself, I'll be prepared.

And yes, OKSU does have contract seats with NJ but OKSU is a little far for me. I want to stay as near NJ as possible. Tufts is on the top of my list (partly because it's so close and partly because I fell in love with the school when I went up there this past summer. )

Originally Posted by WannaBeVet

Oof, that seems like such a daunting task. Especially since I want to double major! Well I'm sure when the time comes for me to explain myself, I'll be prepared.

And yes, OKSU does have contract seats with NJ but OKSU is a little far for me. I want to stay as near NJ as possible. Tufts is on the top of my list (partly because it's so close and partly because I fell in love with the school when I went up there this past summer. )

As you go through school you may consider applying to OKSU because your chances of getting in there will be higher (depending on how good your application is- gpa/experience)

Also, be aware that the first four of those schools look VERY highly on your GPA and test scores, especially for OOS students. Those schools more so than the others, I would think. That's something to take into consideration, depending on what kind of student you are.

As for Virginia Maryland, take a look at how many out of state students they accept every year...VS the number of applicants, it's not very good odds.

someone should find some sort of spreadsheet that shows which schools focus on GPA vs other things... for those of us with the less-than-perfect GPAs. (of course I'm determined to have a killer science GPA, but my overall will only go up to about 3.2 after all those credits. stupid undergrad.)

Take a look at the "sucessful applicant stats" thread. You'll see that some people with low GPAs still get into some of the schools people think focus highly on those numbers. I think schools look more at the overall picture of what you can bring to the class.

DO contact the schools if you have any questions via phone or email. During the busiest part of the application process, if you can actually reach them by phone, some of the office staff may not be particularly nice. Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong

Cannot stress enough:
ABSOLUTELY follow up with the schools to ensure that ALL YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS are filed and COMPLETE.

DO NOT panic if you discover, in January, that your transcripts never made it. Someone in the registrar at my undergrad college messed up on a mailing address and MSU never got my transcript on time. So I spoke to a very sweet lady at MSU's admissions office, faxed her an unofficial copy of my transcript and had my undergrad school send an official letter detailing their mistake and another copy of my transcript. And guess what? I got into MSU

[QUOTE=PAThbrd;4790861]DO apply to more than one school even if there's only one you want to go to. (If you only apply to one, they think "hey (s)he isn't going to be going anywhere else, so we can always take him/her next year!)

How would other vet schools see that you've applied to multiple schools?

I think VMCAS includes that as part of your application.

Originally Posted by twelvetigers

I think VMCAS includes that as part of your application.

And some supplemental apps (Mizzou) ask you to list what other schools you applied to.

Originally Posted by zeebra44

And some supplemental apps (Mizzou) ask you to list what other schools you applied to.

WSU asks you to list other schools applied to too. But you do not have to fill it out it is optional.

What is a GRE?

...graduate record exam? An exam like the MCAT or GMAT.

Originally Posted by CC35

What is a GRE?

The SAT for grownups

Originally Posted by CC35

What is a GRE?

the most painful 2 hours of my life

Originally Posted by rileyroo

the most painful 2 hours of my life

Two hours?!? That's all?!? lol
Be lucky you don't have to write the MCAT.. that was like 5 hours long and I was so brain dead after I wrote it I couldn't even think about anything at all!! hah

Originally Posted by dee vee emm

Two hours?!? That's all?!? lol
Be lucky you don't have to write the MCAT.. that was like 5 hours long and I was so brain dead after I wrote it I couldn't even think about anything at all!! hah

To nitpick, it is a minimum of 3 hours plus breaks (verbal 30, quant 45, experimental 30 or 45, analytical writing 30+ 45 = 3hrs - 3.25 hrs). So usually takes around 4 hours. Still not as bad as the MCAT though.