Class of 2020 Applicants

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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finnickthedog said:
And now I'm just going to rant for a moment here...

Ugh, I'm so bummed out right now. I got my final grades for the summer and I thought they were both going to be A's. Nope, apparently I get a B+ in herps and I can only assume it's due to participation since that the only significant grade left to come in. Of course, if I got docked participation I don't know what the heck else this professor wants from me. Maybe I should have been more excited and enthused about the whole, sticking-my-handing-in-a-pile-of-biting-snakes thing? I don't know. Whatever. Kinda crushed and all the more determined to kick butt on this stupid GRE on Tuesday. Buuuttt I keep making stupid math errors on my practice tests and it's driving me up a wall. Urgh. I will feel so much better after all this testing and academic crap is done with. I need to make sure it at least meets the standard for my IS so I know that I'm not wasting my time and money applying this cycle.
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Ask to speak with the prof about the breakdown of your final grade, there may have been an error. I got a B in a class that I got an A on every test and assignment, the only grade I didn't know was the final, and the way grades were calculated, the final couldn't have pulled me down that far. I regret not going to the prof and asking about it.

Also, you're just at the beginning of "all this testing and academic crap". It's just going to get much much worse!
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Jilary said:
Ask to speak with the prof about the breakdown of your final grade, there may have been an error. I got a B in a class that I got an A on every test and assignment, the only grade I didn't know was the final, and the way grades were calculated, the final couldn't have pulled me down that far. I regret not going to the prof and asking about it.
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I might, but it probably won't do any good. 50% of the grade was still undetermined (most of which was participation) so it's not like this wasn't possible. Plus, participation is entirely subjective in this case. I can't really argue that one.

Jilary said:
Also, you're just at the beginning of "all this testing and academic crap". It's just going to get much much worse!
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Well yeah, that's very true.
But I was just referring to the "academic crap" as it pertains to my application. And now that my final summer grades are in all I have left for that now is GRE.
 
finnickthedog said:
And now I'm just going to rant for a moment here...

Ugh, I'm so bummed out right now. I got my final grades for the summer and I thought they were both going to be A's. Nope, apparently I get a B+ in herps and I can only assume it's due to participation since that the only significant grade left to come in. Of course, if I got docked participation I don't know what the heck else this professor wants from me. Maybe I should have been more excited and enthused about the whole, sticking-my-handing-in-a-pile-of-biting-snakes thing? I don't know. Whatever. Kinda crushed and all the more determined to kick butt on this stupid GRE on Tuesday. Buuuttt I keep making stupid math errors on my practice tests and it's driving me up a wall. Urgh. I will feel so much better after all this testing and academic crap is done with. I need to make sure it at least meets the standard for my IS so I know that I'm not wasting my time and money applying this cycle.
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I know how frustrating that can be! But you did the best you could and one B+ isn't really going to change you SIS very much (trust me I checked three times bc I'm about to get a B+ in physics)! So now you just focus on the GRE which you are going to do awesome on because you have been studying and you are super smart! Positive thoughts my friend! I know you got it!
 
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Has anyone taken the free self-proctored GRE practice test offered by Kaplan? It sounds like there is no ability to pause this particular test and I need to know before I use it if I need to set aside an entire 4 hour block. Because if that's the case I may just go with another practice test... It's hard enough to block out all that time for the real thing, let alone for practice.
 
Hearing about these new VMCAS features makes me glad that I'm skipping this season. :meh:
 
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finnickthedog said:
Has anyone taken the free self-proctored GRE practice test offered by Kaplan? It sounds like there is no ability to pause this particular test and I need to know before I use it if I need to set aside an entire 4 hour block. Because if that's the case I may just go with another practice test... It's hard enough to block out all that time for the real thing, let alone for practice.
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I haven't heard about it, but as a side note, you really should try to take at least one test under as close to real testing conditions as possible.
 
WildZoo said:
I haven't heard about it, but as a side note, you really should try to take at least one test under as close to real testing conditions as possible.
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I do try to take them under realistic conditions, I never even skip the writing sections and for the most part I have been able to just sit down and take them with minimal or no interruptions... but I can't count on that so I like the pause option to be available just in case. And I feel like if I start this practice test and for whatever reason get interrupted in the middle and am unable to pause, then I've just wasted my time doing the first part since basically from that point the test is shot (at least that is what sounds like from the brief video intro I just watched).
 
finnickthedog said:
I do try to take them under realistic conditions, I never even skip the writing sections and for the most part I have been able to just sit down and take them with minimal or no interruptions... but I can't count on that so I like the pause option to be available just in case. And I feel like if I start this practice test and for whatever reason get interrupted in the middle and am unable to pause, then I've just wasted my time doing the first part since basically from that point the test is shot (at least that is what sounds like from the brief video intro I just watched).
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A valid concern, 'twas just a thought.
 
How does a Withdraw look on transcripts? Would anyone recommend taking the class and earning a grade or let the WD stay there? I didn't end up needing the class and I wasn't doing as excellently as I had hoped so I withdrew. Just any thoughts would be nice so I can fix it while I still have time.
 
I wouldn't bother retaking the class unless it's a prereq (which doesn't seem to be the case). Honestly, I had one W grade on my transcript, but ended up retaking the class (Orgo I). One or two of them shouldn't be a big deal, especially if they aren't even for necessary classes, but having dozens of W grades may look odd.
 
Gwenevre said:
Hearing about these new VMCAS features makes me glad that I'm skipping this season. :meh:
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Makes me glad I never have to go through that needlessly-hassle-filled process again. The more I read about VMCAS from year to year the more I'm convinced that the only programmer they have on staff is someone they hire for maybe 2 weeks a year to make a bunch of changes, and then nobody does regression testing (or, really, any kind of testing), and then the programmer disappears for the rest of the year. It's a joke.
 
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Nalikti said:
"Features". Hahahahaha... after a euth we just had an hour ago, I needed a laugh. :)

No, but it is rather frustrating. I'm sure that the old VMCAS platform was probably no gem itself or anything - I wouldn't know for certain since this is my first cycle - but from what I've seen and heard, it at least sounds like it worked and was laid out better than what we've got now.

I'm hoping (probably in vain, admittedly) that some of these issues get addressed before September 15th...
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NGL, I logged onto the new VMCAS after two years of working with the old one and asked who's child designed the new one. And everything that people are saying about it seems like it's much less user friendly than the old system. And DVMD is right about the rollover feature. Best thing that happened to VMCAS, and it was gone within a year. :rage:
 
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For as much as we pay, the darn application should be user friendly.
 
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Whoops, wrong thread, sorry.
 
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ThePetDoctor said:
How does a Withdraw look on transcripts? Would anyone recommend taking the class and earning a grade or let the WD stay there? I didn't end up needing the class and I wasn't doing as excellently as I had hoped so I withdrew. Just any thoughts would be nice so I can fix it while I still have time.
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Should be fine. I had a withdrawal in a pre-req (had a D going into the final and didn't want to chance it) so I dropped the class (and it's associated lab...school policy) and obviously retook it later. None of my schools even brought it up.
 
Ok so I wasn't going to apply again this year but I got accepted last week off the waitlist at western university. I live in GA. I decided to decline the offer of acceptance due to the majorly high tuition costs and cost of living out there. I don't want $300,000 in debt when I'm done in a market that does not have very high starting salaries. I also just started a new career 3 weeks ago, that pays very well, that I enjoy.

I'm giving UGA one last shot, hoping that an acceptance at another school will greatly strengthen my application. This cycle is my fourth time applying and definitely my last. Getting burnt out on just applying.....
 
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WildZoo said:
Good luck!
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Nalikti said:
First time? I'm retaking it myself in a couple of weeks... I really need to improve my Quant score. Haha.

Best of luck! If you've been studying and practicing at least a fair amount, I'm sure you'll do just fine! :luck::xf:
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Thanks guys. Finally done and home.

It was my first take so I was pretty nervous, but it went well! I'm very relieved to have it over with.
 
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Anyone else having issues with the profile/contact information? A month ago, I kept trying to add my phone number, but after I saved, it'd vanish. I didn't get any errors when I saved. It just wouldn't be there when I went back to check. I could not get the damn thing to stay there, no matter whether I listed it as a home phone, cell, work, whatever. I just tried again for the first time in weeks, and it's still not working. And the profile section is the only place where it'll let me add in my phone number, since the contact information section under the Personal Information section pulls the information automatically from your profile. +pissed+
 
missdarjeeling said:
Anyone else having issues with the profile/contact information? A month ago, I kept trying to add my phone number, but after I saved, it'd vanish. I didn't get any errors when I saved. It just wouldn't be there when I went back to check. I could not get the damn thing to stay there, no matter whether I listed it as a home phone, cell, work, whatever. I just tried again for the first time in weeks, and it's still not working. And the profile section is the only place where it'll let me add in my phone number, since the contact information section under the Personal Information section pulls the information automatically from your profile. +pissed+
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I haven't had that issue (yet), but that does sound very frustrating. Maybe try clearing out your cookies/cache and see if that helps...?
 
Hmm has anyone seen this message from Tony Wynne in the VMCAS help gizmo thing (under "Experiences: Helpful Hints")?

"The VMCAS application will automatically reorder your entries into most recent order when the application is processed to your schools."

So... no need to keep deleting if you forget experiences?!
 
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I also can no longer find where it asked us to order from most recent-->least... did that disappear?
 
superkelpie said:
Hmm has anyone seen this message from Tony Wynne in the VMCAS help gizmo thing (under "Experiences: Helpful Hints")?

"The VMCAS application will automatically reorder your entries into most recent order when the application is processed to your schools."

So... no need to keep deleting if you forget experiences?!
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superkelpie said:
I also can no longer find where it asked us to order from most recent-->least... did that disappear?
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Geez, I sure hope so. I've started keeping experiences in a Word document in case. If they've fixed the issue, though, that's great news.

But I am still bitter about the personal statement thing... :rolleyes:
 
Is anyone else having problems getting the application log-in page to load? I've tried accessing the page with two different computers, each with three different browsers (Firefox, Chrome, and Explorer), all are having problems connecting to that site and only that site.
 
Jess Monster said:
Is anyone else having problems getting the application log-in page to load? I've tried accessing the page with two different computers, each with three different browsers (Firefox, Chrome, and Explorer), all are having problems connecting to that site and only that site.
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It loaded for me.
 
Hi everyone,
I am having trouble deciding how to list my experience on my VMCAS application.
For starters, are people writing a more narrative detail about what they did or something more like a list. Currently I have it written both ways but I am leaning towards the list since its more precise and I'm not sure how much reading evaluators really want to do.
Second, at my last job I had two positions I started as a client care coordinator but later splint my time with that and as a technician. In addition I frequently came in and volunteered and shadowed vets. I'm not sure if I should list this as one experience or several.
Any in put would be great
 
I would say a list is better, because it's going to be more concise. That last part is up to you but as long as you indicate the different levels of responsibility you had I think it would be fine to just list it as one experience.
 
I'm just listing mine for the most part. For undergrad research, I have mine broken into three lists basically since I had multiple projects, but I'm not writing a ton. I figure as long as it's clear what my duties were that's all that matters.
 
Is VCMAS taking forever to get back to anyone else? I emailed them over a week ago to confirm no longer needing to list our experiences in order and another question, and they still haven't gotten back to me. When I emailed them about AP scores when the app first opened they got back to me the next day, so I'm not sure if I should email then again? No replies in spam folder either.
 
I emailed them about an issue I had with my application over a month ago. While they did respond that it would be resolved ASAP, it still has not actually been fixed... I may send another email soon.

But to answer your question, yes, VMCAS seems incredibly slow.
 
Thanks! I think I'll wait till Friday when it's officially been ten business days, and then I'll send them another.

I hope your issues get resolved!
 
Jess Monster said:
Is anyone else having problems getting the application log-in page to load? I've tried accessing the page with two different computers, each with three different browsers (Firefox, Chrome, and Explorer), all are having problems connecting to that site and only that site.
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Just tried, and I am having issues loading it as well. Will try again later this evening/tomorrow.
 
Jess Monster said:
Is anyone else having problems getting the application log-in page to load? I've tried accessing the page with two different computers, each with three different browsers (Firefox, Chrome, and Explorer), all are having problems connecting to that site and only that site.
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Ever since yesterday about 4 pm mountain time, I haven't been able to get into my VMCAS app. I've tried a couple of times on a couple of different computers in a couple different areas with a couple different browsers. Nothing. Which is annoying cause I have a letter of rec I want to add.
 
Can't wait to see where everyone ends up! Good luck to everyone!
 
And after 30 minutes of being on hold to reach a rep, and another 10 when they went to talk to someone.... nothing is resolved. They were doing updates a few days ago, but everything should be back up and available, so they have no idea why I can't access the portal. Basically we're all SOL for the moment.
 
Man. I really SHOULD put together a proposal for an alternative to VMCAS. I'm not sure who appoints VMCAS as the master-of-all-applications and if there is room for two vendors. I'd guess that it's a monopoly and that option isn't there.

But hell.... a good project manager, a good db person, a good web person, and a good general gofer to do all the legwork.... the whole online application process could be so VASTLY superior to what pre-vets have to deal with now. Probably couldn't do any better than VMCAS with regard to cost (just based on some back-of-the-envelope calculations), but there is no reason for the overall experience to suck.

Sigh. So many ideas, so little time in life.
 
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Caiter92 said:
And after 30 minutes of being on hold to reach a rep, and another 10 when they went to talk to someone.... nothing is resolved. They were doing updates a few days ago, but everything should be back up and available, so they have no idea why I can't access the portal. Basically we're all SOL for the moment.
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I just tried to access my own portal on a few different web browsers and... same issue. I'd assume that it's down for everyone right now. They've been updating a lot of things periodically through the summer, but I don't think any of them necessitated bringing the whole application down during business hours.

I'm just going to hang tight for now... I may call if it's not resolved later today.
 
Nalikti said:
I just tried to access my own portal on a few different web browsers and... same issue. I'd assume that it's down for everyone right now. They've been updating a lot of things periodically through the summer, but I don't think any of them necessitated bringing the whole application down during business hours.

I'm just going to hang tight for now... I may call if it's not resolved later today.
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Nope, the call center rep said they were able to access it just fine on their end. I haven't been able to access since Friday, and someone else mentioned since then they were able to access no problem, so I decided a call was warranted.

They said it might be that updates are still finalizing for some applicants (which would make sense if I could even load the portal and was having issues after trying to log in, but I can't even access the page...), so maybe they have multiple servers or something and the one I'm trying to connect to is down still. Who knows.
 
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Caiter92 said:
Nope, the call center rep said they were able to access it just fine on their end. I haven't been able to access since Friday, and someone else mentioned since then they were able to access no problem, so I decided a call was warranted.

They said it might be that updates are still finalizing for some applicants (which would make sense if I could even load the portal and was having issues after trying to log in, but I can't even access the page...), so maybe they have multiple servers or something and the one I'm trying to connect to is down still. Who knows.
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Huh. That's very odd, then. I think you may be onto something with some of the servers still being down following the updates.

I saw a suggestion from Tony Wynne to try clearing the cache and see if that resolves it... nada. A bit frustrating.

Is VMCAS currently working for anyone here?

EDIT: To clarify, I can't even access the page, either. Let alone actually attempt to log in to the portal.
 
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Nalikti said:
Huh. That's very odd, then. I think you may be onto something with some of the servers still being down following the updates.

I saw a suggestion from Tony Wynne to try clearing the cache and see if that resolves it... nada. A bit frustrating.

Is VMCAS currently working for anyone here?

EDIT: To clarify, I can't even access the page, either. Let alone actually attempt to log in to the portal.
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I was unable to access it last night as well. Haven't tried this morning yet
 
VMCAS is currently working for me, but I probably just jinxed it.

A few days ago, I was logged in and had my session expire. When I went to log in again, the portal page wouldn't load at first. After I got it to load, it wouldn't accept my password. I wrote down my password when I first made my account and must've typed it in carefully a million times, checking the caps lock over and over again, and it would not freaking work. I had to reset my password to the same one I already had, and the reset password page was off, too, with the code showing on the buttons. I managed to get it to work though and have been able to sign back into my application. Just tried it now and it's still working.
 
For what it's worth I am still not having any trouble.
I'm using chrome (but I know at least some people with problems are also using chrome). Maybe a different version than I have though? I don't know. I don't even know how to check what version I have... but I'm a little scared to update right now, lest I start having problems.
 
Boo, mine still isn't :( I've tried Firefox, Chrome and IE. Oh well! Hopefully it's working again for me in the next few days.
 
My computers still can't access the site either. There are various error messages and most seem to point to problems with expired SSL certificates, secure connection fails, etc. I messed around last night trying to troubleshoot the issue, but no action recommended through my various browsers worked.

I'm going to go visit my campus library tomorrow and see if anything works for me on a different network before I call VMCAS.
 
Holy crap! Reading about this mess made me 10x more grateful that I didn't have to reapply. If it's not up for you, try doing a ctrl + f5 on windows or command + R on mac. This will clear your cache and might make the website work for you. Good luck!
 
Jess Monster said:
My computers still can't access the site either. There are various error messages and most seem to point to problems with expired SSL certificates, secure connection fails, etc. I messed around last night trying to troubleshoot the issue, but no action recommended through my various browsers worked.

I'm going to go visit my campus library tomorrow and see if anything works for me on a different network before I call VMCAS.
Click to expand...

Oh, that's a good idea! I'll see if I can access it from work this afternoon.
 
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