Class of 2022 Hopefuls

[vetmedhead]

Someone posted on the APVMA page that VMCAS is getting rid of the personal statement and replacing it with three questions. Interesting...hope no one had started writing there's...

Nope. Just saw it on the Fbook page. Definitely a weird move.

Honestly I don't trust anything on APVMA until it's corroborated by someone/something who isn't a highly anxious Pre-Vet student prone to freak out at all the latest gossip, lol. This would be an interesting move by VMCAS, but shouldn't something like that be on their website?

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[mmmdreamerz]

She posted that Tony Wayne sent out an email. Obviously here-say, but don't see why someone would make it up? Just a heads up for a potential change for those applying this year.

Someone posted the questions on that post for those interested...

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Honestly I don't trust anything on APVMA until it's corroborated by someone/something who isn't a highly anxious Pre-Vet student prone to freak out at all the latest gossip, lol. This would be an interesting move by VMCAS, but shouldn't something like that be on their website?

I mean two people posted the questions?

They are terrible about updating their website lol

Honestly, I have no idea, just passing along some potential info?

 

[cdo96]

Someone posted on the APVMA page that VMCAS is getting rid of the personal statement and replacing it with three questions. Interesting...hope no one had started writing there's...

You're freaking kidding me.

I'm like 3000 characters in already. Proud af of that PS too, already sent it to someone to read and it's like 10383920193282010x better than the last one.

lol @cdoconn

 

[deleted806434]

Just went to go look at the questions. I feel like a good personal statement would touch on at least 2, if not all 3 of those. Making it questions just constrains you more.

 

[SkiOtter]

Just went to go look at the questions. I feel like a good personal statement would touch on at least 2, if not all 3 of those. Making it questions just constrains you more.

where are these questions?? (JK Never mind)

 

[TrashPanda]

She posted that Tony Wayne sent out an email. Obviously here-say, but don't see why someone would make it up? Just a heads up for a potential change for those applying this year.

I don't think anyone's making anything up! I just mean it might not be set in stone. Though if a VMCAS email was sent out, it probably is.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

You're freaking kidding me.

I'm like 3000 characters in already. Proud af of that PS too, already sent it to someone to read and it's like 10383920193282010x better than the last one.

Maybe it's not true! Sorry cdoc...

 

[PigFarmer25]

I work with the pre-veterinary advisors at my school who have been in touch with Tony about this for quite sometime now. Tony just emailed us the questions a few minutes ago so they are set in stone! (though I didn't read the questions that were posted on the other page so I can't verify if those are right)

 

[cdo96]

I work with the pre-veterinary advisors at my school who have been in touch with Tony about this for quite sometime now. Tony just emailed us the questions a few minutes ago so they are set in stone! (though I didn't read the questions that were posted on the other page so I can't verify if those are right)

I'm grumpy now. Glad I didn't finish it.

Best case scenario: Tuesday comes and I get a happy email from OkState and I never have to worry about it eeeeever again.

 

[BigRedEquine]

Wow that is actually super annoying news lol I had such a great idea for my next personal statement:/

 

[PigFarmer25]

I'm grumpy now. Glad I didn't finish it.

Best case scenario: Tuesday comes and I get a happy email from OkState and I never have to worry about it eeeeever again.

Yeah!!! I really hope you get in!

Wow that is actually super annoying news lol I had such a great idea for my next personal statement:/

They should have announced this change sooner! I have a friend who finished writing hers after working on it in a personal statement class all last quarter. Now she has to pretty much start over :/

 

[TrashPanda]

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Yeah!!! I really hope you get in!



They should have announced this change sooner! I have a friend who finished writing hers after working on it in a personal statement class all last quarter. Now she has to pretty much start over :/

I started my personal statement wayyyyy in advance so I would not have been happy if they had done this last year...

 

[Coopah]

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

I feel that personal statements, although often repetitive and not even read by some admissions, are beneficial in a way that questions are not. When asked a direct question, you can't say what you would like to, you must answer the question. In a personal statement, there were elements that you had to include but you could still put whatever you wanted as long as it fit the character limit. It allowed someone like me to stand out because I was a very different applicant. I can't see how making it into questions will be beneficial for the applicant.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

Interesting, because I would tend to disagree. There's so much about applying that is very impersonal. When done well, I feel like personal statements can really reflect who you are as a person, which definitely impacts how you will practice.

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

As much as it sucks for those who have already written the personal statement, it sounds like with the change it will be similar to what WCVM does.

The main "personal statement" is a maximum 200 word paragraph to answer the question "Why do you want to be a vet?".

 

[TheGirlWithTheFernTattoo]

I do agree that how you write in a longer personal statement would be valuable in showing who you are. Writing is very descriptive, and in my opinion shows a lot about the author.

 

[TrashPanda]

I feel that personal statements, although often repetitive and not even read by some admissions, are beneficial in a way that questions are not. When asked a direct question, you can't say what you would like to, you must answer the question. In a personal statement, there were elements that you had to include but you could still put whatever you wanted as long as it fit the character limit. It allowed someone like me to stand out because I was a very different applicant. I can't see how making it into questions will be beneficial for the applicant.

Definitely. I'm sure that my PS helped my application a lot. I think personal statements help applicants with unique experiences, but maybe schools don't feel they help them make good decisions. I don't know what exactly led to this change, but I'm guessing it's the result of feedback from schools. I wonder if schools that don't like this change will have longer supplementals as a result.

Interesting, because I would tend to disagree. There's so much about applying that is very impersonal. When done well, I feel like personal statements can really reflect who you are as a person, which definitely impacts how you will practice.

I do agree that how you write in a longer personal statement would be valuable in showing who you are. Writing is very descriptive, and in my opinion shows a lot about the author.

They certainly can reflect who you are and show a lot about the author. I just wonder how often they do, and whether shorter essay questions would truly prevent that. I'm also curious about what research is out there to support using a PS- I think a PS could help with good decisions, or there could be any number of biases (towards good writers, native English speakers, people with unusual experiences, etc.)

I think the one about what attributes you have that will make you a good vet is even more open-ended that the previous PS prompt, it's just shorter. It would be nice if they had a question that let applicants show-off and humanize themselves a little. Maybe one about what makes you unique or, what you're most proud of.

I'm very curious about what supplementals will look like with this change and how answers to these questions will be used. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Rozzieray]

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

I'm kind of bummed since I re-wrote mine after not being apart of the C/O 2020 crew. I felt like this one was ten times better, the vet I work for even agreed, plus it was a way to show what led up to your decision/ why you are you or how those experiences make you different from the rest. But on the other hand I am glad because I think my personal statement was more stressful than battling with TCC over my transcript for two months.

 

[battie]

Here are the questions for those of us too lazy to go to the APVMA facebook page:

1) There are many career choices within the veterinary profession. What are your future career goals and why?

2) In what ways do veterinarians contribute to society And what do you hope to contribute?

3) Considering the breadth of society we serve as veterinarians today; what attributes do you believe are essential to be successful within the veterinary profession? Of these attributes, which do you possess and how have you demonstrated these in the past?

1000 characters each

She posted that Tony Wayne sent out an email. Obviously here-say, but don't see why someone would make it up? Just a heads up for a potential change for those applying this year.

I don't necessarily think a lot of people make things up; I think there's a lot of misinformation spread on that page. As previously mentioned, an anxious pre-vet could have misheard/not gotten the whole story in regards to this and misconstrued the situation. Obviously we see that's not the case here, but there's definitely choice examples every few weeks.

Honestly I don't trust anything on APVMA until it's corroborated by someone/something who isn't a highly anxious Pre-Vet student prone to freak out at all the latest gossip, lol. This would be an interesting move by VMCAS, but shouldn't something like that be on their website?

^This.

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

I hated the personal statement. I wrote so many and didn't like any of them. I wish the character count was 500 more characters at least. I actually preferred the research paper Illinois had us do. I was way more confident about that than anything else.

I do agree that they can show what sort of person you are. But I've become very cynical of admissions processes the world over and I feel it would be relatively easy to write a great admissions essay in a way that makes you sound awesome on paper, but doesn't show the real you. I feel like interviews are a much better way to go because you don't have literal months to plan out how to respond.

With that said, I think these questions are even more ridiculous and can become "formulaic" extremely easily (and even more boring to read). I don't envy you guys on having to sound unique while answering these.

I do want to know what prompted the change for curiosity's sake.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Definitely. I'm sure that my PS helped my application a lot. I think personal statements help applicants with unique experiences, but maybe schools don't feel they help them make good decisions. I don't know what exactly led to this change, but I'm guessing it's the result of feedback from schools. I wonder if schools that don't like this change will have longer supplementals as a result.





They certainly can reflect who you are and show a lot about the author. I just wonder how often they do, and whether shorter essay questions would truly prevent that. I'm also curious about what research is out there to support using a PS- I think a PS could help with good decisions, or there could be any number of biases (towards good writers, native English speakers, people with unusual experiences, etc.)

I think the one about what attributes you have that will make you a good vet is even more open-ended that the previous PS prompt, it's just shorter. It would be nice if they had a question that let applicants show-off and humanize themselves a little. Maybe one about what makes you unique or, what you're most proud of.

I'm very curious about what supplementals will look like with this change and how answers to these questions will be used. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

I feel like these questions will make it really hard to be unique.

 

[TrashPanda]

I feel like these questions will make it really hard to be unique.

The word count may make it more challenging, but there's still plenty of room for creativity. The question about attributes is basically "why should we choose you?" The other ones can be spun that way too, especially for those with interesting career goals and experiences.

For the record, I'm glad this change didn't happen last year. I hated writing my PS but I know it helped me in the end, and while these questions would be faster/easier to write, I don't think they'd make my app stand out as much.

@batsenecal I agree they'll probably be really formulaic. Also agree that U of I seems to have a good system. Incoming vet students should be able to understand scientific literature and write a research paper, so I think it's strange they're the only(?) school to directly look for that in applicants.

 

[vetmedhead]

Aside from how much it sucks for people who already started, what does everyone think about this change?

Writing my personal statement was the worst part of applying, but I ended up with something I was pretty proud of and I think it helped my application stand out. But I also think personal statements are a little silly (do they really say anything about who will make a successful vet student/vet?) and I imagine they slow down the admissions process/are pretty repetitive to read.

Thoughts?

I think this change is a bad move. A series of prompts is going to encourage formulaic writing, the shortened character count for each severely limits the already limited ability to speak about yourself as an applicant, and the fact that it's three short prompts instead of one longer one prevents one from developing strong ideas and messages in their essays. I think this is going to reduce the quality of apps for a lot of people and doesn't really bring much to the table in terms of new information or materials.

Plus - with this they have essentially taken the original VMCAS prompt, chopped it into thirds, and reduced the character count by 1000. Ridiculous move imo. The PS is one of the few places where an applicant can really make themselves heard and shine on their application and I think VMCAS is hindering that ability in a big way.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

I wonder if VMCAS got approval/support from any vet schools before they made this change, or if this is all them? I can't imagine school adcoms supporting this.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I think this change is a bad move. A series of prompts is going to encourage formulaic writing, the shortened character count for each severely limits the already limited ability to speak about yourself as an applicant, and the fact that it's three short prompts instead of one longer one prevents one from developing strong ideas and messages in their essays. I think this is going to reduce the quality of apps for a lot of people and doesn't really bring much to the table in terms of new information or materials.

Plus - with this they have essentially taken the original VMCAS prompt, chopped it into thirds, and reduced the character count by 1000. Ridiculous move imo. The PS is one of the few places where an applicant can really make themselves heard and shine on their application and I think VMCAS is hindering that ability in a big way.

1000% agree

 

[TrashPanda]

I wonder if VMCAS got approval/support from any vet schools before they made this change, or if this is all them? I can't imagine school adcoms supporting this.

But why would VMCAS change it if schools didn't want it? VMCAS employees don't read personal statements so I don't see their personal motivation in changing things (unless they're pushing their opinion of how admissions "should" be).

I can definitely see some schools wanting this since most of my supplemental apps had shorter essays like this. The questions are also fairly similar to interview questions.

 

[vetmedhead]

I wonder if VMCAS got approval/support from any vet schools before they made this change, or if this is all them? I can't imagine school adcoms supporting this.

I'm curious about this as well. I think some VMCAS changes are prompted by adcoms and others are just them doing random things for fun. Changing the PS doesn't make much sense to me because schools that don't like it generally don't read it and I think they'll just continue to not read these questions either. Supplemental apps usually get at questions VMCAS doesn't ask and I wonder if schools that highly value a PS may edit their supplementals to include a question similar to it.

But honestly this just feels like a random thing VMCAS is doing to make it seem like they're updating their system to be better, even though in reality they need to fix things like receipt of GRE scores, the way their system calculates hours worked for different experiences, automatic reordering of experiences into chronological order etc., site bugs, and general user friendliness.

 

[vetmedhead]

This will also make things even more irritating for applicants applying to TAMU and other schools, since TAMU uses their own application and may still require a PS. Although I think an easy fix to that is for TAMU to just jump on VMCAS, but they seem reticent to take that approach lol.

 

[TrashPanda]

This will also make things even more irritating for applicants applying to TAMU and other schools, since TAMU uses their own application and may still require a PS. Although I think an easy fix to that is for TAMU to just jump on VMCAS, but they seem reticent to take that approach lol.

I wonder if schools will start requiring a PS on supplementals. If so, anyone who has a draft hasn't wasted their time and we'll see if admissions committees really value personal statements.

 

[cdo96]

This will also make things even more irritating for applicants applying to TAMU and other schools, since TAMU uses their own application and may still require a PS. Although I think an easy fix to that is for TAMU to just jump on VMCAS, but they seem reticent to take that approach lol.

You know what would be best? If TAMU actually just switched to vmcas and didn't make their students create an entirely different application for ONE school. (I'm definitely not bitter or anything)

 

[PigFarmer25]

I wonder if VMCAS got approval/support from any vet schools before they made this change, or if this is all them? I can't imagine school adcoms supporting this.

My pre-vet advisor said that the change was pushed for by the vet schools but I'm not sure how many wanted the change.

 

[TrashPanda]

My pre-vet advisor said that the change was pushed for by the vet schools but I'm not sure how many wanted the change.

Uh oh. Maybe my personal statement wasn't as good as I thought. Sorry c/o '22ers: adcoms took one look at c/o '21's PSes and thought "never again!"

 

[canine_equine13]

C/O 2022 hopeful here as well! Especially Ohio State - my home state.. Even though I have some great experience and grades that I'm going to hold off sharing, still freaking myself out a ton after being on here (especially scrolling through the "successful applicant" forums). From the forms I was scrolling through, it seems as though a lot of people are in their mid to late 20's applying for their first/second time? Are there any traditional students out there applying for their first time this summer before their senior year as an undergraduate student?

Also, yes, what is up with the personal statement retiring and 3 questions replacing it? I also saw it on the APVMA Facebook page and have yet to see any legitimate verification? I am unsure how I feel about it. I always presumed the personal statement to be the main way vet schools truly got a grasp of their applicants' personalities and their individuality. Why does this have to happen when it's time for us to apply. :/ Maybe it is for the better, who knows, but hard to say being the first round that will be doing it.

 

[TrashPanda]

C/O 2022 hopeful here as well! Especially Ohio State - my home state.. Even though I have some great experience and grades that I'm going to hold off sharing, still freaking myself out a ton after being on here (especially scrolling through the "successful applicant" forums). From the forms I was scrolling through, it seems as though a lot of people are in their mid to late 20's applying for their first/second time? Are there any traditional students out there applying for their first time this summer before their senior year as an undergraduate student?

Also, yes, what is up with the personal statement retiring and 3 questions replacing it? I also saw it on the APVMA Facebook page and have yet to see any legitimate verification? I am unsure how I feel about it. I always presumed the personal statement to be the main way vet schools truly got a grasp of their applicants' personalities and their individuality. Why does this have to happen when it's time for us to apply. :/ Maybe it is for the better, who knows, but hard to say being the first round that will be doing it.

Most applicants apply before their senior year You're definitely in good company.

Don't let other applicants' stats freak you out. There are plenty of people with below average GPA/GRE/experience hours who get in, but they don't necessarily post their information on here. You may feel better reading other years' successful applicants threads- a lot of applicants from this cycle are still waiting to hear from some schools before posting.

It's definitely helpful to know if you're a competitive applicant in order to decide when/where to apply, but don't get in the trap of comparing yourself to others. (Easier said than done, I know!)

 

[mmmdreamerz]

C/O 2022 hopeful here as well! Especially Ohio State - my home state.. Even though I have some great experience and grades that I'm going to hold off sharing, still freaking myself out a ton after being on here (especially scrolling through the "successful applicant" forums). From the forms I was scrolling through, it seems as though a lot of people are in their mid to late 20's applying for their first/second time? Are there any traditional students out there applying for their first time this summer before their senior year as an undergraduate student?

Also, yes, what is up with the personal statement retiring and 3 questions replacing it? I also saw it on the APVMA Facebook page and have yet to see any legitimate verification? I am unsure how I feel about it. I always presumed the personal statement to be the main way vet schools truly got a grasp of their applicants' personalities and their individuality. Why does this have to happen when it's time for us to apply. :/ Maybe it is for the better, who knows, but hard to say being the first round that will be doing it.

Welcome to SDN!

Don't let the Successful Applicants thread freak you out. It's a good tool to see who has gotten into various schools, but everyone is unique and has unique things to bring to the table!

Vet med has a lot of non-traditional students, but the average age for applicants is still around 21/22, so your definitely not alone haha. I guess I was still technically 20 when I submitted my application last summer, but by the time school starts in Aug I'll be 22.

I don't know why they are getting rid of the personal statement (and I'm definitely glad it's after my cycle lol) but the questions will turn out okay. Still a chance for you to add a personal touch to your application. We usually do a personal statement help thread once VMCAS opens, and I'm sure we'll do a three questions thread this year lol

Above all else take a deep breath. You've worked hard to get to the point of applying. If you squint, the end is in sight haha

P.S. OSU was my top choice and I'll be starting as a first year in the fall, so happy to help with any application/interview questions. There's several current OSU-ers on here too. @lilylilac @Karabiner13 and @Filly Bay are always majorly helpful.

 

[WildZoo]

I'm going to miss the creativity of the personal statements I've gotten to read every year. Kind of along the lines of what vmh said - splitting what essentially already was the prompt into 3 separate questions and decreasing the length really pushes toward formulaic writing and doesn't leave much room to show who you are beyond the numbers on your application. If the schools pushed for it then I guess they know what they want best, but...ah well. I kind of want to talk to our administration here to see what their thoughts on it are.

And as 3m said, we'll of course still be here to help with editing and revising your answers to the new questions

 

[PigFarmer25]

I'm going to miss the creativity of the personal statements I've gotten to read every year. Kind of along the lines of what vmh said - splitting what essentially already was the prompt into 3 separate questions and decreasing the length really pushes toward formulaic writing and doesn't leave much room to show who you are beyond the numbers on your application. If the schools pushed for it then I guess they know what they want best, but...ah well. I kind of want to talk to our administration here to see what their thoughts on it are.

And as 3m said, we'll of course still be here to help with editing and revising your answers to the new questions

I was really excited to read other people's personal statements this year! I'll still help with questions, but it'll be a different process now for that. I agreed though that there's less room now for individuality. I'm so grateful I'm in the last class who had to write personal statements!

I'm not sure if the schools wanted these exact questions or if they just wanted the personal statement wording to change. Let us know what your school says!

 

[cdo96]

C/O 2022 hopeful here as well! Especially Ohio State - my home state.. Even though I have some great experience and grades that I'm going to hold off sharing, still freaking myself out a ton after being on here (especially scrolling through the "successful applicant" forums). From the forms I was scrolling through, it seems as though a lot of people are in their mid to late 20's applying for their first/second time? Are there any traditional students out there applying for their first time this summer before their senior year as an undergraduate student?

Also, yes, what is up with the personal statement retiring and 3 questions replacing it? I also saw it on the APVMA Facebook page and have yet to see any legitimate verification? I am unsure how I feel about it. I always presumed the personal statement to be the main way vet schools truly got a grasp of their applicants' personalities and their individuality. Why does this have to happen when it's time for us to apply. :/ Maybe it is for the better, who knows, but hard to say being the first round that will be doing it.

I applied before my second semester Junior year actually (graduating in 3.5) It's been an interesting time for me, honestly, but it's been a blast. I love the c/o 2021 ers, and they're (mostly) crazy supportive, as I'm sure your class will be.

I suppose my biggest piece of advice is: don't be afraid to apply and try, but don't be over confident you'll succeed. I applied to 5 schools this year, and I was insanely (and naively) confident that I would get acceptances to at least 3 of them (because c'mon, I was a Biochemistry major with a relatively high GPA, who writes PS well). And I felt like with every rejection, it kicked my feet out from under me. I was so heartbroken that no one wanted me; it took a lot of soul searching to not go into shutdown mode of not finishing my Senior year and just saying "**** this" and dropping out. So yeah, you don't want to be overconfident like I was.

Finally, something to remember: while SDN has a lot of people on it, it can't represent the average applicant because in reality there's at the most 5-10 people per school per class here, out of the many hundreds that applied! So with age, remember averages! So if the class average age is 23, for every older person they accept, they're accepting an equally young person!

You can do it!

 

[deleted676737]

I'm going to miss the creativity of the personal statements I've gotten to read every year. Kind of along the lines of what vmh said - splitting what essentially already was the prompt into 3 separate questions and decreasing the length really pushes toward formulaic writing and doesn't leave much room to show who you are beyond the numbers on your application. If the schools pushed for it then I guess they know what they want best, but...ah well. I kind of want to talk to our administration here to see what their thoughts on it are.

And as 3m said, we'll of course still be here to help with editing and revising your answers to the new questions

I just had a thought. What about those schools that don't interview OOS or, heck, any applicants? Now without the personal statement, the adcomms won't be able to learn much, if anything, about the personality/character of applicants (unless they switch over to doing interviews, of course). Could it make the process even more numbers-based than it already is at such schools?

I know that they're implementing the three short answer questions, but as you said that lends to more formulaic and disjointed writing and the character limits especially can stifle any personal flair/character.

Sorry if this is rambly or doesn't make sense... at a conference and am between lectures.

 

[WildZoo]

I just had a thought. What about those schools that don't interview OOS or, heck, any applicants? Now without the personal statement, the adcomms won't be able to learn much, if anything, about the personality/character of applicants (unless they switch over to doing interviews, of course). Could it make the process even more numbers-based than it already is at such schools?

I know that they're implementing the three short answer questions, but as you said that lends to more formulaic and disjointed writing and the character limits especially can stifle any personal flair/character.

Sorry if this is rambly or doesn't make sense... at a conference and am between lectures.

No it makes sense, I had the same thought.

 

[deleted676737]

No it makes sense, I had the same thought.

I guess I just worry that classes will become even more full of type A perfectionists who simply know how to study but not interact effectively with clients and run/maintain a business or be just a generally amiable person.

It's vet school and it's hard academically, so it's definitely important to be reasonably assured that a student can make it through based on the more objective measures like GPA and GRE, but I feel like there's still something to be said for general fit with a class and ability to remain cool under pressure, as well as deal with people.

 

[cdo96]

I just had a thought. What about those schools that don't interview OOS or, heck, any applicants? Now without the personal statement, the adcomms won't be able to learn much, if anything, about the personality/character of applicants (unless they switch over to doing interviews, of course). Could it make the process even more numbers-based than it already is at such schools?

I know that they're implementing the three short answer questions, but as you said that lends to more formulaic and disjointed writing and the character limits especially can stifle any personal flair/character.

Sorry if this is rambly or doesn't make sense... at a conference and am between lectures.

I know NCSU is extremely numbers based and they don't interview. But they also ask a lot of personal/ interview type questions in their supplementals... so I'm not sure how I feel about the removal of the PS. I'm afraid it's going to end up with applicants having to write much more as different schools require different things to make up for the lack of a PS.

 

[cdo96]

I guess I just worry that classes will become even more full of type A perfectionists who simply know how to study but not interact effectively with clients and run/maintain a business or be just a generally amiable person.

It's vet school and it's hard academically, so it's definitely important to be reasonably assured that a student can make it through based on the more objective measures like GPA and GRE, but I feel like there's still something to be said for general fit with a class and ability to remain cool under pressure, as well as deal with people.

Also there's some schools who are going away from requiring GRE (for some reason I'm think VAMD and Michigan state). So what do they have to judge applicants on???

 

[Bottle of Bear]

Also there's some schools who are going away from requiring GRE (for some reason I'm think VAMD and Michigan state). So what do they have to judge applicants on???

Swimsuit contest

 

[cdo96]

Swimsuit contest

Ahh yes! Now I'll actually get into vet school.

 

[TrashPanda]

I guess I just worry that classes will become even more full of type A perfectionists who simply know how to study but not interact effectively with clients and run/maintain a business or be just a generally amiable person.

It's vet school and it's hard academically, so it's definitely important to be reasonably assured that a student can make it through based on the more objective measures like GPA and GRE, but I feel like there's still something to be said for general fit with a class and ability to remain cool under pressure, as well as deal with people.

I find it very strange that some schools don't require interviews. Oral communication and interpersonal skills are a huge part of most vets' jobs, and besides possibly being mentioned in LORs, they're pretty absent from the application process in those schools. Especially since a lot of applicants (though certainly not all) are pretty nerdy, introverted, type A, and may prefer animals over people most of the time, they seem like good things to evaluate.

I don't think personal statements are a reliable measure of amiability or day-to-day communication skills, but getting rid of them could be a move more towards numbers-based admissions. Or, hopefully, better evaluation methods. There's a slow movement towards MMI over traditional interviews, and while they're not perfect, I think that's a good thing. At least there's some research to support them, while there really isn't much to support personal statements.

 

[canine_equine13]

I applied before my second semester Junior year actually (graduating in 3.5) It's been an interesting time for me, honestly, but it's been a blast. I love the c/o 2021 ers, and they're (mostly) crazy supportive, as I'm sure your class will be.

I suppose my biggest piece of advice is: don't be afraid to apply and try, but don't be over confident you'll succeed. I applied to 5 schools this year, and I was insanely (and naively) confident that I would get acceptances to at least 3 of them (because c'mon, I was a Biochemistry major with a relatively high GPA, who writes PS well). And I felt like with every rejection, it kicked my feet out from under me. I was so heartbroken that no one wanted me; it took a lot of soul searching to not go into shutdown mode of not finishing my Senior year and just saying "**** this" and dropping out. So yeah, you don't want to be overconfident like I was.

Finally, something to remember: while SDN has a lot of people on it, it can't represent the average applicant because in reality there's at the most 5-10 people per school per class here, out of the many hundreds that applied! So with age, remember averages! So if the class average age is 23, for every older person they accept, they're accepting an equally young person!

You can do it!

Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm definitely applying this year, just scared about it as I'm sure you all understand!

 

[canine_equine13]

Welcome to SDN!

Don't let the Successful Applicants thread freak you out. It's a good tool to see who has gotten into various schools, but everyone is unique and has unique things to bring to the table!

Vet medical has a lot of non-traditional students, but the average age for applicants is still around 21/22, so your definitely not alone haha. I guess I was still technically 20 when I submitted my application last summer, but by the time school starts in Aug I'll be 22.

I don't know why they are getting rid of the personal statement (and I'm definitely glad it's after my cycle lol) but the questions will turn out okay. Still a chance for you to add a personal touch to your application. We usually do a personal statement help thread once VMCAS opens, and I'm sure we'll do a three questions thread this year lol

Above all else take a deep breath. You've worked hard to get to the point of applying. If you squint, the end is in sight haha

P.S. OSU was my top choice and I'll be starting as a first year in the fall, so happy to help with any application/interview questions. There's several current OSU-ers on here too. @lilylilac @Karabiner13 and @Filly Bay are always majorly helpful.

Hey, thanks so much for your reply! The sussessful applicants thread definitely freaked me out and I didn't know what to do or how to take in all of everyone else's information. I will definitely keep my eye out for the 3 questions forum. Also, wow congratulations on OSU!!!!! I will definitely keep you guys in mind for the future when it's time to apply and with the hopes I actually do get an interview. If you don't mind me asking, are you in state or out of state and where else did you apply?!

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Hey, thanks so much for your reply! The sussessful applicants thread definitely freaked me out and I didn't know what to do or how to take in all of everyone else's information. I will definitely keep my eye out for the 3 questions forum. Also, wow congratulations on OSU!!!!! I will definitely keep you guys in mind for the future when it's time to apply and with the hopes I actually do get an interview. If you don't mind me asking, are you in state or out of state and where else did you apply?!

I totally understand. The successful applicants thread has its uses, but you have to remember that every applicant is different. Some might have a slightly higher GPA, or better GRE scores, or really unique experiences. Comparing yourself too much doesn't do any good. I'm OOS. I applied to five schools (Ohio, VA-MD, MSU, Cornell, Missouri) and got interviews at three.

The "what are my chances thread" can be useful...people are usually pretty helpful with feedback

I know it's a stressful process, but once VMCAS opens, you've done the hard part! Just gotta show schools how awesome you are!