How much did applications cost?

[SamuraiPizzaCat88]

Just wondering, how much did the applications process cost for most of you?

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[UFprevet12]

Just wondering, how much did the applications process cost for most of you?

After all was said and done I believe it cost me $1500 to apply to 6 schools. That's including VMCAS, all the supplemental apps, transcript orders, and GRE.

 

[Cyndia]

It cost me quite a bit more, I'd say in total around ~$2500. But only because I did way too many schools (11 total) and had to translate my GPA - I did a masters at a foreign institution in London, so I had to shell out nearly $500 or so to a translation service and then mail the transcript individually to each school (VMCAS doesn't process or verify any foreign transcripts). I also had quite a bit of fees in rush mail postages to all the colleges because I finished the course and got my transcript issued basically the day VMCAS closed (so I had to contact schools individually telling them my transcript would be coming late), and I was mailing everything from Europe so that added up. Honestly, I regret spending so much money applying everywhere. If you're worried about money, do your research, and only apply to schools that have admissions formulas that work to your benefit (I.e. if you have a weak GPA, choose a school that evaluates more heavily on other aspects of the application, etc). It will also save you so much time in completing supplemental applications!

So if you're trying to plan ahead on costs, here's a good breakdown:

• VMCAS Fees - VMCAS fee is about $200 for one school, and an additional $100 for each additional school. (Click here for the 2014/2015 fee chart).
• GRE Score Reports - You get to send 4 free reports to schools you designate at the time of taking the test. Additional score reports are $27 per school.
• Supplemental fees - Each school you apply to might have an additional supplemental fee. Just check their websites. Sometimes it's free, other times I remember it ranging from about $50 - $100 at some of the schools.
• Transcript fees - Whatever your schools charges for transcripts to be sent. Send it in early to VMCAS (the deadline is before the actual deadline) because they verify the grades on it.
• Translation services - Only needed if you did any coursework abroad that you want counted. I used World Education Services, there's a couple out there and so you can take a look at specific schools to see what their regulations or recommendations are.

 

[DVMDream]

It cost me quite a bit more, I'd say in total around ~$2500. But only because I did way too many schools (11 total) and had to translate my GPA - I did a masters at a foreign institution in London, so I had to shell out nearly $500 or so to a translation service and then mail the transcript individually to each school (VMCAS doesn't process or verify any foreign transcripts). I also had quite a bit of fees in rush mail postages to all the colleges because I finished the course and got my transcript issued basically the day VMCAS closed (so I had to contact schools individually telling them my transcript would be coming late), and I was mailing everything from Europe so that added up. Honestly, I regret spending so much money applying everywhere. If you're worried about money, do your research, and only apply to schools that have admissions formulas that work to your benefit (I.e. if you have a weak GPA, choose a school that evaluates more heavily on other aspects of the application, etc). It will also save you so much time in completing supplemental applications!

So if you're trying to plan ahead on costs, here's a good breakdown:

• VMCAS Fees - VMCAS fee is about $200 for one school, and an additional $100 for each additional school. (Click here for the 2014/2015 fee chart).
• GRE Score Reports - You get to send 4 free reports to schools you designate at the time of taking the test. Additional score reports are $27 per school.
• Supplemental fees - Each school you apply to might have an additional supplemental fee. Just check their websites. Sometimes it's free, other times I remember it ranging from about $50 - $100 at some of the schools.
• Transcript fees - Whatever your schools charges for transcripts to be sent. Send it in early to VMCAS (the deadline is before the actual deadline) because they verify the grades on it.
• Translation services - Only needed if you did any coursework abroad that you want counted. I used World Education Services, there's a couple out there and so you can take a look at specific schools to see what their regulations or recommendations are.

Adding a few things to the breakdown of costs:

• Flights for interviews
• Professional clothing for any interviews
• Hotel rooms for interviews
• Car rentals for interview (if needed)

I would say I easily spent a good $1000- $2000 each year that I applied.

 

[battie]

1090 dollars when it was all said and done for just the VMCAS, GRE scores, and supplementals for five schools. When my interview is added, comes out to probably 1500 dollars cause had to drive to school for a week, drive back home, then drive to Kansas and back. Not a cheap outing for sure.

 

[MnW2014]

I spend around 1500 for everything for 4 schools (VMCAS, supplemental applications, GRE, interview suit, and interview trip). I only went to one of my interviews also. It would have been a lot more if I had gone to the other two. This is not to mention the 500 dollar deposit I paid once I got in. I just finished moving and that costed another fortune. My advice would be just to save as much as possible as soon as possible. I started saving for my vet school process like 3 years ago and I am so thankful I did.

 

[Trilt]

About $260. One school on VMCAS, one supplemental, official transcripts from one university and one community college. No interview, next cost was just the $250 enrollment deposit, but that's not really part of the applications.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I forget the exact number, but somewhere between $1500-2000. VMCAS, two GRE's, 5 supplemental apps (all of which were at the higher end of the $50-100 range), and the alcohol and stress food I needed to get through it

 

[Lilly63]

Wow....I may have to reconsider narrowing down my list of schools to apply to
How much did flights cost roundtrip for those who went on interviews? I want to be prepared financially for this year.....

 

[HowIMetYourPet]

$3,612 for me.

I applied and interviewed at 8 schools. Keep in mind, I applied to 3 UK schools and their interviews were in San Fransico or NYC. I stayed with family/friends in both places, so no hotel cost, BUT I live in the mid west so that was 3 cross country flights. I drove to the others (except one, which was in Boston and I ended up doing via skype because I couldn't get there 2x on account of the giant blizzards they kept having)

 

[LivesintheLibrary]

I think I spent $600 on applications alone, but A&M doesn't use VMCAS so they had another primary application that was between $140-170 (I don't remember which). I applied to three schools, each with their own supplementary application, took the GRE once, and did two interviews, one of which required flights so it was probably around $2000 total, but I thought it was worth it. I liked interviewing at at least 2 schools so that I could compare the two and figure out what I liked and didn't like. I flew from Texas to Florida for UF, but I flew in and out of Orlando so I think that saved $200/ticket (my dad came with me) rather than flying into Gainesville. I think our tickets were around $300-400 each round trip. The way I see it, spending money on interviews is worth it for the experience that will come in handy for job interviews later. Granted the cost was a tough pill to swallow, but I'm hoping it'll pay off in the long run. I was definitely nervous spending that kind of money on something that I had no idea what the outcome would be, but no matter what happens, if you give it 100% it'll be a learning experience for sure.

 

[Gwenevre]

Applications were $600, including the cost to send GRE and PPI scores. I applied to three schools, two supp apps.

 

[SocialStigma]

$430 for one school

($150 application fee, $10 transcript fee, $250 MCAT, $20 round trip drive to interview)

 

[Gemgrrrl]

Wow....I may have to reconsider narrowing down my list of schools to apply to
How much did flights cost roundtrip for those who went on interviews? I want to be prepared financially for this year.....

It really depends on where you're applying, how far it is from you and the size and proximity of the nearest airport. Go to Orbitz and search for flight info for the schools you're thinking of applying to. Rough estimate would be $400 for a cheap ticket to a larger airport, and up from there. You might have to rent a car and drive, depending on where the school is. You'll also need a hotel room while you're there. I estimated $600 for flight, hotel, and expenses.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Wow....I may have to reconsider narrowing down my list of schools to apply to
How much did flights cost roundtrip for those who went on interviews? I want to be prepared financially for this year.....

It's hard to estimate. Flights depend on time of year, where you're flying from, and where you're flying to. For me, a round trip ticket from Michigan to Gainesville was $500 in February, including my connection from ATL to GNV. Luckily, that was the only school I had to fly to. It doesn't seem like any schools interview too close to the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas) which would jack up flights. However, with the change of deadlines for this year, I wouldn't be surprised if schools start interviewing a little earlier as well. If you have any close family with hotel rewards, ask them if you could use their points for a room.

 

[Felixor90]

Wow....I may have to reconsider narrowing down my list of schools to apply to
How much did flights cost roundtrip for those who went on interviews? I want to be prepared financially for this year.....

For some places, it's actually cheaper to fly with a parent (if you're under 25) to a big nearby airport and have them rent a car and drive to the school. For my first interview, I flew straight to Lansing and it cost like $500 for the ticket alone. For my Illinois one, instead of paying another $500, I flew to Chicago for $120 and rented a car for $30 (it's closer to $100 if you're not 25 or older) more and drove down to Champaign. For my other 2 I kinda didn't have the option of doing that but I booked well in advance and got the tickets for ~$300. It's best to book your tickets as soon as you get an interview offer.

 

[Lilly63]

Thanks everyone!! It is a big pill to swallow, but I think the best thing to do it to apply to 4 schools instead of 7 this year. My biggest fear is not getting into any schools and spending a ton of money on applications when I could use that money to improve my application for the next application cycle. I'm sure everyone feels that way though.

 

[LivesintheLibrary]

Thanks everyone!! It is a big pill to swallow, but I think the best thing to do it to apply to 4 schools instead of 7 this year. My biggest fear is not getting into any schools and spending a ton of money on applications when I could use that money to improve my application for the next application cycle. I'm sure everyone feels that way though.

That's a rational fear to have, and I know I felt that way when I was deciding where to apply (I originally had a list of around 10 schools, but cut it down to three applications). I would apply mostly to schools that you have similar stats to compared to their accepted students and then maybe to one or two others that you would go to were you to be accepted. Researching schools beforehand is a good way to cut costs. For OOS schools I would consider looking into ones that accept more OOS students to increase your chances of getting accepted. Good luck!

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks everyone!! It is a big pill to swallow, but I think the best thing to do it to apply to 4 schools instead of 7 this year.

I think that's a smart move. I'm of the opinion - there are a number of people who disagree with me - that if you really do your research you should be able to whittle down the application list to only schools you actually have a legit decent chance of getting accepted. Plus maybe one 'dream school' if the COA isn't stupid compared to the others. And if you've done that research and picked appropriate schools, you shouldn't need to apply to 7 to hope to get an acceptance - that just says to me that the applicant hasn't done enough research. I sorta feel that people who want a bunch of admission offers to 'pick between' are being silly. You can only go to one school; might as well only apply to schools you want to (or are at least willing to) attend. But like I said, there are plenty of people who disagree with me and think the 'shotgun approach' makes more sense. I just think it's a waste of money.

 

[Glammyre]

I'll put in a pitch for my school. Oklahoma State doesn't interview out-of-state students, and we accept 24 a year. There is a supplemental application (either $50 or $100, I think, but I don't remember) and they do require transcripts, but you don't have to factor in interview costs.

 

[GAH-47D]

Just wondering, how much did the applications process cost for most of you?

I applied to 8 VMCAS schools and 1 non-VMCAS (Tufts). With purchasing/sending transcripts, VMCAS costs, application fees, supplemental application fees, hotels, gas (I didn't fly places I drove - for days!), GRE test, GRE scores, (and my sanity) - I believe I spent just over $3,000.

It's not cheap, and I think that's part of a way that they're able to control how many schools people apply to/weed out those that are not as committed. I'll admit it! I cried when I realized how much it cost, but it was worth it!!! With a general acceptance/rejection statistic of 50/50, too many is the number at which you can no longer afford to eat/survive One just below that number, is exactly right But that's opinion and not objective fact (along with some sarcasm!)! You'll know what feels right.

Plus don't forget, with the VMCAS you can always ADD schools to your application down to the last day. You cannot delete! Once you submit - even if you submit before September 1st - you can still add schools, but you cannot remove/alter. You cannot make changes after the application has closed.

Best of luck!!

 

[dyachei]

With a general acceptance/rejection statistic of 50/50, too many is the number at which you can no longer afford to eat/survive One just below that number, is exactly right But that's opinion and not objective fact (along with some sarcasm!)! You'll know what feels right.

No. Apply to schools at which you have a decent shot. That may mean 1 school, it may mean 10. But only if you can afford to do so. And only if you would actually attend that school. I would recommend most people apply to between 2 and 7 schools.

 

[LetItSnow]

I applied to 8 VMCAS schools and 1 non-VMCAS (Tufts). With purchasing/sending transcripts, VMCAS costs, application fees, supplemental application fees, hotels, gas (I didn't fly places I drove - for days!), GRE test, GRE scores, (and my sanity) - I believe I spent just over $3,000.

It's not cheap, and I think that's part of a way that they're able to control how many schools people apply to/weed out those that are not as committed. I'll admit it! I cried when I realized how much it cost, but it was worth it!!! With a general acceptance/rejection statistic of 50/50, too many is the number at which you can no longer afford to eat/survive One just below that number, is exactly right But that's opinion and not objective fact (along with some sarcasm!)! You'll know what feels right.

Plus don't forget, with the VMCAS you can always ADD schools to your application down to the last day. You cannot delete! Once you submit - even if you submit before September 1st - you can still add schools, but you cannot remove/alter. You cannot make changes after the application has closed.

Best of luck!!

I realize that you were joking a bit, but I still think that "too many is the number at which you can no longer afford to eat/survive" is unfortunate advice that some pre-vet may read and take seriously.

If people take the time and invest the effort to find out what schools they have a reasonable shot at - rather than just "ooooo, I like THAT school!" - there is no need to apply to more than 3-4 at most. You can only go to 1, after all.

Good info about adding vs deleting.

 

[Lupin21]

I had lots of options with decent stats and experiences, but in the end, I put all my eggs into one cheap basket and it is paying off, literally. My advice for anyone is to check your pre-reqs to see which schools you are on track for matching, geared of course to IS, then narrow down the list from there to schools with the lowest tuition/cost of living. I feel so bad for those that applied to a school, got accepted, but then decided the OOS tuition wasn't worth it. Just be smart. Truly think about all the costs involved should you be accepted and which schools are a fit for one's personal stats leading to a possible acceptance. All that info is out there to be researched, so be proactive and get it done before applying.

 

[Lilly63]

Do any schools list the range of GPA of their accepted students? I haven't came across that yet, I've only seen the averages. My undergrad overall GPA is below average for accepted students, but I'm trying to compensate that with getting a masters and other factors.

 

[dyachei]

Do any schools list the range of GPA of their accepted students? I haven't came across that yet, I've only seen the averages. My undergrad overall GPA is below average for accepted students, but I'm trying to compensate that with getting a masters and other factors.

Most will list a minimum GPA.

 

[Caiter92]

Do any schools list the range of GPA of their accepted students? I haven't came across that yet, I've only seen the averages. My undergrad overall GPA is below average for accepted students, but I'm trying to compensate that with getting a masters and other factors.

WSU does. However, the range is around 2.4-4.0, so it's not super helpful.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

Do any schools list the range of GPA of their accepted students? I haven't came across that yet, I've only seen the averages. My undergrad overall GPA is below average for accepted students, but I'm trying to compensate that with getting a masters and other factors.

I think there are several schools that do. I know NCSU does: http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/studentservices/documents/ncstate_DVM_denied_review_session_2015.pdf

I would look at the average more than the range though. Every applicant pool is different, so the lowest is going to be different each year. Since it's an average, a couple tenths of percentage point under that should still be a fairly good shot - especially if you have other more compelling things on your application.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I think that's a smart move. I'm of the opinion - there are a number of people who disagree with me - that if you really do your research you should be able to whittle down the application list to only schools you actually have a legit decent chance of getting accepted. Plus maybe one 'dream school' if the COA isn't stupid compared to the others. And if you've done that research and picked appropriate schools, you shouldn't need to apply to 7 to hope to get an acceptance - that just says to me that the applicant hasn't done enough research. I sorta feel that people who want a bunch of admission offers to 'pick between' are being silly. You can only go to one school; might as well only apply to schools you want to (or are at least willing to) attend. But like I said, there are plenty of people who disagree with me and think the 'shotgun approach' makes more sense. I just think it's a waste of money.

I think that's easy to say when you're not from a state that either has no vet school/contract seat or an IS with ridiculously high COA. If you're in that situation though, any school that accepts a good number of OOS students that fits your general criteria becomes fair game... and I don't think it's outrageous to apply to like 6-8 schools.

I mean you don't really know until you apply whether you're someone who will be getting a ton of interview invites or hordes of waitlists. If you start getting a bunch of interview invites, you can always decline them, and you're only out the cost of applications and ancillary paperwork fees... which in the grand scheme of things is a drop in the bucket, and much cheaper than needing to reapply the next year. I agree though that if you don't get in anywhere when applying to like 6+ schools, then you probably wouldn't have gotten in applying to more (provided you aren't applying to island schools or new schools).

 

[LetItSnow]

I think that's easy to say when you're not from a state that either has no vet school/contract seat or an IS with ridiculously high COA. If you're in that situation though, any school that accepts a good number of OOS students that fits your general criteria becomes fair game... and I don't think it's outrageous to apply to like 6-8 schools.

I mean you don't really know until you apply whether you're someone who will be getting a ton of interview invites or hordes of waitlists. If you start getting a bunch of interview invites, you can always decline them, and you're only out the cost of applications and ancillary paperwork fees... which in the grand scheme of things is a drop in the bucket, and much cheaper than needing to reapply the next year. I agree though that if you don't get in anywhere when applying to like 6+ schools, then you probably wouldn't have gotten in applying to more (provided you aren't applying to island schools or new schools).

Sure. If you're in a school without an IS it might make sense. There are ALWAYS exceptions and I think it was clear I was giving generalized advice. But if you're screwed by locale into applying for limited OOS states you probably need to increase the pool.

I disagree that you don't really have any idea how you'll do. You might not, but if so it's because you haven't really done the research. Enough schools publish profiles that you should have some idea of how you stack up. And if you're going to do well enough to get offers you're going to get them with 3-4 applications - I think applying to 10 schools and getting 1 offer is unlikely. Sure, I'm absolutely positive it's happened. But as a general rule? Nah. It's a waste of money.

 

[Lupin21]

I would suggest for people that are able to, move to the state that your stats best fit for IS application. There are quite a number of factors I realize in doing this, but it worked out nicely for me. I was IS for Davis, but their IS tuition was still higher than I was willing to pay, so I moved to OK and got residency and am paying half of what I would have in CA. It can be risky in that you may still not make the cut, but the monies saved if successful is a pretty great reward. I think some people get tripped up with the whole dream school thing. I mean, it is a tiny four year drop in the bucket of life and no matter what, you graduate with a DVM title.

I suppose I may have a different perspective on this though because I am an older adventurer, and my number one priority was to make sure I get back to living like a real person without triple numbers of debt. School "reputation" didn't mean jack squat to me since in the big picture, it is me who makes the opportunities and gets myself hired, not the name of the school I attended.

 

[LetItSnow]

School "reputation" didn't mean jack squat to me since in the big picture, it is me who makes the opportunities and gets myself hired, not the name of the school I attended.

Geez, I've already given you a job. What more do you want?

 

[Lupin21]

Geez, I've already given you a job. What more do you want?

The world at my fingertips.

 

[DVMDream]

I disagree that you don't really have any idea how you'll do. You might not, but if so it's because you haven't really done the research.

I disagree. Take my 3 application cycles, here are some of what happened to me:

Western: Year 1: Interview, waitlisted. Year 2: Interview, rejected
Year 3: Didn't apply

Mississippi: Year 1: Didn't apply.
Year 2: interviewed, waitlisted
Year 3: Rejected outright, no interview

There were also others where I was rejected, interviews, waitlisted and it changed the following year.

I had no way to know that a school that previously waitlisted me would reject me the next year. Yes, I knew it was a possibility but I was still going to apply because previous experience and my research showed that I had a chance of being accepted.

I don't think it is just that you didn't do your research. We all know how awkward and random the application process can be.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

I disagree. Take my 3 application cycles, here are some of what happened to me:

Western: Year 1: Interview, waitlisted. Year 2: Interview, rejected
Year 3: Didn't apply

Mississippi: Year 1: Didn't apply.
Year 2: interviewed, waitlisted
Year 3: Rejected outright, no interview

There were also others where I was rejected, interviews, waitlisted and it changed the following year.

I had no way to know that a school that previously waitlisted me would reject me the next year. Yes, I knew it was a possibility but I was still going to apply because previous experience and my research showed that I had a chance of being accepted.

I don't think it is just that you didn't do your research. We all know how awkward and random the application process can be.

You did the research though. There are people who plan on applying to schools that they have no chance of getting into, and just a little bit of research would tell them that. Someone just posted on "what are my chances" that they have a 3.0 and are planning on applying to NCSU, Penn and CO, among others. There's no way they're getting into those schools - so what's the point of spending that money?

 

[Felixor90]

You did the research though. There are people who plan on applying to schools that they have no chance of getting into, and just a little bit of research would tell them that. Someone just posted on "what are my chances" that they have a 3.0 and are planning on applying to NCSU, Penn and CO, among others. There's no way they're getting into those schools - so what's the point of spending that money?

There's no way anybody knows that a person with a 3.0 isn't going to get in at any particular school. I know people with higher GPAs and GREs that didn't get into MSU, but I did. I also know people with lower GPAs and GRE scores that got into UF (my IS), and I was straight up rejected. UF is supposed to be all about numbers, and someone with a relatively low GPA got in. My point is that nobody knows what goes on through the admissions committee's heads and that committees change every year so you can't say that someone doesn't have a chance at all. Are the chances small? Probably, but you still can't say it's a definite no.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

There's no way anybody knows that a person with a 3.0 isn't going to get in at any particular school. I know people with higher GPAs and GREs that didn't get into MSU, but I did. I also know people with lower GPAs and GRE scores that got into UF (my IS), and I was straight up rejected. UF is supposed to be all about numbers, and someone with a relatively low GPA got in. My point is that nobody knows what goes on through the admissions committee's heads and that committees change every year so you can't say that someone doesn't have a chance at all. Are the chances small? Probably, but you still can't say it's a definite no.

Some schools have GPA minimums. You can say with certainty that someone with a GPA below those minimums will not get into those schools.

 

[DVMDream]

You did the research though. There are people who plan on applying to schools that they have no chance of getting into, and just a little bit of research would tell them that. Someone just posted on "what are my chances" that they have a 3.0 and are planning on applying to NCSU, Penn and CO, among others. There's no way they're getting into those schools - so what's the point of spending that money?

Yes, but LIS is putting out a broad statement of "I disagree that you don't really have any idea how you'll do. You might not, but if so it's because you haven't really done the research" and that is just straight up not true. There are people here who have done all the research in the world and still didn't get accepted to places they really believed they had a good shot at but got accepted to another school that they considered a "stretch but a possibility". There are people that get a different outcome to the exact same school every year that they apply. You can not predict how vet school application will turn out. You can not "know" how you will do. If that were the case, people could guarantee that they are getting accepted and what is the point then of even going through the process, of worrying, of wondering if you are being accepted? After all, you know how you are going to do. Heck, we've had a few instances of rejected people being accepted, granted that is an extreme, but we've had enough instances here that it might happen more than we think.

It is absolutely false to say that if you "don't have any idea how you'll do" then "you haven't done your research". Clearly nobody will know how anyone will do. At all. And it is a bit extreme to make that big of a blanket statement on applying to vet school. Heck we might as well change the "what are my chances thread" to "we will tell you if you will be accepted and where" if people should "know" how they are going to do.

 

[DVMDream]

Now maybe LIS meant that you should apply to those schools you feel (not know) you will have a good chance of getting accepted to. But stating that people should "know" how they will do is just too big a blanket statement with the (apparent) randomness that these applications can be at times.

 

[LetItSnow]

I disagree. Take my 3 application cycles, here are some of what happened to me:

Western: Year 1: Interview, waitlisted. Year 2: Interview, rejected
Year 3: Didn't apply

Mississippi: Year 1: Didn't apply.
Year 2: interviewed, waitlisted
Year 3: Rejected outright, no interview

There were also others where I was rejected, interviews, waitlisted and it changed the following year.

I had no way to know that a school that previously waitlisted me would reject me the next year. Yes, I knew it was a possibility but I was still going to apply because previous experience and my research showed that I had a chance of being accepted.

I don't think it is just that you didn't do your research. We all know how awkward and random the application process can be.

I guess I don't see your point.

I think based on the responses I see people aren't getting my point, which means I'm likely not making it well.

1. There will always (always, ALWAYS) be exceptions to every bit of advice. There are always circumstances that make general advice not applicable. I find it a little weird how people feel a need to point out every possible less-common situation and then act as if it invalidates a general piece of advice because they have that one example that's different.

2. If a candidate does their research and applies to schools where they are a generally good fit ... there is some point of diminishing returns where applying to X number of schools is just silly. If you haven't gotten a single acceptance at 5 schools (that you were well-matched for), you probably aren't going to get one by applying to 8. Or 10. Or whatever. I don't know the magic number. Your example of two schools with a mixture of responses just doesn't apply to what I'm saying. It's a) one person (you), and b) two schools.

3. Conversely, if a person applies to a series of well-matched schools, they probably don't need to apply to MORE than X number in order to get an acceptance. After that it's just wasting money. My guess - and it's just a guess - is that it's somewhere around 4. But the emphasis there is on well-matched, and the presumption is that well-matched includes schools that have a pretty decent number of seats for whatever pool you are in (OOS, IS, whatever). If you're applying by necessity to some small pool of seats with a large number of applicants (like some situation like MB brought up), then duh - you need to increase your pool to increase your chances. That's just ... well, obvious.

4. It's not hard to find out if you're well-matched, since many schools publish some sort of applicant information list. And, we have all sorts of historical info here on SDN if someone wants to go digging. And, finally, most (all?) schools have information about how they evaluate candidates. If you're someone with an overall crappy GPA ... well, don't go applying to schools that put an emphasis on overall GPA (unless it's your IS and you want to take that long shot for lower tuition or something..... see point #1 about exceptions).

5. I don't really give a rat's ass how many schools someone applies to. It's their money. But when people come looking for advice, mine is always going to be: Take the time to do your research (REAL research, not just 10 minutes of googling), apply to 3-5 schools that make sense for you at which you would accept an offer, save the money instead of applying at a dozen schools. But in the end, it's just advice and if someone really wants to throw money away because it makes them feel like their chances are substantially better (when in reality I suspect they are only incrementally better) .... more power to 'em.

Yes, but LIS is putting out a broad statement

Broad statements are broad for a reason - they aren't meant to cover each and every single situation. They're meant to apply to the majority. You took my statement and applied it to a narrow specific situation.

 

[LetItSnow]

Now maybe LIS meant that you should apply to those schools you feel (not know) you will have a good chance of getting accepted to. But stating that people should "know" how they will do is just too big a blanket statement with the (apparent) randomness that these applications can be at times.

I didn't say you "know" how you will do. You're rephrasing my point inappropriately. I said you should have "an idea" how you will do. As in, a pretty good sense of whether you have a good chance. Obviously nobody ever "knows" whether they will get an acceptance or not at a given institution.

At least, I don't think I said you "know" how you will do. That's your choice of words, not mine, I think.

 

[DVMDream]

I didn't say you "know" how you will do. You're rephrasing my point inappropriately. I said you should have "an idea" how you will do. As in, a pretty good sense of whether you have a good chance. Obviously nobody ever "knows" whether they will get an acceptance or not at a given institution.

At least, I don't think I said you "know" how you will do. That's your choice of words, not mine, I think.

Yeah, you said any idea it just came out as similar to "know" to me with how you stated it. But you probably didn't mean it that way or maybe clinics has already killed my brain and I interpreted it that way incorrectly.

I also agree with your list above, but I disagree that my point about applying to the same school with different outcomes is an "exception". We have seen enough of these stories on here (not just from me) that I think it happens rather frequently that someone can be waitlisted one year and denied the next. And that wouldn't be any error on your part for "not doing research". I also didn't include all the schools, only 2 from mine, because I have forgotten exact details on the rest, but there were one or two more that did the same thing... waitlist then reject. I just don't recall what years or when and for which schools. I don't know, I think this happens enough that it really shouldn't be seen as an "exception". And it was more than 2 schools for me, I just didn't specifically list them, because again, memory is bad and I am getting old and grumpy.

And I might disagree on your number, but either one of us would just be randomly pulling a number out our ass so who knows what is right... I would think more around 6 schools before, meh, it may or may not make a difference if you apply to more. The year I got in, I applied to 7 and got into 1.... so yeah.. anecdotal evidence. I don't think the number is that high. I think it is higher than 3-4 though. So I will say 5-7.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

It is absolutely false to say that if you "don't have any idea how you'll do" then "you haven't done your research". Clearly nobody will know how anyone will do. At all. And it is a bit extreme to make that big of a blanket statement on applying to vet school. Heck we might as well change the "what are my chances thread" to "we will tell you if you will be accepted and where" if people should "know" how they are going to do.

Saying that someone is unlikely to get into certain schools is not the same as saying they definitely will get into others.

 

[DVMDream]

Saying that someone is unlikely to get into certain schools is not the same as saying they definitely will get into others.

I never said that it was the same.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

I never said that it was the same.

I just feel like that's where the sticking point is. LIS was saying that it's in most people's best interest to research what schools they are applying to and make sure they're a good fit with a reasonable expectation of success. You're saying that, even with that research, there's no way to know for sure. I feel like both statements are true. You can match a schools successful applicant profile and still not get in, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason why since it can change from year to year. But there are also applicants that are very, very unlikely to get into certain schools, and applying to a lot of them isn't going to change that.

 

[DVMDream]

I just feel like that's where the sticking point is. LIS was saying that it's in most people's best interest to research what schools they are applying to and make sure they're a good fit with a reasonable expectation of success. You're saying that, even with that research, there's no way to know for sure. I feel like both statements are true. You can match a schools successful applicant profile and still not get in, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason why since it can change from year to year. But there are also applicants that are very, very unlikely to get into certain schools, and applying to a lot of them isn't going to change that.

Yes, I've already agreed that LIS and I were talking about different points. I've also already stated that I mostly agree with him. So I'm really not sure of your point posting this, unless you're looking for something else? Seems unnecessary to restate all of this.

 

[ktjc216]

I spent around $1400 for vmcas for five schools, five supplemental applications, and two gre tests. I spend probably another $500 traveling for my interviews.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

Yes, I've already agreed that LIS and I were talking about different points. I've also already stated that I mostly agree with him. So I'm really not sure of your point posting this, unless you're looking for something else? Seems unnecessary to restate all of this.

I must have confused this for an open forum.

 

[DVMDream]

I must have confused this for an open forum.

It is but you're replying directly to me. As if I disagree with all of that. So I guess I just don't get your point in your response to me. You've made points to me directly twice that are just repeating what I've said. So I'm really not sure I'm understanding your responses. Unless you are just making commentary but it comes across as if you're trying to get me to understand something.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

It is but you're replying directly to me. As if I disagree with all of that. So I guess I just don't get your point in your response to me. You've made points to me directly twice that are just repeating what I've said. So I'm really not sure I'm understanding your responses. Unless you are just making commentary but it comes across as if you're trying to get me to understand something.

It seemed like you did disagree with it, and I don't think I was repeating what you said. If I was, then great, I second your opinion.