Iowa State University c/o 2021!

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@Coopah Washington state, Missouri, NC state, Ok State, Purdue, Wisconsin and of course Iowa State


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Cool! I'm applying to Washington as well! Also Tufts, UC Davis, Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Kansas. Oh and Iowa. ;)

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Cool! I'm applying to Washington as well! Also Tufts, UC Davis, Ohio, Florida, Colorado and Kansas. Oh and Iowa. ;)
this makes me feel like such an underachiever I only applied to iowa, illinois (my IS) and wisconsin! Power to you for being able to do that many supplementals haha
 
this makes me feel like such an underachiever I only applied to iowa, illinois (my IS) and wisconsin! Power to you for being able to do that many supplementals haha

Well I didn't have an in state so I had to go for more shotgun approach. Also my academics are weird because I'm a non-traditional student so I had to be flexible. If I had an in-state I would go there in a heartbeat.

Edit: also while I was interviewing I meant another candidate who applied to 20 schools now that's dedication.
 
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Well I didn't have an in state so I had to go for more shotgun approach. Also my academics are weird because I'm a non-traditional student so I had to be flexible. If I had an in-state I would go there in a heartbeat.

Edit: also while I was interviewing I meant another candidate who applied to 20 schools now that's dedication.
20 schools seems so excessive....and terribly expensive haha
 
20 schools? That's ridiculous because I am sure if you got offered interviews at even half of those schools, you still have to turn some down due to conflict.
 
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Looks like I'm going to be the VM1 on the student panel for the 10/23 morning interviews, if anyone here is going then! Good luck to those interviewing this weekend!
 
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Good luck to everyone interviewing this weekend!
I'm interviewing tomorrow, so maybe I'll meet some of you!


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The interview was not bad, except for the fact that I couldn't answer one question, so they had to rephrase it. Hopefully that's okay!
It was the most relaxed I've ever been for an interview.
Good luck everyone!
They said they'd let us know around January 1st.


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The interview was not bad, except for the fact that I couldn't answer one question, so they had to rephrase it. Hopefully that's okay!
It was the most relaxed I've ever been for an interview.
Good luck everyone!
They said they'd let us know around January 1st.


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Did Dr. Howard say that? She told us mid-January. They must have a better time frame now.
 
I was told the same time frame last weekend as well.


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They just said January if I remember correctly lol. They weren't too specific


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I've spoken with several different people involved with admissions and interviews, including Deanna and Dr. Howard, and I have also heard estimates falling within early-mid January, for what it is worth.
 
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Had my interview yesterday. My interviewers were super nice and tried to make it as low stress as possible. I actually really enjoyed the interview process, even if I didn't really enjoy the questions.

As for decisions, what I remember is that decisions should be out sometime early to mid January and like interview invites, will be done through the applicant portal.
 
I've spoken with several different people involved with admissions and interviews, including Deanna and Dr. Howard, and I have also heard estimates falling within early-mid January, for what it is worth.

It was Deanna that said "the first of the new year."
 
Received an interview invite today for 11/6! Verified Sept 16th
 
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If someone could please confirm that interviews are still blind (interviewers will not have viewed my application prior) I would appreciate it? I can't find it on their website.
 
If someone could please confirm that interviews are still blind (interviewers will not have viewed my application prior) I would appreciate it? I can't find it on their website.
From everything I have been told, they still are.
 
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Also received an interview invitation yesterday for 11/6! I believe I was verified 9/24. My last visit to Ames was two years ago - very excited to visit again!
 
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If someone could please confirm that interviews are still blind (interviewers will not have viewed my application prior) I would appreciate it? I can't find it on their website.

Yup I spent the first part of the interview introducing myself, after the interviewers introduced themselves. It's kind of a nice ice breaker.
 
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Wishing the best of luck to those interviewing this weekend! Helping out with white coats again on Saturday afternoon, it seems. :laugh:
 
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I have not heard anything about a interview email was verified 10/6 around is there still a chance?
 
I have not heard anything about a interview email was verified 10/6 around is there still a chance?

Yes! They send them out about 2 weeks before each interview weekend. :)


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Hi everyone! I have my interview this weekend and am pretty nervous (it's my first one, ever), but also excited. Any tips or suggestions that might calm my nerves?
 
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OOS applicant interviewing the last weekend (December 3-4) here!

Recently graduated from Texas A&M and I know our vet school interviews involve entering several different rooms (3 vet interviewers per room). Questions are posted on the door, from what I hear, and you have five minutes to formulate thoughts before entering. Is there only one room of interviewers involved in the ISU interview?
 
I have not heard anything about a interview email was verified 10/6 around is there still a chance?

I heard back this week regarding an interview the last round so hopefully you'll hear good news soon as well?
 
The interview was in one room with 2 people for me.
I would HIGHLY advise looking at the interview feedback on SDN and preparing some responses from that question bank. ;)

There was one question I couldn't answer, and I couldn't come up with an answer when I looked on SDN the night before either. Try hard to come up with a response, but know what you can't answer (what you don't have an experience to back up) and admit it - they said it's better to be honest than to manufacture an answer. Luckily that only happened once for me!!
Like I said in an earlier post, it was the most relaxing interview I've had. I hardly felt nervous at all. Granted, it wasn't my first interview and I had my interview at 8am so I didn't have hours to let the nervousness build up, so I think those factors helped calm the nerves a bit, but the environment wasn't stressful, and everyone was very nice - both in person and on this thread, and that helped a lot as well.

You'll all do great! Best of luck! :)


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The interview was in one room with 2 people for me.
I would HIGHLY advise looking at the interview feedback on SDN and preparing some responses from that question bank. ;)

There was one question I couldn't answer, and I couldn't come up with an answer when I looked on SDN the night before either. Try hard to come up with a response, but know what you can't answer (what you don't have an experience to back up) and admit it - they said it's better to be honest than to manufacture an answer. Luckily that only happened once for me!!
Like I said in an earlier post, it was the most relaxing interview I've had. I hardly felt nervous at all. Granted, it wasn't my first interview and I had my interview at 8am so I didn't have hours to let the nervousness build up, so I think those factors helped calm the nerves a bit, but the environment wasn't stressful, and everyone was very nice - both in person and on this thread, and that helped a lot as well.

You'll all do great! Best of luck! :)


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Thanks!! Would you mind giving an estimate of how many questions you were asked?
 
OOS applicant interviewing the last weekend (December 3-4) here!

Recently graduated from Texas A&M and I know our vet school interviews involve entering several different rooms (3 vet interviewers per room). Questions are posted on the door, from what I hear, and you have five minutes to formulate thoughts before entering. Is there only one room of interviewers involved in the ISU interview?
ISU does not do MMI; it is just you in one room with two (occasionally three) professors and/or alum vets for approximately 50 minutes. ILDSU did a good job describing the whole experience. The Interview Feedback page is extremely helpful as the questions really don't change much from year to year. ;)

There's several people in my class from A&M, so you'll definitely be in good company if you come here!
 
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ISU does not do MMI; it is just you in one room with two (occasionally three) professors and/or alum vets for approximately 50 minutes. ILDSU did a good job describing the whole experience. The Interview Feedback page is extremely helpful as the questions really don't change much from year to year. ;)

There's several people in my class from A&M, so you'll definitely be in good company if you come here!

Ah thanks for the reassuring post. Is the interview blind/no viewing of application beforehand?
 
OOS applicant interviewing first weekend in December! Good luck to everyone who are and have interviewed! <3
 
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Just got back from helping with today's interviews and after speaking with a couple of people who deal with admissions, I have some interesting and (hopefully) helpful news.

In contrast to many other schools, ISU actually received fewer applications this cycle. They are still wanting to send out admissions decisions sometime in early to mid January, if possible, BUT there has also apparently been talk of adding a fifth interview weekend because they truly do want to find the best fits for the class. I didn't hear anything about potential dates, but that means that those of you who have passed into committee review but haven't heard anything else shouldn't necessarily give up on the school quite yet. I would imagine that the date of final status notification could change depending on whether not they decide to go for that extra interview weekend.

I don't plan on being at the school tomorrow, but I might be working the next scheduled interview weekend. I'll post here if I find anything else out.

EDIT: For UNL/ISU people, I also learned that there were ~60 applicants for that program, so with 25 open spots, you've got just under 50/50 odds. I don't think there's a whole lot of you guys on here, but just FYI.
 
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Thanks!! Would you mind giving an estimate of how many questions you were asked?
It was definitely between 5-10 questions, but I can't specifically remember how many. Some questions came with followup questions as well. :)
 
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Would some kind, knowledgable soul please repost the interview example question link that is commonly used year to year? :cat:

All I've been able to find is information regarding the interview dates, someone who posted this: "give me an example of when you: made a decision you were least in favor of, had to think outside of the box, had to make a quick decision during an emergency, broke a commitment to someone, etc" with reused questions bolded, and this below:

link https://www.mockquestions.com/graduateschool/Iowa+State+University/Veterinary+Medicine/

Attempting to channel my southern texan charm for the next month before last weekend interviews.
 
That's actually the one I was referring to. The questions haven't really changed much at all over the past few years; I read over the ones listed there and came up with some sample scenarios I could use to each prompt. I felt extremely prepared going in and I'm pretty sure every single question I recieved during my interview was from that page (or, at the very least, may have been very slightly reworded variants of those questions).
 
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How long do they expect you to speak for when responding to questions? I know it should be descriptive, yet concise, however some schools like my alma mater expect a lengthy response closer to 5 minutes per question. I was curious how that differs, if at all, for ISU?
 
How long do they expect you to speak for when responding to questions? I know it should be descriptive, yet concise, however some schools like my alma mater expect a lengthy response closer to 5 minutes per question. I was curious how that differs, if at all, for ISU?

I don't think I talked to for five minutes straight to answer a question during my interview. I may have said a response and then the 2 interviewers may have asked follow up questions. I think it is best to have an answer with substance that is 2 minutes in length rather than trying to talk for 5 minutes.
 
How long do they expect you to speak for when responding to questions? I know it should be descriptive, yet concise, however some schools like my alma mater expect a lengthy response closer to 5 minutes per question. I was curious how that differs, if at all, for ISU?

I'd be as concise as possible, they asked me about 5 questions with some follow up questions. You don't want to be rushed towards the end of the interview. All of the questions they asked were ones I had prepared for with the list you posted above. Best of luck on your interview!
 
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I don't think I talked to for five minutes straight to answer a question during my interview. I may have said a response and then the 2 interviewers may have asked follow up questions. I think it is best to have an answer with substance that is 2 minutes in length rather than trying to talk for 5 minutes.

Definitely. I just know that TAMU in particular is picky about the length of answer you give, so I was curious how you guys handled the ISU interview. I shouldn't have any problem being more concise except for with a "tell me about yourself" question
 
Questions: are you allowed to bring anything (ex: resume) into the interview room? Are you allowed to bring snacks or a change of shoes to the tour/interview portion when the doors lock?

Thanks in advance
 
I personally didn't bring a resume. The committee has already looked at your experiences, now they just want to know how you think and communicate. They have wonderful snacks provided in the alumni room where everyone relaxes. For me, my interview wasn't until late that afternoon so I wore something more casual then changed after the tour. The tour is about an hour long so I would bring comfortable clothes. As said on their website, they have a locker room where you can change.
 
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Questions: are you allowed to bring anything (ex: resume) into the interview room? Are you allowed to bring snacks or a change of shoes to the tour/interview portion when the doors lock?

Thanks in advance

You don't bring anything into the interview room, but they give you a water bottle to take in. There is a waiting room where you can leave anything you want. Some people changed into clothes for the interview, but most people stayed in their interview clothes. You should bring a change of shoes though! They give you snacks, but you can bring your own.


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I personally didn't bring a resume. The committee has already looked at your experiences, now they just want to know how you think and communicate. They have wonderful snacks provided in the alumni room where everyone relaxes. For me, my interview wasn't until late that afternoon so I wore something more casual then changed after the tour. The tour is about an hour long so I would bring comfortable clothes. As said on their website, they have a locker room where you can change.
You don't bring anything into the interview room, but they give you a water bottle to take in. There is a waiting room where you can leave anything you want. Some people changed into clothes for the interview, but most people stayed in their interview clothes. You should bring a change of shoes though! They give you snacks, but you can bring your own.


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So they will not let you bring a resume in period or it's just uncommon/viewed unecessary to?

At what point do the parents/tour companions leave? Mine is at 4pm so I have a long day ahead. Also, are the interviewers mainly clinicians/professors?
 
So they will not let you bring a resume in period or it's just uncommon/viewed unecessary to?

At what point do the parents/tour companions leave? Mine is at 4pm so I have a long day ahead. Also, are the interviewers mainly clinicians/professors?

I don't think there is a rule as to if you can bring one or not. I asked the same question on this thread and was told it was unnecessary. The parents stay with you the whole time (tour, student panel, financial talk, etc.) They only time they aren't with you is during the interview. At that time they stay in the alumni room. I believe the interviewers are a mix of both faculty and industry? Both of mine were into the field I am interested in so that helped a lot. But, that is just the luck of the draw.
 
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So they will not let you bring a resume in period or it's just uncommon/viewed unecessary to?

At what point do the parents/tour companions leave? Mine is at 4pm so I have a long day ahead. Also, are the interviewers mainly clinicians/professors?
They try to give you one faculty/clinician interviewer and one alumni interviewer, but the numbers don't always work out. I don't think a resume would be useful in the interview because the questions are behavior-based, not an examination of tasks you've performed in the past. You don't even have to talk about anything veterinary medicine related. One of my questions was about a time when I disappointed someone, and I talked about a time when I let my brother down, and what I learned from it. The interview is more like a casual conversation than an evaluation of your credentials. You can always call the school and ask if you can bring a resume if you really feel like you need one.
 
They try to give you one faculty/clinician interviewer and one alumni interviewer, but the numbers don't always work out. I don't think a resume would be useful in the interview because the questions are behavior-based, not an examination of tasks you've performed in the past. You don't even have to talk about anything veterinary medicine related. One of my questions was about a time when I disappointed someone, and I talked about a time when I let my brother down, and what I learned from it. The interview is more like a casual conversation than an evaluation of your credentials. You can always call the school and ask if you can bring a resume if you really feel like you need one.

We were told specifically not to bring a resume in.
I had 2 retired vets that were alumni of ISU, neither of them were faculty.


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