A Little Confused About the Timeline of Everything

[Spuzzles]

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Hey guys
So I pretty much just started to embark on this whole pre-vet thing for sure and I'm pretty excited 🙂 Except for one thing, I've tried to search the forums and other websites for an answer but couldn't come up with anything. But I really have no idea how the timeline of applying works. For example when to start studying for the GRE, when to actually take the GRE, when the actual application process starts etc. I'm a second year undergrad by the way. If anyone could help that would be great. Thanks!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Hey guys
So I pretty much just started to embark on this whole pre-vet thing for sure and I'm pretty excited 🙂 Except for one thing, I've tried to search the forums and other websites for an answer but couldn't come up with anything. But I really have no idea how the timeline of applying works. For example when to start studying for the GRE, when to actually take the GRE, when the actual application process starts etc. I'm a second year undergrad by the way. If anyone could help that would be great. Thanks!

You can study for and take the GRE anytime really that you have time from this point forward. The scores are okay to use for 5 years. I would recommend taking it with some time to spare because then you have time to retake at your leisure, rather than needing to study for the last possible date that vet schools will consider.

As for recommendation letters, it's really up to you and vet and the evaluator when it would be appropriate for you to ask. You don't want to ask any later than a month before your applications are do. You could ask them to write letters as you go along and save them on their computers, but you will have to contact them again once you start filling in your applications because your evaluators must send in electronic copies online.

 

[jtom]

You can take the GRE at any time before you apply but I would take it early enough to allow you multiple tries if you want to retake it. The application is a common application and it opens each year in June and closes at the deadline the first week of october for admission for the following fall semester, so you apply almost a year in advance of when you want to start school. So from june through the deadline in october you can work on your application.

 

[HelloNello]

Hey! Welcome!

The timeline isn't totally set in stone and really depends on what prereqs you have done and such:


Get experience wherever you can, kennels, volunteer work, hospitals, shadowing, wildlife rehab etc., up until you get accepted and even after

Begin researching your school now. The AAVMC website is awesome and will give you a list of pre-reqs for each school. Start planning which schools you want to apply to and plan to take those prereqs before your senior year if you wish to go straight to vet school following undergrad.

I took the GRE in June after my junior year because I was out of school and had time to prepare for the test. GRE scores are only good for 5 years, so plan to take the test within 5 years of you applying.

The time of application depends because schools have specific requirements for how many pre-reqs you can have unfinished at time of application. I'd say apply when you have no more than 2 left to take in the spring before you would matriculate should you be accepted.

Applications open in early June and close in early October.

I kept a "journal" of my experiences and # of hours so I could easily enter them into the VMCAS
I ordered my transcripts in early August
I asked my 3 evaluators in early May


Since you are in your second year I would focus on getting awesome grades, research the schools you want to apply to and their pre-req courses requires, meet with an advisor to make sure you are covering the pre-reqs you'll need and estimate when you will complete the pre-reqs so you know when to apply, get as much experience as you can.

 

[tigerkissedqt]

I was also a little confused about it, and made kind of a last minute decision to apply a year earlier than I had planned so I had to figure things out fast! Your applications are due* (with some exceptions) the October of the year prior to starting vet school so mine were due this October 2011 and if I get accepted someplace I will begin Fall 2012. I studied for and took my GRE over the summer (once in July and again in August). A lot of the GRE is not something you can really "study" for, but reviewing math concepts and familiarizing yourself with the format and time limits of the test is important even if you don't plan to spend copious amounts of time preparing for it. Know that results will take a few weeks to be completed and set-up your exam date with plenty of time so you don't run out of testing opportunities. I spent the entire summer working on applications (I would recommend planning to spend your entire summer working on these- starting earlier would be better depending on how many schools you plan to apply to which dictates how many additional supplemental school applications you have). I asked my evaluators just over a month before the eLORs & PPI were due and told them they were due about a week earlier than what they were so if somebody forgot or there were technical difficulties (which there were!) I had time to get things fixed. Really the application process can start as soon as the applications become available (usually around June/July) but you can get a jumpstart on thinking about your personal statement and start compiling a list of your experiences well ahead of time. I hope this helps clear some things up for you so you don't have to scramble like I did! 🙂

 

[TigerWillow]

I was also a little confused about it, and made kind of a last minute decision to apply a year earlier than I had planned so I had to figure things out fast! Your applications are due* (with some exceptions) the October of the year prior to starting vet school so mine were due this October 2011 and if I get accepted someplace I will begin Fall 2012. I studied for and took my GRE over the summer (once in July and again in August). A lot of the GRE is not something you can really "study" for, but reviewing math concepts and familiarizing yourself with the format and time limits of the test is important even if you don't plan to spend copious amounts of time preparing for it. Know that results will take a few weeks to be completed and set-up your exam date with plenty of time so you don't run out of testing opportunities. I spent the entire summer working on applications (I would recommend planning to spend your entire summer working on these- starting earlier would be better depending on how many schools you plan to apply to which dictates how many additional supplemental school applications you have). I asked my evaluators just over a month before the eLORs & PPI were due and told them they were due about a week earlier than what they were so if somebody forgot or there were technical difficulties (which there were!) I had time to get things fixed. Really the application process can start as soon as the applications become available (usually around June/July) but you can get a jumpstart on thinking about your personal statement and start compiling a list of your experiences well ahead of time. I hope this helps clear some things up for you so you don't have to scramble like I did! 🙂

I also took the GRE twice (once in July, once in September). I would recommend an online course. I took the first one without really studying for it, thinking it would be a breeze. Even though I am smart enough not to NEED the online course, it MAKES me practice it (especially if Im the one footing the bill!) I did SO much better on the second time, and I took the practice test like 4 times! If you don't want to spend the money, I suggest trying to find multiple practice tests, because you will be rather comfortable when actually taking the real thing! (oh, and DO NOT take it at 6 pm last minute. I took it in the am the second time, and I think that helped. At 6 pm I didn't get out until 9 pm and was not very happy)

 

[Spuzzles]

Thanks you guys! Everyone helped a lot 🙂