Advising Appointment About Summer Program

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sheepishsheep

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I applied for the UC Davis Summer Enrichment Program for this summer and had my application denied. I set up an advising appointment with Yasmin Williams to discuss the application. How do advising appointments usually go? Other than reviewing my application beforehand, how can I prepare for it?
 
Well my advising appointment is tomorrow. Any words of advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
 
Maybe find some of the "what to ask in a file review" threads? Although I am not sure this would really apply to the enrichment program...

My understanding of the enrichment program was that it is for undergraduates who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and may not be able to get veterinary experience otherwise. I'm not sure what you could get reviewed for? A DVM I work for said she had applied for the program before she applied to Davis and that she was rejected because they didn't think she was "disadvantaged" enough.

Unless you are thinking about applying for the summer enrichment program again I am not sure that a review would help you. I especially don't think it would help in terms of applying to vet school. Its my understanding that people get rejected because they are not disadvantaged enough and that shouldn't be the case when you actually apply to veterinary school.

I guess you could ask why your application was rejected? In terms of grades, essays, recommendations, or lack of disadvantaged-ness (lack of a better word, so I am making up my own). I think it could help you to identify the reason you were rejected. If it was you grades, well that certainly applies to vet school. If its you essay, well that sorta applies. It tells you that you need to go in a different direction.

I've never applied for this program, so I don't really know what the criteria for selection are. However, from what I do know about the program I would think that the main reason you would be rejected is because you are too privileged in their eyes.

Goodluck! I'm sorry you didn't get accepted. Thats a huge bummer 🙁 I wish I had some better advice on questions to ask, but I think the most important thing to identify is why you were rejected and whether or not that reason is within you control to change for future apps to the enrichment program or to vet school (if it is a factor that matters).
 
Thanks for the response, HelloNello! I'll take your advice and just try to get as much information as I can about how to improve my application.
 
Sorry I didn't have any better advice. I hope your meeting went well 🙂
 
As a person who has met with Yasmin before, I'd say get some questions in line. What can I do to become a competitive applicant in the future? Hopefully this can apply to both the enrichment program as well as actually applying to UCD vet school. Did you have a letter of recommendation? Ask how that helped or hurt your application. Was your essay compelling? How could you improve your writing style or content? Stuff like that.

I'll tell you, I felt that Yasmin was terribly unprepared for my file review after applying to vet school. She had to take the time out of our meeting to read my essay and reference letters. It was awkward, sitting there twiddling my thumbs while she silently read. She also has had mixed reviews for how "encouraging" she is. She has apparently outright told people that they will never get into vet school and low and behold, they do. She was encouraging for me, but I think it might be partly because I teared up a little 😳.

As for the enrichment program, it does seem to be geared towards giving underprivilaged pre-vets a chance to get some good experience. However, I know for a fact that one of the past vet aide club presidents was selected for this program when they already got first pick every quarter for VMTH Internships 🙄. Of course, I shouldn't presume that people are not disadvantaged when they actually might be....

Take advantage of this opportunity, she will have a good insight for how to be the best applicant you can be.

ETA: Whoops, sorry I didn't notice that your meeting was today! Hope it went well, and maybe this could help someone else.
 
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