Applying Early to Veterinary School

[deleted1051250]

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Hello

First off, I hope everything is well with everyone's loved ones. I am posting to ask the pros and cons when it comes to applying to veterinary school a year early. I am currently a rising junior and will have my pre-requisite courses completed by the end of the next academic year. Therefore, I am eligible to apply for this application cycle.

1.) Is it statistically harder to be admitted to a veterinary school a year early+without a degree?
2.) If I was to be denied admission, and then applied during my "normal" application cycle(After my junior year), will that hinder my application? In other words, does a reapplicant look worse compared to a first-time applicant?




Thank you for everyone who has answered my question. A concern I see in many responses is having maturity. To be a devil's advocate, I do not see that being a problem(for myself) applying as a 20-year-old. To give some background, I will list my overall "statistics". If I could get honest feedback on if I am a competitive applicant, I would greatly appreciate it.

End of Sophmore Year GPA
Cumulative GPA: 3.66
Last 45 Credits: 3.79
Science GPA 3.55

• Science classes: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology/ Organisms to Ecosystem

Veterinary Experience: My concern for my veterinary experience is the lack of diversity. I have struggled to find different types of veterinary experiences. Having to pay for college, it can be difficult to take unpaid internships when I have loans to pay. For the upcoming school year, I will be working at an Equine Hospital.
1. Small Animal Emergency Center: 600 hours
2. Small Animal Day Clinic Internship: 500 hours

Research
1. Professor's research lab
2. Next summer opportunity: USDA veterinary research

Animal Experience/Volunteer
1. Horse Stable: 30 hours
2.Exotic Animal Experience (upcoming summer): Working with wolves, a bear, lion, lynx, cougar, etc.

• Expecting to get about 200 hours interning here

3. Animal Shelter (1100 hours BUT they are from junior/senior year of high school and beginning of freshman year of college). Not sure if that is something I would put on my future veterinary application.
4. World Relief: (working first hand with refugees, helping them navigate a new life in the United States)

Extracurricular Activities: All leadership positions but also making a genuine impact on campus.

1. Co-founder/President of Pre-Professional Club
2. President of Sierra Club
3. Executive Board Member of Boundless Health

 

[WildZoo]

1) I honestly couldn't tell you the statistics. For schools that don't require a degree, I don't believe applicants are docked points for not having one. You might have to do some legwork on looking into that based on the schools you're thinking of applying to though.
2) I've never heard of someone being looked down on for reapplying. It's fairly common. Lots of people take 2 or 3 (or more) cycles.

 

[EB73674]

Hello

First off, I hope everything is well with everyone's loved ones. I am posting to ask the pros and cons when it comes to applying to veterinary school a year early. I am currently a rising junior and will have my pre-requisite courses completed by the end of the next academic year. Therefore, I am eligible to apply for this application cycle.

1.) Is it statistically harder to be admitted to a veterinary school a year early+without a degree?
2.) If I was to be denied admission, and then applied during my "normal" application cycle(After my junior year), will that hinder my application? In other words, does a reapplicant look worse compared to a first-time applicant?

1) I'm not sure about the actual numbers, but thinking long-term and worst-case-scenario, it would be better to have a bachelor's degree. What if something falls through with your funding? What if you get into vet school and hate it? What if you for some reason don't make it through vet school? Not having a bachelor's degree will limit you from the ability to get certain higher-paying jobs should a veterinary career fall through for some reason, so I'd go with making sure you have a completed one before you enter veterinary school. And on top of that, unless you have a really nice high GPA, good GRE scores, lots of veterinary hours, and all your letters set up...you might find you want more time to finish out.

And really, enjoy your senior year if you've gotten your tougher courses of out of the way! The only real appeal I could see to applying early is to be able to spend less money on undergrad, if that's a concern - which is totally fair if your tuition is exorbitant. I'm also very much on the "take a year or two out of school to experience adult life & the working professional world" train. I would NOT be the more matured and measured person that I am today without having spent the last 9 years out of school & working.

2) Definitely not - some schools actively like to see the determination and resiliency of their re-applicants, and others (as far as I know) don't hold rejections against you. The obvious caveat to this is if you had something shady in your previous application or behaved unprofessionally in an interview or something - you never want to be memorable for a bad reason! But you maybe just not being ready, or not having the strongest application, or something else similar won't be a problem at all. MOST vets do not get in on their first round, and re-application is a fantastic chance to improve on your previous one, possibly with the help of admission's counselors in the process.

 

[ajs513]

I applied and was accepted without a degree. However I had more than enough credits to earn my degree, but was missing one required course for my degree. A bunch of things happened and I ended up not finishing that class before going to vet school. I actually still don’t have my degree.

There’s one other student in my class who doesn’t have his degree. He applied in his sophomore year, was accepted in his junior year, and skipped his senior year. I believe he’s transferring his vet school credits to earn his degree. That’s a thing that some schools do, so I would look into that. It’s not specifically harder to get in a lot of the time, but there are definitely schools that put some weight into having a degree or at least a larger number of completed credits. I forget which schools do this, but the way they do it is that you’re assessed on a point system and you earn more points if you have a higher number of completed credits.

The odds of needing a fallback plan in case vet school doesn’t work out is, depending on where you go, very very low. Only a couple percent. If you really think it’s worth it to you to save a year and go to vet school early, then by all means do that. Especially if you find that you’ll be able to transfer your vet school credits from your first year to earn your degree. There would be essentially zero risk in that case. If you can’t do that, and you’re concerned about the possibility of not continuing with vet med, then go ahead and finish undergrad, earn your degree, and then go to vet school.

 

[Minnerbelle]

You can totally apply early if you feel you have a competitive application. Just make sure you only apply to the schools you are absolutely certain you’d go to if you get in. Don’t apply to “backup” schools if after being rejected from other schools you might consider declining your seat to try again for other schools the next year.

If you don’t have a competitive application though, I’m not sure I agree with the “well what harm can it do to apply?” attitude. If you don’t get in this year, then your grades next semester and the experience hours you could be getting next semester is going to matter a lot. It does take a lot of time and energy to put together a serious application to vet school. That time and energy would likely be better spent on beefing up your application. If you don’t get in, you could be hurting your chances the next cycle for this reason.

 

[WildZoo]

You can totally apply early if you feel you have a competitive application. Just make sure you only apply to the schools you are absolutely certain you’d go to if you get in. Don’t apply to “backup” schools if after being rejected from other schools you might consider declining your seat to try again for other schools the next year.

If you don’t have a competitive application though, I’m not sure I agree with the “well what harm can it do to apply?” attitude. If you don’t get in this year, then your grades next semester and the experience hours you could be getting next semester is going to matter a lot. It does take a lot of time and energy to put together a serious application to vet school. That time and energy would likely be better spent on beefing up your application. If you don’t get in, you could be hurting your chances the next cycle for this reason.

Hmm. I don't know if I see it having a major impact on grades/experience hours unless they're doing a lot of summer courses. The application cycle closes in September. I agree it's probably not worth the time/effort this year if they don't have a competitive application though.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Hmm. I don't know if I see it having a major impact on grades/experience hours unless they're doing a lot of summer courses. The application cycle closes in September. I agree it's probably not worth the time/effort this year if they don't have a competitive application though.

Yeah but most people who apply are super distracted through feb/March when it becomes clear that they’re not getting much traction. It’s hard to be all in when you’re in that state.

 

[WildZoo]

Yeah but most people who apply are super distracted through feb/March when it becomes clear that they’re not getting much traction. It’s hard to be all in when you’re in that state.

Oh I was thinking fall semester, I see what you mean now.

 

[that redhead]

I am posting to ask the pros and cons when it comes to applying to veterinary school a year early. I am currently a rising junior and will have my pre-requisite courses completed by the end of the next academic year.

I think a lot depends on the current strength of your application. If you have strong grades, good experience hours and solid LOR relationships, I'd say save yourself the extra undergraduate tuition and apply. If your grades aren't great or you're lacking in hours, I would hold off and take that extra year to further develop your application.

I had a couple classmates that were 19 and 20 when we started vet school. While they were nice people, there were definitely times where you could tell they were less mature than the rest of the class and I think even a couple years in your early twenties contributes to your development as a person. I think there is a the risk of becoming so hyper-focused on getting into vet school that you lack the well-roundedness of someone who has gone longer through school or is non-traditional.

No penalty in reapplicants, but remember that you'll want to have done substantial improvements on your application when you reapply. Don't apply to the same schools with the same application the next year and expect an acceptance.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Oh I was thinking fall semester, I see what you mean now.

Yeah, we see it all the time. “So it looks like I’m probably not going to get in this year. So now what?” Type of posts. By then it’s kinda too late to make really meaningful changes. You only have months are that point.

And even if you apply with the mindset that you prob won’t get in so you are still working on your experiences and grades and such, there’s usually a profound difference in the attitude/hunger between those who walk into the clinic/school with the “I’m applying to vet school right now” mindset, and those who have the “I’m applying next year, I need to do everything I can now” mindset.

I had a couple classmates that were 19 and 20 when we started vet school. While they were nice people, there were definitely times where you could tell they were less mature than the rest of the class and I think even a couple years in your early twenties contributes to your development as a person. I think there is a the risk of becoming so hyper-focused on getting into vet school that you lack the well-roundedness of someone who has gone longer through school or is non-traditional.

This is also very true. Not necessarily a reason not to go if you’re otherwise solid, but yeah I totally agree. There is a lot of growing up to do in your twenties. I look back and I’m super embarrassed of a lot of my actions and attitudes from my early twenties (and I was a pretty mature kid). Your brain hasn’t matured yet physiologically even, and there really isn’t alternative to life experiences to build your character. Not that all of the older students had it all together. But the immaturity of a lot of the young students did show, somewhat in the didactic years where it didn’t matter as much (though sometimes made it annoying/difficult to work with in a professional school setting), but definitely in clinics.

If you end up in clinical practice, you have to sell yourself as a clinician. Your success in a fairly large part depends on your ability to project a competent smart and emotionally mature doctor. It doesn’t matter to the client if you are or aren’t in actuality, if you can’t act the part on the stage. I wouldn’t want to be the young/immature person that clients and support staff will eat alive.

I think a lot depends on the current strength of your application. If you have strong grades, good experience hours and solid LOR relationships, I'd say save yourself the extra undergraduate tuition and apply.

That extra year of tuition would be nice to put towards vet school instead.

I had enough credits to graduate a semester early. Instead of doing that though, I took a semester off and shipped myself off to take part in a full time zoo keeper type internship. Saved me a semester of tuition, but didn’t mess up getting my degree or application cycle.

 

[PetVet23]

Hi there! My first application cycle was a year early, so hopefully I can provide some helpful insight!

1. Unless a school specifically requires a degree for admission, that should not hurt you in any way.

2. Reapplying should also not hurt you, my acceptance letter came in application cycle #3. If you don't get in on your first application, absolutely talk to admissions to see if you can have a file review/interview feedback to get an idea of where you can improve for the next cycle.

I actually graduated a couple years early due to a heavy college credit load in high school. While it was daunting at the time, having those two years to gain more real-world experience and focus on personal growth was probably the best thing that's happened to me and I truly think that's what gave me the confidence I needed going into my last application cycle.

 

[ajs513]

I do just want to jump back in to squash something. It absolutely can be detrimental to your application to not have a degree. Applying in your sophomore year without having a degree can be a shortage of 30 or more credits. My undergrad degree required 128 credits. Had I applied in my junior year with 30 fewer credits, that would be 98 credits. At the University of Tennessee, for example, points are given to applicants with more credits earned. Over 94=1 points, over 100=2 points, over 107=3 points, over 114=4 points, over 120=5 points, and over 127=6 points. So I would have gone from having 6 points on that part of the application to having 1 point. In the general scheme of things it doesn’t seem that it has a massive impact, but when they’re objectively selecting you based on a point system, every point counts.

 

[WildZoo]

I do just want to jump back in to squash something. It absolutely can be detrimental to your application to not have a degree. Applying in your sophomore year without having a degree can be a shortage of 30 or more credits. My undergrad degree required 128 credits. Had I applied in my junior year with 30 fewer credits, that would be 98 credits. At the University of Tennessee, for example, points are given to applicants with more credits earned. Over 94=1 points, over 100=2 points, over 107=3 points, over 114=4 points, over 120=5 points, and over 127=6 points. So I would have gone from having 6 points on that part of the application to having 1 point. In the general scheme of things it doesn’t seem that it has a massive impact, but when they’re objectively selecting you based on a point system, every point counts.

Mfw I forgot this aspect of my own school's application process

 

[ajs513]

Mfw I forgot this aspect of my own school's application process

You know, I was 99.999% sure you went to UTK but when you said that I figured I just made all of that up lol. So I double checked their website.

 

[WildZoo]

(I graduated with 150 credits, which was apparently overkill...I finally understand why they let me in!)

 

[WildZoo]

You know, I was 99.999% sure you went to UTK but when you said that I figured I just made all of that up lol. So I double checked their website.

So few people mention applying here that I haven't refreshed myself on the phase one stuff in a looooong time. Super familiar with phase three because I've been involved in that process, but the earlier phases? Gone from my brain

 

[itsrocky]

(I graduated with 150 credits, which was apparently overkill...I finally understand why they let me in!)

I doubt that is the only reason!

 

[WildZoo]

Back to the OP though, since I feel like this question might come up, I wish I could tell you how much those points might make a difference but I'm not sure what the spread is for Phase One+Phase Two scores that earn you an interview spot here, let alone how much of an impact that kind of thing has at other schools.

 

[WildZoo]

I doubt that is the only reason!

I hope not, but you never know


(I'm kidding)
(Probably)

 

[Musicandhorses]

I agree with a lot said above. My class had a couple of people matriculating at 19 and they struggled quite a bit due to immaturity. Not impossible to do well when you are younger but the folks who did four plus years at undergrad were generally more mature than people who were younger. However that depends on the person’s maturity level. Some 20 yo were able to do just fine.

So there are pros and cons of applying early. I was a dual major and went abroad so I was not able to get my bachelors in four years. However I applied my senior year anyways. I think not having my degree completed before matriculating vet school did hurt my applications slightly. A difference of a high wait list position vs being accepted right away that kind of difference. I worked my bum off during the summer before vet school to scramble to get one of my degrees finished which was HARD. And I was slightly burned out starting vet school but I got thru it ok.

However if you are paying thousands of dollars for your last year of undergrad maybe starting vet school now will help you to not have as much debt.
Also remember you are losing a whole year of undergrad. You mature and learn a lot of things that will help you in vet school. For instance we had anatomy and physiology our senior year and parasitology as well which helps a lot to have before vet school. Also if you are considering grad school in any way (you may not be) but if you are it may be a hard sell in some programs to get into grad school with just a DVM and no bachelors. Plus if you are done with your prerequisites maybe you can try taking another subject or do something like getting a teaching cert or some other cert. I’d have even considered doing a CPA or trade if I would go back. The reason is you are likely going to be in debt and it’s a backup if you decide to leave the profession or want to moonlight, etc. I’m just trying to help you think outside the box a little if you have extra time and credits needed for your undergrad degree.

 

[JaynaAli]

It definitely doesn’t affect your chances at all schools if you don’t have a degree. Sounds like it might at some, so I would really do your research about each school and their selection criteria before blindly applying. A good percentage of my class who went to my school for both undergrad and vet school participated in a 3+1 program where credits from our first year of vet school counted as our 4th year for an undergrad BS in animal science. I saved a whole year’s undergrad tuition and actually, since the vet school classes counted towards my 4 year BS, lot of my undergrad scholarships still paid out a percentage during my first year of vet school and I was able to pay the deficit out of pocket. So if your application is otherwise competitive I would definitely apply.

I do slightly agree with the comments about maturity but I started undergrad at 21 and don’t feel like I struggled too much. There’s also the flip side where people who are more mature have maybe been out of school a year or two and have an adjustment period while getting back into the swing of full time classroom learning. So for me it’s a wash. I’d rather struggle a little more as a younger student in a professional program than struggle several years paying off a whole extra year of tuition personally.

 

[deleted1051250]

I think a lot depends on the current strength of your application. If you have strong grades, good experience hours and solid LOR relationships, I'd say save yourself the extra undergraduate tuition and apply. If your grades aren't great or you're lacking in hours, I would hold off and take that extra year to further develop your application.

I had a couple classmates that were 19 and 20 when we started vet school. While they were nice people, there were definitely times where you could tell they were less mature than the rest of the class and I think even a couple years in your early twenties contributes to your development as a person. I think there is a the risk of becoming so hyper-focused on getting into vet school that you lack the well-roundedness of someone who has gone longer through school or is non-traditional.

No penalty in reapplicants, but remember that you'll want to have done substantial improvements on your application when you reapply. Don't apply to the same schools with the same application the next year and expect an acceptance.

Thank you for your insight. I am going to list my overall application. Could you give honest feedback on whether or not I have a competitive application?

Cumulative GPA: 3.65 (end of sophomore year).

• I have taken General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry(2 Semesters), two courses in basic Biology, and statistics. I have about 1100 hours interning/job shadowing under a veterinarian(day clinic+emergency center).

Veterinary Experience: My concern for my veterinary experience is the lack of diversity. I have struggled to find different types of veterinary experiences. Having to pay for college, it can be difficult to take unpaid internships when I have loans to pay. For the upcoming school year, I will be working at an Equine Hospital.
1. Small Animal Emergency Center: 600 hours
2. Small Animal Day Clinic Internship: 500 hours

Research
1. Working in my professor's research lab
2. Next summer opportunity: USDA veterinary research

Animal Experience/Volunteer
1. Horse Stable: 30 hours
2.Exotic Animal Experience (upcoming summer): Working with wolves, a bear, lion, lynx, cougar, etc.

• Expecting to get about 200 hours interning here

3. Animal Shelter (1100 hours BUT they are from junior/senior year of high school and beginning of freshman year of college). Not sure if that is something I would put on my future veterinary application.
4. World Relief: (working first hand with refugees, helping them navigate a new life in the United States)

Extracurricular Activities: All leadership positions but also making a genuine impact on campus.

1. Co-founder/President of Pre-Professional Club
2. President of Sierra Club
3. Executive Board Member of Boundless Health

 

[WildZoo]

Do you have an idea of what schools you are hoping to apply to? That will help us tailor our thoughts a bit more.

Cumulative GPA: 3.65 (end of sophomore year).

About average for most schools. Do you know your science and last 45 GPA?

Veterinary Experience: My concern for my veterinary experience is the lack of diversity. I have struggled to find different types of veterinary experiences. Having to pay for college, it can be difficult to take unpaid internships when I have loans to pay. For the upcoming school year, I will be working at an Equine Hospital.
1. Small Animal Emergency Center: 600 hours
2. Small Animal Day Clinic Internship: 500 hours

Your total hours are fine but you are right that the lack of diversity may hurt you. This would be one good reason to wait and apply next year - having the equine hours on there will help.

Research
1. Working in my professor's research lab
2. Next summer opportunity: USDA veterinary research

Animal Experience/Volunteer
1. Horse Stable: 30 hours
2.Exotic Animal Experience (upcoming summer): Working with wolves, a bear, lion, lynx, cougar, etc.

• Expecting to get about 200 hours interning here

3. Animal Shelter (1100 hours BUT they are from junior/senior year of high school and beginning of freshman year of college). Not sure if that is something I would put on my future veterinary application.
4. World Relief: (working first hand with refugees, helping them navigate a new life in the United States)

Yes you should put the hours from high school on there. Also, the World Relief bit sounds like a cool, unique experience!

Overall I think you could take the chance and apply this year if and only if you are confident that it will not negatively impact your grades or your ability to boost your experiences in case you have to reapply. You'll have a much better shot if you're able to increase your GPA and diversify your experiences.

 

[deleted1051250]

Do you have an idea of what schools you are hoping to apply to? That will help us tailor our thoughts a bit more.

About average for most schools. Do you know your science and last 45 GPA?


Your total hours are fine but you are right that the lack of diversity may hurt you. This would be one good reason to wait and apply next year - having the equine hours on there will help.





Yes you should put the hours from high school on there. Also, the World Relief bit sounds like a cool, unique experience!

Overall I think you could take the chance and apply this year if and only if you are confident that it will not negatively impact your grades or your ability to boost your experiences in case you have to reapply. You'll have a much better shot if you're able to increase your GPA and diversify your experiences.

I am looking to apply to schools like Wisconsin, University of Illinois, and Iowa State. I do not think I would apply to more than three schools.

 

[Georgethecat]

Hello

First off, I hope everything is well with everyone's loved ones. I am posting to ask the pros and cons when it comes to applying to veterinary school a year early. I am currently a rising junior and will have my pre-requisite courses completed by the end of the next academic year. Therefore, I am eligible to apply for this application cycle.

1.) Is it statistically harder to be admitted to a veterinary school a year early+without a degree?
2.) If I was to be denied admission, and then applied during my "normal" application cycle(After my junior year), will that hinder my application? In other words, does a reapplicant look worse compared to a first-time applicant?




Thank you for everyone who has answered my question. A concern I see in many responses is having maturity. To be a devil's advocate, I do not see that being a problem(for myself) applying as a 20-year-old. To give some background, I will list my overall "statistics". If I could get honest feedback on if I am a competitive applicant, I would greatly appreciate it.

End of Sophmore Year GPA
Cumulative GPA: 3.66
Last 45 Credits: 3.79
Science GPA 3.55

• Science classes: General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology/ Organisms to Ecosystem

Veterinary Experience: My concern for my veterinary experience is the lack of diversity. I have struggled to find different types of veterinary experiences. Having to pay for college, it can be difficult to take unpaid internships when I have loans to pay. For the upcoming school year, I will be working at an Equine Hospital.
1. Small Animal Emergency Center: 600 hours
2. Small Animal Day Clinic Internship: 500 hours

Research
1. Professor's research lab
2. Next summer opportunity: USDA veterinary research

Animal Experience/Volunteer
1. Horse Stable: 30 hours
2.Exotic Animal Experience (upcoming summer): Working with wolves, a bear, lion, lynx, cougar, etc.

• Expecting to get about 200 hours interning here

3. Animal Shelter (1100 hours BUT they are from junior/senior year of high school and beginning of freshman year of college). Not sure if that is something I would put on my future veterinary application.
4. World Relief: (working first hand with refugees, helping them navigate a new life in the United States)

Extracurricular Activities: All leadership positions but also making a genuine impact on campus.

1. Co-founder/President of Pre-Professional Club
2. President of Sierra Club
3. Executive Board Member of Boundless Health

Agree with what other's have already said. Your cum gpa is good and your last 45 gpa is even better. How many pre-req's would you have outstanding when you submit your application? Some schools have a limit on the number of outstanding pre-req's. And as far as comparing your application to someone who has all/most of their pre-req's completed, they would likely be ahead of you.

Definitely include high school and early college volunteering hours. Is the summer exotic experience under the supervision of a vet?

The small animal hours are good. Try to ask a large animal vet if you could ride along for a day. If that goes well, maybe you could ride along for more days and get more varied vet experience. Same for an ER clinic. Ask to shadow for a weekend day and see how it goes.

Is Wisconsin, Illinois, or Iowa State your IS? You don't have much to lose besides the application fees by applying early. Wisconsin and Iowa State do not interview, so no extra costs there. Not sure what your under grad major is, but would it be possible to have your first year vet classes transfer so that you do get an under grad degree (as others have mentioned)?

Best of luck to you!

 

[battie]

At Illinois, somewhere between 5-10 people of each class apply as sophomores and enter their first year following their junior year of undergrad. These students do a 3+4 program where the first year of vet school is their senior year of undergrad. They go through an entirely different application process for these two specific Illinois undergrad institutions. However, I imagine that going to a different undergrad institution wouldn't have a negative affect on the application for Illinois specifically.

As far as the maturity level goes, it seems to vary a lot in my experience. Our class SAVMA rep is the youngest person in our class and super mature, and some of the older (35+) have some of the more memorable issues. But then again, some of the younger students I've seen on clinics were more judgemental of owners making decisions based on finances when older students sympathized more with owners in those situations. It might be because we have 130 students per class as well, so there's a larger pool of people to gauge from.

 

[FutureAvianDVM]

I didn’t read through the rest of the thread, but I applied a year early to my IS school only. I had about 200 hours of vet experience, 3000ish hours animal experience hours, some leadership experiences, and 450ish hours of research experience. To me, I went in with the mindset of either way it was beneficial for me to apply early. If I got rejected, I had the experience of applying, I could get feedback, and see what the process was like. If I got an interview, I could answer the questions and gain experience on what the interview was like. If I was to get in, I could skip my senior year, and save money!

I was rejected without interview, however, to me it was beyond valuable to apply and receive an application review. I learned where my application lacked and what I could focus on for the next cycle. My main comments were on gaining more vet hours and making my essays stronger. If anything, applying a year early helped me in this past cycle. Having my experiences already in VMCAS gave me more time to focus on my essays. With the review, I was able to go through my experience descriptions and reword them to convey the value they held, and I was much less stressed throughout the whole process.

I will say, hindsight is 20/20, and I am glad I was able to complete my senior year. There was a lot of “lasts” I would have missed out on, and I feel like I would have regretted missing out on them. I was able to pursue a lot more opportunities that created memories to last a lifetime. I think although I would have been happy to have started vet school this past year, I am in a better place and mindset (more mentally ready) to start this upcoming fall.

Based on my experience, I would recommend and encourage applying early if you are financially able to do so— even if just to your IS school. I found it extremely beneficial and rewarding.

 

[alissa14]

I didn’t read through the rest of the thread, but I applied a year early to my IS school only. I had about 200 hours of vet experience, 3000ish hours animal experience hours, some leadership experiences, and 450ish hours of research experience. To me, I went in with the mindset of either way it was beneficial for me to apply early. If I got rejected, I had the experience of applying, I could get feedback, and see what the process was like. If I got an interview, I could answer the questions and gain experience on what the interview was like. If I was to get in, I could skip my senior year, and save money!

I was rejected without interview, however, to me it was beyond valuable to apply and receive an application review. I learned where my application lacked and what I could focus on for the next cycle. My main comments were on gaining more vet hours and making my essays stronger. If anything, applying a year early helped me in this past cycle. Having my experiences already in VMCAS gave me more time to focus on my essays. With the review, I was able to go through my experience descriptions and reword them to convey the value they held, and I was much less stressed throughout the whole process.

I will say, hindsight is 20/20, and I am glad I was able to complete my senior year. There was a lot of “lasts” I would have missed out on, and I feel like I would have regretted missing out on them. I was able to pursue a lot more opportunities that created memories to last a lifetime. I think although I would have been happy to have started vet school this past year, I am in a better place and mindset (more mentally ready) to start this upcoming fall.

Based on my experience, I would recommend and encourage applying early if you are financially able to do so— even if just to your IS school. I found it extremely beneficial and rewarding.

Is MSU your in-State? I applied as a junior this past cycle and also got rejected without interview. While I agree going through the application process was beneficial, unfortunately, MSU is no longer doing file reviews which really sucks because I’d like to know specifically where I lacked.

 

[Polocrosse2017]

I'll be starting in the fall. Just finished my Jr. year. I will not have a degree but I was in an early admit program so I will get my degree when I finish my second year of vet school. I feel ready to start. I'm 21. I'm living across the country working for a veterinary hospital all summer and feel that starting early is the best thing for me!

 

[SocialStigma]

I only skimmed the thread but agree with the general consensus that you have nothing to lose (aside from money) by applying a year early if you have all your prereqs. I was 21 when I started vet school and was accepted after my 3rd year of undergrad. However my undergrad program was unique in that it was possible to graduate with a BSc after 3 years, so I do have a BSc. I ended up specializing and pursuing an internship and residency post-DVM so shaving that extra year off helped me save a significant amount of money.