"Experiences" description format?

[GatorRunner]

Hey guys!
I've been getting mixed thoughts on what kind of format I should write my descriptions for the "experiences" section. I've been told by multiple people (including someone @ the UF admissions office) that the most easy-to-read, simple way is to use complete sentences in bullet points. I don't think bullet points are that professional looking, but they definitely seem the most simple and straightforward. The UF guy told me that it was fine, but will other schools be fine with this?

Maybe I'm over thinking this, but I'd love for some feedback. Thanks guys! And good luck with your apps!

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[BlackDog17]

You're definitely over thinking this.

I used bullets. The admissions committees are most likely going to just skim right through, and bullets are easy to read. There's nothing unprofessional about using an organized, concise format to get the information across. You would use them on a resume, after all.

 

[Kpowell14]

I also used bullets! Soo much easier and saves on the character count!

 

[Lab Vet]

+1 for bullets. I agree with K. Much easier to read and saves on that all too precious character count. BlackDog makes an excellent point that I never even though of- they're used on resumes all the time!

 

[Jess Monster]

I did bullets last year and will likely be keeping my brief paragraphs this year. Nothing was said about the former and I doubt anyone will mind the latter. As long as the information is being conveyed clearly, you should be good.

Only one of my research descriptions reached the limit (mostly blamed on a very long project title).

 

[equineconstant]

I also used bullets! Soo much easier and saves on the character count!

I did bullets for my vet experience for this exact reason: to include more information in fewer characters. I wasn't consistent, though, and used a few clear sentences for clubs, work experience, and honors. So in conclusion, I think it doesn't matter at all as long as it's understandable.

 

[Trilt]

I kind of did a variety, but most of my veterinary/animal/work experiences had a quick introductory sentence to frame the experience, and then bulleted duties. My awards and some volunteer/community work usually had the information in paragraph or short sentence form.

 

[georgia1991]

Like everyone said before, I have heard you can use both. I also had a question about UF and don't want to start a whole new thread. Does anyone know for the prereq supplemental form what semester you put if you took the class in high school as an AP? I am assuming you put CR as the grade like on the VMCAS application. Thanks!

 

[VulneraSanentura]

I used bullets and tried to keep everything as succinct as possible (saying vet med, undergrad, etc) and Illinois took points off my application for it. 🙁 Mizzou said nothing about formatting. Just something to keep in mind, that it may be fine for some schools, but apparently others are more picky about it.

 

[finnickthedog]

As stated, people format it a variety of ways. Be mindful of what certain schools might prefer but otherwise just make sure it is all written clearly and you get across what needs to be said.

Personally, I did paragraphs last year and I'll be doing the same this year except that I'll be dropping the "I" from my sentences to save on character count.

 

[CynicKitten]

I don't think bullet points are that professional looking

Resumes use bullet points (are they not professional? ;P). Your "Experiences" section is literally your resume - you want it to be clear, concise, and easy to read/navigate.

 

[TrashPanda]

I used bullets and tried to keep everything as succinct as possible (saying vet med, undergrad, etc) and Illinois took points off my application for it. 🙁 Mizzou said nothing about formatting. Just something to keep in mind, that it may be fine for some schools, but apparently others are more picky about it.

Oof. I'm guessing it was mentioned in a file review for Illinois? Were your bullets resume-style (so basically complete sentences minus the "I") or just a list of duties in bullet form? What did they say?

I'm applying to U of I and really struggling with formatting/fitting everything in while still sounding professional. Personally, I think since bullet points are easy to read and are on resumes, they should be fine! But I guess their adcom disagrees.

 

[Doctor-S]

All of these suggestions and opinions are useful.

It's true: adcoms might read everything quickly (i.e., skimming) ... and a bullet point approach will provide a concise "laundry list" of your experience.

For instance:

Applicant No. 1: 200 Volunteer Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

- Observed Allie Kat, DVM working with small animals
- Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals
- Observed animal surgeries
- Observed euthanasia
- Assisted vet techs
- Walked dogs
- Cleaned cat cages
- Prepared patient newsletter about pet vaccinations

Or ...

Applicant No. 2: 200 Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

This experience provided me with my second consistent exposure to a small animal veterinary practice, mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents. By shadowing two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice, I continued to explore my passion for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. I observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four vet assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or were boarded overnight. I also witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including the manner in which the veterinarians discussed euthanasia with distraught pet owners. I accompanied both veterinarians when they made weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on abandoned and ailing animals; and I was also responsible for writing patient newsletters informing pet owners about the importance of annual vaccinations for their pets.

Which do you prefer?

Both applicants probably performed similar tasks at the veterinary hospital.

In fact, it is possible that Applicant No. 1 performed even more meaningful tasks or acquired even more meaningful experience than Applicant No. 2.

However, the short description provided by Applicant No. 2 might attract the more attention because it provides an interesting narrative (and not a"laundry list" of activities).

Of course, it's your choice: kindly do whatever you feel is best for you. Both approaches - bullet points or short narratives are acceptable. Just saying ... it might be useful to "tell a short story" to make the reader want to become better acquainted with you, that's all.

Thank you.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

All of these suggestions and opinions are useful.

It's true: adcoms might read everything quickly (i.e., skimming) ... and a bullet point approach will provide a concise "laundry list" of your experience.

For instance:

Applicant No. 1: 200 Volunteer Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

- Observed Allie Kat, DVM working with small animals
- Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals
- Observed animal surgeries
- Observed euthanasia
- Assisted vet techs
- Walked dogs
- Cleaned cat cages
- Prepared patient newsletter about pet vaccinations

Or ...

Applicant No. 2: 200 Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

This experience provided me with my second consistent exposure to a small animal veterinary practice, mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents. By shadowing two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice, I continued to explore my passion for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. I observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four vet assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or were boarded overnight. I also witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including the manner in which the veterinarians discussed euthanasia with distraught pet owners. I accompanied both veterinarians when they made weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on abandoned and ailing animals; and I was also responsible for writing patient newsletters informing pet owners about the importance of annual vaccinations for their pets.

Which do you prefer?

Both applicants probably performed similar tasks at the veterinary hospital.

In fact, it is possible that Applicant No. 1 performed even more meaningful tasks or acquired even more meaningful experience than Applicant No. 2.

However, the short description provided by Applicant No. 2 might attract the more attention because it provides an interesting narrative (and not a"laundry list" of activities).

Of course, it's your choice: kindly do whatever you feel is best for you. Both approaches - bullet points or short narratives are acceptable. Just saying ... it might be useful to "tell a short story" to make the reader want to become better acquainted with you, that's all.

Thank you.

This is a really good point.

 

[TrashPanda]

All of these suggestions and opinions are useful.

It's true: adcoms might read everything quickly (i.e., skimming) ... and a bullet point approach will provide a concise "laundry list" of your experience.

For instance:

Applicant No. 1: 200 Volunteer Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

- Observed Allie Kat, DVM working with small animals
- Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals
- Observed animal surgeries
- Observed euthanasia
- Assisted vet techs
- Walked dogs
- Cleaned cat cages
- Prepared patient newsletter about pet vaccinations

Or ...

Applicant No. 2: 200 Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

This experience provided me with my second consistent exposure to a small animal veterinary practice, mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents. By shadowing two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice, I continued to explore my passion for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. I observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four vet assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or were boarded overnight. I also witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including the manner in which the veterinarians discussed euthanasia with distraught pet owners. I accompanied both veterinarians when they made weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on abandoned and ailing animals; and I was also responsible for writing patient newsletters informing pet owners about the importance of annual vaccinations for their pets.

Which do you prefer?

Both applicants probably performed similar tasks at the veterinary hospital.

In fact, it is possible that Applicant No. 1 performed even more meaningful tasks or acquired even more meaningful experience than Applicant No. 2.

However, the short description provided by Applicant No. 2 might attract the more attention because it provides an interesting narrative (and not a"laundry list" of activities).

Of course, it's your choice: kindly do whatever you feel is best for you. Both approaches - bullet points or short narratives are acceptable. Just saying ... it might be useful to "tell a short story" to make the reader want to become better acquainted with you, that's all.

Thank you.

I agree, but... your paragraph is 932 characters. We're given 600.

I think you're presenting this as less information vs. more, when really, it's an issue of formatting and very limited space.

For instance, let's say I cut down your paragraph to 600 characters:

I shadowed two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice (mainly dogs and cats, some birds and rodents). I observed over 100 surgeries and assisted assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery or were boarded. I also witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including how veterinarians discussed euthanasia with owners. I accompanied both veterinarians when they made weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments. I also wrote patient newsletters about the importance of annual vaccinations.

Now let's see if I put that in bullet-point format:

• Shadowed two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice (mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents)
• Observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery or were boarded
• Witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including how veterinarians discussed euthanasia with owners
• Accompanied both veterinarians on weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on animals
• Wrote patient newsletters about the importance of annual vaccinations

Is the paragraph still better than the bullets? I'm not asking that to be argumentative, I'm asking because I really don't know and I'm having trouble writing my experiences. Personally, I find the bullets easier to read (while providing the same information) and avoiding the repetitive "I." Unfortunately, my IS does not seem to agree so I'm feeling stuck.

And that's ignoring a lot of issues I'm having with experience descriptions, too. Like I can see why going into the emotions surrounding euthanasia might be relevant, but it would probably fit better in a PS. And adcoms want to evaluate your level of duties, so "assisted...with caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or boarded overnight" probably wouldn't cut it. And when you start adding restraint, blood draws, monitoring, etc. that really adds to your character count.

I think you're making a great point about narrative being important. I just have no idea how to do that in such limited space (especially if/when bullets are discouraged).

 

[Cephal0pod]

All of these suggestions and opinions are useful.

It's true: adcoms might read everything quickly (i.e., skimming) ... and a bullet point approach will provide a concise "laundry list" of your experience.

For instance:

Applicant No. 1: 200 Volunteer Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

- Observed Allie Kat, DVM working with small animals
- Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals
- Observed animal surgeries
- Observed euthanasia
- Assisted vet techs
- Walked dogs
- Cleaned cat cages
- Prepared patient newsletter about pet vaccinations

Or ...

Applicant No. 2: 200 Hours in the Sunny Acres Pet Pals Veterinary Hospital.

This experience provided me with my second consistent exposure to a small animal veterinary practice, mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents. By shadowing two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice, I continued to explore my passion for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. I observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four vet assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or were boarded overnight. I also witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including the manner in which the veterinarians discussed euthanasia with distraught pet owners. I accompanied both veterinarians when they made weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on abandoned and ailing animals; and I was also responsible for writing patient newsletters informing pet owners about the importance of annual vaccinations for their pets.

Which do you prefer?

Both applicants probably performed similar tasks at the veterinary hospital.

In fact, it is possible that Applicant No. 1 performed even more meaningful tasks or acquired even more meaningful experience than Applicant No. 2.

However, the short description provided by Applicant No. 2 might attract the more attention because it provides an interesting narrative (and not a"laundry list" of activities).

Of course, it's your choice: kindly do whatever you feel is best for you. Both approaches - bullet points or short narratives are acceptable. Just saying ... it might be useful to "tell a short story" to make the reader want to become better acquainted with you, that's all.

Thank you.

👍 Seconded. I took the paragraph-based approach in my description sections. The challenge is that you have only, what... 600 characters to do this with? Yeah. You can't get too fluffy, you definitely have to focus on the content itself, but a bit of narrative can be helpful. I think bullet points can be done well, but doing them well can be tricky.

A big thing to keep in mind, whether you use bullets or paragraph format, is to demonstrate how what you learned from that experience will make you a better veterinary student/future veterinarian.

Another big thing to keep in mind is that it is impossible to include every detail about every experience. Don't try to do so. Choose the big points that are most important, and again, grew you as a potential future vet student/future vet.

 

[Cephal0pod]

I agree, but... your paragraph is 932 characters. We're given 600.

Is the paragraph still better than the bullets? I'm not asking that to be argumentative, I'm asking because I really don't know and I'm having trouble writing my experiences. Personally, I find the bullets easier to read (while providing the same information) and avoiding the repetitive "I." Unfortunately, my IS does not seem to agree so I'm feeling stuck.

And that's ignoring a lot of issues I'm having with experience descriptions, too. Like I can see why going into the emotions surrounding euthanasia might be relevant, but it would probably fit better in a PS. And adcoms want to evaluate your level of duties, so "assisted...with caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or boarded overnight" probably wouldn't cut it. And when you start adding restraint, blood draws, monitoring, etc. that really adds to your character count.

I think you're making a great point about narrative being important. I just have no idea how to do that in such limited space (especially if/when bullets are discouraged).

In my opinion, those bullet points you gave would be an example of pretty effective bullet points. They convey not only what the person did, but a little bit more about what exactly that looked like.

You are also correct that, when possible and helpful, you want to be more specific than just "caring for animals that were recovering from surgery."

Writing descriptions for experiences was one of my least favorite parts of the entire application process - it can be very challenging. I feel your pain. I'd be willing to share some of my paragraph-type descriptions via PM if you think that is something that would help you out.

 

[Doctor-S]

Now let's see if I put that in bullet-point format:

• Shadowed two well-established veterinarians in their daily practice (mainly dogs and cats, with some birds and rodents)
• Observed over 100 surgeries and assisted four assistants in caring for animals that were recovering from surgery or were boarded
• Witnessed the anguish and grief associated with the loss of a beloved family pet, including how veterinarians discussed euthanasia with owners
• Accompanied both veterinarians on weekly visits to the city animal shelter to provide health assessments on animals
• Wrote patient newsletters about the importance of annual vaccinations

Is the paragraph still better than the bullets? I'm not asking that to be argumentative, I'm asking because I really don't know and I'm having trouble writing my experiences. Personally, I find the bullets easier to read (while providing the same information) and avoiding the repetitive "I." Unfortunately, my IS does not seem to agree so I'm feeling stuck.

And that's ignoring a lot of issues I'm having with experience descriptions, too. Like I can see why going into the emotions surrounding euthanasia might be relevant, but it would probably fit better in a PS. And adcoms want to evaluate your level of duties, so "assisted...with caring for animals that were recovering from surgery, or boarded overnight" probably wouldn't cut it. And when you start adding restraint, blood draws, monitoring, etc. that really adds to your character count.

I think you're making a great point about narrative being important. I just have no idea how to do that in such limited space (especially if/when bullets are discouraged).

Yes ... your short statements are much more substantive than a "grocery list" of items that adcoms have read a zillion times. I didn't adjust anything to comply with the 600-word rule because I wanted to make a point by providing two examples. Good comments @TrashPanda and @Cephal0pod.

Imagine you're telling a story about your experiences to someone who has never met you before. Condense the salient parts of your story, by striking out surplus words that you don't need (e.g., "I" or "The") and being concise. If possible, use "action" words to add substance and bring yourself alive in the short statements (or short narrative).

If you want to describe certain things (e.g., animal end-of-life issues) in your personal statement, that's fine. Choose wisely. You want to stoke the reader's interest in learning more about you; and why you would be a truly meaningful asset to the vet school, as well as an outstanding veterinarian in the future, and so forth. I think you'll be able to prepare an excellent (concise) narrative accomplishing all of the above.

Of course ... I wish all aspiring veterinarians the best of success! I realize this entire process can be challenging. 🙂

 

[RoryCat]

This is interesting. When I went to an admissions presentation at Purdue they specifically said to be short and succinct. The example that was used was prepping a surgery suite. The speaker said not to list each task you did in prepping the surgical suite as they said they know what that entails. Just list that you prepared the surgical suite. I followed this advice when I applied but maybe I should have considered other schools having different preferences. I ended up using bullet points with very short task descriptions. In hindsight maybe I should have been more descriptive? The presentation I went to was quite a few years ago now and I don't know maybe their views have changed.

 

[CynicKitten]

Here's an actual example of one of my high-school volunteer experiences:

Cared for rescued farm animals in order to provide a safe and permanent home:

• Cleaned and maintained animal enclosures and pastures.
• Fed, watered, and groomed animals; administered medications to animals.
• Exercised large animals - horses, ponies, llamas, donkeys, and zebus.
• Trained and socialized animals for handling and potential adoption.
• Repaired and maintained farm premises and equipment.
• Fostered animals to improve socialization, enrichment, and adoptability. (474 characters)
​

As with my resumes, I have a summary sentences, and then bullets that describe each set of tasks. Bullet-point lists aren't all the same. Put some thought into yours and I am sure it will be well received.

Compare to:

I cared for rescued farm animals in order to provide them a safe and permanent home. I cleaned and maintained the animal enclosures and pastures, with the additional projects to repair and maintain the farm premises and equipment. At the farm, I had various tasks directly with the animals. This included taking care of their basic needs by feeding, watering, and grooming them, and administering their medications when necessary. I also exercised the large animals (horses, ponies, llamas, donkeys, and zebus), and socialized and trained different animals for handling purposes and potential adoption. Outside the farm, I also fostered several animals that needed special attention so that I could improve their socialization, enrichment, and adoptability. (757 characters)​

They say the same things, except the first is more likely to get read, and the second takes over the limit to say the same info. Over 100 students are ACCEPTED to each school, which means they are reading hundreds and hundreds of applications. If HR departments don't want to read a few paragraphs on a single page for even ten applicants, why would vet admissions teams want to read many paragraphs that span many pages for each applicant (of which there are hundreds)?

Obviously there is one exception.

 

[CynicKitten]

- Observed Allie Kat, DVM working with small animals
- Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals
- Observed animal surgeries
- Observed euthanasia
- Assisted vet techs
- Walked dogs
- Cleaned cat cages
- Prepared patient newsletter about pet vaccinations

I think in this example, it's just poor use of bullet points. At first glance (which is all they may get) they don't seem to say anything - it's just a list, which is not what bullet points in resumes are.

"Observed Bradley Davis, DVM working with small animals" could be:

• Observed veterinarians work with clients, their individual financial needs, and their wants
• Observed veterinarians work with small animals in physical exams, surgeries, and during emergencies

While walking dogs, cleaning, etc can be combined:

• Maintained clinic flow and cleanliness by walking dogs, cleaning empty runs, washing tools/dishes, etc.

Now it has more depth, without having the burdens of a paragraph.

 

[VulneraSanentura]

Oof. I'm guessing it was mentioned in a file review for Illinois? Were your bullets resume-style (so basically complete sentences minus the "I") or just a list of duties in bullet form? What did they say?

I'm applying to U of I and really struggling with formatting/fitting everything in while still sounding professional. Personally, I think since bullet points are easy to read and are on resumes, they should be fine! But I guess their adcom disagrees.

Yep, it was mostly taken from my resume, actually. I basically said it in a form that people have made examples of here. They also had beef with me using "abbreviations" such as vet, med, undergrad, etc. Kind of pissed me off, especially since there's a character limit, but what can you do? Guess I'm not using bullet points this round.