Guaranteed Admissions Programs

[nhsvs]

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Does anyone have any experience with the "guaranteed admissions programs" for high school seniors at Purdue, Kansas State, University of Missouri or Mississippi State? In a sense, I guess these programs really don't offer a guarantee in that once admitted the applicant has to maintain a certain undergraduate GPA, successfully complete the prerequisite undergraduate courses, achieve certain test scores on the GRE, etc. So perhaps "conditional" guaranteed admission is more accurate. Nonetheless, the programs do seem to give a "leg up" to applicants who are admitted to them. Any advantages? Disadvantages? Are these programs exceptionally difficult to get into (hard to believe that getting into them could be any harder than getting into vet school via the traditional route!)? All advice welcome. Thanks!

 

[alonepear]

There is a good chunk of students in my class at Mississippi that participated in this program. Most of them entered into the vet school just after completing their pre-reqs, therefore most of them have only had 2-3 years of undergrad! Fortunately, most have opted to go ahead and finish their Bachelor's on the side. For most of them, they've known they wanted to attend vet school since high school or earlier, and I think on the whole the program was very beneficial because it has gotten them where they *know* they want to be, in the shortest amount of time possible. All of these students are extremely hard working and had almost perfect grades in undergrad, so they understand the intensity of the courseload and grade requirements very well.

On the other side, with absolutely nothing personal against them, I find that some of them do not have a very broad range of veterinary, animal, and in general, life experience. They've only had a few summers to gain experience, and generally they were so young for most of it that they didn't have very large amounts of responsibility or exposure. Also, when we have financial planning or business-orientated speakers at school, this group of students (the youngest ones, in general) don't have a very good grasp on what their debt load really means for their future, or even what credit and budgeting are, because they're really only 2 or 3 years out of high school and haven't had the first-hand experience of dealing with money and debt yet.

That's not to say that they cannot accumulate this knowledge over the next few years in vet school and be just as good off as anyone else. I think the early entry program is great if you want the best chance at getting into vet school if you are willing to work extremely hard during undergrad.

 

[ri23]

I didn't realize there were programs like that for vet school. I'm familiar with those types of programs for med/pharmacy school, and I know OSU's criteria for those programs is National Merit Finalist status. It's nice for the med students as they only have to maintain a GPA and certain grade in prereqs, but they don't have to take the MCAT. What are the requirements to enter these programs for vet school?

 

[nhsvs]

As I understand it, there is usually a threshold standardized test score (ACT or SAT) and/or high school gpa/class rank below which one is not eligible to apply. From what I've heard, the ACT/SAT cutoff is usually somewhere in the 90-95 percentile range, and the high school GPA/class rank cutoff is in the top 10-25 percentile range. As with the traditional vet school application process, there is a formal application, written references, etc. and the programs also look for applicants with demonstrated evidence of strong motivation toward a career in veterinary medicine (FFA, 4-H, volunteer or work experience with animals in a variety of settings, etc.). A formal interview is also part of the process. If admitted, the applicants are usually assigned faculty and student mentors in the vet school. While undergraduates, the admitted candidates have to enroll in a certain major (usually animal science, biology or biochemistry), complete all of the required prerequisite courses for vet school (usually with a minimum grade in each course), maintain a minimum cumulative gpa and take the GRE or the MCAT and achieve a certain score. Some programs impose additional requirements as well. If you fall short of any of the requirements once admitted, you're dropped from the program, but not precluded from applying to the vet school via the traditional route. If an admitted candidate meets all of these requirements, they can petition for early admission or they can elect to complete their bachelor's degree first. Either way, they are guaranteed a seat in the DVM program. Much like the many students who start out as pre-vet majors and eventually switch to something else, I am guessing that a substantial percentage of the students who start these programs may not complete them successfully.

 

[Kara31191]

Is this the same as the program Tufts has? The non binding program in which, if you are a sophomore in college at a select number of schools they accept from, then you may be eligible if you maintain certain GPA throughout undergrad. Is this the same thing?

I was just wondering! 🙂

 

[nhsvs]

^ No, the program at Tufts is different. The programs at Purdue, K-State, Missouri and Mississippi are only open to high school seniors and one of the conditions is that you MUST actually matriculate into the undergraduate college in order to be eligible for early admissions consideration. As an example, only high school seniors who apply to the undergraduate program at Purdue and then actually attend Purdue as undergrads are eligible to apply for the early admissions program to Purdue's vet school -- you won't know whether you're accepted into the program until you're already a freshman at Purdue.

 

[Kara31191]

Thank you for the clarification!

 

[mbv]

Just fyi: Tufts is phasing out their early acceptance program for sophomores. I was told this at my interview for the program in 2005, but no explaination was offered. Rough stats from the past couple of years indicate this as well (I only know about people who applied from Tufts undergrad, but since it is open to WPI and maybe UMass too, this could be skewed and there could be more who applied/got in. also a disclaimer because I got some of this info 2nd hand): 2004 - 6 applied, 5 got in, 2005 - 11 applied, 3 interviewed, 2 got in, 2006 - i think 1 or 2 got in.

 

[LeonVCU]

I just finished the undergraduate part of VCU Guaranteed Admission program. It is an amazing program. Sky is the limit to how much you can achieve. There is a great deal of flexibility: you can do a double major and quadruple minor if you want. Or you can join a fraternity or sorority and barely get by with a 3.4 minimum GPA and a Psychology major (I may be wrong, but I heard that it is one of the easier ones). Advisors are nice and always there for you if you have questions. The Guaranteed students win prestigious national scholarships every year. The medical school is good: ranked about in the middle. If you want to go to a more prestigious school, you can apply out, which is what the vast majority of people end up doing (maybe about 92% apply out). There are great scholarships available for undergraduate (med. school is pricey and you are highly unlikely to cover it all or even most of it with scholarships) . You can study abroad, volunteer, shadow... There are tons of research opportunities.

To get in:
I)
1) get high GPA and SAT scores. Most Guaranteed students I know had all or nearly all A's in high school. Some ppl I know did not have a (relatively) very high SAT scores. But the majority is somewhere between 2200 and 2400, I think.
2) recommendation letters: need physician or research mentor letters. Just teacher letters will not cut it. Try to get to know the physician you are shadowing. If a doctor is willing to let a high school student observe, then it is probably a VERY nice person who will write a very good letter if you look interested and ask good questions.
3) medicine or research-related experience. I did not do any research, but had almost 500 volunteer hours at a nursing home and 300 hours of shadowing. I know some students who had 4 years of research experience while in high school but no shadowing or volunteering of any kind.
4) Sports, clubs: whatever you are good at. Being in every organization you can join is not as good as being good at one. But not being in any organization will definitely not get you in. If you are a high school president, I'm sure it helps tremendously.
5) awards: NHS, French or Spanish Honor Society, Principal's award...

II)
Interview: I don't think that I sounded particularly brilliant during my interview... Neither did most of the people I've talked to. I think when you are only a high school student, you are not experienced enough to perform GREAT on interviews. HOWEVER, I did not say anything outright stupid. If you do, you will not get in. For example, if you tell your interviewer that you are planning to discover a cure for cancer while you are at VCU--you might as well just pack and leave. Or you can say that "I want to be a doctor because my parents want me to"--please don't waste your interviewer's time by coming. So, review the medical interview questions before you come.

Check out other combined programs: there is a book on Amazon about combined programs.

 

[twelvetigers]

This is the pre-VET forum, son. You in the wrong place.

 

[LetItSnow]

This is the pre-VET forum, son. You in the wrong place.

 

[mas185]

Just fyi: Tufts is phasing out their early acceptance program for sophomores. I was told this at my interview for the program in 2005, but no explaination was offered. Rough stats from the past couple of years indicate this as well (I only know about people who applied from Tufts undergrad, but since it is open to WPI and maybe UMass too, this could be skewed and there could be more who applied/got in. also a disclaimer because I got some of this info 2nd hand): 2004 - 6 applied, 5 got in, 2005 - 11 applied, 3 interviewed, 2 got in, 2006 - i think 1 or 2 got in.

Tufts is getting rid of this program because between the 2 or 3 students that get admitted via the early admissions program (because they had the better grades, not necessarily the greater desire to do vet) all keep ending up not even going to vet school (or going to a different school since its non-binding). It didn't really seem worth it to them if they go through the bother of accepting them early and then not having them enter the program, particularly because it doesn't shorten the amount of time they're in school (you have to finish your 4 years at Tufts before going to vet i.e. no acceleration, unless you graduate early which depending on your major is practically impossible to do due to the number of requirements Tufts has and the max credit load ... you'd basically have to take classes every summer etc. etc.).

 

[Graduatedly]

This is the pre-VET forum, son. You in the wrong place.

OMG i just burst out laughing and scared my dog

 

[Robdude]

Just my opinion, but I would jump at it.

Think of all the hoops vet students have to go through and look at how many people here have been rejected multiple years. Yikes!

Around here, there are a ton of students trying to get LORs and hours of experience so they can beef up their applications. People racking up hours and hours of unpaid, 'volunteer' work just for the hope of getting in.

I had straight As in high school and a high ACT score - I could have done it and saved myself a lot of suckage.

 

[katryn]

Just my opinion, but I would jump at it.

Think of all the hoops vet students have to go through and look at how many people here have been rejected multiple years. Yikes!

Around here, there are a ton of students trying to get LORs and hours of experience so they can beef up their applications. People racking up hours and hours of unpaid, 'volunteer' work just for the hope of getting in.

I had straight As in high school and a high ACT score - I could have done it and saved myself a lot of suckage.

I'm with you on this one, and probably would have been qualified enough to be considered for early acceptance at that point....and yet, I think the years of getting rejected via the traditional application method did me so many worlds of good than going directly into vet school.

But each of us has our own best path, so I certainly wouldn't knock the people who manage it.

 

[psilovethomas]

Michigan State has an early acceptance program. Apply junior year, matriculate 2 years later after you graduate. They recently changed the requirements- 3.5 sGPA and cGPA (when I applied- 3.2 sGPA and cGPA) and you must be in the Honors College. Only 10 students are accepted. Don't know how many applied last year, but from what I've heard ~40-50 and the number of applications increase every year.
I applied and was accepted (was only a second year but had junior status and went for it, also OOS). It was definitely worth it!