How much time between application cycles?

[EB73674]

Hi guys,

I've been doing some thinking about preparation to apply a second time if I'm not admitted to a DVM program during my first application cycle. I've realized that, given that final decisions won't be out potentially until April or so, it's possible that I would only I have a summer to do any sort of improvement to my application to apply for the following year cycle.

What have you all done to improve your applications between cycles? Did you wait more than one cycle between attempts? Has anyone specifically moved to a state with residency preference & applied again? What was the timing on that?

Just trying to get some ideas of what other folks have done - I know what areas I would need to improve if I get rejected for the 2019 cycle, but some insight into other people's experience would be helpful.

Thanks!

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[finnickthedog]

I've realized that, given that final decisions won't be out potentially until April or so, it's possible that I would only I have a summer to do any sort of improvement to my application to apply for the following year cycle.

Don't let this be the case. Don't stop working on making yourself a stronger applicant until you have an acceptance. It doesn't matter that you've submitted your application, because as you well know there is a chance you won't get in on that cycle. Waiting until decisions come out is a bad decision for exactly this reason. If you don't get in then you've wasted months that you could have been working on improvement.

What have you all done to improve your applications between cycles? Did you wait more than one cycle between attempts?

Primarily, I just gained more quality experience.
I did not wait a cycle between attempts.

 

[youngkal]

When I submitted the first time I had a strong feeling my application was weak (mainly from procrastination). I worked on improving my grades and continued working at the animal ER I was already. I also looked for new opportunities close to campus. I began working on my app and GRE a few months after I submitted and then took a break and started again in summer since I knew what most of my app would consist of.

 

[EB73674]

Don't let this be the case. Don't stop working on making yourself a stronger applicant until you have an acceptance. It doesn't matter that you've submitted your application, because as you well know there is a chance you won't get in on that cycle. Waiting until decisions come out is a bad decision for exactly this reason. If you don't get in then you've wasted months that you could have been working on improvement.




Primarily, I just gained more quality experience.
I did not wait a cycle between attempts.

That's a good point - I'll be taking pre-reqs up through the spring semester before I'd (ideally) matriculate, so I know those need to be on-point in case things don't work out. Your fall but not spring grades of your gap year are the only ones considered for most vet school applications, right?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[EB73674]

When I submitted the first time I had a strong feeling my application was weak (mainly from procrastination). I worked on improving my grades and continued working at the animal ER I was already. I also looked for new opportunities close to campus. I began working on my app and GRE a few months after I submitted and then took a break and started again in summer since I knew what most of my app would consist of.

Thanks for the reply! Did you take summer classes or just continue taking fall/spring classes on a regular schedule?

 

[SkiOtter]

That's a good point - I'll be taking pre-reqs up through the spring semester before I'd (ideally) matriculate, so I know those need to be on-point in case things don't work out. Your fall but not spring grades of your gap year are the only ones considered for most vet school applications, right?

Thanks for the feedback!

I’m confused about this. A gap year would be after graduation, no?

 

[EB73674]

I’m confused about this. A gap year would be after graduation, no?

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant application year, not gap year. My understanding is that only your fall application year grades are considered, but not spring (other than to make sure you get the required grade to count for a pre-req).

 

[SkiOtter]

Here’s my post from another thread about a similar topic. There’s also some other replies in there you could read too. Don’t wait for a rejection to start improving your application. And if you do, GET FILE REVIEWS. At every school you apply to that will do them. They’re the only ones who can tell you what you didn’t have that they were looking for.

I didn’t wait until I got rejected the first time either to start doing stuff. After I applied, I continued to volunteer at the shelter I’m at, I shadowed when I could during breaks, and once I graduated I got back into shadowing. Then mid to end of March I started looking for assistant jobs and ended up finding one and being able to start there and add those hours. That job was just weekends so I was still able to keep shadowing and then my shadowing eventually turned into an assistant job a couple days during the weel, but after I submitted. I was waitlisted at two schools last cycle after interviewing, but didn’t wait for April 17 or a rejection letter to start bettering my application. This cycle I was waitlisted at three schools, one was after an interview, and last week I ended up getting accepted where I had interviewed. I wasn’t expecting to get off a waitlist that soon so I was still working and improving my app in case I needed to go for round 3.

 

[SkiOtter]

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant application year, not gap year. My understanding is that only your fall application year grades are considered, but not spring (other than to make sure you get the required grade to count for a pre-req).

Usually. If you’re on a waitlist though, spring grades could be considered.

 

[youngkal]

Thanks for the reply! Did you take summer classes or just continue taking fall/spring classes on a regular schedule?

Mines a little unique i applied for the first time between my junior and senior year (2016-2017 app cycle). I finished my senior year normally. I “graduated”
May 2017 but I missed a 2.0 by like 5% in one of my classes so I HAD to take that over the summer to graduate. At that point i didn’t know what I was gonna do with my gap year but i probably wouldn’t have taken summer classes had i know i was gonna work towards a second degree starting in August 2017 (after i submitted for the second time 2017-2018 cycle).

 

[finnickthedog]

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant application year, not gap year. My understanding is that only your fall application year grades are considered, but not spring (other than to make sure you get the required grade to count for a pre-req).

Usually. If you’re on a waitlist though, spring grades could be considered.

Also some school don't even ask for your fall grades, so it's going to depend on the school.

 

[SkiOtter]

Also some school don't even ask for your fall grades, so it's going to depend on the school.

Also another reason I went with “usually” haha

 

[EB73674]

Here’s my post from another thread about a similar topic. There’s also some other replies in there you could read too. Don’t wait for a rejection to start improving your application. And if you do, GET FILE REVIEWS. At every school you apply to that will do them. They’re the only ones who can tell you what you didn’t have that they were looking for.

Good point, and great post there! Yeah, I think I had in my head that everything I would have done up through the rejection would be all considered, but it makes sense that it would just be everything before the application would be what's considered. Do you know of anyone that's moved somewhere to establish residency? What did that timing look like? I'm assuming you'd have to have proof of residency for 12 months, meaning you'd have to move immediately after submitting the application to make it in time...

 

[EB73674]

Also another reason I went with “usually” haha

Yuck, didn't realize this, sad! Well, just have to kick ALL THE ASS on my spring 2019 grades...Thanks for the update!

 

[SkiOtter]

Good point, and great post there! Yeah, I think I had in my head that everything I would have done up through the rejection would be all considered, but it makes sense that it would just be everything before the application would be what's considered. Do you know of anyone that's moved somewhere to establish residency? What did that timing look like? I'm assuming you'd have to have proof of residency for 12 months, meaning you'd have to move immediately after submitting the application to make it in time...

Unfortunately I don’t! Definitely contact the schools you’re interested though because I think some people on here have said for certain schools you can’t be taking classes during your year there and have to be working. And also I’m not sure if you have to move and be a resident for 12 mo before you apply or before school starts so thats another thing to check into. You could potentially find some people on here by searching that have done it.

 

[supershorty]

Hi guys,

I've been doing some thinking about preparation to apply a second time if I'm not admitted to a DVM program during my first application cycle. I've realized that, given that final decisions won't be out potentially until April or so, it's possible that I would only I have a summer to do any sort of improvement to my application to apply for the following year cycle.

What have you all done to improve your applications between cycles? (1) Did you wait more than one cycle between attempts? (2) Has anyone specifically moved to a state with residency preference & applied again? (3) What was the timing on that? (4)

Just trying to get some ideas of what other folks have done - I know what areas I would need to improve if I get rejected for the 2019 cycle, but some insight into other people's experience would be helpful.

Thanks!

Added numbers to make my answer more organized.

1.) I did file reviews with all of the programs that rejected me, considered which ones were financially do-able for me at that point (retaking courses in particular), and continued to get vet experience hours throughout. I also tried to vary my experience - I had a lot of small animal and equine, but wasn't in an area where other large animal med was an option, so I tried to branch out and get some lab animal and some exotics. I also did research, which changed what programs I applied to when I jumped back into the game.

2.) I waited 2 cycles before reapplying because I was working full-time and wanted to wrap up some projects.~

3.) Yes, I moved to the state whose dual degree program was my top interest. I lived here for 2 years and paid taxes, worked, changed my residency, etc.

4.) I moved out here permanently ~ 6 months after I graduated and 2 years before I applied again.

 

[JustPaws]

Good point, and great post there! Yeah, I think I had in my head that everything I would have done up through the rejection would be all considered, but it makes sense that it would just be everything before the application would be what's considered. Do you know of anyone that's moved somewhere to establish residency? What did that timing look like? I'm assuming you'd have to have proof of residency for 12 months, meaning you'd have to move immediately after submitting the application to make it in time...

I sent you a PM

 

[EB73674]

Unfortunately I don’t! Definitely contact the schools you’re interested though because I think some people on here have said for certain schools you can’t be taking classes during your year there and have to be working. And also I’m not sure if you have to move and be a resident for 12 mo before you apply or before school starts so thats another thing to check into. You could potentially find some people on here by searching that have done it.

Yeah, I assumed the residency requirements would be similar to UPenn's for PA residency (where I attend now), but they only require that you don't move for the express purpose of education, you're allowed to take classes if it's not the reason you moved. Good to know about that particularity. I will investigate more & see if I can reach out to the schools I'm primarily interested in, just in case! Thanks again for the reply!

 

[EB73674]

Added numbers to make my answer more organized.

1.) I did file reviews with all of the programs that rejected me, considered which ones were financially do-able for me at that point (retaking courses in particular), and continued to get vet experience hours throughout. I also tried to vary my experience - I had a lot of small animal and equine, but wasn't in an area where other large animal med was an option, so I tried to branch out and get some lab animal and some exotics. I also did research, which changed what programs I applied to when I jumped back into the game.

2.) I waited 2 cycles before reapplying because I was working full-time and wanted to wrap up some projects.~

3.) Yes, I moved to the state whose dual degree program was my top interest. I lived here for 2 years and paid taxes, worked, changed my residency, etc.

4.) I moved out here permanently ~ 6 months after I graduated and 2 years before I applied again.

Gotcha, thanks for the reply! My experience I don't think would be the issue (although if I could get my LA vet to take more than 5 appointments with some livestock, that would be good!), I'm more trying to figure out ways to maximize my chances if I have to re-apply. I have a pretty good gig where I am now, but I don't get any sort of residency perks (New Jersey, no contract seats anywhere), so that would be one big difference between applications 1 & 2 if I do move & establish residency. Thanks so much for the insight!