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This is how I feel about a WSU one... it feels like less people applying this cycle or they at least haven't found their way here yet. Maybe something about us not knowing anything. Hmm.... [emoji848]
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I wouldn't worry; it's still very early in the cycle. It's not typically until around VMCAS submission time that there's an influx of new users. 🙂
Though that last comment made me chuckle. Ha.
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The statistics person within me would find this super interesting.
I highly doubt it has. Probably more likely is Elkhart's response. Here is a link to the stats for last year's application cycle with all the internal links. Up 6% for the second straight year. News from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
I downloaded their stats pdf a while back <3 I have no idea why, but I love admissions statistics for schools.
Ha I've been thinking the same about Mich State. Ours was created in May last year but previous years much lster, I didn't even find sdn until August so I keep thinking it's just early still
I-L-L?!?!
Hi! Quick question about Illinois' application essays: I've noticed in past threads here that there is a pattern of Illinois asking research based questions, and this year there is a research-y sounding topic with a character limit of 9999. Does this mean they really are looking for long essays, and you need to do research on the topic they've given, or that's not really necessary?
About 1.5-2 pages typed up on word is what most people do. You should have sources to back up your claims. I had citations at the end of my essay.
They just give you a ton of characters so you don’t have to worry about character counts, especially because of citations
One of the questions on the Illinois VMCAS supplemental page asks to talk about antibiotic use in livestock. Are they just trying to see what your base-level knowledge is, or are they asking you to do a full-blown research paper with sources cited and everything? I've learned quite a bit about this in undergrad and have already done a few research papers on this subject already, so I can manage either way. I'm just unsure of what they're looking for.
Definitely use sources and such and treat it like a short research snippet. My topic was about a diarrhea causing virus in swine. I had no knowledge on this whatsoever, so I had to look up basically everything.
Yep last year’s was about working dogs and the year prior was about Zika. I definitely had to research and cited sources. That’s why they give you such a large amount of characters to use, so you don’t have to worry about them with citing and everything.
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Can anybody give me more information about what clinicals are like at Illinois? I've heard people say you have them all 4 years of school.
So we have 4 eight week quarters during the school year. Years 1-3, there are three didactic quarters in the classroom. The fourth quarter is spent in the teaching hospital as being on clinics. It's second quarter for first years; third quarter for second years; and fourth quarter for third years. Third years basically just start fourth year in March due to that fourth quarter clinic rotation set.
To add to what bats said, you have zero patient responsibility when you're on clinics as a 1st/2nd year. It's mostly shadowing the fourth years + scheduled skill labs (catheter placement, blood draw, etc. etc.).
Do we have clinics on weekends or just weekdays as 1st/2nd years? I’ve been meaning to ask but keep forgetting so now seems like a great time
Just week days! Granted, you're supposed to stay until you're dismissed by the clinician. I stayed till 8 pm during my ortho rotation during first year 1.0.
What Bats said! I know of a few classmates that showed up to help 4th years on weekends because they were really interested in seeing something (internal medicine often has busy weekends with admits and procedures) but I never did 😀 You also have no on-call duty.Do we have clinics on weekends or just weekdays as 1st/2nd years? I’ve been meaning to ask but keep forgetting so now seems like a great time
Pet peeve I had: Clinicians often forget to dismiss underclassmen which sucks. Nothing like sitting around until 8pm only for the clinician to walk into the rounds room and say 'Oh, you guys are still here? You could have left at 4!' What are we going to do, just leave? (some people do exactly that, but you never know when a clinician is going to decide to care about something)
As a 1st/2nd year it really is laid back. You still have to show up, be professional, and participate at the appropriate times, but there isn't a whole lot expected of you. 2nd year is a little harder because you have the milestone/OSCE during your 8th week so you're trying to prep for that. Overall, you're a little bit invisible as an underclassman on the clinic floor but you will be remembered if you stand out in a bad way.
Also don't get frustrated if you're not able to do stuff on real patients. 4th year is the last chance we get to be taught techniques and whatnot so we get dibs! I mostly restrained for my 4th years. You get to see everything though.
Since the cognitive is all the numbers and scores and stuff, there might be a cut made. Whether or not that cut is just people who don't meet the minimums (2.75 GPA, having all the prerequisites, etc) or of there is an actual cut off, I think only the admissions committee knows that. I've never heard a hard and fast rule, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Ok, thank you so much. The website was a bit vague about this so I wasn't sure, but I guess it could be purposefully so.
I would think so. Illinois actually gives more than a lot of schools did when I last applied.
But I wouldn't really worry about the cut offs at this point since it is so vague and considers a ton of factors. I was alerted when I moved onto Phase II in either November or December (which was two years ago), so you have a ways to go yet. Interview invites go out mid January I believe.
So hang tight and stay busy!!
I’m pretty sure there’s an actual cut after phase 1, but phase 1 was definitely the weakest of my application and I still made it through, so I don’t think it’s PARTICULARLY rigorous.
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Yeah there definitely IS some sort of cut because I know some people on here didn’t make it to phase 2 the last two years (paid no attention to anything before then haha)
Generally, most schools divide their scoring system between a cognitive (GPA, GRE, etc) and non-cognitive (essays, interviews, etc) portion. I think most schools will weigh them side by side with some that save the non-cognitive portion for later.
As far as how much each is weighted, that will vary with each school, but you can almost always find how much they weigh each portion under the admissions page of the school your looking at.
Yeahh I think they were talking about Illinois specifically and making it from phase 1 to phase 2, which they don’t post info about that cutoff on their website.
I haven’t received anything either!
You probably won’t hear anything for several months. If I’m remembering my application cycle correctly, I didn’t receive anything until I was confirmed passing through phase I in like Januaryish
I thought phase 1 was Novemberish and interview invites were mid-January? But my cycle was a little different from yours
That makes more sense, and would give more time to prepare for an interview hahaha. I think you’re right on with this.
Phase 1 was mid-December the past 2 cycles and interview invites were mid to late January
When all three of us are simultaneously snap chatting and posting on SDN.
It’s fiiiiine
We should’ve done the fb chat too just to cover all our social medias 🤣
I did toooo!!!! Just later 🙁
I haven't heard anything yet, but I've heard the confirmation email for a couple schools
Applied OOS! Haven't heard anything either
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Applied out of state and I also have not heard anything! Glad to hear y'all are also waiting for some communication!
You probs won't here until next month. That'll be update for phase 1.
Thank you!
Looks like people heard back about phase 1 today last year. Anyone get anything yet?
