Iowa State University c/o 2021!

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Hey, guys. I wanted to confirm that the first two interview weekends will indeed be 10/15-10/16 and 10/22-10/23. VM1s who signed up to act as ambassadors just recieved an email asking for help with various interview-related activities during those dates. In addition, the email specifically mentions that "Interviewees will be coming from across the United States", which leads me to think that there is a possibility that at least a few OOS applicants might be interviewed at that time (although it could just be referring to contract states, like Connecticut and the Dakotas).

So, yes, things are definitely moving faster this cycle. It also means that some applicants should start recieving interview invitations very soon.

I'm going to sign on to work at least one of those weekends, so hopefully I can meet a few of you!

Agh! The pressure is on! Thanks for the update.

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Will we get an email or will it be on the supplemental app?


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You should get both, but make sure you check your portal! When I was going through the interviewing process, we were told there have been a couple people in the past who didn't check their portal and missed their interview invites! I always got an email, however, when a message was sent to me via portal. Good luck to you all and I can't wait to meet a few of you when you come for your interviews!
 
Hey, guys. I wanted to confirm that the first two interview weekends will indeed be 10/15-10/16 and 10/22-10/23. VM1s who signed up to act as ambassadors just recieved an email asking for help with various interview-related activities during those dates. In addition, the email specifically mentions that "Interviewees will be coming from across the United States", which leads me to think that there is a possibility that at least a few OOS applicants might be interviewed at that time (although it could just be referring to contract states, like Connecticut and the Dakotas).

So, yes, things are definitely moving faster this cycle. It also means that some applicants should start recieving interview invitations very soon.

I'm going to sign on to work at least one of those weekends, so hopefully I can meet a few of you!
Thank you!
 
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I just got an email inviting me to interview on October 15th and I'm OOS!! :)
 
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Wow! Do you think they interview based on how high ranked you are?


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Just got an email saying that I was invited for an interview on the October 15-16 weekend, I'm OOS! I'm very surprised because I have a very low Cum GPA of 3.28.
 
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Just got an email saying that I was invited for an interview on the October 15-16 weekend, I'm OOS! I'm very surprised because I have a very low Cum GPA of 3.28.

Iowa doesn't care about cGPA just last 45 and science :) Congrats!!! When were you verified by VMCAS?
 
I have a last 45 of 3.76 and a science is 3.75. Would that be competitive enough? @LuckySpartan I'm already hitting the email refresh button but I should probably calm down. lol. Is there a way how they choose who interviews first?
 
Congratulations to everyone who's recieved interview invites thus far! I knew that they'd be right around the corner after I got that email yesterday, but I didn't expect them to go out that quickly!

Yes, ISU doesn't factor cumulative GPA into their admissions formula at all; as long as you surpass the 2.5 minimum, you're good. It's just science and last 45 hours GPAs at that point!
 
I have a last 45 of 3.76 and a science is 3.75. Would that be competitive enough? @LuckySpartan I'm already hitting the email refresh button but I should probably calm down. lol. Is there a way how they choose who interviews first?
That's pretty darn competitive. Due to the unique way ISU calculates their science GPA, averages for acceptance tend to be lower than many other vet schools (you can see this for yourself by checking out the Class Profiles page on the website).

As for their method behind choosing who interviews first... I honestly don't know. Historically, it's been only IS, contract states, and Home Base Iowa Initiative applicants interviewing on the first weekend. Since it looks like they're including some OOS on the first weekend this year, there's obviously been changes in that.
 
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Iowa doesn't care about cGPA just last 45 and science :) Congrats!!! When were you verified by VMCAS?

I have a last 45 of 3.76 and a science is 3.75. Would that be competitive enough? @LuckySpartan I'm already hitting the email refresh button but I should probably calm down. lol. Is there a way how they choose who interviews first?

I was verified on August 28th, my science GPA was a 3.9 and my last 45 was 3.64 so I'm sure you are competitive @cheathac !
 
I have a last 45 of 3.76 and a science is 3.75. Would that be competitive enough? @LuckySpartan I'm already hitting the email refresh button but I should probably calm down. lol. Is there a way how they choose who interviews first?

If those are the GPA's calculated by ISU then I would say you are very competitive when looking at the stats from previous years! With that being said, it depends on the rest of your application as well- grades are not everything.

I hope they get the rest of the invites out soon!! :)
 
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Yep! Those are the GPAs they calculated on my Iowa supplemental. I have 2,000+ Vet Experience in 3 areas, 3000+ animal experience (mainly livestock), and 200+ Research (gaining more in that area). I will just have to be a little more patient and check out their stats from previous years. Thanks for the encouragement guys. :)
 
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Hi! Interestingly enough, I am also OOS and received an invitation today for an interview on 10/16 for ISU! :)
 
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I also got an interview invite today (and of course I checked it in class and started crying I was so happy so that was pretty awkward)! I am OOS too!
 
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Congratulations to everyone who's recieved interview invites thus far! I knew that they'd be right around the corner after I got that email yesterday, but I didn't expect them to go out that quickly!

Yes, ISU doesn't factor cumulative GPA into their admissions formula at all; as long as you surpass the 2.5 minimum, you're good. It's just science and last 45 hours GPAs at that point!

Hey since you're a current student, what are some things you wish you knew before starting?
 
Has anyone who didn't get an interview invite yesterday gotten a portal update that shows that you were denied an interview, or does it still show "In Committee Review"?
Did anyone get interview invites yet for the weekend of October 22nd-23rd?
I haven't heard anything yet, and am still in committee review.
Good luck to everyone! :)
 
Has anyone who didn't get an interview invite yesterday gotten a portal update that shows that you were denied an interview, or does it still show "In Committee Review"?
Did anyone get interview invites yet for the weekend of October 22nd-23rd?
I haven't heard anything yet, and am still in committee review.
Good luck to everyone! :)
Didn't get an invite but still in committee review, hoping to hear soon :)
 
No invite yet and still in committee review.
 
My application isn't even in review yet and I submitted on Sept 13th- it still says just received.
 
My application isn't even in review yet and I submitted on Sept 13th- it still says just received.

Mine too! That is the busiest time so I'm sure we will have to wait for a bit longer unfortunately.
 
Looks like UNL decisions for interview won't go out until Thanksgiving Break. I saw the message on the portal and got more excited then I should have.
 
My application isn't even in review yet and I submitted on Sept 13th- it still says just received.

I submitted my application on Sept. 10, my status is still under committee review. Fingers crossed!
 
Has anyone who didn't get an interview invite yesterday gotten a portal update that shows that you were denied an interview, or does it still show "In Committee Review"?
Did anyone get interview invites yet for the weekend of October 22nd-23rd?
I haven't heard anything yet, and am still in committee review.
Good luck to everyone! :)
I'm in the same boat! Hopefully they send out the next rounds soon, since it looks like they haven't yet! :)
 
Honestly, I really can't think of much. I LOVE it here and everyone in my class is so kind and supportive of each other, even only a month and a half in. :love: If I had to think of one thing I truly regret... I do wish I had taken a gap year. Plenty of people make it into and through vet school right after undergrad just fine, but I was already burning out by my last semester of undergrad and now that I'm in vet school, I'm really starting to feel burnt out. I'm doing fine academically, but sometimes I definitely have trouble motivating myself to get through the material. VM1s take 8 classes the first semester and I'm starting to feel quite drained already. BUT! I am still very excited and grateful to be where I am, and I think things will begin improving once this next battery of midterms is over with.

On another note, I signed up to help out with white coat fittings on October 15th and 16th during the afternoon sessions, if any of you are interviewing then. Definitely feel free to say hello and/or ask questions if you've got any (my name is Kayden; I'm assuming we'll have name tags on, haha).[/QUO

Hello! I was offered an interview from Iowa State yesterday and will be there on the 16th for my interview! I read both online and noticed on your post there will be lab coat fittings? What are these for considering an interview does not mean an acceptance? Thanks!
 
Any current students have tips for preparing for the interview? :) Besides using the resources here on SDN?
 
My application isn't even in review yet and I submitted on Sept 13th- it still says just received.
Mine doesn't even say received yet on the portal, with the tons of applications they have to go through
Looks like UNL decisions for interview won't go out until Thanksgiving Break. I saw the message on the portal and got more excited then I should have.
I saw that too, looks like us Nebraskan's will be waiting a couple months
 
Hello! I was offered an interview from Iowa State yesterday and will be there on the 16th for my interview! I read both online and noticed on your post there will be lab coat fittings? What are these for considering an interview does not mean an acceptance? Thanks!
Before or after your interview (I think this depends on the exact time your actual interview is scheduled; I can't remember for sure, though), you will be fitted for a white coat. This is because ISU has their White Coat ceremony at the end of orientation week, right before classes start. You'll also have your name recorded for the official name tag that you will receive along with the coat. I would imagine that they probably aren't purchased until after the class is finalized, but having the sizes for applicants on hand likely makes it easier to buy them later on as people come off of the waitlist. They are very nice coats, with a DVM patch and everything, but almost everyone ends up buying a spare or two from the bookstore to use in anatomy lab and stores the nice one away so that it doesn't get dirty.
 
Mine doesn't even say received yet on the portal, with the tons of applications they have to go through

I saw that too, looks like us Nebraskan's will be waiting a couple months
Same here, I'm in Colorado and I messaged them cause I was curious it was an error and they said they still have a lot of applications to get through, and it should change within a week or so. It's been over a week so hopefully by next week it will change!
 
Before or after your interview (I think this depends on the exact time your actual interview is scheduled; I can't remember for sure, though), you will be fitted for a white coat. This is because ISU has their White Coat ceremony at the end of orientation week, right before classes start. You'll also have your name recorded for the official name tag that you will receive along with the coat. I would imagine that they probably aren't purchased until after the class is finalized, but having the sizes for applicants on hand likely makes it easier to buy them later on as people come off of the waitlist. They are very nice coats, with a DVM patch and everything, but almost everyone ends up buying a spare or two from the bookstore to use in anatomy lab and stores the nice one away so that it doesn't get dirty.

That makes sense I guess they'll never really have anyone back on campus to fit them once the classes are finalized! Thanks :)
 
Any current students have tips for preparing for the interview? :) Besides using the resources here on SDN?
Honestly, I just came up with some sample answers/scenarios to the questions posted in the SDN Interview Feedback and felt very prepared going into the interview.
 
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Looks like UNL decisions for interview won't go out until Thanksgiving Break. I saw the message on the portal and got more excited then I should have.

Mine doesn't even say received yet on the portal, with the tons of applications they have to go through

I saw that too, looks like us Nebraskan's will be waiting a couple months
It'll go by faster than you think it will. ;)
 
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Still trying to stay positive. Maybe they'll send out the next round in the next week?
 
does anybody have the link to this thread where I can look over some questions because I for some reason can't find it anywhere :bucktooth: thanks!!!!
@SandstormDVM thank you for being so helpful! I look forward to meeting you at the white coat fitting!
 
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Honestly, I really can't think of much. I LOVE it here and everyone in my class is so kind and supportive of each other, even only a month and a half in. :love: If I had to think of one thing I truly regret... I do wish I had taken a gap year. Plenty of people make it into and through vet school right after undergrad just fine, but I was already burning out by my last semester of undergrad and now that I'm in vet school, I'm really starting to feel burnt out. I'm doing fine academically, but sometimes I definitely have trouble motivating myself to get through the material. VM1s take 8 classes the first semester and I'm starting to feel quite drained already. BUT! I am still very excited and grateful to be where I am, and I think things will begin improving once this next battery of midterms is over with.

On another note, I signed up to help out with white coat fittings on October 15th and 16th during the afternoon sessions, if any of you are interviewing then. Definitely feel free to say hello and/or ask questions if you've got any (my name is Kayden; I'm assuming we'll have name tags on, haha).

Thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear you're doing well, and that everyone is so nice! Can you tell us some of the things you really like about the school? I'm just trying to get a good idea about what the school is really like. What are some unique things about living there?
 
Interview on October 15 and I'm OOS. Good luck y'all!
 
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It said on the message we got over the portal that if we didn't respond by oct 4th at noon that they would fill our interview spot with somebody else, so i suspect some of you will be hearing by then! It also said on their page they notify you 2-3 weeks before the interview so for anybody who is wondering about the 22-23rd date, I would think that they would let you know this week or next week. Good luck everyone :)
 
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I got an interview!!!!!!!!!! October 16!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
 
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Thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear you're doing well, and that everyone is so nice! Can you tell us some of the things you really like about the school? I'm just trying to get a good idea about what the school is really like. What are some unique things about living there?
No other current students have answered, so I'll let you know my thoughts. ISU is probably one of the nicest places on earth. Everyone is friendly, there's traffic only during football games, and the town of Ames is just really cute. Most students (and some profs and residents) live in the trailer park next to the vet school, so there's a great sense of community. ISU is very service-oriented, and public health is really entwined in the curriculum. We were encouraged to explore all areas of vet med, even if we thought we already knew what kind of medicine we wanted to practice. If you have specific questions, you can shoot me a PM anytime.
 
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Sorry, @Coopah. I've been studying for our next anatomy test this week and I just now saw your post.

Genny covered pretty much everything. Ames is just a very nice place to be and everyone is friendly. Definitely agreed with Genny about the traffic; if you stay on/near the vet med campus, it's not usually too bad outside of game days. Main campus is sometimes a little crazy... I've been taking CyRide to my rabies vaccination appointments for this reason--I really, really do not like driving around the main campus. Thankfully, vet med is pretty isolated and it's rare that we do have to go there. Speaking of that, there is a surprising number of public transit options available if you won't be bringing a car (there's a couple people per class who don't, I think) and there's lots of sidewalks if you prefer to walk to school. We're pretty bike-friendly from what I've seen, too. Genny mentioned the trailer park and, yeah, probably the majority of students do live in or near Old Orchard. I personally am living in an apartment about 1 mile away from vet med but I do walk through Old Orchard to get to class everyday, and it is definitely one of the nicest trailer parks I've ever seen. I may actually look into moving there within a year or two if possible; it is cheaper than where I am currently at.

ISU, while it is known for its focus on public health, does a very good job in offering multiple classes for pretty much any species focus you could want. In addition to all of the small animal focused classes, there's LOTS of beef, LOTS of dairy, a decent amount of swine and small ruminant, and a good helping of exotics/zoo/wildlife options available, as well. Aquatics and poultry are exceptions, and there's really only one or two super pertinent on those topics offered. I would agree that the faculty definitely encourage us to try new things and explore as many facets of the veterinary profession as possible, and we have many student organizations and clubs that help facilitate that. Lots of wetlabs and lunch/dinner talks, which are always a blast.

I'll offer my PM inbox, as well, if you've got any more specific questions. And that goes for everyone here. If anybody interviewing on the 15th-16th during the afternoon session, I will be assisting with white coat fittings so also feel free to ask any questions then or even just say hi!
 
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No other current students have answered, so I'll let you know my thoughts. ISU is probably one of the nicest places on earth. Everyone is friendly, there's traffic only during football games, and the town of Ames is just really cute. Most students (and some profs and residents) live in the trailer park next to the vet school, so there's a great sense of community. ISU is very service-oriented, and public health is really entwined in the curriculum. We were encouraged to explore all areas of vet med, even if we thought we already knew what kind of medicine we wanted to practice. If you have specific questions, you can shoot me a PM anytime.

Sorry, @Coopah. I've been studying for our next anatomy test this week and I just now saw your post.

Genny covered pretty much everything. Ames is just a very nice place to be and everyone is friendly. Definitely agreed with Genny about the traffic; if you stay on/near the vet med campus, it's not usually too bad outside of game days. Main campus is sometimes a little crazy... I've been taking CyRide to my rabies vaccination appointments for this reason--I really, really do not like driving around the main campus. Thankfully, vet med is pretty isolated and it's rare that we do have to go there. Speaking of that, there is a surprising number of public transit options available if you won't be bringing a car (there's a couple people per class who don't, I think) and there's lots of sidewalks if you prefer to walk to school. We're pretty bike-friendly from what I've seen, too. Genny mentioned the trailer park and, yeah, probably the majority of students do live in or near Old Orchard. I personally am living in an apartment about 1 mile away from vet med but I do walk through Old Orchard to get to class everyday, and it is definitely one of the nicest trailer parks I've ever seen. I may actually look into moving there within a year or two if possible; it is cheaper than where I am currently at.

ISU, while it is known for its focus on public health, does a very good job in offering multiple classes for pretty much any species focus you could want. In addition to all of the small animal focused classes, there's LOTS of beef, LOTS of dairy, a decent amount of swine and small ruminant, and a good helping of exotics/zoo/wildlife options available, as well. Aquatics and poultry are exceptions, and there's really only one or two super pertinent on those topics offered, but poultry med in particular is offered as a 4th year rotation if that's your thing (in which case, let's be friends!). I would agree that the faculty definitely encourage us to try new things and explore as many facets of the veterinary profession as possible, and we have many student organizations and clubs that help facilitate that. Lots of wetlabs and lunch/dinner talks, which are always a blast.

I'll offer my PM inbox, as well, if you've got any more specific questions. And that goes for everyone here. If anybody interviewing on the 15th-16th during the afternoon session, I will be assisting with white coat fittings so also feel free to ask any questions then or even just say hi!

Thanks guys! It's so good to hear all the great things offered, and I can't wait to visit! Unfortunately @SandstormDVM I'll be in the morning session so I can get back home that day. Super looking forward to meeting you some other time though!
 
Thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear you're doing well, and that everyone is so nice! Can you tell us some of the things you really like about the school? I'm just trying to get a good idea about what the school is really like. What are some unique things about living there?

I am in my undergraduate at ISU and applied as an OOS student to the vet school. I absolutely love Ames! Its a smaller town with everything you need. Driving is honestly never bad if you are from a more populated area the roads seem pretty empty...We are 45 minutes from Des Moines and some big shopping malls/downtown. Feel free to ask me any more general questions :)
 
Any interview tips? I've started to look at the ones on SDN


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Any interview tips? I've started to look at the ones on SDN


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My interview (4 years ago!) was pretty much exactly like the feedback posted on SDN. It was behavioral, and the interviewers were blind so they knew nothing about me. My interviewers were a clinician and an older alumnus. It's a very laid-back interview, and you really don't have to do anything to prepare for it, since you're just talking about things you've done in the past and how they relate to the prompts.
 
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