Hi guys!
Every once in a while, I see a reference someone makes to having met with people in the vet school to discuss the pros/cons in your application, before you even apply. I'm a bit surprised and intimidated by this, but I want to get in on the act! How do you go about doing this? Here would be my idea: arrive on campus clutching your transcripts, GRE scores and a CV, show up at the admissions office... and just ask for someone to go over it with you? It seems a bit haphazard! Any ideas?
thanks!
i just emailed the schools and said that I wanted to come visit. Ask the school specifically if they offer admissions advising appointments or tours of the campus/facilities. It's good to get your face out there early, and not that many people will bother to visit a vet school before they get in (especially out of state). Make sure you show up with a resume AND your unofficial transcripts to get the most out of it. Also make sure you research the school thoroughly and be prepared to answer some interview-type questions. They all asked me why I was interested in veterinary medicine and what field I was planning on going into. One adcom grilled me on the school's website, mostly because it had recently been updated and wanted to know if it was more helpful, but thank god I looked at it extensively the night before. Another adcom asked me how I felt about euthanasia and then recommended that I think about it more before any interviews. They are not judging you per se, but they still get an impression of you at that point that may help you get an interview. And they do remember, because when I confirmed my interviews they replied with something like "looking forward to meeting with you again". Overall, I highly recommend doing this with as many schools as possible.
They're more likely to remember you and help you out than if you just went to the open house, I think. It shows a strong interest in the school when you're active about visiting and showing up prepared to meet with them and get real feedback about your application. I also emailed the adcoms with some additional questions and updates later on to show continued interest and to ensure that they keep me in mind. It helps when you do this to hit reply to the original email about visiting so if they forgot they can read the email conversation to refresh their memory.
Finally, it is beneficial to be familiar with the area and the school beforehand, so if and when you get an interview, you won't be disoriented or lost in a new place, adding to the stress of the situation.
I would recommend doing it in the middle of the summer if you can so it's not so early that they'll forget about you but it's not so late that your apps are already in. You shouldn't dress up like it's an interview, but you probably shouldnt dress down either.
Anyway, that's all my advice on this. It mostly helped me construct my application and I am now familiar with the areas for my interviews. I don't know for sure if showing my face or them remembering who I am is going to help me get in, but I figure they're human too, and it might help a little bit.
