Penn c/o 2016 applicants

[TigerWillow]

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I never got that letter 🙁. I know just from it being Penn that that's the case, but now I'm worried that I didn't get a letter Did you mean email, or letter?
Panic attack in 5 4 3 2.... 😉

It was an email 🙂 no panic!

 

[Emiloo4]

It was an email 🙂 no panic!

Ok that's what I figured... just wanted to make sure nothing got lost since I had all my mail forwarded recently (terrible timing I know). And I was just exaggerating about the panic attack 😉, although every day I feel closer and closer to having one. 😎

 

[Bisbee]

The letter I got was a snail mail on Penn letterhead dated "November 2011".

Here is the content:

We have received your application from VMCAS and would like to thank you for your interest in the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, we require the completion of a supplemental application found on our web site at www.vet.upenn.edu under Admissions and the submission of a $75.00 processing fee. Should your application be missing any documents, you will find a card enclosed with this letter indicating which documents have not been received. Please get the checked items to us as soon as possible.

In December the Admissions Committee will begin to read applications and make decisions. Consequently, if you have Fall '11 grades please have an official transcript sent to us as soon as possible after the grades have been submitted. All prerequisite courses must be taken prior to matriculation and you must have earned a grade of C or better in these courses. Interview invitations are sent out weekly from late December through mid-March, with at least two weeks' advance notice of the interview date. Those applicants whom we believe are less academically qualified will begin to hear from us as soon as we can determine their comparative ranking with other applicants. In short, we do not interview nor do we accept all at one time. It is a four-month process.

Those applicants claiming Pennsylvania residency should be prepared to provide documentation. If you decide not to follow through with your application, or you receive an acceptance from your first -choice school and are no longer interested in PENN, please contact the Admissions Office to withdraw your application so that we may give more time to those who are actively waiting.

This is a very important and stressful period in your life. We will make every attempt to ensure that your wait is as short as possible. We wish you a successful application season.

Sincerely yours,

Malcolm J. Keiter, M.Ed
Associate Dean for Admissions

 

[TigerWillow]

Just curious, were you missing anything? Because mine was complete. I remember in this thread I think things that weren't complete we're sent the snail mail.

 

[Emiloo4]

The letter I got was a snail mail on Penn letterhead dated "November 2011".

I found so much bliss in my ignorance... thanks for ruining it Bisbee 😉

Thinking back, I am pretty sure I received that as well... holding off on the attack for now! 😳
Thanks for taking the time to type that all up! 😀

 

[Bisbee]

EL -Some people have already been rejected from Penn without an interview. I think the fact that we're heard nothing means we're still in the running, don't you?
TW - When I got that letter, I was missing two transcripts and had to have them resent.

 

[Emiloo4]

EL -Some people have already been rejected from Penn without an interview. I think the fact that we're heard nothing means we're still in the running, don't you?
TW - When I got that letter, I was missing two transcripts and had to have them resent.

To be honest, I don't think I'm in the running at all 😳. I feel like maybe they just haven't gotten to mine in the pile yet 😉.
But seriously, WHO KNOWS?! This process is SO random and crazy and I'm just ready for it to be over, one way or the other. I'm hoping to get an interview though... it's the only place I don't have to fly to 😀. Hope we hear good news soon... got my for ya!
TW - I'm pretty sure I only received an email and I wasn't missing anything... so snail mail must have been sent out if something was missing.

 

[Emiloo4]

EL -Some people have already been rejected from Penn without an interview. I think the fact that we're heard nothing means we're still in the running, don't you?
TW - When I got that letter, I was missing two transcripts and had to have them resent.

You are aware that Penn does things differently than other schools though right? They don't have cut off dates really. They go through folders slowly, reject people, offer interviews, then acceptances, and then they start all over with the next pile. Just wanted to make you aware if you didn't already know.

 

[Bisbee]

I thought maybe they went through at first and rejected people based on GPAs and GRE scores alone. Then those who make that cut they go through with a fine tooth comb like you are describing. That's my understanding at least.

 

[Bisbee]

But who knows...it's so painful and random. I hope we both hear something soon. I want to move on with Plan B if it's a No, ya know?

 

[Emiloo4]

I thought maybe they went through at first and rejected people based on GPAs and GRE scores alone. Then those who make that cut they go through with a fine tooth comb like you are describing. That's my understanding at least.

I'm sure they do that as well... who knows... I'm pretty sure the only thing they plan for is to drive us CRAZY!

 

[muddjumper]

So I still haven't heard anything from Penn. How late do they usually send out invites?

Last year I was in the last interview group--we were interviewed on March 11, and I got my invite on February 24th. I didn't hear anything one way or another until then! So it could potentially be a long wait, unfortunately.

 

[sunnex3]

But who knows...it's so painful and random. I hope we both hear something soon. I want to move on with Plan B if it's a No, ya know?

sorry bisbee that it's been such a long wait 🙁

penn definitely does things in "batches" so unfortunately it could be a while!

 

[Bisbee]

Thanks for the info guys...I'm reconciled to the long wait (along with Emiloo).

 

[Emiloo4]

Thanks for the info guys...I'm reconciled to the long wait (along with Emiloo).

👍👍 We got this 😉

 

[BlacKAT33]

If you haven't heard anything yet that is a good thing.
Here is my best guess as to how the process works without actually knowing the details.
They reject some people at first. Then you get rounds of interviews every Fri. Each week they accept some people and decline/waitlist others. Rejections continue throughout until...March-ish I guess. They hold off on rejecting everyone til they get a feeling for the final class. As acceptances go out, some people will accept and be part of the class, others will turn down the offer. People interviewed who are not accepted get put on a waiting list in order of wherever you stand [in their opinion]. So long story short, you could not hear anything for a couple more months and then be rejected...or interviewed!!

They definitely do not do a "first weed out with gpa and gre" because then I probably wouldnt have made it to an interview Maybe they do it with minimum scores though? I had an avg gpa and gre.

 

[Ben and Me]

Hi,

This convo about large animal interview attire comes up every year. 🙂 I wore black suit pants, a dressy v-neck sweater over a button down shirt, and ballet flats. I felt very comfortable -- neither under- nor overdressed. Other folks wore polished paddock boots, dress boots, Dansko's, etc. I would NOT wear heels, or at least nothing high -- you'll be walking around outdoors and on your feet for a large part of the day -- you want to be comfy! I suppose you could wear boots and then change, but I bet you can find a happy medium so that you aren't carrying around an extra pair of shoes (unless it's snowing or something!) Make sure to wear a warm coat and accessories -- I'd definitely bring a scarf and gloves -- but also make sure you can remove a layer or two while you're waiting around for your interview.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or post on this thread. I'll try to keep checking in. 🙂

FYI -- Just re-read the exact wording. Since it says "Farm appropriate footwear" (I think that is a new phrase, or maybe one they've added since they combined Food-Animal and Equine day and everyone goes to the dairy) I would definitely go with polished boots (paddock or farm) or Dansko's.

 

[CorporateFatCat]

They definitely do not do a "first weed out with gpa and gre" because then I probably wouldnt have made it to an interview Maybe they do it with minimum scores though? I had an avg gpa and gre.

This surprises me because in the VMSAR book, Penn is one of the schools with the highest GPA/GRE averages. Maybe it's due to exceptionally qualified OOS applicants?

 

[BlacKAT33]

This surprises me because in the VMSAR book, Penn is one of the schools with the highest GPA/GRE averages. Maybe it's due to exceptionally qualified OOS applicants?

oh wow I am an exceptionally qualified OOS student 😱 😀 There are always exceptions to every student admitted. I think my PS, eLORs, and my interview really did it for me. For grades, they probably saw the trend that I was improving. For GREs, my crappy verbal was balanced out by my amazing math score. One thing that I love about Penn's process is that the really do read everything before rejecting people. They like to try to find balanced students who are passionate about their field of interest as well as other activities. I think our admissions process does a fantastic job with picking future classes and I love how we have students who sit on the admissions committee. FYI- during my interview I asked Mr. Keiter if Penn would ever consider doing the MMI (multiple mini interview--like Virgina Tech and many medical schools) and he said probably never because they like to have a "conversation" with the interviewees and want to get to know them on a more personal level.

Also, one thing to think about is how the VMSAR book displays stats.
My VMSAR book for 2010 matriculation says that Penn had an avg of 587V and 710Q GRE score. They do it by the separate sections, not total score. My verbal was below their avg but my quantitative was above their avg. This doesnt necessarily mean that the avg GRE score of matriculated students was a combination of the two section averages.

 

[Bisbee]

Good to know about the GREs because I'm kind of reversed from you--high verbal, lower math. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[KCDelilah]

Anyone interviewing tomorrow!!!??? I've been a lurker for a while (taking a class during my xmas break . . ) so I thought I'd finally say hi! 🙂

 

[oxyjen]

I am KCD!!!! Sooo excited!!! 😀

 

[spoondiggity]

So... like 4 or 5 girls from my class already got penn interviews back in the beginning of Jan... does anyone know what that means for me? Is there still hope? Or should I be expecting a rejection? 🙁

 

[iwantbatteries]

So... like 4 or 5 girls from my class already got penn interviews back in the beginning of Jan... does anyone know what that means for me? Is there still hope? Or should I be expecting a rejection? 🙁

there is hope, as the wife got an invite today. Now does anybody know what percent of interviewees Penn accepts?

 

[Virginger]

... Im know I am being whiney but I had a bad day ... and today everything hurts, even my computer hurts.

Why has penn not sent out rejections?! (... last year they had sent out some rejections by this point.) Its really stressing me out. If they are uninterested in a candidate, why dont they just put it out there? I understand they do batches... what if I was in an earlier batch?! I just want to be put out of my misery with waiting. I have conceded that I am (99% sure) that I will be applying again next year ... but this last bit of lingering hope is painful.

Im worried that they looked at my application and went, "🤣"

 

[TigerWillow]

... Im know I am being whiney but I had a bad day ... and today everything hurts, even my computer hurts.

Why has penn not sent out rejections?! (... last year they had sent out some rejections by this point.) Its really stressing me out. If they are uninterested in a candidate, why dont they just put it out there? I understand they do batches... what if I was in an earlier batch?! I just want to be put out of my misery with waiting. I have conceded that I am (99% sure) that I will be applying again next year ... but this last bit of lingering hope is painful.

Im worried that they looked at my application and went, "🤣"

I thought someone said in this thread that they were rejected back in november? Perhaps your app isn't as bad as you think? 😉

 

[Bisbee]

Yeah, they did send out some rejections very early on. But apparently no one posted them in the official rejections thread. So far, that has been the only group of rejections they've sent. Also, several posts back you can scroll and see a copy of the original letter from Mr. Keiter explaining how this is a four month process....ugh.

 

[Virginger]

I thought someone said in this thread that they were rejected back in november? Perhaps your app isn't as bad as you think? 😉

Yeah, they did send out some rejections very early on. But apparently no one posted them in the official rejections thread. So far, that has been the only group of rejections they've sent. Also, several posts back you can scroll and see a copy of the original letter from Mr. Keiter explaining how this is a four month process....ugh.

Oh, well that made me 🙂 a little (the painful Im still hoping smile). I should admit that I am not a regular lurker on this thread because I never though I had a shot with Penn.

Thank you summarizing, lol. 😛

 

[coatofmanycolor]

I'm going to be interviewing tomorrow.🙂 Looking forward to seeing the campus and hopefully meeting some of you guys!

 

[KCDelilah]

oxyjen and coatofmanycolor maybe I will meet you tomorrow! black suit, tall, long blond hair🙂

 

[wx90]

Hey guys! I've been a lurker for quite a while on SDN, and I'm interviewing tomorrow too, so just thought I'd stick my head out and say hello 🙂

It's my first vet school interview so I'm starting to get nervous lol. But so excited!! Good luck to you all fellow interviewees!

 

[oxyjen]

wx90 - don't worry too much. From what I hear, Penn is quite laid back. We should be alright 😉

KCD and coatofmanycolor - I look forward to meeting you guys!!

 

[phaedraeos]

good luck today, everyone!! and for those still waiting for a reply, deep breaths. i also interviewed on March 11 last year and got in, and am living proof that applicants are not rejected on GPA/GRE alone 😉

 

[sunnex3]

good luck oxyjen and everyone else today with your interviews!

hopefully we can be classmates come fall this year! 😀

 

[sooprnova]

Good luck to everyone interviewing today!

 

[BlacKAT33]

I just walked passed you guys and you all look very snappy 😀 I'm in the library studying and I realized I can't use the conference rooms because that's where the interviews are 🙁 haha Good luck everyone and I hope you enjoy the day!

 

[Zpearl]

Penn is the only school I haven't heard anything back from... Is that a bad sign? I got interview/rejection notifications everywhere else. is there a way to track the status of your application online? Should I call?

 

[August West]

Admissions states that they have a rolling process and notifications can come as late as March. I am sure they will let us know once they have rendered a decision and can't imagine calling them will expedite the process any. Best of luck.

 

[GellaBella]

Admissions states that they have a rolling process and notifications can come as late as March. I am sure they will let us know once they have rendered a decision and can't imagine calling them will expedite the process any. Best of luck.

👍

Admissions is SUPER busy right now prepping for interviews and reviewing applications. They will let you know one way or another so just try to sit tight. and good luck on your other interviews!

 

[CannineGrl]

Does anyone know if UPenn is still sending out interview invites?

 

[iwantbatteries]

for people wondering if they are sending out invites, I know some went out last thursday

 

[CannineGrl]

for people wondering if they are sending out invites, I know some went out last thursday

Do you know if they were mailed or emailed?

 

[TheOfficer]

Do you know if they were mailed or emailed?

Notifications of interviews are sent via e-mail by Penn.

 

[Zpearl]

Are we notified at all if we get rejected? I didn't get an interview invite YET but they didn't tell me "no" yet either lol

 

[CannineGrl]

Are we notified at all if we get rejected? I didn't get an interview invite YET but they didn't tell me "no" yet either lol

I'm on that same boat and it's awful.......... Checking my email every .2 seconds...

 

[Bisbee]

They letter we got in November said we may not hear anything until March (look further back in this thread for a copy of that letter from Mr. Keiter). Most of us are still waiting to hear anything at all I think.

 

[Bismarck]

Got letter at home address (at school ATM) with formal acceptance details, financial aid (including recruitment scholarship) and new student information apparently so keep stalking the mailman if you have been accepted.

/FYI

 

[sunnex3]

Got letter at home address (at school ATM) with formal acceptance details, financial aid (including recruitment scholarship) and new student information apparently so keep stalking the mailman if you have been accepted.

/FYI

i got the package over the weekend too, with the recruitment scholarship as well!

have you decided where you're attending yet bismarck? you seem to have quite the luck this cycle 🙂

 

[Bismarck]

I have an interview with Cornell next week and I think I'm leaning in that direction, but makes sense to check every program out to find out which feels "right" to me. When I come to a decision it will be in the successful applicants thread though.

 

[sooprnova]

i got the package over the weekend too, with the recruitment scholarship as well!

have you decided where you're attending yet bismarck? you seem to have quite the luck this cycle 🙂

Got the package, but no scholarship info. Boooo. Would either of you mind sharing the scholarship info and your GPA/GRE scores since that's what it's based on? If you would rather pm them, that's cool. If you would rather not share them, that's cool, too! I was just really hoping to snag that extra $$.