Question about VMCAS Application

[catcrazy]

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Hi --

I'm new to the forum and am applying to vet school this cycle. I am filling out my VMCAS application now. When entering your veterinary experience on the application, there is a pull-down menu with the month/year starting date and another pull-down menu with room for another month/year. I am a vet tech and the job is ongoing. What month/date do you use for this 'ending date' if you are still going to be working there or do you put nothing in? Do you put October because that's when the application is due or November because that's when the schools are going to receive the completed VMCAS application? Any help would be appreciated -- THANKS!!!

Catcrazy

 

[HorseyVet]

Hi -- I am a vet tech and the job is ongoing. What month/date do you use for this 'ending date' if you are still going to be working there or do you put nothing in? Do you put October because that's when the application is due or November because that's when the schools are going to receive the completed VMCAS application? Any help would be appreciated -- THANKS!!!

I would always call and ask the schools...or in this case VMCAS. I think it would be best to enter October 1st, since that's technically when your application stops. If you continue to do things send an up-date letter; it can't hurt and there are some posts about doing this from last cycle. Sometimes there is a place to put a comment on the form, I'd mention that this is on-going untill you start vet school (or untill whenever).

Is your concern for the "vet experience" section or the work experience. You'd have to double post your job anyway, I'm sure if they see it in both places and one says "on-going" they'll get it. A lot of other people will be in the same position.

 

[catcrazy]

Thanks, HorseyVet

I sort of answered my own question when I didn't put anything in the second month/year pulldown menu. When I did that, the application gets filled in with your start month/year and then says 'present.' So that question is answered -- the experience, job, whatever is ongoing. Another question you sort of answered -- to what point do you calculate your hours -- to the Oct 1 VMCAS application due date or through the end of October when the schools get the application and start reviewing it? THANKS!

 

[HorseyVet]

to what point do you calculate your hours -- to the Oct 1 VMCAS application due date or through the end of October when the schools get the application and start reviewing it? THANKS!

This "starts reviewing in Nov" thing must be new. I knew people last cycle that got their interview calls Oct 1st because they were "complete" early (and highly competitive).

I guess it says they don't review untill Nov 1st????? Just make sure.

Also, I wouldn't project hours for shadowing, but I might for a work situation. For one work is typically more regular and for two, it can be clearly verified.
I would draw a line at hours for everything for Oct 1st. Saying that work is "ongoing" is a little more realistic then saying that shadowing is ongoing (even if its true)....Like I said they may have changed some things...

 

[catcrazy]

Thanks, HorseyVet. Wow -- I didn't know interview invitations went out as quickly as Oct 1!

 

[HorseyVet]

Thanks, HorseyVet. Wow -- I didn't know interview invitations went out as quickly as Oct 1!

It's very rare, but it can happen. The people I knew who had this happen had GPAs 3.9 and up...

The take home points was that (at least in the last 2 years) they do review applications earlier. Although, now that I think about it, those people (probably b/c they had such good GPAs) often didn't use VMCAS and just applied to one school through their standard application. I'm not sure if that changes anything or not. This is all just FYI. Hope it helps a little.

 

[are_jay]

When I was filling out VMCAS I was always told not to project anything. At the time the application would not allow any blank responses, so that "ongoing" thing was a problem (drove me nuts... grrr). Anyway, I believe there are instructions somewhere to not include hours in the future, though they might have been on a supplemental somewhere. I agree the safest bet is to call the school(s) you are applying to or VMCAS, though I heard bad stories of people calling VMCAS and getting no response.

Oh and schools are submitted applications in batches starting before the deadline (I read that on VMCAS I think. They can wait as long as they want to review or start right away. Nothing says they have to start in November. I applied to an out of state school a few years ago that sent me a rejection letter by the end of October. Oops. (I didn't exactly meet their requirements anyway)

 

[ginkogirl]

When I was filling out VMCAS I was always told not to project anything. At the time the application would not allow any blank responses, so that "ongoing" thing was a problem (drove me nuts... grrr). Anyway, I believe there are instructions somewhere to not include hours in the future, though they might have been on a supplemental somewhere. I agree the safest bet is to call the school(s) you are applying to or VMCAS, though I heard bad stories of people calling VMCAS and getting no response.

Oh and schools are submitted applications in batches starting before the deadline (I read that on VMCAS I think. They can wait as long as they want to review or start right away. Nothing says they have to start in November. I applied to an out of state school a few years ago that sent me a rejection letter by the end of October. Oops. (I didn't exactly meet their requirements anyway)

Hello all,

I'll agree partially with are_jay, that when you list "total hours" on VMCAS you are not supposed to project anything (ie the hours you will have when you submit your VMCAS application), however I will disagree with the ending date that you are supposed to list. I had this same problem and looked into the instructions for that section. I believe it said in there that if you will be continuing the expierence past when you will be submitting VMCAS that you list your expected completion date (ie June 2007 for many of mine). But double check this with VMCAS because I have been known to be wrong in the past, and if I am wrong please let me know so I don't do it wrong on my VMCAS! Thanks and best of luck,

Lisa