Questions For VMCAS Staff

[VMCAS001]

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Hey all, I'm a staff member from the VMCAS and here to answer your questions. Not all at once now, I'm only one person.. but let me know what you want to know. 🙂

VMCAS001

 

[twelvetigers]

Oh awesome! How handy is that. 😀

 

[VMCAS001]

Hopefully very handy! I hope I can help make the VMCAS application process a little easier.

 

[Pandacinny]

I'm not certain, but I think in the past there was a "re-send" feature for recommendations. I don't see that currently on the evaluator page. How can I re-send the evaluation form to my evaluators? Do I need to call or email VMCAS to have that done, or is there a button I'm somehow missing?

 

[efab]

thanks for starting this thread.

quote"VMCAS is only slow today becuase the host is having trouble with their ISP. It's not expected to be slow/down for very long... also, unlike prior years, the load issues won't be there!"

Does this mean that we won't be timed out as much as last year? and that we will be able to log onto the site more easily?

Is there any way that we can know the status of what is going on with the site this year - meaning will there be any announcement on the sign in page that the host is having ISP trouble with an estimated time of being fixed?

What is different this year? Why won't the load issues be present this year?

 

[VMCAS001]

There is not a "re-send" button this year for applicant, however, the hotline staff does have the ability to re-send the evaluator emails to evaluators. You should either call or email them to get the emails re-sent to your evaluators.

 

[VMCAS001]

Hi efab,

The timeout function has been disabled this year, meaning that you are able to stay logged into VMCAS without any time limitation (bus STILL remember to save often)!!

I've spoken to Liaison (the company that hosts VMCAS) and they have agreed to put announcements on the log in page when there are issues when there are technical and/or maintenance issues.

What's different this year? The VMCAS application is no longer hosted internally at the VMCAS offices. This year, it is hosted at Liaison, the company that wrote VMCAS. As such, the load testing involved simulating more users than VMCAS should ever have online at the same time without any issues.

This doesn't mean you should wait until the last minute, however! 🙂

 

[meadow36]

Hi,
Are you just here for technical questions or can you answer questions about content?

Here's my question:

I asked this on another thread but I would like to get your opinion also. If you have done research and have been mentioned in a published paper or website, does that go in the awards / honors section?

Thanks!!

 

[VMCAS001]

Hi meadow36,

I can try to answer all questions, not just the technical.

Regarding your request, you are correct, the accomplishment of being published would, in fact, be entered in the Awareds/Honors section of the VMCAS application.

VMCAS001

 

[Barnaby]

Hi VMCAS-

thanks for answering questions for us!

I (like meadow) asked this question on another thread, but can you tell me definitively-

Can I list human surgical shadowing under vet. experience?

 

[VMCAS001]

Hi Barnaby,

Not really sure how to answer that. If the surgery was on a human, and there were no animals involved, then it would NOT be considered Vet Experience.

VMCAS001

 

[efab]

I have just decided to add surgical observation and continuing education to extra-curricular activites rather than animal experience - like I was originally planning. Question #1: Good choice or not?

However, I have already entered all of my extra-curricular activities - listing them from hi to low priority per the section instructions. Question 2: Is there a way to insert into the middle of the list of entries (for this section and any other sections) to re-prioritize or add a list into the chronology of experiences? My impression is that one must delete all entries below and enter the new entry, then re-add all of the other entries.

Thanks for your input.

 

[meadow36]

I have just decided to add surgical observation and continuing education to extra-curricular activites rather than animal experience - like I was originally planning. Question #1: Good choice or not?

However, I have already entered all of my extra-curricular activities - listing them from hi to low priority per the section instructions. Question 2: Is there a way to insert into the middle of the list of entries (for this section and any other sections) to re-prioritize or add a list into the chronology of experiences? My impression is that one must delete all entries below and enter the new entry, then re-add all of the other entries.

Thanks for your input.

Where is the spot for extracurricular activities? I only see the area for community activites (which I'm assuming is community service??)

 

[VMCAS001]

Hi,

You are correct, there is not "extracurricular activites", these type of items should be placed under community activites.

VMCAS

 

[rachroo]

Efab posted a question above that I too am wondering about:

Question 2: Is there a way to insert into the middle of the list of entries (for this section and any other sections) to re-prioritize or add a list into the chronology of experiences? My impression is that one must delete all entries below and enter the new entry, then re-add all of the other entries.

 

[VMCAS001]

Unfortunately, No you cannot insert an experience into the middle of a list. You will have to delete the entries up until the desired position, and then re-enter them. Sorry for the inconvenience.

VMCAS001

 

[pupsforseeing]

I asked this on another thread, but thought maybe you would know the answer to this question. I am currently living out of the country and do not have access to my GRE scores (or to a phone to call ETS to get them). I know my scores, but do not remember the percentile conversions. Is there any way to get these?

 

[VMCAS001]

I will see what I can get for you.

VMCAS001

 

[Malhi]

Hi, I attended a year of classes in a college in India but later transferred to the US and finished my undergraduate degree here in advertising and graphic design. I didn't do any science courses in India.

Since, it is not possible to list the courses I took in India, should I add it to the Institutions attended list? I have been advised by a couple of schools to not add the school to the list at all.

What do you suggest? 😕

 

[CBRGrl]

Hey Guys,

I have a question I posted on another board. Im looking at my GRE score report right now from ETS. When the application asks for the "GRE Percentiles", is that the %below (listed next to the score)? Seems like an odd way to word it...%below

 

[BuckleyGirl]

Hi!

On the "Completed Coursework" section of the VMCAS app, do we put in EVERY class we took or JUST the Pre-Reqs we've taken. I was Art Hist undergrad, and now I'm a post-bacc and therefore have a ton of classes that aren't relevant. But, I'd obviously put in the required humanities and Eng classes plus the science pre-reqs...

Thanks! SO glad VMCAS has this thread for us!

 

[meadow36]

Buckely I know the answer to that one - it's ALL your courses, no matter what the subject. I had a TON also. It took me forever. 🙁

 

[bunnyslippers]

Maybe a stupid question, but if we worked under the supervision of vet techs does this count as veterinary experience or animal experience?

 

[meadow36]

I would say vet experience - because the ultimate supervisor is the vet.

 

[LucyLoo]

Buckely I know the answer to that one - it's ALL your courses, no matter what the subject. I had a TON also. It took me forever. 🙁

Ugh, me too. I just parked myself on the couch with my laptop and went at it for a few hours (or so).

 

[BuckleyGirl]

Yeah, thats what I suspected but had wishful thinking... Guess now I know what I'll be doing after class tonight! 🙁

 

[DollyyLlama]

When entering the "Description of Duties" for our experience, should we write in full sentences or resume-style bulleted form?

 

[CBRGrl]

Another question...

I've spent the past two days entering in all the courses I have taken into the application. Unfortunately, in going through my courses this morning, I realized that I accidentally listed one semester as Spring 2007 when it should have been Spring 2008. Does anyone know how I can change the year WITHOUT having to delete all those courses I already entered and reentering them into a "new session"??

 

[DollyyLlama]

yes- on the right side of the grey header that lists which session you're in, there's a circular icon and an "add course" icon. the circular icon is to edit session info, so just click on that guy and change the year in the drop-down menu.

 

[VMCAS001]

HI guys... you are all on the right track in your answers to the various questions being brought up...

1. Yes, list ALL courses in the coursework section. I know it can be a lot, but really is important.

2. Any experience that is supervised by a Vet would be considered Vet experience. Any animal related experience that was not supervised by a vet is considered animal experience.

VMCAS001

 

[Pomona2006]

VMCAS001 -

Two questions:

1) I notice that when I go to print my application, the program completely eliminates paragraphs from my personal statement. Is that the way schools will receive it or will they get the statement as I intended it with separated paragraphs?

2) I work at a zoo - but with the animal keepers. There are tons of vets on staff at the zoo that examine the animals and monitor the animals' medication but I don't do much direct interaction with them (thus I don't know them by name) even though I am involved in administering medication to the animals. Would VMCAS advise me to classify this type of situation as animal or veterinary experience.

Thanks in advance!

 

[CBRGrl]

yes- on the right side of the grey header that lists which session you're in, there's a circular icon and an "add course" icon. the circular icon is to edit session info, so just click on that guy and change the year in the drop-down menu.

Bless you!! You just saved me a half hour of aggravation...you'd think they'd label things better eesh!

 

[VMCAS001]

Pomona2006,

I would recommend contacting VMCAS Customer Support ([email protected]) on your first question as it appears there may be something aloof there. The VMCAS program should not be changing the personal statement at all, and if there are entire paragraphs missing, that would be an area of concern.

For your second question, it comes down to supervision. If your work is supervised directly by a vet, it would be vet experience. If not, it would be animal experience.

VMCAS001

 

[Pomona2006]

I'm sorry VMCAS001 - I think I didn't explain my first issue clearly enough.

VMCAS is not eliminating entire paragraphs for me, it just seems to be taking away the paragraph separation when I click PRINT APPLICATION so that instead of a new paragraph starting on a new line, it is one long continuous paragraph. I'm just wondering if that is how it is viewed from the PRINT function for us applicants, but the actual copy that students receive will have separated paragraphs instead of the single long paragraph. Does that make more sense? (I hope so!)

Thanks again!

 

[twelvetigers]

So instead of looking like:

Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text.

Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text I want to be a vet text text text text text text text text text text.

Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text thank you.

It looks like:

Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text. Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text I want to be a vet text text text text text text text text text text. Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text thank you.

😀

Edit: Wow, after reading that I'm convinced that "text" is a pretty funny lookin' word.

 

[Pomona2006]

EXACTLY! Twelvetigers gets it!

Any ideas?

 

[tastrophe]

So instead of looking like:


It looks like:

Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text. Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text I want to be a vet text text text text text text text text text text. Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text thank you.

😀

Edit: Wow, after reading that I'm convinced that "text" is a pretty funny lookin' word.

lol 12tigers - try this one on, it's one of my favorites since 5th grade: murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur murmur murmurmurmurmurmurmurmurmurmur

...apparently I've been in the lab too long today...

 

[VMCAS001]

Regarding the personal statement questions above: I'm having our programmers look into this. It's possible that there is a formatting issue with the student version of the printed applications. All of the applications that we've printed and sent to schools appear to be formatted correctly. However, let me get back to you once I have the geeks review.

Thanks - VMCAS001

 

[rachroo]

Do you know if my university sends my transcripts directly to the schools or if I send them in a packet with all the other secondary information that a school may require?

 

[VMCAS001]

Hi Rachroo,

I would check with your registrar's office at your University. I suspect, that you must request that transcripts are sent directly to thes schools you are applying to. Often, if a transcript is sent by the student, it will not be considered "official".

Hope that helps.

VMCAS001

 

[Pomona2006]

Thanks VMCAS001 -

I figure it was probably just an issue with the student's print application (but I just wanted to make sure).

Thanks again!

 

[mstweetie]

When entering the "Description of Duties" for our experience, should we write in full sentences or resume-style bulleted form?

ive been writing in full sentences -- just want your opinion -- would it be too wordy? what are your thoughts?

 

[mstweetie]

Would it be better to enter in an email address in the contact phone number if a # isn't available, than no contact information at all?

thanks!

 

[JustCats]

Hi! I'm a non-trad post-bac that has spent the past 10 years or so randomly taking classes here and there--7 colleges in all. I'm not admitted to these schools; I'm not matriculated. I just sign up, pay my money, and take the classes as an extension student. Am I listing all of these institutions even though I'm never formally admitted?

Thanks!

UPDATE: Never mind. I finally realized that schools you've matriculated at and schools you've attended have two different sections.

 

[PongoPal]

Hi!

I know that similar questions have been asked, but I want to make sure that I get this right. On VMCAS, it states that the distinction between "animal experience" and "vet experience" is whether or not the work was supervised by a "health professional." Is that designation specific to vets or are wildlife rehabilitators considered health professionals as well?

 

[VAgirl]

EXACTLY! Twelvetigers gets it!

Any ideas?

FWIW, my copy that I printed out and saved last year came out this way, too. So you're not alone in that and it's not a new issue. I wouldn't stress about it. 🙂

 

[elefante7]

Definitely don't stress about it. I read an FAQ that says that the version the vet schools get has the paragraphs in it.

 

[Pomona2006]

That's good news guys - thanks for the info!

 

[PongoPal]

Hi! I have another question:

Owing to AP credits, I started college as a 3rd semester standing sophomore. I listed my courses on VMCAS according to my actual year in school rather than my standing according to my credits (i.e. freshman for my first two semesters rather than a sophomore). Should I go back and relist the semesters according to the number of credits I had completed or keep them as is?

 

[KittyRex]

Speaking about issues with the formatting of the student printed version of our VMCAS applications:

Is anyone else getting a printed version with all of their coursework and experience listings out of chronological order?