Second Time Applicants

[Superleggera]

---

Members do not see this ad.

For the 2nd time applicants among us, what has been your experience with the schools you applied to before? I had two interviews last year (Iowa and Kansas), and was ultimately rejected from Iowa and wait-listed at Kansas. This time around I reapplied to both - obviously I wanted to take another shot at K-State, and I'm in a contract state for Iowa - but have yet to hear back from either. I know it's still a little early to know for sure, but Iowa has already had their interview weekend for contract students and K-State appears to have finished handing out invites already. I knew Iowa would be a coin-flip, but I really would have thought I'd get another chance to interview at Kansas this year. I am a marginal candidate so there's always the chance that this year's pool is just more competitive, but I wonder if others have had a similar experience or have typically gotten re-interviewed at schools that liked them the year before?

 

[Gwenevre]

I'm currently a second-year applicant. Last year I applied and was interviewed then rejected at Purdue. This year I've applied to Purdue, Ohio, and Illinois. I'm expecting a rejection soon from Illinois and I have a couple weeks to hear back from Purdue and Ohio.

 

[Coquette22]

When I got in, it was on a second application. First attempt - interviewed and was rejected. Second attempt - interviewed, waitlisted and then called off the waitlist. I think it's worth a second go at the same schools if you can improve on the areas you were weak on.

 

[orca2011]

When I applied my second time, I only reapplied to three of the same schools from the first round. I reinterviewed at two of them (and was accepted although initially rejected from the one) , but the third one I was flat out rejected despite having been wait listed for admission the cycle before.

I think reapplying to the same schools helps a bit, but I do think the current applicant pool can have a huge factor in the outcome as seen with my one school. You definitely need to improve aspects of the application they thought were weak though. The school I ended up being rejected from felt I didn't improve in one area, which I actually didn't try to improve since other schools told me to not really bother with it.

 

[Superleggera]

I did get feedback from Iowa last cycle - I can't improve my cumulative and science GPA's without going back to school (not a viable option currently), but my last-45 was in-line with the averages they published. I thought I did a pretty good job addressing the non-academic points they suggested I improve on though...

 

[WildZoo]

I did get feedback from Iowa last cycle - I can't improve my cumulative and science GPA's without going back to school (not a viable option currently), but my last-45 was in-line with the averages they published. I thought I did a pretty good job addressing the non-academic points they suggested I improve on though...

It really does depend a lot on the applicant pool. I don't know how Iowa typically weighs things, but if they were really looking at GPAs and their applicant pool tended to have a higher average this year, that may have been the issue. Getting an interview one year never guarantees you'll get one the next.

 

[k80rigs]

I applied to Iowa and Kansas second time around this year...so I think we are in the same boat. I was waitlisted last year at Kansas, was not called, and applied again. I got the first interview weekend for KSU (in like a week and a half....ahhhhh), but have heard nothing from Iowa. I'm not currently attending school (graduated from UC Davis) and am just working full-time in a small animal hospital to get experience.
Interested to see what happens to both of us!

 

[Cutekitten02]

I know schools are all different in what they look for mos tin applicants and how they go about doing this. Is this information published anywhere on SDN? If I were to apply next year for example and want to find a school that looks more heavily on experience and GPA than GRE for example?

 

[Cutekitten02]

I applied to Iowa and Kansas second time around this year...so I think we are in the same boat. I was waitlisted last year at Kansas, was not called, and applied again. I got the first interview weekend for KSU (in like a week and a half....ahhhhh), but have heard nothing from Iowa. I'm not currently attending school (graduated from UC Davis) and am just working full-time in a small animal hospital to get experience.
Interested to see what happens to both of us!

Good luck on your interview!

 

[WildZoo]

I know schools are all different in what they look for mos tin applicants and how they go about doing this. Is this information published anywhere on SDN? If I were to apply next year for example and want to find a school that looks more heavily on experience and GPA than GRE for example?

I'm not sure there is anywhere on SDN that it is stated, but if you post your stats in the What are my chances thread and say you are looking for schools that weigh GRE less heavily, you will often get recommendations. Mostly to figure those things out yourself you have to go to the school websites. A lot of them have the way that they rank things in their decisions posted there.

 

[Cutekitten02]

When I applied my second time, I only reapplied to three of the same schools from the first round. I reinterviewed at two of them (and was accepted although initially rejected from the one) , but the third one I was flat out rejected despite having been wait listed for admission the cycle before.

I think reapplying to the same schools helps a bit, but I do think the current applicant pool can have a huge factor in the outcome as seen with my one school. You definitely need to improve aspects of the application they thought were weak though. The school I ended up being rejected from felt I didn't improve in one area, which I actually didn't try to approve since other schools told me to not really bother with it.

Were the schools you re-applied to able to see that you were waitlisted prior? Do they have the ability to see that information?

 

[orca2011]

Were the schools you re-applied to able to see that you were waitlisted prior? Do they have the ability to see that information?

The schools I was wait listed at the previous year were all schools I reapplied to, so yeah, I'd imagine they knew. Maybe not particular interviewers (some were open vs closed interviews), but admissions as a whole did know.

 

[pp9]

I applied to 5 schools last year (all rejections with no interviews, although 1 school didn't do interviews for anyone). Biggest complaints were that I was low on the experience end and two schools said I needed better grades.

I reapplied to 3 of those schools (no new schools this time) and more than quadrupled my experience (I'm in the thousands now). My grades are probably about the same if not a bit higher. I have an interview at the school that didn't interview at all last year, so I can't really say if reapplying helped me or not there.

I do think that the fact that I went hard in the experience section is going to be my best chance.

 

[Superleggera]

False alarm. Apparently Kansas had been trying to contact me for the last week but couldn't get through. Makes more sense now.

 

[Cutekitten02]

Feeling really discouraged. First time applicant. Applied to 4 schools knowing the really only downfall to my application was the GRE. Rejected from one right out. Waiting on the others (including my IS). But people keep hearing back on 2 of them. Need to rant. I just don't know if I can raise my GRE since I keep getting bad anxiety with it.

 

[ZooVetHopeful]

I'm a second time applicant and really counting on getting an interview from the school I was waitlisted at last year. To prior second time applicants, were you ever turned down for an interview during your second cycle from a school you had previously interviewed with? If so, which one(s)?

 

[k80rigs]

False alarm. Apparently Kansas had been trying to contact me for the last week but couldn't get through. Makes more sense now.

Same thing happened to me! Darn emails not going through...

 

[Squeaksmom]

First application I only applied to 1 school. No interview. Second time around I applied to 2 schools. Interviewed, waitlisted, and eventually accepted at the school that I was re-applying to. No interview from the school that I was applying to for the first time. Yes I had an additional year of classes under my belt, but the grades were actually a bit lower than they'd been previously (darn physics/algebra). The main things that improved my application were getting more small animal experience, and giving a better, more complete explanation of a (huge) gap in my history. Re-applying can work, but my opinion is that if nothing changes about your application, the results are likely to be similar.

All that said, good to hear that it was just a communication glitch and you've heard back now! 🙂

 

[Superleggera]

I'm a second time applicant and really counting on getting an interview from the school I was waitlisted at last year. To prior second time applicants, were you ever turned down for an interview during your second cycle from a school you had previously interviewed with? If so, which one(s)?

Interviewed and was subsequently denied at Iowa State last year; still a bit early to call this year but they have already done the contract state interview day, so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[DVMDream]

I'm a second time applicant and really counting on getting an interview from the school I was waitlisted at last year. To prior second time applicants, were you ever turned down for an interview during your second cycle from a school you had previously interviewed with? If so, which one(s)?

I applied 3 times.. 2nd time I applied to Mississippi State. I was interviewed and waitlisted, never got off the waitlist. Third year I applied to Mississippi again, rejected right away with no interview. A similar thing happened with Western... 1st year I was interviewed and waitlisted the 2nd year interviewed and rejected...

I think it highly depends on the application pool each year.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I applied 3 times.. 2nd time I applied to Mississippi State. I was interviewed and waitlisted, never got off the waitlist. Third year I applied to Mississippi again, rejected right away with no interview. A similar thing happened with Western... 1st year I was interviewed and waitlisted the 2nd year interviewed and rejected...

I think it highly depends on the application pool each year.

Both of these were surprising to me at the time. Not sure how much is the interview pool, and how much is the complete randomness of the process.

 

[pp9]

Both of these were surprising to me at the time. Not sure how much is the interview pool, and how much is the complete randomness of the process.

I've always wondered if some people just 'slip through the cracks' in this process. Your file is amongst 999 others. You might totally have great stats, but just get overlooked, particularly if your essay isn't unique. I felt this might have been why I didn't at least get an interview at one of the schools I applied to last year. My file review was basically "you're already competitive, just reapply." 😵

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

I've always wondered if some people just 'slip through the cracks' in this process. Your file is amongst 999 others. You might totally have great stats, but just get overlooked, particularly if your essay isn't unique. I felt this might have been why I didn't at least get an interview at one of the schools I applied to last year. My file review was basically "you're already competitive, just reapply." 😵

That's like the most unhelpful constructive criticism ever. How annoying!

 

[pp9]

That's like the most unhelpful constructive criticism ever. How annoying!

I mean during the whole hour or so, I was beaming. "Your grades are great! You have a variety of experience types with a good amount of hours. Your essay was really well written!" And so on. And when I actually asked, "How can I improve?" I got that answer. So that's what makes me wonder if some people just slip through the cracks. If there was some glaring red flag on my application, nobody told me about it...

Here's hoping for not needing file reviews ever again!

 

[lionking101]

I'm a second time applicant as well. Didn't get any interviews or waitlisted anywhere. This year I applied to....11 schools! I took Anatomy and Physiology and got an A and I'm currently taking Animal Nutrition through OK State. I retook the GRE and improved both scores, and I have continued to gain experience.

So far I have two interviews (WSU and K State) and two rejections (NC State and UC Davis). Feeling pretty good about this cycle.

However, I did want to bring this up in case anyone else is experiencing it. But I have been feeling tremendously frustrated by being in this holding pattern of not being in school and not being accepted or knowing what I'm going to be doing next year. I can't make any big plans. I just feel a little stagnant. I am the type to lean towards depression and anxiety, so I've been keeping an eye on that, but I'm just so ready to start vet school and being in this situation of having an extra year off has been somewhat brutal.

I feel ****ty for saying that because it's probably going to be the last time in a long time that I'll have so much free time. I don't do well with time on my hands, so this whole waiting to see thing is kicking my ass!

 

[LyraGardenia]

Another second time applicant here! Last year I applied to Mizzou, Purdue and OK State, interviewed at Mizzou (my IS) and was rejected, and flat-out rejected from the other two. This year I re-applied to those three, and added Illinois and Florida. My best shot is obviously Mizzou, and I expect to interview there again (they interview all IS applicants that meet the requirements to apply), but I haven't heard back from the others yet and don't really know what to expect. Since applying last year I got strong grades in my last semester of undergrad, heavily revised my PS, added an explanation statement addressing my truly horrific grades in o-chem, and have added hundreds of experience hours. Based on my file review with Mizzou, I think that makes me competitive there at least. My major concern, other than the blemishes on my transcript, is that I still have no equine or LA vet experience. I contacted a local equine vet several times a few months ago about shadowing and never heard back, and since then I've started a second (non vet med related) job and am working around 50 hours a week, so I have very limited room in my schedule for shadowing. :/

However, I did want to bring this up in case anyone else is experiencing it. But I have been feeling tremendously frustrated by being in this holding pattern of not being in school and not being accepted or knowing what I'm going to be doing next year. I can't make any big plans. I just feel a little stagnant. I am the type to lean towards depression and anxiety, so I've been keeping an eye on that, but I'm just so ready to start vet school and being in this situation of having an extra year off has been somewhat brutal.

I feel ****ty for saying that because it's probably going to be the last time in a long time that I'll have so much free time. I don't do well with time on my hands, so this whole waiting to see thing is kicking my ass!

I know how you feel, most of my friends are in school and it's incredibly weird just working for the first time in my life. I'm itching to know where I'll be next year, and hopefully get back to school! It doesn't help that Mizzou doesn't send out IS decision letters until late March.

From May through October of this year I was just working 25-30 hours a week at a small animal clinic, and while I enjoyed having a lot of free time, I also got rather restless. I was a bit sad when the fall semester started up, yet it was just business as usual for me. However, it's helped starting that second job, both with my bank account and with keeping me busy!

 

[Hollista]

2nd time applicant as well...last year applied as a junior (wouldn't have received my degree), applied to 4 schools. Got interviewed at WSU then wait listed...and waitlisted at Oregon as well. (CA resident). Rejected to other two.

This year I got rejected from Oregon, which seems weird, why not at least on the waitlist especially since they have a long as waitlist. And yes my feedback from Oregon last year was "actually you're stats are really good! Continue what you're doing and reapply" Waiting to hear on WSU and 4 others still.

Luckily I am still in school, graduating in May so I'm not having the weird gap thing going on like someone said above, but that must be so difficult!! Hang in there!!

 

[k80rigs]

I'm not having the weird gap thing going on like someone said above, but that must be so difficult!! Hang in there!!

I like having that weird gap thing...I love making money to save up for vet school, while getting experience in my field. But consider me weird then. lol

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

Try a two year weird gap thing haha. Now that's been fun... Gaps are great as long as you have something to fill them with. Mine would have been awful if I hadn't found the job I have early on and whatnot. Sooo I guess it's all relative =p

 

[GretaBug3]

I applied 3 times.. 2nd time I applied to Mississippi State. I was interviewed and waitlisted, never got off the waitlist. Third year I applied to Mississippi again, rejected right away with no interview. A similar thing happened with Western... 1st year I was interviewed and waitlisted the 2nd year interviewed and rejected...

I think it highly depends on the application pool each year.

I had a similar experience with Mississippi State...1st year interviewed and waitlisted and never came off those silly lists, 2nd year, I applied there again and was just rejected without an interview. When I asked them about this, (just to know what I could have done wrong?!) they really did say a lot of it depends on the applicant pool each year. Such is life! But good to know that I am not the only one that happens too!

 

[Hollista]

I like having that weird gap thing...I love making money to save up for vet school, while getting experience in my field. But consider me weird then. lol

I just meant that weird period of not knowing whether you can make long term plans or not.... lol not saying it's weird for every one... someone just mentioned that its difficult to plan kind of a waiting period... I'm hoping I don't have a gap year... I'm a little older than most in my position and want to get vet school started already! lol! 😉

 

[LetItSnow]

I just meant that weird period of not knowing whether you can make long term plans or not.... lol not saying it's weird for every one... someone just mentioned that its difficult to plan kind of a waiting period... I'm hoping I don't have a gap year... I'm a little older than most in my position and want to get vet school started already! lol! 😉

It is a bit weird - you don't want to make any real commitments when you don't know. You're right.

But my advice is that as best and reasonably as possible, just forget that you applied. Submit in October and move on with life. Pretend you're not applying that cycle, and focus on having fun and continuing to build experience. The experience will benefit you no matter what the application outcome is, so it's a no-lose scenario.

When they emailed me for an interview, I was actually surprised and sorta did a mental "oh yeah, is it that time of year already?" double-take. It was super nice to not spend every day stressed out thinking about it.

All about keeping yerself busy, I think.

One of the nice things about being a bit older is that you (maybe) have other things filling up life to keep you occupied. I'm way older than most applicants, and I had a full-time job, kids, a variety of volunteer activities, etc. I didn't have much time to think about it.

 

[Fish pixie]

However, I did want to bring this up in case anyone else is experiencing it. But I have been feeling tremendously frustrated by being in this holding pattern of not being in school and not being accepted or knowing what I'm going to be doing next year. I can't make any big plans. I just feel a little stagnant.

Completely feeling the same way. Completely. I've been feeling despondent for the last couple of months. I just want to know which way my life is going already. I want a direction to follow & to have a purpose for what I'm doing.

3rd time here. 1st time was a complete train wreck. I did the application in about 48 hours and got it in an hour under the deadline. I'm sure the quality of my application was horrid. I was too scared to even look back at it once I'd submitted it. Pretty embarrassing. Applied one school, summarily rejected. Not sure what I was thinking! I was scared to apply & put it off till the last minute. Pretty crazy 48 hours of my life, though!

Last year, applied a much more sane & paced approach to my application, applied 4 schools, waitlisted two (later offered non sponsored spot from one of them) & rejected by other two.

Did my application review the Spring & got similar responses that others have gotten. From the school that offered me a nonsponsored seat off the alternate list: " no good reason why we didn't accept you an offer a sponsored seat up front"
But they actually did have good reasons, namely a lousy quantitative score on GRE & one tepid recommendation... So I'm not sure why they told me there weren't reasons?

This year, much better GRE scores overall & stellar recommendations. I applied to one program only & waiting to hear back. Im sooo crossing my fingers. This sounds horrible, but either way, accepted or rejected, I'm having myself a cupcake party once I know what the heck I'm moving towards. If I'm (finally!!) jumping in & going for the gold at vet school, or quietly moving away & switching to plan B, either way, I'll be so thankful to just do something & work towards something concrete vs waiting & waiting for something to happen as I have been for the past 3 years.

 

[Fish pixie]

Oh and Oregon was one of the flat rejections last year. When I sent an email to Michelle asking why I'd been rejected, I pretty much received a very similar reply that other people have, "you're a very strong candidate, we just had really competitive applicants this year, everything in your ap looks great, try again next year!!!" I find the fact that they sent me, a pure rejectee, the same response as they sent alternates....its just wrong. Don't equally encourage us all. Love Oregon, but didn't try again this year. I felt like they lead people on. They have like the longest alternate list on earth and are that friend who is all nicey nice and says they'll come but never actually makes it to your party, or any of the invites you extend to them EVER. They can't be mean to your face and tell you a straight up no, but in way, they kinda are mean anyway for leading on like that. Whatevs Oregon!

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

Oh and Oregon was one of the flat rejections last year. When I sent an email to Michelle asking why I'd been rejected, I pretty much received a very similar reply that other people have, "you're a very strong candidate, we just had really competitive applicants this year, everything in your ap looks great, try again next year!!!" I find the fact that they sent me, a pure rejectee, the same response as they sent alternates....its just wrong. Don't equally encourage us all. Love Oregon, but didn't try again this year. I felt like they lead people on. They have like the longest alternate list on earth and are that friend who is all nicey nice and says they'll come but never actually makes it to your party, or any of the invites you extend to them EVER. They can't be mean to your face and tell you a straight up no, but in way, they kinda are mean, anyway for leading on like that. Whatevs Oregon!

lmao. best. analogy. ever.

 

[LetItSnow]

Hang in there, peeps. The waiting sucks, but if you try (and believe me, I know it's hard - I've been there) to re-focus yourself onto other activities, the time will go by that much quicker. Whether it's the time between now and an interview or offer, or the time between now and re-applying ... just stay busy and productive!!

 

[jfsebastian]

I like having that weird gap thing...I love making money to save up for vet school, while getting experience in my field. But consider me weird then. lol

Yes, this.

Schools like it too -- I'm sure if you could get admissions committee members to speak candidly they'd prefer everybody take a couple of years after their undergrad and work -- the ideal of real world veterinary medicine and the practice are not always overlapping and having to work in the trenches a few years culls a lot of people who aren't cut out for it, plus gives you a very strong baseline of skills that you don't get shadowing and volunteering at the shelter. They know you're good at school but they don't know yet that you can do the work.

As a second observation, if you fail to get accepted the first time, tinker with your PS a bit and then resubmit, then you are probably a *worse* applicant than you were the year before, even if on paper your application is a bit stronger. The school will (correctly) observe that you were given a year to improve yourself and you failed to take the initiative to do so. A year is a long time, and they expect you to take advantage of it.

 

[Hollista]

As a second observation, if you fail to get accepted the first time, tinker with your PS a bit and then resubmit, then you are probably a *worse* applicant than you were the year before, even if on paper your application is a bit stronger. The school will (correctly) observe that you were given a year to improve yourself and you failed to take the initiative to do so. A year is a long time, and they expect you to take advantage of it.

Yeah....true in some cases maybe, unless you apply as a junior then again as a senior like me...you can change and improve a little, but at the same time you're still working towards you're degree and ultimately that's the focus of your life at that point, I kept my same job because I am gaining so much experience plus it's a paid position so I need it! obviously! lol! I think just every situation is different. But needless to say this year since I will be graduating I am planning on picking up something else (probably not til summer though since I currently have 2 jobs + school), but I'll make it three jobs and try to get something within small animal since I am at an equine hospital now!
Anyways just thinking that for those "applying early" applicants it make be different don't ya think?

And yeah, I have some strong feelings about Oregon right now....

 

[doggylover]

Second time applicant- applied to four schools last year, got three interview invites & an outright rejection from UGA. Got wait listed at AU, rejected at MSU, and didn't have animal science for Tuskegee so didn't end up interviewing there. My weakest portions were experience and GPA. I'm kind of nervous about this year around since my GPA isn't greatly improved (taking two science classes and currently getting A's, but that doesn't do much compared to 124 credits), and my experience has pretty much only been with small animals :S I really feel like working in a vet clinic full time for the last year has really allowed me to see some things I didn't realize before, but I don't know if it's enough...here's to hoping!

 

[Superleggera]

Ended up getting an interview at Iowa State as well, albeit not on the weekend they typically do most of their contract state interviews. Could mean they interview 2nd-time applicants differently or perhaps they wanted to look at a few more Connecticut people. Or maybe it's all random and we over-think this too much.

FWIW, My first round of applications was in the fall after I graduated, plus I took a year off during undergrad to work full time - so my veterinary experience level has been high all along. I have actually been working in a completely different field since April of this year - it's a big roll of the dice, but I'm hoping it pays off based on the suggestions I got last year. Making money is nice, but I'm ready to get back to learning at this point.

 

[apizfoshizz]

I'm also a second time applicant. Last year I applied to 5 schools. I interviewed at Iowa, Midwestern, and Minnesota, turned down an interview at Western, and was rejected from Kansas. I was waitlisted at all three schools, and I actually got a call from Midwestern about two weeks before classes started, but it wasn't feasible for me to accept the position and move from NH to Arizona and be ready for vet school in two weeks.

This year, I have improved my GPA and GRE scores and racked up some more experience hours. I also graduated in May, but due to money problems I have had to keep a job outside of the vet field in order to support myself. I re-applied to Iowa, and applied for the first time to Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan. So far I have received interview invites from Iowa, Purdue, and Michigan. I'm feeling pretty hopeful that this year will be my year because this whole "not knowing where I'll be in the fall" is really giving me anxiety...

 

[Fish pixie]

Update here, I improved my GRE and got a more enthusiastic recommendation than last year, but again am an alternate at CSU, my IS. Not planning on applying for a 4th time.. but we'll see once that time rolls around how I feel. Not too hopeful I'll be offered a sponsored (IS) spot this year and will again decline a non-sponsored (OOS) seat if they offer it to me. I really had a good feeling about this year... but nope.