UF 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)

[supershorty]

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This thread is for discussing applications to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in the 2025-2026 (class of 2030) cycle.

 

[enicidemYraniretev]

Hey future UF applicants, I got into UF as part of the 2029 cohort. If any of you want advice on your application, I am happy to help 🙂

 

[katiemcat]

Chronically online rising 4th year available for guidance 🫡

 

[210vainilla]

I also just got accepted for '29! I was a low gpa applicant if anyone needs help <3

 

[graceless27]

This cycle is my second one (first time applying to UF though) and I reallyyy don't want to go for a third cycle yall got any blanket tips? If it helps my GPA is a 3.4 and I've been working at a clinic full time since June 2024

 

[katiemcat]

This cycle is my second one (first time applying to UF though) and I reallyyy don't want to go for a third cycle yall got any blanket tips? If it helps my GPA is a 3.4 and I've been working at a clinic full time since June 2024

Out of state I’m guessing then? If possible I would try to raise that GPA, UF is known for being very GPA oriented, especially for OOS students. Other than that they very much value quality and varied veterinary experience and interests/hobbies/volunteering outside of vet med.

Here is an example of the accepted student profiles from the past few years:

Admitted Class Statistics » Veterinary Education » College of Veterinary Medicine » University of Florida

Class of 2028 Student Profile Class of 2027 Student Profile Class of 2026 Student Profile Class of 2025 Student Profile

education.vetmed.ufl.edu

 

[graceless27]

Out of state I’m guessing then? If possible I would try to raise that GPA, UF is known for being very GPA oriented, especially for OOS students. Other than that they very much value quality and varied veterinary experience and interests/hobbies/volunteering outside of vet med.

Here is an example of the accepted student profiles from the past few years:

Admitted Class Statistics » Veterinary Education » College of Veterinary Medicine » University of Florida

Class of 2028 Student Profile Class of 2027 Student Profile Class of 2026 Student Profile Class of 2025 Student Profile

education.vetmed.ufl.edu

Thanks for the link! Do you know if UF is one of those schools that does grade replacement or recalculates your GPA to get rid of the +/- scale? I know most places don't do either, but I also can never find that info when I'm looking for it. Either one of those boosts my GPA so for me it's worth finding out

 

[katiemcat]

Thanks for the link! Do you know if UF is one of those schools that does grade replacement or recalculates your GPA to get rid of the +/- scale? I know most places don't do either, but I also can never find that info when I'm looking for it. Either one of those boosts my GPA so for me it's worth finding out

No problem! To my knowledge UF does not do either of those currently.

 

[enicidemYraniretev]

Hello. I am working on my applications now to be submitted in August for the 2026 admission cycle (20y M, first time applicant). Soon to start working on my 17 essays!!!!😯. If anyone has any particular advice on how to strengthen my application or a particular school I should consider, please share.

Currently planning to apply to: NCSU, UT Knoxville (ISS), TAMU, UF, Georgia, and Missouri
I am most interested in good large animal and exotic/wildlife elective rotations, and will likely do mixed animal upon finishing school (so I don't starve doing only large animals lol).
Additional driving factors in school selection: price, location (commute to home - middle TN), amount of clinical/hands-on time

Does anyone know specifics about UF's large animal and exotic/wildlife elective rotations?
Most affordable, nearby living arrangements?
Thanks.

Generally, I would recommend having someone who doesn't know you personally read over your essays. The whole point of these essays is to sell yourself and tell your story, so someone that doesn't know you will be better equipped to tell you how effective your essays are at doing that.
I was admitted to UF as an IS student, but I haven't started yet so I can really speak to what their large/exotic programs are like. UF is also surrounded by many apartments and a decent place tends to run around 700-800 dollars a month, though more expensive luxury places do exist too.

 

[katiemcat]

Hello. I am working on my applications now to be submitted in August for the 2026 admission cycle (20y M, first time applicant). Soon to start working on my 17 essays!!!!😯. If anyone has any particular advice on how to strengthen my application or a particular school I should consider, please share.

Currently planning to apply to: NCSU, UT Knoxville (ISS), TAMU, UF, Georgia, and Missouri
I am most interested in good large animal and exotic/wildlife elective rotations, and will likely do mixed animal upon finishing school (so I don't starve doing only large animals lol).
Additional driving factors in school selection: price, location (commute to home - middle TN), amount of clinical/hands-on time

Does anyone know specifics about UF's large animal and exotic/wildlife elective rotations?
Most affordable, nearby living arrangements?
Thanks.

UF has a very strong exotics service with multiple boarded specialists and a residency program. The zoo med rotation is often easy to get if desired. Some people take it twice. There is also an aquatic animal certificate offered (no extra tuition cost) and many exotics oriented students pursue it.

The large animal hospital is very modern and up to date. There is a large animal medicine service, large animal surgery service, and FARMs (production) service. I’m not a large animal student but from what I’ve been told by residents UFs large animal case load is decent, but somewhat less than other southern schools known for large animal. This is because a lot of the horses are in Ocala, FL and they will typically go to the Ocala specialty hospital. Large animal students are typically required to take externships to gain more experience because of this.

 

[justachillgirl]

Hi!! I hope all of you are well. 2nd Time applicant, but first time applying to UF. I currently have a 3.6 cum GPA, non-traditional major in anthropology and strong research ( 1 publication ) + vet experiences. I was kind of let down last cycle because I only got waitlisted in 1 school (of 4 that I applied to). I saw on this forums that many students that get accepted sometimes even do like travel experiences to other countries to get rare vet experiences, so I plan to do one before submitting my app. I dont know if it's overkill? I really do not want to have to go for another cycle,... any advice would be very helpful, as I know each year it will just get more & more competitive

 

[FLBuckeye]

Hi!! I hope all of you are well. 2nd Time applicant, but first time applying to UF. I currently have a 3.6 cum GPA, non-traditional major in anthropology and strong research ( 1 publication ) + vet experiences. I was kind of let down last cycle because I only got waitlisted in 1 school (of 4 that I applied to). I saw on this forums that many students that get accepted sometimes even do like travel experiences to other countries to get rare vet experiences, so I plan to do one before submitting my app. I dont know if it's overkill? I really do not want to have to go for another cycle,... any advice would be very helpful, as I know each year it will just get more & more competitive

Watch this video. Very helpful.

 

[justachillgirl]

Watch this video. Very helpful.

oh my, thank you so much. It answered my question perfectly!

 

[Tech_Penguin]

I don't know why some schools care about these travel abroad experiences when it's you paying 4-7k to go on vacation and watch people work with animals. Seems more fluff than actual substance.

 

[enicidemYraniretev]

I don't know why some schools care about these travel abroad experiences when it's you paying 4-7k to go on vacation and watch people work with animals. Seems more fluff than actual substance.

As someone who did a semester abroad and was accepted to UFCVM, I don't think that its a necessity to travel abroad to be accepted, but it did give me the opportunity to work hands on with unique native animals in a way that would not have been possible in Florida. If anything, those sort of things help your application stand out.

 

[Tech_Penguin]

hmm, maybe the person who reviewed your application didn’t feel the same way as the people in the video. But wouldn't zoo hours be the most straightforward way to work with non-native animals? Unless your goal is to practice outside the US also

 

[enicidemYraniretev]

A zoo is definitely a viable way to work with exotic animals. It was primarily unique because I was working with Australian wildlife and their habitats.

 

[FLBuckeye]

hmm, maybe the person who reviewed your application didn’t feel the same way as the people in the video. But wouldn't zoo hours be the most straightforward way to work with non-native animals? Unless your goal is to practice outside the US also

Of interest, I think it is viewed different as actual study abroad and go to school for a full semester in another country and a short 7-10 day trip to work with a Vet. The point was you could spend $1000s doing that week long trip but it might not move the needle for admissions. The point was to save that money and build your application at home. In the end though, the admissions process is fairly subjective between schools so gaining experience matters and if you want to go to a far land and work with elephants or other exotics, you should.

 

[pp9]

I don't know why some schools care about these travel abroad experiences when it's you paying 4-7k to go on vacation and watch people work with animals. Seems more fluff than actual substance.

Not all trips are like this, but a lot are. It's v important to do a lot of digging and sifting (and talking to trip alumni) when choosing to drop that kind of money on a trip. Some trips really are good experience, but as a prevet, the type of experience you can expect is often limited just because you aren't a vet student/vet.

Personally, a trip abroad, even if it were real veterinary experience, doesn't hold a lot of weight with me. I am also not on an adcom.

you could spend $1000s doing that week long trip but it might not move the needle for admissions.

Basically this. It's kind of a gamble. If you already have quite a lot of hours, a trip may not matter much. On the other hand, if you have very few hours and need to buy your experience, that isn't great either. These trips can be fun ways to get some hands on experience, but they are in no way a realistic portrayal of what 99% of vets are doing on the day to day. I'd rather see someone with 100 hours in a clinic than 100 hours bottle feeding orphaned manatees, even though the latter is more exciting.

 

[breezywonton]

I agree study abroad trips can be very tricky. I did a 2 week trip to Australia that was advertised as veterinary work but i basically paid 6k to clean enclosures 🥴 but then i did a $3,000 month long trip to Japan and it was AMAZING. so much more veterinary related work! (… and i loved it so much, i’m currently in Japan for the third time…) like pp said, HEAVY on the talk to people who already went, it’ll give you a lot more honest insight compared to just reading the advertisement.

 

[justachillgirl]

Thank you all so much, this discussion really helped me decide on that matter. I have another question:

I participated in 2022 from a one-day experience (would have been an internship but Covid made it impossible so it was virtual) with a college of vet med where I learned a lot about specialties in vet med, had some lectures from professors of the school, had a few personal development workshops and overall learned more about vet med. Would this be classified as "extracurricular" "veterinary" or any other way? I am struggling to distinguish this and the vmcas site doesn't answer it explicitly.

 

[justachillgirl]

This cycle is my second one (first time applying to UF though) and I reallyyy don't want to go for a third cycle yall got any blanket tips? If it helps my GPA is a 3.4 and I've been working at a clinic full time since June 2024

Hi, also a second time applicant! I wish you the best this year!