University of Minnesota c/o 2024 Applicants

[nikkishinde]

I don't know if this is a dumb question but what are some good questions to ask if given the opportunity to at the end?

OOS first time interview invite!

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[Panda84]

Does anybody have any idea how many OOS people get interviews? and what percent of your acceptance depends on your interview or if everyone is kind of set to zero once you get an interview and they base your acceptance off the interview like Western does?

 

[crazyshibalady]

Does anybody have any idea how many OOS people get interviews? and what percent of your acceptance depends on your interview or if everyone is kind of set to zero once you get an interview and they base your acceptance off the interview like Western does?

Not sure about the percentage part but based on their website it says that final decisions are based on academic review, experiences and the interview.

 

[cameronluna]

Does anybody know how flexible the school is with possibly changing interview dates? I just got pulled off the interview waitlist for UF and they’re the same day.


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[EngrSC]

Does anybody know how flexible the school is with possibly changing interview dates? I just got pulled off the interview waitlist for UF and they’re the same day.

No idea about Minnesota specifically but definitely email them! The same happened to me with Michigan and Penn and Michigan was more than happy to move me to another day!

 

[crazyshibalady]

Congrats to everyone! IS and still haven’t heard about an interview ☹️


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I’m pretty sure they send everything out at once. I would contact them!

 

[Topazz]

Check your spam!!!

 

[Randomizereh]

Would it be absolutely terrible if I missed the 12:45pm Saturday Q&A session? I would love to attend but I would also prefer to leave earlier in the afternoon than late (my only two flights are at 3pm or 9pm), and taking the earlier flight would mean I would have to leave before the Q&A

 

[fingerscrossed687]

Would it be absolutely terrible if I missed the 12:45pm Saturday Q&A session? I would love to attend but I would also prefer to leave earlier in the afternoon than late (my only two flights are at 3pm or 9pm), and taking the earlier flight would mean I would have to leave before the Q&A

I'm also missing that!

 

[Red147]

Would it be absolutely terrible if I missed the 12:45pm Saturday Q&A session? I would love to attend but I would also prefer to leave earlier in the afternoon than late (my only two flights are at 3pm or 9pm), and taking the earlier flight would mean I would have to leave before the Q&A

I’m trying to make the same decision. The only flight for me is 3pm. Otherwise i have to stay another night. (Which means I won’t be able to walk with my vet clinic in the Barkus parade in New Orleans) lol #priorities

 

[diqsmt]

That was my concern. Why is my interview on Friday and all the tours and Q&A sessions are held on the next day lol does not make sense

 

[fingerscrossed687]

I wish there was an option to be able to do all the events on Friday. Minnesota has been the only school for me to push tours and events till the day after the interview. It is quite inconvenient for out of state students.

 

[EngrSC]

I wish there was an option to be able to do all the events on Friday. Minnesota has been the only school for me to push tours and events till the day after the interview. It is quite inconvenient for out of state students.

Agreed. My flight home doesn’t get in until almost midnight because I didn’t want the expense of staying 3 nights (hotel + petsitter + rental car + other interviews). And I am hardcore not a night person

 

[SnowJ]

That was my concern. Why is my interview on Friday and all the tours and Q&A sessions are held on the next day lol does not make sense

I wish there was an option to be able to do all the events on Friday. Minnesota has been the only school for me to push tours and events till the day after the interview. It is quite inconvenient for out of state students.

I think this is because tours and Q&A events rely very heavily on the student ambassadors, a majority of which are in class all day. I know they pull together some of these for In-state students on Thursday, but the applicant pool is a lot smaller for those and easier to manage.

 

[supershorty]

I think this is because tours and Q&A events rely very heavily on the student ambassadors, a majority of which are in class all day. I know they pull together some of these for In-state students on Thursday, but the applicant pool is a lot smaller for those and easier to manage.

This, plus I believe there are some interviews on Saturday too. I might be making that up, I can’t remember.

 

[sammclark]

I’m trying to make the same decision. The only flight for me is 3pm. Otherwise i have to stay another night. (Which means I won’t be able to walk with my vet clinic in the Barkus parade in New Orleans) lol #priorities

YO WHICH VET CLINIC DO YOU WORK AT?? I miss Nola and mardi gras tbh hahaha I was always stuck in the box during parades so we'd all walk to the parades when the clinic closed at 8 PM

 

[Red147]

YO WHICH VET CLINIC DO YOU WORK AT?? I miss Nola and mardi gras tbh hahaha I was always stuck in the box during parades so we'd all walk to the parades when the clinic closed at 8 PM

Crescent city Vet on Tchoup and Jefferson!! We close early because the big parades line out in front then we set up and watch! Such a good time.

 

[LJV118]

Anyone else feel no matter how much you prepare you just aren’t going to be ready?

 

[supershorty]

For what it's worth, I genuinely had a good time during my interview - it was really relaxed and conversational, and the hour flew by.

You guys are all going to be great!

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

I wish there was an option to be able to do all the events on Friday. Minnesota has been the only school for me to push tours and events till the day after the interview. It is quite inconvenient for out of state students.

I had my interview on a Friday last year too. It’s actually quite nice to have to interview done & out of the way so you can focus on the activities on Saturday without all the nerves

 

[diqsmt]

A quick question.
So I have like 5 interviews left including Minnesota, but I got in one school that I will choose over Minnesota (nothing against to Minnesota, but I like their program for my career).

My interview with Minnesota is on February 7th and I wonder if I should cancel the interview or I should still go and try and tour the campus. Will my decision change once I get to the campus and look around?

 

[EngrSC]

A quick question.
So I have like 5 interviews left including Minnesota, but I got in one school that I will choose over Minnesota (nothing against to Minnesota, but I like their program for my career).

My interview with Minnesota is on February 7th and I wonder if I should cancel the interview or I should still go and try and tour the campus. Will my decision chance once I get to the campus and look around?

If you know that you will choose the other school over Minnesota, you should cancel your interview. Maybe they can offer your interview spot to someone else who already knows they love the school or doesn’t have other options

 

[diqsmt]

If you know that you will choose the other school over Minnesota, you should cancel your interview. Maybe they can offer your interview spot to someone else who already knows they love the school or doesn’t have other options

Did not think about the waitlist people. Sorry I wil do so!

 

[SnowJ]

A quick question.
So I have like 5 interviews left including Minnesota, but I got in one school that I will choose over Minnesota (nothing against to Minnesota, but I like their program for my career).

My interview with Minnesota is on February 7th and I wonder if I should cancel the interview or I should still go and try and tour the campus. Will my decision chance once I get to the campus and look around?

(I see you've decided to decline your interview but a piece for others who may be considering it)
If the two schools are similar tuition wise it can be good to go and get a look around and talk to students. You can ask about things that may help you parse out the pros and cons of each school, whether the attitude of faculty seems to match your goals, etc. If you know because of costs or location that you will pick the one you got into, then it's perfectly reasonable to decline the interview even if only to save yourself the time stress and money. Ultimately it's your own decision- interview experiences can and have changed minds in the past.

 

[KCgophervet]

A quick question.
So I have like 5 interviews left including Minnesota, but I got in one school that I will choose over Minnesota (nothing against to Minnesota, but I like their program for my career).

My interview with Minnesota is on February 7th and I wonder if I should cancel the interview or I should still go and try and tour the campus. Will my decision chance once I get to the campus and look around?

SnowJ and others have already chimed in and I know you made your decision to cancel already but throwing this out there - if you're OOS and have an offer at another school that costs less, pick the cheaper school. UMN is super expensive tuition wise, as much as I love the school I considered going to UW-Madison because at the time their OOS tuition was cheaper than UMN's IS tuition (it has since changed but still). Save as much money now as you can and your future self will thank you

 

[diqsmt]

Thank you for your advice guys. I have not fully made the decision yet and I can still try to go look at the campus and hear about UMN's program.

Ohio state has almost the similar tuition as UMN so yes, if the interview process of UMN changes my mind, I can go to UMN of course.

I will make a decision by the end of this week whether I will still go to UMN interview or not but thank you guys again

 

[Red147]

Thank you for your advice guys. I have not fully made the decision yet and I can still try to go look at the campus and hear about UMN's program.

Ohio state has almost the similar tuition as UMN so yes, if the interview process of UMN changes my mind, I can go to UMN of course.

I will make a decision by the end of this week whether I will still go to UMN interview or not but thank you guys again

Either way....CONGRATS ON THE ACCEPTANCE!

 

[supershorty]

Thank you for your advice guys. I have not fully made the decision yet and I can still try to go look at the campus and hear about UMN's program.

Ohio state has almost the similar tuition as UMN so yes, if the interview process of UMN changes my mind, I can go to UMN of course.

I will make a decision by the end of this week whether I will still go to UMN interview or not but thank you guys again

I know @southcpupvet has experience in choosing between the 2 programs, she could probably give you some of her thoughts if you asked her.

 

[supershorty]

If anyone is interviewing this week and wants to chat with a current student or 2 outside of the formal Q&A panel, let me know and I'll take you out for coffee on campus! We could probably rope in @SnowJ too if I asked her nicely and she wasn't in class.

 

[diqsmt]

Just gave up my interview spot. Good luck everyone!

 

[Lisagk]

If anyone is interviewing this week and wants to chat with a current student or 2 outside of the formal Q&A panel, let me know and I'll take you out for coffee on campus! We could probably rope in @SnowJ too if I asked her nicely and she wasn't in class.

I will be interviewing this weekend. Would LOVE to chat

 

[SnowJ]

If anyone is interviewing this week and wants to chat with a current student or 2 outside of the formal Q&A panel, let me know and I'll take you out for coffee on campus! We could probably rope in @SnowJ too if I asked her nicely and she wasn't in class.

I am totally down to get coffee and chat!

 

[Manders221]

I have already attended Q and A student panels at U of M and toured the campus. Will you be a stronger applicant if you attend the open house after interviewing or is it OK to not attend?

 

[LetItSnow]

That was my concern. Why is my interview on Friday and all the tours and Q&A sessions are held on the next day lol does not make sense

Because, quite honestly, it's not all about you. I know that's kinda rude sounding - sorry! - but ... putting those tours together and Q&A sessions requires students to donate their time, and those are students who are trying to survive vet school. To do it all on Thursday (in-state), Friday AND Saturday just for applicant convenience is tough!

In regards to the "is it ok to not attend Q&A/tour" posts - sure. Nobody is judging your attendance at anything beyond the interview. That said, it is to your benefit to get as much information as possible.

In regards to the "what questions should we ask" post - anything of interest. Don't make up something to sound good - your interviewers genuinely aren't judging you based on your questions. It's just a chance for you to get more info if you want it! Really. Truly. Honestly. When you think about questions, if you are out of state (or not familiar with the area, anyway), consider questions about the area itself, not just the veterinary program.

I am not doing interviews this year because of scheduling, but I've done them the last few years, so I think my advice is likely reasonable.

The advice I've given in the past (this isn't giving away anything that is confidential) is this: Google "behavior-based job questions" (or something like that) and you can find plenty of lists of these types of questions. Spend some time with coffee or whatever in a peaceful place reflecting on your life - accomplishments, challenges, good relationships, bad relationships, meaningful events, jobs, volunteer activity. Just freshen it all up in your brain. Think about what challenges you faced, how you dealt with them, what the outcomes were, and what you learned from it. Then get a friend or relative or other trusted person and offer to buy them coffee and have them ask you behavior-based questions. Get your answers down to about 5 minutes or so. Remember that your answers should be drawn from real experiences/relationships, NOT a hypothetical. The single biggest mistake I see people making year after year is answering with a hypothetical. Questions typically start with "tell me about a time when .........." If your answer is "well, if I were in that situation, I'd do X" or whatever - you're probably on the wrong track. Remember that each question is designed to assess a personal characteristic, and that behavior-based questions are premised on the "past performance predicts future behavior" concept.

Best of luck to the candidates. Try to enjoy your visit. It is GENUINELY meant to be a positive visit and while everyone knows it is stressful for you, the staff and students really do want the best for you.

 

[Lisagk]

Because, quite honestly, it's not all about you. I know that's kinda rude sounding - sorry! - but ... putting those tours together and Q&A sessions requires students to donate their time, and those are students who are trying to survive vet school. To do it all on Thursday (in-state), Friday AND Saturday just for applicant convenience is tough!

In regards to the "is it ok to not attend Q&A/tour" posts - sure. Nobody is judging your attendance at anything beyond the interview. That said, it is to your benefit to get as much information as possible.

In regards to the "what questions should we ask" post - anything of interest. Don't make up something to sound good - your interviewers genuinely aren't judging you based on your questions. It's just a chance for you to get more info if you want it! Really. Truly. Honestly. When you think about questions, if you are out of state (or not familiar with the area, anyway), consider questions about the area itself, not just the veterinary program.

I am not doing interviews this year because of scheduling, but I've done them the last few years, so I think my advice is likely reasonable.

The advice I've given in the past (this isn't giving away anything that is confidential) is this: Google "behavior-based job questions" (or something like that) and you can find plenty of lists of these types of questions. Spend some time with coffee or whatever in a peaceful place reflecting on your life - accomplishments, challenges, good relationships, bad relationships, meaningful events, jobs, volunteer activity. Just freshen it all up in your brain. Think about what challenges you faced, how you dealt with them, what the outcomes were, and what you learned from it. Then get a friend or relative or other trusted person and offer to buy them coffee and have them ask you behavior-based questions. Get your answers down to about 5 minutes or so. Remember that your answers should be drawn from real experiences/relationships, NOT a hypothetical. The single biggest mistake I see people making year after year is answering with a hypothetical. Questions typically start with "tell me about a time when .........." If your answer is "well, if I were in that situation, I'd do X" or whatever - you're probably on the wrong track. Remember that each question is designed to assess a personal characteristic, and that behavior-based questions are premised on the "past performance predicts future behavior" concept.

Best of luck to the candidates. Try to enjoy your visit. It is GENUINELY meant to be a positive visit and while everyone knows it is stressful for you, the staff and students really do want the best for you.

Thank you so much for this! Your insight especially as a past interviewer is so helpful!

-

Does anybody know if there is a place we can securely store personal belongings such as a bag, snow boots, and snow coat during the interview?

 

[SnowJ]

I have already attended Q and A student panels at U of M and toured the campus. Will you be a stronger applicant if you attend the open house after interviewing or is it OK to not attend?

The open house isn't related to the selection process at all, just an opportunity for you to talk to people and learn more about the area/program/etc. If it's the one I'm thinking of at the Equine Center you'll mostly be talking to student ambassadors and some professors, but I don't think anyone there is part of the selection process.
Selection comes all from the score you get from experiences, academics, and the interview- everything else is for your benefit only

 

[disneydork]

Just got accepted to my IS school!!! Declining my interview at U of M, good luck everyone! This was my third time applying so don’t give up!

 

[koda123]

Just finished up my day of tours and the interview! The interview was very conversational in nature and the interviewers made me feel very comfortable. The students and directors were aware of our stress, and made every effort to make everything easy for us! Don’t waste time worrying, it’s much easier than you think!


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[ejkurtz]

Hey guys! I have my interview this Thursday, and to say the least, I am pretty nervous! Does anyone have any advice or insight that might help? I hope everyone that had interviews this past week had an awesome time!

 

[cameronluna]

Does anyone know when we will hear about decisions after interviewing?


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[supershorty]

Does anyone know when we will hear about decisions after interviewing?


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In past years, people have heard within a week or 2 of the last round of interviews. We have 2 more weeks of those. But it’s historically been a relatively quick turnaround

 

[nontradstdnt]

Just cancelled my interview after accepting an offer at another school...I really hope that opens up a spot for someone else waiting for the opportunity! Good luck to all!

 

[koda123]

Does anyone know when we will hear about decisions after interviewing?


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I was told that around the 19/20th of February. Obviously they couldn’t give us a specific day but they try to give us answers as soon as possible. Last year it was the 20th.


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[LJV118]

The past 3 years it’s been the Wednesday after the final weekend of interviews, which would be the 19th this year

 

[Red147]

The past 3 years it’s been the Wednesday after the final weekend of interviews, which would be the 19th this year

Woah that’s so fast (especially for those of us interviewing the last weekend)

 

[LJV118]

Hey guys! I have my interview this Thursday, and to say the least, I am pretty nervous! Does anyone have any advice or insight that might help? I hope everyone that had interviews this past week had an awesome time!

Things that I have heard and agree with based off of my interview two years ago:
* Don't be afraid to take a pause for 30 seconds to gather your thoughts before answering a question, even repeating the question back to them can give you some time to collect your thoughts as well, it's not as awkward taking that pause as you think.
* Be enthusiastic during the interview, you want them to know that you're passionate about the veterinary profession.
* Try not to ramble too much about the specifics of your answer, try to stick to the main points (I am terrible at this I ramble when I'm nervous)
* Remember that they want you to do well just as much as you do!!
* You're nervous, I'm nervous, everyone is nervous, so its a level playing field, try not to let your nerves get the best of you, use them to your advantage, you're nervous because you care and want to do well!

That's all I have right now, but I'm happy to answer any questions or just talk about the interview further if anyone has anything else!
Good luck everyone

 

[EngrSC]

Cancelling my Feb 14th interview because I’ve been accepted to a cheaper school that I love. Good luck y’all!

 

[Red147]

Cancelling my Feb 14th interview because I’ve been accepted to a cheaper school that I love. Good luck y’all!

CONGRATS!!

 

[EngrSC]

CONGRATS!!

Thank you!!

 

[nikkishinde]

I have my interview on Friday! Nervous!