VMCAS Questions and Rants c/o 2025

[BigCats]

Happy "VMCAS is open four months early" day, y'all

Post your VMCAS questions and rants here for the 2020-2021 cycle!

Good luck to everyone who's still waiting to hear back from schools and good luck to everyone applying this new cycle!

VMCAS Customer Service (Help with the application): 617-612-2884 or [email protected]

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[DVMhopefulof???]

Is it me or is the VMCAS tool to calculate the science GPA really confusing? I don't know if I am too lazy to do it or I'm confused to be honest..

 

[battie]

Dont forget that there is zero benefit to turning in your app in May compared to August or September when it comes to your chances of gaining an acceptance. Do not feel pressured to turn in your app simply because the app opens in January now.

Edited to add: do not stop improving yourself as an applicant even during and after application season. Consider yourself rejected until you receive an acceptance letter and act as if you are going to have to reapply. Some schools don't alert applicants until March of their status. If you wait that long to improve your application, you only have ~6.5 months to improve your application!

 

[c0smopolitan]

Is it me or is the VMCAS tool to calculate the science GPA really confusing? I don't know if I am too lazy to do it or I'm confused to be honest..

I personally just calculated my own science GPA for each school using google sheets and it was pretty simple. It was also nice to be able to see how competitive I would be for each school I had anticipated applying for to make sure it was worth my money and time.

 

[deleted676737]

Best of luck, all. Here are some potentially useful pre-vet resources that you may want to check out as you prepare to apply:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MZ0EjyIzs_prCeRxg5iFfHBOhphg_wWsDy2y60eM7eM/edit?usp=sharing - Factors When Picking a Vet School Google Doc

"Hey Does Anyone Know Which Schools..." - A List of Lists - Multiple lists of schools according to whether or not they require the GRE, how they weigh different GPAs, etc.

Public data - AAVMC Public Data

AAVMC | Admitted Student Statistics - A one-stop tool for finding the average stats of AVMA-accredited vet schools

VIN Foundation Cost of Education Map - Recently updated and now includes COAs for the accredited international schools

Student Debt Center - VIN - Loan repayment simulator; allows you to play with different repayment plans, salary levels, family sizes, etc.

https://www.aavmc.org/assets/site_18/files/vmcas/prereqchart.pdf - AAVMC's summary of prerequisites for all schools

https://www.aavmc.org/assets/site_18/files/vmcas/geninfo.pdf - AAVMC's general school information chart

2025 Personal Statement Readers! - The yearly Personal Statement Readers thread

AAVMC | COVID-19 Student and Applicant Information - Changes in application policies and procedures made by individual schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

I’ve got a few more things I’ll edit into this post once I’m home from work.

 

[BigCats]

So I have... a lot... of AP classes and could only use 45 hours of them for credit at my undergrad, but the rest of them are still listed on my unofficial transcript even though I technically got no credit for them. I’m ordering an official transcript to see what shows up, but does anyone have any past experience with this situation? Wondering if I should put “0 credits” for the ones I didn’t use credits for or if I should keep the original numbers even though they weren’t used.

 

[SnowJ]

So I have... a lot... of AP classes and could only use 45 hours of them for credit at my undergrad, but the rest of them are still listed on my unofficial transcript even though I technically got no credit for them. I’m ordering an official transcript to see what shows up, but does anyone have any past experience with this situation? Wondering if I should put “0 credits” for the ones I didn’t use credits for or if I should keep the original numbers even though they weren’t used.

I don't have experience with this specifically because I didn't have that many AP credits, but when I asked about AP credits in general I believe that they only counted if the school I attended gave me credit for them and that was reflected on my transcript. You can always reach out to the schools you're applying to and check how they make those decisions

 

[itseunsss]

So I have... a lot... of AP classes and could only use 45 hours of them for credit at my undergrad, but the rest of them are still listed on my unofficial transcript even though I technically got no credit for them. I’m ordering an official transcript to see what shows up, but does anyone have any past experience with this situation? Wondering if I should put “0 credits” for the ones I didn’t use credits for or if I should keep the original numbers even though they weren’t used.

I had a similar experience. In high school, I was enrolled in an IB/AP program and had to take a whole bunch of those classes. My college listed all of the tests I had taken on the official transcript but put "0" for # of credits for duplicate or not applicable ones (my degree required me to retake some of the science classes). On VMCAS application, I listed all of them just like my official transcript, put the actual number of credits I received for each of them (either 5.33 or 0 per the transcript), and listed "CR" for grades for all of them. So far, I received interview invites from multiple schools and had received acceptance letters from a good number of them, so I'm guessing this worked?

Probably unrelated..., but one of the schools (that offered admission) accepted my AP class for one of their prereqs but didn't count one of the post-bac classes by mistake. I could tell because they counted the 5.33 units one, which is my AP credit, while they didn't count my 4 units one. When I called them to correct the mistake, the admissions guy was so adamant that that wasn't the case and asked for AP scores. This created a lot of work since I'm a nontrad applicant and I took these tests well over 10 years ago... I was quite annoyed, but I ended up calling them and got to talk to another person because he was out for that day. She quickly recognized what I was talking about and fixed the problem.

Anyways, you will have plenty of time before the deadline in mid-April to sort things out. List all the tests and classes as your school did, and you can work with the admissions committee afterwards to make sure all the necessary classes get counted. As @SnowJ mentioned, it never hurts to reach out to schools also . Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

 

[biomajor2019]

Hi everyone! I have a few questions, that I hope previous applicants can help me with!
How would I list things in the Transcript Entry that are on my transcript graded as Pass/Fail? My senior internship was Pass/Fail, as well as a 0.5 credit class I took junior year.
Also, last year I volunteered at Forest Animal Rescue for a week, however, I was with a group of volunteers building enclosures-not assisting with animal care, nor coming into any contact with the animals. I should consider this Volunteer work, not Animal Experience, correct?
Thanks, and good luck, everyone!

 

[WonderingStudent]

Hi everyone! I have a few questions, that I hope previous applicants can help me with!
How would I list things in the Transcript Entry that are on my transcript graded as Pass/Fail? My senior internship was Pass/Fail, as well as a 0.5 credit class I took junior year.
Also, last year I volunteered at Forest Animal Rescue for a week, however, I was with a group of volunteers building enclosures-not assisting with animal care, nor coming into any contact with the animals. I should consider this Volunteer work, not Animal Experience, correct?
Thanks, and good luck, everyone!

For my pass fail classes I listed them as SA for Grade (it might have been what my school listed pass/fails as).
For the Forest Animal Rescue, it sounds more like volunteer work since you did not have contact with the animals.

 

[biomajor2019]

For my pass fail classes I listed them as SA for Grade (it might have been what my school listed pass/fails as).
For the Forest Animal Rescue, it sounds more like volunteer work since you did not have contact with the animals.

Thank you so much!

 

[DVMhopefulof???]

I finally understand what the previous cycle applicants felt about applying to vet school because I'm so nervous!! I feel like I'm not good enough applying for vet school and the supplemental essays are giving me anxiety!

 

[EngrSC]

I finally understand what the previous cycle applicants felt about applying to vet school because I'm so nervous!! I feel like I'm not good enough applying for vet school and the supplemental essays are giving me anxiety!

Slow and steady wins the race! I applied to a lot of schools and strategically worked on only one supplemental application per week (rather than tackling them all at once). Eventually you’ll see that a lot of the questions have some overlap so you’ll be able to re-use content as you get to the final ones. You got this!

 

[somebun]

Slow and steady wins the race! I applied to a lot of schools and strategically worked on only one supplemental application per week (rather than tackling them all at once). Eventually you’ll see that a lot of the questions have some overlap so you’ll be able to re-use content as you get to the final ones. You got this!

I was the opposite- I worked on everything at once. I had one main doc with all the essays. I split each school into a doc by theme (ex. A lot of schools ask about disadvantaged circumstances so I piled those into one word doc with character counts). This way I could write the longest version and then adapt it to each school. Then I had a doc for each school - once the essays were done, I would transfer them over and read them as a whole to make sure they didn’t need tweaking/weren’t too repetitive/I didn’t forget one. My sister really was the only reason I survived because I applied to 19 schools and had about 50 essays, I think. Also, VMCVM’s admissions person Shelby is willing to read the main VMCAS and and VMCVM’s supplemental essays, so I would definitely take advantage. I revamped an essay on her advice and it came out much better imo.

 

[atticus1957]

I finally understand what the previous cycle applicants felt about applying to vet school because I'm so nervous!! I feel like I'm not good enough applying for vet school and the supplemental essays are giving me anxiety!

Don't worry about the feelings. A lot of people feel that way! It can be intimidating, but if you've come this far you're definitely up for the task. I like Engr also worked on one essay at a time. I wrote each essay, got them out of the way, and then edited the **** out of them. I probably had at least 15 edits. I think the essays and some non-trad experiences got me an interview. I had a good cumulative GPA, but my science wasn't good, and my veterinary hours weren't astonishing. It is stressful so hang in there. I think you have a huge advantage of being able to start the essays so soon.

 

[atticus1957]

Anyone who applied in 2024 waiting to hear about interviews starting the VMCAS process again just in case? If you get rejected after interview are you going to apply again right away? What helped you decide to reapply right away? I think I am going to take a gap year if I get rejected. I'm mid 20s, but only graduated a year ago. I have seen some people recommend taking their time before vet school to calm themselves down. Thoughts from those who applied 2024 cycle?

 

[TrashCat]

Anyone who applied in 2024 waiting to hear about interviews starting the VMCAS process again just in case? If you get rejected after interview are you going to apply again right away? What helped you decide to reapply right away? I think I am going to take a gap year if I get rejected. I'm mid 20s, but only graduated a year ago. I have seen some people recommend taking their time before vet school to calm themselves down. Thoughts from those who applied 2024 cycle?

Personally I graduated in 2018 and I am still waiting on interview results from my top choice school as well as an interview invite from another school. If I don’t get in this cycle I am going to apply again next cycle. But, I am not starting my application until I know the results of all of my outstanding apps. Last year VMCAS didn’t open until May and I felt I had plenty of time, so I’m sure I will again, especially since I’ll know the results way before May comes around.

In my time off from school, I have been working full time as a tech which I will continue to do. I want to start my career as a veterinarian ASAP and so that’s my main reason for reapplying again right away. I will most likely try and add on at least one new experience while continuing to work 40 hours a week at my current clinic.

That, I guess, is also part of why I’ll reapply right away. I feel like I have good experience and know what I want, even more than when I applied last time. My interview experience this cycle also let me hone in on which school I’d REALLY like to go to, so financially that helps with reapplying.

I hope that helped and made sense! Feel free to message me if you want more details.

 

[TrashCat]

Sorry for the double post, haha. For those applying for the second time, are you guys thinking of rewriting your essays or reusing them? Or a mix of the two?

 

[alissa14]

Sorry for the double post, haha. For those applying for the second time, are you guys thinking of rewriting your essays or reusing them? Or a mix of the two?

Probably a mix of both. Obviously my essays may have not been enough to get me in the first time so I will be sure to definitely change them up

 

[biomajor2019]

Oh my gosh, back when I used to read these posts from previous application cycles I had all of these inspiring thoughts of what I would write for my essays, but now that its my turn, and these application questions are staring me in the face, I can't think of anything I feel is quality enough! Anybody else struggling with trying to write good responses to these essay questions? I know it won't happen overnight, but gosh!

 

[biomajor2019]

Also, I work in a practice with 5 veterinarians, but I only plan on asking one (maybe 2) of them for a LOR. They all share an office, and its rare to catch one of them when they're by themselves. I don't want to offend the other doctors that I didn't ask them to write my LOR, or for the Dr I'm asking to feel put on the spot. How would those of you who have already been through this go about asking tastefully and respectfully? I was thinking of approaching them with a nice card, and a copy of my resume. Is this appropriate?

 

[battie]

I don't want to offend the other doctors that I didn't ask them to write my LOR, or for the Dr I'm asking to feel put on the spot.

The vast majority of veterinarians will not be offended either way, and if you have been involved with this clinic for a while and they know you're applying, they won't feel on the spot at all. They're probably expecting you to ask at least one of them. So pick whoever you have the best relationship with and simply ask. If you want to do a group thing, you can get a group gift for all of them being great mentors, and then do individual small thank yous for the letter writers that you simply leave on their desk.

 

[biomajor2019]

For those asking for help/guidance with their essays... just in case you haven’t seen it yet: 2025 Personal Statement Readers!

Thank you!!! I had been wondering if that had started yet for Class of 2025!! so appreciated!

 

[biomajor2019]

The vast majority of veterinarians will not be offended either way, and if you have been involved with this clinic for a while and they know you're applying, they won't feel on the spot at all. They're probably expecting you to ask at least one of them. So pick whoever you have the best relationship with and simply ask. If you want to do a group thing, you can get a group gift for all of them being great mentors, and then do individual small thank yous for the letter writers that you simply leave on their desk.

Thank you for the advice! I think its just one of those things that I had looked forward to it being "my time" for so many years, and now that it is I'm getting a little anxious making sure I do everything right. I really appreciate it! I have been working at this practice full time for a year, now, so I hope this is plenty of time for the doctors to have really seen my work ethic, and my growing knowledge of the field. Giving a group gift is a great idea!

 

[BigCats]

Oh my gosh, back when I used to read these posts from previous application cycles I had all of these inspiring thoughts of what I would write for my essays, but now that its my turn, and these application questions are staring me in the face, I can't think of anything I feel is quality enough! Anybody else struggling with trying to write good responses to these essay questions? I know it won't happen overnight, but gosh!

Ain’t that the truth! All of my creative thoughts have disappeared lol, hopefully they come back before September!

 

[EngrSC]

Oh my gosh, back when I used to read these posts from previous application cycles I had all of these inspiring thoughts of what I would write for my essays, but now that its my turn, and these application questions are staring me in the face, I can't think of anything I feel is quality enough! Anybody else struggling with trying to write good responses to these essay questions? I know it won't happen overnight, but gosh!

Ain’t that the truth! All of my creative thoughts have disappeared lol, hopefully they come back before September!

I couldn't write when I sat down with the intention of writing. Ideas came to me when I was doing something else entirely so I had a little notepad open on my phone and would jot ideas down when they struck me. Then I had ideas when I sat down to write. And many of my essays evolved as the months went on. Don't feel like you need to write your final draft the first time you sit down to write it. Slow and steady

 

[hachamor_persists]

Oh my gosh, back when I used to read these posts from previous application cycles I had all of these inspiring thoughts of what I would write for my essays, but now that its my turn, and these application questions are staring me in the face, I can't think of anything I feel is quality enough! Anybody else struggling with trying to write good responses to these essay questions? I know it won't happen overnight, but gosh!

I sat down with a friend who's applying to grad school for a completely different field. We briefly talked about why we each wanted to go into our respective field, what we wanted to do in it, why we were a good fit, etc. and pep talked each other through any nerves. Then we read through our respective essay prompts together and after having both complained that they were too vague, they then looked like a blank canvas. And now BAM! I have outlines. I need to go through and write some first drafts though. One thing that really may have helped is that we aren't just good friends, we'd also done a large extracurricular project together, so we know each other as much as colleagues as we do as friends. I think the take-aways are to come at it from a place of confidence and excitement over future goals. There are easily a half-dozen fields in vet med I think I'd be happy in and well-suited at, but the one I'm writing about is the one I've got the most experience backing me up in.

 

[DVMhopefulof???]

I agree with @EngrSC, I think the slow and steady pace will help create the creative juices flowing and since VMCAS opened the application early, I feel like we have more of an advantage to create great essays! I started having some points in mind, but what has helped me get started is that I have been looking at previous successful applicants threads and reading posts from previous personal statement readers threads. Take advantage of the 2025 personal statement readers because not only will you get some good feedback from a diverse number of people, but it feels like your turning in your essay for Adcomm to read!

 

[alissa14]

Also, I work in a practice with 5 veterinarians, but I only plan on asking one (maybe 2) of them for a LOR. They all share an office, and its rare to catch one of them when they're by themselves. I don't want to offend the other doctors that I didn't ask them to write my LOR, or for the Dr I'm asking to feel put on the spot. How would those of you who have already been through this go about asking tastefully and respectfully? I was thinking of approaching them with a nice card, and a copy of my resume. Is this appropriate?

Does one specific doctor own the practice

 

[_rae_]

Oh gosh I have so many questions!

1. Should I list my pet sitting business as animal experience (have listed clinical, laboratory, and shelter experience)?
2. There are three vets I could ask for recommendations, but they are all from the same clinic. Does that look bad?
3. I have a professional and personal relationship with my college president. Would she also make a good recommendation?
4. At time of submission I will have 19 pre-req credits (5 classes and 4 labs) in progress and 8 credits (2 classes and labs) planned for the semester I graduate. Is this going to look bad?
5. My family is literally a couple hundred dollars over the VMCA income limit for application refunds. I was going to do an internship at a zoo over the summer but I don't know if I can afford the application cost (plan was 5 schools) without working and with having to pay living costs near the internship. Is applying to more schools or bolstering my "eh" experience with zoo animal care more important (in your opinion)?

I haven't picked the schools I'm applying to yet (waiting to hear from UC Davis if my credits will work) but I'm not picky, I just know I'm not applying to the island schools. Otherwise I'm going wherever is cheapest and accepts me lol.

 

[battie]

Should I list my pet sitting business as animal experience (have listed clinical, laboratory, and shelter experience)?

Is this a business you own and run yourself? Regardless, add anything and everything. Schools won't look at it if they don't care about it, and they won't see it if you don't put it in there. So there's no harm in putting it it.

There are three vets I could ask for recommendations, but they are all from the same clinic. Does that look bad?

This isn't bad per se. However, several schools as for letters from professors, or professionals that know you well outside of vet med. If these three vets would be your absolute best letters, use them. If you have people who could write you letters that are equally amazing or better, use those.

I have a professional and personal relationship with my college president. Would she also make a good recommendation?

If you're asking if having your college president write you a letter would be a bonus, probably not. But if she would write you a phenomenal letter, use her as your third letter (1 vet, 1 prof, 1 outside).

At time of submission I will have 19 pre-req credits (5 classes and 4 labs) in progress and 8 credits (2 classes and labs) planned for the semester I graduate. Is this going to look bad?

Fankly, this might not even be allowed! Many schools have a cap on how many pre-requisite credits may be outstanding at the time of application submission and 19 sounds way too high for any school from what I remember. Double check every single school you apply to that they allow that many credits to be outstanding. I remember the max I ever saw being 16, and the majority of schools were 12.

Having only 8 credits for spring overall won't make or break you if the rest of your application is solid.

Is applying to more schools or bolstering my "eh" experience with zoo animal care more important (in your opinion)?

Do what you gotta do to stay afloat. I cannot comment at all on your application since I don't know anything about it. But if you won't be able to afford to eat while doing an internship, there are other options. Work full time in an exotics clinic over the summer. Work as a lab animal technician. Etc.

I haven't picked the schools I'm applying to yet

A good resource would be the AAVMC public data!

 

[itseunsss]

1. Should I list my pet sitting business as animal experience (have listed clinical, laboratory, and shelter experience)?

Oh wow, you own a business? I would definitely list that! I did quite a lot of hours on Rover for pet sitting, and I listed every single hour I worked on my application .

 

[_rae_]

Fankly, this might not even be allowed! Many schools have a cap on how many pre-requisite credits may be outstanding at the time of application submission and 19 sounds way too high for any school from what I remember. Double check every single school you apply to that they allow that many credits to be outstanding. I remember the max I ever saw being 16, and the majority of schools were 12.

Yeah, I started late so I'm doing my best lol. I should be taking Orgo I w/lab, Biochem, A&P I w/lab, Physics I w/lab, and Microbiology w/ lab in the fall, and then Physics II w/lab and Orgo II w/lab in the spring (along with other major courses bringing that semester total to 17, so I'll still be full time). I might need to squeeze animal nutrition in there somewhere but my school does not offer it. So far it looks like NCSU and Virginia Tech have no requirements as long as transcripts for each semester are submitted by a specific due date. I'm probably going to email any potential school now to see if it would be an issue. I'm crossing my fingers that it won't because I really really don't want to do a gap year if I can avoid it.

Oh wow, you own a business? I would definitely list that!

Yeah! It's great! My town is super small so I got recommended by word of mouth pretty fast. Next thing I knew I was getting so many requests I had to turn them down.

 

[battie]

Orgo I w/lab, Biochem, A&P I w/lab, Physics I w/lab, and Microbiology w/ lab in the fall, and then Physics II w/lab and Orgo II w/lab in the spring

That's pretty hefty load there. Is there anything you could do to take summer 2020 classes? It will certainly make the load lighter for you and eliminate any potential issues with outstanding prerequisites.

Definitely ask the schools directly and get whatever they say in writing. It's been several years since my last cycle, so things may have changed.

 

[_rae_]

I have looked everywhere for an even vaguely affordable place to do summer school but my current college I'm OOS, and the logical course to take would be Orgo I and II this summer and my local college offers it, but the classes are literally five days a week. I have an agreement with my chemistry department that if I can pass the Orgo II final before classes start this fall, I can take biochem early in conjunction with Orgo I (normally a pre-req for biochem). This requires me to teach myself organic chemistry over the summer, but I only need a 60 to get into biochem and that won't count as a grade. I will still take Orgo I and II, but I will be guaranteed to pass because I already know the material. I don't know if any of that made sense but suffice to say I have sat down with about four different academic advisors/grad counselors/department heads and this is the only way to get my courses complete and graduate at the four year mark for financial reasons. So far I'm handling it well and I have 21 credits including three labs this semester. This is what happens when you cram pre-reqs into four semesters but I'm feeling confident so far.

 

[EB73674]

Hi guys, not sure if anyone knows the answer to this - are the VMCAS “personal statement” questions likely to change once May hits? Only reason I’m asking is because they are the same as last year, not sure if they’re meant to stay the same or if they rotate?

 

[SnowJ]

Hi guys, not sure if anyone knows the answer to this - are the VMCAS “personal statement” questions likely to change once May hits? Only reason I’m asking is because they are the same as last year, not sure if they’re meant to stay the same or if they rotate?

If VMCAS is open then the statements will not change because that would be unfair to anyone who started the process early. The personal statements usually are the same every year; they switched the format from a long-form essay to multiple short-form essays two years ago but as far as I know the only changes since then have been character limits. Before the major switch I think the statement had been more or less the same for a long time.

 

[EB73674]

If VMCAS is open then the statements will not change because that would be unfair to anyone who started the process early. The personal statements usually are the same every year; they switched the format from a long-form essay to multiple short-form essays two years ago but as far as I know the only changes since then have been character limits. Before the major switch I think the statement had been more or less the same for a long time.

Ok great, thank you! I’ll start thinking about how to re-do some of those essays...

 

[Danny_Lulu]

Hi everyone! I have started gathering the required documents for application and came across this question,
Do the syllabi have to be from the exact year and professor you took the course?
I had some social science courses I would like to full-fill the elective portion with, but it was taken in 2014 and I can't find the course syllabus on my computer anywhere! The school website also only posts syllabus from a couple of years back.. (like 2018).

 

[somebun]

Hi everyone! I have started gathering the required documents for application and came across this question,
Do the syllabi have to be from the exact year and professor you took the course?
I had some social science courses I would like to full-fill the elective portion with, but it was taken in 2014 and I can't find the course syllabus on my computer anywhere! The school website also only posts syllabus from a couple of years back.. (like 2018).

The department you took the classes from is usually required to keep syllabi from the classes. You can reach out to them and see what they have on record? If nothing else, they might have the email of the prof. I actually emailed my prof from 2014 to get my syllabus.

 

[biomajor2019]

Just wanted to reach out to my potential future class mates! How are you all hanging in there with everything going on, recently, in regard to the pandemic? Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! <3

 

[hachamor_persists]

@biomajor2019, my current focus is finishing my degree and pre-requisites. I'm nervous about balancing my need for more hours with the pandemic (should I apply for veterinary clinical work? I certainly don't think it's moral to shadow right now in terms of risk-benefit to others). My family wants me to apply without more hours, but my current hours are pretty low and I really needed a gap year or two to bring them up. Not this.
And that's besides anxiety over elderly family and at-risk friends I just keep reminding myself that there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Hopefully, most everyone (including all y'all + your families and friends!) will be there with me ♥️
@biomajor2019, what about you? From your username, I'm guessing you graduated last year. If so, how are things outside the college bubble?

 

[DVMhopefulof???]

I am curious if vet schools will excuse the GRE this cycle.. I couldn't take the GRE this spring because of this pandemic and now I heard there is no set date as to when the facilities will be open again. I read that ETS is doing a take-home exam, but the rules are so strict and my type of computer is not approved to take the exam online.

 

[SnowJ]

I am curious if vet schools will excuse the GRE this cycle.. I couldn't take the GRE this spring because of this pandemic and now I heard there is no set date as to when the facilities will be open again. I read that ETS is doing a take-home exam, but the rules are so strict and my type of computer is not approved to take the exam online.

I imagine it'll depend on how long this lasts; if things open up before the individual school's deadline I wouldn't expect them to excuse it

 

[BigCats]

Just wanted to reach out to my potential future class mates! How are you all hanging in there with everything going on, recently, in regard to the pandemic? Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! <3

I've been doing pretty good so far! Although tbf I've only been home for three days and I'm already going stir crazy lol- I'm so used to being go go go that this is quite the change! I guess the one good thing is it means I have more time to focus on my app lol. Hope all y'all have been doing well!

 

[biomajor2019]

@biomajor2019, my current focus is finishing my degree and pre-requisites. I'm nervous about balancing my need for more hours with the pandemic (should I apply for veterinary clinical work? I certainly don't think it's moral to shadow right now in terms of risk-benefit to others). My family wants me to apply without more hours, but my current hours are pretty low and I really needed a gap year or two to bring them up. Not this.
And that's besides anxiety over elderly family and at-risk friends I just keep reminding myself that there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Hopefully, most everyone (including all y'all + your families and friends!) will be there with me ♥
@biomajor2019, what about you? From your username, I'm guessing you graduated last year. If so, how are things outside the college bubble?

Hang in there! <3 Yes, I graduated last May, I, too, took 2 gap years to gain more experience in the field. I work at a veterinary hospital, currently. We are doing telemedicine for our appts. It is a tad frustrating at times. Some clients just don't understand the magnitude this pandemic is. I am very grateful, though, that while 2 (of 3) of my room mates are without jobs, during this time, due to their field of work, I am still able to bring home a paycheck. Do you feel you have gained enough experience to really speak about the field and understand the nature of being a veterinarian, should you apply this cycle? In my opinion, I feel that's what matters. I have definitely read in the past that people have been accepted with around 500 hours!

 

[biomajor2019]

I am curious if vet schools will excuse the GRE this cycle.. I couldn't take the GRE this spring because of this pandemic and now I heard there is no set date as to when the facilities will be open again. I read that ETS is doing a take-home exam, but the rules are so strict and my type of computer is not approved to take the exam online.

Wow! I didn't even think of that. I should do some reading into the take-home exam! I was planning on scheduling my retake for the end of May. I just would feel foolish applying with my current scores... they were pretty terrible. I definitely should have done more practice exams, rather than just studying concepts.

 

[ksbarrelracer]

Hey guys! 2025 hopeful

I'm filling out my VMCAS application, and on the transcript entry part. It's asking for the grade percentage. Obviously I have no clue what my exact percentage was from classes a year ago...would it matter whether it's a 90% vs 98%? I mean they're both an A but if 8% gives me a better shot, I'll search for them.

Thanks!

 

[St3phni]

@biomajor2019, my current focus is finishing my degree and pre-requisites. I'm nervous about balancing my need for more hours with the pandemic (should I apply for veterinary clinical work? I certainly don't think it's moral to shadow right now in terms of risk-benefit to others). My family wants me to apply without more hours, but my current hours are pretty low and I really needed a gap year or two to bring them up. Not this.
And that's besides anxiety over elderly family and at-risk friends I just keep reminding myself that there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Hopefully, most everyone (including all y'all + your families and friends!) will be there with me ♥
@biomajor2019, what about you? From your username, I'm guessing you graduated last year. If so, how are things outside the college bubble?

I agree with @biomajor2019. It's not about the quantity of hours but the quality and what you can bring to the table. I applied for vet school with mainly veterinary receptionist experience (2 years worth) and was accepted for the c/o 2024. Even now, I'm still working as a receptionist until matriculation. Although I feel like being a tech would have been super helpful for sure, being a receptionist allowed me to not only learn about veterinary jargon, medications, treatment, etc, it also gave me extensive experience in customer service (you learn real fast how to work with and calm down angry clients). In fact, I used my extensive customer service experience as something that set me apart from the crowd during my interviews. What I found that helped me a lot if you're looking for additional experience, though, is to look at shelter med. For example, my local shelter had a position with the spay/neuter clinic that allowed me to gain a ton of experience doing TPR and helping with surgery recovery. I also learned how to prepare surgery packs there as well.

All in all, it took me two applications to get in. If you believe you can safely take on more experiences, then all the more power to you! However, don't stress out too much. Everyone has their own path they take to get to vet school. Some people get in in one try while others take multiple. Some people have years of experience while others have less than 500 hours, like biomajor2019 mentioned. Just don't give up. Good things happen to those who wait ♥ .

 

[EB73674]

Hey guys! 2025 hopeful

I'm filling out my VMCAS application, and on the transcript entry part. It's asking for the grade percentage. Obviously I have no clue what my exact percentage was from classes a year ago...would it matter whether it's a 90% vs 98%? I mean they're both an A but if 8% gives me a better shot, I'll search for them.

Thanks!

Mine doesn't say that - are you sure you haven't marked something somewhere stating that you didn't receive a letter grade? Mine asks for the CAS Grade, which can be either a percentage or a letter grade.