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If I submitted transcripts last year and haven't taken any more classes from the institution, do I have to resubmit the same transcript?
You shouldn’t need to. You can check in the “check status” section and see if that transcript is in there. If you didn’t take any more classes after sending it (like no fall or spring classes last cycle) you shouldn’t need to send a new one.If I submitted transcripts last year and haven't taken any more classes from the institution, do I have to resubmit the same transcript?
I definitely put hobbies and a lot of people do too. It shows adcoms that you have a life outside of vetmed and have some methods of decompressing and that your life isn’t only vetmed.I have formal extracurricular involvement (campus clubs, volunteer work, etc.), but is it also good to list hobbies? I've seen listing hobbies recommended for students who don't have much formal extracurricular involvement. While I think that I've got enough that my application doesn't at all look "empty," there are activities that are important to me that I didn't complete through an organization.
Gosh, darn it! I forgot one more question! I have some gaps in experience spans (e.g. clubs that only were active during the school year). Should I fill out the number of weeks as the number of weeks from the beginning date to the end date, or as the number of actively involved weeks?
My information is pretty dated (2016 grad, so applied in... 2011. Ack!) but I had this problem as I was taking stats at a new community college in the upcoming semester. I personally inputted the school and pre-reqs to make sure the school saw I'd have them accomplished on time. I know VMCAS has dramatically changed since then so you may want to contact them or your school to get further clarification for nowadays, though.Hi!
I have a quick question regarding prerequisites!
So I am taking a gap year and finishing my prerequisite coursework at a new institution this fall and spring. I don't think that I can just list these courses as in progress/planned, since I would have to add this institution to my "colleges attended," and I wouldn't be able to send in a transcript.
I thought this was all fine, but I got kind of spooked when I had to match prerequisites for specific programs and choose "opt not to match course to this prerequisite."
Has anyone else who had in progress/planned coursework at a new institution figured out how to do this? Does opting not to match a course to the prerequisite make it look like you don't fulfill the requirements for schools?
Thanks so much!
You should add the new institution even if you haven't technically started there yet - you can list a course as "in progress/planned" starting with whatever semester where you will start there. I have this for 1 school where I will be taking an online nutrition course in the spring. Doesn't matter if you don't have a transcript, you'll only have to provide a transcript for future classes if specifically asked by a school (once complete) or if you reapply next year. You ALWAYS need to have all of your pre-requisites listed somewhere so that they are accounted for - I'm pretty sure this was the reason for my immediate rejection from Auburn last year, I forgot to list taking animal nutrition somewhere!Hi!
I have a quick question regarding prerequisites!
So I am taking a gap year and finishing my prerequisite coursework at a new institution this fall and spring. I don't think that I can just list these courses as in progress/planned, since I would have to add this institution to my "colleges attended," and I wouldn't be able to send in a transcript.
I thought this was all fine, but I got kind of spooked when I had to match prerequisites for specific programs and choose "opt not to match course to this prerequisite."
Has anyone else who had in progress/planned coursework at a new institution figured out how to do this? Does opting not to match a course to the prerequisite make it look like you don't fulfill the requirements for schools?
Thanks so much!
I saw some people post in the APVMA facebook group that their apps have been verified within just a few days! (One user posted 2 days another posted 5 days)Submitted my app yesterday! 😱😱😱 how long did it take for everyone’s app to get verified so far?
I'm sure different people will have different opinions, but I'm curious whether you all recommend avoiding abbreviating "veterinarian" to "vet" (or "veterinary medicine" to "vet med". That one feels more informal to me for some reason)?
Why would you ask for a recommendation from this person?she's told me she always includes negatives in recommendations she writes
@batsenecal thank you!
@genny thanks, I'll do that! I've wanted to since she told me that and I found out that I didn't need a recommendation specifically from a pre-health advisor, but I was worried it would be disrespectful.
Strong POSITIVE recommendation. If they can’t write a positive recommendation about you, you definitely do not need or want them writing a letter.strong recommendation
Thank you!I used actively involved weeks, since that more accurately estimated the total hours. I figured because we included the start and end date that would satisfy the question of length of involvement, so when entering number of weeks I felt it was more important to get the hours more precise.
The other thing you could do is if you have space briefly mention that in the description! (i.e. I participated in ___ during the following school years)
Thank you! My school/alma mater doesn't have faculty sponsors for clubs...it's been very contentious. For some of them, there was a professional "adult" working with the club and I was able to put them down. But good to know peers are okay for the rest. I ended up putting in maybe 2 hobbies and 1-2 fun clubs. I might see about adding another hobby if VMCAS will let me post-submission since I realized I forgot an associated award from high school (I can't believe VMCAS goes back that far!).Most campus clubs have a faculty sponsor. I'd list them instead of a peer if you can, but otherwise I think that's a reasonable approach.
If it's important to you, get it on the application. I inputted my cooking/baking hobby on VMCAS and actually joked about being an asset for campus bake sales, lol. I'm sure it was no deciding factor in my application, but it felt right to include. If something feels right for you to add, add it!
You’re overthinking it. 😉 You lose nothing by including any and every experience that you think may be relevant, especially if it is vet med-related. Worst case scenario? A school's adcomms don’t care and they simply ignore it. It won’t actively hurt you in any way.One experience I’ve been debating entering is vet camp. It was a day camp at the local vet school for elementary and junior high kids where each day we would have a few activities/classes like radiology, parasitology, observing a surgery or autopsy going on at the hospital, learning about animal behaviour and trying clicker training, going on field trips to learn from vets working at a shelter and on a dairy farm, etc. On the one hand, it really was a great early look into veterinary medicine and although it obviously wasn’t a lot of experience (its a 5 day camp I went to twice), we did get a glimpse of a big variety of fields. On the other, it feels wrong to include a day camp, since it’s not like I did any work or accomplished anything.
Huh, I wasn’t going to include it and it really only crossed my mind as a last-minute addition going over my application, but writing this post I’ve pretty much convinced myself to add it. Still posting in case someone sees this and knows it’s a bad idea or in case it reminds someone else to include a similar experience! Technically, some of the individual activities fit the definition of veterinary experience, but I think I should enter it all as one animal experience because I don’t remember the names etc of the vets we were shadowing.
As long as he gets it in by the true VMCAS deadline you’re fine. Just make sure it happens. Tell them the deadline is the 12th or 13th to make sure they’re not trying to submit at 11:50pm on the 15th. If they have some sort of technical difficulty and can’t get it submitted you’re screwed and SOL. Another person on here (who just graduated) actually had this happen when she applied. I think one(?) school allowed the recommender to send it directly to the school but everyone else (including her in state) said no.Hi everyone! I have a question I hope you guys can help me with! I had set one of my recommendation deadlines for the 8th. However, my recommender has not sent it in yet and I'm not sure he will get it in by the 8th. I've already submitted my application so I don't think I can edit the deadline. Will the recommendation still be valid if he submits it after my set deadline of the 8th but before the 15th? Or do I need to create a new recommendation request with a later deadline?
Quick question! Fall of 2019 I took organic chemistry and ended with a D+, then retook last semester and got an A-! Should I write an explanation statement for this? I was taking a high course load and working 25-30 hours a week and I just didn’t get a good grasp of the material the first time around. I went into it the second time a lot more confident and determined to finish but i don’t know if I should write anything about it because I’ve seen mixed reviews on explanation statements for one bad grade. The only other grade on my transcript I consider “bad” was a C+ in genetics which I didn’t explain last cycle and was not asked about
Unlike, @MixedAnimals77 I don’t believe that would be an appropriate use of the explanation statement section. There is absolutely NO explanation for a DUI N I N E days before the deadline. It shows a complete lack of judgement and shows carelessness and a lack of respect for other people’s lives. There is NO excuse for driving under the influence. This is not nine years or even nine months. This is less than two weeks prior to the deadline. I wouldn’t apply this cycle. You need to distance yourself from your transgression before thinking about applying.Hey all, last night i got arrested for a DUI, i was wondering if anyone had some advise or prior knowledge for applying with a dui on record. I have not been convicted yet, as this happened last night and i still have not received a court date.
Hey all, last night i got arrested for a DUI, i was wondering if anyone had some advise or prior knowledge for applying with a dui on record. I have not been convicted yet, as this happened last night and i still have not received a court date.
It will also be something you will have to explain to get your license should you become a veterinarian. It could limit you there along with affect if you apply for DEA license. I am sorry you are going through this, but it definitely needs to be treated like a gigantic wake up call in your life. This is a serious offense for a reason. I'm here if you need someone to talk to about anything. 🙂Unlike, @MixedAnimals77 I don’t believe that would be an appropriate use of the explanation statement section. There is absolutely NO explanation for a DUI N I N E days before the deadline. It shows a complete lack of judgement and shows carelessness and a lack of respect for other people’s lives. There is NO excuse for driving under the influence. This is not nine years or even nine months. This is less than two weeks prior to the deadline. I wouldn’t apply this cycle. You need to distance yourself from your transgression before thinking about applying.
Absolutely, 100000% include it. As Elkhart said, you lose nothing by including it & potentially could lead to an interesting interview conversation. Also certainly shows early interest in vet med, and you might have gotten exposure to very formative experiences/situations at a very young age. Include it!One experience I’ve been debating entering is vet camp. It was a day camp at the local vet school for elementary and junior high kids where each day we would have a few activities/classes like radiology, parasitology, observing a surgery or autopsy going on at the hospital, learning about animal behaviour and trying clicker training, going on field trips to learn from vets working at a shelter and on a dairy farm, etc. On the one hand, it really was a great early look into veterinary medicine and although it obviously wasn’t a lot of experience (its a 5 day camp I went to twice), we did get a glimpse of a big variety of fields. On the other, it feels wrong to include a day camp, since it’s not like I did any work or accomplished anything.
Huh, I wasn’t going to include it and it really only crossed my mind as a last-minute addition going over my application, but writing this post I’ve pretty much convinced myself to add it. Still posting in case someone sees this and knows it’s a bad idea or in case it reminds someone else to include a similar experience! Technically, some of the individual activities fit the definition of veterinary experience, but I think I should enter it all as one animal experience because I don’t remember the names etc of the vets we were shadowing.
I had virtually the exact same experience & didn't write any kind of explanation statement, no schools said a word about it negatively. I even had two file reviewers state that it showed excellent ability to learn from mistakes and showed a clear trend of improvement. This may be different for certain extremely grade-driven schools (UF, UC Davis, Cornell, etc), but I don't think it warrants one since your repeat grade was so high.Quick question! Fall of 2019 I took organic chemistry and ended with a D+, then retook last semester and got an A-! Should I write an explanation statement for this? I was taking a high course load and working 25-30 hours a week and I just didn’t get a good grasp of the material the first time around. I went into it the second time a lot more confident and determined to finish but i don’t know if I should write anything about it because I’ve seen mixed reviews on explanation statements for one bad grade. The only other grade on my transcript I consider “bad” was a C+ in genetics which I didn’t explain last cycle and was not asked about
To clarify I didn't mean the explanation section where you explain things like covid and bad grades. I meant the criminal offense portion I think there is a short blerb section perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly. I'm not saying the OP can explain it away or that it won't hinder them in applying and in the future. However, they do need to be truthful if they decide to proceed with applying as schools find these things out and they do need to seek help. It's not the same, but I do know of at least one vet who was cited for public intoxication in undergrad before applying and is practicing today. SO has to deal with people who get DUIs on the regular so trust me I get it and where you're coming from.Unlike, @MixedAnimals77 I don’t believe that would be an appropriate use of the explanation statement section. There is absolutely NO explanation for a DUI N I N E days before the deadline. It shows a complete lack of judgement and shows carelessness and a lack of respect for other people’s lives. There is NO excuse for driving under the influence. This is not nine years or even nine months. This is less than two weeks prior to the deadline. I wouldn’t apply this cycle. You need to distance yourself from your transgression before thinking about applying.
Definitely is a wake up call, and I by no means am excusing the choice I made. I know I have to deal with the consequences now, but thank you for your words!It will also be something you will have to explain to get your license should you become a veterinarian. It could limit you there along with affect if you apply for DEA license. I am sorry you are going through this, but it definitely needs to be treated like a gigantic wake up call in your life. This is a serious offense for a reason. I'm here if you need someone to talk to about anything. 🙂
I definitely dont want to get away or make excuses for my choices. I deserve what happened. I understand where you both are coming from, it is a serious issue. I appreciate your words, I really do. I really just wanted to hear some opinions on what steps to take next. Thank you allTo clarify I didn't mean the explanation section where you explain things like covid and bad grades. I meant the criminal offense portion I think there is a short blerb section perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly. I'm not saying the OP can explain it away or that it won't hinder them in applying and in the future. However, they do need to be truthful if they decide to proceed with applying as schools find these things out and they do need to seek help. It's not the same, but I do know of at least one vet who was cited for public intoxication in undergrad before applying and is practicing today. SO has to deal with people who get DUIs on the regular so trust me I get it and where you're coming from.
I don't know if it has changed, but I think there is a section that asks about crimes and misdemeanors. That is where it would be addressed. I believe OKState also did background checks on their applicants as well, so that is something to keep in mind with the schools you are applying to. I'm outdated from when I applied though, so hopefully others have more current info.I definitely dont want to get away or make excuses for my choices. I deserve what happened. I understand where you both are coming from, it is a serious issue. I appreciate your words, I really do. I really just wanted to hear some opinions on what steps to take next. Thank you all
Just finished the CASPer and oh my gosh that was such a struggle for meI could not complete my answers during the time limit to save my life!![]()
I just finished it, too. I was able to answer all of the questions, but found it to be extremely mentally draining.Just finished the CASPer and oh my gosh that was such a struggle for meI could not complete my answers during the time limit to save my life!![]()
I just checked! If you follow the link to the Required Applicant Data Form (found on the home page of the Wisconsin program materials on VMCAS), there's a sentence at the top of the form that says the supplemental fee will be due in November once you receive the supplemental app email 🙂Hey, all! I didn’t see a Wisconsin applicant thread yet so figured I’d ask here. To anyone else applying to Wisconsin or who knows the answer to this, I have a question: the website says that the supplemental application isn’t sent out until November. Does this mean we don’t pay the supplemental app fee until then? Or do we pay the fee now and then receive the app later? I didn’t see a link on their website to pay any fee yet, but their website is also a bit confusing.
The fee is in the supplemental application. Last year, I paid my fee in December (based on looking at my email). There was a Required Applicant Data Form (Sept) and a Supplemental Application (came out in November). Just make sure that you get in all of the forms that specific school needs so writing down all the deadlines can be helpful!Hey, all! I didn’t see a Wisconsin applicant thread yet so figured I’d ask here. To anyone else applying to Wisconsin or who knows the answer to this, I have a question: the website says that the supplemental application isn’t sent out until November. Does this mean we don’t pay the supplemental app fee until then? Or do we pay the fee now and then receive the app later? I didn’t see a link on their website to pay any fee yet, but their website is also a bit confusing.
Verified today!!! Took four business days- not too shabby! Now I just have a few more supplementals to pop out before the deadline- hope everyone is holding up all right!Submitted my app yesterday! 😱😱😱 how long did it take for everyone’s app to get verified so far?
Just finished the CASPer and oh my gosh that was such a struggle for meI could not complete my answers during the time limit to save my life!
I feel like this is a ridiculous question, but what is the benefit of taking the CASPer? Do schools let you know if it's required? I do not see it required anywhere....
Long Island, Kansas State, Purdue, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Lincoln Memorial are all requiring the CASPer. Some of those schools will invite you to take it after reviewing your app, so you don't necessarily have to pay for score distribution right off the bat. I didn't realize this when I registered so I paid for all of them up front 🙁 This isn't a complete list because there are two other schools I'm not applying to but were options for me to select when I registered for the exam. Unfortunately the CASPer website is being weird and not letting me see which ones those were, but I think Virginia-Maryland was one. I can't remember the other one for the life of me, sorry!I feel like this is a ridiculous question, but what is the benefit of taking the CASPer? Do schools let you know if it's required? I do not see it required anywhere....
Some schools did notify me if they require the CASPER through email, but I would double check with the school to see if they do require it. School like Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine does require it this cycle so if you are applying to these schools then I would sign up for it ASAP.I feel like this is a ridiculous question, but what is the benefit of taking the CASPer? Do schools let you know if it's required? I do not see it required anywhere....