VMCAS Questions and Rants c/o 2030

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sksisk said:
Is there such thing as putting too much on your application??

I was a VERY involved high schooler and did a variety of clubs, academic competitions, teams, volunteering, honor societies.

I know high school stuff is not viewed as heavily but I am not sure I should be including everything. I have a lot of hours amongst each experience so maybe its still worth it?
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I was a musician before I went to vet school, so I highlighted some of my honors bands and state/region level awards. I was also three years out of undergrad and seven years past high school, so I didn't put everything, but I wanted to be sure they knew it was something I pursued heavily and had a bit of expertise in. I have no idea if it helped or not, but it clearly didn't hurt!
 
stinkydog said:
Hello all! Does anyone know if “the more the merrier” applies when it comes to listing advanced biology courses for prerequisites? Should I include all the classes that could count as advanced biology, even if that means going over the minimum credit requirement? Or is it better to just pick a few? I got the same grade in all of them, so my prereq GPA wouldn’t change either way. I know it probably depends on the school, but I haven’t found anything that says I shouldn’t list all the ones that qualify. TIA!!!!!
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I'm sure other schools are similar, but NC State specifically says in VMCAS "Do not select multiple courses for the requirement unless: (a) the additional course is a lab, (b) additional courses are required to fulfill the credit hour requirement, or (c) the course has been repeated."
 
Hi everyone - I wasn't 100% sure where to put this, but I wanted to make sure that everyone applying this year can see a good article that I just came across that summarizes the veterinary-specific changes we are looking at if this budget bill passes the senate this week.....

VIN Student Loan Potential Changes

All-in-all, I am saddened to share this with the future Class of 2030, but I want everyone to have their information. Hopefully this bill doesn't pass, but I think we have to plan for and expect that it will. I know that many have inquired about what specifically will likely happen to Unsubsidized Loans, GradPLUS, IBR, and loan caps - this article does a great job of addressing these questions in a digestible way.

Most notably, the loan caps of 150,000 (House) but now 200,000 (Senate) apply to Direct Unsubsidized Loans. GradPLUS would be eliminated for new borrowers after July 1, 2026 but available for those in programs up until June 30, 2029. This means that the Class of 2029 will have "full access," and the Class of 2030 will have no access, if the bill passes as it stands.

I cannot say that I understand all the breakdowns of IBR as much, but it appears that IBR will also end for those borrowing after July 1, 2026.

If you are able to, call your Senators - heck, call every Senator - today and tell them to vote NO. There are certainly huge problems in higher education, but this will not solve a single thing (plus, the bill is horrific in its future effects on nearly every other facet of society). Tell everyone you know to call and harass them.

Let's hope our collective action can be a Hail Mary.....
 
Several schools ask for an uploaded CV as part of the application. How should I format my CV for this type of submission?
 
indysadventures said:
Hi everyone - I wasn't 100% sure where to put this, but I wanted to make sure that everyone applying this year can see a good article that I just came across that summarizes the veterinary-specific changes we are looking at if this budget bill passes the senate this week.....

VIN Student Loan Potential Changes

All-in-all, I am saddened to share this with the future Class of 2030, but I want everyone to have their information. Hopefully this bill doesn't pass, but I think we have to plan for and expect that it will. I know that many have inquired about what specifically will likely happen to Unsubsidized Loans, GradPLUS, IBR, and loan caps - this article does a great job of addressing these questions in a digestible way.

Most notably, the loan caps of 150,000 (House) but now 200,000 (Senate) apply to Direct Unsubsidized Loans. GradPLUS would be eliminated for new borrowers after July 1, 2026 but available for those in programs up until June 30, 2029. This means that the Class of 2029 will have "full access," and the Class of 2030 will have no access, if the bill passes as it stands.

I cannot say that I understand all the breakdowns of IBR as much, but it appears that IBR will also end for those borrowing after July 1, 2026.

If you are able to, call your Senators - heck, call every Senator - today and tell them to vote NO. There are certainly huge problems in higher education, but this will not solve a single thing (plus, the bill is horrific in its future effects on nearly every other facet of society). Tell everyone you know to call and harass them.

Let's hope our collective action can be a Hail Mary.....
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Well, they passed the big ugly bill. $200k cap for class of 2030 and beyond. Life changing for so many people. So sad. Not to mention all the changes to repayment options and removing the ability to defer paying due to a hardship.
 
How would you all suggest listing out experiences?

For example should I list my current positions at top, even if I have a position I started and finished after the start date of my current position?

Or should I list all the “important” ones at the top?

I’m assuming I structure it like a resume, with more recent experiences up top, but wondered if anyone had any input.

I’m a non traditional applicant so I have a TON of experiences.

TIA
 
wzue542 said:
How would you all suggest listing out experiences?

For example should I list my current positions at top, even if I have a position I started and finished after the start date of my current position?

Or should I list all the “important” ones at the top?

I’m assuming I structure it like a resume, with more recent experiences up top, but wondered if anyone had any input.

I’m a non traditional applicant so I have a TON of experiences.

TIA
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Doesn’t really matter just be consistent and do everything the same way, whatever way you choose.

And you didn’t ask this, but same goes for describing stuff in bullet points vs full sentences. Just be consistent.
 
wzue542 said:
How would you all suggest listing out experiences?

For example should I list my current positions at top, even if I have a position I started and finished after the start date of my current position?

Or should I list all the “important” ones at the top?

I’m assuming I structure it like a resume, with more recent experiences up top, but wondered if anyone had any input.

I’m a non traditional applicant so I have a TON of experiences.

TIA
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VMCAS will sort your experiences automatically based on category and date started
 
meg.eli.c said:
I actually emailed them earlier this week about this and they said they're working on getting the application finalized with VMCAS and it should be available sometime this month!
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Just wondering if anyone has any updates about utah being added on VMCAS?
 
if one of my letter writers doesn't have the best grammar because they’re ESL, should I email admissions about that. They can speak fluently but they're written communication almost always has grammar issues beyond simple syntax. I’d want admissions to realize that it's not because they didn't care enough to proofread. And I can't just go with someone else bc I was told during a reapplicant meeting that a letter was expected from them next cycle given their title and the number of hours gained I logged. Also, does anyone have any idea how to respectfully bring this up directly with the letter writer so they can address it themselves by having someone else proofread or using Grammarly?
 
Tech_Penguin said:
if one of my letter writers doesn't have the best grammar because they’re ESL, should I email admissions about that. They can speak fluently but they're written communication almost always has grammar issues beyond simple syntax. I’d want admissions to realize that it's not because they didn't care enough to proofread. And I can't just go with someone else bc I was told during a reapplicant meeting that a letter was expected from them next cycle given their title and the number of hours gained I logged. Also, does anyone have any idea how to respectfully bring this up directly with the letter writer so they can address it themselves by having someone else proofread or using Grammarly?
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That’s a hard one. My best answer is to likely do nothing.

First and foremost, I don’t think someone’s grammar within a letter would make a letter less valuable, unless the content was also haphazard or they appeared like they didn’t know you. Further, as someone who’s done a LOT of writing and editing myself, I feel like I am often able to tell in instances of ESL writing and if so, will give that person slack. Did your review tell you the grammar of the letter was an issue?

Unless you read your letter, how do you know they haven’t already put a lot of effort into avoiding mistakes or errors? What someone writes in emails, etc, often doesn’t reflect the care they’d put into a letter.

I think, proceed here with caution: I wouldn’t reach out to tell the schools, nor would I risk upsetting or insulting my letter writer. Obviously, they got to where they are well enough, so I’d personally advise just letting this go.
 
I agree with Indy.

But also, I think you’re probably overthinking the need to have this person continue to be a letter writer when you say you can’t replace this person as a letter writer. The schools aren’t gonna pull up your old app and compare like they did in a post-cycle file review, there’s just not enough hours in the day to do things like that. If i was reviewing an app with tons of experience and tons of hours in one thing I might briefly wonder why you don’t have a letter from there, but by far and away, it’s more important that your letter writers sing your praises, A lukewarm or bad letter will tank your chances…but by bad I mean content, not grammar and that sort of thing. If you think someone else can write you a stronger letter, I wouldn’t hesitate to go with the stronger letter. If your concerns were only grammatical, I wouldn’t worry a whole lot as long as the content is positive. Identity of the writer may matter a little bit, but someone’s support is what’s most important.

Edit: my advice was for standard vet school admissions, and I stand by it. However, knowing this referenced a pi when the poster was specifically applying for dual DVM/phd programs definitely changes the picture.
 
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to clarify, they didn’t submit a VMCAS letter last year. This was also from advice from a DVM-PhD program and they were nit-picky on why I didn’t have a second letter from my other PI. They emailed letters separate to other DVM-PhD programs but I think they weren’t read bc you need to be accepted to their vet school first
 
Tech_Penguin said:
to clarify, they didn’t submit a VMCAS letter last year. This was also from advice from a DVM-PhD program and they were nit-picky on why I didn’t have a second letter from my other PI. They emailed letters separate to other DVM-PhD programs but I think they weren’t read bc you need to be accepted to their vet school first
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Thanks for the clarification. I do still stand by my advice to not worry about the grammar. The more important thing is that you have an enthusiastic, strong letter.
 
Where should I put my experience being a TA? I did it twice and I wasn't paid. One I received class credit for and the other I did not.
 
I’m dead, an admissions office got back to me on something and their entire email was flagged as AI. There also seemed to be some incorrect information
 
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rant: I HATE WRITING ESSAYS IT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE.

I used to be SO good at writing at essays in school. The words came naturally. I don't know if it's because I'm writing about me or because it's been a few years since I have been in school, but this is SO HARD. please wish me luck y'all, I need it 😭 I'm applying to a ton of schools because I've decided this is my last year applying and because of that I've shot myself in the foot a bit.
 
Tech_Penguin said:
I’m dead, an admissions office got back to me on something and their entire email was flagged as AI. There also seemed to be some incorrect information
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Okay, I have to admit that I saw this before you edited it, and I laughed so hard that I almost aspirated my chai.
 
champagneproblem said:
rant: I HATE WRITING ESSAYS IT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE.

I used to be SO good at writing at essays in school. The words came naturally. I don't know if it's because I'm writing about me or because it's been a few years since I have been in school, but this is SO HARD. please wish me luck y'all, I need it 😭 I'm applying to a ton of schools because I've decided this is my last year applying and because of that I've shot myself in the foot a bit.
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Yessss oh my gosh writing essays was THE WORST part of the application, I hated every second of it. The fact that I had to write essays was actually a big reason I applied to only a few schools lol
 
sksisk said:
The personal statement only being 3000 characters is crazy! Like I need more space!! AHHHH

I can't wait for Sept 16th when this will for sure be over with. Then comes the stress of waiting for decisions.... yay!
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To be fair the admissions teams have to read thousands of these each cycle so I don't blame them. That being said I completely agree- you want me to summarize the reason I've dedicated years of my life to pursuing this career in less than six pages????
 
Should I be putting my experiences in any particular order? Like by "impressiveness" or maybe by order of occurrence? I feel like either could be beneficial when there is someone reading it. Chronological would show how I have grown in my experiences through out, but in "impressiveness" order it can make sure my biggest most impactful experiences aren't as likely to be skimmed over ?? Anyone have any insight or recommendations regarding this?
 
sksisk said:
Should I be putting my experiences in any particular order? Like by "impressiveness" or maybe by order of occurrence? I feel like either could be beneficial when there is someone reading it. Chronological would show how I have grown in my experiences through out, but in "impressiveness" order it can make sure my biggest most impactful experiences aren't as likely to be skimmed over ?? Anyone have any insight or recommendations regarding this?
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Hmmm, unless it’s changed, I think VMCAS rearranges based on date no matter the category, if you print your app’s draft before submission it will sort them into categories but it was definitely a frustrating feature when I was filling it out! I used the print feature to help me edit before finalizing everything but it was really confusing to navigate.

Hopefully they fixed it!
 
sksisk said:
Should I be putting my experiences in any particular order? Like by "impressiveness" or maybe by order of occurrence? I feel like either could be beneficial when there is someone reading it. Chronological would show how I have grown in my experiences through out, but in "impressiveness" order it can make sure my biggest most impactful experiences aren't as likely to be skimmed over ?? Anyone have any insight or recommendations regarding this?
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VMCAS will automatically sort them by experience type (vet experience, volunteer, etc) and date started
 
Greeting future Veterinarians! Good luck in the current cycle. This message is just some unsolicited assistance about essays and personal statements. I helped my Son for class of 2029. For him, I had multiple people review his essays who did not know him. And the feedback we got was amazing.
So…. If anyone would like help doing a review of your essays and PS with honest (and free) feedback, instant message me and I will provide my email. No pressure. Just an offer from a Dad who knows this whole process is incredibly difficult so happy to pay it forward if anyone wishes for some help. Best of luck to all of you!
 
What are people putting on their CV/resume? As a non-traditional student, my cv and resume usually only include my animal/veterinary experiences that would be relevant for a veterinary technican job (which is what I currently do). Is this sufficient? Do I go back and add my entire life history to it?
 
Koffeekat said:
What are people putting on their CV/resume? As a non-traditional student, my cv and resume usually only include my animal/veterinary experiences that would be relevant for a veterinary technican job (which is what I currently do). Is this sufficient? Do I go back and add my entire life history to it?
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Yes, write your resume with all relevant experience, including non-animal related positions. I talked most about my RD position during my interview over anything else.
 
battie said:
Yes, write your resume with all relevant experience, including non-animal related positions. I talked most about my RD position during my interview over anything else.
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🙁 To anyone who's done this multiple years in a row, you're amazing because I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a stroke on my first application cycle!
 
Koffeekat said:
🙁 To anyone who's done this multiple years in a row, you're amazing because I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a stroke on my first application cycle!
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You’ve got this! I won’t lie, 2024 all I did was eat breathe and sleep my vet school application, but it paid off. If you need any help with your resume or anything let me know ☺️
 
Does anyone else have nothing for achievements? I'm a nontrad applicant, and I've had several "achievements," like speaking at conferences, winning advertising awards, or having celebrities engage with my past work (all things I'd list on my resume if I were still applying for marketing jobs)... but nothing that I can see as relevant to vet med.

I haven't been in school for so long I genuinely couldn't remember what our honors was called, if I was even on it. Hell, I can't even remember the name of some of my previous supervisors for jobs in my experience section.

I'm tempted to list nothing for that section because I'm so sick of this app, but I'm not sure if that's a bad call. 🫠
 
meowgnificent said:
Does anyone else have nothing for achievements? I'm a nontrad applicant, and I've had several "achievements," like speaking at conferences, winning advertising awards, or having celebrities engage with my past work (all things I'd list on my resume if I were still applying for marketing jobs)... but nothing that I can see as relevant to vet med.

I haven't been in school for so long I genuinely couldn't remember what our honors was called, if I was even on it. Hell, I can't even remember the name of some of my previous supervisors for jobs in my experience section.

I'm tempted to list nothing for that section because I'm so sick of this app, but I'm not sure if that's a bad call. 🫠
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Absolutely you should list them. There's nothing on the VMCAS app that specifies "only things the applicant feels are relevant to vet med."

Soft skills, like those required for marketing, are necessary to be successful in vet med.
 
I am currently applying for the 2025 cycle. a friend told me that I can add only the prerequisites to my GPAs so they will end up being higher than they actually are. But I paid for the automatic transcript entry instead of entering in the grades myself. For Ohio State, there are prerequisites so not every course on your transcript is needed to count toward your GPA. If I did the automatic transcript entry, do you know if it will count all my courses into the GPA or just the prerequisites? I now feel like everyone else probably did the manual entry and made they're grades better to only put in the needed ones. Will be GPAs be lower than everyone else now?
 
You the student have no control over how your GPAs are counted. There are three GPAs most schools look at: cumulative GPA (or cGPA) which is every single college course you’ve ever taken ever (even if it was in high school), last 45 GPA which is usually your last year or approximately your last 10-15 classes chronologically, and science GPA (sGPA) or prerequisite GPA which is what you’re talking about. Each GPA will be calculated by VMCAS and then again by each individual school. The maximum control you have is if you took multiple math courses that satisfy the math prerequisite and you got an A in one and a D in the other, you should assign the A course as the one fulfilling the prereq.

ETA: it doesn’t matter who enters your grades, you or the people who get paid to, because it’s all the same info. You decide what classes get marked as satisfying a pre-req. No one here is grade inflating and it’d be silly for that to part of VMCAS.
 
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