Successful Applicants - Veterinary

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A: Most of my veterinary and animal experiences were in college. It was essential for me to find diverse experiences within the field. I first volunteered with PAWSNY and Best Friends Animal Society. Then, I became a laboratory animal technician at Hunter’s Animal Facility. At the same time, I became a scribe at the Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG)—eventually, my position as a scribe transitioned to my position as a veterinary assistant at VEG. Afterward, I volunteered at Gallop NYC and Wild Bird Fund and then became a veterinary assistant at the Animal Clinic of Long Island City.

I also became a research intern at Weill Cornell Medicine Belfer Research Building, focusing on human cancer research utilizing nanoscience and biotechnology.

Lastly, I was a PHMI mentor for pre-veterinary students, and outside of vet med, I was a General Chemistry TA and a Biophysical Chemistry tutor.

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: It varied but roughly 5-10 hours altogether per week. I would set small attainable goals for myself each week for each class to retain information at my own pace without overwhelming myself. My study habits also varied depending on the class. I made time for office hours, formed study/friend groups, found/made practice questions, or listened to videos, podcasts, or lecture recordings while on the train. Sometimes, I briefly went over any lectures before class and reviewed or fixed my notes the same day or the same week of those lectures. This method helped me stay organized while also reintroducing the material to myself several times. As exams were approaching, I would adjust my schedule to put in extra time to study for those exams.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: I did not. However, when I took the CASPer exam, my friend gave me the BeMo's Ultimate Guide to CASPer book, which I used to review example questions to practice.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: Yes, I took two gap years. My set graduation date was in Spring 2022. I had finished my major classes and had nothing outstanding. However, I wanted a chance to boost my GPA by taking higher-level science courses and additional pre-req courses for schools I was looking to apply to.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: My diverse animal and veterinary experiences helped as it showed that I took the time to explore the field before making an informed decision to pursue a DVM.

I also included EVERYTHING in my experience sections, going back to high school. I did many things outside of vet med, such as being on the volleyball team, being the student government president, dancing, playing instruments, being in a city band, joining multiple community service projects, taking on other leadership roles, etc. Each year, vet schools seek a specific group of applicants, which can vary each cycle. Therefore, instead of selling myself short, I allowed admissions to choose which experiences would interest them and set me apart.

Lastly, I think my interest and goal as a future veterinarian in research and One Health also set me apart from other applicants. These areas of vet medicine are in high demand but not the most popular choice amongst most applicants.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: I applied to 15 schools nationally and 5 schools internationally (all AVMA-accredited).

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The resources on the pre-vet page helped me know where to look when applying for different experiences. The seminars were also helpful in learning how to present myself in a professional setting. I am also grateful to Kemile and Nina for having scheduled meetings with me during my cycle to help edit my essays and experiences section and connecting me to current vet students who also offered a helping hand. Lastly, having the opportunity to become a PHMI mentor and help incoming pre-vets get a strong foundation as they set their foot into college for the first time and the world of veterinary medicine also allowed me to achieve my goal of becoming a reliable source for future pre-vets.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: First and foremost, remember that you are more than your GPA! I, too, was once consumed by the worry that my GPA would close doors for me. However, I still received multiple acceptances! Schools are now moving towards holistic methods when evaluating applicants. So, a 4.0 GPA doesn't guarantee acceptance (though it CERTAINLY helps).

Look for diverse experiences and be involved in your community and extracurriculars! It may be hard to find these experiences initially but don't be afraid to put yourself out there. You may get a few “no's,” but as they say, for every closed door, a new door opens. I would refrain from any online applications if you can; email, call, or walk in to show your interest and initiative! Many essay questions will also ask you to explain a time you displayed certain qualities, so experience is essential!

Continuing on to the essay section, some schools do not interview and rely on personal statements and supplemental questions to understand who you are. Therefore, I recommend finding your story early on. Why do YOU want to be a vet, and what do you have to offer? Why should schools choose you? Remember, you are unique, and no one has the same story as you. Be personal and genuine. If you are able to, use experiences outside of vet med to show you are a well-rounded individual. Though difficult, try not to compare yourself to others, either. As I said, schools change who they are looking for every cycle, so they may be looking for someone exactly like you!

Lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help and make connections with the vet school admissions team (this can also help them remember you and make you stand out), current students, the pre-health office, etc. Everyone is here for you! We all went through similar obstacles, and most of us want to be able to guide others through them. Applying to vet school is hard work, but you are never alone.

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A: I volunteered at a local small animal hospital, Wild Bird Fund, and Gallop NYC. Vet schools like to see a varied number of experiences, so I had most of my hours in small animal general practice and about 100-200 hours in large animal and exotics. The quality of your experiences matters much more than the quantity of them, so it’s important to build meaningful relationships with veterinarians so they can write a strong recommendation letter.

I also was involved in the Pre-Vet Club as well as Hunter’s Pre-Health Mentoring Initiative guiding Pre-Vet students. I also participated in wound healing research with Dr. Xu’s lab at Hunter along with some dog/cat behavioral research at Hunter’s Thinking Dog Center.

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: The hours varied per semester; however, I did always have two science classes that took up most of my study time and some general electives to balance out the heavy science material. For me, it was important to block out time to study every day a week before an exam, so that week I was putting in many more study hours than other weeks. I was not one of those students chipping away at the material every day, but I did find that having exposure to new material at least 2 to 3 times a week helped. I also think it’s important to set reasonable goals for the amount of material you want to cover in the time you set aside for studying.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: No, a lot of vet schools are eliminating their testing requirements, so I did not take any standardized tests.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: No, the plan was to apply the cycle of my junior year; if I got in, I would go. If I didn’t, I would take a gap year and apply again. I did not want to miss out on applying and taking a gap year and then apply as a first-time applicant and not get in and then have to wait another year. However, if you do not get in on your first time around and decide to take a gap year, make sure to re-evaluate your application and contact the schools that rejected you and ask them to review your application with you. Ask for guidance on how you can improve upon it within the gap year. Even as a first-time applicant, I was contacting schools about how I can better my application, and be a more competitive applicant; also attending virtual roundtables.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: My strengths were probably the variation of animal experiences that I had and the research that I did. Research was a topic that was brought up in one of my interviews because vet schools do offer lots of opportunities for students to participate in research projects with faculty.

I also worked as a dental assistant and legal assistant, so having that variety working with people also helped.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: I only applied to schools near the East Coast.

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: I was involved with the Pre-Health Office since I was a freshman setting up my Pre-Health File and attending meetings.

In hindsight, that wasn’t really useful because vet schools don’t require a committee letter. However, it did allow me to store my recommendations that I had from professors, and the Pre-Health Office helped me upload them to VMCAS when I was applying. I only started setting up meetings with Kemile about vet schools during my junior year, when we went over requirements for schools and the extra classes I would need to take to fulfill pre-requisites for certain schools.

I started my VMCAS application May of my junior year and that summer I had booked a lot more appointments with Kemile to look over my personal statement, supplemental essays, and experience descriptions. It was nice to have these appointments to set goals for what I needed to complete each week and chip away at the large amount of writing and editing required. Kemile really helped me with cutting down my character count while getting my point across.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: As cheesy as it sounds, the best advice I could give is to be yourself, have an idea of who you want to become in veterinary medicine and be confident in your application. Also, if a school gives you a supplemental prompt that allows you to be creative to get to know who you are outside of veterinary medicine, don’t hold back because you want to come off as a better candidate.

As someone who was trying to get veterinary experience during the pandemic, I had to hear a lot of “nos” from clinics so, I just kept taking my dog to his vet and kept asking to volunteer until I got a “yes.” The point is, do whatever you need to do to get your foot through the door.

I know it can be difficult to shadow a doctor because you’re trying not to be in their way in such a fast-paced environment but choose your moments wisely to ask questions about cases. A lot of the times the doctor is happy to answer while they are charting, so don’t be afraid to ask.

I got a very unique experience because we were doing curbside appointments, so there were a lot more learning opportunities for me.

Academically, make sure that your GPA is competitive. As much as I hate it, a lot of schools filter you out by GPA first. Since many vet schools are taking out standardized tests, GPA carries a heavier weight.

I also think it’s important to have a general idea of what you want to do in veterinary medicine. I know that it may be hard to find out where you’ll fit in within the realm of veterinary medicine, but having a general idea of what you’re interested in and making yourself more familiar with that particular field would be to your advantage.

Lastly, do not compare yourself to others. I did not really know anyone who was applying to vet school when I was applying, and I am grateful for it because I wasn’t constantly comparing myself to them or questioning if I was enough. You are interested in this field because you want to help animals, and whatever path gets you there is the path meant for you!

Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in?
A: I was an intern at Brooklyn Heights Veterinary Hospital, a receptionist at Sheepshead Bay Veterinary Group, a volunteer at Animal Haven Shelter, a volunteer for GallopNYC, a volunteer for PositiveTails, and a veterinary assistant at Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group (VERG). Outside of veterinary medicine, I am a research assistant in Dr. Alexandratos' lab here at Hunter. I am also a private academic tutor for a student with special needs. While waiting to hear back from veterinary medical schools, I became a volunteer crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line, and I was able to speak about this experience during my interviews.

Q: How many hours on average did you spend studying for your courses per week?
A: It varied; I could spend anywhere from 15-20 hours studying a week if I had an exam, or around 10 hours per week if I did not have any midterms coming up.

Q: Did you use a test prep course?
A: No.

Q: Did you take a GAP year? If so, why?
A: No.

Q: What do you consider to be your strengths in your application?
A: I would consider my application strengths to be my time and dedication to veterinary medicine. My exploration of the field began when I was 16 years old, and I have been consistent ever since. Another aspect of my application that I believe schools really appreciated was my research experience and my desire to conduct research as a future veterinarian. The One Health principle guides the research initiatives at many vet medical schools; this is the idea that the health of people is closely connected to and interdependent on the health of animals and the environment. My research aligns with the principle of One Health, as the Alexandratos' Lab focuses on water remediation and sustaining water resources.

Q: Did you apply nationally?
A: I applied to eight schools: four on the East Coast, two in the Midwest, and one in the West. I also applied to the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London.

Q: How did the Pre-Health Advising Office help you achieve your goals?
A: The Pre-Health Advising Office helped me achieve my goals by guiding me through the VMCAS application, editing my personal statement and supplemental essays, as well as doing mock-interviews after my application was submitted.

Q: What advice do you have for others?
A: Find a balance between your academic studies and extracurricular activities. As a vet assistant at VERG, I worked for 10 hours a week. I knew that I would need to excel in my studies if I wanted to be a competitive applicant. At the same time, working with animals continued to remind me why I was pursuing veterinary medicine and, in turn, provided me with motivation for my studies.

Applying to veterinary schools is incredibly intimidating because you are competing with many other applicants who have wanted to pursue this profession since childhood and have unique experiences. My advice under these circumstances is to surround yourself with people who believe in you, and believe in your dreams, and as you tell your story, remember that all you need is one vet medical school to believe in your potential.