Quick Remarks

Applying to a Vet School is unique in a lot of ways compared to applying to other types of graduate programs. The main thing is that it is more difficult and more competitive to get into due to the limited number of spots. The range of the difficulty you face is also determined by some things you cannot control. Just about all vet schools are state-sponsored schools and there therefore is a huge advantage to be a state resident to get in and to get a better deal on tuition. Often a certain number of seats are guaranteed to state residents. Many states, like New Jersey, although lacking their own vet school contract with other schools to reserve a certain number of slots with reduced tuition. This is not the case for all states. If you are having problems applying and you are a resident of one of these unlucky states, you may want to consider trying to gain resident status in a state that has a vet school. Basically there are 28 Vet Schools in the United States with maybe 100 or so slots in each. I have seen a range of statistics, but it appears that about 35% of the people who apply in a given year get into any school at all. Many reapply multiple times before being accepted. There are a lot of people wanting to practice veterinary medicine, so it won’t be easy. It will take a lot of work to get in to vet school and to be successful once you are at the school. However, the rewards can be great when you succeed in doing what you love. If you think you can handle the work and the possible heartbreak of failure, I encourage you to try and make your dreams a reality.

There is too much information out there about the process for this quick squib to be complete, but here is a list of the the main criteria that vet schools use to evaluate applicants: