Admissions Timeline

It's helpful to know when you need to complete your application, but it's also helpful to have a sense of what the process looks like.

What's due by when?
What do we look for in your application?
What about interviews? And when can you expect your decision?

These questions and more are addressed in our timeline.

Application Timeline

Application Submission | May- September

When to apply: Quality over speed. You don’t need to apply as soon as the VMCAS opens in May. This isn’t a ‘first come, first serve’ process. Although we don't advise waiting until the last minute, there is plenty of time through the months of June, July and August to include all information in your application and submit all the required items to VMCAS. The VMCAS application for entry in Fall 2025 is Monday, September 15, 2024. To make sure we are comparing applications fairly and inclusively, we start reviewing our applications in late fall (October).

All applicants are notified of receipt of their application by email no later than December 5. At this time, if an application is missing items, applicants will be notified.

Application Review | October-December

Your academic record matters. Includes cumulative undergraduate grade-point average, achievement in required pre-professional courses, advanced degrees and academic honors. Our average GPA for incoming students is typically around a 3.6 and applicants should at least have a 3.0 GPA with a Last 45 GPA that has not dropped and is typically higher.

Veterinary, animal and/or health science experience. This may include the care, knowledge, and experience gained working in a veterinary, agricultural, research, human health and or biomedical setting. Such experience should be of appropriate breadth and depth and should entail more than having provided routine care and feeding of companion animals or family pets. We generally recommend having at least 600 hours of vet experience which allows for a mature view in the role of the veterinarian, an understanding into the depth of the vet profession, and a realization of the science of medicine practiced by veterinarians. This insight should be applied in the VMCAS Personal Statement and Penn Vet application prompts.

References are evaluated and at least three are required: 1 Academic (strongly preferred Science), 1 Veterinarian, and 1 from your choosing (can be another Veterinarian or Academic source). VMCAS applications will accept up to 6 references and while our requirement is only three, we will evaluate all that are submitted.

A well-rounded and exceptional individual. Extracurricular activities, community engagement, leadership roles, employment not related to animals. Potential for contribution to, and advancement of, the profession.

Application Status and Invitations for an Interview | January

All applicants will be notified of their standing in Mid January. Invites to interview will also be sent out at this time.

Group interviews with the Committee on Admissions are by invitation only. We unfortunately can't guarantee interviews for all our applicants.

While we try to give at least two (2) weeks notice prior to an interview, we also have openings that become available for a specific interview day inside of the standard two (2) week window.

Interviews | January-February

We will hold interviews in January and February and suggest that you not schedule any trips, vacations, or events that cannot be canceled during this time, as we will not reschedule an applicants interview day. It is best to keep these months open for a possible interview.

Interviews are required and virtually using the Zoom platform.

File Your FAFSA | January-February

Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid. Learn more about the FAFSA

Decisions | February

All interviewed applicants are notified of the committee's decision by email by February 28th.

The Interview: What We Look For

After applications have been reviewed, Penn Vet will hold interviews for anyone being considered. These interviews allow the Admissions Committee to evaluate an applicant’s understanding and commitment to veterinary medicine, communication skills, determination and overall interest in Penn Vet.

Solid academic ability

We ask, “Can the applicant do the work that will be required in vet school?”. We won’t just look at the GPA and make a decision. We look at all grades, and coursework taken to evaluate an applicant’s academic ability and will focus on the sciences, especially the upper level science courses.
Veterinary experience and an understanding of veterinary medicine

Vet experience is necessary for developing an understanding of the field. While we recommend getting as many hours in as many different areas of vet med as you realistically can, it is not just for the sake of making your application look great. We recommend getting these hours and seeing as many different types of medicine because it allows the potential vet student to mature their thinking regarding the profession. Vet med is a dynamic profession with an extremely wide scope that impacts animals and humans alike. We value a true understanding in what veterinarians provide and how they provide it. The only way to obtain this understanding is through vet experience. We won’t ask you to get experience in every single area of vet med. Your goal, however, should be to get as much quality experience as you can, so that you will have meaningful experiences to draw from in explaining why you want to be a veterinarian and what you understand about the profession.
An area of interest

We ask our applicants to indicate their area of interest. This is not a binding decision, as we know an education in Penn Vet’s VMD program will open a lot of different doors for students. We recommend that when applicants select an area of interest, they have vet experience to support the decision. Applicants should have some basic understanding of where they see their career going and should be able to speak about their area of interest with a clear understanding.
Strong Recommendations

Applicants should have recommendations from Science faculty members and veterinarians who can go beyond basic characteristics (E.g., they were on time, smiled a lot, did what they were asked). Your recommendations should speak to those things, but more importantly should be able to tell us why you will be able to succeed both academically and professionally.
Animal Experiences

Animal experience is experience around animals but not with a veterinarian. Although these experiences aren’t as important as the vet experience, time around animals in shelters, labs, barns, zoos and farms can all have impact on an understanding of the veterinary profession.
A Well-Rounded Individual

Extracurricular activities, community service, social clubs, athletics, music, leadership roles and employment is important. As much as we value vet experience, we additionally value students with a wealth of experiences that have matured their thinking in veterinary medicine and on a holistic level.