To apply to most veterinary schools in the United States, you will use a centralized application, the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS)

The VMCAS Fee Assistance Program assists those who, without financial assistance, would be unable to apply to veterinary schools that use the Veterinary Medical College Application Service® (VMCAS®)

Each year the AAVMC (American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges) will create an applicant guide for the current cycle.  View the 2023 VMCAS Guide.

Vet School Application Guides

Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Life Sciences grades are calculated separately on your application to veterinary school.

For veterinary programs, refer to the Course Subject List within the VMCAS Applicant Guide to review which subjects fall under the science GPA

Veterinary programs may have additional GPA considerations in their admissions process (i.e. last 30-60 credits, prerequisite GPA, etc) or may vary in how they factor in repeat courses.  Familiarize yourself with programs' GPA considerations before applying.  

Your transcript is typically viewed as a primary factor in the admissions process. Your GPA, particularly in the sciences, is viewed as a reliable predictor of how you will perform in veterinary school and is a demonstration of your academic capacity.

Veterinary schools vary in their prerequisites. It is important to research the prerequisites for different veterinary schools so that you are prepared and on track with your academic planning.

Work with your academic advisor to plan your courses.

The GRE is offered multiple times per year. Refer to the GRE testing calendar for scheduling dates.

The VMCAS application opens during January, and beginning in May applicants can begin selecting programs.  VMCAS closes in mid-September which requires all application materials and letters of evaluation to be submitted. You can submit your VMCAS application as soon as it is complete.  Programs vary when they will begin reviewing applications and offering interview invitations.

As of this publication, ten (10) vet schools require the GRE.

The Graduate Record Examination® (GRE®) is a standardized, multiple-choice, short answer, and essay examination designed to assess your analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning prerequisite to the study of a wide variety of graduate education programs.

Preparing for the GRE takes time and dedication.

ETS, the service that offers the GRE, has a wide variety of free and official test preparation materials available for the GRE.

 Prepare for the GRE General Test

The GRE is offered multiple times per year. Refer to the GRE testing calendar for scheduling date

Visit the Preprofessional program’s Test Prep Resources for more resources.

3-part personal statement tutorial on YouTube 

GVSU Writing Center

VMCAS Personal Essay  

Explanation Statement: While this section is NOT REQUIRED, you can use it to record information that could not be listed anywhere else within the application to provide the admissions committee(s) additional information that you consider vital to your application.  This might include missing parental information, disciplinary action(s), COVID-19 impact, etc. You have 3,000 characters (including spaces) for this statement.  

Letters of Recommendation are also referred to as "Evaluations" on the VMCAS application

The required number of letters and the type of letter varies by veterinary school

In the VMCAS application, you will specify who your letter writers are and which schools will receive each letter

VMCAS accepts three different types of letters: Individual Letters, Committee Letters, and Composite Letters

GVSU does not provideCommittee Letters or Composite Letters, meaning you will need to obtain Individual Letters for your vet application

No matter your year in school, it’s important to consider the veterinary schools you plan to apply to. Each veterinary school requires different prerequisite courses and may have specific criteria for Letters of Recommendation.

Preparing for veterinary school requires careful, long-range planning and accurate information in order to meet the requirements to apply.

When researching veterinary schools that you would like to apply to, it can be helpful to compare different schools. This table includes some initial criteria to review as you begin.

Prerequisites can vary from one school to another. It is important to research the prerequisites for different medical schools so that you are prepared and on track with your academic planning.

Utilize the Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR) to research information about veterinary medical education.  This director of US, Canadian, and International veterinary medical schools has search, filter, and comparison capabilities that provides essential information for applying to veterinary medical school.  Effortlessly find information about prerequisite requirements, tuition information, required tests and more

An online directory is available of the AAVMC veterinary member institutions.  

How to apply to Veterinary Schools