Letter to Aspiring Vets - General Tips for Getting Accepted into Vet School

Oct 3, 2026

A motivational letter from Alexis Massey to future veterinarians, explaining how to navigate the path to vet school from early exposure and experience to academic preparation and application strategy. The guidance emphasizes gaining diverse animal and clinic experience, tracking activities for VMCAS, completing required pre-vet coursework, and preparing for the GRE and CASPer. It also addresses GPA concerns and rejection resilience, outlining practical steps for completing courses, submitting test scores, and planning VMCAS sections early.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

General tips for getting accepted into vet school

Get experience as early as possible

Academically Prepare

Testing required for vet school

Grades do matter, but don’t stress

Do NOT give up

Actually applying to vet school

Dear Future Veterinarian, Most veterinarians (or aspiring vets) I’ve talked to have wanted to be a veterinarian since they were young, myself included. Starting at 10 years old and loving puppies and kittens, I always told people,“I want to be a vet when I grow up!” when asked what my future holds. However, I never exactly knew how to get there. Being a first generation college student, I had a rocky start. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect out of college in general, let alone the path I should take that would lead me to being a doctor. Additionally, it’s not ideal that a lot of undergraduate schools don’t have pre-veterinary advisors that could guide students along the twists and turns of this intricate path. I wrote this as if I was writing to my past self, in hopes that she would be at ease on this academic journey. From one student to another, I’m hoping these tips will help you reach the goal you’ve been working so hard for. All the best, Alexis Massey General tips for getting accepted into vet school 1) Get experience as early as possible. Schools LOVE this. Diverse experience is even better. Due to that fact a wide variety of species will be studied in vet school, they would like you to have some exposure to different kinds of animals and environments. Aside from working/shadowing at a clinic or hospital, volunteering is a minimalcommitment option that can be very unique. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities: horse farms, the aquarium, a research lab, the zoo, animal shelters, etc. Additionally, working at an animal hospital or clinic is great due to the fact that it shows that you know what you’re getting into (long hours, physical and emotional strain, emergency situations, difficult clients, ethical dilemmas)– all of this builds the qualities they’re looking for: stamina, adaptability, attention to detail, self-discipline, resiliency, teamwork, etc. While the field of veterinary medicine is not just playing with puppies all day, it is an extremely rewarding career with endless paths. Note: Be sure to keep track of your experiences to put on your VMCAS application! 2) Academically Prepare. You don’t apply to vet school until (or after) your junior year of undergrad, and you can major in basically anything…but there are certain classes that have to be taken for certain schools (although most vet schools do have majority of the same pre-requisites) . Most pre-vet students major in biology because a lot of the courses match with veterinary school’s requirements. These course requirements can be found on each school’s site under their admissions requirements – A grade of C or higher must be achieved in all courses. Making sure you know what you have to do academically will help so much with staying on track. Testing Required for Vet School: As of right now, there are only two tests required to get into vet school, the GRE and CASPer. Some schools may not even require them at all. CASPer is a more holistic test where you’re given scenarios and asked to respond. It measures traits such as communication, professionalism, ethics, etc. The GRE is a 3 hour standardized test that tests your analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds! I took about 2-3 months to prepare using Magoosh online test prep. However, there are *several* efficient and free resources that will help you succeed. My Scores weren’t genius level but they got me in! Verbal Reasoning: 150, Quantitative Reasoning: 145, Analytical Writing: 5/6 . 1) Grades do matter, but don’t stress! I am nowhere near a genius, I have gotten my share of C’s, and have even had to retake one or two courses. This was during the beginning of my undergrad studies, and I also had some personal things going on. However, I found my areas of weakness and improved my study habits, mental health, and finally stopped procrastinating (mostly) . I graduated from Rutgers with 3.6 GPA and Cum L

FAQs

What are the most important ways to gain experience before vet school?

Start gaining experience as early as possible. Work or shadow at clinics/hospitals and consider volunteering options like horse farms, aquariums, research labs, zoos, and animal shelters.

Which tests are required for vet school and what do they assess?

The GRE and CASPer are the two tests discussed. CASPer is a more holistic, scenario-based test measuring communication, professionalism, ethics, and related traits, while the GRE is a 3-hour standardized test covering analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning.

How should applicants handle lower grades or course retakes?

Grades matter, but the advice is not to stress. Vet schools understand that situations happen; improve study habits, address weaknesses, and strengthen other areas such as relevant experience and strong GRE performance.

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by Alexandar