To Those Who Are All Too Familiar With 'Refused Admission"

[guest3421]

Hey,

For many of us; with at least 100 today, and hundreds over past couple months, have faced a reality where our dream/goal of becoming a veterinarian has been challenged. Personally this is my second time not getting in and from my experience it was very hard to come to terms with. I understand many of you may not want to hear words of encouragement from loved ones because it's hard to have faith in yourself and you don't want to hear their "lies". It's ok to feel like this and don't hold back. Let it out...which is why I thought to make a separate thread here. I think that of anyone who could understand what rejection from OVC feels like, it's fellow refused applicants. I'm not excluding admitted students as I'm sure even they have had their share of refusals or moments of doubt and despair. I just think of how hard it was for me and how much better I felt after having finally talked to another girl who was in the same boat as me. 

If you want, you can share your current feelings and thoughts, your worries and negative thoughts here. I don't want this to be a pit of sorrow but maybe for some of you, being able to talk about this with others who can truly understand and empathize, and hearing how many people probably have similar thoughts and feelings, it can help you come to terms with this temporary obstacle and to be able to move forward with more hope than what you may currently have.

[James]

Hi,

I'm really glad somebody started this thread. I'm a first time applicant who's recently been refused admission.

Personally like many other qualified applicants, I'm determined to enhance the quality of animal lives everywhere. I really believe I can potentially become a pretty decent veterinarian. Having a renowned institution like OVC tell me I can't do that has crushed me completely and has led me to question whether this path is even worth it anymore. Having had 2 days to process my "admission refused" notification, I am still as determined as ever to pursue a DVM degree at OVC.

My grades are pretty decent and this was probably why I got my interview in the first place considering my modest experience with animals and in a clinical setting. I believe I did very poorly in the MMI. I am not the most personable person when it comes to discussing things I am not confident about and I believe this was exactly why I did not do too well. Having said that, I know with more experience and knowledge, I will excel as a DVM. If I know my stuff I am a decent public speaker. For example for presentations I am well prepared for, I am totally normal.

Overall, grades aren't my issue, the interview is. Socially, I am very shy and sometimes awkward and I think that's super detrimental in an interview! I need to get over myself! I know that if I am confident in what I am talking about I can be more comfortable. Does anyone have suggestions for me? I am considering public speaking courses and seeking more clinical experience.

[121313]

Jun 4, 2016 19:48:55 GMT -5 James said:

Hi,

I'm really glad somebody started this thread. I'm a first time applicant who's recently been refused admission.

Personally like many other qualified applicants, I'm determined to enhance the quality of animal lives everywhere. I really believe I can potentially become a pretty decent veterinarian. Having a renowned institution like OVC tell me I can't do that has crushed me completely and has led me to question whether this path is even worth it anymore. Having had 2 days to process my "admission refused" notification, I am still as determined as ever to pursue a DVM degree at OVC.

My grades are pretty decent and this was probably why I got my interview in the first place considering my modest experience with animals and in a clinical setting. I believe I did very poorly in the MMI. I am not the most personable person when it comes to discussing things I am not confident about and I believe this was exactly why I did not do too well. Having said that, I know with more experience and knowledge, I will excel as a DVM. If I know my stuff I am a decent public speaker. For example for presentations I am well prepared for, I am totally normal.

Overall, grades aren't my issue, the interview is. Socially, I am very shy and sometimes awkward and I think that's super detrimental in an interview! I need to get over myself! I know that if I am confident in what I am talking about I can be more comfortable. Does anyone have suggestions for me? I am considering public speaking courses and seeking more clinical experience.

Hi James, I feel your pain and know all too well the feeling after seeing admission refused. I know it might feel like your being told your not good enough but the truth is there's just not enough spots to offer every deserving applicant admission. I applied this year on my third application and finally got admitted. Like you I'm shy to and when I did my first interview it was a disaster. But by having had one this year, your going to have valuable experience that first time applicants won't have next year.

I feel I did really well on my interview this year and some advice I'd have about how I went about improving is to have a plan/outline you can fit the scenario in. For example I made a point to outline the stake holders in the situation and how they would be effected before going over what I would do. I practiced a lot formulating my response in 2 mins because once I had that down and knew what I was talking about I would present well which really helped with my confidence and how well I communicated. I'd say public speaking wouldn't hurt. I took a year off and worked reception at a vet clinic over the winter so I had lots of practice there with communication.

Don't let this bump in the road discourage you and best of luck next year!

[vxp]

Hi everyone,

I'm glad there is this thread. I was wondering what I should do at this point too. Like everyone else who applied I really want to become a DVM, but getting refused is making me question if I can get in or not. My grades are 85.5 with my last 2 semester and pre-reqs. Would this still be a competitive score for my future application? And if it is, I was also wondering how I would approach improving my interview? Is there any way I can get mentoring from a vet student at guelph? If anyone can give me advice I would really appreciate it!

[OVC101929484839293]

Jun 5, 2016 9:38:00 GMT -5 vxp said:

Hi everyone,

I'm glad there is this thread. I was wondering what I should do at this point too. Like everyone else who applied I really want to become a DVM, but getting refused is making me question if I can get in or not. My grades are 85.5 with my last 2 semester and pre-reqs. Would this still be a competitive score for my future application? And if it is, I was also wondering how I would approach improving my interview? Is there any way I can get mentoring from a vet student at guelph? If anyone can give me advice I would really appreciate it!

In previous years your grades would have been considered low-average for admitted applicants and so long as your interview was strong you would have had a good shot at getting in. With the new application cycle, the rules seem to have changed. If this forum is to be believed though applying with an 85.5 (I'm assuming you received an interview) would put you pretty close to the bottom of the 200 (again assuming the information you can find re applicants grades is in fact correct). So you would have needed one hell of an interview to bring your score up to make it into the 100. Once again that is **IF** the info on available on this forum is to be believed. 

Unfortunately for you the only information you are going to get from OVC re: your application will be your interview score. Now, usually people start posting there stats, you can then get a very unofficial idea of where you fell in the rankings. In August, you'll also be able to see the admission statistics again to see how you compare with regards to everyone who was admitted. No one really knows what the averages and stats are until this is posted in August.

Now on to the happier stuff. I would encourage you to apply again, being rejected sucks, failing sucks, but vets fail everyday and you need to be able to handle that without giving up. From the info you gave this was your first time applying, there is no reason to give up now if that DVM is really what you want.

I would suggest trying to improve your grades if you can, if not make sure you work your hardest improving your interview. Most second time applicant's interview scores improve ~10 points the next round. You know what to expect, use that to help you prepare for next year. 

TL;DR Apply again you won't get in if you don't. Try to bring up your grades, if you can't used your knowledge to help prepare for the MMI next year. 

Good luck! 

[vxp]

Jun 5, 2016 16:05:59 GMT -5 OVC101929484839293 said:

Jun 5, 2016 9:38:00 GMT -5 vxp said:

Hi everyone,

I'm glad there is this thread. I was wondering what I should do at this point too. Like everyone else who applied I really want to become a DVM, but getting refused is making me question if I can get in or not. My grades are 85.5 with my last 2 semester and pre-reqs. Would this still be a competitive score for my future application? And if it is, I was also wondering how I would approach improving my interview? Is there any way I can get mentoring from a vet student at guelph? If anyone can give me advice I would really appreciate it!

In previous years your grades would have been considered low-average for admitted applicants and so long as your interview was strong you would have had a good shot at getting in. With the new application cycle, the rules seem to have changed. If this forum is to be believed though applying with an 85.5 (I'm assuming you received an interview) would put you pretty close to the bottom of the 200 (again assuming the information you can find re applicants grades is in fact correct). So you would have needed one hell of an interview to bring your score up to make it into the 100. Once again that is **IF** the info on available on this forum is to be believed. 

Unfortunately for you the only information you are going to get from OVC re: your application will be your interview score. Now, usually people start posting there stats, you can then get a very unofficial idea of where you fell in the rankings. In August, you'll also be able to see the admission statistics again to see how you compare with regards to everyone who was admitted. No one really knows what the averages and stats are until this is posted in August.

Now on to the happier stuff. I would encourage you to apply again, being rejected sucks, failing sucks, but vets fail everyday and you need to be able to handle that without giving up. From the info you gave this was your first time applying, there is no reason to give up now if that DVM is really what you want.

I would suggest trying to improve your grades if you can, if not make sure you work your hardest improving your interview. Most second time applicant's interview scores improve ~10 points the next round. You know what to expect, use that to help you prepare for next year. 

TL;DR Apply again you won't get in if you don't. Try to bring up your grades, if you can't used your knowledge to help prepare for the MMI next year. 

Good luck! 

thanks for the advice! It was my second time which is why i'm worried now. I'll take another semester to boost up my average, but do you have any advice on how to approach the interview? I've tried to organize my thoughts where i go through my options explaining why I would do this method and how it woudl affect certain stakeholders and if things they didnt want that option, i would go with another otpion and how it would affect different stakeholders differently. I feel like it's different from what other people on here do as they always list the stakeholders then go through their options and then pick one option. Does it make a difference how we approach it?

[James]

Jun 4, 2016 21:20:00 GMT -5 121313 said:

Jun 4, 2016 19:48:55 GMT -5 James said:

Hi,

I'm really glad somebody started this thread. I'm a first time applicant who's recently been refused admission.

Personally like many other qualified applicants, I'm determined to enhance the quality of animal lives everywhere. I really believe I can potentially become a pretty decent veterinarian. Having a renowned institution like OVC tell me I can't do that has crushed me completely and has led me to question whether this path is even worth it anymore. Having had 2 days to process my "admission refused" notification, I am still as determined as ever to pursue a DVM degree at OVC.

My grades are pretty decent and this was probably why I got my interview in the first place considering my modest experience with animals and in a clinical setting. I believe I did very poorly in the MMI. I am not the most personable person when it comes to discussing things I am not confident about and I believe this was exactly why I did not do too well. Having said that, I know with more experience and knowledge, I will excel as a DVM. If I know my stuff I am a decent public speaker. For example for presentations I am well prepared for, I am totally normal.

Overall, grades aren't my issue, the interview is. Socially, I am very shy and sometimes awkward and I think that's super detrimental in an interview! I need to get over myself! I know that if I am confident in what I am talking about I can be more comfortable. Does anyone have suggestions for me? I am considering public speaking courses and seeking more clinical experience.

Hi James, I feel your pain and know all too well the feeling after seeing admission refused. I know it might feel like your being told your not good enough but the truth is there's just not enough spots to offer every deserving applicant admission. I applied this year on my third application and finally got admitted. Like you I'm shy to and when I did my first interview it was a disaster. But by having had one this year, your going to have valuable experience that first time applicants won't have next year.

I feel I did really well on my interview this year and some advice I'd have about how I went about improving is to have a plan/outline you can fit the scenario in. For example I made a point to outline the stake holders in the situation and how they would be effected before going over what I would do. I practiced a lot formulating my response in 2 mins because once I had that down and knew what I was talking about I would present well which really helped with my confidence and how well I communicated. I'd say public speaking wouldn't hurt. I took a year off and worked reception at a vet clinic over the winter so I had lots of practice there with communication.

Don't let this bump in the road discourage you and best of luck next year!

Thanks a lot for your words of encouragement and congratulations on getting in! I will for sure look for more experience where I can improve my communication skills. You have a good point about knowing what to expect on interview day having been through it already. I feel like this experience will allow me to better prepare myself for next year.

Good luck next year everyone!

[guest6758]

Jun 4, 2016 19:48:55 GMT -5 James said:

Hi,

I'm really glad somebody started this thread. I'm a first time applicant who's recently been refused admission.

Personally like many other qualified applicants, I'm determined to enhance the quality of animal lives everywhere. I really believe I can potentially become a pretty decent veterinarian. Having a renowned institution like OVC tell me I can't do that has crushed me completely and has led me to question whether this path is even worth it anymore. Having had 2 days to process my "admission refused" notification, I am still as determined as ever to pursue a DVM degree at OVC.

My grades are pretty decent and this was probably why I got my interview in the first place considering my modest experience with animals and in a clinical setting. I believe I did very poorly in the MMI. I am not the most personable person when it comes to discussing things I am not confident about and I believe this was exactly why I did not do too well. Having said that, I know with more experience and knowledge, I will excel as a DVM. If I know my stuff I am a decent public speaker. For example for presentations I am well prepared for, I am totally normal.

Overall, grades aren't my issue, the interview is. Socially, I am very shy and sometimes awkward and I think that's super detrimental in an interview! I need to get over myself! I know that if I am confident in what I am talking about I can be more comfortable. Does anyone have suggestions for me? I am considering public speaking courses and seeking more clinical experience.

James, I also didn't get in on my first try. Like you, I felt that my grades were not the problem and decided to pursue methods of improving my interview. For me, it was speaking to people I didn't know in that interview setting. So, a few avenues I tried that you might want to pursue were Toast Masters and various places that interview prep, such as the office across from rozanski (in the parking lot). I also worked out a step by step method of answering questions that worked for most questions and practiced those in front of a camera. Playing it back helped me pick up on any of the extra nervous habits I had that I didn't know about. I got in on my second try. Good luck!

[Guest9993]

I also didn't get in my first try, didn't even get an interview. I cried literally for a month straight... then I picked myself up and applied to a ton lf different things to gain experience and went back to school for a 5th year to improve my grades. The interview process was scary but I practiced for weeks beforehand using the veterinary ethics book and worked on improving my confidence. I also took advantage of the mock MMI which helped a lot.

Don't give up. If vet school is truly what you want to do you CAN do it

[lowenger]

Thanks Guest9993 - what class are you in?

[Foreign Student]

Hi guys,

I went through the same thing as you did. I applied 3 times to Guelph, got as far as the interview but was denied every single time. My grades were not an issue (I graduated with distinction) but it was always the interview that didn't go as well. And I tried everything: from going to all the Mock MMIs to having a professional interview coach. After the third rejection, I realized that Guelph was not meant to be for me. However, that did not make me change my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I started to look for schools outside of Canada... I know you might think "Whoa, I cannot afford that!" but I found a school in Europe (Kosice, Slovakia to be exact) which was comparable to Guelph's tuition. So I thought to myself why not apply and see if they even take me. Long and behold, they accepted me for the 4 year post BSc program.
I am now in my second year here and I am truly enjoying it. Classes are usually really small (30 people in lectures and 15 people maximum in practicals). Living here is extremely cheap and my classmates are from all over the world (mostly English, Irish, Scandinavian but even US and Canada).
I just wanted to say, do NOT give up on your dreams! Something else is out there.

[Guest13]

Dec 9, 2016 13:49:51 GMT -5 Foreign Student said:

Hi guys,

I went through the same thing as you did. I applied 3 times to Guelph, got as far as the interview but was denied every single time. My grades were not an issue (I graduated with distinction) but it was always the interview that didn't go as well. And I tried everything: from going to all the Mock MMIs to having a professional interview coach. After the third rejection, I realized that Guelph was not meant to be for me. However, that did not make me change my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I started to look for schools outside of Canada... I know you might think "Whoa, I cannot afford that!" but I found a school in Europe (Kosice, Slovakia to be exact) which was comparable to Guelph's tuition. So I thought to myself why not apply and see if they even take me. Long and behold, they accepted me for the 4 year post BSc program.
I am now in my second year here and I am truly enjoying it. Classes are usually really small (30 people in lectures and 15 people maximum in practicals). Living here is extremely cheap and my classmates are from all over the world (mostly English, Irish, Scandinavian but even US and Canada).
I just wanted to say, do NOT give up on your dreams! Something else is out there.

Hello, I was wondering if I could contact you and get some more information!

[James]

Jun 6, 2016 21:13:06 GMT -5 Guest9993 said:

I also didn't get in my first try, didn't even get an interview. I cried literally for a month straight... then I picked myself up and applied to a ton lf different things to gain experience and went back to school for a 5th year to improve my grades. The interview process was scary but I practiced for weeks beforehand using the veterinary ethics book and worked on improving my confidence. I also took advantage of the mock MMI which helped a lot.

Don't give up. If vet school is truly what you want to do you CAN do it

I applied for my second time this year and ended up getting in! Thanks a lot for your words of encouragement! I prepared for the MMI a lot more this year. I read an ethics book (Bernard Rollin's book), and practiced for a few months leading up to interview day with one of my buddies who also had an upcoming MMI. I ended up getting improving my interview score by 12%! For everyone who has been rejected this year, please do not give up! You can always find a way to improve for next year.

[Guest95637269]

I think it's also so hard knowing that you had excellent experience and could have brought so much to the table, yet your grades were merely average. Absolutely insane feeling and something I still can't get over.

[guest8384845]

I feel you. The part that's driving me crazy is that I would have gotten in two or more years ago and probably last year, based on the admission stats. I missed it by a couple percent and since the averages always go up, I feel doomed.

[lowenger]

Jul 25, 2017 6:00:32 GMT -5 Guest95637269 said:

I think it's also so hard knowing that you had excellent experience and could have brought so much to the table, yet your grades were merely average. Absolutely insane feeling and something I still can't get over.

As you can imagine it is very competitive. But by and large in addition to high marks all applicants bring excellent experience.