Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 14% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about handling ethical dilemmas like convenience euthanasia, views on animal research, insights into personal experiences in veterinary settings, reasons for choosing veterinary medicine over other fields, and discussions on stress management and future career aspirations. Some respondents mentioned being part of an MMI format and subject to a nondisclosure agreement, while others highlighted a range of questions focused on personal attributes, motivations for pursuing veterinary medicine, and experiences related to animal welfare and clinical practice.
No specific questions, group discussion with given prompt
What do you do when a client comes in and asks about dogs that are being used as research? Then what if the research page explicitly said the animals were in pain.
No specific questions. Anything they wanted to know was worked out of me via casual conversation. The direction of the interview focused on my interests and what sort of education I was hoping to obtain.
What have you been doing the last 6 months since you've been out of school? (I've been doing research) How do you feel about killing rats? what if they were cats?
If you were me, what questions should I be asking in order to get to know who you are.
One of the interviewers had read my file, while the other had not. The closed file interviewer asked all the questions.
How do you feel about the use of animals in research? How do you feel about the general welfare of the animals that you work with? (I work with lab animals)
If a person comes in with an old incontinent dog, ready to go on vacation, and wants the dog euthanized so they don't have to board it, what do you do?
2.) Tell me about __________ (the gene I'm researching) - one of the interviewers was open file.
3.) Is it ethical to breed mice strains that have a perinatal lethal mutation (such as the one in my lab)
4.) If a young Jack Russell Terrier went and bit a neighbor's infant, what should happen?
5.) What if the dog was not vaccinated for Rabies and was at risk?
What will you do if you don't get into vet school?
I really didn't appreciate how one of the interviewers told me I should try to be a vet tech assistant to gain experience for a year if I didn't get in because lab jobs were too competitive.
What would you do as a vet if an owner brought in a perfectly healthy dog and wanted to put it to sleep because they're going on vacation and couldn't find anyone to watch the dog?
One of the interviewers is open file and the other is closed file. The majority of the questions are asked by the closed file interviewer, so the first quesion I got was: "I know nothing about you. Tell me a little about your background and interests."
What would you do if an owner brought in a healthy 2-year-old dog and asked for it to be euthanized simply because they couldn't find anyone to watch the dog while they were on vacation?
**This was not my question, but it was the most interesting one I heard from others. If an owner came in with a perfectly healthy puppy and wanted to euthanize him, what would you do? There were several follow up questions and a simple answer was not taken.
Tell about an instance when you encountered a case involving animal abuse and/or euthanasia. How did you morally feel about the actions that were taken?
They will ask you stuff in your application. ''So tell me about this. How was your experience during this. What was your favorite/worst moment during this. etc''
What are your feelings on animals in research?
Be honest. There's no right or wrong answer. They just want to see how you think and feel on the subject.
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine discussed a wide range of topics from ethical dilemmas like euthanizing healthy pets to personal experiences not on their applications. The interviews covered diverse areas such as future goals, veterinary challenges, personal attributes, and specific cases encountered, with a mix of traditional questions and unexpected inquiries reflecting the MMI format where applicants might have been under nondisclosure agreements.
What would you do if a client wanted to euthanize their healthy pet? Then the client gets mad and says if you don’t do it they will?
"So we have both read your file and application, can you tell us about something not on your application?" I talked about the internship I started after submitting my application.
Interviewer gave me a lot of industry advice, which I hadn't expected. It made the whole experience more relaxing because it felt like a genuine conversation rather than constant questions and prodding.
After reading your PS, you mentioned that you wanted to use sociology to try to understand the problem of animal abuse. How would you do this and how can you start to affect change? (also a hard question in general)
They noted my research interests and concern for food animal welfare. How would I interact with food vets in my class who might have differing opinions about the issue?
(From the cold interviewer after he had asked me most of the questions) When I read your file what will I wished we had talked about that we haven't yet?
Is there any specific thing you encountered at <experience> that you would like to see a solution for? Ex. cure for a disease, better way to treat something, etc.
What don't you like about working in an animal hospital? (I talked about all the decisions based on money, and how I'm not good with conversations about money yet.)
Describe a clinical experience you've had that has left an impression on you? I began describing the doctor/client relationship, how the vet I shadow is very good at putting people at ease and has a very high rate of people who come back to him because they trust him and his work...They pressed me for a specific case that I had seen. Luckily I had thought about this before hand so I was then able to come up with an interesting case I could briefly talk about. They also asked me where I shadowed and who owned the hospital (one of my interviewers seemed to know one of the owners).
About the reality of veterinary medicine in my country (I'm an international student). The interviewer had worked over there and wanted to discuss some issues with me... I just wasn't expecting it...)
I mentioned how I want to go into public health. I accidentally brought up SARS and Avian Flu. One of my interviewers (who specializes in public health) asked me the difficulties of detection between the two. If you're going to bring something up during the interview, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!
For me the most intersting question was about my large animal experience since it was very nontraditional and this led into a conversation about wildlife and zoo stuff.
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including legacy aspirations, personal failures, challenges in veterinary field, ethical dilemmas, and future career goals. The interview format may have been an MMI, with some respondents mentioning non-disclosure agreements, while common question themes revolved around ethical scenarios, personal motivations for veterinary medicine, and handling challenging situations in the field.
What do you want your legacy to be after you retire?
You've become a vet, you're now 80 years old and retired. What would you want your legacy to be? (I was not expecting this kind of question at all!! The interviewer saw my expression change and was like, "Interesting question, eh?" HAHA
Equine vets get beat up- how do you feel about this? (I didn't really have anything else to say besides "Yes, I know. That's what happens when you work with horses.")
You're Catholic, so I know your position on abortion...how do you feel about spaying and neutering animals? (less difficult and more somewhat rude and unexpected)
What other schools have you applied to? I was expecting a follow up question where I could explain why I liked UPenn, but there wasn't one; so, it made it awkward.
Nothing really difficult.... We have a highly qualified pool of applicants this year. What unique talents and experiences would you bring to the school here?
What other schools did you apply to and have you heard back from them? and then... Is UPenn your #1 choice? (Though I was honest, I felt very uncomfortable answering this question since I'm sure it biased their overall decision)
You were the 4th vet that these owners have come to and they just want you to put their healthy dog down. What would you do? Followed up with If you refused to put the dog down, what would happen if the owners let the dog out and let it get hit by a car causing an accident? (I failed this question, keep in mind the options of the dog, a humane euthanasia vs. being hit by a car)
Do you think the schools that rejected you made the right decision? what would you say to the admissions officer of a school that rejected you if she was sitting in front of you right now? Why did they make the wrong decision?
Tell me your scores - I hadn't looked at the exact numbers in a while ad one of the intertviewers is cold so he did not know them. However, if I got the scores wrong the other interviewer, who was hot, would know. Luckily, I remembered them!
How do you feel about the current state of food animal production in this country? (I said I don't really know that much about it, that my large-animal experience is very limited, but that I think it's important for all vet school students to learn some about food animals in order to be a better resource to their communities.)
We probably shouldn't ask you this, but where is PennVet on your list out of all your schools... I wasn't sure how to respond to this. PennVet is up there, but I'm not sure if it's #1 for me yet. It was a question I had anticipated but was the only question I feel like I didn't answer as strongly as I could have.
What are some important food animal issues? (Only hard because I have NO food animal experience, but I was able to talk a little about Prop 2 in CA and Issue 2 in OH)
What is your top school out of all of the ones you applied to? Only difficult because I decided to be honest and tell them that my top one probably wasn't Penn. :)
Describe a typical day for you, 5 years after completing your VMD. (I know where I want my career to be in 10 years, but I hadn't really thought about what a 24 hour period would be like!!)
an ethical question about how you would handle a situation where an owner wants you to euthanize a perfectly healthy young dog just because the dog is destroying the owners home
what was one interesting thing about veterinary medicine that sticks out in your mind? or something like that. it was not a hard question, but i cannot remember the wording but that is what was tough.
The questions were not really difficult:
''Is there any case that stuck with you?'' (about my internship)
I couldn't think of anything...
The questions about my country were unexpected, but not hard...
''What is your favorite movie?'' - Yes it was ridiculous, but the experience, best and worst part of the application questions I was prepared for. This one caught me off gaurd, and I didn't help that when I my brain clicked in neither of the interviewers had actually seen any movie I could name.
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing questions on SDN, reading over their application materials, researching the school and its programs, and practicing answers to common interview questions. Many also focused on articulating their experiences, skills, and interest in the school and veterinary profession.
Researched the prompt topic and prepared opening statement
I made sure I was able to summarize my experiences and skills and talk about why I was interested in this school specifically and the veterinary profession.
I made a list of questions from the Penn SDN and reviewed them. I thought about possible scenarios I could use to answer them. I also read over my application and essays
I read over all the questions on SDN. They didn't necessarily help because the interview was really personalized. Reading over my application DEFINITELY did help, though. The interviewer had a copy she marked with notes and questions in front of her, so she flipped through and asked me about specific experiences.
Practice interview at career services and reading lots of interview feedback. I also looked at the front page of USA Today on the morning of my interview, but they didn't ask about current events at all.
I looked up current events, reviewed my application, studied practice questions off the internet, and talked to the vets I worked for about their interviews.
wrote a list of all SDN interview feedback questions and had people test me; read up on current events + relevant zoonotic diseases; wrote up answer to "tell me about yourself question"; wrote up summary of research
I interviewed there last year and had just come off of a positive interview at another school, so I didn't prepare much except for reading the recently asked questions. I think it's a fine line between sounding thoughtful and rehearsed. I reread the syllabus and made sure I had questions to ask them. I think that's important.
I brainstormed things to say about my skills and qualities in case they asked "why should we pick you over other applicants?" and also thought of questions to ask the students on the admissions committee, and also thought of ways to talk about my whole application in a concise manner.
Met with faculty and local veterinarians at/near my school for mock interviews; read up on current events; researched the schools I applied to; reveiwed studentdoctor.net interview feedback
I read over the interview feedback and looked at my application. Tried to think of answers to seemingly commonly asked questions. I did not practice out loud.
Read over VMCAS application, interview questions I got on the internet, tried to read about some current issues or things related to my specific area of interest.
I made an autobiography and kept saying it in front of the mirror over and over again...until my roommate had it memorized. I still blanked during the interview.
I read over my application and my personal statement again to refresh my memory and I also poked around the school website to be sure I had intelligent questions to ask.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the interviewers, students, and faculty. They appreciated the conversational and relaxed interview style, the engaging student representatives, the top-notch facilities, and the sense of community among students. Many noted the emphasis on making applicants feel comfortable and the high level of interest shown in their experiences and backgrounds.
Everyone in my group was very kind and did not interrupt anyone speaking. Everyone got their chance to speak and the discussion flowed well.
The interviewers were very kind and the whole process of waiting to be called and in between tours was also really thoughtful -- they gave us snacks, water bottles, coloring pages to de-stress, and we drew our own name tags.
The interviewers made jokes to lighten the mood before the interview. They definitely wanted to ease the nervousness so that I could answer at my best. When they asked me to tell them about myself, they genuinely looked interested in hearing what I had to say.
There seems to be a really strong sense of community among the students there. The administration also seems to care a lot about the students' experience at the school and is constantly working to improve based on the feedback from the students.
The interview was extremely conversational and relaxed. One of my interviewers even took me to meet another professor after the interview because she was doing research very similar to the project I was working on. The students were all really helpful and friendly and brought my stress level down tremendously. Someone from administration gave a helpful overview of student life and financial aid in the beginning, and even asked individual interviewees about their interests and how Penn might be able to accommodate them.
The new building of the campus is really nice. There is a lot of great research done at penn. And the penn campus and philadelphia area seem like a really nice place to live. Students also seemed interested in having a life outside of vet school.
Everyone was extremely friendly. The students are also on the admissions committee -- I assume this is because Penn has a very cohesive community and they really want to make sure you will fit into it. I really enjoyed talking with the students.
Current students were amazing; my interviewers were friendly but still professional; everyone seemed approachable; Philadelphia; research opportunities (collaborations with med school); student orgs; history of university
the hospital and facilities were AMAZING! I love their new setup of their swine unit (though I didn't see it). I liked how they had the current students really mingle with us and help us relax. the professionalism shown throughout the day.
Facilities were top notch. The entire day was full of activities, and they went way out of their way to show us the school. It was by far the most impressive tour. I also found the interview to be very formal and academic, which I really appreciated. They asked me intelligent questions directly related to my experiences and I felt that it helped me give them the best impression possible. The student adcom members were very friendly and fun, and really helped us feel at ease. They also answered any and all questions! Overall, it was a fantastic day and I was sold.
Malcolm Keiter, the dean of admissions gave a different speech than he gave the year before, so I felt better about interviewing a second time. The students were nice and I was really positively impressed by my fellow interviewees! I thought of how awesome it would be to have some of them as class mates! Food was great, everyone was so enthusiastic. You can really feel this cutting edge energy around bc of the awesome equipment, case load etc. You really feel at the forefront of veterinary medicine. I know this sounds cheesy. The students were so friendly! They invited us to happy hour afterwards, which was awesome. I hadn’t had the guts to go the year before. There are dogs running around, beer, and pizza in the vet school! Also, they also do a big little sibling program and pass on tests from one “generation” to the next. Good social scene with other grad students around etc. Also, call me old fashioned, but I don’t mind the lack of computerization.
The facilities are amazing! You can't compete with them. Hill Pavilion and New Bolton are world-class. Great case load, lots of culture and people in Philadelphia. Lots of clubs to provide hands on experience. Grad school community. Lots of living options. Large class size = bigger variety of people. VMD cool!
Everything. Friendliness of people, the structure of the day which was very relaxing and put me (generally a pretty nervous person) completely at ease. Great facilities.
Facilities at New Bolton Center were amazing. The students and interviewers were very friendly and wanted to get to know us. During the tour, we got to see current vet students being taught in their labs, and we even observed a stallion being collected!
Also, I really like how they get back to you so quickly. They said we would hear how we did within a week either way, but I got a call that night saying I'd been accepted!
The facilities are so extensive!!!!!!! Also the students on the admissions committee were SO NICE! I thought they might be snobby but not at all, I loved them and that made a huge difference in how I felt about the school.
how laid back the whole process was (especially knowing what to expect - this was 2nd time interviewing there...)
It was more of a conversation than a 'grilling'.
and getting the acceptance phone call before I even got home!!!
The students, faculty, and staff were all incredibly friendly and want to help you relax. The boxed lunches were delicious (some kind of thai sesame noodle salad - really good!). The campus has some beautiful parts and the location (in a large, diverse city) is very appealing.
The whole interview was very relaxed and the students were very open and helpful. By the end of the day, you kind of forget they are here to judge you. The facilities and caseloads were amazing and the school has so much history.
The openness of the admissions committee and students. This was my second admissions interview this year, and it was really nice how laid back the whole day felt. They sincerely want to get to know you at the interview. You've made the cut academically, now they want to find out whether or not you are a good fit for their school and vice versa. Also, it didn't feel nearly as competitive as the other interview I attended.
Having student representatives with the inerviewees the whole day was awesome. It helped add the the relaxing feel and really gave me a chance to get to know the students. The students were also very honest and made me feel quite comfortable. I even ran into a student in the bathroom who wasn't involved in the admissions process and she took the time to talk to me about the day, which is not something I'd experienced at other schools.
The tour was the most thorough I've been on at a vet school, and it shows how much they care about their school.
And (can you tell I love this school?) the lunch food was really quite good for a boxed meal. There are a lot of choices, which is nice, and it's not the standard turkey or ham sandwhich.
The school and facilities are really nice. I like that PennVet has such a high hospital caseload and the students seemed very friendly and interested in both their school and new students.
The size and caseload of the hospital, the friendliness of the students, and the facilities available for classes/meetings/etc. Hill Pavillion and the "old" part of the veterinary school really do feel very isolated and tucked away, which was nice.
The current students that gave you the tour were a wonderful source of information, they wanted to answer all of your questions and were a great resource when it came to questions about the quality of student life and where to live, etc.
The administrators, faculty, interviewers and students were all so friendly. They really made me feel at ease and seemed like a great group with which to spend the next four years!
I was impressed by the students who gave our tours and guided us through the day, by the teaching hosopital and the new research and teaching building that is being built.
Applicants were commonly concerned about feeling rushed during the interview process, not having enough time to make a meaningful impression, and the dated facilities of the campus. Suggestions included allowing more time for discussions, improving the interview format to be more conversational, and updating facilities to enhance the overall experience.
I walked out of the interview not knowing how it went because I had no clue how we were being evaluated.
We only had 25 minutes to discuss, and there were 5 applicants who were strangers to each other. This interview was not designed to be introvert-friendly, and I don't think it gave people enough time to make much of an impression at all. Definitely didn't give us opportunity to discuss any other aspect of veterinary medicine
The veterinary campus. It may have been the cold, snowy weather that made it look gloomy. Regardless, it didn't leave the best impression on me. It may have also been the city. Philly is like a flat New York. Charming in some parts, but crowded and somewhat dirty in others.
There seems to be a lot of focus on science and diagnostics but the curriculum doesn't seem to really prepare students for clinical practice as well as I would like.
professors/interviewers were very rude, implying that my education at my instate (regarded as one of the best in the nation!) would be subpar, felt like just a number - didn't get the impression that Penn cared about who we were and what we wanted to do, they just wanted us to convince them that we were worthy of being associated with their school. My interviewers were ~15 minutes late, so I got a shorter interview and they didn't apologize. Got a very snooty vibe from the school.
Very little. I am not fond of living in a city, but I think the benefits of this (great SA caseload, proximity to other UPenn grad programs, city culture, etc.) will definitely outweigh the negatives. West Philly was definitely West Filthy.
The day is long and I had the last slot. Because you are talking and smiling at people all day, you get tired. My face got tired and I think the side of my mouth may have twitched mildly at the end of my interview. Oh god. Luckily I was asking my interviewer some questions and just kept nodding. Also, West Philly is West Philly. Or Filthy as some call it. Then again, Hill is beautiful. From what I hear, some of the lecturers are boring and there isn't much in class live animal exposure your first two years. Also, I wanted to visit New Bolton, and they weren't very accommodating. Tuition high. I asked about alternative treatments in my interview and they basically ridiculed it even though Penn has an alternative elective second year. Anatomy lab gets crowded and practically every seat taken in lecture hall. I don’t know how this compares to other schools.
The tour guide seemed lame and just talked about how she knew how she wanted to be a vet since age 3. Large, impersonal lecturers first two years. Divided small animal/large animal campuses. Safety issues in West Philly. Little hands on experience first two years. Have to pay for gym. Parking expensive. Really crowded anatomy lab. Expensive. Elitist attitudes.
Classroom A until I learned how historic and awesome it is!! Otherwise, nothing. Though I do wish we had Iowa's AWESOME anatomy lab.... but ours is nice enough ;)
The beginning of the morning was a little disorganized, and there is less technology in the classroom than at some of the other schools I've applied to.
A 40-minute drive, on a good day, to the New Bolton Center (for large animal stuff) could probably get to be a drag after a while. The school needs to start some kind of a shuttle/bus service out there.
I have to say that I'm not a big fan of the "blind" interview. I wasn't expecting that, and it threw me off a little, but I think I handled it alright.
The interview focuses much more on you as a person than what you do or don't know about the field.
Except for the interviewers, there wasn't a big showing from the faculty during the day. The actual hospital (aside from the gadgets and tools) felt kind of dated to me. Plus, I'm NOT a city person at ALL, so Philly would take a lot of getting used to.
The high property crime in Philly. I go to school right now in Newark NJ and I really don't want to spend another 4 years in an area with a high amount of crime. That being said the immediate PennVet vicinity looks and feels very safe. Some of the areas of Philly are sketchy, but I think it would be possible to find a safer area to live in without much trouble.
nothing, the whole day was so great that I wasn't even nervous at all which helped when it came time for me to interview. I had already thought Penn was a great school and after the interview day I like it even more.
i thought the interview would be a 'get to know you' one (as i heard from others), but it turned out to be more like a Q&A. but maybe just my case or my interviewers
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interview process would be relaxed and low-stress, with a conversational tone. They recommended preparing questions, being energetic, and engaging with current students to show genuine interest in the school.
We each had only 1 minute at the end for questions or further comments, which was not enough
Nothing really? Because they answered any questions I had. Some people say they wish they knew how chill the interview would be but it's not bad to be over-prepared.
Come with a ton of questions for the VMD students. Have coffee, exercise beforehand...do whatever gives you energy. While the entire process may only be 5 or so hours, having to be "on" can be tiring!
Wish I'd known/understood how low-stress the interview would be. I was reviewing my application and information on the school like I was preparing to defend a PhD thesis...
That the current students has some input in the admissions conversation. It felt very natural to talk to them and act genuinely interested in the school, but it would've still been nice to know.
That they weren't going to give us lunch, at all. I think they must have a few years ago; from this section I was expecting it to be late but I thought they would at least give us something more than pretzels.
Students who lead us on tours have a say on the admission committee and you are given at least a couple hours to interact with them. Make sure you have a few questions loaded up and be ready to smile.
One interviewer was "hot" (open file) and one was "cold" (closed file). Also, the students take notes on you as they lead you through the tour and entertain you while you wait for your interview. These students then play a big part in your admissions decision. Be nice to them, ask them questions, and be sure they know you're interested.
Well, I got in, despite an interview where I didn't think I did too well, so fear not if you don't get such a good vibe or flow with your interviewers!!! An hour and a half tour is VERY long, wear flats and bring water! Eat lunch before the day, otherwise you will be very hungry.
I already knew this, but the vet students have an impact on the decision. make sure you talk to them and get to know them. ask about the happy hour friday evenings, try to attend it if you can!!
What exactly to wear! I was on one of the Equine/LA days at New Bolton an dthe attire was "Dress Casual". I felt OK, but as advice, definitely be more Dress than Casual. I wore my suit pants and a nice sweater. Some people even wore full suits, which was fine. A few people were very casual, and I would have felt very uncomfortable.
How stress free and relaxing the whole thing would be. The interview was completely conversational, I even got to joke around a bit and they laughed and joked too. It's been said a million times already, but they REALLY DO just want to get to know you! So do whatever it is that you need to do to be relaxed and show your personality, because they WANT to like you, and they do take more than 1/2 of the people they interview.
It was freezing cold the day of my interview and before the tour they told us we wont be going outside so we didn't need our coats - but they took us outside a couple times! I wish I still would've brought my coat.
That one of the interviewers would be blind and how much input student representatives get. I also wish I'd known how relaxing and non-competitive it was going to be.
that it was going to be 9 degrees today.. also i was happy to learn that we should receive decisions within a week on whether we were accepted, rejected, or placed on hold - that definitely took some stress away
Not to worry so much! This was my first interview for vet school and I was nervous about it. There was really no need to be, the interview was very laid back and went by so quickly.
Penn is basically just trying to get good, genuine people in their school. If you received and interview invitation, you passed part of the weeding out process already.
That West Philly/University City is not as scary as I thought. Lunch was late and I should have eaten more for breakfast. There was a lot of walking and I should have worn more comfortable shoes. By business casual, they meant you don't have to wear a suit. The interviewers were not scary!
Applicants generally found the interview day at Penn Vet to be a positive and welcoming experience, with a focus on creating a low-stress and conversational environment during the interviews. They appreciated the opportunity to interact with current students, felt that the interviewers were genuinely interested in getting to know them, and found the overall atmosphere to be friendly and informative.
The group interview was different from all of the other interviews I did.
I loved that they allowed us to zoom chat with current students and ask questions. The students gave very honest feedback and really helped us to get to know the school.
I think in comparison to other schools Penn Vet facilitates a thoughtful interview day -- they try to de-stress the interviewees as much as possible to help us do our best.
I'm usually really bad at interviewing so I can't thank my interviewers enough for creating a low-stress environment for me. It was really conversational, and the 30-minute interview felt more like 15 minutes.
They actually include the students in the admissions process - meaning that the students that you talk to on that day will give feedback about you and their conversations with you to the admissions committee. I was at first really nervous about this, but it flowed nicely and everyone just wanted to speak to everyone so it worked out really well.
I came in without knowing too much about the school and ended up totally falling in love. The interview day was long and exhausting, but I genuinely enjoyed myself. Even the interview was fun and pretty stress-free, which shocked me because it was my first interview.
Don't bother to bring comfortable shoes for the tour; you leave all your stuff downstairs when you go up to where you wait for interviews/tours. Also, it might be a good idea to save your questions for the waiting room instead of asking a ton during your tour. I think we missed some tour stops because we stood for ages in the classroom and in junior surgery while our tour guides answered questions.
There was a lot of opportunity to talk to students while you were waiting for your interview. This was a great opportunity to learn more about the school.
Overall, this was a very laid-back interview.. However, it was still a very long day as you are "on your game" for about 4 hours. Just go in, be yourself, and take advantage of the wonderful people they have compiled as resources for you. Because of the cost of UPenn, I was really hoping to have a more negative outlook after visiting (I know that sound terrible, but I am looking for anything to help me make a decision)! After the interview, UPenn went from 3 or 4 on my list (low because of cost and location) to number 1. It really was a tremendous atmosphere.
2 interviewers- one open one closed file. The interviewer that hasn't seen your file asks first for a while. Then asked if the open wanted to ask some. Asked me what else we should talk about. Then asked what questions I had.
Students take notes on you, so make sure you interact with them. Overall, the school is very impressive, no argument there. The only problem I had was that Penn KNOWS how impressive it is, knowing that they don't have to recruit us, that vet students will flock to them anyways. That is why I felt unimpressed by the day, I didn't get the feeling that they wanted any specific person, they just wanted a class that deserved to be a "PennWe."
A great school and facility, but definitely not the place for me. I prefer to feel more welcome with friendly faculty and admissions where they act like they want you to be there not like you would be lucky to come there.
If you get hungry easily, eat a big breakfast! I didn't eat much because I was slightly nervous and by the time my interview at 4:00 rolled around I was really hungry! Overall positive experience.
One interviewer read my file and the other didn't. The interviewer that did not read my file asked the questions, but both interviewers talked throughout the interview and we only got through three questions due to the conversation style of the interview. Very low stress day overall.
The interview day was pretty nice - everyone was pretty awkwardly hanging out in the lobby for a while, and then we talked to current students for a LONG TIME, so be prepared to ask them lots of questions and be on your game for a long time! There weren't any information sessions or anything, so if you want to find something out, ask a student or during your interview.
Penn is a top notch school and the entire day left me with this impression. The professionalism of the students, adcom members, interviewers, etc and the quality of the planning for the day really impressed me.
I freaked out bc I heard of lots of acceptance calls on friday and had a HORRIBLE weekend. I felt as though I had been rejected again. and I thought my interview had gone well! I got an acceptance call on monday. Don't despair if this happens to you! Although for your sake, I hope it doesn't. It was miserable.
I just typed a LONG review with all of the answers I gave...and SDN logged me out before I submitted, so the whole thing was lost. This will be the abridged version.... PM Shanomong for more info....
And FYI, if you don't get a call the night of the interview, DON'T freak out! I was called that night, but a friend wasn't called until Monday. She had an awful weekend because of that... but it turns out that some of the interviewers just don't do the same day thing.
Overall, the interview day was an awesome experience! It was very helpful to be able to talk to current students all afternoon, and I wasn't nearly as stressed as I thought I would be!
As you've read in other feedback, one interviewer is hot and one is cold. They tell you that at the beginning of the interview. The cold interviewer will ask most of the questions at first - general questions about what got you interested in veterinary medicine, etc..
Also, since the students have input, you're basically interviewed for three hours. It gets exhausting but they are a terrific source of information that you need - how to find a place to live, how to study for those anatomy tests, anything. They're very open and approachable.
At the beginning of the day you'll write your phone number on a piece of paper. Keep your phone on that night! I got a call around 6:30 letting me know I'd been accepted.
One more thing - don't worry if your interview is short. Mine was 20 minutes, some other people were in there for up to 35 minutes. Doesn't really mean anything.
I think the day as a whole was really fun. The interview itself was a little stressful, but the rest ran smoothly. Be prepared to ask a lot of questions and just talk a lot in general to get yourself noticed.
Basically, if you are interviewing at PENN, just be yourself. Get to know the student representatives, cause they can speak up for you in the admissions committee if your interview goes bad and you impressed them positively.
Overall this interview was waaaaay more laid back than I had expected. Both of my interviewers were really nice and honestly just seemed to want to get to know me better. One interviewer hadn't read my file and didn't know anything about me, and he spent the first 15 minutes asking me questions. After that, the two interviewers took turns asking me questions. Overall I thought it was a great experience, and now I'm just waiting to hear back!!
It went very quickly and I think well. They let you know yes, no or hold within 2 weeks, I am on hold and since finding that out have not heard again from them.
It was a great day filled with tons of information. I was really nervous but talking with the students before going into the ''actual'' interview helped out a lot. Penn seems like a great place to be.
It was well organized and friendly. You start with a talk from the admissions director (basically Q&A), then a tour by a student, then you are put in a room for 3 hours with the other 30 interviewees and about 10 students. They have input at the end of the day, so make sure you talk to them and ask them questions, esp ones that they might remember.
Other questions included: Tell me about yourself (from the cold interviewer), describe an interesting veterinary experience, why UPenn, where I saw myself in 10 years (hard, but I answered vaguely), and why not human med. I was called that night with an offer of admission.
The whole day is pretty relaxing. You start off by just mingling in a room with other interviewies. Then the Dean of Admissions comes and gives an overview of the process and answers any questions about the school etc. You then have your tour with current students and come back and eat lunch. You spend the whole afternoon talking with each other and the current students. You are given your interview timeslot in the morning and when its your time to interview your interviewer comes and gets you from the room. The interviews last a half hour. When you are done you come back to the room and continuing talking with the students.
i was reaaallllly nervous, but the interview wasn't bad at all. i felt like they really wanted to get to know me and what i was about. my ''cold'' interviewer recognized how nervous i was and reminded me to relax halfway through :) she further put me at ease by calling me at 630 that night to let me know i had beena accepted!
the cold interviewer did all the talking while the hot interviewer took notes. every question was phrased somewhat like an attack... i felt like i spent most of my time defending myself and my application and didn't get to talk too much about the things that i had prepared to talk about.
As almost everyone else has said the interview was very laid back. The day was filled with valuable information and having access to students during lunch was really helpful. During the three hour lunch one of your interviewers will come in and get you (you are told what time your interview will be that morning so you know when its coming). The interviewers were members of the admissions board. My interview was in the lobby of Hill Pavilion and was very laid back. I heard from other applicants that their interviews were more confrontational, it just depends on who you get. The student body seemed very social and Penn seemed like a great place to go to school. I got a call from one of my interviewers four hours after my interview telling me I got in (however they have 2 weeks to give you an answer so don't worry if you don't get a call right away).
Overall, it was a great experience. The tours were great, and the students were so easy to talk to and obviously knew a lot about the school and all kinds of opportunities for students. By far, the roughest part for me was sitting in a tiny little room for lunch, and staying there until being called for your interview. Once my interviewer called me and I began chatting with her on the way to our room, I thought I was fine. The second interviewer was the closed-file one, so asked all the questions, and intentionally tried to throw me off. He was in fact very confrontational, but it seemed to be a ploy to see if he could rattle me. I laughed most of it off, and then he noted I was ''very wound up.'' So, great, I have no idea how it went.
The interview was exactly like others described it. They really just wanted to get to know you personally. Remember that for most questions, there is no wong answer, they are just interested in how you present your response.
The experience was very nice. I thought I would be much more nervous than what I actually was. Everyone was very nice. The fact that you're being ''observed'' all day long by the vet students who have a say about you is kinda stressful. The interview was very relaxed. My interviewers were really nice and easy-going! I felt they wanted to get to know me more as a person and about my experiences than ask me silly questions...(even though some people got easked silly questions/ethical/etc by other interviewers, so be prepared). But you definitely have to know what to say about yourself, why you want to do this, explain any research or work...just know YOURSELF.
The interviewer called me the same night to tell me I had been accepted!
We toured the Phily location briefly and then took a bus to the NBC. There, we were given tours of the main area, the swine facility and dairy facility. After that, we came back for lunch and began the interviews. There was a hot interviewer and a cold interviewer. The interview was very relaxed. They mainly asked about my experiences and why I wanted to go into the field I did.
We were told that we would find out in two weeks and were asked to give contact information ''in case they had any questions.'' I got the call at 7pm Friday that I had been accepted.
the tour was nice. the students were very nice and easy to talk to. but for the interview (probably mine was an exception), it was quite stressful. i thought it would be a laid back interview coversation. but it turned out to be a Q & A. for most of the time, after i gave out my answers, the interviewers had no repsonse, and immediately they asked me the next question. even it was open file, i felt that the hot interviewer didn't read my application really thoroughly. and he looked confronted for the whole time. the cold interviewer was nice, but he didn't speak much though.
My interviewers were very friendly and asked me about my research and my interests. It was very conversational...not stressful at all! You sit in a room for a very long time while people interview, but you get to talk to the other students and get a feel for the school. The other applicants were all very friendly and we had a lot of fun talking together.
One of the interviewers was very nice, positive, and friendly. The other seemed cold and confrontational. This left me with an overall negative feeling about my interview. I don't think this was the norm, however. Most people said their interviewers were rather pleasant. I also wish I was one of the earlier interviews rather than the later ones...I probably would have been a lot less nervous.
Like everyone said, everything was laid back. Make sure you talk in-depth with 2 or 3 of the students, since they have input. Basically the only question I was asked was ''tell us about yourself and why you chose vet-med.'' That was it. I brought up ethics and avian flu, and they barely even acknowledged it. Bizarre, considering that others were attacked on these issues. The only thing they really cared about was a brief overview of my experience, what I want to do with vet-med, and an in-depth talk about my research. Maybe this was because my research was somewhat related to the research of the cold interviewer. He did ask me where I see myself in 5/10 years, but it was pretty much where the conversation was going anyway.
The questions were harder than I was expecting, and I didn't pause to think before I started answering! They seemed very nice though, and definitely want you to be relaxed and be yourself. Even though I thought I did horribly, it wasn't that bad.
I could not have had a better experience for my first interview. We took the tour, then came back and ate lunch as a group while interviews were being held.
My ''hot'' interviewer (who has seen your application) was so friendly and really put me at ease before we went into the room. The ''cold'' interviewer was very friendly as well. We all talked about shared hobbies and experiences in addition to the interview.
The interview was very conversational, my two interviewers even cracked a few jokes about eachother - which helped me to relax. My cold interviewer asked me where I went to college, and I described my undergrad work and how I had come to be applying for veterinary school. We then talked about ethics for a while (ethical dilemmas in my past job and in my current job). Then I talked about my hobbies, asked them a question about the school, and before I knew it we were finished! The 30 minutes flew by since they were so easy to talk to.
I got a call from the ''hot'' interviewer at 8:30 that night telling me I had been accepted.
This was a great interview experience. Like other people have said, the interview process, my perception anyway, is design to really get to know you as a person. My main advice to anyone interviewing at Penn would be, and I know it sounds a little clich?, be yourself. Definitely put all of your interpersonal skills out there and get to know the staff, students, and faculty. If you do this I am certain that you'll have a great experience.
The interview was VERY conversational. One interviewer had read your file, while the other had not. I was at ease the entire time (which was amazing because I tend to get really nervous)! Well, I was still nervous, but the interview was NOT scary at all! I didn't feel pressured by any of the questions. My interviewers just wanted to get to know me as a person and learn about my experiences. I got to ask them questions. It was very neat to hear why they chose Penn!!! :)
It was awesome. The students were relaxed and helpful. The professors seemed really nice and cool. I got the general feeling that they weren't too interested in my application, rather, they wanted to get to know me as a person instead. I guess to see if they could spend the next 4 years of our lives together. We received a free lunch. We got a tour of the vet school as well as the adjacent undergrad facilities.
Relax!!! They're more interested in finding about you as a person moreso than asking stupid questions like ''so if you were a bumper sticker, what would you say?'' Be yourself, and if they think you should be a Pennwe, you'll be fine!
I found this to be a really positive experience. The day started with an overview of the program and an orientation to our day by the Admissions Directors. Then we were passed off to student tour guides who took us through the school and the hospital. After that we went to a room with lunch and we were encouraged to talk to the students (who have a say in the admissions process). From lunch we went to our interviews at our scheduled times (we waited with the students before our interviews and could come back to chat after the interview).
As to my specifics interview, when the interviewers were ready, one of them came to get me. He explained that he had read my file and the other interviewer had not. We went into the room and I was asked to tell the ''cold'' interviewer about myself. I tried to hit experience and strengths and weaknesses of my application. After that I was asked about my favorite and least favorite pre req class, how I dealt with stress and finding study time, about my large animal experience and about movies. We also chatted about my small animal clinical experience. Also they asked in general about other schools where I applied (they have this form VMCAS), and how I decided on that particular list. I found this interview low key and conversational.
I had my interview on a large animal day. Group of 30 students, we toured in Philly then went out to New Bolton. Once there we toured the large animal hospital and the dairy then we went to the interview building. They put all of us in a little room with food and 1st and 2nd year students (who have a say but do not get to vote in the admissions committee) and were encouraged to talk to and get to know them so they could speak on our behalf. You stay there for the 3 hours it takes to do interviews except for the 30 minutes when you go to your interview.
As far as the interview, there are two interviewers - one ''hot'' who has seen your application and one ''cold'' who has not. Both of my interviewers worked/taught at the NBC). The hot interviewer comes down to the little room, calls your name, takes you into the hallway and explains about the hot/cold, that you'll have a chance to ''interview them'' at the end if you want to, and tells you to relax (or maybe that was just me ). The interview was mostly with the cold interviewer and the hot interviewer pretty much just sat there.
I got a phone call that night (~8p) saying I was accepted.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested improvements such as providing updated admissions metrics, improving student-to-interviewee ratios, offering online portals for communication, and enhancing the interview experience by including class observations or multiple interviewers. Some also mentioned the importance of electronic applications and providing information on the curriculum before applying.
None at all. They were super friendly and wanted to make sure you were not stressed so that you could perform at your best. They even had cute line pictures for us to color :') and they stressed interacting with the other applicants because they could be our future colleagues
Provide updated admissions metrics (i.e. GPA breakdown and GRE scores, as well as average experience hours and types) each year. On the fence about this, though, because while convenient, I know that a lot of prospective applicants obsess over the numbers and lose sight of the big picture.
Try to improve the student:interviewee ratio! It makes for awkward dynamics when 5 interviewees have to compete for the attention of a single first year student to make a good impression.
I love how much time we have to talk to the students. They should tell us about the happy hour before we come, though, because a lot of people had to leave to catch trains straight after that they might not have if they'd known.
Don't let students have a say in who gets into veterinary school. It is, quite frankly, ridiculous that our PEERS can influence one of the most important decisions in our lives. Years of hard work should not be circumvented by a popularity contest.
