Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine Interview Feedback Summary
Pullman, WA
Veterinary Schools | Public Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview generally impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.0
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 221 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
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
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as average.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about stress management, areas for improvement, handling mistakes, contributions to the institution, financial planning for school, ethical dilemmas, personal accomplishments, and motivations for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Some respondents also encountered MMI-format interviews with questions on compassion fatigue, integrity, leadership, academic rigor, and societal roles of veterinarians. Note that some respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement during their interviews.
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How I manage my stress in a work environment.
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What is one of the things you think you could improve on?
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Name a time where you made a mistake and what did you learn from it? I blanked on this one and just said I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head
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What would you contribute to WSU?
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How do you plan to pay for veterinary school?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas, future career aspirations, pet treatment scenarios, and personal attributes like leadership and communication skills. Some responses indicated a focus on the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, suggesting that respondents may have been under a non-disclosure agreement regarding specific questions asked during the interview process.
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What do I like to do outside of school or work.
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What type of research or projects have you been involved in and what did you learn from it//
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Name a time you had to persuade someone to change their mind
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Questions about how to treat a pet coming in with canine influenza symptoms and the owner demanding antibiotics
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None were interesting, since they were all things I'd seen on SDN and were pretty straightforward.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine discussed various ethical scenarios, including handling client requests to lie, admitting mistakes, and dealing with difficult situations like genetic defects in animals. Additionally, respondents mentioned questions about disease outbreaks, elective class choices, and the differences between animal welfare organizations, indicating a focus on ethical decision-making and situational judgment during the interviews.
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How would I handle a client asking me to lie for them.
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Name a time you made a mistake and what did you learn from it
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I was asked about a very specific peice of pending legislature. I had heard of it, but didn't know the name of the bill, so was confused first. Definitely read up on any sort of laws related to vetmed before!
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You have a client's animal boarding at your clinic, and it gets out and runs away. When it is found it has some scrapes, the owner notices this when she comes to pick it up, what do you tell her?
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The one about disease outbreaks. I had several answers, luckily, but wasn't really expecting it, and they seemed to be looking for a specific answer that I didn't give. Though they did seem a little surprised by my wildlife answers (since I'm small animal focus). The vaccination question, since I blanked on vaccination laws, heh.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
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.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by practicing with mock interviews, reviewing common interview questions from sources like SDN, researching current events and ethical issues in veterinary medicine, and reflecting on personal experiences to answer questions thoroughly and honestly. Advice to just be oneself and show passion and genuineness was also highlighted as valuable guidance for the interview.
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I did a lot that I didn't really need to do. I figured they would ask me some kind of question about my ethics, so I read up a lot on ethics topics beforehand. That wasn't super helpful. The thing that was actually the most helpful was the day of the interview, my partner asked me, "if you could use one word to describe yourself and how people view you, what would it be and why?". That actually helped me answer a lot of the questions and was very grounding. I also think it's helpful to have a short summary of yourself/your story ready to go so you don't have to panic and ramble.
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I read this website and visited with my advisor. I asked myself interview questions daily
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Practice questions, researching school, reading my essays
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Mock interview, looking at possible interview questions
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mock interview, SDN, past interview questions
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and genuine interest displayed by the school's staff, students, and interviewers. They appreciated the welcoming atmosphere, the state-of-the-art facilities, the emphasis on collaboration rather than competition, and the opportunities for hands-on learning, all contributing to a positive and comfortable experience during their visit.
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Everyone at the school was very positive and actually seemed interested in getting to know me as a person, not just an applicant or a student. They were very interested in understanding how I would deal with the challenges of vet school and seemed excited to hear that I had a full life with or without this career.
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The friendliness of the interviewers
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The friendliness of students
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Loved how friendly everyone at the school is, great facilities, lots of opportunities for hands on learning
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The veterinary students and staff who came and talked to all the interviewees beforehand, to calm everyone down
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the outdated facilities, remote location, lack of diverse opportunities, and unenthusiastic atmosphere in Pullman. Suggestions included improving the facilities, enhancing diversity and culture, providing more engaging tours, and creating a more personalized interview experience.
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I think the buildings are a lot older/more dated than some other schools I visited. But, it is the 5th oldest vet school in the country so what can you do. I also interviewed in the middle of a cold wintery day in Pullman. Thankfully, after moving here, I found that it's not always like that. Unfortunately, it's hard to get people excited about living in Pullman and making teaching wages, so a lot of the more specific courses are either taught by visiting professors, online, or you might have to do rotations outside of the school.
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The lack of directions to the waiting room
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The stiffness and condescension of the interviewers
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nothing really
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The weather. Rainy and overcast the day I interviewed :(.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known that interviews focus on personal qualities rather than achievements, to stay for mixers, and to wear a suit. They also highlighted the welcoming and stress-free nature of the interview process, the need to fly into Spokane instead of Pullman, and the availability of classes to sit in on early in the morning.
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It's about you, not really about your accolades and accomplishments so far, they already know about those, that's why you're interviewing. Now they want to get to know you, how you get along with people, and how you'll fit in with the culture they're fostering here. Also, if you're here with family or a partner: spring on some good food at Birch and Barley or Paradise Creek. You earned it!
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That I should have stayed for the mixer and that I was going to be interviewed in a board room
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That I would have time for a question this time
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There would be a lot of situational and current event questions.
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That everyone was so personable. It would have taken a lot of the stress off of me for the interview.
What are your general comments?
Applicants commonly praised the friendly and supportive atmosphere at WSU, with many highlighting the welcoming community and conversational interview style. Suggestions included being authentic, relaxed, and prepared for a conversational interview experience.
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This school overall is a great school. I didn't really understand or have a great perspective on this until going to the SAVMA symposium and talking/working with students from other vet schools all over the country and international. It holds it's own and it's really impressive. It feels good to be a part of that and at the same time, sheltered from the competitiveness that seems to exist at other schools. Each class has their own unique blend of personalities, but the overall community is supportive and giving.
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The interview feels formulaic, like you are only a number, and like they may have already made their decision and are trying to catch you making aa mistake.
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WSU seems really lovely and they have some of the nicest people I've ever met. I had 2 professors interviewing me and a "vet from the community."
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There is a reason that cliches are called cliches- in your interview, remember to be yourself. When I interviewed for the panel at USU/WSU, that's exactly what I did. I made no bones about who I was, and didn't attempt to give the committee what I thought it 'wanted to see/hear.' I showed them who I was, live and in the flesh. Don't be afraid to be authentic and show your true colors. A current USU/WSU first year gave me some excellent advice via SDN prior to my interview. Once you make it to the interview stage, remember the following: The admissions committee is already very interested in you as an applicant- now your job is to remind them why. Good luck!
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This school is by far my favorite of the four I have interviewed at, the people are so friendly and Pullman is beautiful!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggest that the admissions office should provide more structured interview dates, clear prerequisites before the interview, offer advance information on classes and activities, and ensure a welcoming and informative environment for prospective students. They also recommend improving communication, digital systems, and tour options to enhance the overall application experience.
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More tour options
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Rewrite the interview notification. It was little awkwardly written and not really positive.
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The supplemental application for admissions cycle 2013-2014 had multiple digital glitches. I'm hoping that these are worked out and corrected for subsequent cycles. That being said, WSU's IT support person (Brandon Burch) was wonderful and very helpful. He made sure that any and all issues that I experienced with the supplemental were handled and fixed well before the submission deadline. Very responsive and timely.
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I fell in love with the school due to how friendly the staff and students were! It was really great that normal students who not being paid and were not trained came up to me throughout the day to talk about the school and share their enthusiasm. The whole process felt very genuine and non-contrived. They did a wonderful job making applicants feeling welcomed and comfortable.
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Bringing transcripts day of interview has caused lots of headaches for already stressed students when there is a question of equivilency and cuts into interview! adcoms should have cleared all that prior since we go to lots of trouble and expense to get to this point
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 4-6 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent more than $500.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Spokane International Airport (GEG)
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GEG
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Lewiston/Pullman
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PUW
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Pullman
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Pullman/ Moscow Airport
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
The most commonly mentioned hotel among the responses is the "Holiday Inn Express."
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Comfort Inn
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Courtyard by Marriott
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Hawthorne
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Hawthorne Inn
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Hawthorne Inn & Suites
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What are your comments on where you stayed?
N/A
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Very close to the vet school so it wasn't stressful to get there.
All Responses
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