University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
Veterinary Schools | Private Non-Profit
Application Cycle: 2009-10
⭐ Overall Impressions
How do you rank the facilities?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
10 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
10 out of 10
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
5 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
8 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
10 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
💬 Interview Questions
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
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 was the most interesting question?
Sometimes the admittance comes down to a numbers game. How do you think you'll handle it if you don't get in?
What was the most difficult question?
In your opinion, have you ever observed animal cruelty and when?
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions
How long was the interview?
30 minutes
How did the interview impress you?
Positively 🙂
How many people interviewed you?
2
What was the stress level of the interview?
1 out of 10
0 = Low Stress, 10 = High Stress
How you think you did?
7 out of 10
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What was the style of the interview?
In a group
What type of interview was it?
Closed file
Where did the interview take place?
At the school
How did you prepare for the interview?
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
What impressed you positively?
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.
What impressed you negatively?
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.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
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.
What are your general comments?
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.
📍 On-Site Experience
Who was the tour given by?
Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Enthusiastic
What is your in-state status?
In state
What were your total hours spent traveling?
2-3 hours
What was your primary mode of travel?
Airplane
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
$101-$200
What airport did you fly into?
Philadelphia International Airport
Where did you stay?
Friends or family
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