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DVM Admissions

Admission Requirements

The criteria for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine are determined and reviewed periodically by the Dean and the Faculty Committee on Admissions. The Admissions Committee is comprised of faculty from the College of Veterinary Medicine with representatives from the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the University of North Carolina system.

Applicants are evaluated on their academic performance, their understanding of the veterinary medical profession, their achievements, and their professional potential. The University complies with all Federal and State statutes regarding nondiscrimination. Please contact the DVM Program Assistant with any questions regarding the DVM Program.

Admissions Information Sessions

 

Admissions Information Sessions begin promptly at 5:15pm except the October date.

Tuesday           February 23, 2010*

Wednesday      March 24, 2010*

Thursday          May 20, 2010*

Wednesday      June 09, 2010 – geared to answer questions for 2011 admissions cycle applicants (No Tour)

Tuesday           July 13, 2010*

Wednesday      September 08, 2010*

Saturday          October TBD, 2010 - University Open House**

Monday           December 13, 2010*

The session will inform prospective applicants of the criteria for admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine. It will also present tips on how to present a strong application for admissions consideration.

You may contact Marcia Vernon, Student Services Office Assistant, at marcia_vernon@ncsu.edu to reserve a seat for an Admissions Information Session held at the CVM.

*A brief tour will be provided immediately following the information session from 6:15pm to 6:45pm.

**The University Open House in October will run from 10:00am to 2:00pm and will be located on main campus. There will be no information sessions conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine that day. Representatives from the Student Services Office will be standing at an information table to answer questions.

The College of Veterinary Medicine normally hosts its open house the first Saturday in April. However, the open house has been canceled due to construction of the Randall Terry Companion Animal Center. Please check the college website in early 2011 for details about future open house dates.

Educational Requirements

"Pre-vet" is not a major; it is a track that can be chosen within a major. Pre-veterinary medical students can pursue any undergraduate major they choose, and the required pre-professional courses can be obtained through the curricula of a number of fields of study. Popular majors for these pre-professional students include animal science, poultry science, zoology, biology, biochemistry, and microbiology. Undergraduate candidates should be pursuing a baccalaureate degree and meeting all of the requirements and course stipulations of that program. An undergraduate degree, however, is not required for admission. Applicants must only complete prerequisite courses to fulfill academic admission requirements.

Changes In Policies And Procedures - Changes in the admissions process may be made without announcement as a result of continual review by the Faculty Committee on Admissions.

Eligibility (Requirements for the 2010 Admissions cycle)

Candidates will be considered academically qualified for admission if they meet the minimum academic standards, which are:

  N.C. Residents Non-Residents
Cumulative GPA 3.0 3.4
Required Course GPA 3.3 3.4
Last 45 Credit Hours GPA 3.3 3.4
Graduate Record Exam General Test General Test

The cumulative GPA includes all college courses. The GPA for the last 45 credit hours goes back a semester at a time. If a student completed 44 credit hours in his/her final three semesters, the College of Veterinary Medicine would go back 4 semesters to calculate the last 45 credit hours, meaning it may be calculated for 46 hours or more.

Determine your GPA by converting to:

An "A+" grade will be converted to 4.0. Multiply the numeric grade equivalent by the number of credits for the course to obtain the quality points. Divide the total quality points by the total number of credits to determine the respective grade point average.

Grades achieved in courses that have been repeated will be averaged.

Alternative Eligibility

It is recognized that applicants may not meet the minimum academic standards. In certain cases, applicants who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements (in one, two, or all three GPA categories) may be considered for admission based on alternative evidence of academic qualification as determined by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. This classification helps identify applicants who may have had some impediment (medical issue, family illness, unrelated major) to meeting minimum academic standards. It is incumbent on the applicant to provide evidence of academic strength (usually a stronger Last 45 GPA or Required Course GPA) while detailing what strengths he or she would bring to the admitted class in light of the overall academic record.

Consideration under "Alternative Eligibility" applies only to GPA requirements and not the other admissions requirements (C- or better in required courses, no more than two required courses remaining in the spring semester of the admissions cycle, lack of prerequisites, etc.). Alternative eligibility must be requested at time of application by completing the appropriate section (Question #6) on the Supplemental Application.

Applicants should determine their own grade point averages in all three categories (Required Course, Last 45 and Overall) before submitting an application. To determine a GPA, simply divide the total quality points by the total number of credits using the grade conversion chart listed above.

Please contact the Student Services Office if you have a question concerning Alternative Eligibility.

Graduate Record Exam

The GRE score is the total from the verbal, quantitative, and written analytical portions of the general test. The general portion of the test includes questions designed to measure skills and knowledge gained over a long period of time. If an applicant takes the test more than once, the highest total score is used from a single testing date, not the highest of each section.

Competitive applicants submit scores that meet or exceed the 50th percentile.

GRE Score reporting is cumulative. Current GRE Board Policy states that your scores are reportable for 5 years (until September 15 following the fifth anniversary of your test date). Therefore, the GRE test must have been taken within 5 years of October 1 in the year of application. All scores earned during this time will be reported to each institution you designate. For information about registering for the GRE, contact the Educational Testing Service at 1-800-GRE-CALL or visit their web site at http://www.gre.org/.

The ETS code for NC State University is 5496 (no department code is used). The test score must be received by NC State University on or before October 2, 2009. Therefore, it is recommended that you take the test no later than September 1 in order for the scores to reach us by the October 2 deadline. Scores that arrive after the deadline will not be accepted.

Prerequisite or Required Courses for the 2010 Admissions Cycle

For the equivalent course at another college or university, check the NC State University course catalog or ask the advisor at your college. Use the course descriptions listed here to guide you on your assessment if a course taken at your home institution meets our prerequisites.

Required Course Semester Hours Required NC State Equivalent Course Examples

Animal Nutrition

3

ANS 225 Principles of Animal Nutrition (3)

or ANS 230 Nutrition of Domestic Animals (3)

or ANS 415 Comparative Nutrition (3)

 

Human and Plant Nutrition courses will NOT satisfy this requirement

Biochemistry

3 or 4

BCH 451 Principles of Biochemistry (4)

Biology (lab required)

4

BIO 181 Intro Biology I (4)

or BIO 183 Intro Biology II (4)

or BIO (ZO) 160 Intro to Cellular and Developmental Zoology (4)

Calculus or Logic

3

MA 121 Elements of Calculus (3)

or MA 131 Calculus for Life and Management Sciences (3)

or MA 141 Calculus I (4)

or LOG 201 Logic (3)

Chemistry, General (labs required)

8

CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science (3) with lab CH 102 (1)

and CH 201 Chemistry - A Quantitative Science (3) with lab CH 202 (1)

Chemistry, Organic (labs required)

8

CH 221 Organic Chemistry I (3) with lab CH 222 (1)

and CH 223 Organic Chemistry II (3) with lab CH 224 (1)

Composition & Writing or Public Speaking or Communications

 

(any combination of these courses)

6

Any combination of the following:

ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research (4)

COM 110 Public Speaking (3)

COM112 Interpersonal Communications (3)

COM 211 Argumentation and Advocacy (3)

 

This category doesn't include literature courses (English, American, etc.). However, we do accept courses that meet "writing across the curriculum" requirements at many liberal arts institutions. An applicant doesn't need prior approval for "writing across the curriculum"courses but should be prepared to prove the requirement if asked during the admissions cycle.

Genetics

3 or 4

GN 311 or GN 411 Principles of Genetics (4)

Humanities and Social Sciences

6

Any combination of Humanities and/or Social Sciences. Humanities courses include history, foreign language, literature (English, American, etc.), music, art, and theater. Social Science courses include psychology, sociology, anthropology and political science.

Microbiology (lab required)

4

MB 351 General Microbiology (3) and MB 352 General Microbiology Lab (1)

or MB 411 Medical Microbiology (3) and MB 412 Medical Microbiology Lab (1)

 

The Student Services Office acknowledges that some institutions offer a 3 credit Microbiology course with the lab included. A 3 credit course with lab included will satisfy the requirement.

Physics (labs required)

(must be at least a two-course series)

8

PY 211 College Physics I - mechanics, heat, wave motion and sound (4) and PY 212 College Physics II - electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics (4)

or PY 205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I (4) and PY 208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II (4)

Statistics

3

ST 311 Intro to Statistics (3)

or ST (BUS) 350 Economics and Business Statistics

IMPORTANT ADMISSIONS CRITERIA REMINDERS - 2010 Admissions Cycle

Animal Nutrition Prerequisite

A course in animal nutrition became a requirement effective with the 2008 admissions cycle. If you attend a college that does not offer an animal nutrition course, you may want to consider taking one via distance learning, such as an internet course or correspondence course offered by an accredited college or university. Animal Nutrition courses are offered via distance education at:

Helpful Application Tools- 2010 Admissions Cycle

Application Process

Applications are processed by the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). The application and fee must be submitted to VMCAS by October 1, 2010. VMCAS highly recommends that applicants apply by September 1. Early submission of the application and credentials allows NC State to verify the receipt of materials before the deadline. Applicants who apply within a week of the deadline will not be able to verify receipt of credentials before the deadline. All application materials must be sent directly to VMCAS except official transcripts and GRE scores.

Official transcripts of all college-level coursework (undergraduate, graduate, non-degree seeking or continuing education) must be sent directly to:

NC State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Student Services Office
4700 Hillsborough Street
Box 8401
Raleigh, NC 27606

Official Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes prepared by the granting institution. Applicants must submit official transcripts of all post-secondary coursework regardless of the number of courses completed at one institution or whether the courses fulfill or don't fulfill prerequisites. If courses taken at one college have been transferred to another college, applicants must submit official transcripts from both institutions if all of the courses are not listed with grades on the accepting college transcript. NC State University undergraduates must request an official transcript from the Registration and Records Office to be sent to the CVM Student Services Office.

Applicants completing coursework in a "Study Abroad" program must submit grades in the grade equivalent of a U.S. educational institution. This can be accomplished either by (1) the "home" institution providing the equivalent grade on its transcript or by (2) the applicant submitting the "Study Abroad" transcript to a credential evaluation service. More information on credential evaluation services can be found on our FAQ page.

Official Transcripts must be received by the NC State University CVM Student Services Office on or before October 2, 2009 at 12:00pm. This is the due date; not the postmark date. Due to the volume of applications received, exceptions to this deadline will not be considered.

Applicants completing coursework in the fall semester are required to submit fall 2009 official transcripts at the completion of the semester but no later than January 11, 2010. Due to the volume of applications received, exceptions to this deadline will not be considered.

Applicants completing courses in the spring semester of the application cycle who are offered admission must submit official transcripts by July 1 showing conferral of degree, completion of courses (whether prerequisites or not), or both (if applicable).

Applications will be available to file electronically through VMCAS beginning in early June 2009. VMCAS requires the submission of electronic letters of recommendation to aid in the efficiency of the application process.

It is recommended that applicants review the VMCAS Applicant Checklist and Important Documents before submitting an application.

Contact information for VMCAS:

Phone: 877-862-2740 and FAX: 202-682-1122
Email: vmcas@aavmc.org


Mail:

VMCAS
1101 Vermont Avenue, NW Suite 301
Washington, DC 20005-3536

Subjective Review

All applicants should complete both the standard VMCAS application form and the NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine supplemental application form by the 12:00pm on October 2, 2009 deadline. The supplemental application is designed to provide an opportunity for the applicant to express relevant background information and qualifications that are not included in the VMCAS application.

Supplemental Application

The supplemental application will become available online in summer 2010. The supplemental application deadline for the 2011 admissions cycle is October 1, 2010 at 12:00pm (Noon) Eastern Daylight Time.

It is the applicant's responsibility to access the supplemental application and submit it online by the deadline. It is also the applicant's responsibility to pay the non-refundable $60.00 supplemental application fee when the supplemental application is complete. Instructions regarding the online fee payment are included with the supplemental application.

It’s extremely important that applicants maintain a valid email address that will accept email from our account. Hotmail and MSN accounts often reject mail from NC State University. It is the applicant's responsibility to monitor his/her e-mail account. Failure to receive e-mail that has been properly sent by the Student Services Office will not be considered as an excuse for missing deadlines.

You may contact the Office of Student Services at (919) 513-6262 during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm) if you have any questions concerning the admissions process.

Due to the volume of inquiries and applications, we can verify receipt of credentials by e-mail only prior to the admissions deadline. Please e-mail us at cvm_dvm@ncsu.edu.

Following the application deadline, the Student Services Office will verify receipt of credentials as part of the application verification process. This could take several weeks. Please note that it is the applicant's responsibility to submit credentials in advance of the deadline to avoid potential delivery problems.

Unfortunately, we can't accept phone calls regarding the receipt of credentials.

The selection procedure is based on both academic and non-academic criteria. The admissions committee will assess the seven criteria listed below. Much of the information is requested on the standard VMCAS application form, and the applicant will complete the Supplemental Application Form to provide the additional information.

1. Veterinary Experience A minimum of 400 hours of clinical, medical, agribusiness, health science or medical related scientific research experience is required by the time of application. However, supervised experiences in three or more different areas are highly recommended for a competitive application. Experience in three (3) different areas (small animal, large animal, research, food animal production, exotic, aquatic, wildlife, zoological medicine, etc.) of the veterinary medical profession is preferred. The work can be either paid or voluntary and must be completed under the supervision of a veterinarian (or PhD scientist if scientific research). Applicants will be evaluated on duration, level of duties, and diversity of the experiences.

2. Animal Experience All other animal related experiences will also be evaluated, such as working with livestock, breeding/ showing dogs or similar, working at a zoo, aquarium or pet shop, equestrian activities, volunteer time at an animal shelter/rescue, etc., and these should be included in the "Animal Experience" section of the VMCAS application.

Like veterinary experience, animal experience will be evaluated on duration with at least 100 hours or more contact time highly recommended; multiple activities of long duration are preferred. This category doesn't include pet ownership.

While applicants are expected to obtain veterinary and animal experience on their own, NC State University's Pre-College Programs offers opportunities in a variety of disciplines - each aimed at helping students prepare for college while experiencing NC State life. Disciplines include agriculture, cultural education, design, engineering, leadership, math, science, technology, and writing. Some current programs are excellent experience opportunities in veterinary medicine.

3. Educational Experience Consideration will be given to academic excellence, the course load per term, employment concurrent with school attendance, and participation in intercollegiate athletics. This will also include evaluation of accomplishments such as honors, awards and advanced degrees.

4. Evaluation Forms/Recommendations Three (3) recommendations are required using the VMCAS Electronic Evaluation system (eLOR). Each evaluator should include a written narrative that supports his or her overall evaluation of the applicant. Applicants must submit letters through the eLOR system. Although VMCAS allows a maximum of 5 submissions, NC State only requires 3 letters of recommendation and prefers to only receive 3 letters per applicant.

It is highly recommended that two recommendations (2) are submitted by veterinarians or PhD scientists with whom the applicant has worked in a veterinary or research setting. The letters must describe the nature of the work relationship. The third letter can be from an academic advisor, employment supervisor or other evaluator of the applicant's choosing who has some working knowledge of the applicant. Applicants should not ask relatives to submit letters on their behalf. 

Evaluations should support experiences listed and validate maturity, commitment and work ethic with specific examples. The admissions committee may contact references directly if further information or clarification is required. You will be asked to provide contact information on the NC State supplemental application for veterinarians with whom you have worked who did not provide an electronic evaluation.

Information for Reference Writers

5. Personal Statement The admissions committee will give consideration to the following three aspects of your personal statement, and each aspect should be clearly defined. Your VMCAS personal statements should help the committee understand:

(1) something about you as a person,

(2) how your interest in veterinary medicine developed within the context of your veterinary and animal-related experiences, what prepared you for a career in veterinary medicine, and your understanding of the profession, and

(3) your career goals and what you currently anticipate doing with a degree in veterinary medicine. Your career goals may change after your experiences within the program, but the committee would like to know what your current interests are and how you would anticipate using your training as a veterinarian. The statement will also be evaluated for maturity, experience and communication skills.

6. Diversity Diversity, i.e., those unique attributes that a prospective veterinary medical student contributes to the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine or to the veterinary medical profession, is an important consideration during the selection of prospective veterinary medical students.*

Examples of those unique attributes include, but are not limited to (alphabetical order):

* The Admissions Committee believes that a diverse student body is beneficial because a greater variety of life experiences and viewpoints allows students to learn more from each other, and thus be better prepared to enter a diverse workforce and deal with a diverse client population. In addition, a graduating class with diverse interests is better able to serve the needs of our state and nation by providing expertise in a variety of veterinary, medical and health-related fields.

7. Extracurricular and Community Activities The level, depth of accomplishment, and leadership roles in clubs (college/university, hobby), athletics (intramural, club) and community organizations will be taken into account.

Fall Transcripts

Transcripts reflecting fall course work will be due to NC State University within 15 working days from the last day of the semester, term or quarter, but not later than January 9, 2009 for the fall 2008 semester. Student grade reports and other unofficial documentation will not be accepted in lieu of official transcripts. Any candidate submitting fraudulent information or who fails to include required materials will be disqualified immediately.

Priority for Admission

While applications for nonresidents are accepted, distinct admission priority will be given to residents of North Carolina. Questions regarding residency should be directed to: Residency Officer, The Graduate School, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7102, Raleigh, NC 27695-7102.

International Applicants

International applicants must meet all of the listed admissions criteria as well as the following:

1. have all academic transcripts evaluated by a credential evaluation service. Applicants have used the following services in the past: Josef Silny & Associates, Trustforte, and World Education Services.

2. submit proof of English proficiency. NC State has specific TOEFL requirements.

The Office of International Services serves as the central resource for international students and is the designated office responsible for immigration advising and document processing as well as providing programs and services for our international community.

Deferred Admission

A one-year deferred admission status may be granted by the Admissions Committee to admitted applicants based on the applicant's record and the validity of the request. Applicants must complete a deferral request form and submit a letter of sponsorship for any educational or veterinary experience opportunities that will be completed during the year of the deferral.

Admitted applicants must adhere to all requirements as any admitted student to the program for the current admission year; not the following admission cycle. In other words, a granted deferral request doesn't provide an applicant an extra year to meet admissions requirements.

All deferral requests must be submitted by August 1 of the admissions cycle year.

Please address your request to the Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs and send it to the Student Services Office.

Transfer Policy

Veterinary medical students enrolled in good standing at AVMA Council on Education accredited institutions can apply to transfer to NC State University. Students will only be considered for transfer into semesters 2 through 5 (transfer students must complete the entire junior and senior year at NC State). Please check the AVMA website for the current list of veterinary colleges accredited by the AVMA.  NC State only accepts transfer requests from students currently enrolled at these institutions.

To be considered for transfer, the curriculum at the school of origin must be very similar to that at NC State and there must be a vacancy in the class. Transfer applicants should begin the transfer application process by submitting a letter of intent stating the reason for the transfer request addressed to Dr. Keven Flammer, Acting Associate Dean and Director of Academic Affairs. Send the letter of intent to the attention of Tammy Ball, Student Services Office, Campus Box 8401, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC  27606.

These items must follow your letter of intent by the deadline dates:

The deadline dates for receipt of all materials is November 15 for the spring semester and June 15 for fall semester. If accepted, the applicant will be required to sign a statement that they have not been convicted of, or currently under investigation for, criminal activity (beyond minor traffic violations) or student misconduct.

NC State College of Veterinary Medicine 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606(919) 513-6786