Experiences in veterinary practice, veterinary or biomedical research, public health, or other areas of the profession under the supervision of a veterinarian or research scientist are highly desirable. Competitive applicants normally have two or more areas of veterinary or veterinary and animal experiences (e.g., small animal, large animal, research, food animal, production, exotic, aquatic, wildlife, zoological medicine, etc.) with substantial depth of experience in at least one area.

We do not have a minimum number of hours, but we will look for an understanding of the profession and what you have learned and gained from the experience(s).

Animal experience can include working with livestock, breeding or showing various species, working at a zoo, aquarium, or pet shop, or volunteering at an animal shelter. 

The Admissions Committee values research experience, community involvement, and any significant non-academic interests and abilities, as well as demonstrated characteristics of reliability, honesty, and dedication to service. 

The form will be available online through your Cornell Tracking Page. 

To receive aTransfer Application please email vet_admissions@cornell.edu.  Accelerated BS/DVM Pathway applicants will work directly with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty to start the process to receive an application.  As always, questions can be directed to the above email.

Check our requirements to see what courses you may be missing. You may need to return to college to gain your prerequisite courses to apply for admission. 

If your courses are older than 10 years, you may

• need to retake specific courses (for example, organic chemistry, biochemistry, or an advanced life science course)
• take high-level courses in the subject areas (for example, take higher-level biology courses with labs instead of completing general biology again)

Pre-Vet Programs

Some colleges and universities offer post-baccalaureate, pre-vet/pre-med programs. These programs provide the additional coursework needed to apply to a medical curriculum and often offer some advising.

Continuing Education Department

The continuing education department at your local college or university may offer the correct courses. Be sure to select courses that challenge you and fulfill all our requirements.

Chemistry and Physics, with a score of 4 or higher, will satisfy the General Chemistry and Physics prerequisite courses and credits, respectively. Contact the College Board to have official scores for chemistry and physics sent to College Code 4818.  AP English and Biology will not satisfy the prereqisite requirements so no need to have those scores sent.

However, AP English or AP Biology may help you skip freshman-level, introductory courses. This will allow you to take a year of upper-level courses, e.g. Biology courses with labs that fulfill our requirements in those areas. 

Visit the College Board website to learn more about AP courses.

High School

Take all college preparatory courses in all major subjects, especially biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, environmental/earth science, and English. Computer science, history, and languages are also important. Take all at the highest level your high school offers. New York State students should earn a NYS Regents diploma. 

College

You need at least 60 semester credits (the equivalent of two years of full-time study) to enter the program, as long as you have completed all the prerequisite credits and courses. This means you can enter the D.V.M. degree program as early as the end of your sophomore year in college, and a bachelor's degree is not required.

You can study any major, so choose one you enjoy if you gain all the required prerequisite courses. Most veterinary colleges require 10-12 college science courses. 

When considering what college or university to apply and attend, remember to:

• Apply to the most competitive colleges where you believe you can gain acceptance.
• Consider your learning style, the majors available, the extracurricular activities, internship and research options, and any other activities that will make you a well-rounded student.
• The Admissions Committee will assign points to the college you attended based on its competitiveness. We measure the competitiveness based on Peterson's Guide to Four-Year Colleges ranking system. They then compare your college to those of other applicants.  

Make sure to balance your academic and extracurricular life in college. Knowing how to prioritize school with your personal life and other activities is a good lesson to learn early in college. It will help you succeed in both gaining admission and doing well in our D.V.M. curriculum.

• Most students start preparing their application during their junior year and submit it in the fall, when they are starting their senior year. For an overview of the process, visit our application timetable.
• Some students may apply as early as the end of their freshman year, as long as they have the appropriate number of prerequisite credits and courses completed and a minimum of 30 semester credits in college.

Although finding opportunities to volunteer or work for a veterinarian while in college may be easier, you should start getting animal experience as early as possible. During high school, you can:

• Volunteer at a zoo, a wildlife center, or a local shelter
• Help out at a humane society
• Work at a stable, cleaning or grooming horses, or a pet shop
• Participate in 4-H

Tips

Try to work with several animal species, not just cats and dogs. We value a diversity of experiences. Keep track of the hours of experience you gain.

We don't ask for high school transcripts or SAT scores. However, pay close attention to course choices, GPA, and studying for the SAT. This will allow you access to a larger selection of colleges, and choose one that will prepare you better for the D.V.M. program.

Things to remember:

• When you apply, you must send all your official college transcripts to VMCAS, and your AP Chemistry and/or Physics scores to us.
• For any college-level courses taken in high school, you must have the transcript sent in from the college that awarded the credits (not your high school transcript).

Learn about the profession through joining the Veterinary Explorations Program of the Precollege Studies. As a high school student, you can register for credit courses. Cornell's School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions offers this summer program. We recommend the following courses:

• Conservation Medicine: A Veterinary Perspective
• Veterinary Medicine: Science and Practice

Other precollege studies courses of interest:

• Animal Science: Sustainable Animal Husbandry
• Domestic Animal Behavior and Welfare

Sign up for an Admissions presentation and tour. We host them one Friday afternoon each month, from March to November. The visit is divided into two parts, each about one hour long: a presentation and a tour guided by a current D.V.M. student.

• Schedule an appointment with the Director of Admissions over the phone or Zoom. Please use this Bookings link (appointment details can be found under the 'i' info button). On-campus appointments (Tuesday-Friday only) can be made by calling 607.253.3700 and selecting Admissions.
• Sign up for a Pre-Vet or an Applicant Roundtable where you can learn more about how applications are reviewed and ways to strengthen a future application.