Admissions Structure

The selection committees will be comprised of the Director of Veterinary Admissions, who oversees all admissions processes, as well as clinical and non-clinical faculty, a Utah Veterinary Medical Association representative, and an affiliated veterinary instructional partner (AVIP) representative. The committees will make admissions decisions that are conveyed to the dean.

The admissions process for the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) aims to:

• Conduct a transparent and equitable admissions process.
• Incorporate holistic elements into the review process beyond grades and standardized tests.
• Attract and identify best-fit applicants early to facilitate more effective review and selection of prospective students.
• Identify ways to scale and introduce flexibility into the admissions process to meet current and future needs.
• Introduce technology into the admissions process to capture data for decision-making while creating an exceptional experience for applicants and reviewers alike.
• Optimize the ability to thoroughly review large applicant pools to ensure each applicant receives adequate evaluation.
• Enhance diversity through strategic, targeted, and well-designed initiatives.

The CVM approaches the admissions process by recognizing three distinct phases: the recruitment phase, the application phase, and the review and selection phase.

Recruitment Phase

The program will participate in a variety of recruitment events to engage students from middle school through college. An abbreviated list of prospective activities includes:

• Individual advising appointments and tours for prospective students and their families or other support systems.
• Presentations to pre-veterinary clubs (predominately across the Intermountain West).
• Presentations to high school and college career exploration classes.
• The Pre-Veterinary Student and Advisors Conference, an annual open-house event at USU.
• Engagement with local and regional groups, including 4-H and FFA.
• Co-recruitment events with other USU colleges and departments (such at the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences or Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences).

Application Phase

The college anticipates opening the first application cycle in the spring of 2025, after the VMCAS application portal has closed. Therefore, the CVM will open its admission process through the USU School of Graduate Studies. The CVM will then likely use VMCAS in subsequent admission cycles.

A component of the application process may be a situational judgment test (SJT), such as CASPer, PREview, or DUET. The purpose of including an SJT is to enhance understanding of an applicant’s personal and professional characteristics.

Review and Selection Phase