Rejection for vet med applications and no feedback from unis given, biovet offer

Original post by 1977rodney

Hi
My daughter has been unsuccessful in her vet med application this year, however she has an offer for a 2 year fast track biovet degree which we thought was great as another route to a post grad vet med degree until we realised it would not be funded. She works at a vets part time, has ongoing experience for past 3 years with livestock, zoo, rescue centers, equine and nutrition and other vet practices.
id like to know if
Anyone managed to get any feedback from unis and if so how? as we have sent emails and called the unis and they wont give feedback other than saying there was fierce competition
Anyone had gap year experience between applications? If so what did you do in that time and also what did you do differently on your second application?
Apparently 8 people on the biovet degree get the opportunity, grades and interview permitting, to transfer to vet med after 1st year. Anyone experience of this? If you were successful what set you apart do you think?
Any other advice much appreciated.

Only 13% of applicants are successful each year but those that apply again with grades in hand are normally successful and often get more than one offer.it sounds like she has lots of veterinary experience. Vet schools love customer service experience so a paid job in catering/shop work or similar would be beneficial.
If she is getting interviews but then being rejected she needs to work on interview experience - if she is not getting interviews then practice SJTs if she is applying to vet schools that use them to decide who to interview.
I would not take the bio vet course as as you say that will affect funding for a vet degree.
It feels like everyone else has offers but there are lots of vet students who didn’t get in 1st time- gaining more life experience and knowing the application process she will smash it next time.

Reply 2

@ALEreapp and @Euapp - anything you want to add?

Reply 3

Euapp

21

Original post by 1977rodney

Hi
My daughter has been unsuccessful in her vet med application this year, however she has an offer for a 2 year fast track biovet degree which we thought was great as another route to a post grad vet med degree until we realised it would not be funded. She works at a vets part time, has ongoing experience for past 3 years with livestock, zoo, rescue centers, equine and nutrition and other vet practices.
id like to know if
Anyone managed to get any feedback from unis and if so how? as we have sent emails and called the unis and they wont give feedback other than saying there was fierce competition
Anyone had gap year experience between applications? If so what did you do in that time and also what did you do differently on your second application?
Apparently 8 people on the biovet degree get the opportunity, grades and interview permitting, to transfer to vet med after 1st year. Anyone experience of this? If you were successful what set you apart do you think?
Any other advice much appreciated.

OK, I’m assuming that she was rejected post interview which means on paper she is strong enough for offers.
If this isn’t the case and she was in fact rejected pre interview then it’s a case of not having read ALL of the code of conduct with its links and the day one competences which explain and give examples of most SJT questions or not having done a PS that covers all the questions posed in the UCLan PS guide.
So if as I have understood it’s the interviews that let her down I would take a gap year and get a customer facing job either in a restaurant, supermarket or pub. Being able to think on her feet and handle difficult people and situations is a skill that the vet schools are looking for and these kind of jobs teach it in bundles. I would try to combine this with further wex, either widening her experience in core areas in a non clinical position, or if possible another clinical experience with a different speciality to the practice she has worked in to date. Being able to compare working environments and analyse systems that work well, or on the contrary don’t is always useful. It will also provide a wider insight into the work of a vet and enable her to speak about any specific aspects she finds difficult or interesting. The more she knows about the everyday work of a vet, the easier she will find it to talk about why she wants to be a vet rather than a vet nurse, or anything else for that matter.
Those that get the offers aren’t necessarily those with the highest predicted grades or those with the most wex, but they are able to draw on the experience they have obtained and talk about it with CONFIDENCE.
I wouldn’t do another degree first. Not only is it costly, but at best it only brings you to interview and won’t guarantee a place. Your daughter will again find herself in a protected environment which won’t bring her out of her comfort zone and she won’t necessarily learn the interpersonal skills they are looking for.
Again I could be wrong and she is confident speaking in interviews which means it was the content of what she said that was off the mark. In that case their are many resources online that can help with that and many people on here available to help with interview preparation when the time comes. She could also try applying to Bristol that doesn’t use interviews as part of its admissions process.
Did your daughter apply to the schools that she liked the most or did she apply to those that matched her skill set best. Unfortunately there is often a significant difference between where we think we would like to go and where we have the best chance of gaining a place. For example English students applying to 2 Scottish schools are significantly reducing their chances of gaining a place. The quota system is heavily weighted against them.Similarly students who find it difficult to explain their reasoning out loud without interaction with another person will not appreciate the online blind MMI systems used by Surrey and Liverpool but may perform well in the panel interview used by Nottingham.
But as @Vetmum13 has said your daughter shouldn’t be too hard on herself. Many don’t get any offers but they don’t post to announce their disappointment. What you do see is applicants who have been sitting on the sidelines throughout the application round suddenly posting to say they have an offer which makes others less fortunate believe that they are only ones getting rejected. They’re not! Many more get rejected than accepted, but normally if it’s what they really want, they concentrate on getting the grades, try clearing if they can for April at Nottingham, or if not come back next year having addressed their areas of weakness, and get those valuable offers.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 4

Original post by Vetmum13

Only 13% of applicants are successful each year but those that apply again with grades in hand are normally successful and often get more than one offer.it sounds like she has lots of veterinary experience. Vet schools love customer service experience so a paid job in catering/shop work or similar would be beneficial.
If she is getting interviews but then being rejected she needs to work on interview experience - if she is not getting interviews then practice SJTs if she is applying to vet schools that use them to decide who to interview.
I would not take the bio vet course as as you say that will affect funding for a vet degree.
It feels like everyone else has offers but there are lots of vet students who didn’t get in 1st time- gaining more life experience and knowing the application process she will smash it next time.

Hi, are you able to advise where this statistic is from please and whether you have any further context around how this is derived? Many thanks. "Only 13% of applicants are successful each year".

Reply 5

Original post by genii_talkie

Hi, are you able to advise where this statistic is from please and whether you have any further context around how this is derived? Many thanks. "Only 13% of applicants are successful each year".

That was the statistics for the year my daughter applied - 2 years ago -the figures for application numbers and places for the year are published by the vet council 9-12 months after the application cycle. I can see if I can find it again but don’t think last year’s will be published yet.

Reply 6

Original post by Vetmum13

That was the statistics for the year my daughter applied - 2 years ago -the figures for application numbers and places for the year are published by the vet council 9-12 months after the application cycle. I can see if I can find it again but don’t think last year’s will be published yet.

Are you referring to this document? https://www.vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/VSC-entry-requirements-for-2025.pdf

Reply 7

Original post by genii_talkie

Are you referring to this document? https://www.vetschoolscouncil.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/VSC-entry-requirements-for-2025.pdf

Yes from them but not that document- they have been saying 50% and 1200,2400 figures for years on that document but most of the unis it’s a 1 in 8 to chance of place with the exception of Cambridge which is lower odds - I will have to look it up over the weekend and send you the link. It was 15800 applications and 2180 accepted onto vet med programs for 2023 start

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 8

While I’ve been searching there is a great thread on here by BelindaFlamazing about admissions statistics for vet med where she has looked up FOI requests. Not sure how to link a thread but it’s in the vet med forum - worth a look

Reply 9

Original post by Vetmum13

Yes from them but not that document- they have been saying 50% and 1200,2400 figures for years on that document but most of the unis it’s a 1 in 8 to chance of place with the exception of Cambridge which is lower odds - I will have to look it up over the weekend and send you the link. It was 15800 applications and 2180 accepted onto vet med programs for 2023 start

I appreciate it may average out at 1 place for every 8 applicants across all the vet schools but you can apply for four vet schools so 50% would sound about right? If someone was lucky enough to get offers at all four they can only take two forward (firm and insurance) so the two places they declined would then be offered to other suitable applicants and so on. Again I assume, on average, twice as many offers are given out as there are places available as everyone can have a firm and insurance choice. Obviously only one of those places can eventually be filled by a single applicant. Perhaps my assumptions are wrong but to say only 13% of applicants each year manages to secure a place at vet school seems very low to me?

Reply 10

Original post by genii_talkie

I appreciate it may average out at 1 place for every 8 applicants across all the vet schools but you can apply for four vet schools so 50% would sound about right? If someone was lucky enough to get offers at all four they can only take two forward (firm and insurance) so the two places they declined would then be offered to other suitable applicants and so on. Again I assume, on average, twice as many offers are given out as there are places available as everyone can have a firm and insurance choice. Obviously only one of those places can eventually be filled by a single applicant. Perhaps my assumptions are wrong but to say only 13% of applicants each year manages to secure a place at vet school seems very low to me?

It is very rare to get 4 offers unless you are an international student where the odds are better- most candidates only get one offer or none. Their figures on the document are incorrect as far more than 2400 apply

Reply 11

https://www.vettimes.com/news/business/practice-developments/sector-warning-as-figures-show-early-fall-in-university-place-take-up
This is all I can find at the moment which is from 2022
17000 applications (individual UCAS ID numbers) and 2310 places taken up

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 12

PQ

PS Reviewer

21

Original post by 1977rodney

Hi

My daughter has been unsuccessful in her vet med application this year, however she has an offer for a 2 year fast track biovet degree which we thought was great as another route to a post grad vet med degree until we realised it would not be funded. She works at a vets part time, has ongoing experience for past 3 years with livestock, zoo, rescue centers, equine and nutrition and other vet practices.
id like to know if

Anyone managed to get any feedback from unis and if so how? as we have sent emails and called the unis and they wont give feedback other than saying there was fierce competition

Anyone had gap year experience between applications? If so what did you do in that time and also what did you do differently on your second application?

Apparently 8 people on the biovet degree get the opportunity, grades and interview permitting, to transfer to vet med after 1st year. Anyone experience of this? If you were successful what set you apart do you think?

Any other advice much appreciated.

If they’re refusing then I would suggest submitting a formal Subject Access Request for copies of all of her data - including interview notes and scoring of her application - to each university’s data protection/gdpr officer

Reply 13

Euapp

21

Original post by Vetmum13

https://www.vettimes.com/news/business/practice-developments/sector-warning-as-figures-show-early-fall-in-university-place-take-up
This is all I can find at the moment which is from 2022
17000 applications and 2310 places taken up

Sounds about right.

Reply 14

BelindaFlamazing

10

Original post by genii_talkie

Hi, are you able to advise where this statistic is from please and whether you have any further context around how this is derived? Many thanks. "Only 13% of applicants are successful each year".

Here you go - Admission stats from each university for 22/23 and 23/24 intakes

It depends on the university, but as an example:

Glasgow (unusual, as it has different quotas for Scottish and Rest of the UK applicants. This applies to Edinburgh as well):
Scottish - 26% (enrolled from those applied)
Rest of the UK - 5 % (enrolled from those applied)

Nottingham - 7% (enrolled from those applied)

I focussed on enrolments, rather than offers but you can check the offers stats as well e.g. Nottingham is 15 % (offers to those who applied).

Given the enrolment data, I would say 13% is high. Success rate is below 10% if you factor in meeting your offer as well.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 15

Original post by BelindaFlamazing

Here you go - Admission stats from each university for 22/23 and 23/24 intakes
It depends on the university, but as an example:
Glasgow (unusual, as it has different quotas for Scottish and Rest of the UK applicants. This applies to Edinburgh as well):
Scottish - 26% (enrolled from those applied)
Rest of the UK - 5 % (enrolled from those applied)
Nottingham - 7% (enrolled from those applied)
I focussed on enrolments, rather than offers but you can check the offers stats as well e.g. Nottingham is 15 % (offers to those who applied).
Given the enrolment data, I would say 13% is high. Success rate is below 10% if you factor in meeting your offer as well.

It’s really unhelpful that it says the 50% statistic and has said it for several years now on the vet council’s leaflet isn’t it- sets unrealistic expectations. If it was 50% chance would be fab.

Reply 16

The number of offers is more of a realistic figure to understand the chances of securing a place, in terms of 'a space is available to you if you want it and you meet the conditions'. There's so much detail hidden behind those high level figures though, more so for non-Scottish universities. Number of contextual applicants/offers, number of Y13s that get offered a place, number of Y13 gap year students that get offered a place, number of repeat applicants each year, number of mature students that get offered a place etc. I could go on.

Reply 17

Original post by genii_talkie

The number of offers is more of a realistic figure to understand the chances of securing a place, in terms of 'a space is available to you if you want it and you meet the conditions'. There's so much detail hidden behind those high level figures though, more so for non-Scottish universities. Number of contextual applicants/offers, number of Y13s that get offered a place, number of Y13 gap year students that get offered a place, number of repeat applicants each year, number of mature students that get offered a place etc. I could go on.

Yes you learn more and more as you go through the process and get through the other side. Also it’s an ever moving beast as vet schools are changing their admissions procedures and requirements every year as you will have seen in your application cycle this year. The new style of Liverpool interview was a shock for many. Anyway good luck with your applications.

Reply 18

BelindaFlamazing

10

Original post by Vetmum13

It’s really unhelpful that it says the 50% statistic and has said it for several years now on the vet council’s leaflet isn’t it- sets unrealistic expectations. If it was 50% chance would be fab.

I am not sure where they get their 50%. Maybe from people who recieve offers, 50% enrol on the course?

Even without looking at the stats, I always knew it was difficult to get in - only 11 schools, high grades expectations, Wex, interviews and tests!
However, as a consolation, it's almost a 100% employment rate..😅

Reply 19