College of Veterinary Medicine

Ready to Apply?

Updated requirements beginning the 2025-2026 Admissions Cycle

  • Applicants can have no more than 4 science and math prerequisites planned or in-progress at the time of submitting their application
    • All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the spring semester of the year you begin the veterinary medical program.
  • Organic Chemistry I and II with labs must be completed at the time of application.
  • VMCAS 2025-2026 Admission Cycle will open January 2025

Complete the VMCAS Application

Applicants wishing to apply to the College of Veterinary Medicine must apply through the  Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS).

  • Applicants interested in a veterinary medical education at Purdue must have a VMCAS cumulative GPA (including all grades from repeated courses) of no less than 3.10 to receive consideration. Applicants who submit an application with a VMCAS cumulative GPA of less than 3.10 will automatically denied. 
  • Late application and materials will not be accepted.
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant to know and understand all application requirements/deadlines. For more information on the VMCAS Application Cycle, please visit  VMCAS.
  • In order to comply with federal financial aid policies, applicants applying to any professional program must either have a bachelor's degree or will have earned at least 72 college credits prior to being admitted to qualify for financial aid as a professional student. Students who do not meet this requirement may still matriculate into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program, however, they will not be eligible to receive any federal financial aid.

Official Transcripts to VMCAS

All transcripts should be sent to directly to VMCAS by September 15, 2025  at 11:59 PM Eastern Time or earlier. Late transcripts will not be accepted.

Transcripts sent directly to Purdue will not be evaluated as a part of your application.  

Instructions for submitting transcripts

All VMCAS applications undergo Transcript Verification before being released to the veterinary schools.  VMCAS matches the coursework you entered line by line against your official transcript to ensure you have correctly entered your courses.

Information on transcript verification

Transcripts must be submitted from all institutions you attended and/or received college credit (This includes any high school/college dual credit coursework). 

Failure to submit all transcripts from all institutions to VMCAS will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed, thus automatically denied. 

Recommendations

ELECTRONIC LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (ELOR)

A minimum of three electronic letters of recommendation (eLOR) are required as part of the application process. Purdue University requests that one of the evaluators be a veterinarian. eLOR must be submitted by September 15, 2025  at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. 

We recommend registering your evaluators as soon as you begin the application process to give the evaluators ample time to complete your letter of recommendation. Purdue University will only accept evaluations submitted through VMCAS. Letters of recommendation sent to Purdue directly will not be evaluated as part of your application. For more information about the evaluation process, visit:  https://www.aavmc.org/becoming-a-veterinarian/how-to-apply/recommendations/

Personal Statement

Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 3,000 characters) that gives veterinary admissions committees a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

Although there is no set of rules mandating what a strong personal statement should include, here are a few tips to help you successfully craft an effective personal statement:

  • Explain a defining moment that helped steer you toward a career in veterinary medicine. Consider using that moment as the focal point of your essay.
  • Be original and thoughtful: Discuss how you would contribute to the profession and patient care, all of which will help you stand out from other applicants.
  • As you are telling us why you want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, explain why you are a good candidate for veterinary school. Ask yourself—in a pile of 100 applications, would I enjoy reading my statement? Be sure to convey your passion for veterinary medicine in your statement.
  • Many of you have had meaningful experiences with animals or veterinarians as children and these are important but should only be mentioned briefly.
  • Your application materials already contain a summary of your accomplishments, so avoid repeating information from your transcripts or reference letters.
  • Give yourself time to organize your thoughts, write well and edit as necessary.
  • Ask yourself if this essay is a good representation of your character, ideals and aspirations.
  • Don’t forget to proofread!

Required In-Person Interview

After a holistic application review is complete, applicants advancing in the admissions process will be invited to an on-campus required interview. 

Interview Dates for 2024-2025 Admissions Cycle

  • Resident Interviews: Friday, November 22, 2024
  • Non-Resident Interviews: Friday, January 17 & 31, 2025