College of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Scholars Program

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Veterinary Scholars Program. This program is designed to recruit highly qualified high school students to our DVM Program by offering the opportunity for early admission. Students who are accepted into the Veterinary Scholars Program are guaranteed a position in the DVM program if they successfully complete the required pre-veterinary courses and maintain the academic standards of the Veterinary Scholars Program.

The Veterinary Scholars Program is not associated with any special scholarships. Undergraduate scholarships are awarded through the Purdue University Division of Financial Aid.

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The Veterinary Scholar application is now open and will remain open until February 3, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

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Qualifications

To be a qualified applicant, you must:

  • High School Seniors applying as a First-time College Student (Freshman) to Purdue University- West Lafayette Campus
  • Possess an outstanding high school academic record defined as:
    • High school GPA greater than or equal to 3.75/4.00
    • Strong science and mathematics background
    • Standardized Tests* (must have met the minimum score for either the SAT or the ACT)
      • Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score of 1370 out of 1600 (current SAT)
      • American College Test (ACT) composite score of 29

Steps to Apply

  1. Complete and submit your undergraduate application to Purdue University- West Lafayette campus
    • Recommended to apply by the November 1: Early Action Application Deadline
    • Students can apply to a major of their choice
      • There is no preferred major.
      • Many of the students on our campus enroll in the College of Agriculture (e.g. animal science, wildlife science, biochemistry, food sciences, etc.) Other students enroll as a biology major in the College of Science. 
  2. Complete and submit the Veterinary Scholars application and all supporting materials by the application deadline of February 1st*
  3. Participate in a personal web-based interview, if invited.

The Admissions Committee will review your academic record as well as your extracurricular activities, including animal and veterinary experiences, work experiences, awards and evidence of leadership. A holistic review process is used to select applicants.

Offers of admission to the Veterinary Scholars Program will be extended only to those applicants who have been accepted to Purdue University- West Lafayette campus.

Eligibility

In order to maintain eligibility as a Veterinary Scholar, you must:

  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average (4.0 grade scale) greater than or equal to:
    • 3.25 for semesters 1 and 2
    • 3.35 for semesters 3 and 4
    • 3.45 for all additional semesters
  • Complete all pre-veterinary course requirements with a grade of “C-" or better.
  • Have a core GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 at the completion of the pre-veterinary course requirements.
    • The College of Veterinary Medicine Admissions’ staff will calculate your core GPA.
    • The core GPA is determined by calculating the GPA from all courses that meet pre-veterinary subject requirements included below.
    • Grades for repeated pre-requisite core courses will not be included when calculating the core GPA.
      • General (Inorganic) Chemistry with lab
      • Organic Chemistry with lab
      • Biochemistry
      • Biology with lab
      • Microbiology with lab
      • Genetics
      • Physics with lab
      • Statistics

Offers

Offers of admission to the Veterinary Scholars program are usually made by mid-April. Once admitted, students must meet the eligibility criteria outlined above. In the event that a student does not meet the academic and performance requirements, the offer of early provisional admission to the DVM program is void; however, the student may still apply for admission to the DVM program through the regular application process.

Responsibility for academic advising of the Veterinary Scholars students will remain with the undergraduate advising offices in consultation with the Director of Admissions and Recruitment for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary school faculty mentors will be assigned to the Veterinary Scholars to assist them in further defining career goals. Second year veterinary students will be paired with incoming Veterinary Scholars as mentors.

Application Materials

Application materials must be submitted on-line by February 1st* to the College of Veterinary Medicine. The following items are necessary in order for your application to be considered complete:

  • Application
  • Names and Contact Information of Personal Evaluators: One (1) from a Science Teacher and one (1) from an Adult Leader of an organization (Note: Relatives or guardians should not perform personal evaluations)

All information submitted by and on behalf of an applicant becomes the property of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Timeline

  • The online application must be submitted by February 1* to be considered.
  • Evaluators must submit your evaluation online by February 1*.
  • Applicants will be informed of their status via email by mid March.
  • Applicants invited for interviews will have their interview in late March.
  • Applicants will receive Veterinary Scholar admissions decision by mid-April.
*If the application deadline falls on the weekend, deadline will default to the following Monday.

Questions: Email vetadmissions@purdue.edu