VMCAS Helpdesk

• Click the “Add A College” button.
• Begin typing the college’s name in the text box. You may only want to type only the beginning of the name so that more options display. PLEASE NOTE: This text box list can be very particular and it may take several tries to bring up your school if you have a school that shares its name with others or has options for spelling it differently. For example, if you have attended “Saint John’s University,” you may need to try “Saint John,” “St. John,” or St John” (no period) to bring the school up on the list. Once you have found your school, select the school from the list. If you have exhausted all options and it does not appear, select “Non-Listed” from the list.
• If you have earned a degree from the selected school, select “Yes.” If you do not plan to earn a degree at that particular school, select “No.” If you are expecting to receive a degree from the selected school in the future, select “My degree is in-progress.”
• If you have earned or plan to earn a degree, fill out the type of degree, the date you have earned or plan to earn it, and your major and minor.
• If you have earned more than one degree at the same school, you can click “Add another Degree” to list another degree at that school. If you have both a completed and in-progress degree at the same school, enter the in-progress degree FIRST, then add the completed degree.
• Select the type of term system your school used, either semester, quarter, or trimester. If you are unsure, this is usually indicated on the back of your official transcripts, or you can contact your school’s registrar. Please note that this title does NOT refer to the length of the term or how many terms a year your school offered, but instead what type of hours your credits are worth.
• Fill out the term, month, and year you first attended this school. If you are no longer attending there, also input the final term you attended. REMEMBER: You are only entering each school you attended ONCE, regardless of gaps in your attendance there.
• Click “Save this College” to complete the college entry.

WHICH SCHOOLS TO LIST VS. WHICH SCHOOLS NOT TO LIST

U.S. SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, AND UNIVERSITIES

You are REQUIRED to report every U.S. school you’ve received credit from, regardless of whether or not this work is relevant to your pursuit of a veterinary degree. This includes but is not limited to: schools that granted credit while you were a high school student, schools whose credits transferred to your main university, doctorate classes, summer classes, community college classes, technical/vocational classes, massage and/or alternative medicine classes, etc. If you attended multiple campuses within the same college or college system i.e. SUNY, CUNY, Dallas CC District, San Diego CC District, etc. you must report each campus you received credit from, even if you did not physically attend that campus. If you attended schools within a college consortium, you must report each of these schools separately. You are required to provide transcripts for EACH of these institutions. 

CANADIAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

You are REQUIRED to report every Canadian college or university you have attended. Canadian students should report schools which issue English transcripts on their application using the school’s name. Canadian transcripts written in English are REQUIRED. VMCAS will NOT accept foreign evaluations for Canadian transcripts that are not written in English.

French Canadian applicants whose schools do NOT issue English language transcripts must report their school as a foreign institution. VMCAS will only accept a foreign evaluation for these schools. VMCAS will NOT accept Canadian transcripts written in French.

STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

BEFORE you report a study abroad program, read the “Study Abroad and Overseas U.S. Institution Transcripts” section for detailed instructions on how to properly list these schools and what documentation is required.

NOTE: The protocol for reporting study abroad courses has changed this year. If you are re-applying, please review these instructions again BEFORE completing this section.

FOREIGN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

BEFORE reporting a foreign school, read the “Foreign and French Canadian Transcripts” section for detailed instructions on how to properly list these schools and what documentation is required.

TEST CREDITS

Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), CLEP, DANTE, REGENTS, ACE, and otherexamination agencies should NOT be reported as a college attended. These various tests are not worth college credit unless a college awards you credit for your performance on them. If a college has awarded you credit for your performance on these exams, you should report that credit under the college where the credits were rewarded, and it should appear on that college’s transcript. Exam transcripts from the college board, CLEP, etc, should NOT be sent to VMCAS.

U.S. MILITARY ACADEMIES

If you attended an accredited U.S. Military school or academy, this work must be reported the same as any other college or university, and your coursework is considered academic. Common institutions that fall under this category include the Community College of the Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and West Point, among others. Please select the military academy you attended from our Institutions Attended list under “Military Institutions” and list your coursework as it appears on your academy transcript under academic terms. An official transcript is REQUIRED to be provided to VMCAS directly from your military academy.

U.S. MILITARY SERVICE VETERANS

If you served or are currently serving in the U.S. military and have taken courses as part of your military service which appear on an AARTS or Marine transcript, DO NOT report this as a college in the “Colleges Attended” section of your VMCAS application.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Q: What if I attended a college or university that lists multiple campuses on one transcript?

A: You must list each campus attended individually in the “Colleges Attended” section of your application along with the corresponding coursework.

Q: How do I enter both a completed and in-progress degree at the same school?

A: For the question “Did you obtain a degree from this college?” select “my degree is still in-progress” and enter the in-progress degree FIRST. Click “Add Another Degree” to then add the completed degree.

Q: How do I enter a second minor?

A: There is no space to enter a second minor; however, you may select “other” for your first minor from the drop-down menu if you wish.

Q: How can I edit a school in the “Colleges Attended” section?

A: To change an entry in the Colleges Attended section while completing a VMCAS application, click on the pencil icon to the right of the institution to make any changes.

Q: Do I have to send in transcripts for each of these schools?

A: YES. Please see the “How to Send Transcripts” section of our Instructions and FAQ for more information.