These definitions are specific to the VMCAS application. Terms related to application status are in red.

A

Application cycle: The VMCAS application cycle refers to the time during which the application for a particular entering class is active. The VMCAS 2016-2017 application will open on May 11, 2016 and will officially close in March 2017*. Unless otherwise noted, you are applying to begin courses in Fall 2017.

*Note: While the application cycle will officially close in March 2017 the VMCAS deadline is 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on September 15, 2016.

Application status: Your application status tells you how far along you are in the application process. You can see if your application is “In Progress”, “Received > Awaiting Materials”, “Materials Received > Verifying”, “Verified”, or “Undelivered”.

C

College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM): the schools to which you can submit your application using the VMCAS application.

Committee letter: A committee letter is defined by VMCAS as a single evaluation letter signed by multiple evaluators.

Composite letter: Defined in VMCAS as multiple letters individually signed and grouped together. These should be submitted electronically by the individual evaluators.

Credit hour: Credit hours generally refer to the number of hours per week spent in the classroom–typically 3 or 4. Usually this number can be reported on your application as it appears on your official transcripts. If your official transcripts lists .5 or 1, please refer to the back of your transcripts or contact your registrar’s office for instructions on how to convert these to semester or quarter hours.

Coursework: The courses entered in the Transcript Entry section of your VMCAS application.

D

Designation: The Colleges of Veterinary Medicine which you have selected on the VMCAS application and to which you will submit your application.

Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM): The degree which you will obtain once you have successfully completed a course of study at a College of Veterinary Medicine.

E

Evaluation deadline: The deadline for evaluators to submit electronic evaluations to VMCAS is 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on September 15, 2016.

Evaluator portal:  The site where your evaluators will log in to fill out and submit your electronic letters of reference.  They are given the URL together with their login information in an e-mail which is sent to them automatically when you add them in the Evaluations section of the application.

F

Final deadline: The final deadline for the VMCAS application is 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, September 15, 2016. After that time, you will not be able to submit your application for the 2016-2017 application cycle. Nor will your evaluators be able to submit their evaluations. VMCAS will also not accept transcripts or other materials not received in our offices by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, September 15, 2016. VMCAS, therefore, strongly recommends you submit your application and arrange for your documents to have arrived at VMCAS by the August 15, 2016 S.E.T. date.

G

Graduate: This academic status indicates a session which contains graduate level courses taken toward a graduate level degree (examples: Ph.D. Master of Science, Master of Art, M.D., D.V.M.)

I

In-Progress: This application status indicates that you have created your application, but you have not yet submitted it for any programs.

M

Materials Received > Verifying: This status tells you that VMCAS has received all required elements to begin the verification process. From the time your application is marked as “Materials Received > Verifying,” it can take up to 4 weeks for your application to be verified. Your application is given the status “Materials Received > Verifying” when:

  • You have E-submitted your VMCAS application
  • The following are marked as “Received” on your application:
    • Your Payment
    • One (1) transcript from every U.S. and English-speaking Canadian institution you have attended

The VMCAS “Materials Received > Verifying” status does not guarantee that you have met the requirements of your Colleges of Veterinary Medicine. It is your responsibility to make sure you have met ALL of your school’s requirements.

P

Post Baccalaureate: This academic status indicates a session which contains undergraduate level courses taken after your first bachelor’s degree is earned. If you earned a second bachelor’s degree, your entire second degree would be considered “post-baccalaureate.”

Primary institution: The school from which you have received or intend to receive your undergraduate degree. If you do not intend to receive an undergraduate degree, please select the school from which you have earned the most credits.

Program: Often used interchangeably with “Designation”, this is a term used to refer to the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine you can select in your “College Designations” section.

R

Received > Awaiting Materials: This status indicates that you have submitted and your application to at least one program, but VMCAS has not yet received all the elements required to begin verification.

S

 

Supplemental Application: An additional application required by a CVM which is not a part of the VMCAS application. There may be additional fees associated with a supplemental application. These fees are paid directly to the appropriate CVM.

T

Transcript request form: Can be downloaded using the blue “Download Transcript Request Form” button under each school you have listed in the Colleges Attended section of the application. VMCAS strongly recommends that you advise your registrar’s office to attach this Transcript Request Form to your official transcript. This form helps VMCAS properly match your official transcripts to your VMCAS application. However, this form is not required. If you cannot use this form, please ensure your transcript has the word “VMCAS” and your full VMCAS ID# printed directly on it by the registrar before it is sent.

U

Undelivered:  This status tells you that in the process of verifying your application, VMCAS staff has identified a number of discrepancies between the official transcripts on your application and the self-reported coursework section. If your application status is undelivered, please check your “Notifications” section as well as the e-mail you supplied on your application for detailed instructions on how to correct your application.

Once your application has been undelivered, you MUST re-deliver it once you have made the necessary corrections. If you do not, your application cannot be processed or made available to your CVMs.

V

Verified: This status tells you that your application has been verified and your VMCAS GPA has been calculated. Once your application has been verified it is immediately available to your designations for review.

Verification: VMCAS will check over your self-reported transcript entry line by line against your official transcript to ensure you have correctly entered your courses. Because VMCAS verifies every course on every application, the process can take up to four weeks from the date your application status becomes “Materials Received > Verifying”.

VMCAS ID number: A unique 10 digit ID number that identifies your application. Please provide this number in all communication with VMCAS customer service