Cornell University Veterinary School has been ranked #1 by US News and World Report since 2001. Read on to see why!

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

The Cornell University Veterinary Hospital treats roughly 19,000 animals each year, including large animals, exotic animals and companion animals in one location. Most of these are complex medical cases transferred from other veterinarians through the nation. This will give you a wide variety of clinical experiences during your education. As a student at Cornell University Veterinary School, you’ll participate in clinical rotations throughout the program, beginning on day one. You will also gain a solid didactic foundation, as 70% of this program is comprised of foundation courses. These courses include case based exercises, small group work, lectures, labs and discussion sessions. The remaining 30% of the program is comprised of distribution courses.

During years one and two, these courses are geared toward the basic sciences, but during years three and four, students may choose from different clinical specialty courses as well as integrated science/clinical medicine courses.

Contact

Jennifer Mailey, Director
Phone: (607) 253-3700
Fax: (607) 253-3709
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/

Cornell University Veterinary School
Cornell Veterinary Medicine
Box 37, S2 009
Ithaca, New York 14853-6401

 

Quick Facts

1. Application Deadline
VMCAS Application and eLors due by October 2, 2014 at 1:00 pm ET
Cornell Supplemental Application and all application documents due by October 15, 2014 (1:00 pm ET) in the DVM Admissions Office

2. GRE or MCAT
Either test is accepted. For the GRE, ONLY the Verbal and Quantitative sections are taken into consideration. Test scores must be no more than 5 years old.

3. Students
360 students are currently enrolled in the four year DVM program.

4. Four-year Total Tuition Cost
Based on 2014-2015 tuition rates for the DVM degree

In State Tuition: $127,200
Out of State Tuition: $186,600

5. Accreditation
Cornell University Veterinary School was given full accreditation status by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The next site visit scheduled is 2017

NAVLE Minimum Pass Rate to remain in Good Standing: 80%
NAVLE pass rate for Cornell University Veterinary School: 98%
NAVLE – North American Veterinary Licensing Examination

6. School Rank
The Cornell Veterinary Medicine Program was ranked #1 by US News and World Reports in 2011.

7. School History
Though the school was established in 1894 by state legislature, what is now Cornell University Veterinary School granted the nation’s first veterinary degree in 1876 to Daniel Salmon, the man who discovered Salmonella.

8. Transfer Students
Accepted

9. Facilities
The Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine, located on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York, is located on 15 acres with a total of 1.2 million square feet of space. Within this space, there are five main buildings, including a center for vet medicine, education, research, classrooms and an equine quarantine facility.

 

Admissions Information

Admissions Formula
Because competition to Cornell Vet School is fierce, it’s important to know what exactly the admissions committee is looking for in your application. Here is a breakdown.

*50% is academic ability; 50% subjective criteria*

25% Overall GPA
25% GRE (verbal and quantitative) or MCAT
20% Animal/Veterinary/Biomedical Experience (supported by letters of evaluation)
10% Non-Cognitive Skills
10% All Other Achievements and Letters of Evaluation
5% Personal Statement
5% Quality of Academic Program

Before you Apply
If you plan on applying to Cornell University Veterinary School, you will need to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits by the time you enroll. A bachelor’s degree is NOT required. You may apply as early as the end of your sophomore year in college, having completed 60 semester credits. At least 30 of these credits must be completed at a four year college or university. Applicants from the most competitive colleges (according to the Peterson’s Guide to Four Year Colleges) will have priority. You may apply to Cornell University Veterinary School when you have no more than 12 credits of prerequisite courses left to complete. A minimum of one semester of Organic Chemistry must be completed at the time of application.

There is no required major when applying to Cornell Veterinary School. The only requirement is that you complete the 10 science courses listed below. Prerequisite classes should be no more than 10 years old and be completed with a C- or better.

*When “Full year” is required, this means a minimum of 6 semester credits or 9 quarter credits.

These are the courses that are required. You may take them in a different sequence. This is only the recommended sequence. However, since 16 semester credits are required in chemistry, it is important to begin Chemistry in your first year of college.

It is preferred that these prerequisite courses are taken in a real classroom, rather than through distance learning. The two exceptions to that include Biochemistry and English Comp and Lit, as these do not have a lab requirement.

 

Recommended Prerequisite Course Sequence
1st Year
• English Composition or Writing Intensive Courses (full year)
• *Biology or Zoology I and II with labs
• *General or Inorganic Chemistry I and II with labs

2nd Year
• One Semester of Organic Chemistry
• *General Physics I and II with labs

3rd Year
• Biochemistry (half-year; lab recommended, but not required; 4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)
• One Semester in an Advanced Life Sciences Course

*If on the quarter system, you will need 3 quarters to fulfill the full year requirement.

OR (for 60 credit option)

1st Year
English Composition or Writing Intensive Courses (full year)
Biology (or Zoology) I and II with labs *
General Chemistry I and II with labs *
General Physics I and II with labs*

2nd Year
One Semester of Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry (half-year; lab recommended, but not required; 4 semester credits)
One Semester in an Advanced Life Sciences Course

*If on the quarter system, you will need 3 quarters to fulfill the full year requirement.

Required Experience
Veterinary medical experience is highly recommended; non-veterinary animal experience is also valued.

All experiences listed on your Cornell Supplemental Application need to be supported by a letter of evaluation. At least one of these letters should be from a practicing veterinarian who can gauge your knowledge of the profession.

Veterinary Experience
Successful applicants generally have 400 or more hours of veterinary experience. This is experience gained while under the supervision of a veterinarian or research scientist and should ideally include two or more of the following areas with substantial depth in at least one area.

• Small animal
• Large animal
• Research
• Food animal
• Production
• Exotic
• Auquatic
• Wildlife
• Zoological medicine

Animal Experience
This includes any experience providing care to animals. For example, breeding or showing animals, working at a zoo, animal shelter, working with livestock, cleaning stalls, cages, etc.

Other Achievements
Also valued as part of your application is research experience, community involvement and other indicators that you are a well-rounded and trustworthy individual. These factors are reflected in your evaluations and essays and comprise 10% of your overall application.

 

After Graduation

94% of Cornell Veterinary Medicine graduates are successfully employed at the time of graduation. Most students enter clinical practice as soon as they graduate, whether that be through residency, private practice or an internship. Some graduates enter military service while others accept positions with the federal government or private industry.