University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Interview Feedback Summary
Philadelphia, PA
Veterinary Schools | Private Non-Profit
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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 14% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a moderate stress level and felt they did okay.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
8.5
Above Average
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 515 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (87%)
Negatively (4%)
No change (9%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (40%)
Good (41%)
Average (9%)
Poor (10%)
Bad (1%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at Penn Vet to be positive and low-stress, with a focus on getting to know them personally. They appreciated the conversational style of the interviews, interactions with current students, and the opportunity to ask questions. Some mentioned the mix of interviewers - one who had read their file and one who had not - and the importance of being oneself throughout the process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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The group interview was different from all of the other interviews I did.
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This was probably the best interview experience that I have ever had.
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I loved that they allowed us to zoom chat with current students and ask questions. The students gave very honest feedback and really helped us to get to know the school.
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I think in comparison to other schools Penn Vet facilitates a thoughtful interview day -- they try to de-stress the interviewees as much as possible to help us do our best.
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I'm usually really bad at interviewing so I can't thank my interviewers enough for creating a low-stress environment for me. It was really conversational, and the 30-minute interview felt more like 15 minutes.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
30 Minutes Average
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Number:
1.9 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
72% One-on-One
28% Group Interview
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File Type:
75% Open-File
25% Closed-File
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Interview Modality:
100% Virtual
0% In-Person
PENN-VET-COMP interviews are an average of 30 minutes, with an average of 1.9 interviews. 72% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 25% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools based on user responses include inquiring about reasons for choosing veterinary medicine over human medicine, experiences with euthanasia in clinics, personal interests and activities outside of work or school, future career aspirations, and details about research and clinical experiences. Many respondents also mentioned being asked to discuss their background, strengths and weaknesses, and their motivations for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Some interviews were structured as Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) with nondisclosure agreements in place.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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No specific questions, group discussion with given prompt
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We were given a prompt to discuss and develop a response to as a group. Ours was responding to animal rights protestors about terminal animal research
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If you were accepted to penn, but asked to take a gap year what would you do with that gap year?
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In 45 years from now, after retiring as a veterinarian, what do I want to be remembered by?
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Have you ever experienced convenience euthanasia in your clinic? How would you deal with that kind of situation?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas like euthanizing healthy pets, challenges facing veterinary medicine, future goals, and personal experiences. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on responses, with some mentioning nondisclosure agreements, but questions varied from standard get-to-know-you inquiries to thought-provoking scenarios related to the field of veterinary medicine.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What would you do if a client wanted to euthanize their healthy pet? Then the client gets mad and says if you don’t do it they will?
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"So we have both read your file and application, can you tell us about something not on your application?" I talked about the internship I started after submitting my application.
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If you got accepted into UPenn but were told you had to wait a year to join the class, what would you do during that year?
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What is the biggest challenge facing veterinary medicine today?
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There wasn't one question in particular that really intrigued me. The entire interview was interesting and conversational.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by researching the school, reviewing their application materials, practicing answers to common questions, and reading interview feedback on platforms like SDN. Many also engaged in mock interviews, studied current events, and identified their key qualities and experiences to discuss during the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Researched the prompt topic and prepared opening statement
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We got the prompt ahead of time, so I researched animal rights and fleshed out my own research experiences and their relevance
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I reviewed questions on SDN and reviewed my application materials.
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Looking up questions on sdn
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I reviewed all of the questions on this site for UPenn and reviewed by application and essays.
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine discussed ethical dilemmas, legacy aspirations, challenges in the veterinary field, and unexpected personal questions. Additionally, multiple respondents mentioned facing questions related to euthanasia scenarios, suggesting an MMI format where nondisclosure agreements may apply.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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What do you want your legacy to be after you retire?
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You've become a vet, you're now 80 years old and retired. What would you want your legacy to be? (I was not expecting this kind of question at all!! The interviewer saw my expression change and was like, "Interesting question, eh?" HAHA
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What is your biggest failure and how did you overcome it?
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What are challenges you see the veterinary field facing in the coming years?
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No difficult questions per se. Just had a hard time explaining one of my experiences.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendliness and welcoming attitude of the interviewers, faculty, and students at the school. They appreciated the relaxed and conversational interview style, the strong sense of community among students, the facilities, and the emphasis on creating a positive and inclusive environment for prospective students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Everyone in my group was very kind and did not interrupt anyone speaking. Everyone got their chance to speak and the discussion flowed well.
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How friendly the interviewers were. They made the overall experience feel a lot more casual than most interviews.
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The interviewers were very relaxed and treated the interview as a natural conversation.
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The interviewers were very kind and the whole process of waiting to be called and in between tours was also really thoughtful -- they gave us snacks, water bottles, coloring pages to de-stress, and we drew our own name tags.
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The interviewers made jokes to lighten the mood before the interview. They definitely wanted to ease the nervousness so that I could answer at my best. When they asked me to tell them about myself, they genuinely looked interested in hearing what I had to say.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the lack of time and opportunity to make a meaningful impression during the interview, the outdated facilities and split campuses, as well as the impersonal or intimidating interview experience. Suggestions include providing more time for discussion, updating facilities, and ensuring a more welcoming and engaging interview process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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I walked out of the interview not knowing how it went because I had no clue how we were being evaluated.
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We only had 25 minutes to discuss, and there were 5 applicants who were strangers to each other. This interview was not designed to be introvert-friendly, and I don't think it gave people enough time to make much of an impression at all. Definitely didn't give us opportunity to discuss any other aspect of veterinary medicine
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Nothing
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The interviewers had 5 set questions they needed to ask us.
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Nothing!! After the tours and interview, UPenn became my #1 choice!!
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time that the interview process would be relaxed, stress-free, and more of a conversation than a formal interrogation. They also suggested preparing questions, being well-rested and energized, and making an effort to engage with current students as they have input in the admissions process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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We each had only 1 minute at the end for questions or further comments, which was not enough
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The interview is only 30 minutes.
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I wish I had known that both interviewers had read my application -- I thought that one would have not.
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Nothing really? Because they answered any questions I had. Some people say they wish they knew how chill the interview would be but it's not bad to be over-prepared.
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I heard it was very relaxed, just never believed it until I experienced it
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested providing more interactive opportunities like sitting in on a class, improving student-to-interviewee ratios, and offering online portals for communication and tracking applications to enhance the admissions process. They also appreciated the welcoming environment, but some expressed concerns about peer influence in decision-making and the length of interview sessions.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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None at all. They were super friendly and wanted to make sure you were not stressed so that you could perform at your best. They even had cute line pictures for us to color :') and they stressed interacting with the other applicants because they could be our future colleagues
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Nothing - everything flowed well and everyone was extremely welcoming and excited to have the interviewees there!
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It would be wonderful if interviewees could sit in on a class!
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Provide updated admissions metrics (i.e. GPA breakdown and GRE scores, as well as average experience hours and types) each year. On the fence about this, though, because while convenient, I know that a lot of prospective applicants obsess over the numbers and lose sight of the big picture.
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Longer/more extensive tours, more time spent with interviewer, multiple interviewers, more students available for the tours
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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PHL
41% interviewees used PHL (PHL), with 14% using Philadelphia International (Philadelphia International) and 9% using JFK (JFK) and 9% using Phl (Phl) and 9% using Philadelphia International Airport (Philadelphia International Airport) and 5% using Philly International (Philly International) and 5% using La Guardia (then took a train down) (La Guardia (then took a train down)) and 5% using N/A (N/A) and 5% using Philadelphia Airport (Philadelphia Airport).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by automobile to the interview.
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26% Airplane
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58% Automobile
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11% Train or Subway
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6% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Sheraton University City (average ranking 8.5/10), with some staying at Sheraton (average rating 8.3/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Sheraton University City
8.5/10
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Sheraton
8.3/10
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Sheraton - University City
8/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (1%)
Faculty member (2%)
Student (96%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (96%)
Neutral (4%)
All Responses
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