There are other schools.
These are very competitive schools and programs
If all the candidates have an A+ average, they have to use the essay.
The best plan is to apply to multiple schools. With those credentials, she'll get in somewhere, although maybe not her first choice.
It means she's probably not a great writer. Everyone has different gifts; your daughter obviously has many strong ones. But this doesn't sound like an affirmative action case. In those, there's usually hemming and hawing about how close a decision it was. Here, they're saying her essay simply wasn't competitive.
Hate to be a wet blanket, but that's how it sounds to me.
She may be in a situation where the competition into Grad spots are highly competitive. Choosing a different school is one option, the other is to see if there is a reapplication process, first, talking with some of the professors to see what the school's culture is like, thus, helping her with her essay.
Texas A&M has a good vet school. http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/
Shouldn't she be asking these questions of the U of I, rather than to an internet discussion forum?
On the basis of the facts you present, it is impossible to say whether this is PC garbage or not. I am sure there are internal regulations that the school must follow in evaluating applications; if your daughter does not have a copy of them, she could request one and see if there is an appeal procedure. The wisest course of action may be for her to make an appointment with someone at the school (if they permit such things; typically they do not) and ask what she can do in her assay or in her studies or activities to make herself more competitive. If she has the drive and the dream and has persevered this far, my money is on her to succeed.
By the way, no one is an A+ student. Occasionally someone might receive an A+ in a class, but that average is impossible, given that most professors don't even award that grade. Look into her actual grades.
She should 1) do some research to see what type of things are being particularly looked at - like how to write the essay she needs.
2) check out all the veternarian programs and apply to all that look decent.
3) to realize that it's harder to get into vet school than med school, but if she scopes out what sorts of things they are looking for in the essays.
4) sign up for a masters program in biology while she's waiting (I know this works for med school, not sure about vet school).
She might not get to go to her first choice program, but if she's as good a student as you say, she should be able to get in to a program.
Looks like she just got rejected for any number of reasons. It's ok - it happens. Apply to other schools. With her grades and credentials I am sure she will get into a fine school. Good luck.
There's a lot of politics involved.
I'm sorry for your daughter's disappointment. Given her achievements I believe there are numerous schools that would love to have her. There are Ag schools in most every state in the country. As was said earlier, she should apply.
Been through this process myself - although a slightly different result and circumstance. Talk to the board who reviewed her essay and ask them their criteria for grading and why her essay was rejected.
I agree with another of the comments posted here to your letter. Have her apply to a different school - there are plenty of great Vet programs around!
Have her apply to Tufts Vet School in Grafton, MA. Have her write an essay about the need to do a recount of the 2004 presidential vote and its impact on public health and animal welfare if Gore had won. She'll be a shoe-in.
As many who have responded point out ... there are many prestigious veterinary schools spotted around the country. Many, such as the University of PA School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts (Boston), etc., have outstanding reputations. Get busy applying I'm sure your daughter will find an excellent school that will be pleased to have her as a student.
Getting into Vet, Medical, Dentistry schools are very competitive and sometimes a lot of applicants have identical scores so they have to determine by another means who to admit -- this time it looks like it was an essay.
My son is in Grad School. He wanted to go to the OU grad school, but the first year he applied he was told there were better candidates so he came back for another year rather than take one of the other offers after meeting with one of the professors who has turned out to be his mentor. It worked, he became the #1 grad school candidate in his field, is on a full ride, gets paid to teach a class, is the GA for research to two professors, and has medical insurance. It would not have been possible if his professor hadn't taken the time to help him and explain what he could do in the next year so he would be admitted to the Grad School.
He decided to take that extra year to make him a much better candidate which it did as his GRE's scores went up considerably and some classes he took had a direct bearing on his field of study.
IMHO appealing is not going to do any good and would hurt her chances if she decided to reapply. If she is convinced this is the only vet school she wants to attend, then she needs to spend time on areas like writing so that she can reapply and be admitted. She does have a right to know the criteria that was used to determine who was admitted. IMO she needs to meet with a professor she trusts to get their honest opinion on what she should do.
I have a cousin who is a vet. Her credentials were impeccable but it took her three tries to get accepted to vet school. She got an MBA in the interim. Tell her not to be discouraged. Keep trying and she'll eventually realize her dream. By the way, I'm told acceptance into a vet program is more competitive than getting accepted into medical school.
Any suggestions?
All veterinary colleges have to meet a standard for teaching and the instructors can teach at any CVM without missing a beat. The teachers I had at Tennessee are now teaching at Auburn, UC Davis, and Texas A&M as well as Tufts, Pennsylvania and Cornell. Once one gets the DVM (VMD in Pa), it is up to the individual what they do with the degree because the sky is the limit. It is easier to become a Dentist or a M.D. than it is a veterinarian because of the plethora of those colleges versus the limited number of veterinary colleges. Competition is tougher and therefore most veterinarians upon graduation are the cream of the crop no matter what CVM from which they graduate.
If she doesn't wish to leave the state and establish residency elsewhere I suggest
a)Apply to all veterinary colleges that take out of state students (be prepared to pay out the kazoo for out of state professional college tuition)
b)Pursue a more difficult area of education that would augment a veterinary education, (ie. Microbiology, biochemistry, through a Masters or Ph.d programme).Undergraduate Animal Science curriculum is a cakewalk compared to Micro or Biochem.
c)Learn what instructors are reviewing the essays and find out what is tripping their trigger and brownnose the hell out of them the next time one applies. Sometimes a little insight will help.