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Applicants are strongly advised to carefully follow all application instructions to avoid any problems during the application process. There are several steps to the application process, and all listed application materials must be submitted to be eligible for consideration.
Early submission of all application material is strongly encouraged, as it allows the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Admissions Office to verify receipt of materials before the deadline. Due to the high volume of applications, exceptions to the given deadlines will not be considered. All application material must be RECEIVED BY - NOT postmarked by - the given deadlines. It is vitally important for all applicants to understand that the application deadlines must be met. Please remember, acceptance into any of the professional DVM programs across the country is very difficult, as there are hundreds of applicants being received for a much smaller number of available seats in the upcoming classes. The first step to the application process is submitting all material in a timely fashion.
All applicants must submit a current application each year they wish to be considered for admissions to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. This includes a new VMCAS application and letters of recommendation, all official college transcripts, official GRE scores via ETS (* see below for exception) and the LSU SVM Supplemental Application.
IMPORTANT - The VMCAS application should be started first before doing anything else. Your VMCAS ID number will be necessary for the following reasons:
- ALL letters of recommendation (known as eLORs) MUST be submitted online through the VMCAS service.
- You must have a VMCAS ID number in order to complete the LSU SVM Supplemental Application.
- You must include your VMCAS identification number in all email communication with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine's Admissions Office.
All applicants to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine must apply through Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). For complete instructions on the VMCAS application procedure, please go to the VMCAS web site. (see VMCAS fee chart.) The VMCAS application will open up in early-June 2011.
The VMCAS application, fee and three eLORS must be submitted absolutely no later than October 3, 2011 at 12:00pm - NOON (Central Daylight Time). There are no exceptions to the October 3 deadline!
IMPORTANT - When entering your coursework into the VMCAS system, please follow the directions closely. LIST ALL COURSES EXACTLY AS SEEN ON YOUR TRANSCRIPTS. LIST EVERY INSTANCE OF A COURSE IF A COURSE WAS REPEATED.
One of the biggest errors made deals with applicants entering their coursework. Enter ALL undergraduate/graduate coursework AS SEEN ON YOUR TRANSCRIPTS, and please use the correct PreReq Code. (For example, enter ALL biology courses under the "BS BL - Biology" PreReq Code. Do NOT exclude any coursework. The LSU SVM will decide what courses are to be used as prerequisites and which will not. Failure to follow the VMCAS instructions (and the LSU SVM instructions) can result in your application being removed from the applicant pool.
eLORs (ELECTRONIC LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION)
ALL letters of recommendation (eLORs) must be submitted electronically through the VMCAS application process. Applicants and evaluators will now be able to easily track the progress of their eLORS online.
The required minimum of THREE letters of recommendation must be submitted to VMCAS no later than the Oct. 3rd deadline. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that evaluators submit the eLORs through VMCAS by the Oct. 3rd deadline. No letters of recommendation will be accepted after the October 3, 2011 deadline.
Letters of recommendation sent directly to the LSU SVM will NOT be accepted, and a maximum of six eLORs will be accepted by the LSU SVM. Committee letters are only considered as one letter of recommendation. NOTE - It is highly advised that at least two of your eLORs be written by DVMs for whom you may have worked.
Questions about VMCAS Application and/or eLORS?
Questions regarding the VMCAS application process and/or the submission of the electronic letters of recommendation should be directed to VMCAS either through the Student and Advisor Hotline at 202-682-0750, or by email at vmcas@aavmc.org.
OFFICIAL UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE TRANSCRIPTS
All official transcripts for college-level coursework (undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education) must be sent to the exact address below and must be RECEIVED by - NOT postmarked - no later than October 3, 2011.
Director of Admissions & Enrollment
Office of Student and Academic Affairs
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Skip Bertman Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes directly from the granting institution. If an institution has the means to send electronic transcripts, then transcripts must be sent specifically to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (not just to LSU).
Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from EVERY SCHOOL ATTENDED with all post-secondary coursework regardless of the number of courses completed at one institution or whether the courses fulfill or do not fulfill the LSU SVM prerequisites. LSU students must submit a request to have their transcripts sent from the LSU Registrar's Office. (LSU transcripts are not automatically sent/received.)
Transcripts and evaluation reports for non-U.S. and non-Canadian schools must be sent to Veterinary schools through one of the following transcript evaluation services:
Josef Silny & Associates
International Education Consultants
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33171
Phone: 305-273-1616
Fax: 305-273-1338
E-mail: info@jslny.com
Web site: www.jsilny.com
World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 745
Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113-0745
Phone: 212-966-6311
Toll Free: 800-937-3895
Fax: 212-739-6100
E-mail: info@wes.org
Web site: www.wes.org
Office of International Education Services
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036-1135
Phone: 202-293-9161
E-mail: oies@aacrao.org
Web site: www.aacrao.org
SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION & FEE
The LSU SVM requires all applicants to complete and submit a supplemental application in addition to the VMCAS application. The LSU SVM Supplemental Application must be electronically submitting no later than November 15th, 2011 at 12:00pm NOON (Central Standard Time). The supplemental application must be submitted electronically - Printed, mailed hard copies will not be accepted.
The $75 non-refundable application fee can only be mailed to the LSU SVM's Admissions Office and must be received no later than November 15, 2011. (Make checks and money orders payable to "Louisiana State University" - Cash and credit card payments cannot be accepted.) Please write your VMCAS ID on the check or money order. Failure to do so could result in your application being declined.
If using the United States Postal Service, the exact address to which the $75 supplemental application fee must be mailed is:
Director of Admissions & Enrollment
Office of Student and Academic Affairs
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Skip Bertman Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Do NOT use the USPS for express/priority mailings, as it will actually take longer to arrive at the LSU SVM Admissions Office.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO OVERNIGHT YOUR FEE OR SEND IT VIA EXPRESS OR PRIORITY MAIL, you should only use UPS, FedEx or FedEx Ground. Do NOT use the USPS for express/priority mailings, as it will actually take longer to arrive at the LSU SVM Admissions Office. To ensure your express/priority package is delivered in the most timely fashion through UPS, FedEx or FedEx Ground, please use the following exact address:
Director of Admissions & Enrollment
Office of Student and Academic Affairs
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Skip Bertman Drive, 1909 Freight Dock
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Any questions regarding the supplemental application & fee can be directed to the LSU SVM Admissions Office at admissions@vetmed.lsu.edu or (225)578-9538.
The LSU SVM requires all applicants to take the General Graduate Record Exam (subject-specific exams are not accepted). The LSU SVM uses both the raw scores and the percentile scores in evaluating applicants. Only the highest total exam score is used, not the highest two sections from different test scores. The writing section of the GRE is not 
necessary for the LSU SVM; however applicants are strongly advised to verify this with all other schools of interest. If applying for matriculation into the fall '12, the GRE scores must be received by the LSU SVM no later than Nov. 15th, 2011. Scores received after November 15th will not be accepted. Scores are only accepted via electronic transfer directly from ETS. GRE scores are only valid for five years from the date taken the test was taken. No other exam scores are accepted - only General GRE scores.
* NOTE - If you plan to take the new GRE exam format being implemented on August 1st, it is STRONGLY urged to take the exam NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1st, 2011. Exam scores for tests taken after October 1st, will very likely not be received by the November 15th deadline. *
The LSU SVM is a separate school from LSU’s main campus and has its own school code for the submissions of GRE scores. All GRE scores must be sent to the following codes when submitting your GRE scores to the LSU SVM:
SVM School Code - 6381
(listed as "Louisiana St U Vet Med")
As seen on ETS's Official Institution Code List, there are ten different schools that are associated with "Louisiana State U". Applicants MUST choose to have the GRE scores sent specifically to the "Louisiana State U Sch Vet Med".
Failure to use the exact school code given above will result in your scores NOT being received at the LSU SVM. Scores sent to LSU's Graduate School (code 6373) are NOT accessible by the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.
NOTE - If you have applied to the LSU SVM within the past two years and received confirmation directly from the LSU SVM Admissions Office (via the LSU SVM Online Status Check System) that your official scores were received, then you do NOT need to resubmit your scores. If you have retaken the GRE score since your previous submission and earned a higher score, you must have ETS send your recent scores to the LSU SVM.
If courses are being taken in the fall '11 semester, an official transcript with all final grades/credits must be RECEIVED by - NOT postmarked - no later than January 15, 2012 at the address given below.
Director of Admissions & Enrollment
Office of Student and Academic Affairs
LSU School of Veterinary Medicine
Skip Bertman Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
NOTE - Applicants will be notified individually if fall '11 transcripts must be submitted. Not all students must submit transcripts.
In an effort to improve upon the time it takes to review folders, the LSU SVM will not count fall '11 credits/grades into either of the GPA calculations for out of state residents. (Fall '11 credits/grades will only be used in GPA calculations for Louisiana and Arkansas residents.)