Oct. 1 is the deadline for students who are applying to the College of Veterinary Medicine to submit their applications.

FIRST-TIME APPLICATIONS Jackie Hand, senior in animal science and industry, is applying for the first time this fall. Hand said she has worked on her application since the end of July and plans to turn it in several weeks prior to the deadline.

The online application only is accessible to students with a specified account and consists of more than 20 different sections, Hand said. The application begins by asking for basic, personal information and moving on to essay questions about the student's experience with animals, classes they have taken and why they are applying to the college, Hand said.

Another requirement of the application is three electronic evaluations. The evaluations are recommendations promoting students and their applications to the college. One evaluation must be from a veterinarian, one from a student adviser or professor, and the last from a professional in the field, Hand said.

The application also asks students to list prior experience in the area of veterinary medicine, Hand said.

"Most students volunteer at a vet clinic or zoo," Hand said. "But a lot of them don't get internships until they're accepted into the college."

Hand said she worked for a professor, assisting with research and gaining an inside look at the world of veterinary medicine, she said.

Along with work experience, students are asked to list any extracurricular activities in which they have been involved throughout high school and college pertaining to veterinary medicine.

PRE-VET MED CLUB Jennifer Bormann, assistant professor of animal sciences and industry, said there are many opportunities for K?State students to build their résumé before they apply to the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Bormann, also the adviser for the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club, said students who plan to apply to the College of Veterinary Medicine can benefit from joining the club.

The club provides two main services for students. First, it gives them activities to add to their list of involvement. The club participates in a variety of activities like community service and fundraising. For example, students can volunteer at Sunset Zoological Park in Manhattan or help with "dog-and-jog," the College of Veterinary Medicine's fundraiser benefiting service dogs for disabled people.

Second, the club gives its members a chance to learn about other options available in their departments besides veterinary medicine, such as research veterinarians.

"The club helps open (students') eyes to other opportunities," Bormann said. "They need to understand the entirety of their field, beyond just medicine."

The club has about 100 members this year, ranging from freshmen to seniors, and has biweekly meetings, Bormann said. The club invites guest speakers from within the profession to come and share advice and stories with the members, Bormann said.

"(The club) is also a great networking tool," Bormann said. "Students can meet other students with their same interests, and they can help each other out before and after being accepted into the college."

Pre-Vet Med ADVISING While students offer each other support during the tedious application process, advisers give students academic guidance and advice.

Dave Nichols, professor in animal sciences and industry and pre-veterinary medicine student adviser, said the veterinary medicine profession is popular for several reasons.

"It is a very competitive field that has been highly regarded for a long time," Nichols said. "It also has a very rigorous curriculum."

Nichols said about half of the students he advises are pre-veterinary medicine students.

The advisers work closely with the College of Veterinary Medicine to follow the college's curriculum. They attend pre-veterinary medicine advisers' meetings and make sure they are guiding students toward the right goal, Nichols said.

"Our goal is to help students get where they want to go," Nichols said. "We also like to point out other options for students, like biotechnology or bioscience."

Nichols said that it is difficult to predict whose application will be accepted and who will have to try again. The qualifications are grade-driven, but there are other standards, Nichols said. A passion and understanding for the field of veterinary medicine, as with any profession, is key, Nichols said. He also said communication and people skills are important.

The College of Veterinary Medicine attracts people from all walks of life, creating a diverse environment, Nichols said. "A great part of my job is getting to work with many different students," Nichols said. "They are very driven and passionate about their goals."

Throughout the process of applying to the college, Nichols, along with other advisers, works closely with students. Advisers and students often form friendly relationships, making it difficult to part when the student moves on to their four years in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nichols said.

"It is hard to work so closely with a student, only to have them leave for vet school and then never see them again," Nichols said. "But I'm proud of all of them, and I know many of them will go on to be very successful veterinarians."

This is a common goal for all students applying to the College of Veterinary Medicine, and students can get an idea of how deep their desire is just by going through the application process, said Tracey Mendlen, second-year in veterinary medicine.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS "Filling out the application is a full-time job in itself," Mendlen said. "I remember feeling as though I had completed a marathon when I pushed that submit button."

Mendlen applied for the college two years ago and was one of few students who were accepted on their first try. Not everyone is accepted, though. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine's Web site, there were 133 qualified applicants to the college for the class of 2010. Only 46 spots were offered, and 45 of those accepted.

Many students who do not make it into the college on their first attempt will take a year to gain experience through work or go on to graduate school, Mendlen said. A majority will repeat the application process several times before being accepted.

Along with the online application, students applying to the college also are required to take the Graduate Record Exam, a basic academic knowledge test similar to an ACT or SAT, Mendlen said. They also have specific prerequisite classes within their majors.

Mendlen also said students should try to make their application a "water-tight basket."

"If you know your weaknesses, meet them head-on," Mendlen said. "Just try and make every aspect of your application solid. The essay, the grades, everything."

When Mendlen, originally from San Diego, was applying to veterinary medicine programs, K-State was at the bottom of her list, she said. But as soon as she stepped on campus for a visit, she knew it was where she wanted to be.

"I have friends at vet schools all across the country," Mendlen said. "But I can guarantee that I'm happier here at K-State."

Hand is hoping to join Mendlen, along with the rest of the students already in the college, next fall, she said.

"I feel very strongly about my application," Hand said. "I think I have something great to offer the profession."

Hand also said that if she is not accepted into the College of Veterinary Medicine, she will reapply and spend the year improving her chances. However, she is not opposed to other options, like graduate school.

In the first part of January, students will be notified if they have been invited for a 30-minute, scheduled interview. After this interview, final decisions are made and those accepted into the college can relax, Hand said.

"I am so nervous," Hand said. "It will be a big relief once this is all over."