What is new on the VMCAS essay this year?

You might be wondering what’s new on the VMCAS personal statement this year! As of July, 2022, the essay question on the VMCAS requires one single page submission and this round of applications is due on September 15th, 2022! 

Many students will find this single, longer essay easier than the short answers from the past few years. But if these changes to the VMCAS essay 2022 seem more difficult for you, don’t despair – you can do it.

The personal essay portion of an application can seem quite daunting and sometimes becomes a task that students avoid until the very last moment.  To help yourself get started, remember that this may be the part of the application over which you have the most control, so take the time to make your final product as striking as possible.  

Your passion for the career must come through to make you stand out so use this opportunity to share things that other parts of your application cannot convey.  Start writing early to leave yourself plenty of time to edit and walk away from your work so that you can come back to it with fresh eyes.  

Loop Abroad has a quick guide to Mastering the VMCAS essay 2022. Check it out here!

Here are some tips:

• When you are writing, dedicate yourself fully to the process in an environment free from distractions–especially your cell phone!  
• Don’t be afraid to write things that you don’t end up using in the end–you never know where a good brainstorm may take you.  
• Never plagiarize.
• Always be yourself
• Be concise, because you only have 3,000 words to explain why you want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.  
• Avoid fluff or flowery language that only fills space and buries your message instead of highlighting it.  
• Remember your target audience: you are not writing a novel and you are also not teaching a course in veterinary medicine so do not waste words explaining terminology to a reader that already knows it.  
• Make sure to get several different people to proofread your essay before you consider committing to the final draft.  
• The last question to ask yourself before submitting your work should be, ‘Does this statement accurately represent me and express what I have to offer the profession?’ 

What’s new on the VMCAS personal statement this year is that you have more space to write a more cohesive response to a less specific question. The upside is that you get more freedom to express yourself and share what you really want the admissions committee to know. The downside is that it can be hard to choose what to write and where to focus your essay. 

The VMCAS personal statement 2022 is manageable if you make a plan and understand your goals. By clarifying exactly what you want the admissions committee to know about you, you can write a thoughtful essay that is sure to accomplish your goal. 

The Loop Abroad guide to Mastering the VMCAS Personal Essay will take you through easy steps toward writing the best VMCAS personal statement you can. It’s free! Taking the time to plan your essay ensures that you put your best foot forward in your written introduction to the admissions committee, and it’s worth your time to do it right. 

Good luck!