Updated October 25, 2026

Minnesota Vet School Interview: Behavioral Format, Dates and Tips

What happens at the University of Minnesota vet school interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

Minnesota uses a virtual behavioral interview of about 45 minutes with two trained interviewers. You answer seven questions: one unscored warm-up and six scored questions on competencies such as judgment and integrity. It is closed-file, and interviews run in late January and early February.

Practice the Minnesota vet interview now How vet school practice works

Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: A behavioral interview built on "Tell me about a time when..." questions, in a conversational style with follow-ups.
Length and questions: About 45 minutes and seven questions: one unscored "get to know you" question, then six scored competency questions.
Interviewers: Two, drawn from veterinary faculty, professional staff, alumni and external veterinarians, all trained in behavioral interviewing.
Online or in person: Online. Minnesota calls it a virtual behavioral interview.
Open or closed file: Closed file. Interviewers do not see your application and learn who you are shortly before the interview.
When: Late January and early February. Invitations typically go out in early January.
Who is interviewed: Applicants whose combined academic and nonacademic score meets the Admissions Committee's minimum.
Class size: 105 seats in the Class of 2030: 53 residents (Minnesota and North Dakota) and 52 non-residents, from 1,638 applications.

What happens on the day

You meet two interviewers online for about 45 minutes. They ask about real things you have done, not what you would do in a made-up case.

Seven questions. One unscored "get to know you" question, then six scored questions, each built around one competency.
Seven competencies. Judgment, adaptability, communication, drive for results, acting autonomously and confidently, relationship building and integrity.
Two interviewers. From a pool of veterinary faculty, professional staff, alumni and external veterinarians, all trained in behavioral interviewing.
Closed file. The interviewers have not read your application, so each story has to make sense on its own.
Follow-ups. The interview is conversational, and interviewers may ask follow-up questions as needed.
Dress. Minnesota recommends business professional attire.

Ignore leaked question lists. Minnesota warns that websites claiming to list its exact interview questions are inaccurate. Learn the behavioral format instead.

How you get an interview

Minnesota scores your grades first, then your experience and references. Only applicants who clear both steps are invited.

Step 1: academic measures

Two GPAs. Your GPA in the required pre-veterinary courses and your GPA on the most recent 45 semester (or 60 quarter) credits.
A floor. A GPA of 2.75 or below earns no points in that area. Applicants below the committee's academic score are not considered further.
Grades to summer. Your record is counted as it stands at the end of the summer before the September deadline. Fall grades in progress are not included.
No GRE. The GRE is no longer considered.

Step 2: nonacademic measures

Faculty members of the Admissions Committee read the rest of your VMCAS file. That score is added to your academic score to make an overall score.

The profession and animals. Time with veterinarians, research, caring for and managing animals, and your goals in the profession.
Maturity and reliability. Jobs and responsibilities, communication, leadership, activities, and how much you worked while in college.
References. Three to six letters through VMCAS. At least one from a veterinarian is strongly recommended.

No supplemental application. Minnesota uses the behavioral interview in place of a supplemental application, so the interview is where you add what VMCAS cannot show.

How offers are decided

Your academic score, nonacademic score and interview score together decide admission. Minnesota does not publish how much each one weighs.

Mid-February. Offers of admission and wait list offers typically go out.
April 15. The deadline to accept or decline. Accepting takes a non-refundable $500 deposit, applied to first-semester tuition.
Two wait lists. Separate resident and non-resident lists. Seats are filled from them until the first day of the term.
Do not miss it. Applicants who are invited but do not appear for the interview are not considered for admission.

Requirements and dates

You apply through VMCAS and pay Minnesota an $85 processing fee, or $135 to apply to both Minnesota and the SDSU-UMN rural program.

Other routes

SDSU-UMN 2+2. Up to 20 students spend two years at South Dakota State University, then two at Minnesota, and earn a Minnesota DVM. The two schools run separate, independent admissions.
Reapplying. Re-applicants get no priority and no disadvantage, and need a new application each cycle.

The 2026-27 timeline

September 15, 2026. VMCAS application, transcripts, three letters and the Minnesota fee due by 11:59 pm Eastern.
Early January 2027. Application status update and interview invitations.
Late January to early February 2027. Interviews.
Mid-February 2027. Offers typically extended.
April 15, 2027. Accept or decline your offer.

How to prepare

Every scored question asks for a real past example, and the panel knows nothing about you beforehand.

Map stories to competencies. Pick one or two real moments for each of the seven competencies, from clinics, farms, jobs, teams and school.
Use a simple structure. Say the situation, what you did and what happened. Spend most of the time on what you did.
Give the context. With a closed file, add one line of background so a stranger can follow each story.
Expect follow-ups. Know the details of every story well enough to answer "What did you say next?" or "What would you change?"
Practice out loud. Minnesota points applicants to mock interviews through college career services or alumni offices.

Avoid hypotheticals. If you drift into "I would...", bring it back to "I did...". The format is built to score what you have actually done.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Behavioral interview (virtual) station, written for applicants to University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Tell me about a time an animal's unpredictable behavior caught you off guard. How did you regain control of the situation?

Set the scene in one line, spend most of the answer on the calm, safe steps you took, and end with what you now do differently.

Tell us about a time you misread an animal's body language. What were the consequences, and how has it changed your approach to animal handling?

Own the mistake plainly, say exactly what you missed, and show the habit you built because of it.

Describe a time during your animal experience when you realized that loving animals is not enough to be a successful veterinarian. What specific event led to this realization?

Pick one concrete event, such as a hard client talk or a cost decision, and show what skill it made you start building.

Veterinary medicine involves continuous exposure to animal suffering. Tell us about a specific coping mechanism you have developed to process emotional distress without becoming numb or cynical.

Name one real habit, give the moment you used it, and show it keeps you caring rather than shutting down.

What doubts did you have before you decided to pursue veterinary medicine, and how did you work through them?

Name a real doubt, show the steps you took to test it, and say what you learned.

Why do you want to become a veterinarian, and how has your veterinary experience tested that reason?

Keep it short and honest, with one moment that tested you and why you stayed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Minnesota vet school interview like?

It is a behavioral interview of about 45 minutes with two trained interviewers. You answer one unscored warm-up question and six scored questions that ask for real examples from your past.

Is the Minnesota vet school interview online?

Yes. Applicants who meet the academic and nonacademic minimums are invited to a virtual behavioral interview.

Do Minnesota interviewers read my application?

No. It is a closed-file interview. The interviewers do not see your application and learn who you are shortly before the interview.

When are Minnesota vet school interviews?

Interviews take place in late January and early February. Invitations typically go out in early January, and offers typically follow in mid-February.

Does Minnesota vet school have a supplemental application?

No. Minnesota uses the behavioral interview in place of a supplemental application, but it does charge an $85 processing fee.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: How applicants are evaluated · read October 25, 2026
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: DVM Behavioral Interview · read October 25, 2026
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: How to apply · read October 25, 2026
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: Frequently asked questions · read October 25, 2026
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: Application Checklist (Class of 2031) · read October 25, 2026
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine: Class profile · read October 25, 2026