Oregon State Vet School Interview: No Interview, Casper Instead
Oregon State's vet school does not list an interview. Here is how it picks its class instead, and what to do with your prep time.
Oregon State's Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine does not list an interview in its admissions steps. Applicants for fall 2027 entry needed a 3.0 or higher VMCAS science GPA, Casper by August 25, 2026, and VMCAS, three letters including one from a veterinarian, and supplemental questions with a $60 portal fee by September 15, 2026. Decisions for the Class of 2031 are posted between December 2026 and February 2027, with an April 15, 2027 reply deadline.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Interview
- None listed. The application steps, selection criteria and timeline do not include an interview.
- Decisions
- December 2026 to February 2027, posted to your Applicant Portal. Reply by April 15, 2027.
- Casper
- Required starting with fall 2027 entry. The last US Casper 2 (CSP-20100) date for that cycle was August 25, 2026 and has passed. It takes 65 to 85 minutes.
- Deadline
- September 15, 2026, 11:59 pm Eastern, for VMCAS, transcripts, letters and the supplemental questions. It has passed.
- Minimum GPA
- A 3.0 science GPA, as calculated by VMCAS. Admitted students average about 3.5 to 3.8.
- Experience
- No minimum, but applicants with 400 or more hours of veterinary experience are generally more competitive.
- Class size
- About 96 seats: about 48 Oregon residents and 48 non-residents, including WICHE students.
There is no interview day
Oregon State's admissions pages describe no interview step. The committee learns about you from your written application, your letters and your Casper scores.
- No interview listed. The application steps, the selection criteria and the 2026-2027 timeline go straight from the September deadline to decisions.
- Casper fills part of the gap. Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test. Oregon State says it measures personal and professional skills and adds fairness to selection.
- Your public profile. The committee may view publicly available information about applicants, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Treat Casper like the interview. Casper is the only place you answer scenarios in your own words, so practice typed and spoken answers to ethics and teamwork scenarios well before your test date.
How you get in
The Admissions Committee looks for applicants in four areas. It reviews every complete application against them.
1. Likely academic success
- GPA. A 3.0 or higher science GPA is required. Science and prerequisite grades are reviewed closely.
- Course load. Students who did well with 15 or more credits a term are likely better prepared. The DVM averages 17 to 21 credits a term.
- Context. Upper-division science, work or family demands during school, and obstacles you overcame are all considered.
2. Qualities of a veterinarian
These are judged from your VMCAS, supplemental answers, letters and Casper scores.
- What they look for. Integrity, maturity, scientific inquisitiveness, motivation, interpersonal and communication skills, compassion, community-mindedness, varied interests and leadership.
3. Knowledge of the profession
- Veterinary experience. Clinical practice, research labs, shelters, zoos, rehabilitation, public health, regulatory or industry settings. Quantity, quality and variety all count.
- Animal experience. Raising and caring for different species is also evaluated.
- Roles of vets. You should know the varied roles veterinarians play in science and in society.
4. Diversity of the class
The committee values cultural, geographic, professional and economic diversity. It reads your background and goals against the needs of the profession.
How offers are decided
After reviewing all applications, the Admissions Committee recommends offers to the Dean. The Dean makes the final decision on the same criteria.
- Portal access. Only applicants invited to move forward in the review get access to the OSU Applicant Portal.
- December to February. Decisions are posted to the portal, and you get an email when one is posted.
- April 15, 2027. The deadline to accept or decline an offer, at 11:59 pm Eastern.
- Reapplying. If you are not admitted, you submit new application materials the next year.
Requirements and dates
You apply through VMCAS and answer Oregon State's supplemental questions there. The GRE is not needed.
What to submit
- Three letters. At least one must come from a veterinarian who knows you well. Applications without one are not reviewed. No letters from family.
- $60 supplemental fee. Paid in the applicant portal. It can be waived if VMCAS waived your fee.
- Prerequisites. All but two must be done when you submit VMCAS, and remaining courses must be completed before August 1 of the year you start. Every prerequisite requires a C- or better, a 3.4+ science GPA is generally more competitive, and you may apply without a bachelor's degree if you also complete the general education prerequisites in English, public speaking and humanities.
- WICHE. Applicants from Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming can seek home-state certification by October 15 for WICHE funding.
Dates for 2027 entry
- January 22, 2026. VMCAS opened.
- August 25, 2026. Last Casper date for Oregon State. It has passed.
- September 15, 2026. Deadline for VMCAS, transcripts, letters and supplemental questions. It has passed.
- December 2026 to February 2027. Decisions.
- September 2027. Orientation and classes begin. Exact dates are to be announced.
How competitive it is. For the Class of 2029, Oregon State had 1,762 applications for 96 positions, including 150 Oregon residents for 49 positions, 1,534 non-residents for 46 positions, and 78 WICHE residents for 1 position. Matriculated students averaged a 3.76 overall GPA, 3.74 science GPA, 3.72 prerequisite GPA and 3.82 last 45 credit GPA.
How to prepare
With no interview, your essays, letters and Casper carry everything. Spend your prep time there.
- Practice scenarios out loud. Casper asks how you would act in hard situations. Talking through ethics and teamwork scenarios builds the habit of naming each person's view and giving a clear choice.
- Show the qualities by example. For integrity, compassion or leadership, describe one real moment rather than claiming the trait.
- Spread your experience. Oregon State prefers exposure to several fields, such as clinical practice, research, industry, zoo medicine, public health and food safety.
- Pick letter writers early. Choose people who can give specific examples, and make sure one is a veterinarian.
Check your public profiles. The committee may look at public social media, so make sure what is public fits how you present yourself.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a No interview (Casper required) station, written for applicants to Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
Why veterinary medicine, and what will you bring to the profession?
Give one specific reason from your own experience across settings such as clinical practice, animal shelters or research laboratories, and one strength you add. Example answer, written by our team. The applicant is invented: Working as an assistant in an animal shelter and a clinical practice showed me how closely animal welfare depends on clear owner education and calm preventive care. Coming from a bilingual farm household, I can help Spanish-speaking livestock and companion animal owners talk through treatment options clearly and build trust with the veterinary team.
Thinking back on your veterinary observation hours, what was the most surprising or unglamorous part of a veterinarian's day-to-day work?
Name a real, unglamorous task and show you still want the job knowing it is part of it.
A breeder brings in a litter of puppies and asks you to perform cosmetic tail docking. Your clinic allows it and it is legal in your area, but you personally believe it is an unnecessary and painful procedure. Do you perform the procedure?
Separate your personal view from clinic policy, consider the puppies' welfare, and explain how you would talk with the breeder and your employer.
In your own words, can you explain why antimicrobial resistance is considered one of the major crises facing veterinary medicine today?
Explain how resistance develops in plain words and connect it to both animal and human health.
Give an example of how climate change might affect the daily caseload of a small animal veterinarian, and explain how this connects to the One Health concept.
Use one concrete example, such as ticks or heat stress, and link animal, human and environmental health.
Often, treating animals means treating their owners. If you are drawn to this field partly because you prefer animals to people, how will you manage the heavy client-facing side of the job?
Be honest, then show real experience communicating with people and what you are doing to get better at it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon State interview vet school applicants?
Oregon State's admissions pages do not list an interview. Selection uses your academic record, VMCAS and supplemental answers, letters and Casper scores.
Does Oregon State require Casper for vet school?
Yes, starting with the 2027-2028 admission cycle for fall 2027 entry. Applicants register for US Casper 2 (CSP-20100), a 65-85 minute online, open-response situational judgment test at takecasper.com, and had to test no later than August 25, 2026.
How many vet hours does Oregon State want?
There is no minimum, but applicants with 400 or more hours of veterinary experience are generally more competitive.
When does Oregon State send vet school decisions?
Between December 2026 and February 2027, posted to your Applicant Portal with an email notice. Admitted students reply by April 15, 2027.
How many students does Oregon State admit?
About 96 a year: about 48 Oregon residents and about 48 non-residents, which includes WICHE-sponsored students.
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.
- Oregon State Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine: DVM Application Instructions · read October 26, 2026
- Oregon State Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine: Student Selection Criteria · read October 25, 2026
- Oregon State Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine: Application and Admission Timeline · read October 26, 2026
- Oregon State Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine: DVM Frequently Asked Questions · read October 25, 2026
- Oregon State Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine: Admissions Statistics · read October 25, 2026