Illinois DVM Admissions (2027)

Quick facts

• Degree: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
• Location: Urbana, Illinois.
• Application: VMCAS plus Illinois questions embedded in VMCAS and a separate processing fee.
• VMCAS deadline: September 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern.
• Minimum GPA: 3.00 cumulative and 3.00 VMCAS science.
• Recommendations: at least three; one from a practising veterinarian and one from a professor or instructor.
• Interview: approximately 400 applicants are invited to a behaviour-based personal interview in February.
• Residence: approximately half the 160 seats are reserved for Illinois residents. Current admissions process

Admission requirements

Applicants must have at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA and 3.00 VMCAS science GPA, earn C- or better in every prerequisite and complete all requirements by the end of spring 2027. No more than two prerequisites may remain for spring, and no summer 2027 completion is allowed. Current standards

Plan A is for applicants who will hold a bachelor's degree at matriculation and requires eight semester hours of biology with labs, 15 of chemistry including general, organic and biochemistry with the required lab work, and eight of physics with labs. Plan B permits admission without a bachelor's after at least 60 semester hours and adds English, communication, humanities/social sciences and 12 hours of advanced science. Biology coursework 10 years or older will not count beginning with this cycle. Pass/fail and correspondence courses do not satisfy the ordinary requirement. Current prerequisites

A minimum of three electronic references must reach VMCAS. One must be from a practising veterinarian familiar with the applicant, one from a professor or instructor, and none may be from a relative. The GRE is optional; if submitted within the school's stated window, it enters academic calculations. International applicants may apply and must meet the published English-proficiency rules unless an exemption applies. Fall 2027 application instructions

Important dates

VMCAS programme selection opened May 7, 2026. References are due September 8. The VMCAS application and Illinois processing fee are due September 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern; optional GRE material and verified AP-credit letters are also due in September. VMCAS transcripts are due October 1 and fall transcripts to Illinois by January 15, 2027. Fall 2027 application instructions

Personal interviews are scheduled in February, and all applicants receive a status by late February. Offers must be accepted with the required form and deposit by April 15. Decision timing Exact Fall 2027 interview date, deposit amount, orientation date and matriculation date are not published on the current admissions pages.

How selection works

Phase one ranks qualified applicants using cumulative and VMCAS science GPAs and, when voluntarily submitted, GRE percentile. Phase two is a non-academic review by committee members who have not seen phase-one information; it considers the VMCAS essay, veterinary and animal experience, other experiences, recognition, community service, leadership and references. Approximately 400 candidates advance to interview. Current admissions process

For final ranking, phase-one scoring is no longer considered: the phase-two application review supplies 75% and the phase-three interview supplies 25%. Illinois reports about 160 offers, approximately 80 to Illinois residents and 80 to nonresidents. It does not publish scoring anchors, cut scores or tie-breaking rules.

Interview details

Confirmed

Approximately 400 applicants—about 150 Illinois residents and 250 nonresidents—are invited to a personal interview in February. Each candidate meets a three-person team comprising a college faculty member, a veterinarian alumnus or alumna, and a third- or fourth-year veterinary student. Illinois uses a behaviour-based style to assess skills, knowledge, attitudes and aptitudes associated with completing the curriculum and practising successfully. The interview contributes 25% of final ranking. Current admissions process

The interview-day page specifically names interpersonal skills, self-management, integrity, adaptability, resilience and communication as assessed factors. Interview day

Not published

The current pages do not publish the exact Fall 2027 date, delivery modality, interview duration, number or wording of questions, preparation time, interviewer file access, accommodations, scoring anchors or individual domain weights. The interview-day schedule currently displays undated-cycle February 17–18 logistics and should not be represented as Fall 2027 dates.

Who this program may suit

Illinois may suit applicants seeking a four-year DVM in Urbana with early clinical skills, broad species exposure and elective streams. The admissions process explicitly values learning drawn from veterinary and animal experience rather than prescribing a minimum hour count. Admissions FAQ

This page covers the regular Urbana DVM only. Graduate degrees, DVM/PhD, DVM/MPH, residencies and certificates have separate identities and admissions rules. Illinois residents receive preference and approximately half the seats are reserved for them, while a substantial nonresident cohort is admitted. Special considerations

Practice and next step

Record a concise response about feedback that changed how you handled an animal-care, research, service or team responsibility. Review whether you state the feedback, the adjustment and the result clearly, then record a second attempt that reaches the change earlier and removes repeated setup.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Fall 2027 application due?

The VMCAS application and Illinois processing fee are due September 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. References have an earlier September 8 deadline.

Is the GRE required?

No. Illinois says it is optional, but a timely submitted score is used in the academic calculation.

How much does the interview count?

The interview supplies 25% of final ranking; the blind non-academic application review supplies 75%.

Is a bachelor's degree required?

Not under Plan B. Applicants without a bachelor's must meet the expanded 60-hour course framework.

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: Fall 2027 application instructions, three-phase admissions process, academic standards, Plan A and Plan B prerequisites, interview day and assessed factors, residency considerations, decision timing, FAQ and AAVMC VMCAS 2027 guide.