Applying to the RVC
Applying to university can seem daunting, especially if you're the first in your family to go into Higher Education.
The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ is the perfect place for any student interested in working in animal science. As an undergraduate you can choose to study Veterinary Medicine, Biological Sciences or Veterinary Nursing, and there are postgraduate degrees too. Our Veterinary Gateway course is for students who meet Widening Participation criteria (like this Animal Academy website) - click here to find out if you might be eligible. For short videos about the courses see Life at the RVC, and for more detailed info read through our online prospectus.
What do you need to do now? (Specific information for Gateway applications below)
|
Year 9 |
Check which GCSE's you need for the courses you are interested in. |
| Year 10 | Choose animal-related jobs for your school's work experience. Check what grades you need to get for your GCSE's - are you on track? |
| Year 11 |
Check what qualifications (e.g. A Levels) and subjects (e.g. Biology) you need.* |
| Year 12 | Visit universities on Open Days Check what grades you need to get for the courses you’re interested in |
| Year 13 |
Apply! Check your course's page for the full details (e.g. BVetMed here). |
*An important point: If you are taking A Levels and working towards Veterinary Medicine / Gateway, your third A Level subject choice can be anything (except general studies). That means it can be Art, Maths, English Literature, Media Studies, anything (except general studies or a course that overlaps with Biology and Chemistry, like Biochemistry. Just choose a subject you will do well in. If you are unsure, get in contact with us and we can check!
How it works: timeline for applying to the RVC
Students apply to study at the RVC through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Depending on the course you would like to study, the dates and process vary (e.g. for some courses there are additional "supplementary forms" to submit - don't forget!).
Here is the basic timeline to plan for:
- Early September- Applications open to start university in the following September
- October - Application deadline for Veterinary Medicine (application & supplementary form) - you can also put Veterinary Gateway down as for your 5th UCAS option
- January - Application deadline for Veterinary Gateway (application & supplementary form), Veterinary Nursing and Biological Sciences courses
- December-March - Interviews are held for some courses (see below).
- March-May - Find out if your application has been successful.
- May-June - Accommodation information is sent out to everyone who has accepted their offer to study at the RVC
- August - A level results day
- September - Start as a student at the RVC!
You can find out about RVC Fee's and Funding on our webpage here
Help with your application
Help with your application
You can find out lots of useful information about how and when to apply to university as well as tips on writing your personal statement on the . There are loads of other useful websites with advice and insights from students:
- provides university league tables and advice to support you through your university journey
- are experts in careers, providing information to help you choose the right university course for you, as well as a step by step guide of how to apply
- offers help and advice on writing your personal statement
- has a helpful walkthrough on everything you need to know about applying for student finance
- 's blog is all about what it’s like to be the first person in your family to go to university
Multi-Mini Interviews (MMI's)
Interviews can be intimidating but they needn’t be! At the RVC we do Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) for our Veterinary Medicine, Gateway and Veterinary Nursing courses. MMIs are a series of short interviews that explore different skills that we think are important for our students to have.
What they're like
At the RVC interviews, there are usually six “stations”, each assessing a range of different skills and attributes, from communication to critical thinking. Each takes five minutes to complete and you are scored independently by a different assessor each time, which means you get a fresh start at each station. You will also take part in a short teamwork task with some of the other applicants. Our interview days also include presentations to give you more information about the course and the College, as well as a tour of our campus.
Dress code
You are not required buy a new suit to wear to the interview but you wouldn’t want to come dressed in your Christmas jumper and running trainers! Something smart-casual, like a shirt or blouse and plain dark trousers or a skirt would be appropriate. Try to choose something you feel comfortable in and remember your campus tour will include some walking! Thinking about your outfit beforehand will stop any last-minute panics the night before the interview.
Preparing for questions
It’s important to prepare before any interview to help you to do your best on the day. There are a lot of great resources online to help you practice and prepare for MMIs - while lots are focused on medical interviews, it is quite easy to apply the questions to a veterinary setting.
When you receive your invitation to interview, we will give you some information about the skills and qualities we are looking to test. Think about the sorts of questions you might be asked to explore these skills, and practice answering them with your friends and family, or record yourself speaking out loud. If you can, get people to ask you different questions so that you can practice coming up with answers on the spot. If you are the sort of person who talks a lot, practice being brief and getting your point across quickly!
Around 55% of communication is delivered through body language, so be mindful of how you come across. It’s completely normal to feel nervous during an interview, particularly at the beginning, but try to relax, sit up straight, smile and make eye contact with the assessors - showing them you are taking the opportunity seriously.
Hear from one of our Ambassadors, Sioned, about her interview experience at the RVC
Gateway specific timeline
Here is some more specific information of what you need to do and focus on in each year if you want to apply to the Gateway Veterinary Medicine course
| All years | Check your non-academic eligibility for gateway (here), if you need help working through these, check the flowchart below or email us! |
| Year 9 | Choose your science GCSEs: Check which you need here! |
| Year 10 | Make sure you are on track for grades Apply for the Year 10 Easter school to get more information and support. |
| Year 11 | Choose your A Levels: Biology Chemistry and 1 other, Check the grades you will need here If you choose BTEC, it is worth getting in touch with RVC Admissions to check your syllabus is accepted. Apply for the Year 11 Summer School for more information and support. Start applying for work experience. |
| Year 12 | When you have your GCSE results, if your school will not let you sit Biology and Chemistry, you may need to move to another college which will let you take these essential qualifications. Work experience (optional but recommended). Work hard on your grades! Attend Open Days & Apply for the Sutton Trust Summer School for more information and support. |
| Year 13 | Make sure your teachers & tutor know your plans to study the Gateway course. Many teachers have not heard that a vet foundation course exists; you can always put them in touch with us by email. Apply by the deadline (check this here) and complete the supplementary form and work experience form. Interviews. Offer Holder day. Your Exams. Attend Summer Welcome sessions, ready to start at RVC! |
Use this flowchart to calculate your Gateway Eligibility Criteria points
You need 15 points to be eligible, but check how many points you would meet in total. There are links below to check Contextual schools and IMD
Low household income could be shown by: Child Tax Credits, free school meal eligibility, 16-19 bursary, or a government assessed income award that demonstrates low household income
Level 3 contextual schools can be checked here
IMD postcode checkers - / / / - Please ensure you include the space before the last 3 characters, for example NT1 0TU, rather than NW10TU