MEET YOUR VET SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ADVISOR
Michelle West, DVM, has been passionate about veterinary medicine since she was five years old. Growing up in Connecticut, she spent her childhood riding horses, caring for pets, and gaining hands-on experience working at the Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine. After fulfilling her dream of becoming a veterinarian, Dr. West dedicated nearly 30 years to veterinary clinical practice before transitioning to her new passion: helping others achieve their dreams through vet school admissions advising.
Dr. West uses her veterinary experience in combination with her 5 years of volunteer experience in veterinary admissions at her alma mater to specialize in personalized advising for veterinary school applicants, offering support at every stage of the vet school application process. Her mission is to provide one-on-one, tailored admissions assistance, from your VMCAS application to interview preparation and customized mock interviews. With her wealth of experience guiding aspiring veterinarians, Dr. West recognizes each student’s unique journey and offers solutions to the challenges and potential hurdles often faced in pursuit of veterinary school admission.
Ready to strengthen your veterinary school application and move closer to your dream? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute vet school admissions consultation today to discover how Dr. West’s expert admissions tips and guidance can make a meaningful difference in your journey.
PRICING: Choose only the services you need when you need them.
Hours 1-2 $250/hr, hours 3-7 $225/hr, hours 8+ $200/hr
-
Mount Holyoke College, BA Biology Magna Cum Laude 1989
-
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, DVM with honors 1993
-
Medical and surgical equine internship, WI 1993-1994
-
Ambulatory equine practice, CT 1994-1996
-
Small animal veterinary associate in general practice, CT 1996-2006
-
Purchased Shoreline Animal Hospital, co-owner, CT 2006
-
Started Vet Academy for middle school students, 2019
-
Veterinary admissions applicant file review volunteer at OSU 2017-2022
-
Veterinary admissions interview volunteer 2020 and 2023
-
Sold veterinary practice 2020
-
Co-Medical director Shoreline Animal Hospital
Why Hire a Vet School Admission Advisor
-
Dr. West vs. other advisorsVet school admissions is her only mission! She has 30 years as a practicing vet with broad experiences. Dr. West does not coach for any other health professions. 5 years experience volunteering in veterinary admissions and interviews. Demonstrated dedication and personal connection with students.
-
Avoid costly mistakes.Applying to and attending veterinary school is very expensive! Average vet school student debt is ~$150,000 but can be as high as $400,000 Time is money- Many applicants each year are declined and reapply 2 or 3 application cycles before an acceptance. Each application cycle adds additional costs, but it is also another year of not earning the potential income of a veterinarian. Students who have not planned their prerequisite coursework well may have to take additional classes in the summers or after graduating thus incurring additional costs. Repeating courses to get higher grades or pursuing a MS to raise a GPA will incur significant additional costs. Dr. West can help minimize extra costs by advising students on setting goals and timelines, choosing the right schools to apply to and insuring the first application is the best it can be.
-
Save time. Improve efficiency.Start preparation as early as high school. This is the best time to start gaining animal and veterinary experience. Dr. West schedules annual or biannual meetings with students to plan out their academic year as well as opportunities for vet experience, leadership and volunteering. Use of extensive knowledge with years of research and experience have helped Dr. West know what parts of a student's credentials and experiences would benefit from improvement. Prioritize preparation and timeline goals to be on track. Dr. West works with applicants wherever they are in their journey to determine when they should apply based on their unique qualifications, whether they should take a gap year and helps make sure they adjust when things don't go as planned.
-
Apply smarter! Select the right schools.Only 33 accredited colleges of vet med in the US, 5 in Canada and 16 abroad Residence, experience, GRE and GPA indicate which schools to apply to Strategic planning tailored to your unique criteria
-
Optimize chances of acceptance your first cycle!Build your application to be the most competitive applicant you can be! Acceptance into vet school is more unpredictable than undergraduate admissions Over 10,000 applicants apply yearly to one or more vet schools in the US The average acceptance rate is between 10-15%
Choose YOUR Guidance
Complimentary 20 min session
“Dr. West was kind enough to assist me in my process to become a veterinarian. She helped me prepare for interviews as well as guided me through the application process. I didn’t get in my first time around, but she helped me stay hopeful and helped me get in the next cycle. Forever grateful for her help and wisdom. I still stay in touch with her to this day, where she continues to support me through my journey.”
Mercedes C.
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Class of 2025
"Dr. West is extremely knowledgeable on how vet schools have subtle differences in application requirements as well as the general qualifications that make for a superior candidate. She is also able to advise high school students on how to get an early start with their animal experience hours. Overall, we found Dr. West to be an immense help and would recommend utilizing her services as early as possible in the process to maximize the chances of vet school acceptance."
Camy G.
Parent of High School student
Class of 2024
“Dr. West was so kind and helpful! She thoroughly laid out the path I should take to achieve my goals. She advised me on what I can be doing now to prepare for a pre-vet program, and also how to make connections while I am still in high school. Dr. West was very clear about the challenges students face when applying to vet school and the challenges of the veterinary profession. She was very encouraging and I look forward to working with her in the future!”
Eliana H.
High School Senior
Class of 2024
"I started working with Dr. West for the 2022 application cycle. Going into this process I was full of so many questions and lots of anxiety. I was constantly overthinking and stressing until I started working with Dr. West. She was a great resource for working through my questions and concerns. She helped settle my anxiety and helped me focus on what was important. I am grateful to have met Dr. West when I did and can tell you first hand her services are worth it."
Isabel B.
The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Class of 2027