Early Entry Program

A veterinary student poses with a horseThe Early Entry Program (EEP) is a unique program at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University that allows high-achieving high school seniors to earn pre-approved acceptance into the DVM program. Both Mississippi residents and residents from other states are eligible for the program. Up to thirty positions are available each year with about 120+ applications typically received for this highly competitive program. If accepted into the program, students will complete prerequisites within one of MSU’s undergraduate degree programs. Those seeking to apply to the Early Entry Program must first be accepted into Mississippi State University. The EEP and the Undergraduate University application are separate applications. 

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The Application

The College of Veterinary Medicine Early Entry application is supplemental to the Mississippi State University application for admission. In order to access the CVM-EEP application, you must have been accepted to Mississippi State University and meet all requirements listed below. The EEP application opens on August 1st. Please visit your myState portal to access the CVM EEP application. If the Early Entry Application is not displayed in your myState portal and you feel you meet our requirements, please contact us at admit@vetmed.msstate.edu. 

A completed CVM-EEP application and all supporting materials must be submitted on or prior to January 6, 2025. Virtual interviews are a required part of the final process. Applicants selected for interviews will be invited to participate in a virtual interview in late January. Please view the list of important dates below. 

You can find your EEP application in your myState portal using the steps below. 

1. Log in to your myState portal. 

2. From the myState homepage, select the block that says "More". 

3. Scroll down to "Helpful Links". 

4. Find the block that says, "Vet Med". 

5. Select "Click here to apply to the CVM Early Entry program".

     

Important Dates Description
August 1, 2025 Early Entry application opens 
November  2025  Recommended last day to take ACT or SAT. 
 

 

January 5, 2026 		 Deadline for Early Entry applications. All components must be received.  

*Please note it can take 2+ weeks for your ACT or SAT score to be delivered to The Office of Admissions and Scholarships.  
January 23, 2026 Early Entry Interviews 
May 1, 2026  Position Acceptance Deadline 

 

Application Requirements

Students applying for the Early Entry Program must meet the following qualifications: 

  • Accepted as an undergraduate at MSU 
  • Minimum ACT composite or superscore of 27 (SAT score of 1260 on new SAT) 
  • Starting Fall 2024 applicants must have a minimum OVERALL GPA of 3.6.
  • Three letters of reference must be submitted within your application. Family members should not be used as references. 
    • One “academic reference” 
    • One “animal reference”, must attest to the applicant's animal handling skills. A veterinarian is preferred, but not required. 
    • One “other reference”, this one can be any reference of your choosing.

      • Students must have the minimum GPA and ACT/SAT score to be eligible to apply for the Early Entry Program. If a student does not have the required ACT/SAT score they may still apply prior to receiving the required ACT/SAT score. All required ACT/SAT scores must be submitted by the deadline to qualify for further review in the application process.

In addition, the Early Entry Program Admissions Committee considers animal and veterinary experience, work experience, leadership qualities and non-academic qualities (listed below), that are addressed in the applicant’s written application to the EEP, and three evaluations submitted on behalf of the applicant by references of their choosing. 

Non-academic qualifications: 

  • Understanding of veterinary profession 
  • Integrity 
  • Communication skills 
  • Empathy 
  • Orientation towards service 
  • Uniqueness 
  • Motivation/self-determination 
  • Strong work ethic 
  • Interpersonal skills 
  • Problem-solving skills 
  • Leadership abilities

Interview

Interviews are a required part of the final process. Applicants selected for interviews will be invited to participate in a virtual interview in late January. Interview invitations will be sent by email in mid-January with further details. After interviews have been completed, notifications regarding acceptance to the program will be emailed by mid-February.

Acceptance into the EEP

Students who have an interest in veterinary medicine and meet application requirements during high school may apply for the Early Entry Program. If a student is accepted into this program, he or she begins undergraduate coursework at MSU after high school graduation and completes the first three to four years of prerequisite courses, while also working toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree. After the student has completed all prerequisite course requirements for the College of Veterinary Medicine and remains in good standing, he or she can enroll in the CVM as a pre-accepted student. No further application or interview to the CVM is required.

Good Standing

An early entry student must remain in good standing to matriculate into the DVM program. Below are some requirements that EEP must meet to remain in good standing.  

  • Successfully complete a minimum of 14 credit hours each semester at MSU 
  • Earn no less than a 3.35 GPA in  
    • all college courses combined (cumulative GPA) 
    • all prerequisite courses (required courses GPA)  
    • all prerequisite math/science courses (required math/science courses GPA) 
  • Earn no less than a C- in all prerequisite courses 
  • Remain in good standing with the University  
  • Meet with their Early Entry Program advisor at least once each semester 
  • Document completion of at least 480 hours of experience under the supervision of a veterinarian in a clinical or scientific setting by January 31st of the year of matriculation into DVM program 
  • Refrain from enrolling full-time at an institution other than Mississippi State University 

Residency

Prior to the final acceptance for admission, each successful applicant must enter a contract with the MSU CVM in which the applicant agrees and obligates himself/herself to pay the tuition, fees, and expenses applicable to the applicant's resident or non-resident status that exists at the time the applicant submits their Early Entry Matriculation Form. In addition, the applicant must agree and obligate himself/herself in the contract to continue to pay the tuition, fees and expenses during the applicant's entire MSU CVM DVM education experience that are applicable to that same initial status determination, thereby waiving any right to petition for a change in residency status for the purpose of calculating tuition.



Please be aware that the Office of the Registrar at Mississippi State University processes petitions for Mississippi residency. Applicants that wish to be considered a Mississippi resident must be certified prior to the submission of their Early Entry Matriculation Form. If not certified, the applicant will be placed within the non-resident pool for that particular application cycle.



An admitted applicant's status will not change for his or her entire MSU CVM veterinary medical educational period.



MSU CVM reserves the right to decline admission or rescind an offer of admission if a candidate is found to have falsified or concealed pertinent requested information at any point during the admissions process.

Contracts

MSU CVM has contracts with West Virginia. To be considered for these positions, applicants must contact their state agency and be certified as a resident of that state.



West Virginia applicants should complete the form here.



This program is processed through West Virginia University but is open to WV residents attending any institution.



**Early Entry Applicants are responsible for completing their contract seat certification no later than November 1st prior to matriculation.**

Bachelor’s Degree Options

Students in the EEP may choose any major of study; however, the following programs have degree requirements that mostly align with requirements for admission to the CVM and may offer the opportunity for students to earn both their bachelor’s and DVM degrees in a shortened period of time: 

  • Animal & Dairy Science 
  • Biochemistry 
  • Biological Engineering 
  • Biological Sciences 
  • Chemical Engineering 
  • Food Science Technology 
  • Poultry Science 
  • Wildlife Veterinary Medicine 

Please note there is no specific “Pre-Veterinary Medicine” major at MSU. However, students can opt for a pre-veterinary concentration.

Course Requirements

All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to matriculation and cannot be taken during a Maymester or summer term of matriculation year. Please note the academic year at MSU CVM for first-year students begins mid to late June. The courses that are listed below are examples of courses offered by MSU.  We require the prerequisites listed below for entry into our DVM program. The same course cannot be used to satisfy two prerequisite requirements.  

Writing - 3 semester hours

English Composition or Composition and Rhetoric

MSU Examples: 

Communications - 3 semester Hours

  • CO 1003 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
  • CO 1013 Intro to Communication

Humanities, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Fine Arts - 15 semester hours

Any combination of courses in the below categories such as:

  • Humanities
    • FLS 1113 Spanish I 
    • HI 1063 Early US History
    • PHI 1103 Introduction to Philosophy
    • REL 3213 World Religions I
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
    • AN 1103 Introduction to Anthropology
    • EC 2113 Principles of Macroeconomics
    • PSY 1013 General Psychology
    • SO 1003 Introduction to Sociology
  • Fine Arts
    • ARC 1013 Architectural Appreciation
    • ART 1023 Art History II
    • PSS 2343 Floral Design
    • MU 1103 African American Music

A list of what MSU considers Humanities, Social/Behavioral Sciences, and Fine Arts can be found here.

Math - 6 semester hours

College algebra or higher. Intermediate algebra is not accepted. 

MSU Examples:

Courses outside of a mathematics department may be used to fulfill this requirement if the institution in which the course was taken states the course can be used to fulfil a math requirement.  

Biology I and Biology II - 8 semester hours*

Biological science introductory courses with labs for pre-professional science majors. *Students on the quarter system are required to complete a 3-quarter sequence in biology.

MSU Examples:

Microbiology - 4 semester hours

Microbiology course with lab for science majors.

MSU Examples 

Chemistry I and Chemistry II - 8 semester hours*

General chemistry courses with labs for pre-professional science majors. *Students on the quarter system are required to complete a 3-quarter sequence in chemistry. 

MSU Examples

Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II - 8 semester hours*

Organic chemistry courses with labs for pre-professional science majors. *Students on the quarter system are required to complete a 3-quarter sequence in organic chemistry. 

MSU Examples

Biochemistry - 3 semester hours

Biochemistry courses taken at the junior or senior level (3000 or 4000).

MSU Examples

Physics I and Physics II - 6 semester hours

Physics courses may be trigonometry-based or calculus-based. Labs are not required.

MSU Examples

Upper Level Science/Math - 12 semester hours

Upper-level science elective courses refer to junior-, senior-, and/or graduate-level courses. Seminars, labs not associated with a course, internships, clinical rotations, research electives, capstones, thesis hours, management, and study abroad courses cannot be used to fulfill this requirement. Course numbering is determined by each institution. MSU CVM follows the institutional guidelines in which the course was completed.

Course subjects that will be accepted at the upper-level are as follows: 

  • Anatomy 
  • Analytical Chemistry 
  • Cell biology 
  • Genetics 
  • Herpetology 
  • Histology 
  • Ichthyology 
  • Immunology 
  • Mammalogy 
  • Nutrition 
  • Ornithology 
  • Parasitology 
  • Physiology 
  • Reproduction