We all read body language naturally, but most of us are far less aware of our own. At a vet school interview, the way you carry yourself shapes the impression you make before you have finished your first sentence. Body language that signals confidence and warmth makes the whole conversation run more smoothly, and it genuinely improves your chances. It matters even more in a multiple mini interview, where you are making a fresh first impression at every station of the circuit. For the bigger picture on interview day, read our vet school interview tips and our bank of common interview questions.
None of this is about putting on an act. The aim is simply to remove the small habits that make nervous applicants look less confident than they are, so the panel sees the calm, capable person underneath. Here are the seven things I focus on with my students.
Stand and sit tall
A hunched posture reads as a lack of confidence, so stand and sit up straight. This matters as you walk into the room and at every station of an MMI. Imagine a string gently lifting the crown of your head, drop your shoulders down and back, and you will look and feel more composed straight away.
Keep your posture open
Avoid closing off your body with crossed arms, which can make you appear wary or defensive. Open palms signal honesty, and keeping your shoulders facing the interviewer shows you are engaged with them. Do not overdo it, though. The goal is relaxed and natural, not rigid or rehearsed.
Use natural eye contact
Make eye contact to show you are engaged, but keep it natural, holding it for a few seconds at a time rather than staring. On a panel, address the person who asked the question first, then briefly bring in the others as you answer so nobody feels left out. If sustained eye contact makes you nervous, looking at the bridge of the nose reads almost the same to the other person.
Let your hands gesture
Allow yourself to gesture naturally rather than hiding or pinning your hands. Gestures help you express yourself and actually make it easier to think and speak clearly. If you are nervous and unsure what to do with your hands, rest them loosely in your lap, but try not to intertwine or wring them, which telegraphs anxiety.
Nod and show you are listening
Nodding while the interviewer speaks shows you are following and engaged, and it helps build a little rapport. Active listening is a skill vet schools are genuinely assessing, because so much of veterinary practice is communicating with worried clients. Show that you take in the question before you launch into your answer.
Lean in slightly
Leaning in a little shows interest and warmth, whereas leaning back can read as disengaged. You do not need to hunch over the table, just tilt forward gently when you are listening or making a point you care about.
Manage your nervous habits
If you take a bottle of water, leave it on the floor or to one side so you are not tempted to fidget with the label. Be aware of any habits that surface when you are nervous, such as tapping a foot, clicking a pen or touching your face, and consciously settle them. Practising in front of a mirror or recording a mock answer on your phone is the quickest way to spot these. They are easy to fix once you know they are there, and a calm body helps you give a calmer, clearer answer.
Body language in a multiple mini interview
Most vet schools use a multiple mini interview, a circuit of short stations each with a fresh interviewer, so you are making a first impression several times over. That is good news, because a weaker station does not define the whole interview. Reset between stations: take a breath, drop your shoulders, and walk in tall and ready. Treat each new interviewer as a clean start rather than carrying tension from the last station with you.
If your interview is online
Some schools interview online, which changes a few things. Position the camera at eye level so you are looking straight ahead rather than down, and look at the lens, not the screen, when you want to make eye contact. Make sure your face is well lit and the background is tidy and plain. Sit up straight, keep your hands in shot so natural gestures still read, and check your microphone and connection in advance so technical worries do not add to your nerves.
Practise until it feels natural
Good body language is a habit, not a performance, and the way to build the habit is to rehearse. Run mock interviews with a teacher, family member or mentor, and ask them specifically about your posture, eye contact and any fidgeting, because these are hard to judge from the inside. Recording yourself is uncomfortable but revealing. Within our application programme we run realistic mock interviews and give honest feedback, so the calm, confident version of you is the one the panel meets on the day.
Common questions
Does body language really matter in a vet school interview?+
It will not get you an offer on its own, but it affects how your answers land. Confident, open body language helps you build rapport, look composed under pressure, and communicate the warmth and empathy vet schools are looking for. Poor body language can make a strong applicant seem unsure of themselves, so it is worth getting right.
How do I stop looking nervous at my interview?+
Focus on a few simple things rather than trying to control everything at once: sit tall, keep your posture open, breathe slowly before you answer, and let your hands gesture naturally. Most visible nerves come from a handful of small habits, and practising with a mock interview helps you notice and settle them before the day.
What body language should I avoid in an interview?+
Avoid crossed arms, a hunched posture, fidgeting with a pen, bottle or your hair, and either staring or avoiding eye contact entirely. These small signals can make you seem nervous, defensive or disengaged even when your answers are strong. Settle them by resting your hands loosely in your lap and making slow, deliberate movements.
How is body language different in an MMI?+
In a multiple mini interview you face a circuit of short stations, each with a new interviewer, so you make several first impressions. Reset between stations with a breath and a straight posture, and treat each one as a fresh start. A weaker station does not carry over, so do not let tension from one follow you into the next.
Should I shake hands at a vet school interview?+
Let the interviewer take the lead. If they offer a hand, take it with a gentle, brief shake. If they do not, simply smile and greet them warmly. We explain why this matters far less than applicants think in our article on the veterinary interview handshake.