College question!

[wolfyzheart]

Hello everyone! *waves* I'm currently a senior in high school and on the search for colleges that have really good pre-vet programs. (If you know any on the east coast in America, LMK!) I know for certain this is the career I want, I have job experience and everything, so now I just need to get the right college that'll really boost my chances into becoming a vet.
Right now, I'm looking at Mercy college. Does anyone know about their programs there? They boast that if you maintain a GPA of 3.25 the entire time there, (and meet other requirements) that you'll be accepted into their partner school Ross University.
I considered this option, since I know I could easily maintain that GPA, but the thing is, I don't really want to go to Ross University, but its nice to have a fall back vet school in case nowhere else accepts me. My worry right now is that Mercy college isn't totally respected by other vet schools. Does anyone know anything about this school?
Thank you~
-Kaitlyn

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[orca2011]

You don't need to attend a school with a pre-vet program, let alone major in biology. Attend a college that works out financially for you and has activities you're interested. I personally think location is a thing to consider as well. Visit the college and take a tour. Ask the biology department what their acceptance rate to vet school is. Ask about student life. The one I ended up at, I didn't think I'd like because it was a jesuit institution and I'm not particularly religious, but I fell in love with it instantly. It was in a location I liked, had amazing study abroad options, was the perfect size for me, etc.

College isn't all about classes and grades. It's a time to enjoy yourself, try new experiences and branch out.

 

[DVMDream]

My advice: Go to the cheapest school that you can. Make your undergrad degree be as cheap as possible because vet school debt is bad enough.

As far as which schools have the best "pre-vet" programs... the answer there is really none. There is no one specific "pre-vet" path to getting to vet school. You can major in Russian literature if you wanted and still take the pre-reqs for vet school, apply and be accepted. All you have to do is take the pre-reqs.

Generally speaking, the undergrad college that you attend has no to very little impact on your getting into vet school. Just be sure to do very well, have a good GPA, get good GRE scores and have good experiences (both breadth and depth). Be involved in community activities and try to have leadership positions. You need to sell yourself to the vet schools, not sell the school you attended. You can even do some courses at a community college and be fine.

 

[wolfyzheart]

My advice: Go to the cheapest school that you can. Make your undergrad degree be as cheap as possible because vet school debt is bad enough.

As far as which schools have the best "pre-vet" programs... the answer there is really none. There is no one specific "pre-vet" path to getting to vet school. You can major in Russian literature if you wanted and still take the pre-reqs for vet school, apply and be accepted. All you have to do is take the pre-reqs.

Generally speaking, the undergrad college that you attend has no to very little impact on your getting into vet school. Just be sure to do very well, have a good GPA, get good GRE scores and have good experiences (both breadth and depth). Be involved in community activities and try to have leadership positions. You need to sell yourself to the vet schools, not sell the school you attended. You can even do some courses at a community college and be fine.

Wow, thank you so so much for this information, I find it quite helpful. Thank you so so much!

 

[wolfyzheart]

You don't need to attend a school with a pre-vet program, let alone major in biology. Attend a college that works out financially for you and has activities you're interested. I personally think location is a thing to consider as well. Visit the college and take a tour. Ask the biology department what their acceptance rate to vet school is. Ask about student life. The one I ended up at, I didn't think I'd like because it was a jesuit institution and I'm not particularly religious, but I fell in love with it instantly. It was in a location I liked, had amazing study abroad options, was the perfect size for me, etc.

College isn't all about classes and grades. It's a time to enjoy yourself, try new experiences and branch out.

Thank you soso much!!

 

[LetItSnow]

FWIW, wolfyz, I'm 100% on board with DVMD's advice as well. Kudos to you for planning ahead.

In addition to focusing on vet/animal stuff, try to spend your college years being active in the community. It'll be good for you and it looks good on an application.

G'luck.

 

[Mrow123]

I totally agree that it doesn't matter what you major in - I was an English major and got in fine. I also agree that you should go to the cheapest school you can. However, if you have options, I went to a large state school with a vet school and an animal science department, and that opened up a lot of opportunities for me. And while they never EVER would admit this, or put it on paper, I do think the school I ended up attending favored their own undergrad applicants. Maybe favored is too strong a word. Let's say they were familiar with the caliber of classes we had taken and knew that the undergrad program was a relatively strong one, so they felt like we were prepared for vet school. Hence, large percentages of applicants from my undergrad were admitted to our attached vet school.

This isn't to say that you HAVE to go to a school with a vet school attached! You can get accepted regardless of where you attend, and finances are priority one.

 

[dalmatiandoc17]

Hello everyone! *waves* I'm currently a senior in high school and on the search for colleges that have really good pre-vet programs. (If you know any on the east coast in America, LMK!) I know for certain this is the career I want, I have job experience and everything, so now I just need to get the right college that'll really boost my chances into becoming a vet.
Right now, I'm looking at Mercy college. Does anyone know about their programs there? They boast that if you maintain a GPA of 3.25 the entire time there, (and meet other requirements) that you'll be accepted into their partner school Ross University.
I considered this option, since I know I could easily maintain that GPA, but the thing is, I don't really want to go to Ross University, but its nice to have a fall back vet school in case nowhere else accepts me. My worry right now is that Mercy college isn't totally respected by other vet schools. Does anyone know anything about this school?
Thank you~
-Kaitlyn

I completely agree with the advice already given by DVMD, so I won't repeat all that...but I just wanted to let you know that other schools also have this partnership. I know NCSU has a similar agreement with Ross.

 

[Gwenevre]

Purdue has a vet scholars program as well. Keep a certain GPA throughout undergrad at Purdue, direct admit to vet school once your prereqs are complete.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Purdue has a vet scholars program as well. Keep a certain GPA throughout undergrad at Purdue, direct admit to vet school once your prereqs are complete.

Mizzou and I think K State have similar programs.

 

[battie]

I totally agree that it doesn't matter what you major in - I was an English major and got in fine. I also agree that you should go to the cheapest school you can. However, if you have options, I went to a large state school with a vet school and an animal science department, and that opened up a lot of opportunities for me. And while they never EVER would admit this, or put it on paper, I do think the school I ended up attending favored their own undergrad applicants. Maybe favored is too strong a word. Let's say they were familiar with the caliber of classes we had taken and knew that the undergrad program was a relatively strong one, so they felt like we were prepared for vet school. Hence, large percentages of applicants from my undergrad were admitted to our attached vet school.

This isn't to say that you HAVE to go to a school with a vet school attached! You can get accepted regardless of where you attend, and finances are priority one.

I wanted to add the exact opposite perspective of this, cause I agree with it to a certain extent.

I went to a super small school where I was the only pre-vet that graduated in my class. Even though the small town feel was great and I loved college, I missed out on a lot of things that are hard or impossible to come by in a small school. Vet experience and research hours were something I was lacking and while some of the older and younger pre-vets got vet experience hours with our town vets, I had different circumstances where I couldn't do the same. The research experience any of our pre-vets got was only a parasit research topic that the two girls had to go out of their way and spend their own money to do. They spent over 200$ of their own money to get this all done. Moreover, there was a lot of tension between the ag department and biology department specifically about the pre-vet program and the advisor ended up leaving the summer before my senior year (and the year I was applying of course). Honestly, I would not currently recommend my pre-vet program at this point until it gets itself figured out again.

So, basically, the TL;DR version is: When looking at small schools, look into the pre-vet program as a whole and really get a chance to talk to pre-vet students yourself (and alone if possible). I know if I had met any visiting highschool seniors or juniors during my junior and senior year at school, I would have been bluntly honest with them to either not major in the biology/ag departments as a pre-vet (so major in something else) or not go to my school.

 

[equineconstant]

I wanted to add the exact opposite perspective of this, cause I agree with it to a certain extent.

I went to a super small school where I was the only pre-vet that graduated in my class. Even though the small town feel was great and I loved college, I missed out on a lot of things that are hard or impossible to come by in a small school. Vet experience and research hours were something I was lacking and while some of the older and younger pre-vets got vet experience hours with our town vets, I had different circumstances where I couldn't do the same. The research experience any of our pre-vets got was only a parasit research topic that the two girls had to go out of their way and spend their own money to do. They spent over 200$ of their own money to get this all done. Moreover, there was a lot of tension between the ag department and biology department specifically about the pre-vet program and the advisor ended up leaving the summer before my senior year (and the year I was applying of course). Honestly, I would not currently recommend my pre-vet program at this point until it gets itself figured out again.

So, basically, the TL;DR version is: When looking at small schools, look into the pre-vet program as a whole and really get a chance to talk to pre-vet students yourself (and alone if possible). I know if I had met any visiting highschool seniors or juniors during my junior and senior year at school, I would have been bluntly honest with them to either not major in the biology/ag departments as a pre-vet (so major in something else) or not go to my school.

I also went to a small school, and I absolutely loved it and don't feel like I missed out on anything for my application because of it. At my undergrad, there were plenty of research opportunities, which you could even take in your second semester. I only got vet experience over summers, but I still had plenty of hours by the time I applied. The pre-vet advising wasn't great, but from what I've seen on these boards, it rarely is anywhere. So, yes, ask pre-vet students if you can, but a small school (if it doesn't increase your debt too much) can be a positive and not set you back.

 

[battie]

@equineconstant , not trying to argue or anything, just curious. How big was your school, and where was it located? I should not have said "missed out on a lot of things that are hard or impossible to come by in a small school," but said, "missed out on a lot of things that can be hard or impossible to come by". For our school, it was simply because we had only about 2,500 students and we were 99 miles from the nearest city with more than 10,000 residents. Location is a factor, too.

 

[Filly Bay]

I agree with the overall sentiment of - go to the school where you will enjoy yourself, major in something you love, and spend as little money as possible doing so! My vet school classmates had all sorts of majors (including opera!) and I'd like to think it helps our class stay diverse and unique. Definitely look to stay active in your college's community and on campus! Not only can the be fulfilling but they will matter on your vet app

I happen to be one of those people who majored in "Pre-Vet." I also majored in Biology. I went to a fairly small school (about 3000 undergrad students) and LOVED it. I would definitely recommend my pre-vet program. We had hands on vet classes the first semester castrating/dehorning/giving injections/etc to food animals. Each semester I had my biology courses along with hands-on and relevant animal science courses taught by veterinarians. We had a fair share of small animal courses too and opportunities to shadow vets (including our profs) throughout the town. Our major/program was designed so that we took pretty much any pre-req you would need to apply to any vet school in the US along with any recommended courses so I didn't have to worry about that. Research opportunities were abundant and I was able to work in different projects until I found the one I enjoyed the most. I also had lots of leadership opportunities in clubs, on-campus jobs, etc...Pre-Vet is one of the biggest majors at this school (along with regular animal science, english/western equestrian, and biology) so it got a lot of focus and we had many resources. Also, like the college wolfyzhear mentioned, we also had a contract with Ross will similar criteria (finish pre-reqs and maintain a certain GPA and get in) so there may be a few other schools with the same thing out there too.

Overall, I don't think you can really generalize big vs small schools on what kind of experience you get. It can vary so much from program to program and in the end I think it really boils down to what YOU put into it. Also, I'm sure some of you can probably figure out where I went to school now...whoops.

 

[bbeventer]

You really don't need to define yourself as "pre-vet" ever in undergrad. It has no bearing on your degree or your application to vet school. I would pick the cheapest school possible that offers the most comfortable environment for you. Choose a major that you are truly interested in, and have fun. Honestly, arranging your own schedule and applying to vet school can be done by yourself if you do your research. I find it better to be self reliant than have an adviser screw you over. The only time I ever visited my "health professional" adviser was just before graduation (because it was required for graduation) and she told me there was no way I was getting into vet school . Undergrad will be what you make it, whether you go to a private institution and incur a ton of debt, or go to a community college and transfer, it is all about how proactive you want to be about your education.

 

[battie]

We had hands on vet classes the first semester castrating/dehorning/giving injections/etc to food animals. Each semester I had my biology courses along with hands-on and relevant animal science courses taught by veterinarians. We had a fair share of small animal courses too and opportunities to shadow vets (including our profs) throughout the town.

So much jealousy right now. lol. That sounds super awesome.

 

[equineconstant]

@equineconstant , not trying to argue or anything, just curious. How big was your school, and where was it located? I should not have said "missed out on a lot of things that are hard or impossible to come by in a small school," but said, "missed out on a lot of things that can be hard or impossible to come by". For our school, it was simply because we had only about 2,500 students and we were 99 miles from the nearest city with more than 10,000 residents. Location is a factor, too.

My school was about 2,000 students and about an hour from the state capital and 3 hours from a Big City. The college town was pretty nice, too, it wasn't like it was in the middle of nowhere. I didn't have a car at school, so the college town itself was a lot more relevant for me. I knew when I was applying that they would have research opportunities, and that was part of why I picked it (even if I didn't actually do any research...). I guess it just varies by school, possibly more so among the smaller schools.

 

[battie]

You're one of the only other people I have talked to that has gone to a small school, and I'm glad you liked the program you were in. A lot of people don't seem to realize that being in such a small school, if you don't like it, you'll be miserable. That's why I wanted to emphasize knowing what you were getting into with small schools. I liked the school, the town, the people, the social scene, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the pre-vet program itself, and only starting my junior year when the biology department and ag department really started giving all of us (the students) trouble. In the end, had I known what I knew now, I would have been a visual arts major and been perfectly happy with my school.

 

[that redhead]

I went to a large land-grant university (that was also my in-state and therefore the cheapest of my options) that had a lot of opportunity for hands on animal stuff through classes. There were also some solid animal-related clubs that I participated in, just not the actual pre-vet club. And the job that led to my interest in lab animal in the first place was advertised through an animal science class I took; life-changing experience for me.

Looking back, it was nice to have all of that at my disposal. But there will always be an element of initiative required to get good experiences, which will be necessary no matter where you end up.

 

[KCgophervet]

I loved my college experience - I went to a small school (and would have been miserable at a large university).

However, I did not really "prepare for applying to vet school" there. Part of it was my own fault, I switched my plan halfway through college and decided to NOT apply to vet school so I stopped looking for opportunities at my college, but there wasn't a huge pre-vet community there to begin with (that I was aware of anyway).

As cool as it would have been to have those opportunities readily available in school, it's definitely not a pre-requisite to get into vet school. I found my own experiences after college to volunteer/shadow/work at and managed to get in. Like others have said, if you want something you have to go out and find the opportunities and take initiative.

 

[TooLove]

I will echo what a lot of others have said: spend as little money as possible, and have fun.

I went to a small, private, jesuit college that I chose specifically because of it's reputation of having a 95% acceptance rate to medical/veterinary/professional programs. Not that I would ever say I regret it (it DID get me to vet school after all) but I think I would have been just as fine going to a cheaper public university, which would have put me in a better financial situation now. I guess I had high expectations due to my school's stats and I didn't feel like I got the support I thought I would when it came to what classes to take and applying to vet school. I ended up not seeing my advisor for the last 3 years of undergrad and did all the research, planning, and applying on my own. Like someone else said, you can definitely do it by yourself. Also, unless you go to an Ivy League undergrad or similarly well known school, most admissions committees probably won't recognize your school. Just something to think about.


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[wolfyzheart]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I will take all of it into consideration, I find it all extremely helpful! Just another question, how would I go about talking to a pre-vet major at a school?

 

[KCgophervet]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I will take all of it into consideration, I find it all extremely helpful! Just another question, how would I go about talking to a pre-vet major at a school?

Best bet would be to email that school's admission office and see if they can get you in touch with someone.

 

[wolfyzheart]

Best bet would be to email that school's admission office and see if they can get you in touch with someone.

ah, Thanks so much!

 

[Cephal0pod]

I am going to a small private liberal arts school, but only because between scholarships, commuting from home, and some help from my parents it was an option that was comparable in affordability to my state school. Finances were one of the biggest influencing contributors to my college search-- in light of the fact that I want to go to vet school and will be in debt up to my eyeballs, it didn't make sense for my financial situation to take on a bunch of debt for undergrad. Once that was settled, the next big reason I chose my school was that it has a zoology program I am in love with. There are also opportunities to do research here (I research!)-- if that is something you are interested in, make sure that is an available opportunity at your prospective school, as it isn't always at smaller institutions.

Here are the two best pieces of advice I ever got during my college search:
1). No matter where you end up (to an extent), your college experience will be what you make of it. Which brings me to my second point...
2). Once you get to college, don't wait to do cool things/pursue neat opportunities. Time goes faster than you think; you blink and suddenly you're a junior. I did my first internship during the summer following my freshman year and am thankful for that.

Good luck!

 

[wolfyzheart]

I am going to a small private liberal arts school, but only because between scholarships, commuting from home, and some help from my parents it was an option that was comparable in affordability to my state school. Finances were one of the biggest influencing contributors to my college search-- in light of the fact that I want to go to vet school and will be in debt up to my eyeballs, it didn't make sense for my financial situation to take on a bunch of debt for undergrad. Once that was settled, the next big reason I chose my school was that it has a zoology program I am in love with. There are also opportunities to do research here (I research!)-- if that is something you are interested in, make sure that is an available opportunity at your prospective school, as it isn't always at smaller institutions.

Here are the two best pieces of advice I ever got during my college search:
1). No matter where you end up (to an extent), your college experience will be what you make of it. Which brings me to my second point...
2). Once you get to college, don't wait to do cool things/pursue neat opportunities. Time goes faster than you think; you blink and suddenly you're a junior. I did my first internship during the summer following my freshman year and am thankful for that.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! I'm leaning towards the community college option as of late, considering my financial situation. Your advice helps so much!