- Joined
- Aug 21, 2014
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I'm going into my senior year of high school and am beginning to apply to colleges. I have a 3.9 GPA, 1850 SAT. I know for a fact that the veterinary medicine field is where I belong, as I've been employed as a veterinary assistant at a privately owned practice for 4 years now, so I already have a large fraction of the much-needed hours of observation and experience to get into vet school. I also have seen the highs and lows of this field and know that despite the trials and troubles, I want to be a veterinarian. Along with my experience under a veterinarian's eye, I've volunteered at a horse barn for over a year now and hope to volunteer at New Bolton Center next summer. I know that being a vet is what I want to do.
I know that vet school is ridiculously expensive, and I know that a majority of graduates come out of school making barely enough to pay off their loans and live. My parents were financially smart and have a good portion of money saved up for my undergraduate education, but vet school will be all on me. Currently, Penn State is my #1 choice. I would major in Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences. Despite being in-state, the tuition as well as room & board combined can rack up to more than $25,000 a year. I know I'm a candidate for financial aid, but PSU rarely gives out scholarships.
My question is; would doing a year or two of community college and then transferring and graduating from PSU be a good option for me? I would continue to work those 1-2 years at home and save up money to live on, and then I could use the $50,000 I would have saved on vet school. Is this a smart option? Will vet schools look at the fact that I took all of my gen-eds at community college and not be satisfied? Would it be better to just do all 4 years at PSU? I know I'm going to have great recommendation letters from the veterinarians I work under and I think I'm way ahead of many students my age who are also considering this field. I just need opinions from those who have been in similar situations and are removed from my own so that personal interest does not cloud the advice they give me.
Thanks so much if you read all of this. I would appreciate any and all advice I could receive on this matter.
I know that vet school is ridiculously expensive, and I know that a majority of graduates come out of school making barely enough to pay off their loans and live. My parents were financially smart and have a good portion of money saved up for my undergraduate education, but vet school will be all on me. Currently, Penn State is my #1 choice. I would major in Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences. Despite being in-state, the tuition as well as room & board combined can rack up to more than $25,000 a year. I know I'm a candidate for financial aid, but PSU rarely gives out scholarships.
My question is; would doing a year or two of community college and then transferring and graduating from PSU be a good option for me? I would continue to work those 1-2 years at home and save up money to live on, and then I could use the $50,000 I would have saved on vet school. Is this a smart option? Will vet schools look at the fact that I took all of my gen-eds at community college and not be satisfied? Would it be better to just do all 4 years at PSU? I know I'm going to have great recommendation letters from the veterinarians I work under and I think I'm way ahead of many students my age who are also considering this field. I just need opinions from those who have been in similar situations and are removed from my own so that personal interest does not cloud the advice they give me.
Thanks so much if you read all of this. I would appreciate any and all advice I could receive on this matter.
