How to make myself a more competitive applicant for vet school?

[parasitita]

For background I am still a senior in HS and an aspiring vet. I have experience volunteering in spay/neuter clinics abroad in Mexico for about two years now. I’ve also volunteered/worked at a low cost mobile vet clinic that mainly did vaccines/microchips/spay & neuter. Additionally I’ve volunteered at my city’s animal shelter mainly during their drive through vaccine clinics and “spayathons”. I also currently work at a dog groomer as a bather/receptionist. I’ve also spent plenty of time herding/caring for cattle in my family’s ranch.
This summer I’m looking to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, horse rescue, and at the zoo. I’ve also enlisted in the army as a 68T (basically a vet assistant) for a 4 year contract.

What can I do to make myself a more competitive applicant in the coming years?

Thank you!

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[battie]

What are your plans for undergrad? Will you be involved in ROTC?

Essentially keep doing what you're doing while maintaining good grades (3.6+) while in undergrad. Network within the military to find a veterinarian who will write you a letter of recommendation.

 

[VeggieTrex]

I actually worked with someone in Undergrad in a grooming salon with someone in the National Guard who became a vet. It is possible, but she was also a full-time student too.

It is important to know if you're doing ROTC or if this is a regular enlistment. I also know someone who was ROTC and went on to grad school before beginning their full training. Regular enlistment may be harder to work around to schedule the prerequisites you'll need to apply. Not impossible but you won't have the same flexibility as someone in ROTC or in the National Guard.

 

[parasitita]

What are your plans for undergrad? Will you be involved in ROTC?

Essentially keep doing what you're doing while maintaining good grades (3.6+) while in undergrad. Network within the military to find a veterinarian who will write you a letter of recommendation.

I’m majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology but I did regular enlistment so I won’t be doing ROTC. I already have some gen eds which I think is going to help me have more room in my degree plan for classes like virology, nutrition,etc.

 

[parasitita]

I actually worked with someone in Undergrad in a grooming salon with someone in the National Guard who became a vet. It is possible, but she was also a full-time student too.

It is important to know if you're doing ROTC or if this is a regular enlistment. I also know someone who was ROTC and went on to grad school before beginning their full training. Regular enlistment may be harder to work around to schedule the prerequisites you'll need to apply. Not impossible but you won't have the same flexibility as someone in ROTC or in the National Guard.

Regular enlistment, active duty. I know doing college and military at the same time will be challenging but I know it can be done with enough organization and discipline. I’ll probably be taking something like 1-3 classes a semester.

 

[VeggieTrex]

Regular enlistment, active duty. I know doing college and military at the same time will be challenging but I know it can be done with enough organization and discipline. I’ll probably be taking something like 1-3 classes a semester.

Take only the amount you can do well in. Realistically, timing wise, you should be planning on a 6-8 year time line. While most vet schools do not require a bachelor's, I'm not 100% sure you will have all prerequisites done in 4 years. Delays in classes due to lack of spots, shifting class schedules, and all sorts of other things can happen. I'm mostly pointing this out so you can be prepared when that happens. This should be my last semester of Grad school, but my health changed at the halfway mark and I need to medically withdraw.

Life will happen, so don't get too caught up in needing to get everything done in 4 years. I'll most likely be matriculating at 29 or 30 depending on if I need to delay my application by a year.