Any ideas for tip-giving?

[DVMWannabe]

Today, my little brother who wants to attend Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine asked me what he thought he should be involved in to show leadership or, in general, what should he do to be accepted?

I'm not sure what to tell him because I think I got in by fluke. Really, I wasn't very involved besides being in AU's band and working at the vet clinic in high school and college.

So, my question to all of you is:
What are some good things to tell him to get involved in? Extra curriculars? etc.

My brother is 15 years old. He's smart and has good grades.
By the way, I'm new here ^_^
Hope to see some of you this fall?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[HeartSong]

The most important thing to get involved in is something that you (generic "you") enjoy or are interested in. Being involved in animal related stuff shows that you are interested in this path, but being involved in other things shows that you are well rounded so both are good. Don't get too involved in stuff that it hurts your grades. Leadership/ EC isn't as important as grades, test scores and vet experience, but it might give a little bit of an edge.

 

[Willowhand]

I'm not in vet school (applying this year) but from job applications and speaking with people in admissions here are a few things I've done that they seem to see as leadership positions: tutoring Biology and writing; teaching a theatre class to younglings in a local school; animal care position in a zoo/museum which sometimes involved public education; working as a sea kayak guide; working on a farm which often had public visits. I would guess that what they want is to see that the applicant has experience working with subordinates, educating, or giving instructions. This does not neccessarily mean being THE person in charge -though that's great too- but simply demonstrating an ability to give direction and guidance, as you would need to as a vet when working with techs, clients, etc. I would suggest that your brother simply looks for opportunities to be teach or be a leader in whatever activities he enjoys and does well at. Good luck to him, and contratulations to you!

 

[lailanni]

I'm pretty big into community service and I'd perhaps recommend participating in (or even starting) an honor society/community service group. As an officer of an honor society I organized several community projects. It shows a few things -- that you are capable of leadership and you also care about others.