Bachelor's Vs. Just pre-reqs

[pupsNponies]

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Hey guys,

A close friend of mine went to UF for a tour this past week and learned something interesting from a member of admissions. She was told that nobody without a Bachelor's had been admitted since she had been working there (4 years). I was wondering if anybody knows anything about this, both for UF and other schools as well.

I plan on applying for the first time before I have my BS, just all the pre-reqs. Is it even worth forking over the $ for app fees, or am I going to be disregarded because of my lack of a degree? What are all of your experiences with this, and any other questions related are more than welcome!

Thanks!

 

[Bearby]

http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/dvmadmissions/adminclassstats.html

go there. it gives stats for the classes. you can see that people have been admitted without a bachelor's. I personally won't have my bachelor's when I start classes there in August

 

[Whyevernot55]

Check your schools - some schools require a bachelors degree, not just pre-reqs, so be sure you know!

 

[MSUspartan]

Hey guys,

A close friend of mine went to UF for a tour this past week and learned something interesting from a member of admissions. She was told that nobody without a Bachelor's had been admitted since she had been working there (4 years). I was wondering if anybody knows anything about this, both for UF and other schools as well.

I plan on applying for the first time before I have my BS, just all the pre-reqs. Is it even worth forking over the $ for app fees, or am I going to be disregarded because of my lack of a degree? What are all of your experiences with this, and any other questions related are more than welcome!

Thanks!

I got admitted to Michigan State without having completed a bachelor's. only had 89 credits completed at the time I started vet school, and 30 of those were AP credits from high school. I don't think your lack of degree will hurt you unless you have spent years and years completing the pre-reqs and just haven't bothered to get a degree, but you've had plenty of time to do so.

 

[pupsNponies]

http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/dvmadmissions/adminclassstats.html

go there. it gives stats for the classes. you can see that people have been admitted without a bachelor's. I personally won't have my bachelor's when I start classes there in August

Thanks for this link, i have the paper chart for stats of the class of 2014 from UF and I looked at it and must not have seen where it says people were admitted without a bachelors. Where did you see that?

I've gone over the requirements (prereq wise) for all the schools, and all the ones I will be applying to say no Bachelor's required, but if they don't admit students without a degree very regularly, it may not be worth applying.. I plan on calling all the schools this coming week, just wanted to hear experiences/opinions.. etc.

I really want to figure this out because if it's rare to be admitted without a degree, I'll slow down my prereqs and not jam the rest into the next 2 semesters in order to apply this cycle. lol

 

[libster06]

At LSU they do a 3+1 program where you do 3 years of undergrad courses geared towards getting into vet school (finishing strictly all your pre-reqs) then you can be admitted your senior year into the vet school and get your B.S. degree after completing your 1st year of vet school. There were 64 out of the 84 people in my class this year that did not have a B.S. degree.

I have one, but I almost missed it, and my advisor at my undergrad told me that I could transfer my 1st semester vet school courses back to my undergrad institution at the end of semester 1 and receive my diploma. I don't know of any schools that require a B.S. degree... I'm sure there may be some, but I don't know of any specifically off the top of my head.

As for the bit about UF not admitting anyone without a bachelors... not sure where this person got their information, but unless UF is lying about their 2014 class statistics, there were 16 people admitted this cycle without one, and 1 person in the class of 2013 admitted.

 

[libster06]

Thanks for this link, i have the paper chart for stats of the class of 2014 from UF and I looked at it and must not have seen where it says people were admitted without a bachelors. Where did you see that?

For the class of 2014, on the second page of the document at the top left corner it says like "total class size" "number of florida residents" and at the bottom of that little list it says "number of students with B.S./B.A. degrees"

 

[thedogisgreen]

I don't know of any schools that require a B.S. degree... I'm sure there may be some, but I don't know of any specifically off the top of my head.

Davis, as of the current cycle, requires a bachelors for admission.

 

[libster06]

Davis, as of the current cycle, requires a bachelors for admission.

Well there you have it. Which is unfortunate because I don't see how someone with a bachelor's degree would be more worthy of a vet school seat someone without one... it's all the same pre reqs...

 

[twelvetigers]

Davis is the only school thus far with that requirement.

 

[libster06]

Davis is the only school thus far with that requirement.

Hmmm.... on their website it doesn't list that as being a requirement...

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studentprograms/subpages/basic_requirements.html


and under FAQ:

17. Do I need to have a bachelor’s degree to be accepted to veterinary
school?

No. However , 95% to 100% of those admitted do have a bachelor’s degree by matriculation. If a bachelor’s degree is not earned, the committee will still base its decisions on the strength and breadth of the applicant’s educational background

 

[Raptorlovr88]

UC Davis Entrance Requirements from AAVMC/VMCAS.

Effective 2010-2011 application period for admission, all students entering Fall 2011 must receive the bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation and complete all veterinary school prerequisites by the end of the Spring 2011 term.

 

[libster06]

UC Davis Entrance Requirements from AAVMC/VMCAS.

Effective 2010-2011 application period for admission, all students entering Fall 2011 must receive the bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation and complete all veterinary school prerequisites by the end of the Spring 2011 term.

Wow, that sucks that the people at UC Davis couldn't be bothered to update their website... seems pretty important...

 

[primatevetjess]

Wow, that sucks that the people at UC Davis couldn't be bothered to update their website... seems pretty important...

They instated that rule and then revoked it, so there's still some conflicting information out there. The pre-vet adviser from the CC I went to put up a huge fight, because he sends several non-trad students there every year who don't have bachelor's degrees. Last I heard they revoked it, but you might want to check to be sure.

Otherwise, no other schools require bachelor's. I got into Michigan, Ohio, and Davis, waitlisted at Wisconsin, and asked to interview at Minnesota without a degree. I do think there are some schools that don't "require" it, but don't look at people without it the same way. Penn and Cornell come to mind.

 

[twelvetigers]

Well I'll have TWO degrees so that must have been my free pass, right? Right?

 

[dier930]

I have a similar question...

Do vet schools prefer Bachelor of Science over Bachelor of Arts??

My school offers both a BS and a BA in my major (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology). The only difference between the 2 degrees is that the BS requires a senior thesis (a 1-credit class both semesters of senior year that involves your own independent research + paper). Other than that, the grad requirements are exactly the same. I've been planning on getting the BS, just because I've heard it "looks better" than a BA, but I'm wondering if this is true for vet schools... Especially the UK vet schools. Would they know the difference or care?

It's just, if I change to the BA, I can graduate after fall semester and save $$$ and then do a cool internship in the spring (if I can get one)...

 

[168135]

To the OP: http://www.studentdoctor.net/answers/53/is-a-bachelor-degree-required-to-apply-to-veterinary-school

To the last poster: http://www.studentdoctor.net/answers/54/what-major-should-choose-if-want-to-attend-veterinary-school
(Should be noted that choosing a non-science major also shows that you are "diverse". If I were you, I'd think about what you'd like to do if you don't get into vet school and choose that route. That's why I chose to major in Biology over Animal Science)

 

[pupsNponies]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your feedback. Definitely put my mind at ease.. I had everything planned out to apply this cycle and when my friend brought back that piece of info that threw me into panic mode. lol

I really don't know why the people at UF told her that... but she was not the only one to receive that info. Frustrating.

 

[168135]

I really don't know why the people at UF told her that... but she was not the only one to receive that info. Frustrating.

I know EXACTLY how you feel.

 

[dier930]

scarcelyheard - thanks for the info on major decisions, but I was looking for advice regarding BA vs BS within the same science-related major. I've already decided on the major, I just don't know how much of a difference BA vs BS makes to adcoms.

 

[breenie]

I applied to Wisconsin, Purdue, and Mizzou, and got into all three without a Bachelor's.

But... one was my in state, and the other two had a track record of accepting people without Bachelor's pretty willingly, so I was a little bit careful in where I applied.

 

[Minnerbelle]

scarcelyheard - thanks for the info on major decisions, but I was looking for advice regarding BA vs BS within the same science-related major. I've already decided on the major, I just don't know how much of a difference BA vs BS makes to adcoms.

I honestly don't think it'll matter, but you can always call a couple of admission offices for the schools you're interested in and ask. My undergrad ONLY gave out BA degrees regardless of your major. My impression is that vet schools generally care more about your coursework rather than the actual degree you got for undergrad, since major requirements are so different form school to school, and you can easily take courses well beyond your major requirements. I dunno about UK schools, but how would they even know that you could have gotten a BS if you ended up with a BA anyway? I doubt they would look that up. Kind of a waste of time I would think.

Just personal anecdote, but I graduated with a BA in Biological Sciences and took a semester off to do an internship. Of all the things they could focus on in someone's application to judge if that student would do well in vet school, I highly doubt it's the BA vs BS.

 

[dier930]

ha ok thanks, just me being paranoid I guess. :/ don't wanna regret not taking those 2 extra courses... those terrible 2 extra courses...

 

[projekt]

I have a similar question...

Do vet schools prefer Bachelor of Science over Bachelor of Arts??

My school offers both a BS and a BA in my major (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology). The only difference between the 2 degrees is that the BS requires a senior thesis (a 1-credit class both semesters of senior year that involves your own independent research + paper). Other than that, the grad requirements are exactly the same. I've been planning on getting the BS, just because I've heard it "looks better" than a BA, but I'm wondering if this is true for vet schools... Especially the UK vet schools. Would they know the difference or care?

It's just, if I change to the BA, I can graduate after fall semester and save $$$ and then do a cool internship in the spring (if I can get one)...

Do the cool internship, is my opinion. If you have had a program with sufficient rigor, meaning your classes appear difficult, a BA should serve you fine. If you padded your schedule with puff classes like the much-maligned Underwater Basket Weaving, well, hopefully it won't matter 🙂

A cool internship is something to talk about, something to write about, and may even help you figure out where you want to be in 5 years. That sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[168135]

I was thinking about it, and it really depends. If you're senior thesis is going to be something that you can stick on your vet school application (like you do a project with animals for example), I think it's a good idea.

If you won't be doing something that looks good on your vet app, and you feel like you need more vet experience, do the cool internship.

By the sounds of it, you don't have to commit to the thesis right away, so you cans see how things play out before you make that commitment.

But it's also a good idea to think about what you would like to do if vet school doesn't pan out... I heard that a senior thesis looks great when applying to grad school. So if you have other interests other than vet school, it may be a good way to get your foot in the door to grad school.

I did a thesis involving snails and parasites (then again, the only prof on staff who works with vertebrates does research on electric fish)

 

[HawkeyeVet]

If you padded your schedule with puff classes like the much-maligned Underwater Basket Weaving, well, hopefully it won't matter 🙂

I TOTALLY thought this was something my dad made up!!! Hahahaha just made my day knowing someone else is aware of this 'wonderful' class. 🙂

 

[PreVetBeaver]

How many unfinished prereqs do you think is too many? I am talking about unfinished prereqs the year that you apply. I will have 5 of them. I am afraid that the schools will look down upon this. What is your opinion?

 

[Minnerbelle]

How many unfinished prereqs do you think is too many? I am talking about unfinished prereqs the year that you apply. I will have 5 of them. I am afraid that the schools will look down upon this. What is your opinion?

each school will have their own policies on the minimum pre-reqs you need to have done when you apply.

that being said, if there's any reason for adcoms to doubt your academic competency, having so many pre-reqs (that's between 1/2-1/3 of pre-req courses!) would prob work against you.

i hope you are a stellar applicant otherwise, because why would anyone want to give you a chance if everyone else has equal or better experiences/LORs/charisma, but have most of their pre-reqs done and have done them well?

 

[PreVetBeaver]

each school will have their own policies on the minimum pre-reqs you need to have done when you apply.

that being said, if there's any reason for adcoms to doubt your academic competency, having so many pre-reqs (that's between 1/2-1/3 of pre-req courses!) would prob work against you.

i hope you are a stellar applicant otherwise, because why would anyone want to give you a chance if everyone else has equal or better experiences/LORs/charisma, but have most of their pre-reqs done and have done them well?

That's what I was thinking too. I am wondering if I should finish some of the courses this summer to avoid that. I am a pretty strong candidate otherwise. I have a 3.96 overall right now and also have many hours of experience. I just don't want my unfinished prereqs to work against me.