Does graduating early from undergrad put you at a disadvantage?

[jljl123]

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Hey guys! I'm currently a 3rd year and am on track to graduate in the summer of 2020 (in a few months), and I'm also planning to apply for vet school this upcoming cycle.
Does anyone know if graduating a year early puts me at a disadvantage since I technically have "less schooling" than a lot of other applicants. I came in to college with a lot of credits to cover some classes and took multiple courses in the summer to get them done faster.
I have taken all the prerequisites to obtain my biology degree and to fulfill requirements for the vet schools I want to apply to, and was wondering if I should think about staying for longer to take some type of animal related courses? The types of courses that are offered at my school that I would consider taking are: mammology, invertebrate zoology, marine mammal biology, etc. These would all just be "extra classes/electives" for me. I would honestly rather not stay if I don't necessarily NEED to in order to save money from tuition and rent, but if this would boost my chances at all, I would consider staying to take about 3 more courses (an extra quarter). Does anyone have advice as for whether these extra classes would actually have an effect on my applications? Thanks so much! 🙂

 

[battie]

Does anyone know if graduating a year early puts me at a disadvantage since I technically have "less schooling" than a lot of other applicants. I came in to college with a lot of credits to cover some classes and took multiple courses in the summer to get them done faster.

You would not be at a disadvantage at all. Many people do this every year. My class president is the youngest person in my class and was 20 when we started. Many people at my school come from a 3+4 program. My undergrad has a similar program. I would highly encourage you that if you are a competitive applicant overall to apply smartly to vet schools and save your money and not continue taking classes you don't need.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Nope. I finished my degree in three years due to taking many AP classes in high school. Got into multiple veterinary schools on my first try. Saved me several thousand in undergrad tuition.

I guess the only disadvantage is you technically have less time to accumulate veterinary hours, but even then, I didn't start working for a vet until I started college and still accumulated over a thousand hours, plus research, etc. If your overall competitive, graduate early and apply.

 

[FutureDogtor1997]

I am not sure what your transcript looks like so I don't know the classes you've taken...but I know schools look at applicants favorably if they have taken more advanced science courses and have done well in them. It tells the reviewer that you're ready to take on a more challenging curriculum! However, this isn't a requirement and you still can get in to vet schools having taken just prerequisites. If you have the funds and resources to stay an extra year to take the more advanced courses (if you haven't done so already), I say do it! If not or if your transcript already looks "competitive" in terms of course load, there is no detriment on you if you apply this cycle in the academic regard. Of course, admissions revolves around academics, experience, and test scores, so be sure you're good in those areas too and you'll be fine! Good luck!