Do's and Don'ts of Applying to Vet School

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Well I know when I got my waitlist letter from NCSU, they said they had gone through 35ish on the waitlist for class of 2010 and for the class of 2011 they only went through 7. It just depends year to year, obviously.

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I am only a few miles from the Georgia state line and practicaly grew up there, but did even apply to UGA. Less than .5% gave me a reality check.
If I don't get in this year, I may move to GA and apply there next cycle.
 
I chose where to apply somewhat based on pre-reqs (I already have my undergrad and do not have time to take business and nutrition, though they are a part of my current career).

Another major factor was where would I want to possibly live and where my husband could work in his profession. I also closely examined where I stood compared to statistics of admitted students. It does seem very random, however.

Had I looked a bit more closely I would have skipped two of the schools I did apply to, but if you have the money it to do it, it can't hurt! I was only going to apply to one school but I'm glad I applied to more-- better odds I guess :pBest of luck.
 
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GRE shme-R-E

Honestly, as an instate for Auburn I think your stats are great. I was one of the 2% this year and had way lower GRE scores. Actually, there are a few classmates I know that did 'poorly' (like me) on the GRE. so... poo on the GRE ;)

Apply where you want to go, where you would be happy living. I am SO glad I didn't go any further 'north' than alabama. This cold is crazy!!! (born and raised in s florida, my husband saw snow for the first time on saturday!!)

good luck!
 
GRE shme-R-E

Honestly, as an instate for Auburn I think your stats are great. I was one of the 2% this year and had way lower GRE scores. Actually, there are a few classmates I know that did 'poorly' (like me) on the GRE. so... poo on the GRE ;)

Apply where you want to go, where you would be happy living. I am SO glad I didn't go any further 'north' than alabama. This cold is crazy!!! (born and raised in s florida, my husband saw snow for the first time on saturday!!)

good luck!

Probably true about the in-state @ Auburn thing. We do have a great advantage us in-staters :D...

BUT there is no reason to have an average GRE and a slightly below average GPA. Granted the OPs organic chem and physics GPA is probably higher than the average 3.38 listed on the website (extrapolating from the stated science GPA).

You can make dramatic improvement on the GRE the second time around. I didn't take it a second time, but I know people who didn't even study much more and raised their score hundreds of points.

Bottom line: You would drastically improve your chances (even in-state @ Auburn) if you get either the GRE or GPA up. The easier one to accomplish is the GRE. Raising one of the two would seem to be imperative for a shot at out of state at another school. But take this with a grain of salt since we have all agreed ;) that you can't judge a candidate by their GPA and GRE only!
 
You can make dramatic improvement on the GRE the second time around. I didn't take it a second time, but I know people who didn't even study much more and raised their score hundreds of points.

FYI, I studied for my second time taking the GRE and only did 20 pts higher. My friend studied her butt off and did 10 pts worse. So... although it does happen, don't assume you'll do a lot better.
 
FYI, I studied for my second time taking the GRE and only did 20 pts higher. My friend studied her butt off and did 10 pts worse. So... although it does happen, don't assume you'll do a lot better.

My evidence is definitely anecdotal. I don't know what the numbers say about improvement on the GRE the second time around. :)
 
This looks like the number of OOS poeple who ended up matriculating, not the number actually accepted. Keep in mind that what you don't see here is the number that each school overadmits OR the number that they put on a waitlist who then get admitted from that.
Admission is tough, but not quite as grim as this chart makes it look!

Good luck, everyone!


Yeah, It hit me today when I was thinking about it. Those numbers are number of those applied, versus number of those who matriculated. So yeah, it really isnt as grim as it looks, but it does give you a good picture of at least how many seats there are available.
 
If anyone is curious about the number of offers made vs the number of accepted offers for MN, see page 31 of the following:
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/img/assets/8965/AVMA Report.pdf

This comes from MN's AVMA Self-Study report, which every school must do every few years. If you poke around online a bit, you could probably find something like this for some other schools, as well.


Yeah, It hit me today when I was thinking about it. Those numbers are number of those applied, versus number of those who matriculated. So yeah, it really isnt as grim as it looks, but it does give you a good picture of at least how many seats there are available.
 
This might make people mad, but oh well.
Throw out everyone's advice.
Apply to every single school that doesn't interview.
Apply to every school you can afford to interview at.
Sort out the rest later, you will be glad you did!

So far, I have been waitlisted (OOS) at Cornell and CSU. My CUM GPA is terrible, but my recent GPA is good. My GRE is average, 1270. My statement was great, my story is unique, and my experience is extensive. This sets me apart. I have yet to hear from the other schools I applied to, but don't have any rejections (YET!)

My point is that you don't know how, or why, schools accept people. IMO, your stats will only get you passed the computers. The rest of your app is what will get you in. You should apply to any school that you think will let you passed the first cut (your numbers are ok... so apply everywhere!)

You are not asking for acceptance into a school. You are asking for acceptance into a profession. Do it with every ounce of everything you have to give. Disregard free advice (including this post, if you wish :)
 
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This might make people mad, but oh well.
Throw out everyone's advice.
Apply to every single school that doesn't interview.
Apply to every school you can afford to interview at.
Sort out the rest later, you will be glad you did!

So far, I have been waitlisted (OOS) at Cornell and CSU. My CUM GPA is terrible, but my recent GPA is good. My GRE is average, 1270. My statement was great, my story is unique, and my experience is extensive. This sets me apart. I have yet to hear from the other schools I applied to, but don't have any rejections (YET!)

My point is that you don't know how, or why, schools accept people. IMO, your stats will only get you passed the computers. The rest of your app is what will get you in. You should apply to any school that you think will let you passed the first cut (your numbers are ok... so apply everywhere!)

You are not asking for acceptance into a school. You are asking for acceptance into a profession. Do it with every ounce of everything you have to give. Disregard free advice (including this post, if you wish :)


I totally did the same thing. If I could afford to apply and had the pre-reqs, I clicked the box and filled out the application. I am from NJ, so I really was just hoping for someone to accept me since I didnt think my application was that strong and I do not have an in state school or a lot of contracts. So far I have been rejected by some, have a few interviews, and accepted into Ohio and Edinburgh. Its soooo completely pot luck with whether or not you get an interview or accepted and if its what you want then just apply and if you get into more than one....well thats when you ask questions. If you are worried that it might look bad on your app, dont. My interviewers at Ohio asked me why I applied to so many schools and I was very honest. I said i did not know how competitive i would or would not be and that this is what i want to do, so I applied to as many schools as possible to make sure that I became a veterinarian. It must have been the right answer because I got accepted right after my interview!
 
I totally did the same thing. If I could afford to apply and had the pre-reqs, I clicked the box and filled out the application. I am from NJ, so I really was just hoping for someone to accept me since I didnt think my application was that strong and I do not have an in state school or a lot of contracts. So far I have been rejected by some, have a few interviews, and accepted into Ohio and Edinburgh. Its soooo completely pot luck with whether or not you get an interview or accepted and if its what you want then just apply and if you get into more than one....well thats when you ask questions. If you are worried that it might look bad on your app, dont. My interviewers at Ohio asked me why I applied to so many schools and I was very honest. I said i did not know how competitive i would or would not be and that this is what i want to do, so I applied to as many schools as possible to make sure that I became a veterinarian. It must have been the right answer because I got accepted right after my interview!

Great Advice! Thanks!! :)
 
dsharp... you're stats look decent to me. of course, it wouldn't hurt to raise your GRE this summer before you apply. so long as your statement is well written and interesting, and your letters are strong, you'll at least get the interviews. imo, it's hard to botch an interview... they obviously like you on paper, so unless the adcom really believes you just won't fit into their community, you're set. then again, i hear that penn's interview process is a little different than other schools'.

i was going to say add kansas to your list, before i realized it was already on there. and yes, ross and st george are quite easy to get into; just keep in mind that they are still vet schools, and apparently their drop-out rate is huge. (i've heard it described as "of course i got into ross... i had a pulse." lol)

best of luck to you!
 
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so long as your statement is well written and interesting, and your letters are strong, you'll at least get the interviews. imo, it's hard to botch an interview... they obviously like you on paper, so unless the adcom really believes you just won't fit into their community, you're set.


Emio, from these comments you make it sound like if one makes it to an interview, they'll get in. Which we all know is not the case. So since that can't be what you meant, I'm curious what you actually meant here.
 
yep, that's why i put the disclaimer in there about being at penn. maybe some schools interview a lot more than they accept. schools don't interview people they don't want.
 
Yeah, if you look at the number of people different schools interview, there is quite a range. Really the only schools I am extremely familiar with are Penn an OSU. While Penn interviews between 180-240 (6-8 weeks of 30 people/week) people for 110 (correct me if I'm wrong) spots other schools, such as Ohio State interview about 450-500 people for 140 spots. Therefore, someone that gets a Penn interview is going to have a much better chance of getting into Penn than someone that gets on Ohio interview.
 
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Out of curiosity, how on Earth does the OP have 8000 hours of voluteer service? That's the equivalent of four years at a full time job!
 
Well the OP doesn't give much of an indication to their age... so those 8000 hours could have accumulated over 10 years or over 20+.

Though it doesn't seem unbelievable for someone straight out of college (21-22 years) to have that much volunteer experience. I have over 4,000 hours of SA experience in less than 5 years. They could have been volunteering since they were 12 or so. Completely do-able.
 
Guys, he already gave his info. He's been doing it over 5 years and he give the breakdown. Take a closer look.
 
You should make this a sticky, like you were saying many months ago, PAThbrd! And people should add interview advice here, too. Yay info!
 
DO double-triple-quadruple check for supplemental applications, as well as requirements, when the prereq's have to be completed, etc. You don't want to waste your money applying if all your ducks aren't in a row for that school.

DO take the GRE early, and retake it if you think that'll help. I think most schools take the best score from each section if you send them multiple scores. I know it costs more money, but if it really helps, it'll be worth it. Besides, we're all going to be rich when we're vets anyway, right? :laugh:

DON'T underestimate how much time these freakin' apps will take you. Geez.

DO get at least 90%, if not all, of the application done before the semester starts, if you'll be in school. Even if you won't be in school, you'll be thankful to be done early! Along those same lines, ask for your LOR's early so that the people writing them don't feel rushed! :oops:

DO research as much as you can on the schools before you apply. Find out what the requirements are, and make a list of those schools whose requirements you meet/will meet within the next couple semesters. Then you can go from there: look into the school's programs, the tuition cost, the area it is in, etc. If you're a spaz like me, you can even make a pro and con list for each school and compare. ;)

DON'T (along the lines of the last DO) waste your money applying to schools without knowing what it is you like about them and whether you think you have a good shot of getting in. But, DO apply to as many schools as you can afford.

DO wait until the mailman leaves your block to run outside and yank the mail out, only to throw a fit when it doesn't contain your acceptance letter/interview invite. :D
 
The DO's

DO get your letters of recommendations in early.

DO follow up with schools to make sure theyve received all your application materials.

DO write your personal statement early, and get many opinions on it from professors, family, advisors and vets

DO make sure that your classes fulfill the requirements for the school. If you aren't sure contact them beforehand, most are extremely willing and helpful to do an audit for you.

DO continue to vary your experience even after your app. is submitted and update the schools on your progress

DO try to visit all the schools you'll apply to to make sure it's a good fit for you before you spend the money on applying there (and it might help you meet some of the "faceless" people that will be evaluating your app, and they might give you some pointers!)

DO research the schools you're interested in before you get to your interview

DO try to submit your vmcas before the last minute (wasn't a problem of mine, but I can't imagine how bad I'd be freaking out if it wouldn't submit!)

DO anticipate problems with application materials arriving where they are supposed to. It will happen, and is less stressful if you're ready for it when it does.

DO send your application materials with delivery confirmation, and DO keep the receipts until you get the "your application is complete" notice from each school. That way, when you get an e-mail saying "we haven't received your transcript" you can skip the panic stage and reply that your delivery confirmation number was #123XYZ, and the USPS website indicates that the envelope arrived at 8:10 in the morning 6 days ago, and could they please check to see if it was mis-filed before you mail another one.

DO apply to more than one school even if there's only one you want to go to. (If you only apply to one, they think "hey (s)he isn't going to be going anywhere else, so we can always take him/her next year!)

DO make friends with your mailman so he doesnt think you are crazy

DO keep copies of all your completed applications and essays. If you interview, you want to be able to review what the schools know about you.

DO start a few months early... at least doing the tedious stuff like writing down every single class you have ever taken along with grades and all the stuff that won't be affected by your summer activities.

DO check with each school what their supplemental apps are (if any) those can also be horribly time-consuming...

DO keep an accurate record of your vet experience. It would prevent sooo many headaches!

DO go talk to admissions folks at your target schools either through appointments or by visiting their office during the school's open house. Their insight can be incredibly helpful.

DO keep a printed copy of all completed applications in a file.

DO correspond (if at all possible) with admissions personnel by email. It is your paper trail. Then DO keep a copy of ANY AND ALL emails. This avoids the he said/she said issue should there be any problems with your materials. A phone call is nice for some things but if it is critical, you better have it in black and white.

DO get out of your comfort zone. Clients will be different cultures, sexual orientations, income levels, education levels, abilities and disabilities.

DO have a good understanding of the profession and the many things you can do with a veterinary degree.

DO observe every aspect of the practice if you are working at one to gain experience; that means the communication skills, the interaction between staff, the patient care, the client care, the commitment to continuing education, the community involvement as well as the medicine.

DO Start Early - I'm so glad I did because even though I knew it was a lot of work...it was more than I thought.

DO Get your personal statement going. If your a ways from applying jot down great stories or ideas that come to mind. They can help get you started.

DO Get all sorts of people to look at your statement - I sent to marketing people, attorneys, veterinarians, just about everyone in my email address book. That input was incredible.

DO early eLOR requests. I did my eLOR requests on August 1. I figured not so early that my references would forget and far enough away that they could get it done. Make sure you send them a separate email letting them know the eLOR is available. In that email you may want to include resume/CV, personal statement, and unofficial transcripts. Offer to get them anything else they need to make a great statement. Ask them to send a copy of their reference for your files.

DO manage your eLORs. So long as you have a great relationship with your references don't hesitate to "sit on them" to make sure there eLOR is done. The first week of September I went in to one of my references and asked when I could make an appointment to watch him do my reference.

DO Keep a spreadsheet with your exeperience hours. I did this all along and boy did it save me time. I put the contact info as well as the hours.

DO Get any supplemental applications. Some are very simple...others are VERY involved.

DO prepare and DO start early and DO take a deep breath and step back once in a while to regain your focus.

DO remember to start saving your application money months ahead of time, so you don't blast your credit card or bank account when it's time.

DO take your GREs early! Some schools require scores be there before the applciation deadline. Also, call ETS ASAP if you do not see your GRE scores in 2 weeks. They lost mine for 2 months!!

DO save all of those stupid honors/awards you get--just throw them all in a folder labeled imported documents! You will not remember them or the dates you got them!

DO double-triple-quadruple check for supplemental applications, as well as requirements, when the prereq's have to be completed, etc. You don't want to waste your money applying if all your ducks aren't in a row for that school.

DO take the GRE early, and retake it if you think that'll help. I think most schools take the best score from each section if you send them multiple scores. I know it costs more money, but if it really helps, it'll be worth it. Besides, we're all going to be rich when we're vets anyway, right?
DO get at least 90%, if not all, of the application done before the semester starts, if you'll be in school. Even if you won't be in school, you'll be thankful to be done early! Along those same lines, ask for your LOR's early so that the people writing them don't feel rushed!

DO research as much as you can on the schools before you apply. Find out what the requirements are, and make a list of those schools whose requirements you meet/will meet within the next couple semesters. Then you can go from there: look into the school's programs, the tuition cost, the area it is in, etc. If you're a spaz like me, you can even make a pro and con list for each school and compare.

DO wait until the mailman leaves your block to run outside and yank the mail out, only to throw a fit when it doesn't contain your acceptance letter/interview invite.



The DON'Ts


DON'T (along the lines of the last DO) waste your money applying to schools without knowing what it is you like about them and whether you think you have a good shot of getting in. But, DO apply to as many schools as you can afford.

DON'T underestimate how much time these freakin' apps will take you. Geez.

DON'T procrastinate. Remember about the time the application is due you will most likely be submerged in school and you don't need the added stress of application worries.

DON'T assume you can communicate effective just because you can string several words together to make a sentence.

DON'T assume anything. This includes things like: the registrar has sent your transcripts, that your letter of reference has been written, etc. Contact the school to make sure that everything has been received.

DON'T try to "beat the system". They don't like it when someone tries to play them; besides, that is a behavioral trait that is not wanted in the profession.

DON'T be narrow minded.

DON'T get discouraged by honest conversations with admissions people. What your stuff may look like sitting by itself in late spring/summer might look completely different from how it looks in the pool of actual applicants that year.

DON'T check SDN too much, it'll drive you crazy

DONT try to sort of get all the requirements for many of the schools. Make sure you get all the requirements for a few you want to apply to.

DONT rely on the vmcas site to actually work. Ever.

DONT ever plan on getting a hold of someone helpful using the vmcas hotline (took me at least 7 tries to get absolutely no answer to my question)

DONT procrastinate on all the apps. It'll reduce their effectiveness!

DONT start your personal statement mid September. Horrible idea. You end up rewriting it like 20 times and 2 weeks to sum up your entire life into 5000 characters is just not a good idea.

DONT take 4ish years off from school then decide it would be a great idea to be working full time and a weekend part time job while taking 4 pre-reqs (especially if they are orgo (and lab), biochem, and genetics... ) while throwing the stress of the whole application process into the mix!

DONT get a phd in english and then apply





Please copy and paste as you add...
 
I would recommend taking your GRE's as early as possible. Even taking them your freshman year is fine because then the SAT is still fresh on your mind. Also, this gives you plenty of time to retake the test and keep from having to hit the bank hard trying to retake it the last few months before the deadlines.

Also, I recommend applying your third year if you have the required classes and you feel as though you are ready to go to vet school. Not many people realize that you don't actually have to graduate to get into vet school; you just have to meet the pre-requisite classes. That way, if you don't get in, you know how to better your file for the next year.

If you are applying to out of state schools, apply to only those schools that have record of taking large numbers of out of state students (KSU, MSU, etc...). Don't just apply to a school because you'd like to go there when you have no chance in hel...

Save as much money as you can. Put $20 back each pay check.
 
Don't rely on anyone to do things promptly. Especially when it comes to getting your transcripts mailed.

Do take time to do something totally unrelated to your application, classes, vet school or the veterinary profession in general. Just try to completely forget about it for a few hours.
 
Does anyone know how many OOS are invited to interview at Davis?
 
Does anyone know how many OOS are invited to interview at Davis?

15 OOSers interviewed this year. Not including VSTP, though. Last year someone said they thought it was 25-30 OOSers interviewed. And last year 15 OOSers were offered admission with 9 matriculating.

UC Davis's party line is usually that 7-10 OOSers may be offered admission or admitted or something like that.
 
FYI: Kansas looks FIRST ONLY at your pre-req GPA for THEIR pre-reqs AND your GRE. That's something to consider if you're not real high on pre-req GPA.
 
When asked "why do you want to be a veterinarian instead of an MD?" DO NOT include the words "I don't like/deal with people well"
 
Based on some crazy experiences I had, I offer the following:

DO have an official copy of EVERY transcript (for me this was 5) sent to yourself, because if the registrars have made a mistake on the transcript (for me, a final course grade was not listed) the vet schools may hold you accountable.

DO remember all the other expenses associated with applications (besides VMCAS and supplementals), GRE copies, transcript fees, certified postage for everything, and then if you plan on interviewing anywhere...think about rental cars, hotels, meals, airfare...

DO think seriously about whether you'd actually want to live somewhere for four years before applying there.
 
Ok, hopefully this works.... Not 100% sure it will display though.
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vetschools.jpg
 
I'm about to be a senior in high school (Class of 09) and i have to choose what college i want to go to (this would be the one to meet the requirements into the actual vet school)... you know the drill -_-. my first question is while you are doing your prerequisites for admission into a vet school, you still have to do your General Ed, right? so then would it be a good idea to go to a community college for my General Ed and prerequisites? or should i go straight into a university, or community college for General Ed then transfer into a university for my prerequisites.

EDIT: i meant to say General Ed., mybad
 
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I'm about to be a senior in high school (Class of 09) and i have to choose what college i want to go to (this would be the one to meet the requirements into the actual vet school)... you know the drill -_-. my first question is while you are doing your prerequisites for admission into a vet school, you still have to do your GED's, right? so then would it be a good idea to go to a community college for my GED's and prerequisites? or should i go straight into a university, or community college for GED's then transfer into a university for my prerequisites.

:confused:

If you graduate high school as a senior, won't you be receiving a general high school diploma this May? I thought a GED is what you aim for if you dropped out of high school before graduating. I.E., a 24 year old wanting to go to college, but dropped out of high school, would need to show a GED in order to obtain college acceptance (so I think).

If you are graduating high school this year, it's up to you where to go to college. There's been many discussions on here in the past about a college/university's reputation, the name, and what that means (or doesn't mean) to vet schools.

The important things to consider will be: ideally, go for a bachelor's 4 year degree. It doesn't matter what you major in, AS LONG AS you get those specific classes (pre-req's) satisfied... usually your General Bio, General Chem, Organic Chem, Physics, etc. You can take the intro sciences at a community college, but most community college's don't offer upperclass sciences... so you'd have to eventually transfer in most situations, to complete your pre-req's.

But, yes, all vet schools require at least specific pre-req's, or a bachelor's degree, or enough credits that it often makes sense to pursue a bachelor's, for your own benefit - in case you change your mind about vet school later on.

I'm sure others here will have comments too.
 
Im pretty sure xthex is confusing GED courses with Gen Ed courses(G.ed?).
 
I'm assuming the same as David here...

You can get the required courses however you like. Some vet schools will be picky about the college/univ that your required courses were taken, so try and do those somewhere other than a community college. As for things like comp I/II, gov't, history... if those are needed for the degree you'd like, then you could take those at a community college to save money.
 
so going to a community college, for my general ed. classes and some basic prerequisite classes wont put me back a year, like when i transfer into a university? i'm asking because i have already taken a couple college classes (like Gov. and Econ.) that are transferable to UC's...

uhh also any recommendations on a university for my prerequisites?
besides UC Davis
 
I don't think a community college would be a bad choice, but it's always important to make 100% sure that classes will indeed transfer. You'd have to call your goal college/university and ask them to be sure. It shouldn't set you back any time if you take things that you know you need and you know will transfer.

You can go to any accredited university to do your undergrad! It could very well be easier to go to UC Davis with the idea of going to vet school there later, especially if you have plans to meet some vet school faculty, get used to the facilities, talk to the admissions office often to make sure you are on the right track... that would be great. But, you could just as well go to another Cali university that's more convenient for other reasons (cost, location...) and then still be a viable applicant to UC Davis after taking all the required courses.

So really... just go wherever you think you'd be the happiest! I have absolutely no knowledge of California universities, but I'm sure there are many of thm that are great and would work well for you.
 
so going to a community college, for my general ed. classes and some basic prerequisite classes wont put me back a year, like when i transfer into a university? i'm asking because i have already taken a couple college classes (like Gov. and Econ.) that are transferable to UC's...

uhh also any recommendations on a university for my prerequisites?
besides UC Davis

http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html shows what courses transfer where in California. There is an entry for UC Davis Vet Med.
 
Is it really a bad idea to only apply to one school? I certainly understand the risks of only applying to one school, but does only applying to one school "look" bad?

Thanks for you support.
 
Is it really a bad idea to only apply to one school? I certainly understand the risks of only applying to one school, but does only applying to one school "look" bad?

Thanks for you support.

I don't think it 'looks' bad. I know plenty of people who have only applied to one school for one reason or the other (it usually has to do with a spouse or family). Applying to more schools may just increase your odds of getting into school some where (depending on the number of OOS slots they have).
 
Thanks for your reply Lucy.
 
i am an international students.can u give me some advice anout personal statement?is there any website or special organization to do it for me?
or give a sample?
 
I'm going to be applying at a college this semester coming up but it's only for a Vet Tech.. I need to find more colleges around where I live to apply to and this is helping me a lot, thank you!!

Does anyone know how many years after a tech for a vet? Thanks again :)
 
It's four years of veterinary school no matter what previous degrees or licenses you have. Vet tech school and vet school are completely separate entities. Please be aware that all of the schools we are discussing in this forum are veterinary schools.

That said, there are other people here that have chosen to get a vet tech degree first. It's never to early to start thinking about vet school if you're even just considering it!
 
Okay so if they are two completely different entities.. then it's better to just go to a vet school?
 
If you are sure you want to be a vet, then it would save you some time at least. I know I'm not interested in doing tech school when I know I won't use the degree, but that's just me.

If you read around on this site a bit, you'll get a good idea of what's going on, how this works, and how to prepare yourself for veterinary school. Also, just stick around here and read lots of threads. Ask questions if you have any. :)
 
Thank you! See around here there is only a vet tech school and that's about 20 mins away from my house and the closest vet school is cornell university and that's 4 hours away in Itacha.. I would have to talk to my dad about that because I know that's going to be wicked expensive lol
 
Unless you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician for the sake of actually being a veterinary technician, I honestly wouldn't bother with doing a vet tech degree. Many of the prerequisites for vet school are not included in that sort of degree, and you'll have to wind up taking more undergraduate courses at the end if you want to apply for vet school. If you haven't started post-secondary education yet, you should switch your focus to looking into starting a bachelors degree at a four-year university, or at least going to a community college with the intent of transferring into one after two years.

Since you seem to be a little bit confused on the vet school preparation and admissions process, I'll just briefly detail a timeline here. The AAVMC site that twelvetigers linked, and this very forum, are both very good resources to learn more about the process, but if you don't even begin to know where to look, here's what a traditional path to vet school looks like academically (and keep in mind that you should be getting good amounts of animal related and veterinary related experience during ALL of this time, and in university you can explore things like research which hella rules):

Junior year of high school:
Look into four year universities, pick some that seem realistic to you financially that you feel like would be a good fit for both your abilities and your environmental preferences. Visit schools. Research schools. Take SAT/ACT.

Senior year of high school:
Make final list of universities, apply to universities. Declare whatever major you want, because changing it is ridiculously easy. Most pre-vet students tend to major in biology, chemistry, animal science, or related fields. Receive lots and lots of acceptances (haha) and choose the one that strikes the best balance between cost (after financial aid) and your preferences and abilities.

Freshman year at university:
Take basic sciences along with basic humanities core courses. Depending on your school's requirements you will likely need both anyhow, and vet school prerequisites include lower division classes such as a physics sequence, a chemistry sequence, a biology sequence and calc or stats. Party and drink. Or don't, if it means you'll get sucky grades like I did. :laugh:

Sophomore year at university:
More of the same, except kinda start trying to figure out if you just want to major in bio or whatever or if you'd rather major in something else while taking the vet school prerequisites. Some people end up in organic chem and genetics or other upper division prerequisite classes in this year.

Junior year at university:
Start thinking about which vet schools you are going to apply to in the upcoming summer. Look at what prerequisites you've done, and try to fit in most of the ones you haven't finished yet in this year. Some schools have wonky prereqs, you're gonna wanna take a look at your target schools and make sure you don't miss out on weird stuff that you wouldn't think about (Western is notorious for this...). Take the GRE, and retake it if you think you can do significantly better.

Summer between junior and senior years at university:
Apply to vet school! Post threads here asking about every single minute detail on the application that could possibly be called into any sort of question at all.

Senior year at university:
Hang out with us here at SDN while your admissions rollercoaster saga continues! Freak out and obsess for a month about the comma you forgot to put in to the fifth sentence in your explanation statement. Keep your grades up and save up lots of money for traveling to interviews if you applied to a lot of OOS schools that have them. Stalk the mailman and refresh your email every 3 seconds. Kick butt at interviews. Post a bunch in the acceptance thread after you get your acceptances.

First year of vet school and beyond:
Freak out about loans and it actually sinking in that vet school is HARD. Work your tail off, harder than you've ever worked in your life. Have your zen moments where you're happy that you get to be doing what you want, and you know it will be worth it and blah blah sap. ;)

Ok that's like, a novel. Wow. :smuggrin:

And my path was more like "meander to and fro through various parts of the country while maintaining a lukewarm GPA in two different bachelors degrees and ingesting more illicit substances than you could have imagined actually existing before you actually really find yourself and then fall ass backwards into a really good graduate school situation" but you know, whichever works for you. :D
 
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nyanko, if vet med doesn't work out, i think you may have a future as an academic counselor :)
 
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