graduate undergrad in 3/4 yrs

[krmj98]

Hi Everyone!
I've been looking through the forums for a bit, but this is my first post. So I am currently in undergrad, in my first year, with 53 credits completed from AP's, etc. Since I have so many credits, I thought it would make sense to graduate in 3 years, and apply for vet school with the class of '23 (and save $25k). I'd have to take approx. 17 credits a semester to do it, but I think that's doable. But now I'm wondering if I should just graduate on a 'normal' schedule in 4 years, being able to take 14-15 credits a semester instead. Does anyone have any advice/experience/things you would've done differently looking back? I definitely don't want to get burned out, but I also don't want to miss out on 'the college experience'
Thanks so much!
PS I also heard that vet schools prefer students who might be older, as they are more mature/sure of what they want to do. If I graduate in 3 yrs I'll be 20... Thoughts?

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[Lupin21]

Hi Everyone!
I've been looking through the forums for a bit, but this is my first post. So I am currently in undergrad, in my first year, with 53 credits completed from AP's, etc. Since I have so many credits, I thought it would make sense to graduate in 3 years, and apply for vet school with the class of '23 (and save $25k). I'd have to take approx. 17 credits a semester to do it, but I think that's doable. But now I'm wondering if I should just graduate on a 'normal' schedule in 4 years, being able to take 14-15 credits a semester instead. Does anyone have any advice/experience/things you would've done differently looking back? I definitely don't want to get burned out, but I also don't want to miss out on 'the college experience'
Thanks so much!
PS I also heard that vet schools prefer students who might be older, as they are more mature/sure of what they want to do. If I graduate in 3 yrs I'll be 20... Thoughts?

It all depends on the individual. If you can handle doing 17 units and feel like you can maintain your GPA, go for it. If you start out with that many and find yourself struggling, adjust. As for the age of an individual, there are plenty of 20 year olds in vet school, and there are plenty of 25+ year olds. It is all about your fit with the schools you apply to. Make sure you have good veterinary experiences, a good GPA, and all in all be a well rounded person who can show that you have a good grasp on the world around you.

 

[ANSohschm]

Totally agree with the poster above. If you can handle 17 or 18 hours a semester while making yourself a well-rounded applicant, then do it. Make sure that your three year schedule will work to get what you need to graduate and the prereqs for the vet schools you may want to apply to. At smaller schools it can be tricky if there are classes only taught in the fall or in the spring. Saving yourself $25k is no small feat, but you don't want to do that if it jeopardizes your chances of being a good candidate. You can always plan to graduate in three, and then slow it down to four. I know some people graduating in 3 years and then taking a gap year to really relax and focus solely on veterinary experience. That may work too. How did you feel your first fall semester went? Good grades, how many hours did you take?

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I can give you my experience for whatever it is worth...I will finish this coming May, having completed my degree in 3 years. I too, came in with many an AP credit. I have interviewed at 2 schools already and have one more interview at the end of this month...so I'm hopeful that I will be starting vet school this Fall (crossing digits, anyway lol).

I think the choice on whether to finish in 3 or 4 years is based on you and your personality and what you ultimately want. It wasn't my plan going in to finish early, it just kind of worked out in such a way that I realized it was possible and I went for it. If I'm being completely honest, I was pretty burnt out this past Fall semester and really ready to be done, but I trudged though and this last semester is insanely easy in comparison now that I'm done with all my major requirements and I'm just taking classes to graduate. The hardest part (for me anyway) was that I came to college with all my general education requirements fulfilled, so my semesters were jam packed with science and math. For example: last spring I took Physics II, Ochem II, Biochemistry, and my major capstone all at the same time while also working part time in a lab and working part time at a clinic. I was able to handle it, but I'm not sure I would necessarily recommend that to anyone. My biggest recommendation is this: if you can do it without sacrificing your GPA, go for it...cutting a year off of undergrad can definitely save you $$. But definitely don't overload yourself and end up with a lower GPA. Balance is everything.

As for age, I'm right around the average for veterinary school matriculation, but honestly, I don't think it matters nearly as much as maturity and presenting yourself as someone who can handle the rigors of professional school.

Good luck!

 

[cdo96]

Hi Everyone!
I've been looking through the forums for a bit, but this is my first post. So I am currently in undergrad, in my first year, with 53 credits completed from AP's, etc. Since I have so many credits, I thought it would make sense to graduate in 3 years, and apply for vet school with the class of '23 (and save $25k). I'd have to take approx. 17 credits a semester to do it, but I think that's doable. But now I'm wondering if I should just graduate on a 'normal' schedule in 4 years, being able to take 14-15 credits a semester instead. Does anyone have any advice/experience/things you would've done differently looking back? I definitely don't want to get burned out, but I also don't want to miss out on 'the college experience'
Thanks so much!
PS I also heard that vet schools prefer students who might be older, as they are more mature/sure of what they want to do. If I graduate in 3 yrs I'll be 20... Thoughts?

20 year old here who tried to apply to vet school in 3 years because of AP exams.

AP credits are amazing and absolutely terrible at the same time. Here's why. Vet schools calculate your GPA in a lot of different ways, but the most common 3 are your cumulative GPA, your last 45 hours GPA (your GPA for approximately the last 3 semesters from the time you apply), and your prerequisite GPA. The first two are not as related to taking AP classes, but the third one can be really frustrating.

Oklahoma State (for example), has approximately 64 credit hours of prerequisites. These include English Composition 1 and 2, an English elective, General chemistry 1 and 2, organic chemistry 1 and 2, Biochemistry, physics 1 and 2, a math course, biology, animal biology, microbiology, genetics, and 2 social sciences.
I took a LOT of AP credits in high school and I had credits for a lot of these. The problem is, is that they were the "easier" classes. Organic chemistry, for example, is hard. Like, study every day and still not understand what the hell is going on-hard. And I got a C in ochem 1 and a B in ochem 2. And one C isn't that big of a deal when you factor the rest of the grades in, but out of those 17
prerequisites, I had 4 AP credits, and AP credits don't count towards your GPA. So even though I didn't have to take English 1&2, a math (I took calculus in high school), or biology in college, the majority of those courses are freshman level, easier courses that I would've gotten an A in. I wish I had those buffer courses to allow my GPA to be high, because even though I only had 1 C and did well in all of my classes, my prerequisite GPA was lackluster (3.45) because I didn't have essentially have those 56 total points to pull it up. And I've been rejected from four out of five schools I applied to this year (Biochem major with a 3.6 GPA), so I'm thinking my next step is to take some of those AP courses again, after I graduate, to bring up my cumulative GPA.

By all means, I'm not trying to discourage you from trying or saving money, I just wanted to warn you how you might feel two years from now.

 

[Doctor-S]

Hi Everyone!
I've been looking through the forums for a bit, but this is my first post. So I am currently in undergrad, in my first year, with 53 credits completed from AP's, etc. Since I have so many credits, I thought it would make sense to graduate in 3 years, and apply for vet school with the class of '23 (and save $25k). I'd have to take approx. 17 credits a semester to do it, but I think that's doable. But now I'm wondering if I should just graduate on a 'normal' schedule in 4 years, being able to take 14-15 credits a semester instead. Does anyone have any advice/experience/things you would've done differently looking back? I definitely don't want to get burned out, but I also don't want to miss out on 'the college experience'

@krmj98, I see this is your first post - so welcome to SDN!

I agree with each poster above (@Lupin21, @mmmdreamerz, @cdoconn). They are providing you with sound advice, based on their own real-time experiences and history. It is advisable to think about your overall game plan before you make any decisions that may (or may not) help you in applying for admission to veterinary medicine school.

I will also add the following thoughts:

1. I appreciate your desire to save money by graduating in 3 years as opposed to 4 years. It's always nice to save money!

However, if you graduate in 3 years, and you do not take a gap year (or something like a gap year), it sounds as if you plan to apply to vet med school during your 3rd year (or at the end of your 3rd year). This means you will be submitting an application based on a 2-to-2.5 year record of undergraduate course work (and not 3 or more years of undergraduate course work). In other words, your "competition" (i.e., other pre-vet med students who are graduating in 4 years, with high grades on their 4-year transcript) will be able to provide more undergraduate course work experience for adcoms to consider when evaluating your academic merits as an aspiring veterinarian.

2. You may need more than 3 years within which to assemble a competitive and meaningful record of veterinary-supervised and animal experience. This will provide you with an opportunity to determine whether veterinary medicine is the career for you; including learning about the pleasant aspects of life as a veterinarian, as well as the not-so-happy aspects of veterinary medicine (e.g., non-cooperative and insensitive pet owners, business debt, income, compassion fatigue).

In addition, you will need to request at least one letter of recommendation from a veterinarian who has spent ample time with you; and who "knows you well" based on your performance, skills, experience, etc. This may require time to accomplish. Just saying.

For instance, UC Davis CVM has discussed letters of recommendation as follows:

One or Two from Veterinarians with whom you have worked and who can evaluate your potential as a veterinary professional. Of these one should be from a veterinarian in your area of veterinary interest (small animal, large animal, equine, etc.) Other letters may be written by veterinarians, professors, college instructors, research supervisors, or your academic adviser.

NOTE: At least one eLOR must be from a veterinarian. The remaining eLORS may be written by veterinarians, professors, researchers or others that can attest to your knowledge of veterinary medicine and/or academic abilities.

3. You may need more time to engage in meaningful research opportunities as an undergraduate student. In so doing, you will be in a better position to request well-written letters of recommendation from other individuals who "know you well" (e.g., faculty and PIs). Those letters of recommendation may make a significant difference in determining "who" is accepted into a CVM - especially since you, and many of your competitors, will probably be vying for admission to the same CVMs.

4. You may need more time as an undergraduate student to obtain actual leadership experience, as well as to engage in meaningful extracurricular activities, including voluntary clinical and/or non-clinical ECs.

5. You may want to experience life as an undergraduate student for 4 years, and not as an undergraduate student who is "trying to sprint" to the finish line in 3 years.

6. AP credits, although commendable, are not the same "experience" as a four-year university undergraduate course. As noted by @cdoconn above, AP credits may not help you in the long run - especially if you have to enroll in courses that are not readily available at your university (e.g., you're waitlisted) or courses that are insanely time, study and labor intensive (e.g., O-chem or P-chem). It happens.

Thank you.

 

[finnickthedog]

I think you got some good advice here so I don't want to just repeat too much butbare you sure that you would need to take that many credits a semester to graduate in 3 years?

I went into undergrad with 16 AP credits and graduated in 3.5 years. I took 13-16 credits in my normal semesters. Definitely never took 17. I did take a class or two during each if my summers so I'm sure that helped but I also retook several classes and my last semester was only a handful of credits. If summer classes are an option for you it may allow you graduate sooner without overloading yourself. Just something to consider.

Looking back, I would have given myself an easier first semester. I look back at it now and wonder why I struggled with it so much but... at the time it was a lot. I was in 16 credits which was fine but the majority of them were science classes and I'd skipped some intro classes so it was a challenge. I got through it... but not with the grades I would have liked.

 

[DVMDream]

@krmj98, I see this is your first post - so welcome to SDN!

I agree with each poster above (@Lupin21, @mmmdreamerz, @cdoconn). They are providing you with sound advice, based on their own real-time experiences and history. It is advisable to think about your overall game plan before you make any decisions that may (or may not) help you in applying for admission to veterinary medicine school.

I will also add the following thoughts:

1. I appreciate your desire to save money by graduating in 3 years as opposed to 4 years. It's always nice to save money! However, if you graduate in 3 years, and you do not take a gap year (or something like a gap year), it sounds as if you plan to apply to vet med school during your 3rd year (or at the end of your 3rd year). This means you will be submitting an application based on a 2-to-2.5 year record of undergraduate course work (and not 3 or more years of undergraduate course work). In other words, your "competition" (i.e., other pre-vet med students who are graduating in 4 years, with high grades on their 4-year transcript) will be able to provide more undergraduate course work experience for adcoms to consider when evaluating your academic merits as an aspiring veterinarian.

2. You may need more than 3 years within which to assemble a competitive and meaningful record of veterinary-supervised and animal experience. This will provide you with an opportunity to determine whether veterinary medicine is the career for you; including learning about the pleasant aspects of life as a veterinarian, as well as the not-so-happy aspects of veterinary medicine (e.g., non-cooperative and insensitive pet owners, business debt, income, compassion fatigue). In addition, you will need to request at least one letter of recommendation from a veterinarian who has spent ample time with you; and who "knows you well" based on your performance, skills, experience, etc. This may require time to accomplish, perhaps more than 3 years. Just saying.

For instance, UC Davis CVM has discussed letters of recommendation as follows:

One or Two from Veterinarians with whom you have worked and who can evaluate your potential as a veterinary professional. Of these one should be from a veterinarian in your area of veterinary interest (small animal, large animal, equine, etc.) Other letters may be written by veterinarians, professors, college instructors, research supervisors, or your academic adviser.

NOTE: At least one eLOR must be from a veterinarian. The remaining eLORS may be written by veterinarians, professors, researchers or others that can attest to your knowledge of veterinary medicine and/or academic abilities.

3. You may need 4 years within which to engage in meaningful research opportunities as an undergraduate student. In so doing, you will be in a better position to request well-written letters of recommendation from individuals who "know you well" (e.g., faculty and PIs). Those letters of recommendation may make a significant difference in determining "who" is accepted into a CVM - especially since many of your competitors will be vying for admission to the same CVMs.

4. You may need more than 3 years as an undergraduate student to obtain actual leadership experience, as well as to engage in meaningful extracurricular activities, including voluntary clinical and/or non-clinical ECs.

5. You may want to experience life as an undergraduate student for 4 years, and not as an undergraduate student who is "trying to sprint" to the finish line in 3 years.

6. AP credits, although commendable, are not the same "experience" as a four-year university undergraduate course. As noted by @cdoconn above, AP credits may not help you in the long run - especially if you have to enroll in courses that are not readily available at your university (e.g., you're waitlisted) or courses that are insanely time, study and labor intensive (e.g., O-chem or P-chem). It happens.

Thank you.

I personally think 3 years is more than enough time to accomplish all the above points. For all we know the OP may already have experience, leadership and be involved in extracurricular activities. And while research experience is great and looked upon favorably, it isn't required. Basically, if you can spare yourself an extra year of tuition, I vote to do it. 100%... go for it. Heck, you don't even really need a degree to be accepted to vet school. If you seek the above things from the start of undergrad... 3 years is plenty of time to accomplish them. The extra year won't make a giant difference, as long as you've made the effort in prior years.

 

[cdo96]

Looking back, I would have given myself an easier first semester.

I wanted to touch on this real quick. It's really hard to change your GPA more than a couple tenths of a point. I tried really hard my freshman year and I got a 4.0 my first semester. Because I have that under my belt, two semesters later when I got a 3.133 for the semester, it didn't take my GPA past a 3.7. So I had a little bit of cushion whereas my friend got a 2.5 her first semester and has been working her butt off every semester and is barely over a 3.05. It's incredibly important to do well in your first semester or two

 

[cheathac]

I am also graduating in 3 years due to some AP courses. I've also been accepted to 1 vet school so far. I have 5 left to hear from. I pushed myself the moment I started undergrad. I often worked 2+ jobs all while having over a 15 hour course load. I currently have a 3.82 GPA (My VMCAS one was a 3.76). I was able to handle it. Just recognize the signs where you know you aren't able to handle it (burnt out, mood swings, not happy, grades suffering). I did take a couple courses during the summer and didn't take over 18 hours any semester. You just have to do what works best for you. I'm not burnt out yet, but I know the day is coming.

 

[Devastating]

I think you got some good advice here so I don't want to just repeat too much butbare you sure that you would need to take that many credits a semester to graduate in 3 years?

I went into undergrad with 16 AP credits and graduated in 3.5 years. I took 13-16 credits in my normal semesters. Definitely never took 17. I did take a class or two during each if my summers so I'm sure that helped but I also retook several classes and my last semester was only a handful of credits. If summer classes are an option for you it may allow you graduate sooner without overloading yourself. Just something to consider.

Looking back, I would have given myself an easier first semester. I look back at it now and wonder why I struggled with it so much but... at the time it was a lot. I was in 16 credits which was fine but the majority of them were science classes and I'd skipped some intro classes so it was a challenge. I got through it... but not with the grades I would have liked.

^I can second this experience, almost exactly. It was unexpected (I thought I would still need 4 years to finish my degree requirements), but an advisor arranged my credits in such a way that I graduated in 3.5yr. One important difference though--most of my credits were not AP but from dual-credit community college courses taken in high school, therefore they transferred as any college credit would, and entering undergrad with those ~18 credits provided me with a lot of "cushion" like cdoconn brought up. That was a lifesaver when I totally crashed my first semester, and I don't know how it would've been had I come in with AP credits instead. I did take a couple of summer classes during undergrad as well, so I would look into that too if it's doable.

The one "downside" to graduating early was that I then had to take a couple remaining prereqs (like physics) "on my own" as a non-degree-seeker, but this was also good in that I had a gap year(s) to take/retake those courses and get more experience. Pretty much everyone here has hit on the important points.

 

[love2hunt]

I graduated in 3 years with no AP credit coming in. I made up for that by doing 15 credit hours over one summer. Absolutely worth it and I would do it again. Every time you start to feel burned out, ask yourself "is this worth $25k?" My answer was always yes.

 

[deleted498041]

I see some really good points made above so I thought I'd share my personal experience:

I graduated college when I was 19. This means that I finished my Bachelor's degree in two years due to credits I had from while I was in high school. I thought it was great to get through so fast (since I was going to vet school), and I was really glad to be able to save two whole years of tuition! I want to state that I do not regret what I did one single bit, BUT I would not recommend it to others. I was extremely young when I started vet school, and while that worked for me, I've seen others just a year or two older that really demonstrated their immaturity and it hurt them academically.

The other important point to consider is how you'll get your hours. I was in an unfortunate situation where I found it extremely challenging to find anywhere that would even let me volunteer on an intermittent basis. The majority of the places in my area required volunteers to be 18, which... I wasn't until my senior year of college. I ended up getting a job at a small animal clinic and more than made up for my hours there, but it was next to impossible for me to diversify my hours. Yes, I still got into vet school, but I certainly would have been a better candidate with a little more diversity.

College is a time to learn, grow, and enjoy yourself. If you want to expedite your time there, I'm definitely not in a position to judge I would just take it one semester at a time and feel no shame if you decide to graduate in the standard 4 years.

[edit] An intermediate option would be to focus on satisfying vet school pre-reqs first and foremost and applying to vet school during your junior year and then re-applying your senior year if you don't get in on the first try. You still have the potential to save that last year of tuition.

 

[LyraGardenia]

I think you got some good advice here so I don't want to just repeat too much butbare you sure that you would need to take that many credits a semester to graduate in 3 years?

I went into undergrad with 16 AP credits and graduated in 3.5 years. I took 13-16 credits in my normal semesters. Definitely never took 17. I did take a class or two during each if my summers so I'm sure that helped but I also retook several classes and my last semester was only a handful of credits. If summer classes are an option for you it may allow you graduate sooner without overloading yourself. Just something to consider.

I went into undergrad with a similar number of AP credits as the OP and considered graduating in three years, but IIRC I would have needed to take 16-18 hours per semester of nothing but pre-reqs and degree requirements, and I decided it wasn't worth it. Granted, my school had a pretty extensive gen ed program that my AP credits didn't entirely cover, so the requirements for your school and your major might make a big difference. I also didn't initially plan on taking summer classes, which you're right would make things easier, but also most scholarships and loans don't cover summer classes.

I had a scholarship that covered my tuition, and I was fortunate that my parents were able to pay for my student fees and living expenses, so finances weren't a big consideration for me. But if you can avoid an extra $25k in loans without sacrificing your grades or ability to gain experience, I'd say go for it! For me personally I think I would have gotten burnt out trying to squeeze everything into three years, and with spreading things out I was able to do a psychology minor that I wouldn't have had time for otherwise, as well as some other fun classes. As it turned out, I wouldn't have been able to graduate in three years even if I'd wanted to because I really struggled with organic II, and didn't pass it until my very last semester. Also as Doctor S mentioned it can be very difficult to get the necessary amount of experience in three years unless you're really on the ball from the get-go, which I was not at all. I didn't start getting veterinary experience until the summer before my junior year, and ended up having two unplanned gap years in which I got more experience while re-applying.

I'm also glad I got to have the full "college experience" considering I wasted a lot of my freshman year sitting around my room, and honestly I don't know if I would have been mature enough for vet school if I'd gotten in even after 4 years of undergrad. My gap years were kind of miserable working two jobs, but definitely character-building! Anyway OP, I know a lot of this probably sounds like I'm discouraging you from trying to graduate in three years, but like I said saving money is never a bad idea, and it really depends on your personality. You can always see how you feel after a semester of the heavy courseload and then decide.

ETA: Also there are multiple 21-year-olds in my class and they don't seem to be at a disadvantage at all! (One girl was 20 at the beginning of last semester, but she's since had a birthday) Some are from K-State's early admit program, but not all. Mayyybe some schools look at older applicants more favorably, but that's not something I've really heard.

 

[Doctor-S]

PS I also heard that vet schools prefer students who might be older, as they are more mature/sure of what they want to do. If I graduate in 3 yrs I'll be 20... Thoughts?

I forgot to respond to this part of your post. Personally, I don't have an issue with an applicant's age. If an applicant is qualified, passionate, responsible, dedicated, capable of completing the degree program, etc ... that's fine with me. Like you, I was 20 when I graduated from my undergraduate school; and no one asked me about my age in any of my interviews. So long as you qualify for the degree program, go for it ... no worries!

 

[PrincessButterCup]

You guys are crazy. I did two degrees in 5 years, plus two summers, and I was still taking 19-20 credits at a time to finish all my classes.

 

[Lupin21]

@krmj98, I see this is your first post - so welcome to SDN!

I agree with each poster above (@Lupin21, @mmmdreamerz, @cdoconn). They are providing you with sound advice, based on their own real-time experiences and history. It is advisable to think about your overall game plan before you make any decisions that may (or may not) help you in applying for admission to veterinary medicine school.

I will also add the following thoughts:

1. I appreciate your desire to save money by graduating in 3 years as opposed to 4 years. It's always nice to save money!

However, if you graduate in 3 years, and you do not take a gap year (or something like a gap year), it sounds as if you plan to apply to vet med school during your 3rd year (or at the end of your 3rd year). This means you will be submitting an application based on a 2-to-2.5 year record of undergraduate course work (and not 3 or more years of undergraduate course work). In other words, your "competition" (i.e., other pre-vet med students who are graduating in 4 years, with high grades on their 4-year transcript) will be able to provide more undergraduate course work experience for adcoms to consider when evaluating your academic merits as an aspiring veterinarian.

2. You may need more than 3 years within which to assemble a competitive and meaningful record of veterinary-supervised and animal experience. This will provide you with an opportunity to determine whether veterinary medicine is the career for you; including learning about the pleasant aspects of life as a veterinarian, as well as the not-so-happy aspects of veterinary medicine (e.g., non-cooperative and insensitive pet owners, business debt, income, compassion fatigue).

In addition, you will need to request at least one letter of recommendation from a veterinarian who has spent ample time with you; and who "knows you well" based on your performance, skills, experience, etc. This may require time to accomplish. Just saying.

For instance, UC Davis CVM has discussed letters of recommendation as follows:

One or Two from Veterinarians with whom you have worked and who can evaluate your potential as a veterinary professional. Of these one should be from a veterinarian in your area of veterinary interest (small animal, large animal, equine, etc.) Other letters may be written by veterinarians, professors, college instructors, research supervisors, or your academic adviser.

NOTE: At least one eLOR must be from a veterinarian. The remaining eLORS may be written by veterinarians, professors, researchers or others that can attest to your knowledge of veterinary medicine and/or academic abilities.

3. You may need mote time to engage in meaningful research opportunities as an undergraduate student. In so doing, you will be in a better position to request well-written letters of recommendation from other individuals who "know you well" (e.g., faculty and PIs). Those letters of recommendation may make a significant difference in determining "who" is accepted into a CVM - especially since you, and many of your competitors, will probably be vying for admission to the same CVMs.

4. You may need more time as an undergraduate student to obtain actual leadership experience, as well as to engage in meaningful extracurricular activities, including voluntary clinical and/or non-clinical ECs.

5. You may want to experience life as an undergraduate student for 4 years, and not as an undergraduate student who is "trying to sprint" to the finish line in 3 years.

6. AP credits, although commendable, are not the same "experience" as a four-year university undergraduate course. As noted by @cdoconn above, AP credits may not help you in the long run - especially if you have to enroll in courses that are not readily available at your university (e.g., you're waitlisted) or courses that are insanely time, study and labor intensive (e.g., O-chem or P-chem). It happens.

Thank you.

This is an excellent post that offers the OP a well thought out reply. As a reward for @Doctor-S 's helpfulness, dyachei and myself are rewarding DocS with an amazon gift card! Huzzah for being awesome!!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

20 year old here who tried to apply to vet school in 3 years because of AP exams.

AP credits are amazing and absolutely terrible at the same time. Here's why. Vet schools calculate your GPA in a lot of different ways, but the most common 3 are your cumulative GPA, your last 45 hours GPA (your GPA for approximately the last 3 semesters from the time you apply), and your prerequisite GPA. The first two are not as related to taking AP classes, but the third one can be really frustrating.

Oklahoma State (for example), has approximately 64 credit hours of prerequisites. These include English Composition 1 and 2, an English elective, General chemistry 1 and 2, organic chemistry 1 and 2, Biochemistry, physics 1 and 2, a math course, biology, animal biology, microbiology, genetics, and 2 social sciences.
I took a LOT of AP credits in high school and I had credits for a lot of these. The problem is, is that they were the "easier" classes. Organic chemistry, for example, is hard. Like, study every day and still not understand what the hell is going on-hard. And I got a C in ochem 1 and a B in ochem 2. And one C isn't that big of a deal when you factor the rest of the grades in, but out of those 17
prerequisites, I had 4 AP credits, and AP credits don't count towards your GPA. So even though I didn't have to take English 1&2, a math (I took calculus in high school), or biology in college, the majority of those courses are freshman level, easier courses that I would've gotten an A in. I wish I had those buffer courses to allow my GPA to be high, because even though I only had 1 C and did well in all of my classes, my prerequisite GPA was lackluster (3.45) because I didn't have essentially have those 56 total points to pull it up. And I've been rejected from four out of five schools I applied to this year (Biochem major with a 3.6 GPA), so I'm thinking my next step is to take some of those AP courses again, after I graduate, to bring up my cumulative GPA.

By all means, I'm not trying to discourage you from trying or saving money, I just wanted to warn you how you might feel two years from now.

Yep, been kicking myself for this for years. I probably would have spent maybe $10k or so more for undergrad, but I also probably would have gotten into my IS (or at least I like to tell myself that).

You could also take these 'easier' classes at a community college to make them even cheaper.

Admissions can be a bit of a game. You should plan hard courses around your last 45 credits if possible, possibly saving your humanities/'easy' courses for last if your degree would work out that way. That's not to say that this is the only way to go about things, but looking back, I wish I would have planned a bit better than jumping into courses as seats opened up.

 

[Doctor-S]

This is an excellent post that offers the OP a well thought out reply. As a reward for @Doctor-S 's helpfulness, dyachei and myself are rewarding DocS with an amazon gift card! Huzzah for being awesome!!

@Lupin21 and @dyachei, kindly make sure you read the PM I sent to both of you; and you're welcome to initiate my request immediately - thank you.

As a show of my deep appreciation and respect for every poster on the Veterinary Forum, I am donating money to the "Lifetime Donor" fund on SDN.

( ( ( Animals and Veterinary Medicine ) ) )

Thank you!

 

[Maineroot]

I did undergrad in 3.5 years and didn't feel too burned out and only had to take 10 credits my last semester. Plus it's giving me 8 months off before I start vet school rather than only 2 months if I graduated in May. I didn't want to do a full gap year but I wanted time to recoup so this was a perfect situation. I say you should consider how much time you will need off before you start vet school and use that and your feelings towards being a little pressured scholastically over the next few years if you were to graduate early. I personally do feel as though my grades suffered slightly due to having to take more crammed semesters rather than spreading them out. That being said I still have a competitive GPA after this and I think it just depends on your personal situation! Good luck

 

[doubletripple]

I graduated in three years. I don't think it wasn't worth it. Undergrad provides so many opportunities to network, perform undergraduate research, and explore interests. Take advantage of that extra time in undergrad. If you feel your school isn't providing the sort of opportunities you are interested in, I would recommend using that extra year as a gap year

 

[wallydo]

@Lupin21 and @dyachei, kindly make sure you read the PM I sent to both of you; and you're welcome to initiate my request immediately - thank you.

As a show of my deep appreciation and respect for every poster on the Veterinary Forum, I am donating money to the "Lifetime Donor" fund on SDN.

( ( ( Animals and Veterinary Medicine ) ) )

Thank you!

Dr. S, thank you for your generosity and helping to provide a space for all of us to interact with each other. I am inspired daily by the kind and brilliant people on this forum. SDN has provided me with a very unique sense of belonging during the path towards veterinary medicine.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

I feel like there is a lot of good insight/information/perspective in this thread...Good job guys!