Slayton said:
I am going to be a sophomore this fall and right now my GPA is a 3.4. I'm trying to raise it. I got a lot of B's my freshman year. I volunteer once a week at the local Animal hospital. Its a small animal practice. There's no large animal practices around here. Is it okay if I just volunteer at the small animal hospital? Also I was wondering if I should take the GRE or the VCAT? I want to get into Purdue's Vet School. What else should I do to increase my chances?
I am currently a 2nd year veterinary student at Purdue. At the risk of being redundant (when you read other threads you will see what I mean) try to diversify your experience as much as possible. Some possible ideas might be zoos, aquariums, research facilities, farms, specialty practices, exotic practices, etc. You get the gist.
I would recommend getting as many hours under your belt as possible. I had around 3,000 when I applied and I believe the average admitted applicant is in that ballpark. Purdue, like most other schools, is big on breadth vs. depth of experience. The Purdue ad comm likes to see that you have had exposure to a broad scope of the field.
I don't think once a week volunteering at an SA clinic will suffice, but it's a nice jumping off point so-to-speak. Don't worry though because you still have PLENTY of time to gain adequate experience. Summer and winter breaks were when I obtained the most experience.
As far as grades/GRE scores are concerned, make certain they are your highest priority. If you have a 3.4 you are in pretty good shape, but raising your GPA a few tenths of a point will only help you in the end. As far as I know the VCAT was discontinued a few years or so ago due to the fact that only a few schools utilized it.
Hope that helps. If you have any other Purdue-specific questions feel free to ask me.
