Which Pre-Vet school is best?

[futurevet_11]

I am a senior in highschool looking to attend a pre-veterinary program next year. I'm from New York and would like to stay on the East coast. I was originally thinking of schools such as Auburn University, Cornell University, North Carolina State University, Florida State University, and the University of Florida, however, the more research I do, the more I see posts on how schools such as UMass Amherst and Becker College have great Pre-Vet programs. What schools would give me the best chances to get into Vet school in the future? Cost is not an issue for me. I planned on having a major in Animal Sciences and just being the pre-vet track.

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[Felixor90]

The one that costs the least.

 

[thecatastrophist]

Everything I've seen from vet schools suggests that the actual school you choose matters little in admissions decisions. You choice of school should be based on a variety of factors that make the particular school the "right fit" for you. These go well beyond just having pre-vet programs. What matters much more in your application is your GPA and experiences. You shouldn't choose a school that you're going to feel lost at, no matter how "good" the pre-vet program is. If you feel lost and can't find opportunities for yourself, the prestige doesn't matter.

When you're choosing schools, you should consider a few things. Is the cost feasible for you? (veterinary school is very expensive, you should cut back undergraduate debt as much as possible) Do you feel like you can get the experience you need (veterinary, animal, research, etc) while you're in school? Do you feel like the environment will be conductive to your success not just as a vet applicant, but as a student?

All of these things are important. When I chose my undergraduate institution, it was because it was affordable enough that I could attend school without taking out loans, and it was a mid-sized university, which meant I got to build personal relationships with professors easily, but enjoyed the research and extracurricular opportunities of larger institutions. This combination of factors led me to develop strong relationships with my mentors, while also giving me the resources to make myself a competitive applicant. Yet, the pre-vet program is non-existent. I did all my own research to customize my biology major to prepare for veterinary school myself.

But, simply put, ANY school will prepare you in the end, and I think that Felixor is pretty much right. Choose the one that costs the least. If you do end up going to vet school, your debt will at least be less intimidating.

 

[dyachei]

Actually, having pre-vet programs can sometimes be a hindrance, in my opinion. Unless they have veterinary advisors, it doesn't really add much. Just figure out which vet schools you eventually want to apply to and find out their specific pre-reqs. Do those while getting any major (and do your best in them). That will set you up to be able to apply to almost any vet school.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I honestly would advise against majoring in pre-vet. I think many of those programs are a bad idea. Because think of it this way....what if you don't get into vet school? What then?

The problem with many (not all, but many) pre-vet programs is that they are designed around one goal - getting you into vet school. Not preparing you for an actual career if it turns out you don't/can't get in. Sure, you learn stuff along the way that would be useful in biology related jobs, but a Bio or Biochem major will beat you out every time. An Animal Sci major will often beat you out of animal jobs. Etc.

Being a pre-vet major gives you zero advantage over almost every other major. Vet schools care about your performance on prereq classes, your veterinary experience, etc. Not the fact that your major was termed "pre-vet".

Plus, defining yourself so early really limits you in terms of discovering subjects you enjoy.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Also, PS.....the specific school and/or program are NOT the main things that will give you a better chance at getting into vet school.

YOU (and your performance) are what gives you a better chance of getting in to vet school.

 

[Caia]

I loved, loved my pre-vet education, but I doubled it with a second major so that I had something else to go to if it didn't pan out. People at my school were getting a BS in Equine Science or Animal Science with a pre-vet track (lol useless) and I added in Biology fwiw.

It didn't help much in vet school, aside from giving me a familiarity of agriculture and production animals that I was lacking as a big city girl. But I did have the absolute best time. 😀

So I think you should consider what your potential back-up would be and find something you enjoy studying. It's easier to get top marks when you enjoy yourself, after all. 🙂

 

[dalmatiandoc17]

Actually, having pre-vet programs can sometimes be a hindrance, in my opinion. Unless they have veterinary advisors, it doesn't really add much. Just figure out which vet schools you eventually want to apply to and find out their specific pre-reqs. Do those while getting any major (and do your best in them). That will set you up to be able to apply to almost any vet school.

Not sure if you mean legitimate "pre-vet" major or not, but at NCSU (where there is no pre-vet major, but there are tracks within majors), I would have considered it a big advantage. We did have advisors but more importantly to me there are animals the school owns that you work with for undergrad classes (so for example in classes you learn how to palpate cows, or I did sperm penetration assays and blood smears). You can also get jobs working at these animal facilities where you get valuable handling and research experience as well as contact with DVMs/PhDs who work there so you get to know them outside of the classroom. There are also many classes offered that are helpful in vet school that are animal specific, and I know people who went to smaller schools didn't have these opportunities. I understand it makes you 1 out of a million, but I wouldn't have traded my undergrad experience for anything and I honestly think it did an excellent job of preparing me for vet school.

But I am not saying a school needs all of that to be a good experience, nor do I think it's a disadvantage to go to a school without a pre-vet program. I just wouldn't call it a hindrance to go into a pre-vet program, I just think you have to be more conscious of not being a "cookie cutter" pre-vet.

OP to answer your question, there is no rating those programs, they all have things that appeal to different people. If money is truly not a concern for you then you just need to go to a school that fits you. One that has the pre-reqs you need, in an area you like, as well as other classes you're interested in (lots of people decide to no longer go into vet med after they start college). None of us can tell you which will be best for you. And honestly none of them will get you into vet school just by going there, it's all about what and how you do whenever you're wherever you are.

 

[dyachei]

Not sure if you mean legitimate "pre-vet" major or not, but at NCSU (where there is no pre-vet major, but there are tracks within majors), I would have considered it a big advantage. We did have advisors but more importantly to me there are animals the school owns that you work with for undergrad classes (so for example in classes you learn how to palpate cows, or I did sperm penetration assays and blood smears). You can also get jobs working at these animal facilities where you get valuable handling and research experience as well as contact with DVMs/PhDs who work there so you get to know them outside of the classroom. There are also many classes offered that are helpful in vet school that are animal specific, and I know people who went to smaller schools didn't have these opportunities. I understand it makes you 1 out of a million, but I wouldn't have traded my undergrad experience for anything and I honestly think it did an excellent job of preparing me for vet school.

But I am not saying a school needs all of that to be a good experience, nor do I think it's a disadvantage to go to a school without a pre-vet program. I just wouldn't call it a hindrance to go into a pre-vet program, I just think you have to be more conscious of not being a "cookie cutter" pre-vet.

OP to answer your question, there is no rating those programs, they all have things that appeal to different people. If money is truly not a concern for you then you just need to go to a school that fits you. One that has the pre-reqs you need, in an area you like, as well as other classes you're interested in (lots of people decide to no longer go into vet med after they start college). None of us can tell you which will be best for you. And honestly none of them will get you into vet school just by going there, it's all about what and how you do whenever you're wherever you are.

That's really pigeon-holing yourself though. Many schools like to see that you are a well-rounded individual. So it's not really an advantage. Sure you might get some more animal experience and you might make some connections. I'm not saying those are bad things. But you don't need a prevet program to do that. My undergrad had no pre-vet program to speak of but has a lot of primate research and multiple researchers working on projects involving animals. It was fairly easy to get experiences like that there without competing with hundreds of other pre-vets (there were under 20 of us at any given time).

The classes aren't really an advantage either, tbh. You will get that in vet school. So maybe there is one day where it's a little easier for you. But in the long run? Not really worth it.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I hear Harvard offers a nice undergraduate education, although Princeton is pretty nice too.

 

[SummerTheLynx]

I hear Harvard offers a nice undergraduate education, although Princeton is pretty nice too.

Ways to tell when sobsob is being facetious, the use of italics.

But in all seriousness, choose one that is good for you and has the pre-reqs that you will need for the schools that you think you would like to apply to. I personally elected to go to a school that has is not designed around pre-vets in the slightest, but it has all the prerequisites I needed, there was little competition for jobs/opportunities for experience, and I was able to find my niche quite nicely. So you don't need to go to a school with a vet school or an acclaimed pre-vet program to be successful, just you do you.

 

[Gwenevre]

I honestly would advise against majoring in pre-vet. I think many of those programs are a bad idea. Because think of it this way....what if you don't get into vet school? What then?

I wish someone had really drilled that into me as a freshman. My UG has an Animal Science/Pre-Vet concentration track, but it's the sales and production people who get the jobs.

 

[futurevet_11]

My plan was to major in animal science or biology but take other classes that I'm interested in (such as world history and criminology). Would this not be enough diversity?

 

[dyachei]

My plan was to major in animal science or biology but take other classes that I'm interested in (such as world history and criminology). Would this not be enough diversity?

That's fine. I just don't think you need a pre-vet track/major

 

[Cephal0pod]

I'm "pre-vet", but only in the sense that I intend to apply to vet school and am preparing accordingly on my own, not because I'm in a specific pre-vet program or anything like that. I do my research on pre-reqs, make sure I'm able to schedule them in, and pursue neato shadowing/animal related opportunities and what have you. You could say that I make my own pre-vet program 😉

So, as others have said, don't rule out schools just because they may not have a formal "pre-vet program"-- I think there is a lot of unnecessary hoopla over this. There is nothing preventing you from going to that school and doing everything you need to do to be a competitive applicant. You might have to do a little more independent research regarding pre-reqs and such, but I suppose that's something one should be doing whether you're in an official pre-vet program or not. 🙂

Also, yes, definitely take some things here and there that aren't necessarily in your major! I've mentioned this elsewhere too, but I'm taking swing dancing this semester and absolutely loving it.