Which Vet Schools to aim for?

[kururu16]

I just completed my first year of college at University of California, San Diego. This may be kind of early, but I want to know which vet schools I should aim for so I can better prepare for them (pre-reqs, etc).
I am looking for the cheapest and easiest to get in vet schools (preferably in the U.S.) because to me, every vet school would be great as long as I get in.
I am a California resident, and I currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.56 and only about 260 vet hours in a small animal hospital.
May I please get some advice for which vet schools I should consider and why? In addition, may I get some advice on what I should do going forward? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[WillowLeaf]

The cheapest is often the best choice. For you, that might be UC Davis, or it might be another school that has relatively low OOS tuition. Tuition map: http://aavmc.org/tuitionmap.aspx

No vet school is easy to get into, but each one evaluates applicants a bit differently. You can usually find info about the average GPAs and GREs on the schools' websites, as well a breakdown of how they weight each section of your application (experience, GPA, GRE, LORs, interviews...). Since you probably have at least two years until you apply, you have plenty of time to look at vet schools' websites, ask the schools for more information, maybe talk to an admissions person at schools you're interested in, and see which ones you seem to fit best. They're all good schools.

"General Info" chart - has info about number of IS vs. OOS each school accepts per year, and tuition, and links to each school's website: http://aavmc.org/data/files/vmcas/geninfochart.pdf

Prerequisite chart: http://aavmc.org/data/files/vmcas/prereqchrt14.pdf A lot of prereq's are similar for many schools, so you don't really need to decide now which schools you'll apply to.

You're still pretty early in your undergrad, so for now I'd say do your best in classes, continue getting experience (but don't be so busy getting experience that it hurts your GPA). Try getting experience in different areas (large animal, small animal, emergency, equine, mixed animal, exotics, zoo or wildlife if you get that opportunity) and see what areas of vet med you're interested in. See if your school has a pre-vet academic advisor to help you plan out your prereqs. And enjoy your time in college! Take some time to relax and have some hobbies. 🙂 Good luck!

 

[DVMDream]

I just completed my first year of college at University of California, San Diego. This may be kind of early, but I want to know which vet schools I should aim for so I can better prepare for them (pre-reqs, etc).
I am looking for the cheapest and easiest to get in vet schools (preferably in the U.S.) because to me, every vet school would be great as long as I get in.
I am a California resident, and I currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.56 and only about 260 vet hours in a small animal hospital.
May I please get some advice for which vet schools I should consider and why? In addition, may I get some advice on what I should do going forward? Thanks!

The part I bolded above is very important. Every school is going to have its own positives and negatives. Every school has a different curriculum. Some schools have a tracking system when you get to final year where you can choose to focus primarily on small animal, equine or food animal. Some people like the tracking idea and some do not. Some schools teach via problem based learning and not as many lecture-style courses (Western, for example) while most vet schools are going to be your normal lecture type of learning. Also, you may not think this is a big deal right now, but location does matter. I know people say vet school is only 4 years so you will just suck it up and deal with it, but 4 years is a long time to live in a location that you do not like. Vet school is difficult enough that you should try to do everything possible to make your life outside of vet school happy and positive. So, do some research on the vet schools. Really look into things that interest you and styles of learning that work for you. Look at the location of where the vet school is. Google maps is awesome because you can actually go to the town where the vet school is located and drop yourself into the town and kind of walk around within google maps. Visiting would obviously be better but that is not always feasible. So, do yourself a favor and research the schools to see which ones will really be a good fit for you.

Other than that, everything WillowLeaf said also applies. There is no vet school that is "easier" to get into than another. Do well in undergrad, do well on your GRE, get varied experiences, do some extracurricular activities, demonstrate you have leadership abilities and form good relationships with any vets that you do work with/shadow because you will need them for letters of recommendation.

Good Luck!

 

[hygebeorht]

If no one has posted it here yet, THIS is a good tool too.

You're on the right track of thinking. Student loans are no joke, and everyone knows the cost of the education is outrageous. It is good to pick the cheapest school you got into.

For me, that was NCSU - cheaper even than IS tuition at my state school.

If money matters will be paramount for you, consider taking a year to move to a state with a very very affordable school and establishing residency there.

 

[variegata]

Wisconsin OOS tuition was comparable to UC Davis when I applied (I went to UCSD too) and now, according to the map someone posted above, it is quite a bit cheaper (especially considering cost of living). Something to consider. I loved it there.