worried bout schools and such

[metalheadkitten]

Yo, I'm Kels. I live in north Cali and heres my delema:
I'm a senior in high school finaly after 5 years. This is the only year I'v had as high as a 3.0 gpa. That being said, even if there was a chance I could get into any college (much less a medical college) with a record like that, I wouldnt know where to go or where to look for one. I dont know how to go about applying to fafsa or anything like that. Also I dont even know what I shoud do to prepare for the off chance that i ever get into a med college. can anyone help me.

(also im aware that i may not be very clear so ill answere any questions to make myself understood)

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[QTkitty]

Hey metalheadkitten and welcome to SDN! Anyway, I think your first stop should be the career center or your high school counselor. If you think you are unprepared for a major university, maybe you should start out at a JC to prepare yourself. If you want to go straight into a 4 year, make sure you take the SAT/ACT (maybe SAT II depending on the schools you want to apply to) and research the bio or animal science departments at the schools. As for the fafsa, just go to fafsa.com and fill in the necessary info. I would say at this point to take it one step at a time and don't worry about which vet schools you are going to apply to just yet. The only really important thing to get in touch with now are the pre-requisites that the vet schools you are interested in require. Instead, when you begin college, you really need to hit the books and bring that GPA up. I'm not saying it can't be done with a lower GPA but you will increase your chances greatly if you bring it up. Realize though that that often means spending a large part of your time locked up studying, writing, etc. Also, start getting various animal/vet experience early (large, small, exotic, etc.). Good luck and I really hope that helped!

 

[msmrtrthnyllb]

I don't want to be Debbie Downer, but it's probably better that someone just tell you like it is instead of sugarcoating it, which is what most everybody you'll run into will do for you.
If you can't get your school performance turned around pretty quickly, there's practically no chance of you getting into any type of graduate school, farless a medical school. If you seriously want to prepare for a medical school, get better at regular school. That's the best advice I could give you. Find out how you study, how you learn, whatever you can do to make yourself a better student. Do that first, because if you can't do that, I'm not sure how many schools would accept you based solely on extracurriculars, assuming you are doing those, too. In any case, good luck.

 

[egghead115]

I think anyone has the chance to turn themselves around during their undergraduate education. A new environment can help foster the confidence you need to pursue more difficult classes and seek out help from counselors, professors, etc. I would hate to discourage someone so young and with so much potential from pursuing higher goals. Why stop someone from setting higher standards for themselves?

I agree with earlier posts; get into undergrad first. I think attending a community college is a great way to get into the 4-year universities, especially in California. I had a few friends in high school who did this and went off to do well at top schools like Cal and UCLA. Unfortunately, this is a more difficult path to take since the community college environment is probably less motivating. (ie less class options available, less money going into the community colleges in general).

 

[thesonofdarwin]

The high school record isn't going to matter except to get into undergrad. However, while the VMCAS isn't concerned with your H.S. grades they do want to know awards and extras you got while in high school (that was nice realizing 4 weeks before they were due!). So, you high school performance will come into play there. In my opinion, a 3.0 in high school was much better than most of my friends who, to my surprise, ended up getting into med schools this year.

Getting into undergrad - sure you stand a good chance of getting in (don't play off the SAT as just another test, though!). Getting into undergrad is the easy part, I think. Getting the money to pay for it is the hard part, and that's where high scholarships based on high school (and college) academic records come into play. The FAFSA isn't hard to fill out - you can do it online! Your parents will be the ones challenged with it, not you

Regarding which schools to try to get into - try to decide semi-early what Vet schools you'll want to apply for. Many schools have contracts with colleges within their state to let in X # of students (grr to me for not realizing this early on). After you pick out what Vet schools you'd like to apply to, make sure your undergrad has the classes required to meet the prereqs! Animal Nutrition, for example, isn't a course offered every school and is becoming one of the required courses. Find an undergrad school that has good placement rates. Make sure you investigate these numbers. For example, a certain school I know has an almost perfect medical school placement record. Almost all of those for podiatric school. Nothing wrong with that type of medicine, but regarding acceptance rates they are a bit higher than allopathic and veterinary medical colleges because they have fewer individuals trying to get in (comparatively) and larger entering classes.

There are .pdfs online to tell you what colleges the entering classes for med schools came from - look at those and see what are available to you. Don't give up, focus, develop some OCD's and other psychological abnormalities, and you'll soon fit right in with the rest of us!

 

[egghead115]

I think anyone has the chance to turn themselves around during their undergraduate education. A new environment can help foster the confidence you need to pursue more difficult classes and seek out help from counselors, professors, etc. I would hate to discourage someone so young and with so much potential from pursuing higher goals. Why stop someone from setting higher standards for themselves?

I agree with earlier posts; get into undergrad first. I think attending a community college is a great way to get into the 4-year universities, especially in California. I had a few friends in high school who did this and went off to do well at top schools like Cal and UCLA. Unfortunately, this is a more difficult path to take since the community college environment is probably less motivating. (ie less class options available, less money going into the community colleges in general).

 

[silverelf]

if you find you have trouble getting into a good 4 yr school you enjoy, you can always become a vet tech (2 yr program) and then finish your final 2 yrs at a 4-year university

 

[kate_g]

Hey Kels, welcome. Forgive me if I misinterpreted your post, but I think you might have a very basic misunderstanding here: There is no such thing as a "medical college" you can get into right out of high school. You need to go to a 4-year college or university first, and *then* apply to a veterinary or medical school. (Like others suggested, you might do best to enroll in a 2-year JC and then transfer - the JC system is really great in CA, and starting out that way won't be a stigma.)

Your high school record will certainly affect where you'll be able to get in for undergrad, but admission to medical or veterinary school will be based entirely on your undergraduate record, at which point your high school grades won't matter in the least.

You're probably too late to apply to most 4-year colleges for the next school year, but the application schedule may be more relaxed for junior colleges (maybe somebody in your guidance office can help out with that info). Otherwise, if you're definitely stuck for a year after graduation, you should consider getting a job (or volunteering) at a veterinary clinic or in a hospital to get some idea of what the professions are really like, and give you motivation to totally kick ass once you start college.

Good luck!

 

[ri23]

I completely agree with kate_g. Know though, that when you go to undergrad, whether it be a jc or a four year university, you are going to have to work REALLY hard. The average accepted GPA is a 3.5-3.6 and that includes have good EC's, letters of rec, and a decent GRE score. I would do some serious job shadowing/volunteering in med and vet fields to see if you are truly interested, as its a lot of work to get in and even more when you do.

Why do you feel that your grades were so low? Did you not try hard? If you think you can improve your grades/study techniques then go for it, but its going to be a lot of work. Good luck.

 

[wildfocus]

although i should know better than to give advice, here are 2 cents from a relatively older lady who is envious that you have your WHOLE life ahead of you, and a fresh start to boot - take some time off and figure out WHO you are, not WHAT you want to do... travel, play in a band, volunteer at a shelter (animal or human), hike the PCT; do something, anything, other than school - until you know you are ready to go back and be focused. it may be more difficult for you in the long-run if you do not address why you think you haven't done as well as you would have liked before you start a 8 year program. also, a 3.0 is not bad as a high school student. as others have said, you can get into a JC, do your prereqs, transfer to a CA state school, and none would know differently.

i say, congrats on being young, and make the most of this time!!

 

[Emio]

although i should know better than to give advice, here are 2 cents from a relatively older lady who is envious that you have your WHOLE life ahead of you, and a fresh start to boot - take some time off and figure out WHO you are, not WHAT you want to do... travel, play in a band, volunteer at a shelter (animal or human), hike the PCT; do something, anything, other than school - until you know you are ready to go back and be focused. it may be more difficult for you in the long-run if you do not address why you think you haven't done as well as you would have liked before you start a 8 year program. also, a 3.0 is not bad as a high school student. as others have said, you can get into a JC, do your prereqs, transfer to a CA state school, and none would know differently.

i say, congrats on being young, and make the most of this time!!

hear hear!

i did iite in high school, but i sure as hell didn't want to go to college after that miserable experience. so i didn't (much to my mother's dismay). i moved a couple states away to take a working student position with a friend/trainer. best thing i've ever done. good things happened; bad things happened, but somehow i ended up knowing what i wanted to do, and i haven't looked back.

i know that if i went straight on to college i would have flunked out. i tried to convince my little brother to take a year off, but i guess its not for everyone. unless you're 110% sure you know where you're headed (i'm sure some are), why not take a year off to find out? just don't bum around at mcdonalds... get out and do something.

ha, that was rather pointless other than to back up wildfocus on helping metalheadkitten here decide what to do next year

 

[philomycus]

I hated high school, graduated with a 2.5 b/c I didn't care and went to a CC. Left there with a 3.0 and then transsferred to a 4 yr system for my BS. Later, accepted and completed a Master's degree.

Don't get disheartened. You've got everything going for you....TIME!!

 

[lazyjayn]

I gotta agree with emio and wildfocus.

So many people who follow the highschool/ college/ training/ career track end up some point not too far down the road wondering how the heck they got there. Take a year (or two) off, learn who you are. See how other people live, have a life changing (in a good way) experience. Work for a couple months in the US, save up some money, come here to NZ for a year on a working holiday visa. hop over to Australia and do a whv over there for a couple months. Go trekking in Nepal, camping in all the US national parks, heck, working in the US national parks. A year off is a great thing.

And when you've done some living for a while (or now, if you decide you don't want to go the fun way) there are a bunch of schools that will take you so long as your SAT meets a minimum point. Or you have at least a 2.0. I know Wyoming takes people up untill about 2 weeks before classes start, and Alaska, and some of the smaller private schools, where they'll look at your year off and kinda go "wow". Heck, Harvard will let you defer admission for a year if you want to go do something neat. And I promise that, unless you want it, you won't end up a drug addicted hooker, living under a bridge and killing people for money unless you want to- whatever your parents might say to the contrary.

No debt, No money? Time to explore!

j.

 

[cyrille104]

And I promise that, unless you want it, you won't end up a drug addicted hooker, living under a bridge and killing people for money unless you want to-

That's what I wanted, but now I'm going to vet school

 

[lazyjayn]

That's what I wanted, but now I'm going to vet school

Don't worry- after vet school you can still default on your loans and try it then....

 

[thesonofdarwin]

Don't worry- after vet school you can still default on your loans and try it then....

*sigh* So THAT'S why there are more females going into the field. Hard to make it as a male prostitute, but that was my goal after Vet school too (that and living in a cardboard box I have presaved). I guess to avoid competition with others there are a few clubs I could work. I better find time during school to buff up if I want good tips

It's so sad that within that sarcasm there is so much truth

___

More on topic - don't think you have to go to a JC first either. If you don't think you are ready for the big bad state schools, go to a private school. I've attended a private college for my undergrad and while I paid almost $10-15k more a year to go there, I have never regretted it. One on one with your professors is seriously the best thing you can ask for in a college. Never more than 30 in a class - bio/chem classes having 5-15 students based on how the classes rotate availability = love. I should add that not only is the tuition usually more, you usually get less funding and if you live in the north, when the state schools close for snow days you get to drive 35 miles to the school on icy roads like me. Good grades in high school netted me a guaranteed $15k/yr scholarship (keeping GPA above 3.5). Just take a serious gander at your possibilities before getting stuck somewhere you won't be happy. I completed my BS in 3.5 years because I first was registered to attend the University of Pittsburgh. Awesome school, but not for me and I realized it too late to save my position elsewhere. So I took a semester off and realized, to my horror, that I love school and I missed not being there. I promptly threw up after that realization and have been sick ever since

 

[metalheadkitten]

I completely agree with kate_g. Know though, that when you go to undergrad, whether it be a jc or a four year university, you are going to have to work REALLY hard. The average accepted GPA is a 3.5-3.6 and that includes have good EC's, letters of rec, and a decent GRE score. I would do some serious job shadowing/volunteering in med and vet fields to see if you are truly interested, as its a lot of work to get in and even more when you do.

Why do you feel that your grades were so low? Did you not try hard? If you think you can improve your grades/study techniques then go for it, but its going to be a lot of work. Good luck.

i was very depressed as a sophmore. i had lost my aunt and we had been very close. at that time i couldnt see any point in working. i got only F's that year but iv got pretty well grades since and before, but that year really skrewed me up even though im in the 5 year plan. but im very hard working when i set my mind to it. iv got all A's this year and mostly last year.

 

[metalheadkitten]

hear hear!

i did iite in high school, but i sure as hell didn't want to go to college after that miserable experience. so i didn't (much to my mother's dismay). i moved a couple states away to take a working student position with a friend/trainer. best thing i've ever done. good things happened; bad things happened, but somehow i ended up knowing what i wanted to do, and i haven't looked back.

i know that if i went straight on to college i would have flunked out. i tried to convince my little brother to take a year off, but i guess its not for everyone. unless you're 110% sure you know where you're headed (i'm sure some are), why not take a year off to find out? just don't bum around at mcdonalds... get out and do something.

ha, that was rather pointless other than to back up wildfocus on helping metalheadkitten here decide what to do next year

i love you guys. everyone (that iv talked to face to face) has been telling me that i have to go to JC imedeatly after highschool and that taking a year off is pointless. but iv always wanted a year off because school is so draining. you guys KNOW what your talking about. all of you. thanks so much for all of your advice. i now have a plan. (a very poorly drawn plan but still a plan) and im pleased instead of just doing it because i was told to. its so great to get a second(or 12th) opinion of what i can do from here. thanks so much. =^_^=

 

[BostonLvr]

If you are certain that you want to be a vet or doctor, I would be weary of taking a year off from school completely. Although school is draining, I think it is important to get into the college environment and figure out if vet. med. is right for you-the sooner the better. If you really feel that you need to take it easy, I would recommend taking a part time load of classes (6-9 credit hrs maybe). That way you could be getting some gen. ed.s out of the way but not completely stressing yourself out either.

Only you know what's right for you-This is just my personal opinion. Hope it helps you some.