Thinking about applying to vet school? Great!
But where should you start. Have you been working hard to get good grades? Have you taken the time to shadow a veterinary professional? Have you gathered varied animal experiences? So?
When you apply to vet schools you are given a limited set of ways to “sell yourself”. Schools don’t get to meet you right away so your fist impression is actually on paper and not in person. You have to be able to show them who you really are through your application. This is something you should keep in mind before you even start to apply.
What experiences have you acquired, and what do they say about you/ what you’re interested in?
How many hours have you shadowed or worked under the direct supervision of a vet, does that number accurately reflect your interest in the field/specialty?
What jobs have you held/research have you done, what did you gain from those experiences/what were you responsible for - did you gain responsibilities?
Take a moment and consider these questions when you look at the experiences you have already gained and while looking at your prospective experiences. Set yourself up for success by pondering these now while you still have time to try new experiences or increase the hours you’ve already started, before you start trying to write essays.
The final thing you should consider, while you are still gaining experiences, is what schools do you want to apply to. Every college of veterinary medicine has their own set of criteria they use to select applicants. Some value exceptional grades while others use a more holistic approach (though you still need good grades!), and the schools that you select should reflect your interests and your strengths.
If you have one, your In-State school should always be your first pick. Three words: In. State. Tuition. This may not be an issue when you are taking undergraduate classes, but when you’re looking at the difference in vet school between $200,000 and $300,000 in student loans - that’s HUGE! Your IS school can also give you a slightly better chance at admittance, since most schools do set aside a certain number of seats for IS students.
After your IS, you should look at Out-Of-State schools. Trying to decide what schools you should add to your roster can be daunting. A great place to start is to look at the prerequisite courses.
The AAVMC has a great and up to date guide on every accredited school. Check it out below:
http://www.aavmc.org/assets/site_18/files/vmcas/prereqchart.pdf
The AAVMC has an abundance of helpful charts and links for prospective applicants so it’s worth a good look!
If the prereqs didn’t narrow down your options the next step if to look at their other requirements. Do they prefer you to have varied types of animal and vet experience? Research experience? Volunteer experience? What does that school specialize in? This part of the process requires you to start going to each college’s website and doing your own research. Don’t worry, they are all fairly easy to navigate once you know what you’re looking for.
After you have narrowed down the list of schools that you have the best chance of getting in to, now you should flip the script and look at what schools suit you best. Do you know what type of career in vet med you might be most interested in? Small animal? Research? Equine? Large animal? Military? Government? Food safety? Exotics? Zoo animal? ...I could go on... but look for schools that put an emphasis or provide clinics/courses or get a large case load in your areas of interest. Where are the schools located? City? Rural areas? What kind of environment, physically and socially, does the school offer and what do you prefer? What kind of clubs/organizations to they host? Extracurricular activities? Educational and otherwise facilities? Libraries? Gym? Psychiatrist? Do they help you find scholarships?
Every school will provide a unique experience and even curriculum. Whatever schools you choose should be based on your interests, your funds, and you learning style.
I hope this has helped give you footing to stand on while you prepare to one day apply. I never considered all of these questions until I was already applying and rushing to try and figure out what schools I should apply to and . (Don’t be like me. Be more prepared). You’ll thank yourself later!
