Chook Me!

Do I have the credentials for vet school? If not what else can I do?

Courses I took: Math: Algebra, geometry, algebra II and trig, currently taking pre-calc. Science: Currently in 4th year of Honors agriculture, living environment (basically NY speak for basic bio), chemistry, marine science. Language: 8 years school Spanish classes, little Chinese (I grew up in a half Chinese family), currently TRYING to learn basic American Sign Language. AP Classes: Currently taking AP English and AP Government, next term will be taking AP Economics. Before AP English I was in Honors English for 3 years. Grades: My grades are good but not fantastic. My average junior year was an 88. My grades in math are not very good, mostly 70-75's. I usually do well in science, but chemistry I got 75-80's. English is one of my best subjects, I usually get 90's. Agriculture, I usually get 90's. Really the only thing that brings my grades down is math, and I know math and science are the most important. I have a lot of other stuff besides my grades, I have a ton of experience with animals and a lot of leadership, community service, etc. Community Service: I volunteered at the local library for 5 years, teaching kids to read. Volunteered at in environmental center for 4 years, doing basic animal care and participating in animal science classes for children. I was a volunteer at a therapeutic riding center where I worked with horses as well as disabled children. Through the FFA, I've organized and participated in canned food drives, military donation drives, and charity bake sales, as well as educational elementary school visits where we taught kids about animals. Leadership: National FFA Organization: Member since freshman year. Sophomore year elected Greenhand President. Junior year elected President. Currently serving as Student Advisor. Equine Team: Member since Freshman year, currently Co-Captain. Fundraising Committee: Co-Chair Newsletter Committee: Co-Chair, last year and currently (Committees and teams are through FFA) Extracurriculars: Equine team 3 years Currently on Small Animal Care team, will compete at State level in May Agricultural Communications sophomore year Senior Quiz Bowl junior year Honors/Awards: Greenhand Degree Star Greenhand Award- Awarded to freshman Greenhand Degree recipient who showed the most improvement and involvement in FFA Chapter Degree- highest award at Chapter level Ag. Communications: 3rd placed team at State level, ranked Top 5 in State individual category Senior Quiz Bowl: Gold Ranked team at State level Prepared Public Speaking: 1st place at District level Work Experience: Belmont Stakes Day (1-day job at Belmont Racetrack) College Animal Research Facility- basic animal care in lab used by biology professors and pre-med students I also have a job interview TOMORROW at a VET OFFICE. It's through a youth employment program at school, so it's pretty much guaranteed. Other experience: I grew up with 8 cats (not at the same time!! lol) One had hyperthyroid and kidney problems. I helped give her medicine (through syringe and pills) and for a while helped administer a saline solution before my stepmother took over the job. Unfortunately she died recently. My other cat currently has diabetes, so I know a lot about diabetes in animals and the problems that come with it. I've also grown up with frogs and fish. At school I work closely with rodents, poultry, and exotic birds. We also have a barn there with alpacas, goats, and mini horses. Are these enough credentials for vet school? Or are my grades just not good enough and it's all been a waste? I plan on going to a college with a pre-veterinary program and majoring in animal science, veterinary science, or veterinary technology. If I don't make it into vet school, what else can I do with these degrees? Please, I need whatever answers I can get, about getting into vet school. I've been so stressed out about this whole thing, to the point where I literally cannot breathe because of the anxiety.

Public Comments

1. You need a bachelors degree and experience in the field to apply to vet school. Nothing you do in high school matters.
2. 95% of all that stuff you listed above does not matter. Your high school courses, grades, SAT/ACT scores, awards and most high school extracurriculars do not matter to vet schools. They will only look at your college grades, GRE scores and college experiences. That being said, some animal experience in high school does matter. Most importantly, practical experience working in a vet clinic will count even in high school. Your other experiences such as FFA, and working with lab animals will matter a little, but be prepared to continue to work on those types of experiences throughout college. The fact that you've had animals can be included in your personal statement and can give a background on "why you want to be a vet" but does nothing to improve your application. You should be prepared to keep a science GPA of around 3.5-3.6 to be competitive with the competition. Again, these are your college courses. Your science GPA is the most important so you won't have the cushion of As in English classes to boost that GPA. Experience working in a vet clinic is also extremely important. Many schools have a specific number of hours required but you should ignore those because they are generally much lower than what the competition truly has. For example UC Davis requires 180 hours of experience but the average hours of accepted students is 3000. You should aim to have around 3,000 hours IN A VETERINARY CLINIC to be competitive. Volunteer work at the zoo, animal shelter, etc is nice and will look good but does not replace the veterinary experience. Do not major in veterinary technology. The majority of these programs are only 2 years and will not count toward the required prerequisites for vet school.