Hi, I’m a high school freshman with a 4.0, but I have not done anything as far as extracurriculars are concerned during the school year. I don’t have any intentions of getting into an Ivy League school, but I do have plans regarding vet school.
Over an online program, I am doing some extra schooling over summer in Biology and Government, which can give me an extra credit towards graduation. While I don’t plan on staying in high school in my Junior year and beyond (I want to do early college) I think that it would make me stand out more.
I am also going to be working at a veterinary clinic, shadowing my aunt, for about a week in the summer.
I was planning on getting a job this summer, but family vacations and responsibilities have taken up a lot of time in my calendar.
Will this look good and make me stand out in the Early College applications starting in sophomore year? Will it have no effect?
Thank you for reading this. One of my largest concerns regarding college is extracurriculars, because I am not in any sports or clubs (in part due to anxiety, to a lesser extent, some laziness).
You’re fine. Please enjoy your first high school summers, I hate how much the college admissions scare has plagued people’s ability to enjoy high school experiences. I don’t think I did anything significant until sophomore year, and that’s what I’ve seen in a lot of my successful friends. Just keep exploring your passions, for your own interest and not to appeal to colleges, and you’ll be fine
Okay, thank you!
But do you think this would potentially be helpful?
My older daughter just completed her first year in a DVM program, so we have some experience with this. There are a few other parents on this web site who also have kids who are in veterinary programs.
One thing to keep in mind: It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to become a veterinarian. You need to be academically strong, care about the animals, put up with being bit or stepped on or “yucked” on, deal with dying or dead animals and their distraught humans, and work very hard to become a veterinarian. It is a good career for those who are driven in this direction, and who can find a way to afford four years of university plus four more years of veterinary school.
I am not sure that this is a good idea.
One issue: The requirements to apply to DVM programs will overlap quite a bit with the requirements to apply to medical school. This suggests that you will have some very difficult university classes that you need to take, while maintaining a high GPA. Many of these classes will be full of very strong premed students. You really will be a stronger student when you are 18 than you are now, and you will be a stronger student when you are 20 than when you are 18.
Neither of my daughters were premed. However, both had majors that overlapped quite a bit with premed classes (one is currently doing medical research in a biotech company, the other is studying for a DVM). I have heard many stories about classes full of very strong premed students with tough exams where the class average is in the 40’s or 50’s. The students who are strong in these very tough classes will have the best chances to make it into MD or DVM programs.
College classes that you take while you are in high school will count towards your GPA for the purposes of applying to DVM programs. You want to take these classes when you are ready to do well in them, rather than take them early.
Quite a bit of experience with animals is also valuable for a potential veterinarian. My older daughter and I both think that her university GPA and exam scores (specifically the GRE) were good enough for strong DVM programs, but her experience with animals was what got her accepted to multiple DVM programs. A lot of this she got either while an undergraduate student or after getting her bachelor’s degree and before applying to DVM programs. However, you could start earlier. She did for example have a job on a farm while in high school.
Here is some good news: If you look at the students in DVM programs (or the students in MD programs), they come from a very, very wide range of undergraduate universities. You do not need to attend a “top 10” nor even “top 100” university to get into a very good DVM program. This means that you do not need to worry about what it is going to take to get you into an Ivy League university. Instead you can look to attend affordable universities with strong animal science programs, which are not generally as insanely competitive for admissions compared to the very top ranked universities.
I think that this is a good thing to do.
Also, find time to have some fun. Participate in extracurricular activities that you find to be enjoyable.
Totally agree with all that @DadTwoGirls said!
My son just finished his second year of vet school. He got into an early admit program where you get accepted from HS to the vet school once you meet several undergrad requirements. For him this meant he did 3 years undergrad, kept his GPA high, did a few other requirements and was able to start vet school in what would have been his Sr. Year of college. This worked out well for him (in his school once you complete your second year of vet school they give you a BS degree in Agriculture - Veterinary Medicine). Many schools have different flavors of this type program so something to look into around your Jr. year of HS.
He did not do Early College. He wanted to go to a college undergrad that had a vet school and most of them this really didn’t matter. Plus is some vet schools they ask that you take higher level classes if you took the lower ones in High School. So if you took Bio in Early College in HS they would ask that you take a higher level of Bio (that isn’t already a prerequisite) to meet the requirement. This means for a harder schedule and more chances that your GPA could be lower.
Key is to get into vet school you need, high GPA and good experience both with people and animals. It is a stressful career and it can be difficult for some students with anxiety. Get as much animal experience as you can. Volunteer at a shelter. Some will take students your age, some won’t. As soon as you can do it. When you can try to get experience with a vet. Shadowing is a great start. Next summer do a little more. You so need some people experience too. My son was a camp counselor every summer (trainee his younger years of hs) and volunteered at a hospice. The vet schools really liked those experiences. He also had leadership positions undergrad. Being a little lazy in the summer your freshman (and even sophomore year) of hs is fine but realize by the summer after your Junior year you will really need to work on some of the experience you need if vet school is still your goal. Good luck!
@DadTwoGirls
Thank you for such a thorough response!
My community college has some relevant classes regarding vet med, and I really think that I have to go. My family does not have a lot of money, and this program is free. I need to be as frugal as possible. Do you think that this would really hurt my chances?
@momocarly
Is it too late to wait until Junior year to start doing things like that?
I don’t turn 16 until the summer of sophomore year. I need to be able to transport myself.
I think that this is wise! Finances are indeed a challenge for most DVM students. My daughter has said that she is pretty sure that most of the students that she knows in the same program are taking on too much debt, but that no one wants to talk about it.
It did occur to me that taking some community college classes now could be a very economical option. This will be fine as long as you take the classes quite seriously and do well in them. I would also be careful regarding what the prerequisites are for any specific course that you are planning to take. Anything that is related to veterinary work and that you can get an A in will be helpful. I would try not to pile up too many B’s or particularly C’s, but a few B’s are okay (my daughter for example had a B- in organic chemistry and this did not seem to hurt her acceptances at all – she did say that is was the most difficult B- that she had ever had through getting her bachelor’s).
Thanks for the advice!
I know that finances are a huge issue for all college students, but especially those in 8 year programs like vet school. Once in community college, I think that I will try to get in contact with a prevet advisor so I can get an idea of what classes would be best to take.
Let me know if you have any more advice, it’s really helpful. I have always been a fan of planning ahead, so I love getting as much info as possible even if it’s not very applicable.
Thanks again. I really appreciate it.
Great top, I really liked it. Got a lot of information. I also take information using [
This is my older daughter’s path so far and what we plan to do (no idea if this actually maximizes college opportunities)
Freshman summer: Had fun and hung out with friends.
Sophmore summer (this year): Study for SAT, Was accepted to selective writing program - Iowa Young Writer’s Studio (2 weeks). Visit colleges.
Junior summer (next year): Get a HS internship/job. Visit colleges.
Senior summer: Big family vacation.
That sounds great, really manageable too. Sometimes seeing people’s massive lists of opportunities that they’re taking over the summer is very stressful.
Waiting til Junior year is ok since a lot of places places don’t let you shadow unless you are 16 or 18. You can do a few things before like pet sit for a neighbor, volunteer to help an elderly neighbor or friend or younger children. Any hours you can get with those early are good.
Junior colleges are great for math, english, humanities to get some of those out of the way.
Example Freshman year hs my son spent the summer as a senior camper, helped with horses and only extracurricular were football and golf. Sophomore Jr Councellor at camp for summer, assist in horseback, played polo during school year nothing else. Junior year worked part time at office supply store, played polo, horseback instructor/councellor all summer. Sr. year played polo, got certified as a vet assistant, worked as vet assistant, volunteered with a hospice during school year. In summer travelled to England to visit a friend, worked with a travelling equine vet all summer.
You can see the majority of his experience started later.
That sounds very interesting, I didn’t know you could get certified as an assistant by senior year!
Do you think that I will be okay without an athletic EC? Should I just power through and do one? I prefer the idea of spending my EC time doing volunteer or community services. (I’m also just not a very athletic person)
No need for athletics. Just do some EC you enjoy for those years! Look at your school or outside for opportunities. My EC years ago was volunteering for a childrens home helping with tutoring and helping run an after school science club at a local elementary school. Just fing something in those years!
Okay, thank you!
Also, what program did your son do to get qualified as a vet assistant as a senior? I bet it was nice to be able to start clocking in hours at that age!
Yes he did. His high school had a pre-vet program where he could take animal science, and study for the test plus leave a period early to work at a vet’s office to get hours.
That’s incredible! My school doesn’t have a veterinary program, but the neighboring high school has a vet program that you can apply for an off campus class. Do you think a community college might have a similar program? Is it possible for me to transfer to a prevet program after 2 years at community college?
Yes it is possible to do 2 years at a junior college and then go to a 4 yesterday college for the rest. You can major in whatever you want as long as you get the prerequisites. I would look at colleges you might eventually apply to for vet school find their prerequisites and w
high they will accept from a junior college. At that point I would get a list of the classes and make sure they would be accepted. Example all genetics classes, all physics classes, all organic chem classes are not created equal. Vet schools are used to talking to students about this and don’t mind helping. Several people from my son’s class did go to Jr College first to save money.