Hi,
My daughter has been accepted into the following animal science programs:
UMass (in state, ~$32K)
Purdue (close to in-state with scholarships)
Ohio State (close to in-state with scholarships)
UCDavis (no scholarships yet, twice the cost of in-state)
NCState (no scholarships, ~$10K more than in-state)
She’s looking for the pre-vet concentration, with biosciences/biotech as a backup plan.
All look to be great programs, each with strengths/cons.
UMass - smaller department, biotech concentration, close to home.
Purdue - likes the campus, prestige, strong ag dept., vet school, but harder to travel to.
Ohio State - has a vet school, but very large university
UCDavis - top vet school, strong animal science program, weather, but expensive.
NCState - strong vet school, weather.
Slightly leaning towards Purdue at the moment.
Are there significant differences in labs, internships, job prospects, learning env. between these?
Is UCDavis worth the cost? Does having a vet school on campus make a difference?
Any feedback on either of these schools would be very much appreciated?
Thanks.
First vet schools really don’t look at the prestige of the school. They look at grades, experience and in some cases the GRE score. Vet school is very expensive so your number one goal for undergraduate is to minimize your debt! Go where she can get the best grades for the least amount of money. All the schools you listed will have the vet prerequisites so that should be good.
So to me that would lead you to one of the first three schools. I know nothing about UMass. I do know that Purdue and Ohio State both are great schools with great pre-vet programs. Purdue has the early entry to program too so look at that. Honestly don’t worry too much about the school being huge. The animal science majors tend to group together and end up making a big college seem smaller. If all are about equal cost I would look at fit. Just remember when you look at cost to consider transportation and housing not just tuition. Where does she feel most at home? I don’t think you could go wrong with Purdue or Ohio State. Others will have to talk about UMass.
My son is animal science (pre-vet) major at Kansas State so we looked at a lot of programs just for reference.
UC Davis states on its website: “We do not have preferred schools from which we select applicants. … Attend a college that provides a challenging curriculum in an environment where you will succeed academically.” I would assume “succeed academically” means to go to a school where you can get an undergraduate GPA of about 3.7, which is the average GPA for Vet school applicants at UC Davis. I would assume that “challenging curriculum” would mean to not worry about picking a very easy school just to get a 4.0, but don’t pick a school that’s so difficult that you can’t get at least a 3.5. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/admissions/frequently-asked-questions
On the otherhand, LSU states: “No preference is given to one school over another; however the caliber of the school(s) attended may be looked at during the folder reviews.” This is the only Vet school that I noticed which mentioned that the “caliber” of the school would be a consideration. So don’t completly disregard more difficult schools, but rule out any where you aren’t sure you can get a GPA of at least 3.5 https://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/dvm_admissions/how_to_apply/faqs.php
Thus, unless she wants to go to Vet school at LSU, it does not seem to matter where she goes for her undergraduate as long as she gets a high GPA. Since, the average GPA for Vet school applicants is in the 3.64 to 3.7 range, she should pick a school where she can get a GPA in this range.
Also, other than where she wants to live for the next 4 years, she may want to consider where she wants to go to Vet School. Vet school will cost her $191k at NCSU if she’s still a Mass resident, but only $163k if she is a NC resident. Also, Vet school will cost her $306k at OSU if she’s still a Mass resident, but only $245k if she is an OH resident. Note that getting residency in OH may be a bit easier than getting residency in NC https://vetschoolbound.org/how-much-will-my-veterinary-education-cost/ https://www.instateangels.com/state-tuition-rules-search/
In addition, since undergraduate GPA is so important, also consider the average GPA from the schools where she gained admission:
NC State might get her the highest GPA. She wouldn’t need to move again if she attended Vet school there. Also, the NCSU Vet school is one of the cheapest at $163k to $191k depending on residency. In addition, it appears she’ll like the weather there. Thus, I think her best bet might be NCSU.
Thanks @momocarly, @Gregmacd, very useful feedback.
Costs certainly are a huge factor, but we hadn’t considered looking at the average GPA numbers, so thanks for this perspective.