May 1 is approaching, but I am still very unsure about where I should go for undergrad. I am interested in following a career path in veterinary medicine. Knowing that acceptance to a DVM program is extremely competitive; I want to make sure that I attend an undergrad program that will prepare me well enough for this selective application process.
I am currently deciding between my state college (UConn) and Wesleyan University. UConn has great opportunities for obtaining animal and research experience throughout the campus, especially at the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture and the campus farm. Wesleyan does have an abundance of research opportunities within the biology department but less accessibility to places where I may obtain animal or clinical experience. UConn also has an actual Animal Science major, which I think would give me a strong background for the curriculum at vet schools (Fulfilling prerequisite courses for vet school would also be much easier because of this). Wesleyan does not have an Animal Science major but it does have a strong science department where I could major in Biology.
As for financial aid, Wesleyan has almost completely covered the cost of my attendance with grants and scholarships and I have received enough scholarship money to cover the gap. I did not receive as large of a financial aid at UConn and it may be more difficult for me to cover the cost (My parents do not earn enough to help with costs much. I can expect a maximum contribution of $1000/year from them). UConn’s estimated total cost for a student enrolled and residing on the main campus would be $27,630 but with scholarships and all, I would still need to find a way to cover $15,130. However, I can opt out of the main campus and attend a regional campus instead, (completely affordable) and then transfer to the main campus later on. Ideally, I would like to live on the main campus, as I would have more access to everything the institution has to offer but I would not mind having to conform to the regional campus for the first year or two.
I really like the communities at either school and I feel like I would not have a problem fitting in. Yet I did find the community at Wesleyan most impressive as it has a particularly open, collaborative, and friendly environment which I quickly fell in love with. Both schools have a ton of opportunities for me to explore my other interests as well, such as in the visual arts, which I am very passionate about. The reputation of either school is also good but it must be acknowledged that Wesleyan is more recognized among graduate schools and employers (I am not sure if this also applies to medical schools). I feel like vet schools may look more favorably upon a student from a prestigious school like Wesleyan than they would a student from a state school. I also want to point out that the coursework at Wesleyan is obviously more rigorous than it would be at a state school and I am afraid that I will find it very difficult to keep my GPA up, especially if I am going into the sciences (My high school did not have many science and math courses and the curriculum for these subjects was not very rigorous so I am afraid that I am under-prepared in this sense). After all, I do have to maintain at or above a 3.5 GPA if I even want vet schools to consider me.
I am just very unsure about what I should do to make this decision any easier at this point. I was hoping to hear other people’s opinions and ideas on this. If it appears that I have any kind of misconception about the vet school application process or about either of these colleges please do not hesitate to clear it up.
