Hello,
I am working on my college list and am conflicted between aiming for more selective schools and state schools.
I am planning on going to veterinary school post-undergraduate and would like to do whatever is best for getting in.
I have mainly been putting state schools with pre-vet tracks on my college list, however, today I read that the evaluation factor “Quality of Academic Program” (including rigor of college) is 10% of Cornell Vet School’s evaluation.
Is there an argument that it would be better to go to a more selective/stronger academic undergraduate than do a pre-vet track in undergraduate?
I am fully aware of finances ad am taking this into account in my decision as well.
Thank you!
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Make sure you have ‘affordable’ schools and then have reach, target, and safeties. You can have schools of varying levels so you have a choice of what fits best for you at decision time. Btw affordable means not a certain price but one you can afford with little or no debt or no long term huge impact to your family finances.
Most importantly is you find the type of school that fits best for you because you will be there four years, day after day after day.
So determine what is right for you …large, medium, small….urban, rural, warm, cold, Greek, sports, etc.
I would worry less about what Cornell wants and more about what works for you.
Good luck.
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For most schools, even Cornell it is not a big factor. Go where you can get the best grades and will be the least burnt out (and of course spend a lower amount). Going to a highly selective school can be the wrong idea. If you have a 4.0 at noname state and a 3.2 at an Ivy most of the vet schools still calculate the GPA exactly the same.
My son is a second year in vet school. He went to Kansas State undergrad and came out with a 4.0, leadership positions in his fraternity, very good animal and vet experience, research, study abroad and went into vet school after his 3rd year. His vet school has students from everywhere from the Ivy’s to the small school’s no one has ever heard of. The Ivy students aren’t the ones getting the best grades. Many of them came in totally burnt out from a very rigorous undergrad. The state school students felt very well prepared and are doing as well or better than elite counterparts.
So my view is don’t go for selective to up your chances of getting into vet school. Go if that is the right school for you. Top grades and experience are most important and then GRE for those few schools that still require it. Good luck!
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10%? You do realize that this means that 90% of the vet school applications is other than the undergrad school, right?
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Exactly. My daughter is in her first year of vet school (as @momocarly knows well – we have discussed this earlier) and has the same experience: The students there come from a very wide range of other universities. By the way my daughter applied to Kansas State and thought highly of the program there (but went somewhere else, also to a very good DVM program with a good large animal program).
@lxbmcd Pre-vet classes overlap quite a bit with premed classes and will be academically very demanding. Plan to work hard and to be in classes with other very strong students.
My daughter and I have both suspected that a lot of what got her accepted to multiple very good programs was her experience in veterinary related situations and her related references. You will want to get a lot of experience working in vet clinics or other related experience. Here is one program that is an example. Some (but not all) other universities are likely to have similar programs:
https://www.uvm.edu/cals/asci/cream
Rather than ranking, I would be a lot more concerned about finding a university that is a good fit for you, getting experience working with animals (“big ones and little ones”), and that is affordable. DVM programs will want to know that you will not freak out when you need to reach inside a cow, do surgery on a live animal, or when a beloved animal dies. Dealing with humans will also matter. I would check to see what sorts of programs similar to the one that I referenced above are available at each school.
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Because a school is a state school doesn’t mean it is ‘lesser’ when Cornell ranks it. Cornell, in fact, is partly a public school and I think the Ag school is in the ‘public’ part. Cornell may give more ‘points’ to a student from a public undergrad who majored in agriculture or animal science than it gives to an English major from Williams. Who knows! I think the animal science major might have more relevant classes and experience than the English major.
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We’re kind of putting the cart before the horse. The best thing you can do for yourself is to go to an affordable college and go in with an open mind. Chances are you’ll end up changing your major 2-3 times. College is a maturation process, and you find hidden passions as you study. If vet school is still your thing, then go for it. Graduate/Professional schools don’t care about college brand name. They want to see that you have top grades and scores.
You mentioned you’re aware of finances. Well…I’m not so sure, so I’ll say this anyway 
My advice, avoid debt like a pandemic. If you come out of undergraduate with $100,000 in loans, you’re setting yourself up for failure no matter what career you choose. With that debt, you could make the payments if things go right…the problem is that life never does, especially with a family. Regardless of which path you follow, you can’t go wrong staying out of debt.
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Cornell is one of the top vet schools and a very difficult admit. Until very recently, they required GRE scores. Now they do not. Few vet schools at this point require GRE scores (though some that do not require will consider them).
From Cornell’s website:
But Cornell is more formulaic than most other vet schools. They do not interview. They do specify the weight given to each part of an application.
Ultimately, you want to find an undergrad at which you will excel and one which you can easily afford. You will hear the mantra “undergrad as cheap as possible” in connection with vet school applications. Vet school is expensive and it will be funded pretty much with cash you (or your parents) have and loans. About 80% of vets graduate vet school with debt. And for many, the debt loads are pretty staggering (particularly when you look at the income levels you can expect as a vet).
You have plenty of time. You may well change your mind before you graduate high school (pretty common actually). I would suggest doing things that you enjoy rather than what you think will get you into vet school (or undergrad, other grad schools, etc).
Good luck.
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Here is the student profile for Ohio State Vet school. The only private schools that I see that would be on anyone’s list of prestigious schools are Tufts and Vandy.
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Here is the most recent Ohio State Vet school profile:
They didn’t publish one for the classes of 2023 or 2024. Class of 2022 marked a change in terms of in state/out-of state students. Prior to 2021, it was pretty much 50-50. Balance has now swung in favor of out-of-state students. Was 59% for Class of 2022. Not clear what it was in 2023 or 2024. For Class of 2025, it is 55%. Most vet schools favor in-state.
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