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Vet School, Pre-Vet School and Related Fields
Pre- Vet Program - UConn
Getting into vet school
Vet school admission
Pre-Vet Medicine
Veterinary Schools
also see About Vets
also see Problems with your Vet
also see Veterinary and Animal Related Careers
also see Vet Tech school
Hi,
This is Jen Simoniello from the Department of Animal Science of The University of Conn . We have a 4 year prevet program.
Any students interested in a Prevet program in the New England Area should check our website at www.canr.uconn.edu.Jen Simoniello
Administrative Coordinator
UConn
Question: Dear sirs,
What are my chances at vet school? Regarding
how to apply, if I can apply and if my experiences have any relativity?
Thanks so Much for your consideration, Janet
Answer: Janet
The chance of successfully getting into a vet school depends on a number of
factors and the weight put on these factors varies from school to school.The single most important thing is to make sure you are a resident of a
state that has a vet school or a state that has a contract with another vet
school to accept students. Veterinary schools almost all limit enrollment
to students in one of these two situations.Most of the veterinary schools will give you the formula they use to
evaluate students. Some schools use a point system and by adding up the
points for experiences, like military service, working a veterinary
hospital, etc., you can figure out how that will affect your chances. The
rest of the weight is usually on degrees obtained, grade point,
standardized testing or some other semi-objective criteria.At most of the schools, persistence will usually work in your favor,
too. Applying more than once or twice does show a really strong desire to
get in, especially if combined with some sort of classwork to improve grade
point or to get a degree in a related field.Contacting the college with a veterinary school that accepts students from
the state you are in is the first step. Someone there will tell you how to
go about applying and what the basic requirements are.Mike Richards, DVM
2/23/2000
Question: Mike,
Again, thank you for the reply.
I reread your last message and have one question: when you wrote that
"most people end up going to the school in their state, or that their
state has contracts with" -- what do mean by contracts? Is it easier to
be accepted into vet school if you are a resident of the state, is that
what you mean? I'm sure that must be the case, but I did not think
about it being "very very hard" to get into vet school.Regards, Beverly
Answer: Beverly-
The current situation may be different than when I went to school, but I
really think that is unlikely. The problem with veterinary school admission
is this -- veterinary schools do more than just give preference to
students from their state, most of them limit admission to students from
their own state OR students from states that make a contract with a
veterinary school to admit a certain number of students from that state. It
isn't possible to get into the school if you do not fit one of those criteria.When I went to school at Iowa State, there were a certain number of
students who came from Nebraska because Nebraska paid Iowa State to take
them, for instance. Iowa State had 5 available places for out of state
students from states that did not have contracts with the school. And this
was a lot then -- it was one of the few schools that let anybody in that
wasn't from the state the school was in or from a state that paid for the
right to admit some students. If I remember correctly, there were something
like 3500 applicants for those five seats the year I got into vet school.
Students from states like New Jersey, which didn't have a vet school and
didn't buy slots at other vet schools were just about out of luck. They had
to go somewhere and establish residency to have a reasonable chance of
getting into vet school.The odds of getting into vet school if you live in a state with a vet
school are lots better than that. Usually around 1 in 3 qualified
applicants gets in and some years it has been as low as 1 in 2.That is why you can't be from Iowa and decide to go to Colorado State to
vet school. Or from Missouri and decide to go to Ohio State. If your state
has a vet school, you just about have to go to that school.The University of Pennsylvania has a reputation, which I don't know if it
deserves, of letting in more out of state students than other schools. It
is pretty expensive to go there, though.I know this is a confusing topic so if I didn't explain this well enough,
let me know.Mike Richards, DVM
Veterinary colleges
Q: Hi I am james I am enrolling in college and my choice of major is Being a veterinarian and I would like to get some info on anything. Thanx , James
A: James-
What state are you from? The choice of veterinary colleges that you can apply to is sharply limited by your state. In general, it is necessary to determine which school you are likely to be able to get into and then meet that school's requirements. Math and science are strongly emphasized in the pre-veterinary curriculum and doing well in these subjects is going to be essential to getting in. Talk to some of the veterinary students in the school, even if you have to drive there. The ones that were successful in getting in generally know what worked for them and the quirks in the admission process at their school.
Good luck!
Mike Richards, DVM
Q: I'm 18, in my freshman year of college and my major is of course, Pre-Vet Medicine. I volunteered at a vet clinic for over a year and miss it dearly. I have no time to volunteer, between school and work. But perhaps if I could actually get paid? The best way to do that, I think, is to get my vet tech license. The only problem is, I'm having a hard time finding out about it. The school I go to is a liberal arts college, and I only came here because I could skip my senior year of high school. So I'm going to get my GED and a year behind me in college, and next year I'm going to transfer. So, my point is, can you give me a direction to go in? If it helps, I live in North Carolina and I'm planning to go to UNC-Wilmington next year. Well, thanks for your time.
A: There are two approved veterinary technician schools in North Carolina. Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, N.C. and Gaston College, Dallas, NC.
Only graduates from approved schools are eligible for licensing in most states with licensing programs for veterinary technicians. I don't think it would be helpful to drop out of the pre-vet program long enough to get a technician's license and then go back to the pre-vet curriculum while working.
Many (possibly most) veterinary clinics and hospitals hire non-licensed veterinary assistants. It is possible that you could find employment at a veterinary clinic without a technician's license. It may be helpful to a small degree in the veterinary school application process to do this but it is much more important to get good grades in the pre-vet curriculum. Do not sacrifice your ability to maintain a good gradepoint average unless you are really desperate for the funds to stay in school.
Good luck with you goal of getting into vet school!
Mike Richards, DVM
Auburn University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Auburn, Alabama 36849
(334) 844-4546
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1998
Next Evaluation: 2005
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.auburn.eduTuskegee University
School of Veterinary Medicine
Tuskegee, Alabama 36088
(334) 727-8174
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1999
Next Evaluation: 2006
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://vetmed.tusk.edu
University of California
School of Veterinary Medicine
Davis, California 95616-8734
(530) 752-1360
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2004
Next Evaluation: 2011
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.eduWestern University of Health Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
Admissions Office, 309 East Second Street
Pomona, California, 91766
(909) 469-5650
Status: Provisional Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2004
Next Evaluation: 2007
http://www.westernu.edu/
Colorado State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
and Biomedical Sciences
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1601
(970) 491-7051
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu
University of Florida
College of Veterinary Medicine
Gainesville, Florida 32610-0125
(352) 392-4700
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu
University of Georgia
College of Veterinary Medicine
Athens, Georgia 30602-7371
(706) 542-3461
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1999
Next Evaluation: 2006
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.uga.edu
University of Illinois
College of Veterinary Medicine
2001 South Lincoln Urbana, Illinois 61802
(217) 333-2760
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1999
Next Evaluation: 2006
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu
Purdue University
School of Veterinary Medicine
1240 Lynn Hall
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1240
(765) 494-7607
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2004
Next Evaluation: 2011
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.purdue.edu
Iowa State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ames, Iowa 50011-1250
(515) 294-1242
Status: Limited Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2005
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.iastate.edu
Kansas State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Manhattan, Kansas 66506
(785) 532-5660
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2010
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.ksu.edu
Louisiana State University
School of Veterinary Medicine
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803
(225) 578-9900
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2005
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu
Tufts University
School of Veterinary Medicine
North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536
(508) 839-5302
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2004
Next Evaluation: 2011
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.tufts.edu/vet
Michigan State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1314
(517) 355-6509
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2005
Next Evaluation: 2012
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://cvm.msu.edu
The University of Minnesota
College of Veterinary Medicine
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
(612) 624-6244
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2007
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.umn.edu
Mississippi State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762
(662) 325-3432
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2002
Next Evaluation:2007
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.msstate.edu
University of Missouri
College of Veterinary Medicine
Columbia, Missouri 65211
(573) 882-3877
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1999
Next Evaluation: 2006
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.missouri.edu
Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, New York 14853-6401
(607) 253-3000
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2010
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.cornell.edu
North Carolina State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Raleigh, North Carolina 27606
(919) 513-6786
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2000
Next Evaluation: 2007
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/
The Ohio State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Columbus, Ohio 43210
(614) 292-1171
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1999
Next Evaluation: 2006
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu
Oklahoma State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078-2005
(405) 744-6595
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2010
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.okstate.edu
Oregon State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Corvallis, Oregon 97331
(541) 737-2098
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2007
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.orst.edu
University of Pennsylvania
School of Veterinary Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6044
(215) 898-5438
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2002
Next Evaluation: 2009
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.upenn.edu
University of Tennessee
College of Veterinary Medicine
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901
(865) 974-8387
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vet.utk.edu
Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine
College Station, Texas 77843-4461
(979) 845-5051
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu
Virginia Tech and University of Maryland
Virginia-Maryland Regional
College of Veterinary Medicine
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0442
(540) 231-7666
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2000
Next Evaluation: 2007
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.vt.edu
Washington State University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Pullman, Washington 99164-7010
(509) 335-9515
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2010
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
School of Veterinary Medicine
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
(608) 263-6716
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu
Montreal, Quebec
University of Montreal
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada J2S 7C6
Phone: 514-345-8521
Status: Limited Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2005
Next Evaluation: 2007
SAVMA Chapter: No
Guelph, Ontario
Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2002
Next Evaluation: 2009
SAVMA Chapter: No
http://www.ovcnet.uoguelph.caCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
Atlantic Veterinary College
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4P3
Phone: 902-566-0800
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2004
Next Evaluation: 2011
SAVMA Chapter: Yes
http://www.upei.ca/~avcSaskatoon, Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
Western College of Veterinary Medicine
52 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2003
Next Evaluation: 2010
SAVMA Chapter: No
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm
The Netherlands
State University of Utrecht
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
Phone: 31 30 253-4851
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2000
Next Evaluation: 2007
http://www.vet.uu.nlEngland
University of London
The Royal Veterinary College
London, England NW1 0TU
Phone: 44 (0)20 7468-5000
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1998
Next Evaluation: 2005
http://www.rvc.ac.ukScotland
University of Glasgow
Veterinary School
Glasgow, Scotland G61 1QH
Phone: 44 (0)141 330-5700
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 1998
Next Evaluation: 2006
http://www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/vet/index.htmlUniversity of Edinburgh
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
Edinburgh, EH9 1QH Scotland
Phone: 44 (0)131 650-1000
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2008
http://www.vet.ed.ac.ukNew Zealand
Massey University
Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Phone: 64 6 350-5714
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2001
Next Evaluation: 2006
http://vet-school.massey.ac.nzAustralia
Murdoch University
Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Murdoch, Western Australia
Phone: 61 8 9360 2566
Status: Full Accreditation
Last Evaluation: 2002
Next Evaluation: 2009
http://wwwvet.murdoch.edu.auThe University of Sydney
Faculty of Veterinary Science
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Phone: 61 2 9351 6936
Status: Full Accreditation Last Evaluation: 2005
Next Evaluation: 2012
http://www.vetsci.usyd.edu.au/
http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/default.asp for a complete list is veterinary education opportunities, veterinary schools, vet tech schools , on-lined education.
Last edited 02/15/08
The AVMA is the source of our vet school list.
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