Am I doing enough this Summer?

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!

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