Pre-Vet Program Advice for DD

The results are in - DD got into the following Animal Science programs and we would love some recommendations and advice. We know that we should be saving for vet school but she got some very nice merit scholarships so assume that the out-of-state cost of attendance will be similar to in-state. We would like to hear more about the different experiences/programs, if at all possible.

Iowa State
Michigan State
Mizzou
UVM
University of Delaware
UMass-Amherst
Purdue
Kansas State
Virginia Tech - this is our state school
UMD - got spring admission only so this is off the list

She did apply to the direct admission programs at Kansas State, Mizzou and Purdue, and we are still waiting to hear back.

All opinions and advice are very much appreciated.

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Congrats on the great haul.

All great names.

Has she visited any ?

Given you are from VA, things like transport - getting to UMASS or K State might matter to you ?

I’ve only read great things about K State on this website.

I’d imagine all are wonderful

Best of luck. And congrats.

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She has visited a few and is going to visit most of the others, but nothing beats talking to folks about their experience and we are trying to do that.

Great. Make sure to do that on campus too. Set meetings up or stop kids in the building.

I look forward to hearing your final answer.

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@momocarly has a son who graduated with a DVM from Kansas State perhaps a year (or two?) ago, so she might be able to help you with that option. My daughter graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UVM multiple years ago, worked for three years, applied to multiple DVM programs two years into this (you apply just about a year before you start the DVM), got several acceptances, and is on track to get her DVM in May (she has passed the licensing exam so she is pretty close to all set).

I think that every school on your list is very good for a pre-vet student.

The pre-vet required classes are the same as the premed required classes. Due to this, our daughter got to know quite a few premed students (a few of who she is still in touch with). Some of these classes are tough. Different students might find different classes tough. As one example, our daughter found organic chemistry to be tough but thought of any required math and physics classes as solid A’s to help offset her B- in organic chemistry (and a few other B’s as well). There will also be some exams with class averages in the 40’s or 50’s, but these are generally graded on a curve so if you can beat the class average you should be okay even if “beat the class average” is a 55 on one particular tough exam. This will generally be true at any school on your list.

UVM has a few optional veterinary related classes that are interesting, but some of them can be tough. Our daughter for example took “lameness in horses”. She also participated in the UVM CREAM program which is quite valuable. Some of this involves cleaning up after the cows. However, this also includes administering medicine (cows can’t swallow pills so sometimes you put a pill inside the cow), pulling babies out of their mother, drawing blood (I think), and some other applied simple medical tasks. I think that this was quite a good introduction to veterinary medicine. She had a part time job at a veterinary clinic in the area, and on a farm in the area, and was on the equestrian team. Both the barn with cows and the barn with horses were possible to walk to from campus, although our daughter found a car helpful (for example to get to a veterinary office and a dairy barn off campus to get more experience). We quite liked Burlington.

Based on our daughter’s results in applying to DVM programs, it looked to me as if her grades and test scores (GRE in her case) were essentially good enough to get past the bar, and then her acceptances seemed to be more based on excellent experience in veterinary situations and the related references. This included both large and small animal experience. Getting good experience in veterinary situations will be quite important, but as far as I know you can do this at any university on your list.

And definitely do budget for a full 8 years of university. With newly minted DVMs getting starting salaries around about $100,000/year, it would be best if your child can get through a full 8 years of university with a total debt that is no greater than this, and less debt would be even better.

From some of the more northern schools there will be a few times when the student is trying to get home for Christmas/New Year’s in a snow storm. This was not a major problem for us, and the snow was going to hit us where we live also, but is something to keep in mind. On a couple of occasions our daughter got home a day or two later than we had originally planned.

In terms of attending a university that does not have a DVM program, we did not have any problem with this. The various students in our daughter’s DVM program came from “all over the place”, and getting a bachelor’s degree at one school and a DVM at a different school seems to be entirely normal. I do understand that the combined programs can take a year off the entire process, which does seem like a good thing if you can do it.

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My daughter’s roommate had a great experience at Purdue as an animal science major. Lots of opportunities for hands-on experience on campus as the small animal and farm animal vet hospitals are both on campus.

Purdue is very responsive in connecting prospective admitted students with current students if your daughter is interested in talking to someone in the major. She can reach out to:
purdueag@purdue.edu
or call: (765) 494-8470.

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My son graduated vet school from Kansas State in 2024. He was in the direct admit program and highly recommends it. He was able to travel abroad (Switzerland) with animal sciences, get good research, work as an LA (like an undergrad TA), make great contacts and still have fun. He tool mainly the prerequisites and the AS classes that really interested him. He had a 4.0 and entered Vet school after his third year. We were very impressed at how the school and faculty handled COVID, keeping in person labs and ability to connect with faculty. He was able to travel abroad twice, conduct research and be published, make great contacts and be in leadership positions.

He was prepared for vet school by the undergrad program, prepared for rhe NAVLE, and prepared for the Match since his path is towards being a Veterinary Radiologist. He graduated ranked #1 in the class and get his top choice in the match. He has already secured his top choice for residency. Kansas State has been fantastic for him.

Even though a city boy he loves Manhattan KS (so much that he just bought a house there!) The town is safe, welcoming, and the COL is very good.

Keep your costs in mind but when they say the school has some of the happiest students and are family it isn’t just hype.

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Thank you, if she gets into one of the direct admissions programs, it will obviously make the choice much easier. She is very set on what she wants to do and does have a lot of relevant experience, with both animals and people. If a miracle happens and she gets in, would you be willing to answer some questions?

Of course! Good luck!

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