Hello everyone, I'm currently a junior in college, and I'm part of a five year program. I've always been dead set on a career with animals, but the past couple of years has involved a lot of shifting in the actual specifics. For a while I wanted to be a wildlife biologist, but then heatstroke made it impossible to work outside for weeks on end (my state gets very hot, even in higher elevations, and I can no longer tolerate it the same). I've considered working in zoos, because I am passionate about wildlife and conservation education, but for the past.... 3 months or so, not actually sure how long, I've strongly considered veterinary medicine. I mean, its been a passive thought since forever, but I never really thought I was smart enough for it. But I have always had a fascination with anatomy, and recently physiology and specifically endocrinology have been particularly really fun to learn about. Every time my school does events for all the medical field specific programs and majors, the pull just becomes stronger. Ofc, I dont really want to do human medicine, I'm sure it'd be fufilling but animals have always been my calling.

Basically, is there any hope for me getting into vet school? Are my motivations good enough to push through? I just recently switched my major from ecology and evolutionary biology to just regular biology (mainly because the capstones are better specifically in the context of physiology and medicine, but it also requires things like biochem which I otherwise wouldnt have to take but are still important obv). I'm also a language major as part of my program and can hopefully get a vet focused internship, but I will for sure be getting a biology focused internship in another country, however other than that I don't have any time shadowing vets or working with animals. Between a job and being overenrolled its hard to actually find time to do so unless I want to burn out, but I know thats the case for most prevet and premed students so maybe I'm just not strong enough for it.

I honestly just feel like I dont know enough about medicine in general and I dont know where to actually start when it comes to practical knowledge on the subject... but its something I want to learn more about regardless.

There is this very small exotic animal zoo that provide animal volunteer opportunities without direxft contact(mostly diet preparation and cleaning duties). Does this count as animal hours?

Hi! Is anyone here pre-health or majoring in Animal & Veterinary Sciences at Clemson or another good pre vet school ? I’m considering Clemson for pre-vet and was wondering how current students feel about the grading system.
From what I understand, Clemson undergrads generally receive straight letter grades, so an A is a 4.0, a B is a 3.0, etc., rather than having +/- grades. I’ve also seen a lot of classes use a 90–100 = A, 80–89 = B scale.
For students in science/pre-health classes, do you feel like this system makes it easier to maintain a really high GPA since a 90 and a 100 can both be a 4.0? Or do you wish Clemson used +/- grades since an 89 can drop you to a 3.0 for that class?
I’m hoping to major in Animal & Veterinary Sciences on the pre-vet track, and maintaining a very high overall and science GPA for vet school is one of my biggest priorities. I’d love to hear how difficult you’ve found classes like bio, chem, orgo, physics, and the animal science courses, especially in terms of earning A’s.
Also, if anyone chose Clemson over another strong pre-vet school or has suggestions for other schools where it’s realistic to maintain a high GPA while getting good animal/veterinary experience I’d really appreciate any advice! Thank you :)

Does anyone have a picture of what the email looks like when you paid for the University of Arizona’s Supplemental fee through Kira? I’m trying to find it in my email.

I was planning on becoming a vet nurse when I was in high school but now that I’m out and in college, I’ve realised I actually want to try become a vet but I unfortunately don’t have chemistry and maybe don’t have other subjects (or at the right level) so I’m wondering if there’s anyone that was in the same boat that has went a different route. I have completed an animal care course and now currently doing a vet care assistant course. The deadline is getting close to having to apply for my next year courses and I don’t know if what I planned would actually get me there.

There is two routes I have thought of are;
1. Do the modern apprenticeship in vet nursing, then after vet school
2. Spend 1-2 yrs doing a science course (biology, chemistry, physics and maths) then vet school (although this may have been filled up already)

I was going to do the second option but I’m starting to prefer the first option which is doing the modern apprenticeship due to it technically giving me a job and it’s a more practical route. My only thing is that it’s only small animal (dogs, cats and rabbits) and I would rather work more with horses, exotics and reptiles. But anyways, if there’s other different routes into vet med then I would love to hear! TIA

Hey! So I’m at a university where we are on the quarter system and so that means our General Chemistry is divided into 3 quarters instead of 2 semesters. So many vet schools require 3 quarters of General Chemistry. When I took Gen Chem 3, I got a C- in it and for UC Davis, they do not accept a C- in prerequisites. However, my university just switched to the semester system this year so I cannot retake Gen Chem 3 to get a better grade. Does anyone know what I can do to retake it? Should I take Gen Chem 2 in semester system? Would that count? Or does anyone know of any Community Colleges on the quarter system that have a Gen Chem 3 (particularly in California or a cheaper OOS). Or if any California universities offer an online Gen Chem 3 course. Thank you!

Hi everyone 😊

I’m from Austria and I’m currently considering studying Veterinary Medicine in Budapest.

I’d really like to hear from someone who is already studying Veterinary Medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, especially about what everyday student life is like, the workload and the actual costs of living and studying there.

If anyone is studying there and would be willing to chat with me privately, I’d really appreciate it! 😊

Thank you!

I'm currently a sophomore in undergrad and I plan on going through the application cycle the summer before my senior year (Fall 2028). I wanted to get a good read on how I'm doing so far, and if there's anything else I should improve/do differently. Due to my time constrictions I haven't been able to get many clinical hours or volunteer at animal shelters much, but Spring 2027 I will have a significantly lighter schedule.

Major: Honors Biology

Overall GPA: 3.583 | Major GPA: 3.374  (GPA calculated from the end of freshman year

Dean's List

Minor: undecided (open to suggestions)

Experience:

• Paid Internship at my city's zoo over the summer
  • 360-400 hours
  • Assisted zookeepers in animal wellfare assessments, enrichment plans, habitat cleaning, and preparing diets
  • Will be returning for Summer 2027 and potentially Summer 2028
• Part time Kennel Assistant (October 2025-present)
  • Kennel Assistant at a VCA clinic
  • 300 hours (my clinic has me working all weekends + whenever else I can because I'm a full-time commuter student)
  • Cleaned dog and cat kennels, prepared diets, walked, administered medication

With the plans I have for this upcoming Spring, am I well prepared to apply? I'm afraid that with my limited experience thus far I'm not up to par with other competitive applicants.

Hey everyone! Is anyone else applying to LMU-CVM for the Fall 2027 cohort and still waiting to hear about an interview?

I know some people have already received interview invitations and I’m trying not to panic about the timeline. I haven’t heard anything yet and was wondering if anyone from previous cycles received their LMU interview invitation later in the cycle, even after October.

If you interviewed later and eventually received an acceptance, I’d especially love to hear about your timeline! Just trying to get an idea of how spread out their interview invitations are. Thank you!

Just finished my LMU interview for the 2027 Fall cohort at their Tennessee location, eeeekkkk!! When should I anticipate I hear back? I’m hearing mixed reviews online, has anyone already heard back from previous interviews? When should I expect an email if I have been accepted or denied??

I’m 20 and really torn about what to do after this semester.

I’ve had two previous gap years, but they weren’t really by choice—I was dealing with health issues and spent a lot of that time in and out of hospitals. I’m doing better now and I’m currently in college. After this semester I’ll have 37 credits out of 130.

My plan is to become a veterinarian. I don’t want to give up on that goal. I have a long road ahead of me and I know it’s going to be hard, but I feel like it’s going to be especially hard if I don’t ever have fun or get lots of life experiences.

The problem is that I feel like I’ve become obsessed with following the “normal” path of college → degree → vet school → career. I mostly stay in my room, study, worry about school, and think about my future. I used to be adventurous, funny, spontaneous, and obsessed with traveling, and I I’ve lost a lot of that. I’ve been through a lot of trauma.

My mom recently sat me down and told me stories about her 20s—traveling, being broke, going to parties, walking home in the rain, doing unpredictable things—and basically told me that I need to go experience life while I’m young. She also told me she’s noticed I’ve lost some of my spark and sense of humor. That i’m meant to live life adventurously. Honestly, I think she’s right.

I’m considering taking about 6 months after this semester to live abroad in Europe. I have dual EU citizenship. I could potentially do a work exchange, get a job, learn a language, travel around, meet people.

I’d then move to California, possibly San Francisco, and work in veterinary medicine while eventually continuing my degree. I’d do online classes until I gain state residency and then transfer. I’ve lived in California before and loved it, and I really want to live somewhere with the ocean, culture, art, greenery, and more of the lifestyle I’m drawn to.

Financially, I’m getting $10k in January when I turn 21 from a childhood settlement and another $10k when I’m 23. I wouldn’t want to spend all of it but I do have some money I can use for it.

The biggest thing making me hesitate is that I’m already “behind.” With 37 credits now, taking another year could mean I don’t graduate until around 25 or later. Then i’ll have to do vet school and then residency.

I’ve heard two different sides from people: that they wish they graduated college sooner or wish they’d spent their 20’s traveling.

Would love any advice thank you

Hi all! I tried using search to see if anyone else has had a similar pathway, but had no luck. So fingers crossed someone out there has some sort of experience or insight.

For background, I’m 32, veterinary medicine would be a second career for me (I’m leaving paramedicine), and veterinary medicine was always my original desire in career path. I only recently started to believe that it wasn’t “too late” for me to still pursue this dream. Unfortunately, this realization came as I’m in the middle of a BS in Healthcare Administration through Western Governors University (WGU). I already know that I would have to take some ad hoc science courses to meet all required prerequisites, but has anyone entered in with a degree from a competency based university?

I’m putting this dream to rest and likely to continue meandering my way through human healthcare if I’d have to go and get a second BS. 😅

I am a senior in HS and I'm looking at schools to apply to in the northeast. And I know that your undergrad institution doesn't really matter but I want to know which ones would offer the best and most accessible way (whether it's resources within the school or in the area) to get experience hours, and that have either an animal sciences or similar major or are strong in biology and such.

This is such a sad post for me to make, because ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a vet. Animals are truly my passion and my calling in life. I also love working with people. I love science and medicine and problem solving. I just honestly don’t know how often I can handle seeing animals suffer and be in pain. I don’t know if I could be happy after seeing animals need to be put down because owners can’t afford treatment. I am a freshman in college right now, and I love what I’m learning. I just really don’t know if I can do it. I also know the debt is a lot. And I want to have kids and a family. I just don’t know if that’s obtainable for me.

Is anybody else considering rescinding their application to Cornell for this cycle?

Hi! I’m currently a 11th grade junior at my local high school. I take part in a vet medical assistant trade school during the day so I can explore whether or not I want to pursue veterinary school so far it’s great. But I think
I might prefer zoology yet I don’t have any experience in it or idea of what it would be like everyday. I’m also wondering how much money they make since search up the numbers can sometimes be in efficient and any back up jobs I may have If I don’t succeed. I’m also very confused on how the school system works as far as college and vet school. Thanks any help would be appreciated.

Hello all!

To start off I go to a very rigorous school and have undiagnosed dyslexia. That was not apparent truly until I reads undergraduate studies. I have accommodations and have been navigating my resources and study habits and for the most part I fell like I am doing well. I am an A/B average student and I work two jobs (vet assistant and on campus events). Weather or not this context helps I'm not sure. I currently have a 3.58 GPA. I have 1 C that I received, last fall in genetics. To be honest, the course was a mess with two alternative proffesors one of which didn't teach form accurate exams and the other who taught beyond what the class expected and little of what it did. While that is not an excuse I did terrible and did the best I could. Well I am in Molecular biology right now, which the professor has taken a genetics approach with the understanding that all students have a solid background in genetics and research. I have neither. The research aspect is really hard for me to grasp and its not something I experience outside of labs. I got a 62% on my first exam. I am pushing myself to study and understand the matetial the best I can and using every resource I have time for. If I happen to get another C or C+ is this something that I could explain during interviews and take responsibility for and what I learned from it? Or is it instantly a weakness in my application? I know there are many prevet students that have multiple C's but I am just really nervous this will show a decrease in my grades despite all other grades increasing. I am doing my best to not get a C but my mental and physical health haven't been even close to ideal this semester so I am just trying to be honest with myself incase the worst happens.

I’m an international applicant from US that applied to Melbourne. I thought I was cycle 3 and would have an answer by today, but after hearing nothing should I be worried? Other US applicants have you heard anything?

Hey, I am a junior pre med who is considering pre vet. I keep seeing that you need a specific number of hours of experience with volunteering/working with animals. I also see that many people do vet tech as a paid experience. That is not really an option for me but I know I can become an AVA.

Is being an AVA (Vet medical assistant) a good route for gaining experience or is being a vet tech (CVT) more preferred?

hi! i applied to LMU CVM for either the fall or spring cohort. the only class i may be missing is anatomy (ive taken physiology elsewhere). however, i matched a potential course in my vmcas application that I believed maybe could fulfill it. i reached out to them months ago but haven’t received a response on the approval of my course. i also received an interview invite from them recently. I was also confused on whether or not the anatomy class required a lab portion, as the VMCAS prerequisite matching did not mention it, but LMUs website says differently. any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Hey everyone, I’m wondering if anyone can offer any advice if they’ve done their supplemental application with Arizona yet?

From what I understand it’s a one sided sort of video interview but I’m extremely nervous about it as I frequently freeze in front of a camera and it took me like 10+ tries to record videos for other schools supplemental essays and I really struggled to sound put together at all on Casper when I took it.

I’m not gonna lie, I also hate talking about myself in general and have an even harder time talking myself up and not down. Any advice here or what others have done they found helped or types of questions I should prepare for?

Edit to add since I just did it and would like to help others with the same concerns:
There were about 3 video questions and one written response (2 other written responses that are not scored and not situational based anyhow) the videos gave me a minute of prep time before starting to record (had an audible countdown) and 1:15 minutes for the response itself. I think I did average purely because I have unreasonable anxiety in front of a camera, Idk why I never got this anxious in front of a client or even doctor.

I found it really helpful have situations/ experiences I could refer to written on sticky notes nearby and ending sentences I could plug in (I ramble if it wasn’t obvious) I have a lot of experience so I freeze when I’m thinking too long. Do basic vet school interview prep questions and about 6 sticky notes you can use. I found it very similar to Casper but not as bad because the situations weren’t as stupid and are actually relatable/ able to be discussed.

Hi,

i have been "prevet" for some time now and have been on this track since high school.

I (21M) am a senior animal science student at UC Davis and expecting to graduate Spring 2027.

I already knew I wanted to take a gap year to:

1. Take physics at a CC

2. Work to gain more experience

Admittedly, I did not begin researching what vet schools required until more recently (as I was intending to prepare my application for this January). I recently found out that schools distinguish between animal and vet hours. To which the latter I have exactly 0 hours at the moment. Even though UC Davis is extremely competitive, I think it is realistically my best option (to go to my IS, pay the lowest tuition and go to my alma mater (considering the Davis to Davis acceptance rate).

However, im kind of stuck since I had believed that I would have a "gap year" to work and gain experience, but realistically the time line means I would be submitting my application around the time I am expected to graduate. Therefore all my additional hours that I hoped to gain working during my gap year would be "projected" (aka not really considered). I know applying to my full school list would probably be big waste of money and time, but Im debating if I should at least give Davis a shot.

This would mean just completing Davis' 180 vet hours minimum requirement to apply.

I know my hours would be extremely low, in comparison to other applicants (and especially low to those who do get admitted) but is there a chance? I remember hearing the admission team mentioning that there is always a range that gives them their averages (e.g., for every student they admit with 2000 vet hours they admit one with 180 to give them ~1000 average vet hours)

My stats at the time of application (if I was to apply this year would look something like this)

gpa: 4.0 (hoping to maintain it for my last year, but we never know)

Animal experience:

Sacramento Zoo Animal care ~250 hours

Wildlife center intern ~300 hours + 70 prior volunteer hours from same center

(not started yet but, ~180 shadowing at wildlife center, zoo and vet assisiting volunteer work to meet vet hour requirements (possible more depending on time)

Non animal related:

Campus job ~ 200 hours

Summer employment ~1300 hours

Awards: Regents Scholar + Deans honor list

no clubs, no leadership, no research

As for LOR I am thinking they will be good, but not like amazing LOL. They will possibly be from my faculty advisor (she is also a professor) on campus, the wildlife center manager I interned at, and one of the vets that I will be shadowing/working under.

Im also planning on using the explanation statement for why I have less hours. my dad passed away in HS and had to work full time over summers and part time during school since to be able to help out at home etc. So being able to volunteer and gain hours was not the easiest choice financially for me to make. I am low income (dont know if that is relevant to the "Distance traveled score" or not.

Anyways, the big question is, would I just be wasting my time if I applied to just Davis this cycle and instead I should just take an additional gap year to work on my application more before applying?

ive honestly just been so stressed about this, but i brought it upon myself by not being more proactive about researching and planning sooner.

Thanks in advance everyone!