Is veterinary medicine
right for me?
Students interested in veterinary medicine should have an interest
in animals, science, learning & academics. Additionally,
it is recommended students take their studies seriously. Veterinary
college is an intense program with thousands of college students
applying to only 27 veterinary colleges in the country.
What courses should
I take in high school?
Take all college preparatory courses in all major subjects especially,
biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, trigonometry, statistics,
environmental/earth science and English. Also important are computer
science, history and languages. Take all at the highest level
your high school offers. New York State students should earn
a NYS Regents Diploma.
Return to Top
Is veterinary
experience important?
Yes, students should start at an early age working or volunteering
for a veterinarian, zoo or local animal shelter. Try to work
with many animal species and not just cats and dogs. Keep track
of the hours of experience you gain, and ask each supervisor
for a letter of recommendation. When you apply to veterinary
college, you will need letters of recommendation from each experience
you list on your application.
When can I enter
veterinary college?
Veterinary college comes after a general undergraduate four-year
college program. Veterinary college is also a four-year program,
so most veterinarians graduate with eight years of college education.
Return to Top
How do I choose an
undergraduate college?
Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you
will ever make. Take your time and research your choices. Use
a college guide and apply to the most competitive colleges into
which you believe you can gain acceptance. Do not choose your
college based on its athletic competitions or its social atmosphere
if you want to go to veterinary college.
Four years later, when you apply to veterinary
college, we will assign points to the college you attended and
compare your college to the colleges of other applicants. Cornell
tends to take its students from the most competitive colleges.
We measure the competitiveness of a college based on "Peterson's
Guide to Four Year Colleges" ranking system.
Return to Top
What should I study at college?
Any major is acceptable, so choose one you enjoy - but your major
must allow you to take many science courses during your college
program. Most veterinary colleges require 10 to 12 college science
courses.
What college courses are required?
We require or recommend a full year of these courses:
1st Year
English composition
biology (or zoology)
general chemistry
2nd Year
organic chemistry
general physics
calculus (recommended)
3rd Year
biochemistry (half-year)
microbiology (half-year)
a short GRE preparation seminar (recommended)
Since we require three chemistry courses,
it is important to begin chemistry in your first year of college.
So take every chemistry course your high school offers to be
well prepared for college chemistry. All science courses should
include labs.
Return to Top
When may I apply to veterinary college?
Highly qualified students may apply in the spring of their second
year of college for early admission to the DVM program after
the completion of their third year of college. Candidates for
early admission must have grades of "B" or better in
all prerequisite courses.
Students who do not choose to apply early
may apply by October 1 of their third or fourth year of college
and are notified of acceptance or denial in February.
Return to Top
How does Cornell evaluate DVM applications?
Veterinary medical education requires strong academic abilities;
65 percent of the total admissions evaluation is given for academic
achievement and aptitude:
25 percent - college grade-point average
25 percent - Graduate Record Exam (verbal and quantitative scores
only)
5 percent - quality of the academic program (a challenging curriculum
and a full courseload)
5 percent - personal essay
20 percent - experience working with animals and with the veterinary
profession
10 percent- non-cognitive skills
10 percent - all other achievements (community involvement; non-academic
interests, abilities; personal characteristics such as reliability,
honesty and dedication to service).
Return to Top
May I visit the Cornell College of Veterinary
Medicine?
The college hosts an open house for the community on a Saturday
in April. Open House is scheduled for April 14, 2007.
Do you have an Email Address?
If you have an email address, we would
like to know it. We send "The Pre-Veterinary Newsletter
from Cornell" every two months via email. The newsletter
is written to help students prepare for the highly selective
admissions process and the profession.
You may read past issues of our newsletter
at http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/newsletters.htm.
You may also sign up to receive our newsletter
at http://www.vet.cornell.edu/admissions/inquiry.asp.
Return to Top
|
