Most veterinary schools do not require the completion of a bachelor’s
degree, but most require the completion of 70 - 96 hours of coursework. a bachelor’s
degree is, however, recommended. The average GPA of students accepted varies from
3.4 - 3.7. Some schools require the VAT (Veterinary Aptitude Test) but the GRE
(Graduate Records Examination) is more commonly asked for. A competitive score
on the GRE is considered to be 1,000 to 1,200 for both parts combined.
Students who have had some exposure to veterinary medicine will
be given preference, as will those who indicate strong motivation, good communication
skills and maturity. The application deadline is as early as October 15 for Cornell
University and as late as January for some other schools. Most schools interview
their top applicants. Approximately 350 to 500 students apply to most schools
and the ratio of those accepted ranges from one in three to one in eight.
It is important to contact the veterinary schools you are thinking
of attending early in your undergraduate degree. A listing of veterinary schools
may be found in Peterson’s Guide To Graduate Study: Biological, Agricultural
and Health Sciences which is in the Career Planning and Placement Library, Student
Services Center (SSC), Room 220.
All students who have reached the junior level should start a
professional folder at Career Planning and Placement. The folder will include
three letters of recommendation, a college transcript and a copy of any national
examination required by the admissions committee of the veterinary school.
The New Mexico Student Exchange Program organizes in-state tuition
for New Mexico students at many out-of-state schools. Students should contact
the National Student Exchange Office in Mesa Vista Hall, Rm. 3040 (ph. 277-7269),
for more information. Application and Certification must be completed by November
1st of the year preceding admission.
For information on the pre-veterinary society at UNM and for additional
advisement, students should contact the faculty pre-veterinary advisor Dr. Bruce
Hofkin, in the Biology department at (505) 277-3598 or by email at brunoh@unm.edu.