In about two to four months you are going to get the news that is going to dramatically shape the way you live your life in the coming years. Did you get into veterinary school? Which school do you choose? Are you staying in-state or going out-of-state? How will you pay for it?...........and the list of questions, worries, and excitement goes on.
Stop, relax, breath and enjoy the in-between time that so many of us dread. Take your mind off the inevitable because at this point there is nothing that you can change. Everything is submitted and you did your best. So have some fun with your friends, pick up a new hobby, or focus on your last semesters in undergrad.
As far as the questions you have running through your head. The best advice I have for you is to talk them out with your friends, family, advisers, professors, and even strangers. This is a big transition period in your life and the more help you get the better.
- Did you get into veterinary school? This is the big question looming over your head. Just remember that if you don't get in the first time that the world isn't over. There are so many great secondary options and you can always try again next year. Yes, it is a disappointment and a set-back, but remember that there are so many other people in your shoes. Getting into veterinary school is very hard and if it truly your passion than you just need to keep working hard at it.
- Which school do you choose? If you are lucky enough to get into more than one school than you have a big decision to make about which school to go to. All the veterinary school in the US are fantastic, but which is the best for you is what matters. Hopefully at this point you have an idea of where you would like to go, but always make sure to look at all your options. The big things to look at are location, tuition, the school's emphasis, the school's ranking, and will it work for you. A great place to start is looking at the school informational sheets that I have on my website.
- Are you staying in-state or going out-of-state? The big dilemma here is money. Out-of-state tuition is almost always going to be more expensive. There are a few rare exceptions like North Carolina State University that give in-state tuition to second year out-of-state students, but for the most part veterinary schools don't do that. When going out of state you can expect to pay at least double the tuition. The other thing to think about is can you handle being far away from your family and friends?
- How will you pay for it? You have all heard it before. Student loans!!!! When you get out of veterinary school you are going to have lots of loans. 44% of veterinary students in 2012 had debt greater than $200,000. This may be very shocking, so you need to start thinking and preparing now. Hopefully you have been saving up a little bit already and realizing that when you get into veterinary school you might need to live like a hermit. Most students do end up with this much debt, but it doesn't have to be that. I plan to be out of veterinary school with less than $75,000 in debt because of the choices that I have made. I will talk more about that another time though. So prepare now, understand what you are getting into financially, and do everything you can to get that debt down fast after you graduate.
If you have any questions more broad or specific that I didn't talk about here in this general overview, feel free to send me it through the comments section of my website! I would love to talk more about this and help you out in any way that I can.
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