How do I know which class to choose for vet school?

A reader writes:

"I'm going to apply for Vet school and i don't know if taking physics for sciences or general physics would be the same or which one is best."

Well, it depends. Veterinarian schools prerequisites vary by school, so although the prerequisites are pretty similar between vet schools, your best source of information would be to check directly with the schools you're interested in apply to.

Check out the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' Summary of Course Prerequisites to see what the requirements are at different vet schools.

If the school's prerequisites don't make it clear which you should choose, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Challenge yourself. Vet schools, and graduate and professional schools in general, like to see students choose challenging classes instead of the "easy" class, so picking the class that is seen as more challenging from an outsider perspective might be a good option.

Give yourself a boost. Although challenging yourself can help make you a stronger applicant, it might make more sense to choose the class that you will do the best in. You want a high GPA, so keep in mind your potential grade based on your strengths and areas for improvement.

Get your hands dirty. If one of your physics options has a lab and the other doesn't, most vet schools would prefer you take the class with the lab component. The reason behind this is that vet school--and being a vet, for that matter--is a hands-on endeavor, so the class that is more concrete and active is more likely to help prepare you for vet school.

Good luck as you prepare and apply for vet school!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.