Some of these may be available in summer school, via correspondence courses, or at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. You should check those schools in which you are interested to determine which test you should take. You should plan on taking the test so that your scores are reported no later than September of the year in which you are applying. Veterinary schools are looking for individuals with a strong sense of personal responsibility, honesty, emotional maturity, compassion and sensitivity towards animals. You must intern, volunteer, or work with a veterinarian either during the school year or the summer to show that you are motivated and committed to working with animals.
Some schools require a significant number of hours working with animals in a variety of settings.
This work also demonstrates to veterinary school admissions committees that you have seen firsthand what a veterinary setting is like, and are making an informed decision to choose veterinary medicine as a career. You are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities at Swarthmore, because of the opportunity to learn to work and communicate with others and to make a contribution to your college community. It is more valuable to be deeply involved in two or three activities than to dabble in a large number of activities. Research experiences are also valuable in many ways. They introduce you to new information, important laboratory techniques, experimental design, the analysis of data, critical thinking, working with a research team and, perhaps, preparation for publication.