Acceptance to veterinary school can seem impossible to achieve at times.  Between the rigorous academic requirements and high tuition fees, students can easily be turned away from the pre-vet track during their time as undergraduates. However, the minimum requirements are at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA for residents, a GRE score within or above the 50th percentile and at least 40 hours of college science credits. Although there is not a specific pre-veterinary degree available at the University, students can major in a variety of things to prepare for a pre-veterinary route: animal science, biology, nutrition science, poultry science and zoology.      Tria Metzler, a senior in animal science and Pre-Vet Medical Association club, is now awaiting acceptance to one of her three choices: N.C. State, Cornell or Perdue. ”I’m the typical ‘I’ve loved animals since I was four’ person,” Metzler said. “I just made the grades and tried research the summer before my freshman year.” Metzler said she believes many students become disenchanted with the pre-vet track after experiencing the clinical side of medicine and the strenuous academic coursework.  ”A lot of people realize that the clinic is too much,” Metzler said. “It’s a combination of the classes and a reality check.  Once at college, you realize that it is pretty intense.” Her advice to students wishing to attend vet school: “Get involved as quickly as you can.” Try a lot of different things vet-based outside your interests. It’s the best way to figure out if vet school is right.”   Those interested should consider the Pre-Vet club, which meets every other Monday in Bostian 3712.  Joann Crawford, a junior in animal science, is a student who decided against vet school.   After working in a kennel for most of high school and college, Crawford began making other plans after graduation, despite her original goal to become a vet.   ”I realized I had lost the passion to be a vet,” Crawford said.  However, Crawford said she does not think the University failed to motivate her as a pre-vet student.   ”The University is not the individual, so they can’t change a person’s mind,” Crawford said. Crawford said that students  should assert themselves and grab opportunities to work with a vet first hand.   ”If you have not worked at an animal hospital or gotten an internship, shadow a vet and see what life would be like for you,” Crawford said. ”It’s easy to get a job at a kennel because employers need help over breaks, so they hire enough people to cover shifts.”  But students in pre-vet are not all work and no play.   Donna Carver, an extension poultry veterinarian and associate professor, serves as the Pre-Vet club’s faculty adviser and she encourages her club members to socialize.   ”The ones that don’t go to the socials don’t get as much out of the club,” Carver said. “They go ice-skating or go to the movies.  Then they have things that are related to service, like they go to the zoo and volunteer for Halloween.”   According to Carver, students also go out to wild animal preserves and participate in Habitat for Humanity. The people that attend those events have a lot of camaraderie.     Carver has been the faculty adviser for five years, but because its members so are responsible and enthusiastic about their field, Carver said the club runs itself for the most part.   ”The officers meet every week with each other or the entire club, and they actually do everything there is to do,” Carver said.  “They plan what they want to do and monitor who is active.”   According to Carver, the club is so amazing because it is made up of people from all different majors.    ”It’s not like these people come to the club being friends. ,” Carver said. “They have to depend on each other and push each other to do what needs to be done.” Although most pre-veterinary students major in either animal science or zoology, Carver said she warns against specialization too soon.   ”You can’t just take animal science,” Carver said.  “You have to have the requirements that the vet school wants you to have.” Carver said students should not do one special curriculum unless the department has tailored that to the vet school.  Some departments have done that by offering a science and tech track, where the science track is linked to the vet school.   According to Carver, a lot of getting into vet school is getting the stuff outside of school — the experience you get with people or working at a research lab.  Those types of things are really important.  As long as you are doing those, you can be any major because they all prepare you for the book stuff.”  Carver said to start as early as possible, including the summer before starting college.  Keeping track of your progress throughout college becomes essential once you reach the final days before graduation.   ”You will have an adviser,” Carver said. “When I came along, they weren’t advising for vet school, but it’s gotten a lot better. ”  Carver said that a student needs to get an adviser that makes you feel comfortable and try to go ahead and map out what you need to be doing.    ”[It is] never too early to start looking for summer internships,” Carver said. “I would even start looking at the application process as a freshman because you are going to have to do that around the end of your junior year.” Carver said that she recommends students to see what they have to do and what the requirements are because they don’t need to be three months away from applying and realize they are missing something. So for those wishing to become veterinarians, get involved on campus in extracurricular activities and off campus in practical experience to keep on the right track.