When should kids start looking at colleges/future?

Question

My daughter is 9 and has said since she was 3 that she wanted to be involved in animal science/veterinarian medicine. She had me looking up colleges the other day. When do I start to take her seriously and when do we start to seriously look at schools? I am assuming after grammar school! However, I do know people who have taken college tours when their children were 12 or 13.

just an additional note after reading the answers, she volunteers currently and has been all over the country to zoos, animal parks and wildlife rescues. She is working on a business currently to raise money for local animal shelters. Sorry, I should have provided more detail. She is a straight A student and although only in 3rd grade, reads at a 10th grade level. She's very ambitious and hard working. Thanks for all the ideas! I'm very impressed!

Oh yeah, we have 3 dogs, 2 cats, a rat and the occassional snake/frog that lands in her grips!

Answer 1

You shouldn't start looking at colleges at this point. You should encourage her and help her further explore this career option. For instance, you might take her to the zoo, take her with you to the Veterinarian so she can see what they do, if she doesn't have a pet, buy her one so she can take care of it. Let her watch educational tv shows about veterinarians and animals. Buy her books on animals.

Kids may come up with two dozen career options by the time they finish college. At this age, just continue to allow her to learn more about the career to see if she really wants to do it. Let her know how hard it is and how she needs really good grades to make it happen.

Good luck.

Answer 2

As I am sure you know, kids change their minds all the time. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a kid as well but here I am pursuing a liberal arts degree. Instead of worrying about which college will be right for your daughter focus on her interest in animals and science. Get her a pet, take her to the zoo, volunteer at an animal shelter, read books about veterinarians, etc. Using your energy to nuture and develop your daughter's interest will be much more useful for her than worrying about her college. She will ultimately have to make that decision. I'd say help her out by encouraging her interests and saving MONEY for college. Beginning high school I would start looking at colleges and making sure my high school classes are giving me a good base for college.

Answer 3

Your daughter is lucky for knowing what she wants to do at such a young age. I'm a high school senior and I know many people who do not have an idea of what they would like to be. I think that after graduating 8th grade is a good time to start college hunting. She just has to be sure that she would really like doing that type of work and that she is physically and mentally able to. I am going into nursing, and you have to be mentally able to handle anything that comes in, same thing with animal science/veterinarian medicine, especially is she loves animals so much. She has to be able to handle anything that comes her way.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Hey that is great that she's interested already. Just continue to encourage her. I'd say as soon as Middle school. it's very imporant for a child at least in the 7 or 8 grade to start getting ideas of what they what to be and where they would like to attend college. If i could turn back the hands of time, i'd start thinking about the furture in middle school! i mean i'm doing great now. but if i knew then what i know now, i would have been better off start then verse starting after high school i feel.

Answer 5

Their abilities in the early years will tell you what they're going to do in high school, so, good study habits now will help.
From ninth grade onward, good attendance and good grades are essential. Before the ninth grade year, you'll need to look at college catalogs to determine which courses she'll need to take from 9th-12th grades to get into the colleges. First, check the catalogs for local colleges that have an associated veterinary school. Most colleges do NOT have a veterinary school!

In 11th grade, your child will take the SAT test, and perhaps other standardized achievement tests. Her scores on these and her grades will help her determine which colleges she'll apply to. She'll apply to colleges beginning at the start of her 12th grade year.

Answer 6

College tours can be fun! The time to start serious planning is definitely in high school. Those grades are obviously very important as is the preparation that she will need for college. Developing good study habits and effective learning strategies are also important. Remember, Vet school is graduate school. It is NOT important to do her undergrad studies at a university with a vet school like UC Davis.

Answer 7

Usually ending middle school and for sure in high school.
Seems like your daughter has so much enthusiasm to go to college. Don't let that fade away. There are a lot of programs she can participate in when she is a little older. I spent a month at a university when I was a freshman. It was amazing. Motivate your daughter to be on the look out for opportunities like those.

Answer 8

kick back...uve nonetheless have been given time. concentration in on an interest of ures, and passionately pursue it. colleges will like it in case you could practice that. (ofcourse sturdy grades and that sorta stuff counts too) gdluck, im on an analogous direction as u, purely stressing out bout college 24/7

Answer 9

Although it's good to take in interest in you're children's education, taking or not taking college tours at 12 won't make or break you're child's future career.
Although your daughter has wanted to be a veterinarian for 6 years, please don't pigeonhole her into one career.

Answer 10

I'll start at high school because that's when kids start thinking what they really want to do but if she really want that subject then I suggest you take college tours for her now