The Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology

I do not understand some of these people downing bel-rea.if it was so bad,why didnt you leave? I am an older student,was not sure what i wanted to do,tried the medical assisting thing but people suck.look at the comments left by these morons.i love animals,the instructors do also.Im getting hands on training where the hell were you?The instrutors might have favorites maybe,but its probably the people who dont talk while they are lecturing.there is ALOT of immature students.So why dont we all grow up and stop blaming the school and instructors for your unhappiness.I will agree there is 1 instrutor that i would like to see go.

1st Year Female -- Class 2013

Campus Maintenance: A, Social Life: D+

I am amazed at how much I've learned in my first year at Bel-Rea - the classes are challenging, the faculty helpful, and there is a lot of free tutoring available from the TAs. I am excited to see what I will learn in my second year, in the more specialized classes.

It is a commuter campus, so there are not a lot of "social" activities, but that has been good for me - I needed to focus on school. I have made plenty of friends though.

I am looking at working internationally after, and have found a lot of opportunities for techs in Europe/the UK. There aren't a lot of countries that credential vet techs, but all seem to be happy to have you come and work there. But Bel-Rea's accreditation does cover any requirements for credentialing in the US, Canada, and the UK.

When I was researching schools, I discovered that Bel-Rea blew everyone else out of the water. Most programs have under 50 students, and because of that, a very limited number of faculty. I have enjoyed the variety of instructors at Bel-Rea.

It is on the pricier side of vet tech programs, but was not the most expensive program I looked at in Colorado or the US - it was average cost-wise. I do like that there are not a lot of additional costs - other than scrubs, some basic equipment like a stethoscope, and books - nothing out of the norm for college. I do have to park on the street sometime, but there is plenty of street parking around - I never have to walk far. My last school charged me over $200 each semester for parking that was much further away.

They have done a lot of renovation around campus since I first toured it - I really like studying in the new library and media center. I rarely have a problem finding a computer available and Rosemary has been super helpful with my research in the library.

I strongly recommend you volunteer on the side - Bel-Rea does offer a lot of labs and hands-on training, but because we all can't blood draw off of the same teaching animals (that would just be cruel), I have found that volunteering at a shelter has given me plenty of extra practice - I can even place an IV Cath on a small dog now without cringing and can easily restrain a feisty cat!

BE PREPARED TO WORK HARD! I get scared when I see some students not put in their best efforts - we are going to hold animals' lives in our hands when we graduate. Work your butt off so that you will be the best tech you can be!

1st Year Female -- Class 2013

Education Quality: A+, Extracurricular Activities: C+

I decided to attend Bel-Rea over the other technician programs in CO because of its reputation in the veterinary community. A lot of practices prefer Bel-Rea students because they know that the technicians that come from Bel-Rea are well equipped with knowledge and skills. This is definitely a school that you get from it what you put into it. So if you do not care, it will reflect in your grades and your overall education. If you try your best, do what you can to succeed, then you will have a pleasant experience and a greater chance of becoming a great technician. It is true that a majority of the hands on experience is during your internship, but due to laws and regulations, there is only so much we can do to the school owned animals and our own pets! That is why it is highly recommended and sometimes mandatory for us to volunteer our time at one of the local shelters.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2011

Education Quality: A+, Social Life: F