Vmrcm c/o 2016

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Hey everyone! I'm a 3rd year vet student at VMRCVM, and I just wanted to give those of you who've gotten in a big Congrats!!! and those of you who are still a waiting a Don't Give Up! I have classmates who got in off the waitlist throughout the summer, up until 2 weeks before classes started - and they're some of the best, smartest people in our class, can't imagine them not being there!

I did want to ask, out of sheer curiosity, those of you who interviewed, how you found the experience. I was one of the tour guides, and would love the insight (btw, not sent by the school here, just asking for myself) you guys could offer. I love giving tours because I love giving people insight on how I made my decision about which school to pick, and giving people a little peek at our school, but it would be great to hear what you all thought. Looking through this thread, it sounds like people had mixed reactions - anyone want to share more?

Oh yayy, I'm so excited for all of you! You all could use my username, soon! I remember being just in your shoes! If anyone has any questions about deciding, I'd be more than happy to share my opinions - I'll try not to be toooo biased

ETA: Uh, so my username is hokiedvm. That's why you could all use it. Apparently it doesn't show up...

[QUOTE=hopefulinva;12243006]Most definitely. =) Are you a VT student as well? We can plan to meet up and go together if you'd like!


I used to be a VT student- graduated in '09. I will be driving down from nova for the weekend though! I'd be fun to meet some people that will be in the class.

--- I was vacationing in PA this past weekend with no internet. Set out to study at Starbucks on Saturday and opened my email to an ADMISSION OFFER!!!!!!!!! Best day ever! I of course started crying in the middle of starbucks and laughing at the same time! So excited for everybody.

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

.

Hey, I thought the tour was ok. I wish we could have gone into more rooms like the anatomy/phsyio lab or something or consult rooms. I thought my tour guide was good. She seemed enthusiastic and seemed to like the school. I liked the way the interviews were set up. It appealed to me and I think it is because of their setup that I did so well. I had so much fun with it. I felt like the school overall could have done a little better- such as a financial session, more involved tour, or a better welcome than the 5 minute briefing before interviews.


**** What are everybody's thoughts on places to live?? ***
I'm coming from NC :0) I may go up for the weekend in March but I haven't decided. Depends on what I can set up as far as potential housing by then!


I could not have wished for anything more awesome. Blacksburg seems so well suited for me!

I am soo excited.....I am writing out my check right now....Next to find a place to live!! Any suggestions on places nearby to live?????

Originally Posted by nawrlin57

Hey, I thought the tour was ok. I wish we could have gone into more rooms like the anatomy/phsyio lab or something or consult rooms. I thought my tour guide was good. She seemed enthusiastic and seemed to like the school. I liked the way the interviews were set up. It appealed to me and I think it is because of their setup that I did so well. I had so much fun with it. I felt like the school overall could have done a little better- such as a financial session, more involved tour, or a better welcome than the 5 minute briefing before interviews.


**** What are everybody's thoughts on places to live?? ***
I'm coming from NC :0) I may go up for the weekend in March but I haven't decided. Depends on what I can set up as far as potential housing by then!


I could not have wished for anything more awesome. Blacksburg seems so well suited for me!

Yeah, I hate that I can't take people into the rooms - I usually at least try to show people into the windows of one of the labs. If it makes you feel better, all that stuff is getting redone this summer, and there's going to be new surgery suites for your class (if you come) so seeing it wouldn't have helped you much anyway!

I think they're still trying to hit a happy medium with how much to talk to students on interview day; a few years ago when they first started the MMI format it was like an all-day event, with campus tours and school tours and a pizza lunch and lots more, which I think was overwhelming for people, so they scaled back a lot based on that feedback.

If you have a chance, for sure come to the Prospective Student Day, hopefully you'll get more then, plus there's Open House on 03/31 where basically the entire hospital and school is on display. If you're out of state, I guess it might limit your options about revisiting...Any way, congrats again, and Go Hokies!

P.S. My personal opinion: live close! When looking at places try to googlemap its location from the vet school. Also, a list of "Vet School Housing" will go out to you guys in the relatively near future, with housing opportunities with existing vet students....a room in my house will be on there :-)
(I live a block from the main downtown area) Lots of people live in Christiansburg or further out of town, but I realllly love a) being able to walk downtown when I want and b) being able to leave my house at 7:45 and be in my seat in school at 7:56. Not that I have that down to a science or anything....

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

Yeah, I hate that I can't take people into the rooms - I usually at least try to show people into the windows of one of the labs. If it makes you feel better, all that stuff is getting redone this summer, and there's going to be new surgery suites for your class (if you come) so seeing it wouldn't have helped you much anyway!

I think they're still trying to hit a happy medium with how much to talk to students on interview day; a few years ago when they first started the MMI format it was like an all-day event, with campus tours and school tours and a pizza lunch and lots more, which I think was overwhelming for people, so they scaled back a lot based on that feedback.

If you have a chance, for sure come to the Prospective Student Day, hopefully you'll get more then, plus there's Open House on 03/31 where basically the entire hospital and school is on display. If you're out of state, I guess it might limit your options about revisiting...Any way, congrats again, and Go Hokies!

P.S. My personal opinion: live close! When looking at places try to googlemap its location from the vet school. Also, a list of "Vet School Housing" will go out to you guys in the relatively near future, with housing opportunities with existing vet students....a room in my house will be on there :-)
(I live a block from the main downtown area) Lots of people live in Christiansburg or further out of town, but I realllly love a) being able to walk downtown when I want and b) being able to leave my house at 7:45 and be in my seat in school at 7:56. Not that I have that down to a science or anything....

Would you recommend waiting for this list to come out before figuring out housing? I know just about nothing about living in Blacksburg and am finding the housing options overwhelming! Do you know when this list comes out? Also, that list I guess would obviously be older students; what about living with other first years? I would love a place in Blacksburg where I would be in walking distance of downtown etc.and definitely wouldn't mind living with other vet students I just feel like I have no idea where to start, and I live about 6 hours away so unfortunately I have to do my housing searching all long-distance!

Well it's totally up to you when you start your search. I found my first year roommates through the listserv they set up for our class, so if you want to find classmates that's a good way to go - literally one of us sent out an e-mail to the whole class, and two of us responded. Also, a few people found roommates at Prospective Student weekend. I think we settled things in early summer.

The OTS Housing List entries are due 03/20, so I guess it should go out to you relatively soon after that? Maybe they'll wait until whatever the acceptance deadline is for you guys, so they can send it to people who are for sure attending.

Most vet students tend to live either on the East/North sides of the campus (if you look at a map of Blacksburg, it's things on the right side of Main Street), in a large development called Foxridge, or off towards Christiansburg. I would probably say stay away from The Village, Pheasant Run, Pheasant Run Crossing, Terrace View, or most things along Patrick Henry. Those are basically all undergrads, and while they were awesome then, most people don't want to live in big party, undergrad areas in vet school.

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

Well it's totally up to you when you start your search. I found my first year roommates through the listserv they set up for our class, so if you want to find classmates that's a good way to go - literally one of us sent out an e-mail to the whole class, and two of us responded. Also, a few people found roommates at Prospective Student weekend. I think we settled things in early summer.

The OTS Housing List entries are due 03/20, so I guess it should go out to you relatively soon after that? Maybe they'll wait until whatever the acceptance deadline is for you guys, so they can send it to people who are for sure attending.

Most vet students tend to live either on the East/North sides of the campus (if you look at a map of Blacksburg, it's things on the right side of Main Street), in a large development called Foxridge, or off towards Christiansburg. I would probably say stay away from The Village, Pheasant Run, Pheasant Run Crossing, Terrace View, or most things along Patrick Henry. Those are basically all undergrads, and while they were awesome then, most people don't want to live in big party, undergrad areas in vet school.

That's exactly what I figured; undergrad was definitely fun, but I would much rather live in an area more around other vet/grad students.

When is the Prospective Students weekend?? I know the open house is on the 31st, but I hadn't heard anything about that. Maybe they just haven't sent us any information about it yet -- my deposit is going out tomorrow, so maybe I'll get more information once they receive it at VMRCVM.

I'll definitely look out for that list -- thanks for your help, I appreciate it! I always feel so crazy trying to figure out housing!

I definitely do not want to live in the middle of a bunch of partying....I need peace and quiet to study and sleep.....lol..........

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

\

If you have a chance, for sure come to the Prospective Student Day, hopefully you'll get more then, plus there's Open House on 03/31 where basically the entire hospital and school is on display. If you're out of state, I guess it might limit your options about revisiting...Any way, congrats again, and Go Hokies!

P.S. My personal opinion: live close! When looking at places try to googlemap its location from the vet school. Also, a list of "Vet School Housing" will go out to you guys in the relatively near future, with housing opportunities with existing vet students....a room in my house will be on there :-)
(I live a block from the main downtown area) Lots of people live in Christiansburg or further out of town, but I realllly love a) being able to walk downtown when I want and b) being able to leave my house at 7:45 and be in my seat in school at 7:56. Not that I have that down to a science or anything....

Oh I'm going!!! Haha- VMRCVM became my first choice after the interview- the only reason I would have decided otherwise was if I were able to get IS tuition at my state school- which I was not accepted to and good riddens! I can't wait to live in Blacksburg- I love the school and I love the people!

Anybody interested in starting a fb page for 2016 class?

Originally Posted by nawrlin57

Anybody interested in starting a fb page for 2016 class?

Yes we definitely should do that!

EDIT: I went ahead and made one! There's not much on it yet but I have to run to class so I'll work more on it later Yayy!!
http://www.facebook.com/VmrcvmClassOf2016

Originally Posted by handcarvedstar

That's exactly what I figured; undergrad was definitely fun, but I would much rather live in an area more around other vet/grad students.

When is the Prospective Students weekend?? I know the open house is on the 31st, but I hadn't heard anything about that. Maybe they just haven't sent us any information about it yet -- my deposit is going out tomorrow, so maybe I'll get more information once they receive it at VMRCVM.

I'll definitely look out for that list -- thanks for your help, I appreciate it! I always feel so crazy trying to figure out housing!

I lived in Foxridge as an undergrad, while a lot of my friends lived in the village. Foxridge is definitely a lot quieter and it's still on the bus route. I think they also have a section set aside just for graduate students. There is a small community of town homes close to the complex, if people are interested in that instead. Not sure where I'm going to live, but I will probably plan on attending that prospective students week!

I missed the memo....when is prospective students day/week/weekend? I know Open House is the last weekend of March.

Regarding living, I highly recommend Windsor Hills. They don't tolerate parties so it's quiet, it's on the bus route, it's within walking distance of downtown Blacksburg, and it's 15 minute drive (tops!) to the Vet school. It has a 24 hour gym facility for you, and a dog park on the property for your forur-legged family members! They LOVE their doggie residents; every semester they open up the pool deck for a doggie pool party. There are a lot of vet students living there now, prolly because it's so animal friendly. That's where I'll be next year!

Smith's Landing is also very nice and REALLY close to the vet school. It is on Plantation Rd which is across from field of sheep with hair (did anyone else have the awesome bus driver that went on about this?!).

Downside to Smith's Landing is that is is more expensive and doesn't have a pool (if that matter's to you). The apartments are relatively new though (last 4 years or so), everyone has their own bathroom, they have laundry in the apartment and they take pets.

Does anyone have experience with owing a house as a vet student? I am pondering the idea, but not sure I want to dive into that risk with the student loans I will already have to pay back. It would be nice to have a yard and the extra space though.

So excited to be back down in the burg!

Originally Posted by Purple Kangaroo

Smith's Landing is also very nice and REALLY close to the vet school. It is on Plantation Rd which is across from field of sheep with hair (did anyone else have the awesome bus driver that went on about this?!).

Um Yes... bahahhaa

I think I'll probably try to live with either 2nd years or 1st years -- I'll browse the list they send out to us and if anyone is interested in try to find housing together feel free to PM me or post on the FB page etc.

For anyone interested: 1 BR in pet-friendly vet student house close to campus: $365/month

CONGRATS to all the new (and returning) Hokies! I'm a VMRCVM alumni and loved my time there. Say hi to the mountains for me

Congratulations to everyone! I'm living vicariously through all of you as I hope to be in your shoes next year. I'll be attending the open house as well at the end of this month. (curly redhead, lol)

On alternate list..md resident here. Hopefully get a reply otherwise its 80,000 for first year at ohio even though I love that area...

Just a few thoughts on housing for those of you that are looking...

I've lived in a small apartment complex called Stonegate on Tom's Creek road for 2 years now and highly recommend it! Doesn't look like much from the outside but super nice apartments for a reasonable price, and the landlord and maintenance guys are really friendly. People rarely throw loud parties and when they do they're really considerate about it. And pretty much everybody here (including myself) has at least one dog and there's a big grassy area for walking or frisbee

Several places also offer a "graduate" or "family" section, which is more expensive but much quieter than being surrounded by undergrad apartments.
I also have some friends who live in Windsor Hills and they really like it (also pet friendly).

For those of you who wanted to hear why Blacksburg is great to live in:

http://www.southernpigskin.com/ACC/v...528#f3379150c8

See ya in August! Enjoying answering your guys' questions here and via PM!

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

For those of you who wanted to hear why Blacksburg is great to live in:

http://www.southernpigskin.com/ACC/v...528#f3379150c8

See ya in August! Enjoying answering your guys' questions here and via PM!

Ahhhh I can't WAIT!! Penn was definitely nice when I visited, but unfortunately for me the city of Philadelphia just can't compare to the BEAUTIFUL mountains and trees and scenery of Blacksburg I don't think I'll ever be a city girl!

DIT-TO Having grown up right around there (philly)... the outskirts are nice but in NO WAY compare to blacksburg--- and New Bolton Center is a little over-rated ...


.... you pry all think I'm such a loser- on here all the time.. haha.. I'm so very much trying to put off studying for this microbial biotech exam... this is a good distraction!

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

I did want to ask, out of sheer curiosity, those of you who interviewed, how you found the experience. I was one of the tour guides, and would love the insight (btw, not sent by the school here, just asking for myself) you guys could offer. I love giving tours because I love giving people insight on how I made my decision about which school to pick, and giving people a little peek at our school, but it would be great to hear what you all thought. Looking through this thread, it sounds like people had mixed reactions - anyone want to share more?

Hey hokiedvm I'm so excited to be a hokie soon (even though I have NO idea what a hokie actually is....)
I came in from SC for the interview. I have never been to that part of VA, embarrassed to say that I didn't even know Blacksburg was in the mountains until we got there. The area and the school are so beautiful and really sold themselves, but VMRCVM didn't really try to sell us on the school or program, really didn't even say welcome and thanks for coming. Dr. Pelzer's 5 minute info to the interview was really lackluster and even she seemed bored by it. Maybe it's the stress of such a large undertaking as MMI, as well as having to deliver the speech so many times, but I was only group 4. I don't know, I wanted a bit more from the admissions committee. The bus tour would have been great, but it was raining, so we couldn't see anything-which is no-ones fault. The school tour was ok, my guide was nice and informative. Overall just an ok experience, except for the actual interviews, which I really enjoyed (after the first couple rooms). Thanks for asking

Originally Posted by handcarvedstar

Yes we definitely should do that!

EDIT: I went ahead and made one! There's not much on it yet but I have to run to class so I'll work more on it later Yayy!!
http://www.facebook.com/VmrcvmClassOf2016

Hey y'all!
I'm in your upcoming class too, but I am likely the last person alive not on Facebook (I have no plans to join either). So sorry I won't have a chance to connect with y'all before classes start, but I really look forward to meeting everyone in August!

Originally Posted by hokiedvm

I did want to ask, out of sheer curiosity, those of you who interviewed, how you found the experience. I was one of the tour guides, and would love the insight (btw, not sent by the school here, just asking for myself) you guys could offer. I love giving tours because I love giving people insight on how I made my decision about which school to pick, and giving people a little peek at our school, but it would be great to hear what you all thought. Looking through this thread, it sounds like people had mixed reactions - anyone want to share more?

I flew in to Roanoke from Sacramento the night before the interview (friday) and drove down to Blacksburg that evening. I interviewed with group 2, and at that point, Dr. Pelzer was very engaging and answered most of our questions before the interview (felt like we had 20 min with her) - those saying she wasn't enthusiastic must have caught her late in the day on Friday or Saturday after she had repeated the routine 4-5x. As I mentioned previously, my tour guide is a second year student interested in the MPH program and possibly switching to the public/corporate track. As those align with my interests (and why I'm so happy I got in to VMRCVM), I thought the tour was great!

I interviewed at OSU this cycle and they definitely did more to "sell" the school and the experience (Dinner the night before, financial aid orientation/student/clinician panels and lunch and tour before the interview). The thing I came away with from the experience at OSU CVM was that everyone there - from admissions staff, to clinicians, to current students - was proud to be a Buckeye. I didn't come away feeling that everyone at VMRCVM was proud to be a Hokie (hope them's not fightin' words!).

Not to say I was disappointed by the experience at VMRCVM, it was just different. I know the dining commons area is very limited as to what can be prepared (I heard it from all the students and even Dr. Pelzer), but some sort of reception with food at the end of interviews for the day would have been nice (the logistics of doing student/clinician panels and orientation sessions for each group of 32 doing interviews are probably prohibitive). I was able to talk with a few first year students in the dining commons right after the interview/before the tour and they all seemed down to earth and friendly: it wasn't as formal as a panel, but it was really nice (if there were no current students in that room to talk to, I think my experience would have been less positive).

I got peanuts with my informational folder and wasn't told the significance (to be fair, my folder only had hot dog vouchers and a ticket to the softball game sat... maybe the actual information packet was not there). I was thinking "great, I just got off an airplane, I will be getting back on one in 12 hours, and I got peanuts". I did save them and ate them with my wife when I got the good news Friday night (we both laughed because we still had no clue about why peanuts were given).

I also wish someone had told me the mexican food in Blacksburg is ... I had a veggie quesadilla that was filled with cheese sauce, not cheese.... But that's more a personal problem.

So... at the end of all that, food would have been nice. That's what should be added next year (if you have input).

Originally Posted by Peperoncini

So... at the end of all that, food would have been nice. That's what should be added next year (if you have input).

It's funny you should say that. =)

The tour did NOT do the campus food justice. There are limited dining options at the vet school - but Virginia Tech campus food consistently ranks top 5 nationwide (in the Princeton Review). West End would be the dining center closest to the vet school, and it houses a chop shop (their specialty is a London Broil, but not being a red meat-eater, I go for their salmon ), extensive soup & salad bar, pasta place, sandwich shop (amazing!), and "diner" fair, along with a dessert place for ice cream, shakes, cake and cookies. Each section has rotating daily specials to help prevent the place from getting boring.

Across the street from West End is Dietrick, the main dining facility; it houses Deet's Place coffee shop and DX "express" food (but it's high quality; they have sushi! =) ). But the main attraction is D2. It has limited hours but it's an all-you-can-eat buffet place. They've got chinese food, made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches, vegan/vegetarian options (all delicious), pasta, and - of course - desserts. For major holidays they host themed "feasts" which usually cost more, but man they do NOT let a student down; Thanksgiving has butternut squash specials, candied yams, roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, gravy, apple cider - if it's a Thanksgiving tradition, it's in their cafeteria.

We're also getting a new dining center next year with the commonwealth of Virginia's first Jamba Juice, made-to-order bagels, etc... You can read about it in the campus newspaper: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stori...-dining-center Unfortunately it's clear on the opposite side of campus from the vet school, so not a great place for us to snag a quick bite to eat. But still.

As far as food in Blacksburg is concerned:

Gillie's is an AMAZING vegetarian place, *highly* recommend it. El Rodeo's is only good for drinks; if you want good Mexican you'll want to go to El Mariachi, which is further out towards Christiansburg. Jimmy John's makes incredible sandwiches, they deliver to most of the town, and they are NOT kidding when they say they're fast; my record with them is 5 minutes submitted order to knock on the door. =) The Cellar has pretty good food but amazing beer menus. Sharkey's is pretty standard food but incredibly happy hour deals ($3 Long Islands! Hell yes!) and I've run in to 2nd and 3rd year vet students there before, so I guess it's been popular with them?

Anyway. =) All of this to say I'm disappointed with the way my town presented itself on the food front, if you came away disappointed!

EDIT:

Ohh no, just saw the schpiel about not being proud to be a Hokie! Now I'm REALLY sorry we didn't represent ourselves well!

I think the culture is a little different for the vet students, who seem more focused on surviving than anything else; but I'll tell you what, speaking for the undergraduate community here: we are stark raving mad to be Hokies. There is nothing this campus won't do for me, and I'm dead positive about that. Community service? Virginia Tech has hosted the biggest collegiate Relay for Life two years in a row. The Big Event - a massive community service effort concentrated in one day of team-based service - turns 11 this year. Research opportunities? Everywhere. Even the business school gets involved with research. Not as applicable to veterinary students, perhaps, but Greek Life? Oak Lane hosts some of the biggest names in the IFC and the NPH - and it's expanding! On the flipside, not being a member in a greek-letter organization by no means impedes your ability to participate in/enjoy stereotypically "Greek" things - such as Homecoming or the Midwinter's Ball. Extracirriculars? Our intramural sports program covers everything from flag football to bowling. The Break Zone! in the student center comes complete with bowling alleys, billiards, darts, and Dance Dance Revolution if that's your thing. Its next-door neighbor, Venture Out, hosts whitewater rafting, horseback riding, trail hikes, camping, kayaking, etc - everything to help you truly appreciate the Appalachian Mountains. <3 Fitness? There are two gyms on the VT campus, and the nicest one is right up the hill from the vet school; McComas (the nice one) just had a massive renovation. It's got multiple basketball courts, ridiculous numbers of treadmills/step machines/ellipticals/etc etc with a fully-stoked weight room and even a cycling room. Fitness passes will get you in to weekly classes in everything from Guts, Butts, and Thighs (my personal favorite) to Zumba to Sunrise Yoga. And there's a pool. Student Organizations? Other than the orgs directly affiliated with the vet school, there are HUNDREDS of student orgs on campus - covering everything from competitive Pokemon tournaments (I'm so serious) to Skydiving. To my knowledge, all of them allow graduate-level membership. And if there's something you want to see get started, you need only 3 members, a single piece of paperwork, and $0 to start up a recognized student organization.

-phew-

Sorry, I'm absolutely psychotic about this place. Let me know if you have any other questions, I could talk about my undergraduate home forever. <3

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

It's funny you should say that. =)

The tour did NOT do the campus food justice. There are limited dining options at the vet school - but Virginia Tech campus food consistently ranks top 5 nationwide (in the Princeton Review). West End would be the dining center closest to the vet school, and it houses a chop shop (their specialty is a London Broil, but not being a red meat-eater, I go for their salmon ), extensive soup & salad bar, pasta place, sandwich shop (amazing!), and "diner" fair, along with a dessert place for ice cream, shakes, cake and cookies. Each section has rotating daily specials to help prevent the place from getting boring.

Across the street from West End is Dietrick, the main dining facility; it houses Deet's Place coffee shop and DX "express" food (but it's high quality; they have sushi! =) ). But the main attraction is D2. It has limited hours but it's an all-you-can-eat buffet place. They've got chinese food, made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches, vegan/vegetarian options (all delicious), pasta, and - of course - desserts. For major holidays they host themed "feasts" which usually cost more, but man they do NOT let a student down; Thanksgiving has butternut squash specials, candied yams, roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, gravy, apple cider - if it's a Thanksgiving tradition, it's in their cafeteria.

We're also getting a new dining center next year with the commonwealth of Virginia's first Jamba Juice, made-to-order bagels, etc... You can read about it in the campus newspaper: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stori...-dining-center Unfortunately it's clear on the opposite side of campus from the vet school, so not a great place for us to snag a quick bite to eat. But still.

As far as food in Blacksburg is concerned:

Gillie's is an AMAZING vegetarian place, *highly* recommend it. El Rodeo's is only good for drinks; if you want good Mexican you'll want to go to El Mariachi, which is further out towards Christiansburg. Jimmy John's makes incredible sandwiches, they deliver to most of the town, and they are NOT kidding when they say they're fast; my record with them is 5 minutes submitted order to knock on the door. =) The Cellar has pretty good food but amazing beer menus. Sharkey's is pretty standard food but incredibly happy hour deals ($3 Long Islands! Hell yes!) and I've run in to 2nd and 3rd year vet students there before, so I guess it's been popular with them?

Anyway. =) All of this to say I'm disappointed with the way my town presented itself on the food front, if you came away disappointed!

EDIT:

Ohh no, just saw the schpiel about not being proud to be a Hokie! Now I'm REALLY sorry we didn't represent ourselves well!

I think the culture is a little different for the vet students, who seem more focused on surviving than anything else; but I'll tell you what, speaking for the undergraduate community here: we are stark raving mad to be Hokies. There is nothing this campus won't do for me, and I'm dead positive about that. Community service? Virginia Tech has hosted the biggest collegiate Relay for Life two years in a row. The Big Event - a massive community service effort concentrated in one day of team-based service - turns 11 this year. Research opportunities? Everywhere. Even the business school gets involved with research. Not as applicable to veterinary students, perhaps, but Greek Life? Oak Lane hosts some of the biggest names in the IFC and the NPH - and it's expanding! On the flipside, not being a member in a greek-letter organization by no means impedes your ability to participate in/enjoy stereotypically "Greek" things - such as Homecoming or the Midwinter's Ball. Extracirriculars? Our intramural sports program covers everything from flag football to bowling. The Break Zone! in the student center comes complete with bowling alleys, billiards, darts, and Dance Dance Revolution if that's your thing. Its next-door neighbor, Venture Out, hosts whitewater rafting, horseback riding, trail hikes, camping, kayaking, etc - everything to help you truly appreciate the Appalachian Mountains. <3 Fitness? There are two gyms on the VT campus, and the nicest one is right up the hill from the vet school; McComas (the nice one) just had a massive renovation. It's got multiple basketball courts, ridiculous numbers of treadmills/step machines/ellipticals/etc etc with a fully-stoked weight room and even a cycling room. Fitness passes will get you in to weekly classes in everything from Guts, Butts, and Thighs (my personal favorite) to Zumba to Sunrise Yoga. And there's a pool. Student Organizations? Other than the orgs directly affiliated with the vet school, there are HUNDREDS of student orgs on campus - covering everything from competitive Pokemon tournaments (I'm so serious) to Skydiving. To my knowledge, all of them allow graduate-level membership. And if there's something you want to see get started, you need only 3 members, a single piece of paperwork, and $0 to start up a recognized student organization.

-phew-

Sorry, I'm absolutely psychotic about this place. Let me know if you have any other questions, I could talk about my undergraduate home forever. <3

I really appreciate the thoughtful response. I fell in love with the area while I was out there (I've lived in mountain regions with small towns - Santa Cruz Mtns, Sierra Nevadas, Southern Oregon - for most of my life). I'm sure people are crazy about this school, I was just commenting that I didn't see it. I'm glad to hear that you are so excited about VT, I'm sure I will be too (I already am, but being accepted and actually attending are two different beasts!). I spoke with someone else who is an alumni of the vet school this afternoon and she assured me that she is very proud of the school as well. This has been very reassuring!

I'm looking forward to checking out all the food options on the VT campus and in downtown Blacksburg. Unfortunately, El Mariachi is the place that offended my Hispanic sensibilities with the cheese sauce quesadilla (it was less than a half mile from the Days Inn I stayed at). The Dos Equis and happy hour margarita did not disappoint, however .

Again, thanks for your amazing post!

($3 Long Islands? I'm sold!)

Originally Posted by Peperoncini

I really appreciate the thoughtful response. I fell in love with the area while I was out there (I've lived in mountain regions with small towns - Santa Cruz Mtns, Sierra Nevadas, Southern Oregon - for most of my life). I'm sure people are crazy about this school, I was just commenting that I didn't see it. I'm glad to hear that you are so excited about VT, I'm sure I will be too (I already am, but being accepted and actually attending are two different beasts!). I spoke with someone else who is an alumni of the vet school this afternoon and she assured me that she is very proud of the school as well. This has been very reassuring!

I'm looking forward to checking out all the food options on the VT campus and in downtown Blacksburg. Unfortunately, El Mariachi is the place that offended my Hispanic sensibilities with the cheese sauce quesadilla (it was less than a half mile from the Days Inn I stayed at). The Dos Equis and happy hour margarita did not disappoint, however .

Again, thanks for your amazing post!

($3 Long Islands? I'm sold!)

Haha anything I can do to sell my school.

Sorry about El Mariachi - definitely stay away from the rest of the Mexican places then, 'cus that one is one of the best (except for El Rodeo's gigantic, cheap margaritas, of course...).

Originally Posted by VTvet2b

Just a few thoughts on housing for those of you that are looking...

I've lived in a small apartment complex called Stonegate on Tom's Creek road for 2 years now and highly recommend it! Doesn't look like much from the outside but super nice apartments for a reasonable price, and the landlord and maintenance guys are really friendly. People rarely throw loud parties and when they do they're really considerate about it. And pretty much everybody here (including myself) has at least one dog and there's a big grassy area for walking or frisbee

Several places also offer a "graduate" or "family" section, which is more expensive but much quieter than being surrounded by undergrad apartments.
I also have some friends who live in Windsor Hills and they really like it (also pet friendly).

Stonegate is really nice! There are pets everywhere too. I like in a house about 100 ft away from it right now. It's a fairly quiet area and super close to campus and walking distance to dt. Plus there is lots of public parking which is nice.

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

It's funny you should say that. =)
As far as food in Blacksburg is concerned:

Gillie's is an AMAZING vegetarian place, *highly* recommend it. El Rodeo's is only good for drinks; if you want good Mexican you'll want to go to El Mariachi, which is further out towards Christiansburg. Jimmy John's makes incredible sandwiches, they deliver to most of the town, and they are NOT kidding when they say they're fast; my record with them is 5 minutes submitted order to knock on the door. =) The Cellar has pretty good food but amazing beer menus. Sharkey's is pretty standard food but incredibly happy hour deals ($3 Long Islands! Hell yes!) and I've run in to 2nd and 3rd year vet students there before, so I guess it's been popular with them?

Anyway. =) All of this to say I'm disappointed with the way my town presented itself on the food front, if you came away disappointed!

EDIT:

Ohh no, just saw the schpiel about not being proud to be a Hokie! Now I'm REALLY sorry we didn't represent ourselves well!

I think the culture is a little different for the vet students, who seem more focused on surviving than anything else; but I'll tell you what, speaking for the undergraduate community here: we are stark raving mad to be Hokies. There is nothing this campus won't do for me, and I'm dead positive about that. Community service? Virginia Tech has hosted the biggest collegiate Relay for Life two years in a row. The Big Event - a massive community service effort concentrated in one day of team-based service - turns 11 this year. Research opportunities? Everywhere. Even the business school gets involved with research. Not as applicable to veterinary students, perhaps, but Greek Life? Oak Lane hosts some of the biggest names in the IFC and the NPH - and it's expanding! On the flipside, not being a member in a greek-letter organization by no means impedes your ability to participate in/enjoy stereotypically "Greek" things - such as Homecoming or the Midwinter's Ball. Extracirriculars? Our intramural sports program covers everything from flag football to bowling. The Break Zone! in the student center comes complete with bowling alleys, billiards, darts, and Dance Dance Revolution if that's your thing. Its next-door neighbor, Venture Out, hosts whitewater rafting, horseback riding, trail hikes, camping, kayaking, etc - everything to help you truly appreciate the Appalachian Mountains. <3 Fitness? There are two gyms on the VT campus, and the nicest one is right up the hill from the vet school; McComas (the nice one) just had a massive renovation. It's got multiple basketball courts, ridiculous numbers of treadmills/step machines/ellipticals/etc etc with a fully-stoked weight room and even a cycling room. Fitness passes will get you in to weekly classes in everything from Guts, Butts, and Thighs (my personal favorite) to Zumba to Sunrise Yoga. And there's a pool. Student Organizations? Other than the orgs directly affiliated with the vet school, there are HUNDREDS of student orgs on campus - covering everything from competitive Pokemon tournaments (I'm so serious) to Skydiving. To my knowledge, all of them allow graduate-level membership. And if there's something you want to see get started, you need only 3 members, a single piece of paperwork, and $0 to start up a recognized student organization.

-phew-

Sorry, I'm absolutely psychotic about this place. Let me know if you have any other questions, I could talk about my undergraduate home forever. <3

^ agree with absolutely everything you said. I could not love this school more. The community is great and I can assure you there are TONS of extremely proud Hokies here

anddd the food is out of this world good. I miss it whenever I go home. Campus food better than most restaurants.

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

I
Gillie's is an AMAZING vegetarian place, *highly* recommend it. El Rodeo's is only good for drinks; if you want good Mexican you'll want to go to El Mariachi, which is further out towards Christiansburg. Jimmy John's makes incredible sandwiches, they deliver to most of the town, and they are NOT kidding when they say they're fast; my record with them is 5 minutes submitted order to knock on the door. =) The Cellar has pretty good food but amazing beer menus. Sharkey's is pretty standard food but incredibly happy hour deals ($3 Long Islands! Hell yes!) and I've run in to 2nd and 3rd year vet students there before, so I guess it's been popular with them?

Oh my gawwwdd I miss Gillie's. You forgot breakfast at Lefty's too. YUM. El Grand Rodeo is also a good Mexican place in Christiansburg, maybe 5-10 min from campus - Yeah, El Rods in Blacksburg is not very good at all except for the drinks. And who can forget Cabo Fish Taco!? Now I'm hungry....

I'll actually be stopping in Bburg on a road trip to a conference on April 2. Woot!!!!!

Fun Fact: I actually went on a few dates with the manager of the Blacksburg Jimmy Johns

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

It's funny you should say that. =)

Its next-door neighbor, Venture Out, hosts whitewater rafting, horseback riding, trail hikes, camping, kayaking, etc - everything to help you truly appreciate the Appalachian Mountains. <3 Fitness? There are two gyms on the VT campus, and the nicest one is right up the hill from the vet school; McComas (the nice one) just had a massive renovation. It's got multiple basketball courts, ridiculous numbers of treadmills/step machines/ellipticals/etc etc with a fully-stoked weight room and even a cycling room. Fitness passes will get you in to weekly classes in everything from Guts, Butts, and Thighs (my personal favorite) to Zumba to Sunrise Yoga. And there's a pool.

Is this stuff expensive? I assume gym memberships are free as long as you're a student but I would think you have to pay for a lot of this Venture Out stuff which sounds amazing. Do you know if you can bring "outsiders" to these events. ...

I'm stoked to be a Hokie! The sense of community I felt there reminds me of my undergrad at UNCW and of PennState back home. My boyfriend and I are excited about Hokie football, esp. because he loves APP and they play eachother :0) It will def be nice to have you in the class though filling us all in on what's available hopefulinva.

Hey all,

I am trying to get a jumpstart on the housing situ. Anybody looking that might want to chat about living together that doesn't have any cats? .... I have two- and one does not like other cats... I also have a dog-- but he's not brilliant and sleeps 75% of the day. Sorry to the cat folks. You can pm me if you're interested :0)

Does anyone know if we're supposed to receive acceptance letters in the mail as well?

Excited to meet everyone! Once I tell work (May), I'll join the facebook group!

Originally Posted by nawrlin57

Is this stuff expensive? I assume gym memberships are free as long as you're a student but I would think you have to pay for a lot of this Venture Out stuff which sounds amazing. Do you know if you can bring "outsiders" to these events. ...

They're very reasonably priced. I don't know all of the prices off the top of my head but I do know that renting a 6 person tent for a weekend of camping came to a grand total of $12. =) And they do allow non-students. You may have to have a Hokie Passport (that's our student ID) to make the reservation, though, but I'm not sure about that one. And the cost may change for guests.

Gym membership is free to students, but passes to the fitness classes have an extra cost associated with them. There are multiple "tiers" of passes (some for just yoga, some for yoga and strength training, and one that covers all of the classes they offer) and I think the most expensive one is $45/semester. They offer free classes for a week so you can figure out which ones you like (and therefore which pass you want to buy), and halfway through the semester the passes drop down to half price.

I'm not the only Hokie in our class, and I'm sure the several of us there are will be quite vehement in getting you guys out and around Blacksburg. <3

Originally Posted by livefor32

Does anyone know if we're supposed to receive acceptance letters in the mail as well?

Yep. Dr. Pelzer said they'd go out the same day the e-mails would, but I haven't seen one yet. Been waiting on it to actually turn in a hardcopy of my paperwork, but heck, I might just print out the e-mail at this point...

Originally Posted by WhtsThFrequency

Oh my gawwwdd I miss Gillie's. You forgot breakfast at Lefty's too. YUM. El Grand Rodeo is also a good Mexican place in Christiansburg, maybe 5-10 min from campus - Yeah, El Rods in Blacksburg is not very good at all except for the drinks. And who can forget Cabo Fish Taco!? Now I'm hungry....

I'll actually be stopping in Bburg on a road trip to a conference on April 2. Woot!!!!!

Fun Fact: I actually went on a few dates with the manager of the Blacksburg Jimmy Johns

I've actually never had breakfast at Lefty's (I've heard good things, though). Haha; I'll definitely have to try it sometime.

I dunno how long you've been out of Blacksburg, but we have a Chipotle now, and a new pub going in to what used to be the residential house next to Burger King (kinda sorta behind the Beta Theta Pi house?). I'm really looking forward to that one, haha.

Hopefully the manager isn't as Freaky Fast as his business is, no?

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

I've actually never had breakfast at Lefty's (I've heard good things, though). Haha; I'll definitely have to try it sometime.

I dunno how long you've been out of Blacksburg, but we have a Chipotle now, and a new pub going in to what used to be the residential house next to Burger King (kinda sorta behind the Beta Theta Pi house?). I'm really looking forward to that one, haha.

Hopefully the manager isn't as Freaky Fast as his business is, no?

You have to. Their breakfast potatoes are fracking amazing. I've been gone about a year and a half....right as I was leaving, the new wine bar type of thing opened up, on the opposite side of the street as El Rods.

LMAO. Actually, he tried to stick his tongue down my throat on the second date I was all I mean, he was nice, but not quite my type. We remained friendly though and are FB friends to this day, haha.

You know what I really, really miss? The Vintage Cellar. ARRRRGH!

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

Gym membership is free to students, but passes to the fitness classes have an extra cost associated with them.

Just wanted to say, Gym memberships aren't technically "free" - you get charged a fee along with tuition and such that goes towards the gym/athletics stuff. You have no choice but to pay this fee, so you might as well use the gym! I've been going to the gym more and more over the semesters, and McComas is really nice!

If anyone is interested in housing options away from the hustle and bustle, feel free to PM me. I live on the border of B-burg/C-burg back in the boonies but really like it. I have an almost private mile trail in the mountains to walk/hike/jog with my dogs and my landlord is super lenient about all the animals. I believe he still has some places available for rent.

Originally Posted by GreennWhite

Just wanted to say, Gym memberships aren't technically "free" - you get charged a fee along with tuition and such that goes towards the gym/athletics stuff. You have no choice but to pay this fee, so you might as well use the gym! I've been going to the gym more and more over the semesters, and McComas is really nice!

Ahaha true; a fact I'm reminded of every time that tuition bill comes out.

Have any of you guys looked at the tracks yet? Any idea what you guys might be interested in doing? =)

Yeah, it sounds like more could/should be done pre-interview - maybe she thought everyone was so stressed about the interview that anything she said would be falling on deaf ears? I understand why they chose to have a separate Prospective Students thing, along with the Open House, but I feel like people from Out of State will have a hard time coming back to it. Anyway, our school rocks and hopefully see ya in August

Originally Posted by CanHardlyWait

Hey hokiedvm I'm so excited to be a hokie soon (even though I have NO idea what a hokie actually is....)
I came in from SC for the interview. I have never been to that part of VA, embarrassed to say that I didn't even know Blacksburg was in the mountains until we got there. The area and the school are so beautiful and really sold themselves, but VMRCVM didn't really try to sell us on the school or program, really didn't even say welcome and thanks for coming. Dr. Pelzer's 5 minute info to the interview was really lackluster and even she seemed bored by it. Maybe it's the stress of such a large undertaking as MMI, as well as having to deliver the speech so many times, but I was only group 4. I don't know, I wanted a bit more from the admissions committee. The bus tour would have been great, but it was raining, so we couldn't see anything-which is no-ones fault. The school tour was ok, my guide was nice and informative. Overall just an ok experience, except for the actual interviews, which I really enjoyed (after the first couple rooms). Thanks for asking

Yeah, definitely sounds like a more involved process at OSU - as I've mentioned before, I think they try to sort all the big stuff out at Prospective Students, but it's got to be hard for out-of-towners to come back.
(The peanuts were so you could attend "Vet School Day" at the VT baseball games on Saturday...weird that they didn't get that across?).

In terms of Mexican, haven't sifted through all the other replies, but I'll mention (not having tried it myself yet, just heard decent things) that the new El Rodeo's, in the First and Main shopping center, has upped the cuisine bar (not the "original" - great place for cheap margaritas, really horrible food ) so you should give it a go! But overall, I agree, coming from a place with delicious latin american cuisine, it's not the strongest here...

By the way...Hokie Pride! Absolutely! We all take HUGE pride in being students here, and love our professors and bragging about their accomplishments, and going to the Virginia Veterinary Medicine Conferences and all that. Don't worry, you'll soon realize that maroon and orange actually make for a great color combination

Haha, a group of vet students have a tradition of going to the beer tastings at the Vintage Cellar most fridays where they keep us till 5. A huge swarm of us will walk in, but they know how to handle us by now...

#1. What is a hokie?

#2. I would really like to talk to some current students so I can make my choice in terms of what offer to accept. PM me please!

Originally Posted by ANY2003

#1. What is a hokie?

What is a Hokie?

I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Hokie is some kind of Turkey....

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

Have any of you guys looked at the tracks yet? Any idea what you guys might be interested in doing? =)

It seems VT is really proud of their mixed animal track. I am having a very hard time deciding between small animal ER and food animal .....

can't you see the similarities.. haha. So, I'm going to work on that decision more but likely going the mixed animal route.

Originally Posted by hopefulinva

Have any of you guys looked at the tracks yet? Any idea what you guys might be interested in doing? =)

I've been thinking about doing the public/corporate track. I asked in my interview whether tracking public/corporate would still give me the necessary skills to be a successful practitioner, and they said absolutely!

Does anyone know when the prospective students day is?? I'm thinking about going down mid-april to get an apartment, that way I can start figuring out what stuff I need/don't need.