Accept or Try Again Next Year?

[gumtree]

Am I completely crazy to consider declining my one acceptance into vet school this year so that I can reapply next year to my IS?

I just found out I was accepted to Illinois as an OOS. I am totally shocked and was not expecting to be accepted AT ALL after two wait lists and one rejection. I had sort of come to accept that I wouldn't be accepted this cycle, and had started working on my Plan B of getting some more small animal hours and saving some money. I was beginning to feel good about my Plan B and how I could increase my chances of being accepted next cycle.

I am wait listed at my IS, Minnesota, but I'm so far down on the list that I don't think I will make it in.

After crunching the numbers, I'm freaking out because I realized that Illinois will be about $50,000 more expensive than my IS, and that's not taking into account that I could continue to live at home if I went to my IS. Not to mention my family, friends, and boyfriend are all here in Minnesota, and I'm worried about the additional costs of traveling home over breaks to see them. I was already worried about financing vet school, but now I'm even more upset and confused.

Am I being completely ridiculous to even consider declining Illinois and applying to my IS again next year? I could really use some advice, SDN!

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[deb1123]

Am I completely crazy to consider declining my one acceptance into vet school this year so that I can reapply next year to my IS?

I just found out I was accepted to Illinois as an OOS. I am totally shocked and was not expecting to be accepted AT ALL after two wait lists and one rejection. I had sort of come to accept that I wouldn't be accepted this cycle, and had started working on my Plan B of getting some more small animal hours and saving some money. I was beginning to feel good about my Plan B and how I could increase my chances of being accepted next cycle.

I am wait listed at my IS, Minnesota, but I'm so far down on the list that I don't think I will make it in.

After crunching the numbers, I'm freaking out because I realized that Illinois will be about $50,000 more expensive than my IS, and that's not taking into account that I could continue to live at home if I went to my IS. Not to mention my family, friends, and boyfriend are all here in Minnesota, and I'm worried about the additional costs of traveling home over breaks to see them. I was already worried about financing vet school, but now I'm even more upset and confused.

Am I being completely ridiculous to even consider declining Illinois and applying to my IS again next year? I could really use some advice, SDN!

Declining my OOS acceptances and applying next year to my IS was going to be my plan B. I figure that if I didn't get accepted into my IS the next year, then at least I will have made some more money during the year off to pay for vet school.

I'd rather go to vet school a few years later than be stuck with triple that number of years of debt paying.

 

[Escalla]

I think it's worth it to wait a year and potentially save $50,000. Will you be happier at UMN than UIUC? That's also something you should take into account.

I turned down my only acceptance (K-State) last year to re-apply this year to my "IS" (Canada). If I get in I will be saving $136,000. It's not a far leap from the wait list to acceptance -- I was in the same situation where I was waitlisted, but too far down to expect being admitted.

I got the chance to gain more experiences, travel and do a lot of things that I didn't have the chance to in school. Are you graduating this year or are you finished? There are times when I wish I had accepted the offer and would be working towards a DVM right now, but I know that the debt wasn't worth it to me and I'm happy with my decision.

If you think you would be really happy at UIUC, then take it. But if you really want to go to MN and feel as though waiting a year (potentially 2 years) to go, then wait. It's scary to turn it down, but it will be worth it in the end imo.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[DVMDream]

You have to decide what is going to work out for you. I usually tell people from the get go... do NOT apply to a place that you will not attend if accepted.. it is a waste of time and money, but it seems like you were genuinely prepared to move on and try again next year not expecting to get accepted this year. You have to decide if you can deal with the extra debt and living away from family... You also have to remind yourself that there is no guarantee that you will get accepted to your IS next year and that there is also the possibility that you won't get accepted again OOS next year either... So are you prepared to throw away an acceptance to try again and potentially have nothing?

Moving away from friends and family is hard, very hard, I know... I moved to a completely different country for vet school this year.. but I can tell you that it gets easier. I have met a lot of good people over here that I will have friendships with for a long time... they become your support system... and your family is always just a quick phone call away if you ever really need to talk to them.

The decision is ultimately yours... you have to decide if you want to go ahead and take an acceptance OOS or if you want to try again next year... make a pro/con list for both options and decide what you think is best.

 

[macita183]

I'm in the same boat. I was accepted to 2 OOS schools and flat out rejected at my IS. This is my third year applying. I'm planning on setting up a file review with my IS and accepting at one of the OOS (haven't decided which yet). If my IS says I barely missed the mark for acceptance/waitlist then I will have to seriously consider declining for this fall (which will be so hard to do). If my IS tells me I've got a lot of things to do to improve before I get a chance, I may decide to go OOS. I just hope when I do my file review they can be brutally honest with me. I would love to attend either OOS school and if it wasn't for the hefty OOS price tag I wouldn't even be considering declining this year.

I'm also a non-trad (29) so I don't know how many tries I have left in me. I've worked full time at my non-vet related job, worked part time at a vet clinic, taken classes, shadowed, volunteered, etc, etc for the past couple of years with no free time (yes, I know this happens in vet school but at least once in vet school there will be the graduation light at the end of the tunnel).

The financial implications is a huge thing to think about so you are not crazy!

 

[LetItSnow]

I am wait listed at my IS, Minnesota, but I'm so far down on the list that I don't think I will make it in.

I would add in (as a factor in your decision-making) the realistic chance you will get off the waitlist. I have no inside information, but going fairly deep into waitlists is not at all uncommon. It varies year to year, but based on what I've seen in my class, the class in front of us, and the class behind us, I wouldn't write off MN. Obviously you also can't "plan on it" (which sucks), but ....

 

[capirinha]

.

 

[cs5910]

Im going to play devils advocate here. If you never get accepted to your IS, or anywhere else for that matter, will you always regret that decision to decline Illinois? That's the question I'd ask myself (personally). Only you know what the "right" answer truly is.

 

[wildcatj]

I might be totally off in this, but when I think if I were in this situation I would accept my OOS offer. While $50,000 is a large sum of money, you will be graduating a year earlier than if you wait which means an additional year practicing - and if starting salary is between $40,000 and $60,000 that could mean an additional year of working with a veterinarian's salary.... and thus that might balance out the extra OOS tuition cost? Not to mention, tuition prices rise each year so waiting another year might boost up the cost a bit too.

Just my random thoughts, I could be totally wrong since I didn't crunch specific numbers or anything.

The thing to remember though is that you may make money in that year to offset cost of vet school and that 50k will turn into much more by the time you graduate because of interest.

Sent from my HTC Glacier using SDN Mobile

 

[ViaBea]

I don't think your crazy. I'm having similar thoughts. I haven't been actually accepted anywhere and the decision is driving me crazy; so, I can imagine the decision is even harder for you.

I have an interview at Tennessee though and I'm honestly thinking about turning it down to try to apply next year to get into a cheaper school if I don't get off the Mizzou wait list. My grades are around average for most schools, but I think I would have a lot better of a chance with more experience even though there still is that what-if factor there.

Before the application cycle, I definitely was willing to go into huge debt for vet school (even though I'm a cheap-o in other aspects of life and would of based my school decision off of finances if I had a choice). I know I still will be if I get in, but hopefully less debt. I made peace with the fact that I'm probably going to be applying next year. I've even been kicking around the idea of moving to another state with cheaper tuition because my IS is expensive even though it would be close to my family, but I haven't checked with the schools for their rules about it yet.

I still haven't made up my mind though if I'm going to take the interview or not.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[KCgophervet]

You have to decide what is going to work out for you. I usually tell people from the get go... do NOT apply to a place that you will not attend if accepted.. it is a waste of time and money, but it seems like you were genuinely prepared to move on and try again next year not expecting to get accepted this year. You have to decide if you can deal with the extra debt and living away from family... You also have to remind yourself that there is no guarantee that you will get accepted to your IS next year and that there is also the possibility that you won't get accepted again OOS next year either... So are you prepared to throw away an acceptance to try again and potentially have nothing?

Moving away from friends and family is hard, very hard, I know... I moved to a completely different country for vet school this year.. but I can tell you that it gets easier. I have met a lot of good people over here that I will have friendships with for a long time... they become your support system... and your family is always just a quick phone call away if you ever really need to talk to them.

The decision is ultimately yours... you have to decide if you want to go ahead and take an acceptance OOS or if you want to try again next year... make a pro/con list for both options and decide what you think is best.

I had the bolded text beaten into me by a friend (current vet student) who had this same dilemma - not just because of the waste of application fees but because she stressed out so much about the situation and what she should do.

Personally, I'd accept the OOS seat. While looking through these threads I've seen the stats of people applying multiple rounds and it almost seems random that some years (for the same schools) they'll get offered an interview and then waitlisted, and then the next year (which you'd think their application would only be stronger) they'll be rejected flat out, and so on. I would be much more worried about not getting in and further delaying everything. Also, for me, the huge price tag difference is a problem in the nebulous future, while starting school is in the much closer future. I'm also non-trad, will be 26 years old this summer, so waiting longer seems much more painful.

I guess you'll really have to decide how you feel about everything, if you feel confident that next year MN will snap you up right away then maybe it would be best to wait.

 

[capirinha]

.

 

[that redhead]

When I applied, I was in your position almost exactly. I got in to one school 1200 miles away from home/family/friends/SO and in Canada to boot. I won't lie- I heavily considered declining my acceptance to try again for my IS.

In the end, I took my acceptance up here and am now almost half-way done. I'm really, really glad that I chose to take my one acceptance because honestly, there are zero guarantees when it comes to vet school admissions. I was afraid I'd keep trying and trying, wasting time and money, and either never get in anywhere or get in OOS and be in the same predicament at a different school.

Yes, it sucks to have to move away from everything you know and love but to me at least, it was worth the four years time. I always talk to my SO about "when I get out" like I'm in prison or something, but time really does fly by. I would encourage you to take your acceptance.

ETA: As for the debt thing...well, I'm paying ~$30k more per year to attend up here which is scary. But class sizes are getting larger, tuition is increasing and the job market is in the toilet right now; I'd rather bite the bullet, get my degree and start working as soon as possible.

 

[thepidog]

I was in almost your exact shoes last year...I was accepted to UIUC and waitlisted at my IS (Michigan State). Trying to decide what to do was really hard, and it even contributed to my fiance and I cancelling our wedding and eventually breaking up (we got back together so it's all good, haha). Anyway, I realized that I wouldn't be nearly as happy attending Illinois as I would be attending MSU. I spent this past year working at a clinic, gaining tons of experience, and saving up money. I should be able to pay for all of my living expenses and maybe even a little tuition next year. This cycle I only applied to schools that I felt I would absolutely attend if given the opportunity. I was offered a spot at 3/4 of them.

Do your homework, find schools that will let you change to IS residency after year one, and that you feel you would go to if they let you in. If you don't feel confident that you can make changes to improve your application, give Illinois some serious consideration, but I highly suggest sitting down and crunching as many numbers as you can...what scared me most was figuring out I would be well into my late 40's or early 50's by the time I could pay off my debt from Illinois. That's scary stuff....

Also, I went to a file review at MSU which was incredibly helpful and probably the main reason I got in this cycle! If Minnesota offers that I would definitely take the opportunity to go through your app and see if they can give you some hints about what exactly they're looking for.

Good luck and if you want to talk about it more feel free to PM me.

 

[McVet0071]

I'm in the same boat, but I'm going to be accepting my offer. I don't want to take my chances again next and feel very lucky to get all that I did my first year around. I'm excited about Illinois, but am still feeling the heartbreak of being wait listed at Minnesota (IS). Plus, I now have two classes to finish up at the UofM that were only required for them and were completely pointless for Illinois. Nothing like paying tuition for freshmen level classes that are no longer needed.

 

[dvmdreamer]

I might be totally off in this, but when I think if I were in this situation I would accept my OOS offer. While $50,000 is a large sum of money, you will be graduating a year earlier than if you wait which means an additional year practicing - and if starting salary is between $40,000 and $60,000 that could mean an additional year of working with a veterinarian's salary.... and thus that might balance out the extra OOS tuition cost? Not to mention, tuition prices rise each year so waiting another year might boost up the cost a bit too.

I've been thinking the same as the OP (even though I don't have an acceptance yet, just waitlists, nor a definite IS rejection). In my situation, the two OOS possibilities are over $110,000 price difference from my IS. If I took a gap year, I could make about $40,000 (I'm resourceful ). I'm planning on specializing equine, which definitely has the lower end starting salary, so I would almost break even on what I make this year vs missed year of veterinary wages. And the tuition rise definitely won't be $110,000... Ugg!

(not arguing your points... just thinking outloud I suppose )

My IS doesn't do reviews until May either, so there is no chance of knowing how close you were!

 

[gumtree]

Multiquote time!!

I think it's worth it to wait a year and potentially save $50,000. Will you be happier at UMN than UIUC? That's also something you should take into account.

I would absolutely be happier at UMN. I could make UIUC work both financially and emotionally, but part of me wonders why I would put that extra stress on myself during the most stressful four years of my life thus far?

I got the chance to gain more experiences, travel and do a lot of things that I didn't have the chance to in school. Are you graduating this year or are you finished? There are times when I wish I had accepted the offer and would be working towards a DVM right now, but I know that the debt wasn't worth it to me and I'm happy with my decision.

I will be finished with classes this spring. I've also considered whether taking a year off to work might be a nice break from being a student for the past 20 years, or if it's better to simply start working on that DVM asap.

You have to decide what is going to work out for you. I usually tell people from the get go... do NOT apply to a place that you will not attend if accepted.. it is a waste of time and money, but it seems like you were genuinely prepared to move on and try again next year not expecting to get accepted this year. You have to decide if you can deal with the extra debt and living away from family... You also have to remind yourself that there is no guarantee that you will get accepted to your IS next year and that there is also the possibility that you won't get accepted again OOS next year either... So are you prepared to throw away an acceptance to try again and potentially have nothing?

This is exactly why I feel like a crazy person to even consider declining my acceptance at UIUC. If there were some way to guarantee that UMN would accept me next year, I would probably decline UIUC and wait an extra year. But unfortunately there's no such thing..

I'm planning on setting up a file review with my IS and accepting at one of the OOS (haven't decided which yet). If my IS says I barely missed the mark for acceptance/waitlist then I will have to seriously consider declining for this fall (which will be so hard to do). If my IS tells me I've got a lot of things to do to improve before I get a chance, I may decide to go OOS. I just hope when I do my file review they can be brutally honest with me.

The financial implications is a huge thing to think about so you are not crazy!

Great idea! I'm going to try and set up a file review at Minnesota and see if there are things on my application that I can easily improve upon for next year (interview, experience hours, GRE, etc). If the reason I was waitlisted was because of factors I can't change much at this point (like GPA), I'd probably accept at UIUC.

I would add in (as a factor in your decision-making) the realistic chance you will get off the waitlist. I have no inside information, but going fairly deep into waitlists is not at all uncommon. It varies year to year, but based on what I've seen in my class, the class in front of us, and the class behind us, I wouldn't write off MN. Obviously you also can't "plan on it" (which sucks), but ....

I've heard in years past they've taken as many as #20 from the IS list. Unfortunately I'm further down than that, so I'm not going to get my hopes up.

 

[gumtree]

Im going to play devils advocate here. If you never get accepted to your IS, or anywhere else for that matter, will you always regret that decision to decline Illinois? That's the question I'd ask myself (personally). Only you know what the "right" answer truly is.

I would absolutely regret my decision if I was never accepted anywhere after declining UIUC. But doesn't that seem a little bit unlikely? Maybe I'm dreaming.

I don't think your crazy. I'm having similar thoughts. I haven't been actually accepted anywhere and the decision is driving me crazy; so, I can imagine the decision is even harder for you.

Before the application cycle, I definitely was willing to go into huge debt for vet school (even though I'm a cheap-o in other aspects of life and would of based my school decision off of finances if I had a choice). I know I still will be if I get in, but hopefully less debt. I made peace with the fact that I'm probably going to be applying next year. I've even been kicking around the idea of moving to another state with cheaper tuition because my IS is expensive even though it would be close to my family, but I haven't checked with the schools for their rules about it yet.

I still haven't made up my mind though if I'm going to take the interview or not.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks! Like you I had made peace with the idea of not getting in this cycle. Would traveling to the interview be a significant cost for you? I would say go to the interview, if only for the experience. I feel like one of the reasons why I was waitlisted at my IS was because it was the first place I interviewed at and I was a bit nervous.

Personally, I'd accept the OOS seat. While looking through these threads I've seen the stats of people applying multiple rounds and it almost seems random that some years (for the same schools) they'll get offered an interview and then waitlisted, and then the next year (which you'd think their application would only be stronger) they'll be rejected flat out, and so on. I would be much more worried about not getting in and further delaying everything. Also, for me, the huge price tag difference is a problem in the nebulous future, while starting school is in the much closer future. I'm also non-trad, will be 26 years old this summer, so waiting longer seems much more painful.

I guess you'll really have to decide how you feel about everything, if you feel confident that next year MN will snap you up right away then maybe it would be best to wait.

I'm worried this might happen to me. I'm hoping that after a very frank file review at Minnesota I'll have a better idea of whether or not I will be a very strong applicant for next year.

In the end, I took my acceptance up here and am now almost half-way done. I'm really, really glad that I chose to take my one acceptance because honestly, there are zero guarantees when it comes to vet school admissions. I was afraid I'd keep trying and trying, wasting time and money, and either never get in anywhere or get in OOS and be in the same predicament at a different school.

Yes, it sucks to have to move away from everything you know and love but to me at least, it was worth the four years time. I always talk to my SO about "when I get out" like I'm in prison or something, but time really does fly by. I would encourage you to take your acceptance.

ETA: As for the debt thing...well, I'm paying ~$30k more per year to attend up here which is scary. But class sizes are getting larger, tuition is increasing and the job market is in the toilet right now; I'd rather bite the bullet, get my degree and start working as soon as possible.

Whew! That is a LOT of money. I think if I was in your shoes I would have declined the OOS acceptance, but I'm glad that you are happy there now! 50k seems like a manageable amount manageable in comparison.

I'm in the same boat, but I'm going to be accepting my offer. I don't want to take my chances again next and feel very lucky to get all that I did my first year around. I'm excited about Illinois, but am still feeling the heartbreak of being wait listed at Minnesota (IS). Plus, I now have two classes to finish up at the UofM that were only required for them and were completely pointless for Illinois. Nothing like paying tuition for freshmen level classes that are no longer needed.

Can you drop those pre-req classes that you no longer need? I feel so lucky to have been accepted somewhere, and I actually really like UIUC's program. If only I could move the school into Minnesota to get IS tuition and be closer to home.

I was in almost your exact shoes last year...I was accepted to UIUC and waitlisted at my IS (Michigan State). Trying to decide what to do was really hard, and it even contributed to my fiance and I cancelling our wedding and eventually breaking up (we got back together so it's all good, haha). Anyway, I realized that I wouldn't be nearly as happy attending Illinois as I would be attending MSU. I spent this past year working at a clinic, gaining tons of experience, and saving up money. I should be able to pay for all of my living expenses and maybe even a little tuition next year. This cycle I only applied to schools that I felt I would absolutely attend if given the opportunity. I was offered a spot at 3/4 of them.

Do your homework, find schools that will let you change to IS residency after year one, and that you feel you would go to if they let you in. If you don't feel confident that you can make changes to improve your application, give Illinois some serious consideration, but I highly suggest sitting down and crunching as many numbers as you can...what scared me most was figuring out I would be well into my late 40's or early 50's by the time I could pay off my debt from Illinois. That's scary stuff....

Also, I went to a file review at MSU which was incredibly helpful and probably the main reason I got in this cycle! If Minnesota offers that I would definitely take the opportunity to go through your app and see if they can give you some hints about what exactly they're looking for.

Good luck and if you want to talk about it more feel free to PM me.

The part that I bolded really stood out to me. I know that I could be happy at either UIUC or UMN, but I would without a doubt be much happier staying in Minnesota. While MN isn't all that cheap as far as IS tuition goes, it's still the cheapest option for me right now.

Thank you to everyone for all of your excellent advice! It's been really helpful to read some different perspectives and hear from those of you who had to make this decision. Reading about your experiences has made my decision a little bit more difficult. My plan is to do a file review at Minnesota and find out whether or not I have a strong chance of being accepted there next year. If there are things on my application that I can easily improve upon between now and October 2nd, I might take the risk and reapply next year. If not, I will happily accept UIUC and make peace with the extra $50,000 that I will be spending to achieve my dream.

 

[ColonelWatson]

I am literally in the same boat as you, im also waitlisted for minnesota (OOS tho) and colorado, but accepted to murdoch in australia. Even farther away, im still deciding.

But can you defer your acceptance to illinois for 1 year? Thats what I did for australia.

 

[tigerlady]

A vet I work for mentioned about deferring for 1 year. does anyone know any information about that? I've been accepted at Auburn OOS and have an interview at Tennessee and haven't heard from my IS yet..but I have considered the same scenario of taking a year off, banking some more money and reapplying just to my IS school...but I struggle with giving up a guarantee when I know how difficult it is to get accepted in the first place! but my vet did mention that you could defer your acceptance for one year...but I didn't know you could do that with out reapplying...anyone have any info?

 

[cs5910]

A vet I work for mentioned about deferring for 1 year. does anyone know any information about that? I've been accepted at Auburn OOS and have an interview at Tennessee and haven't heard from my IS yet..but I have considered the same scenario of taking a year off, banking some more money and reapplying just to my IS school...but I struggle with giving up a guarantee when I know how difficult it is to get accepted in the first place! but my vet did mention that you could defer your acceptance for one year...but I didn't know you could do that with out reapplying...anyone have any info?

I think the schools that do allow you to defer, do it on a case to case basis... But I doubt a good reason to defer would be so you can try to get into your IS school... The adcoms probably won't like that excuse! I have had friends who defered for pregnancy, mission trip, to finish PHD thesis, but they had to present a case and be approved.

 

[ColonelWatson]

A vet I work for mentioned about deferring for 1 year. does anyone know any information about that? I've been accepted at Auburn OOS and have an interview at Tennessee and haven't heard from my IS yet..but I have considered the same scenario of taking a year off, banking some more money and reapplying just to my IS school...but I struggle with giving up a guarantee when I know how difficult it is to get accepted in the first place! but my vet did mention that you could defer your acceptance for one year...but I didn't know you could do that with out reapplying...anyone have any info?

definitely case-by-case basis. My reason was that I was still working on a research project that I need to finish before starting vet school and $$$ (was accepted in october 2012 for feb 2013 entry) short notice, I wanted to see how much I can get from FAFSA.

 

[hygebeorht]

You may want to check the cost of attendance thread again, as I have prepared a more extensive spreadsheet detailing two different paydown scenarios for the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018. May be useful for those trying to compare schools, or trying to decide to accept this year or try again next year.

 

[macita183]

You may want to check the cost of attendance thread again, as I have prepared a more extensive spreadsheet detailing two different paydown scenarios for the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018. May be useful for those trying to compare schools, or trying to decide to accept this year or try again next year.

This is very helpful! It is certainly helping me to make a decision!

 

[ViaBea]

Would traveling to the interview be a significant cost for you? I would say go to the interview, if only for the experience. I feel like one of the reasons why I was waitlisted at my IS was because it was the first place I interviewed at and I was a bit nervous.

Unfortunately, it would be. I had three other interviews this cycle; so, I had a bit of practice at interviewing, but I definitely did not do well in two of them due to being nervous. The third I thought was a lot better, but I'm definitely hoping to get some tips from my file reviews.

I'm still leaning towards turning down the interview, but I'm going to wait a few more days and decide.

Thanks for the spreadsheet hygebeorht, it looks really helpful!

 

[hygebeorht]

Interview costs can be somewhat blunted. You can try to find a student to put you up, and try to figure out if you know anyone who can get you buddy passes. If you can afford it, it might be worth it.

 

[DocDVMD]

Just my two cents coming from someone who's 2 months away from graduating...

I would decline UIUC and apply again to MN and any other schools where you could easily get in-state residency and would be happy attending. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of debt I have (I was originally OOS but got in-state residency after a couple years) and my advice to ANYONE thinking of entering the veterinary profession is to do whatever you can to minimize the amount of debt you accrue.

 

[Foxhunter]

Interview costs can be somewhat blunted. You can try to find a student to put you up, and try to figure out if you know anyone who can get you buddy passes. If you can afford it, it might be worth it.

buddy passes?

 

[Frozenshades]

buddy passes?

People who work for airlines are given passes they can give to friends and family. You fly standby, or non-revenue, meaning you wait and get the last open seats remaining after paying customers. The good news is you fly for cheap (taxes and fees) or sometimes free, but the bad news is you need to have flexible travel plans or leave earlier than you would need to if you pay, because there's no guarantee you get a seat.

Quite a few members of my extended family currently or did work for various airlines; I've flown on buddy passes dozens of times.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Dug this gem up....

@thepidog, what improvements did you make when you reapplied, for Michigan specifically?

I am trying to prepare for what I am predicting to be a rejection at my IS, and at least a waitlist OOS at UF/UIUC (hopefully).

This is my second time applying at all three schools (I didn't interview anywhere last year, interviewed everywhere this year). I amped up my experience a lottttt. The only thing I didn't do was repeat any classes I have a B or C in. That's obviously the next step....but is there anyone out there who turned down an OOS acceptance, tried to improve for their IS, and still got rejected the next year?

I'd love attending either UF or UIUC, that's why I applied. Debt is scary, that's all. Plus, the unpredictability of admissions season is also scary. With the application season being bumped up by a month, there is the potential of not having summer repeat classes/transcripts out in time for them to even make it to VMCAS anyways...my local CC is bad about those things.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

There is a good financial simulator tool here: http://www.finsim.umn.edu/#

It might help you work out what it's going to feel like to pay back that much money after you graduate, and whether or not you want to take it on. Making a smart financial decision is never the wrong thing.

 

[Gwenevre]

I'm in the same-ish situation as pinkpuppy. Though I was outright rejected from my IS. I've already accepted that if I do get an acceptance from Illi I'm going to turn it down. For the financial reasons, and I'm looking at some really great work hours and internships for the spring that if I get into vet school I won't be able to do for 4 more years. Plus crunching the numbers and the availability of fed stafford loans compared to other loan options, I just feel safer with the possibility of gaining more experience and getting IS.
And I just don't think I'd be happy at Illi. The school and curriculum looks nice, but I can't really explain it.
My family doesn't get it until I tell them the tuition, living expenses, and starting income for vets. Then they just say "oh."

 

[Txvethopeful0913]

I would definitely ask about deferring a year. That way you have a year to try and get into you IS school, but as a lot of people have said there are NO guarantees in vet school. That way if you don't get into your IS again you still have an acceptance to fall back on.....Most places let you defer a year if accepted so definitely call!!!! Best of luck in your decision

 

[WildZoo]

Most places let you defer a year if accepted

Interested where you heard that. I know a few schools do let you defer (Penn will let you do so to get PA residency) but from what I've seen and heard the majority of schools will only let you defer for very specific reasons - not so you can apply somewhere else, but for unforeseen life events (trauma, health reasons, etc).

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I'm in the same-ish situation as pinkpuppy. Though I was outright rejected from my IS. I've already accepted that if I do get an acceptance from Illi I'm going to turn it down. For the financial reasons, and I'm looking at some really great work hours and internships for the spring that if I get into vet school I won't be able to do for 4 more years. Plus crunching the numbers and the availability of fed stafford loans compared to other loan options, I just feel safer with the possibility of gaining more experience and getting IS.
And I just don't think I'd be happy at Illi. The school and curriculum looks nice, but I can't really explain it.
My family doesn't get it until I tell them the tuition, living expenses, and starting income for vets. Then they just say "oh."

Tbh, I didn't get that "at home" feeling st any school i visited. I don't know if that's because that feeling doesn't exist (I was told it did when deciding on an undergrad....so maybe it is a legend), or if I'm just missing out on a school. Illinois's staff made me feel the most comfortable, at least.

I just feel like my IS isn't going to be interested ever. I know that's pessimistic, but I've been meeting with the admissions office for years. All but one time has left me walking out kind of knowing that it's never gonna happen.

I would definitely ask about deferring a year. That way you have a year to try and get into you IS school, but as a lot of people have said there are NO guarantees in vet school. That way if you don't get into your IS again you still have an acceptance to fall back on.....Most places let you defer a year if accepted so definitely call!!!! Best of luck in your decision

It's definitely worth asking, that's for sure. I understand thst deferrals are only granted for special circumstances though...idk how a school would feel about being my fallback while I desperately try for an acceptance at another school.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Interested where you heard that. I know a few schools do let you defer (Penn will let you do so to get PA residency) but from what I've seen and heard the majority of schools will only let you defer for very specific reasons - not so you can apply somewhere else, but for unforeseen life events (trauma, health reasons, etc).

That is gold. Why don't they all do that?!

 

[WildZoo]

Tbh, I didn't get that "at home" feeling st any school i visited. I don't know if that's because that feeling doesn't exist (I was told it did when deciding on an undergrad....so maybe it is a legend), or if I'm just missing out on a school. Illinois's staff made me feel the most comfortable, at least.

I just feel like my IS isn't going to be interested ever. I know that's pessimistic, but I've been meeting with the admissions office for years. All but one time has left me walking out kind of knowing that it's never gonna happen.


It's definitely worth asking, that's for sure. I understand thst deferrals are only granted for special circumstances though...idk how a school would feel about being my fallback while I desperately try for an acceptance at another school.

I don't think that at home feeling is necessarily essential for you to go to a school and enjoy it. At baseline you should probably feel like you don't hate the place and could see yourself being there for 4 years. But I don't think it's a myth either. I felt it when I first toured Pitt (oh how i will miss this place) and I felt some of it when I toured/interviewed at UTK. It's a wonderful thing and I consider myself lucky to have felt it, but like I said, I don't think it's essential. Your school choice should be as much cerebral as emotional, if not more so.

 

[surgeryforme]

I'm in the same boat, but I'm going to be accepting my offer. I don't want to take my chances again next and feel very lucky to get all that I did my first year around. I'm excited about Illinois, but am still feeling the heartbreak of being wait listed at Minnesota (IS). Plus, I now have two classes to finish up at the UofM that were only required for them and were completely pointless for Illinois. Nothing like paying tuition for freshmen level classes that are no longer needed.

Where are you at on the IS wait list? You could get pulled off depending on your number...just curious.

 

[WildZoo]

That is gold. Why don't they all do that?!

If other schools do, it isn't something they advertise. I don't think it's really something Penn advertises either. I just happen to know someone who did it.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I don't think that at home feeling is necessarily essential for you to go to a school and enjoy it. At baseline you should probably feel like you don't hate the place and could see yourself being there for 4 years. But I don't think it's a myth either. I felt it when I first toured Pitt (oh how i will miss this place) and I felt some of it when I toured/interviewed at UTK. It's a wonderful thing and I consider myself lucky to have felt it, but like I said, I don't think it's essential. Your school choice should be as much cerebral as emotional, if not more so.

Yeah, you're right. I just really hated my undergrad experience and I've always hoped that, excluding all of the excruciating parts, veterinary school would be four years I could look back on fondly. That good experience can happen at any school with the right variables, but it'd be nice if things fell into place, wouldn't it?

If other schools do, it isn't something they advertise. I don't think it's really something Penn advertises either. I just happen to know someone who did it.

At every interview this year, someone always asked if they could apply for IS tuition. All three said it's extremely difficult, but possible through things like marriage. So there's my answer. Get married.

 

[surgeryforme]

Am I completely crazy to consider declining my one acceptance into vet school this year so that I can reapply next year to my IS?

I just found out I was accepted to Illinois as an OOS. I am totally shocked and was not expecting to be accepted AT ALL after two wait lists and one rejection. I had sort of come to accept that I wouldn't be accepted this cycle, and had started working on my Plan B of getting some more small animal hours and saving some money. I was beginning to feel good about my Plan B and how I could increase my chances of being accepted next cycle.

I am wait listed at my IS, Minnesota, but I'm so far down on the list that I don't think I will make it in.

After crunching the numbers, I'm freaking out because I realized that Illinois will be about $50,000 more expensive than my IS, and that's not taking into account that I could continue to live at home if I went to my IS. Not to mention my family, friends, and boyfriend are all here in Minnesota, and I'm worried about the additional costs of traveling home over breaks to see them. I was already worried about financing vet school, but now I'm even more upset and confused.

Am I being completely ridiculous to even consider declining Illinois and applying to my IS again next year? I could really use some advice, SDN!

I think it depends on how far down the waitlist you are...and if pulled off sometime before May, you could always give up your OOS spot - but if you want certainty and you have a high IS wait list number, then you know your decision.

 

[WildZoo]

At every interview this year, someone always asked if they could apply for IS tuition. All three said it's extremely difficult, but possible through things like marriage. So there's my answer. Get married.

This is also what they told us at Tennessee The schools where it's easier are NCSU, Ohio, and Mizzou. I'm the idiot who dropped the latter two from application list. No regrets, but OOS tuition at UT is somewhere around 26k per semester. I might need to convince my boyfriend to become a TN resident and then we can get married halfway through...

 

[WildZoo]

Yeah, you're right. I just really hated my undergrad experience and I've always hoped that, excluding all of the excruciating parts, veterinary school would be four years I could look back on fondly. That good experience can happen at any school with the right variables, but it'd be nice if things fell into place, wouldn't it?

Cheesy as it sounds, I've always believed that you end up where you were meant to be. The bad experiences make us who we are - maybe you would be a different person without that undergrad experience, and maybe that version of you wouldn't be better. Who knows. If you do end up reapplying it certainly wouldn't hurt to apply more broadly and perhaps you will come across a program that you missed before and you really love. I can say that UT was nowhere near my radar before a couple people here convinced me to apply, and here I am with it as my only acceptance.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Cheesy as it sounds, I've always believed that you end up where you were meant to be. The bad experiences make us who we are - maybe you would be a different person without that undergrad experience, and maybe that version of you wouldn't be better. Who knows. If you do end up reapplying it certainly wouldn't hurt to apply more broadly and perhaps you will come across a program that you missed before and you really love. I can say that UT was nowhere near my radar before a couple people here convinced me to apply, and here I am with it as my only acceptance.

I'd be less bitter about it, that's for sure congrats on your acceptance!!!

I crossed Ohio off my list only because I decided to apply late in the cycle and doubted my PPIs would get submitted in time...blech.

After all is said and done, I know I'll take an OOS offer. I'm lucky to have a dad who is involved on finances career wise, so he can walk me through all of this crapola. The price of a dream, right?

 

[WildZoo]

I'd be less bitter about it, that's for sure congrats on your acceptance!!!

I crossed Ohio off my list only because I decided to apply late in the cycle and doubted my PPIs would get submitted in time...blech.

After all is said and done, I know I'll take an OOS offer. I'm lucky to have a dad who is involved on finances career wise, so he can walk me through all of this crapola. The price of a dream, right?

Thank you I also crossed Ohio off because of the PPI thing. They had actually been on my list for a while but I didn't find out about that requirement until pretty late, after I had already squared everything with all of my evaluators and didn't feel like bugging them again.
I know I would do the same. I guess technically I already have, but I knew when I applied that I would take any offer I got and never considered doing otherwise. It is terrifying to consider the debt, it really is. Somehow we'll make it worth it, and make it work. And with that I think my sappy idealist side might be showing more than I intended

 

[Shepherd Lover]

Interested where you heard that. I know a few schools do let you defer (Penn will let you do so to get PA residency) but from what I've seen and heard the majority of schools will only let you defer for very specific reasons - not so you can apply somewhere else, but for unforeseen life events (trauma, health reasons, etc).

In case anyone is curious, Purdue will allow you to defer to complete a masters degree. I know you guys were more interested in how to gain residency but I just wanted to say that you don't need completely unforeseen life events to defer (for Purdue at least).