Applicants for UK Schools C/O 2015/2016

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My chosen vet who wrote me the LOR this year was able to resend hers last Friday. But I guess because she is a DVM/Phd and we do primarily research they waant to have a reference stating that I have clinical experience. One of my other LORs this year was from a shelter manager so you you would think that they would realize that I do have animal care skills as well as research. IDK. I guess this is a lesson for all those applying in future years: make sure one of your LORs is from a general vet practice. Luckily this vet wrote me a reference last year so it won't be impossible to get it to them (However last year it took him 4 months to write it!).
I'm so sorry to hear about these obstacles thrown in your path.
On the brightside, it sounds like they are interested in you. If they weren't, they would have rejected you when your original LOR was not received and they would not concern themselves with the finer details of your application (i.e. LOR specifics) until later. This is how my advisor explained it to me when I freaked out because they requested more materials from me (they said they wouldn't continue with my app until they were received!!!). Shortly after I sent in what they requested, I received my acceptance. So get that LOR in (I know, easier said than done but you can do it!) and relax! :)

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Thanks for the reality check. :oops: I guess I will just chill out for now. Hopefully he gets it in in the next few days. I gave him today as a deadline with some cookies to sweeten the deal.
 
Thanks for the reality check. :oops: I guess I will just chill out for now. Hopefully he gets it in in the next few days. I gave him today as a deadline with some cookies to sweeten the deal.
Very nice! I made homemade cheesecake for my vet. He'd do anything for it! ;)
I hope you get your letter soon (and a good one too)!
 
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Great....I JUST realized I didn't send in the WES for edinburgh....:scared:
 
Great....I JUST realized I didn't send in the WES for edinburgh....:scared:
Are you a US student that applied on the VMCAS? If yes, don't worry! You don't have to because there is an experience section in the VMCAS that more than satisfies that requirement! I emailed to check and this was Victoria Doggett's response:
.Dear ...,.
. .
.Thank you for your email..
. .
.You do not need to complete a WES, this is aimed at our School leaver applicants from the UK and EU..
. .
.Kind Regards.
. .
.Victoria Doggett .
See? :)
 
Are you a US student that applied on the VMCAS? If yes, don't worry! You don't have to because there is an experience section in the VMCAS that more than satisfies that requirement! I emailed to check and this was Victoria Doggett's response:
.Dear ...,.
. .
.Thank you for your email..
. .
.You do not need to complete a WES, this is aimed at our School leaver applicants from the UK and EU..
. .
.Kind Regards.
. .
.Victoria Doggett .
See? :)

THANK GOD! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
I guess I read over it and thought it wasn't for use because of VMCAS.....but forgot immediately and didn't email them.....this is the problem with taking four classes, having an internship and applying to vet school.
 
THANK GOD! :laugh::laugh::laugh:
I guess I read over it and thought it wasn't for use because of VMCAS.....but forgot immediately and didn't email them.....this is the problem with taking four classes, having an internship and applying to vet school.
I'm right there with you! Well now you can rest easy. Edinburgh won't get back to us until December 22nd so don't worry about them for a while. Where else did you apply? :)
 
I'm right there with you! Well now you can rest easy. Edinburgh won't get back to us until December 22nd so don't worry about them for a while. Where else did you apply? :)

I applied to six schools (ca is my IS): Colorado, Edinburgh,
Mizzouri, Illinois, Washington and of course Davis......

Edinburgh is definetly high up on that list!!!!

I'm sorry for scaring people! I was sooooo worried!!!!
 
I applied to six schools (ca is my IS): Colorado, Edinburgh,
Mizzouri, Illinois, Washington and of course Davis......

Edinburgh is definetly high up on that list!!!!

I'm sorry for scaring people! I was sooooo worried!!!!
No worries. I hope we both hear good news from Edinburgh very soon!
 
I am so frustrated! The vet that RVC asked for a reference from will not respond to me about whether he sent it to them or not. I have sent him several e-mails and he just won't get back to me. Now I hear that they sent out the second round of acceptances. If I don't get in because he can't be bothered to look back in his files I am not going to be happy. I worked for almost 1000 hours at his clinic- for FREE. I think he can send out a short e-mail.:mad:


Sorry to sound so bitter, I just know that he hates to be asked to do anything more than he already has to. Last year when I asked him if he needed any more information to write my LOR he completely ignored my e-mail and gossiped about how naging I was to the techs at the clinic. In the 2014 cycle he submited someone's reference 5 minutes before it was due!!
 
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I am so frustrated! The vet that RVC asked for a reference from will not respond to me about whether he sent it to them or not. I have sent him several e-mails and he just won't get back to me. Now I hear that they sent out the second round of acceptances. If I don't get in because he can't be bothered to look back in his files I am not going to be happy. I worked for almost 1000 hours at his clinic- for FREE. I think he can send out a short e-mail.:mad:


Sorry to sound so bitter, I just know that he hates to be asked to do anything more than he already has to. Last year when I asked him if he needed any more information to write my LOR he completely ignored my e-mail and gossiped about how naging I was to the techs at the clinic. In the 2014 cycle he submited someone's reference 5 minutes before it was due!!
I would call the hospital. Or go in person. It's harder to blow someone off in person. Maybe have the manager write you a letter and have him sign it? Just explain that his writing a short email supporting your application to vet school might make the immediate difference between an acceptance and a rejection. If not, call RVC and explain what's going on. Ask if there is anything else that can be done? I use skype to call abroad it's cheaper. You'd have to wait until about 1am pacific standard time to get them in the office too but at least you could discuss options immediately. :( I'm so sorry he is being a selfish person. Busy or not, he can take a few moments to help your dreams come true.
 
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I am so frustrated! The vet that RVC asked for a reference from will not respond to me about whether he sent it to them or not. I have sent him several e-mails and he just won't get back to me. Now I hear that they sent out the second round of acceptances. If I don't get in because he can't be bothered to look back in his files I am not going to be happy. I worked for almost 1000 hours at his clinic- for FREE. I think he can send out a short e-mail.:mad:


Sorry to sound so bitter, I just know that he hates to be asked to do anything more than he already has to. Last year when I asked him if he needed any more information to write my LOR he completely ignored my e-mail and gossiped about how naging I was to the techs at the clinic. In the 2014 cycle he submited someone's reference 5 minutes before it was due!!

Wow.. I am frustrated just by listening to your situation.. I hope it all works out for you! Man, if I ever become a vet, I'm going to be sure to be timely about LORs requested of me.. I don't know why they wait until the last minute to do them, because it totally means life and death for the applicant. Don't stress out too much though!
 
Wow.. I am frustrated just by listening to your situation.. I hope it all works out for you! Man, if I ever become a vet, I'm going to be sure to be timely about LORs requested of me.. I don't know why they wait until the last minute to do them, because it totally means life and death for the applicant. Don't stress out too much though!

Thanks for being understanding. I sent an e-mail to RVC explaining the situation. I don't know if I can handle seeing the vet right now in person- having some serious personal issues and I don't know if I can stand being belittled right now. Hopefully they will understand how hard it is to get a reference with such short notice. There is a possibility that I could get one from the other vet at the practice, but I didn't spend as much time with him.

Wow.. I am frustrated just by listening to your situation.. I hope it all works out for you! Man, if I ever become a vet, I'm going to be sure to be timely about LORs requested of me.. I don't know why they wait until the last minute to do them, because it totally means life and death for the applicant. Don't stress out too much though!

I will definitely be better about letter writting than those that have written for me. And I solemly swear to never belittle someone seeking to become a vet.
 
Thanks for being understanding. I sent an e-mail to RVC explaining the situation. I don't know if I can handle seeing the vet right now in person- having some serious personal issues and I don't know if I can stand being belittled right now. Hopefully they will understand how hard it is to get a reference with such short notice. There is a possibility that I could get one from the other vet at the practice, but I didn't spend as much time with him.



I will definitely be better about letter writting than those that have written for me. And I solemly swear to never belittle someone seeking to become a vet.
Amen!
 
Hi guys, I apologize if this topic was already brought up, but are there any UCD students out there? I studied Equine Science at the University of Limerick this past Spring, and I am extremely interested in the program at UCD. Can anybody speak on its behalf? And another question, one I am sure has crossed many of our minds who have applied to UK schools/UCD, how stressful is it affording to go to school overseas? Can you give any advice on the financial side of things? Thank you very much!
 
Hi guys, I apologize if this topic was already brought up, but are there any UCD students out there? I studied Equine Science at the University of Limerick this past Spring, and I am extremely interested in the program at UCD. Can anybody speak on its behalf? And another question, one I am sure has crossed many of our minds who have applied to UK schools/UCD, how stressful is it affording to go to school overseas? Can you give any advice on the financial side of things? Thank you very much!
I did not apply to UCD this year because of the financial issues the country is facing. That may be something to consider before you go. As far as costs, I found that OOS costs often surpassed the costs of UK schools. In state public schools may be more affordable in some cases but for me in CA, UCDavis was the same as RVC and WesternU was several thousands more. I was interested in U of Michigan but quickly changed my mind at the $52,000 OOS tuition costs. Essentially, IS and OOS were not worth it to me. I also wanted to go abroad though so I'd go even if it would cost more. ;)
For you, that might be different! The UK schools are definitely comparable in cost to most US schools so you should compare them against the ones in the US you are considering. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. :)
 
Hi guys, I apologize if this topic was already brought up, but are there any UCD students out there? I studied Equine Science at the University of Limerick this past Spring, and I am extremely interested in the program at UCD. Can anybody speak on its behalf? And another question, one I am sure has crossed many of our minds who have applied to UK schools/UCD, how stressful is it affording to go to school overseas? Can you give any advice on the financial side of things? Thank you very much!

Tuition itself isn't really all that bad. I believe Glasgow holds your tuition at a fixed exchange rate, so the other UK schools and UCD might do the same as well. I didn't apply to any of the others, so I'm not really sure and I might have interpreted that wrong. I studied abroad in England and it can be kind of costly. During that 9 months,I spent between $10-12,000 (I think closer to $11k) out of my pocket. My tuition and everything was covered by my school. I obviously did a lot of travelling, which I definitely wouldn't be doing as much of if I went back, but it's something to definitely factor into your budget. Also, you have no idea what the exchange rate is going to do over the next several years, so things could either get better or wayyy worse. I believe you can still apply for various loans that you could get here, but I believe that's pretty much about it. I did a little bit of research on scholarships since I almost went back to the school I studied abroad at to do a MSc in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, and there tends to not be a lot of options. At least in what I found. Also, to even obtain your visa, you have to prove you have x amount of dollars in your bank account to fund the year like 28 days before you submit your visa application. And I believe the guidelines and requirements to apply for a Tier 4 visa have changed in the past year (again), so I'm not 100% on any fine details.

On a positive note, I have known people who are able to come back to the US over summers to work to earn some money and even know a few who have gotten part time jobs while attending veterinary schools in the UK. I don't think it matters where you end up since finding ways to fund the costs of vet school is stressful, but I do think the exchange rate and visa requirements add a little bit of extra stress.
 
Yeah, I am mostly concerned about costs of living. I definitely did my homework on tuition, and am also a California resident, bigkittinteef. I would just love to hear from someone who decided to do it and how they are managing! Ireland is extremely expensive, and was very much so only for four months there.
 
an update for all the worrisome applicants like me who have yet to hear back from Edinburgh:

i just skyped called them asking whether or not they would need my Fall semester transcripts and the lady said not yet...to wait for further details...which would be coming at the end of next week!

sooooo....i guess that means it's either going to be an awesome Christmas! ... or a bloody hell depressing holiday weekend...

cheers mates.! and g'luck on finals! xx
 
an update for all the worrisome applicants like me who have yet to hear back from Edinburgh:

i just skyped called them asking whether or not they would need my Fall semester transcripts and the lady said not yet...to wait for further details...which would be coming at the end of next week!

sooooo....i guess that means it's either going to be an awesome Christmas! ... or a bloody hell depressing holiday weekend...

cheers mates.! and g'luck on finals! xx

Is it bad that I am super excited and have really high hopes for Edinburgh??? :D
Ahhh I can't wait to hear back!!!!!!!!!
.....but I can because of finals!
 
RVC is really teasing me with all these postcard and happy holiday emails.. sigh
 
RVC is really teasing me with all these postcard and happy holiday emails.. sigh

That is really nice of RVC! I wish any of my schools would do that, haha. I think that's a good sign...
 
Hi there,

I am interested in large animals specifically swine and was wondering if anyone knows which school (RVC, Glasgow or Edinburgh) has a stronger large animal department?
From what I've heard from a prof here at Guelph, the schools in the UK are lacking a bit in their swine department. They were once leading the world on pig research, but now this isn't the case.
Any thoughts?
 
Yeah, I am mostly concerned about costs of living. I definitely did my homework on tuition, and am also a California resident, bigkittinteef. I would just love to hear from someone who decided to do it and how they are managing! Ireland is extremely expensive, and was very much so only for four months there.

I am at UCD - just finishing up my first semester here with one more final exam to take! I am also from SoCal, so am used to a high cost of living. As far as the tuition here, it is not any higher then going to vet school in the states especially schools in CA. I took out government loans for the full cost of living and so far am doing just fine as far as living expenses. I have been able to live fairly cheaply. You can live on campus in the grad dorms or room off campus with other vet students. I brought 2 dogs over with me, so I am living off campus with another vet student in a really nice place. It is only a 15-20 min walk to campus. My rent is actually cheaper here then it would be in Los Angeles for a 2 bedroom, so it was not really sticker shock to me. At first converting prices from euro to dollar was a bit of a shock, but once you convert over to the euro it really isn't that bad and I don't think the cost of living is really that much higher than CA. I can live fairly cheaply though, so I guess it depends how high maintenance you are. The biggest thing I have had to spend money on was warmer clothes for the weather here, but H&M is great for affordable clothing. :D

I actually love Ireland - Dublin is awesome, the people are great - and I just love the feel of the city as a whole and the little town where I live. The only thing I would like is a bit warmer weather. :laugh: I have really enjoyed my first semester of vet school so far here and I like that in the first year I get to start working with animals on the farm as one of my classes - so hands on already! If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me. :luck:
 
Hey has anyone heard back from Dublin yet? I've not gotten anything from them. Just curious more so than anything else. I got my acceptance from RVC and Edinburgh and I'm waiting on my IS school to make my decision. My relief of getting in somewhere lasted for about 10 mins before the stress of chosing and figuring out how I'm gonna pay for it all is now weighing on me. I'm glad to hear there are some "mature" students going to the UK schools too. I feel like I'll be the only old 26 year old foggy with a bunch of 20 year olds -lol-

Btw anyone going to the Glasgow interview in New York Wednesday Feb 8? Mine is at 12 pm. Wondering if I'll see any of you there :) Good luck to everyone and Happy Holidays!
 
Hi there,

I am interested in large animals specifically swine and was wondering if anyone knows which school (RVC, Glasgow or Edinburgh) has a stronger large animal department?
From what I've heard from a prof here at Guelph, the schools in the UK are lacking a bit in their swine department. They were once leading the world on pig research, but now this isn't the case.
Any thoughts?

Hmm pigs are a toughie. DEFRA has pretty tight control over the facilities. I know at least at Glasgow, you can do pigs for EMS if you can find a place, but it is no longer required just because access was so hard for students to be granted. We have a few pigs in the Byre, but no straight up department that I know of. We mostly see them in pathology, but we learn about them as one of the big 6 in every class. Not sure about RVC or Edinburgh. All the large animal departments as a whole are strong though. We love our cows and sheep!!

Here's a link I found with professors at each of the respective schools in case you want to contact them and ask more? Hope that helps a wee bit!

http://www.pigvetsoc.org.uk/students.php
 
Is anyone going to the RVC presentation in San Luis Obispo on January 30th? I'd love to actually meet some of you in person! :D
 
Is anyone going to the RVC presentation in San Luis Obispo on January 30th? I'd love to actually meet some of you in person! :D

I'm brand new to this, but have been stalking this thread ever since I got accepted into RVC hoping to find other people going to the San Luis Obispo presentation :) I will definitely be there so hope to meet a future classmate!!
 
I'm brand new to this, but have been stalking this thread ever since I got accepted into RVC hoping to find other people going to the San Luis Obispo presentation :) I will definitely be there so hope to meet a future classmate!!
I'll be there early in the day because I have an interview for Glasgow (AAAHHH!!!) so we can meet up beforehand or at the event if you'd like! I'm so excited someone else here is going too! :D
 
just curious, but I was wondering if anyone has thought about how long it would take to pay off their loans (if they need to take one out) for going to school overseas in Scotland? I heard that some loans only give you a max of 15 or 20 years. Is that enough time?
 
just curious, but I was wondering if anyone has thought about how long it would take to pay off their loans (if they need to take one out) for going to school overseas in Scotland? I heard that some loans only give you a max of 15 or 20 years. Is that enough time?


I'd hope so. I don't really foresee a problem but maybe I'm just being hopeful -lol- Whether you go oversees or stay home we'll all have a hefty loan to pay off. My hope is I can be a bit frugal the first few years and really pay alot of it off but who knows. I know my main concern right now is choosing a school and passing. LoL. I'll worry about the rest afterwards.
 
just curious, but I was wondering if anyone has thought about how long it would take to pay off their loans (if they need to take one out) for going to school overseas in Scotland? I heard that some loans only give you a max of 15 or 20 years. Is that enough time?

It's going to vary depending on which country you're coming from. I see you're in Guelph... I know the Canadian system is totally different from the US one so unfortunately I cannot offer up any answers for you. As far as US loans go, it will take a loooooong time to pay them back but there is no cap on time you have to pay them back that I'm aware of. I do know that there are several repayment options and if you pay them regularly for 20 years, the rest of what you owe will be forgiven.
 
So I saw that a couple ppl got their acceptance letter from Edinburgh...comgratulations to all of them!!
And for the rest of us...whose still waiting on it? I'm one. My heart keeps stopping everytime I get an email. Hope we all get an answer soon.
And sincerely hope no news does not equal bad news :(
 
I'm so sorry. I hope you hear good news soon! Here's to more Dick vets!:xf:
 
I'll be at the NYC one.

Also, not to freak anyone out who is still waiting, but we have to rsvp to the reception by Jan 13 so I wonder if they will have all the acceptance offers out by then or if the Jan rsvp is just for us accepted in Dec
 
I'll be at the NYC one.

Also, not to freak anyone out who is still waiting, but we have to rsvp to the reception by Jan 13 so I wonder if they will have all the acceptance offers out by then or if the Jan rsvp is just for us accepted in Dec

I will likely also be there! Anyone else considering going?
 
Can't wait to see all of you at the RVC thing in New York. I just booked myhotel and I had a funny moment on the phone with my rewards company where thelady almost booked my hotel in Manhattan ... KANSAS ... not New York. Not herfault ... I'm flying in to Kansas this weekend for my interview and have ahotel booked there and I guess she thought I was rebooking the same hotel foranother day but it made me laugh. I do kinda want to go to my Kansas interviewand ask them why it's called the big apple O_O I wonder if interviewers have asense of humor at 9 am.
 
Anyone going to the Edinburgh reception in NYCon Feb 2?!

I SOOO wanted to go to that but I've maxed out my allotted cash on otherinterviews. Sucks to be poor but c'est la vie. Will you guys that are going be totally awesome and let the rest ofknow what you kinda learned. Pretty please with a cherry on top?
 


I SOOO wanted to go to that but I've maxed out my allotted cash on otherinterviews. Sucks to be poor but c'est la vie. Will you guys that are going be totally awesome and let the rest ofknow what you kinda learned. Pretty please with a cherry on top?
I'll be taking notes and I'd be happy to share them with you and anybody else that can't go. :)
Good luck on the Kansas interview!
 
most of the things they talk about you can get on the website or on google. Last year they had a presentation on Scotland, then one on the school, showing that your professors write the books all vet schools use that dick vets have started other vet schools and help out school in america etc..... how once you graduate you can easily work in america canada, uk, australia etc...... Then they talked about where to live, pets, and stuff like that. Im sure victoria will be there and shes helpful if you have any random questions.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'm doing a ton of research. I got my acceptance from my IS school yesterday so I'm very happy to have both options. My heart is kinda tugging me towards Edinburgh but my only worry is that when I graduate my degree won't mean as much in the US. I don't want it to be a Ross thing where alot of older vets are still prejudiced against the school and won't hire someone from there. Has anyone heard anything like that? I didn't have this concern before with Edinburgh being founded in like 1540 and being rated like a top 20 school by some but now I'm starting to worry I won't be able to find a job back home if I decide to search.
 
I worried about this too at first but not anymore. I don't think you will be met with the same kind of skepticism that a Caribbean student might experience. The UK schools are much older than any of the US schools and are highly ranked throughout the world. Depending on which rankings you look at (so many different opinions out there...), the UK vet schools are often ranked above the US schools (even UCDavis and Cornell).
I believe that in most cases, you would be given a "working interview" which is your opportunity to show your possible employer how skilled and knowledgeable you are on the job. A talented, intelligent, and personable UK student will definitely be picked over an awkward or inept graduate from Cornell. It really all comes down to you and your skill set as far as I can tell, not your school.
I'm sure it's possible that some older vets may discriminate but in my experience, this is not the case. My vet/boss is an older vet from UCDavis that won the student medal for the class of 1976; he is extremely impressed by the UK schools and is so excited for me. He has offered me a position as a future vet in his practice with no hesitation (should I ever come back). Surprisingly, he's actually more skeptical of current UCDavis grads, not UK students. My animal science teachers (veterinarians, researchers, pre-vet advisors, etc) speak very highly of the UK schools and invite them to speak at my University.
One of my teachers is a very happy and successful RVC alumnae (less than a decade out and he has run a hospital, and now runs his own department at my University). He loved the UK and felt that his education at the RVC was highly modernized and student friendly. He attended Cornell and UCDavis for his rotations out of curiosity and described the classes as "archaic, outdated" and the environment as "overly pretentious".
Aside from working professionals, our hospital's clients (very supportive group of people), my family, friends and my peers are all impressed with UK schools; no discrimination there! If anything, they seem to perceive the UK schools with a sense of glamour. An image I will quickly remedy when I get covered head to toe in animal feces, placenta, bodily fluids, and Scottish rain (in no particular order...). :laugh:
Who knows, maybe you'll love the UK so much you will stay. Then it wouldn't matter anymore would it? Sounds like a plan if you ask me. :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'm doing a ton of research. I got my acceptance from my IS school yesterday so I'm very happy to have both options. My heart is kinda tugging me towards Edinburgh but my only worry is that when I graduate my degree won't mean as much in the US. I don't want it to be a Ross thing where alot of older vets are still prejudiced against the school and won't hire someone from there. Has anyone heard anything like that? I didn't have this concern before with Edinburgh being founded in like 1540 and being rated like a top 20 school by some but now I'm starting to worry I won't be able to find a job back home if I decide to search.

Go to the front of any veterinary textbook, to the board member list of the AVMA or other US vet organizations, or to the faculty/staff/surgeons of the US vet schools. You may be very surprised by how many BVSci, BVMS, and BVM&S degrees you see.

The schools are accredited for a reason! Study hard, prove yourself as a skilled and competent vet, and you will be able to find a job! Promise.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'm doing a ton of research. I got my acceptance from my IS school yesterday so I'm very happy to have both options. My heart is kinda tugging me towards Edinburgh but my only worry is that when I graduate my degree won't mean as much in the US. I don't want it to be a Ross thing where alot of older vets are still prejudiced against the school and won't hire someone from there. Has anyone heard anything like that? I didn't have this concern before with Edinburgh being founded in like 1540 and being rated like a top 20 school by some but now I'm starting to worry I won't be able to find a job back home if I decide to search.

Also CSU and Royal (Dick) are sister vet schools so its easy to do exchange programs for staff and students. So I would assume that has to mean that it would not be too hard to get a job in america if american schools are already working with the UK schools.
 
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