Factors when picking a school

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whyrightmeow

OSU c/o 2012
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So I am in my first year and there are a few things I wish I would have considered before I made my final decision. These are only my opinion, and I won't be offended if yours varies. I am only posting this because I wish I would have read something like it before I made my decision.

I am at The Ohio State University right now as an out of state student.

Positives:
Can apply for resident tuition next year
Great school, nice facilities
Curriculum includes Professional development - basically a 1 credit course on a variety of topics including stress, time managment, finances, etc
Parking is right outside the building
Parking pass is a hang tag, so carpoolers can share 1 tag between several cars
24 hr access to building
Nice recreational facility/wall climbing
Social worker available 24/7 (for when you finally have that meltdown)

Negatives:
Quarter system (not semesters) - this complicates everything. Plus you don't finish until June.
Can only leave for 3 weeks over the summer - so any externship must be in-state unless it is HIGHLY unusual.
Lockers are tiny; a normal bookbag will not fit into them. It is also very crowded when everyone is trying to get to their locker at the same time. (seems minor, I know, but its the little stresses that are the worst)

Things I wish I would have asked:
Is anatomy lab structured, or do you just get a dog and a book? (Our canine anatomy lab is, in my opinion, poorly structured)
Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test? (At OSU vet school no tests are returned, EVER. This bothers me after every test, since I like to know what I got wrong and what the correct answer was - this may have been a deal-breaker for me)
How much (live) animal interaction is there for first year students?
Do you buy class notes or are they posted online so notes can be taken directly on a laptop? (I was amazed at needing to buy 80% of my notes, when I came from an undergrad school that I never once bought a course pack for)
Is the schedule set, or does it change from day to day? (Our schedule has a main theme, but basically changes a little each day)

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Does that account for OSU allowing in state residency after the first year?
I am not sure. The site only considers 4 schools that allow you to do that. Ohio State isn't one of them. Do they allow that?

with rounding to the nearest thousand the data they present if I pick a home state of Alabama (just randomly not NC or Ohio):
OSU IS: 135k
OSU OOS: 172k

NCSU IS: 77k
NCSU OOS: 102k

Even looking IS to IS that's 60k difference...which is a down-payment on a house.
 
I am not sure. The site only considers 4 schools that allow you to do that. Ohio State isn't one of them. Do they allow that?

with rounding to the nearest thousand the data they present if I pick a home state of Alabama (just randomly not NC or Ohio):
OSU IS: 135k
OSU OOS: 172k

NCSU IS: 77k
NCSU OOS: 102k

Even looking IS to IS that's 60k difference...which is a down-payment on a house.

Yes, Ohio state lets you apply for instate residency after a year.

And the numbers posted for OSU IS/OOS show a 37k difference...which looks to me like the difference for OOS year 1, and then assumes an IS switch.
 
Hi all,
I'm trying to decide between Purdue and Mizzou and I need help!
Major Pros (as I see them) for Purdue: PBL and small class size.
Major Pros (as I see them) for Mizzou: IS tuition after 1st year; 2+2 affords an extra year of clinicals.
Can anyone shed some light or guidance on this for me??
 
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Hi all,
I'm trying to decide between Purdue and Mizzou and I need help!
Major Pros (as I see them) for Purdue: PBL and small class size.
Major Pros (as I see them) for Mizzou: IS tuition after 1st year; 2+2 affords an extra year of clinicals.
Can anyone shed some light or guidance on this for me??
What's the difference in cost over the 4 years? Just remember that debt can be high enough with instate tuition that you should really consider it. I think the rest has to do with how you best learn. Does PBL help you or do you learn well from both methods? Where is your support system? Are they closer to one school and is that a positive for you?

It's a really personal decision.
 
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Hi all,
I'm trying to decide between Purdue and Mizzou and I need help!
Major Pros (as I see them) for Purdue: PBL and small class size.
Major Pros (as I see them) for Mizzou: IS tuition after 1st year; 2+2 affords an extra year of clinicals.
Can anyone shed some light or guidance on this for me??

Honestly, go with whatever one is cheaper. If both are OOS, Mizzou is going to be cheaper with getting IS after the first year. Also the extra 3/4 of a year in clinics is amazing and I wouldn't want to be in the classroom for 3 years. But, maybe I'm a bit biased ;) Feel free to shoot me a message if you wanna chat about Mizzou :)
 
@Rozzieray
So the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year perspectives aren't on here because they're super busy, but here's what I have. I can update with more clinics stuff once my roommate's surgery rotation cools down a bit and she has time. If you have any specific questions ask away!

Pros

Small class size (89) – lots of opportunities to obtain leadership positions ( it’s my second semester and I’m a president of the exotics club, secretary of surgery club, a fundraiser for my class, on the Josh Project committee, and a co-chair for the raptor program), intimate setting for wetlabs, professors frequently know you by name, classmates feel like family.

Great professors – Of course not every professor is awesome, there’s always a few that are boring or unnecessarily difficult, but that is the case everywhere. For the majority, they truly care about you doing well. One of our professors even stayed late before every test and made us coffee and snacks and answered last minute questions. They’ll also help find you opportunities that are specifically tailored to what you want to do, such as places to work at during the summer or externships during clinics.

Amazing exotics service – I’m interested in exotics so that’s what I’ve come in contact with the most, the other services are awesome but I’ve had the most contact with BZEM so that’s what I can speak about. Dr. Nevarez and Dr. Tully are some of the best, and we just hired Dr. Mitchell as the new dean of the hospital, so we arguably have one of the best exotics teams in the country if not the world.

PBL- I learned more in PBL than I have ever learned before. You have two weeks of PBL lite right after orientation, and 2 weeks of real PBL both at the beginning of 1st year 2nd semester, and at the end of 2nd year 1st semester. So if PBL is not your thing, you don’t have to suffer through weeks and weeks of it, and if you do like it, it’s a really great experience and it’s set up so that you learn a lot of clinically relevant information for common problems, and you have to fill out and “turn in” the forms for any tests or procedures you want, so you learn the layout and the bureaucracy of the hospital a little bit before you start clinics.

Our cafeteria food and the cafeteria workers (and just food in this state in general) are the bomb.com

Student opportunities

Spay Day is a high volume spay neuter day for cat shelters and low income families, you get to be extremely hands on and do the initial knockdown, all the vaccines (besides rabies), all the surgery prep, and monitor the surgery. Surgeons will take the time to explain what they’re doing step by step, and if you are consistent about showing up you will most likely get to do a neuter/spay sooner than you would with the standard curriculum.

Wetlabs I’ve attended so far or that I’m scheduled to attend: Projected anesthesia (darting), abdominal ultrasound on live dogs, suture board and cadaver suturing, radiotelemetry (tracking wild animals with radio collars), live goat pregnancy check ultrasound, live equine endoscopy, catfish necropsy, reptile necropsy, sterile technique, live equine limb ultrasound. This is all in my first 1.25 semesters so there is a lot of opportunity to gain clinical skills.

Raptor rehab is through the wildlife hospital, every student has an opportunity to learn how to feed and train the resident birds, and you can apply to become a co-chair where you are completely in charge of their care (feeding, training, monthly physicals, blood draws, etc.). Great chance to become well versed in avian medicine. You also get to do the releases which is an amazing experience. I touched a bald eagle and it was awesome.

Students have a chance to work as reps for different food companies, in small animal ICU, and as live-ins for the large animal hospital. It’s a reasonable amount of hours from what I can tell and my friends who have the jobs appreciate the extra money and the skills and/or business knowledge.



Cons

Class size – You see the same people for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more if there are weekend activities). Our class has been good about minimizing drama but there’s definitely potential for it and sometimes you get tired of people. I feel like this is probably similar at most schools. I go to a gym that no one from my school goes to so that helps, having a separate group of people who I don’t constantly see.

Traffic – it sucks but the school is so great that it’s worth it. Live close to the vet school (most people do anyway).

Cost - it is expensive to go here OOS but I think it’s worth it because I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. The general opinion that I’ve found on this website is “go where it’s cheapest” but honestly I think I would have been miserable at my IS if I had gotten in and at the other schools I got into that were a bit cheaper. So I think as long as you manage your money well in school and after and don’t spend frivolously, it’s manageable. I used the calculator for what my student loan payments are going to be, and while it’s a bigger burden than it would have been at the other schools, it’s completely doable, and I think it’s worth how happy I am here.
 
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@Rozzieray
So the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year perspectives aren't on here because they're super busy, but here's what I have. I can update with more clinics stuff once my roommate's surgery rotation cools down a bit and she has time. If you have any specific questions ask away!

Pros

Small class size (89) – lots of opportunities to obtain leadership positions ( it’s my second semester and I’m a president of the exotics club, secretary of surgery club, a fundraiser for my class, on the Josh Project committee, and a co-chair for the raptor program), intimate setting for wetlabs, professors frequently know you by name, classmates feel like family.

Great professors – Of course not every professor is awesome, there’s always a few that are boring or unnecessarily difficult, but that is the case everywhere. For the majority, they truly care about you doing well. One of our professors even stayed late before every test and made us coffee and snacks and answered last minute questions. They’ll also help find you opportunities that are specifically tailored to what you want to do, such as places to work at during the summer or externships during clinics.

Amazing exotics service – I’m interested in exotics so that’s what I’ve come in contact with the most, the other services are awesome but I’ve had the most contact with BZEM so that’s what I can speak about. Dr. Nevarez and Dr. Tully are some of the best, and we just hired Dr. Mitchell as the new dean of the hospital, so we arguably have one of the best exotics teams in the country if not the world.

PBL- I learned more in PBL than I have ever learned before. You have two weeks of PBL lite right after orientation, and 2 weeks of real PBL both at the beginning of 1st year 2nd semester, and at the end of 2nd year 1st semester. So if PBL is not your thing, you don’t have to suffer through weeks and weeks of it, and if you do like it, it’s a really great experience and it’s set up so that you learn a lot of clinically relevant information for common problems, and you have to fill out and “turn in” the forms for any tests or procedures you want, so you learn the layout and the bureaucracy of the hospital a little bit before you start clinics.

Our cafeteria food and the cafeteria workers (and just food in this state in general) are the bomb.com

Student opportunities

Spay Day is a high volume spay neuter day for cat shelters and low income families, you get to be extremely hands on and do the initial knockdown, all the vaccines (besides rabies), all the surgery prep, and monitor the surgery. Surgeons will take the time to explain what they’re doing step by step, and if you are consistent about showing up you will most likely get to do a neuter/spay sooner than you would with the standard curriculum.

Wetlabs I’ve attended so far or that I’m scheduled to attend: Projected anesthesia (darting), abdominal ultrasound on live dogs, suture board and cadaver suturing, radiotelemetry (tracking wild animals with radio collars), live goat pregnancy check ultrasound, live equine endoscopy, catfish necropsy, reptile necropsy, sterile technique, live equine limb ultrasound. This is all in my first 1.25 semesters so there is a lot of opportunity to gain clinical skills.

Raptor rehab is through the wildlife hospital, every student has an opportunity to learn how to feed and train the resident birds, and you can apply to become a co-chair where you are completely in charge of their care (feeding, training, monthly physicals, blood draws, etc.). Great chance to become well versed in avian medicine. You also get to do the releases which is an amazing experience. I touched a bald eagle and it was awesome.

Students have a chance to work as reps for different food companies, in small animal ICU, and as live-ins for the large animal hospital. It’s a reasonable amount of hours from what I can tell and my friends who have the jobs appreciate the extra money and the skills and/or business knowledge.



Cons

Class size – You see the same people for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (or more if there are weekend activities). Our class has been good about minimizing drama but there’s definitely potential for it and sometimes you get tired of people. I feel like this is probably similar at most schools. I go to a gym that no one from my school goes to so that helps, having a separate group of people who I don’t constantly see.

Traffic – it sucks but the school is so great that it’s worth it. Live close to the vet school (most people do anyway).

Cost - it is expensive to go here OOS but I think it’s worth it because I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. The general opinion that I’ve found on this website is “go where it’s cheapest” but honestly I think I would have been miserable at my IS if I had gotten in and at the other schools I got into that were a bit cheaper. So I think as long as you manage your money well in school and after and don’t spend frivolously, it’s manageable. I used the calculator for what my student loan payments are going to be, and while it’s a bigger burden than it would have been at the other schools, it’s completely doable, and I think it’s worth how happy I am here.

Thank you! I'm glad you are an exotics person cause I have been interested in exotics, wildlife or shelter medicine.
One more question does LSU track or are you able to do a little bit of everything?
 
Thank you! I'm glad you are an exotics person cause I have been interested in exotics, wildlife or shelter medicine.
One more question does LSU track or are you able to do a little bit of everything?
We track in clinics but you still get to experience pretty much everything. And before clinics everyone does the same thing besides electives.
 
I did the math, and with OOS tuition my first year and IS my following 3 years at both schools, NCSU is about $69,500 cheaper than Ohio State (I also factored in living expenses and supply fees). I know Ohio is fairly easy to get IS tuition and the vast majority of students obtain it fairly easily. Is this also true of NCSU? Does anyone familiar with the schools have any input for the schools aside from financial? Maybe housing or quality of education? I'm planning on going into mixed practice but I am most interested in large animal. I just want to make sure I make the right decision. I'm living in Ohio now for undergrad so I have seen OSU, and I am hoping to visit NCSU for their admitted students event on April 1st.
Thanks so much for the help:)
 
Hey all! I'm looking to do a meeting with my pre-vet club on how to make your list of schools to apply to. Any suggestions on things to add/talk about?

I know I'll discuss price & in-state vs. out of state chances, schools that emphasize last-45 vs. cumulative... etc. Any other suggestions?
 
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Hey all! I'm looking to do a meeting with my pre-vet club on how to make your list of schools to apply to. Any suggestions on things to add/talk about?

I know I'll discuss price & in-state vs. out of state chances, schools that emphasize last-45 vs. cumulative... etc. Any other suggestions?
look at and make pre-req lists so you know what classes you need to take or what schools to not apply to.
Look at schools that have an absolute cut off to make sure you aren't wasting application money
 
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Hey all! I'm looking to do a meeting with my pre-vet club on how to make your list of schools to apply to. Any suggestions on things to add/talk about? I know I'll discuss price & in-state vs. out of state chances, schools that emphasize last-45 vs. cumulative... etc. Any other suggestions?
Just throwing some ideas out there:
  • Discuss the curricula at different schools and potential ways to evaluate what would be a good fit for them (all else being equal)
  • How to tell which schools you can apply for IS tuition at (and how difficult/time consuming the process of establishing residency is)
  • What sorts of veterinary student specific support staff the schools have available (counselors, career services, financial advisors, etc.)
  • Class sizes
  • Interview processes (do two schools tend to have interviews at the same time, so you would be forced to turn one down?)
  • Dual degree programs (can you apply to them after starting the DVM program or are they like CSU where you have to specifically apply for and be accepted to a dual degree program? What dual degrees might a school offer?)
I know this is a lot of random stuff, but these are definitely some things that I thought about when I applied! Hope this helps. :)
 
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Hi Everyone,
Could someone post recent pros and cons of the 3 carribbevn schools.
Thanks!
 
Can any current Ohio State students please comment on/update the pros and cons listed in the first post?
 
I'm so torn guys. Has anyone had experience with having your heart set on one school but deciding to go elsewhere? Like a gut feeling or a sense of belonging or home-ness, then turn it down to go somewhere due to cold hard facts like cost or putting you in a better place for your career? Does anyone regret their choice of school, or have lingering feelings that they should be elsewhere?

I plan to apply to faculty positions after earning my degrees, and assistant professor positions typically pay 70 to 100,000. I would also be eligible for public service loan forgiveness. I am aware of the difficulty in obtaining these positions and aware the PSLF has the taxable income caveat. I am trying not to make cost THE deciding factor, although obviously it is a major factor (please don't attack me for this).
 
As a better defense against getting slaughtered for considering anything other than cost, the difference in cost between the two schools depends on me either getting in-state tuition or getting accepted into the dual degree program. Neither is guaranteed.
 
As a better defense against getting slaughtered for considering anything other than cost, the difference in cost between the two schools depends on me either getting in-state tuition or getting accepted into the dual degree program. Neither is guaranteed.
Curious - what is your IS and what is the dual degree program you're applying to/got in to? I think that helps inform the decision a bit. I should add that I'm in an EXTREMELY similar boat and still have yet to make a decision on where to attend.
 
I'm looking for some info on Iowa State. Its been awhile since I went on my tour and maybe I didn't think to ask these things while I was there.
-what is the climate of the student body there? Competitive or colleagues?
-curriculum..systems based? PBL?
-tests..are they spaced out well or is it luck of the draw?
-supportive of non traditional students?
Are there many/any there?
-do you get any animal experience before year 4? what animal experience is worked into the curriculum before that or is it just assumed you'll have time for clubs.
- speaking of which, how much extra time do the clubs take? When do they meet?
That's all I can think of right now
 
I wish I could say that I recommend Massey to North American students considering vet school, but I can't.

I know this post was back in 2008, but would love your insight. Why wouldn't you recommend it? I've been admitted for semester two in July 2016 and am seriously considering it, so I'd love to hear about your experience!
 
I know this post was back in 2008, but would love your insight. Why wouldn't you recommend it? I've been admitted for semester two in July 2016 and am seriously considering it, so I'd love to hear about your experience!

I don't have a lot of insight but the vet that I work for went to Massey and he really loved it there. He feels he had a great vet school experience and loved New Zealand so much he goes back to visit every year. And I think he turned out to be a great vet!
 
I don't have a lot of insight but the vet that I work for went to Massey and he really loved it there. He feels he had a great vet school experience and loved New Zealand so much he goes back to visit every year. And I think he turned out to be a great vet!
A vet that can afford a trip to NZ every year? I need that job.
 
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A vet that can afford a trip to NZ every year? I need that job.

Besides his yearly trip he lives very frugally to be honest! Haha. Though I think he did have some help financing his vet school tuition so I'm sure the lowered debt helps a ton
 
I am not sure. The site only considers 4 schools that allow you to do that. Ohio State isn't one of them. Do they allow that?

with rounding to the nearest thousand the data they present if I pick a home state of Alabama (just randomly not NC or Ohio):
OSU IS: 135k
OSU OOS: 172k

NCSU IS: 77k
NCSU OOS: 102k

Even looking IS to IS that's 60k difference...which is a down-payment on a house.

The schools that allow IS tuition after your first year are: Ohio, WA (all 4 years in WA), NCSU, Missouri, and I believe UC Davis too.
 
I don't have a lot of insight but the vet that I work for went to Massey and he really loved it there. He feels he had a great vet school experience and loved New Zealand so much he goes back to visit every year. And I think he turned out to be a great vet!

Other than the 2008 post I found, I haven't seen anything negative about Massey (or New Zealand for that matter). Everyone seems to love it, but I just can't find much info about the actual curriculum to compare it to the US schools. Still waiting to hear back from a domestic school as well, but it's going to be a really difficult choice! If your boss has any specific advise/insight, that'd be sweet ;)
 
Hello, that file of pros and cons for each school is really helpful. If there are any Cornell students out there, can you please add any updates as I think cornell was last updated in 2012. Thank you!!!
 
Oh also Minnesota I believe too? I heard this is not a definite though. Does anyone know about this?

You can apply for residency after the first year but there is no guarantee. You have to provide evidence that you intend to make Minnesota a permanent long term residence.
 
You can apply for residency after the first year but there is no guarantee. You have to provide evidence that you intend to make Minnesota a permanent long term residence.

Oh wow.. Thanks. So meaning not just for the four years. This was my determining factor for applying vs not applying. Minnesota is the most expensive school actually. I made a list of all of them, and OOS tuition (only tuition) is $229,028. So if the likelihood of getting IS tuition is not high, I will not be applying..
 
I am really struggling! I do not have an instate and have not been accepted anywhere that will let you gain IS tuition, so there isn't a huge cost difference anywhere. I'm trying to decide between US and UK schools. I guess I'm wondering if my future career will be hurt by going to a UK school. Will employers see that and think "Oh, she couldn't get into a US school."? Is it ever beneficial to choose a UK program over a US program. Should I stay this side of the pond? I was very impressed by what Edinburgh had to offer. I didn't study abroad in college and would hate to miss an opportunity like this to live abroad.

The contenders (in no particular order) are Tennessee, Royal Veterinary College, Tufts and Edinburgh.

Here are the main advantages to going to the UK as I see them.
1. The degree is accredited internationally. You never know what life will throw your way and where you'll end up.
2. EMS gives you extra clinical weeks that don't exist in American programs.
3. Opportunities for experience throughout Europe

Here are my concerns:
1. You graduate with a Bachelors of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. I know this is equivalent to a DVM, but I have a hard time spending all this time, effort and money for a BS. I know how important credentials are in human medicine and worry that this may be seen as a "lesser" degree upon my return to the US.
2. Lack of "networking opportunities". Will it be harder for me to find a job/match to an internship?
3. Lack of independence and mobility. I'll be effectively stranded on the other side of the world without a car. I went to college in another state, but could always find a reasonable flight home. Flights to Edinburgh are a 23 hour ordeal and expensive.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
I am really struggling! I do not have an instate and have not been accepted anywhere that will let you gain IS tuition, so there isn't a huge cost difference anywhere. I'm trying to decide between US and UK schools. I guess I'm wondering if my future career will be hurt by going to a UK school. Will employers see that and think "Oh, she couldn't get into a US school."? Is it ever beneficial to choose a UK program over a US program. Should I stay this side of the pond? I was very impressed by what Edinburgh had to offer. I didn't study abroad in college and would hate to miss an opportunity like this to live abroad.

The contenders (in no particular order) are Tennessee, Royal Veterinary College, Tufts and Edinburgh.

Here are the main advantages to going to the UK as I see them.
1. The degree is accredited internationally. You never know what life will throw your way and where you'll end up.
2. EMS gives you extra clinical weeks that don't exist in American programs.
3. Opportunities for experience throughout Europe

Here are my concerns:
1. You graduate with a Bachelors of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. I know this is equivalent to a DVM, but I have a hard time spending all this time, effort and money for a BS. I know how important credentials are in human medicine and worry that this may be seen as a "lesser" degree upon my return to the US.
2. Lack of "networking opportunities". Will it be harder for me to find a job/match to an internship?
3. Lack of independence and mobility. I'll be effectively stranded on the other side of the world without a car. I went to college in another state, but could always find a reasonable flight home. Flights to Edinburgh are a 23 hour ordeal and expensive.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.
I wouldn't worry about the different degree name if I were you. Students in the UK go to vet school straight out of high school, so that is why it's a bachelors degree, but you will still be considered a doctor if you come back to practice in the US. Most clients won't know or care what degree you have as long as you went to an accredited school and are licensed to practice. They might notice the different letters on your business card or name tag and ask, but they'd probably just think it was interesting once you explain. As far as I know, there isn't any stigma with UK schools. RVC and Edinburgh are both AVMA accredited and well-respected programs, and it doesn't seem like they are really easier to get into than US schools.

@DVMDream might have some better advice for you, since she actually started at a UK school and then transferred to a US school.
 
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Didn't feel this deserved its own thread, and thought this was probably the most appropriate location for it. I was denied from my IS (ncsu) and accepted OOS (Purdue) and waitlisted OOS (uga). Therefore my only option this cycle is Purdue. I would like to go to Purdue, hence why I applied to begin with. However, I am unsure with going there making life more complicated (harder for SO to get a job, very far from immediate family - though close to extended, debt, etc.) whether it would be worth taking the risk and reapplying next year. Obviously a large risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take. Opinions on giving up an acceptance to reapply IS?
 
Didn't feel this deserved its own thread, and thought this was probably the most appropriate location for it. I was denied from my IS (ncsu) and accepted OOS (Purdue) and waitlisted OOS (uga). Therefore my only option this cycle is Purdue. I would like to go to Purdue, hence why I applied to begin with. However, I am unsure with going there making life more complicated (harder for SO to get a job, very far from immediate family - though close to extended, debt, etc.) whether it would be worth taking the risk and reapplying next year. Obviously a large risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take. Opinions on giving up an acceptance to reapply IS?


I don't want to come off rude at all, that is not my intention here. Though, I do have questions as many of us probably do. Why would you apply to OOS schools if you wouldn't accept a seat OOS? Do you know how lucky you are for getting accepted to vet school in the U.S.? Yes, NCSU is very inexpensive. So getting IS tuition would be amazing. Why didn't you just apply to NSCU this time around, and if not accepted you could do a file review, improve your app, then reapply and maybe include others too that you would be 100% willing to go to? What if you choose to turn down Purdue, reapply this cycle to NCSU and a couple other schools and get turned down from all of them? I'm not saying this will happen, but you have to think about it. There is no guarantee you will get accepted next cycle just b/c you got accepted this cycle. I think you'd feel worse if you denied an acceptance and didn't get into vet school the following year. Each year the applicant pool gets stronger and it gets more competitive. On the other hand, are you able to do a file review asap before accepting your seat at Purdue? Maybe there are things that you can change with your app, and if it is worth taking that huge risk and you think you'll get accepted, then it's on you to decide. Did you get an interview to NCSU at least? Or hang on, do they even do interviews? If not, it is SOLELY based on your application and stats.
 
I don't want to come off rude at all, that is not my intention here. Though, I do have questions as many of us probably do. Why would you apply to OOS schools if you wouldn't accept a seat OOS? Do you know how lucky you are for getting accepted to vet school in the U.S.? Yes, NCSU is very inexpensive. So getting IS tuition would be amazing. Why didn't you just apply to NSCU this time around, and if not accepted you could do a file review, improve your app, then reapply and maybe include others too that you would be 100% willing to go to? What if you choose to turn down Purdue, reapply this cycle to NCSU and a couple other schools and get turned down from all of them? I'm not saying this will happen, but you have to think about it. There is no guarantee you will get accepted next cycle just b/c you got accepted this cycle. I think you'd feel worse if you denied an acceptance and didn't get into vet school the following year. Each year the applicant pool gets stronger and it gets more competitive. On the other hand, are you able to do a file review asap before accepting your seat at Purdue? Maybe there are things that you can change with your app, and if it is worth taking that huge risk and you think you'll get accepted, then it's on you to decide. Did you get an interview to NCSU at least? Or hang on, do they even do interviews? If not, it is SOLELY based on your application and stats.

You certainly didn't come off rude. This is my exact dilemma. I applied OOS and am more than willing to go OOS, which is likely what I will do. I know it would be a huge risk, and I don't think I would be happy at all if that risk didn't turn out in my favor. I was just curious to what people's opinions were on the topic as reapplying was something that was suggested to me by my mentors. NCSU doesn't interview and unfortunately their file review is after the April 15th deadline (and in person/during my finals week and I go to school out of NC currently) which isn't ideal for me. But like I said, I will more than likely happily take my place at Purdue- just looking for opinions or experiences from others!
 
You certainly didn't come off rude. This is my exact dilemma. I applied OOS and am more than willing to go OOS, which is likely what I will do. I know it would be a huge risk, and I don't think I would be happy at all if that risk didn't turn out in my favor. I was just curious to what people's opinions were on the topic as reapplying was something that was suggested to me by my mentors. NCSU doesn't interview and unfortunately their file review is after the April 15th deadline (and in person/during my finals week and I go to school out of NC currently) which isn't ideal for me. But like I said, I will more than likely happily take my place at Purdue- just looking for opinions or experiences from others!

Oh that is awful that you can't do the file review until after 4/15!! That is so annoying and frustrating! The other thing is I forgot to mention, that if you decide you do want to reapply next year to NCSU and a couple others, I would suggest not applying to Purdue again since you'd have turned down their acceptance..
 
Oh that is awful that you can't do the file review until after 4/15!! That is so annoying and frustrating! The other thing is I forgot to mention, that if you decide you do want to reapply next year to NCSU and a couple others, I would suggest not applying to Purdue again since you'd have turned down their acceptance..

Oh yes. If I on the off chance decide to turn down Purdue it will be because I have decided that I do not wish to attend and would not reapply. I would think that would be a very awkward interview if I did!
 
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Didn't feel this deserved its own thread, and thought this was probably the most appropriate location for it. I was denied from my IS (ncsu) and accepted OOS (Purdue) and waitlisted OOS (uga). Therefore my only option this cycle is Purdue. I would like to go to Purdue, hence why I applied to begin with. However, I am unsure with going there making life more complicated (harder for SO to get a job, very far from immediate family - though close to extended, debt, etc.) whether it would be worth taking the risk and reapplying next year. Obviously a large risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take. Opinions on giving up an acceptance to reapply IS?

If it were me, I would take the Purdue seat. You never know what's going to happen with ncsu or uga, and it's better to take the offer you have, then to not get accepted at all next year.

What's that proverb? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
 
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I keep seeing comments about different vet schools letting you apply for in state tuition after one year. I'm pretty new to this, but could someone please fill me in on what that means/ which school do it? I'm all about saving money/ not being in debt until I'm 80.
 
Oh yes. If I on the off chance decide to turn down Purdue it will be because I have decided that I do not wish to attend and would not reapply. I would think that would be a very awkward interview if I did!
Oh yes. If I on the off chance decide to turn down Purdue it will be because I have decided that I do not wish to attend and would not reapply. I would think that would be a very awkward interview if I did!


Ironically i will be applying to both this year!
I keep seeing comments about different vet schools letting you apply for in state tuition after one year. I'm pretty new to this, but could someone please fill me in on what that means/ which school do it? I'm all about saving money/ not being in debt until I'm 80.

The schools that allow you to FOR SURE apply for and get IS tuition after your 1st year:
-Ohio State (you cannot leave Ohio for more than 30 days the first year, and no more than 14 days at a time). If you do this you'll 99% get IS tuition.
-Missouri
-Washington
-North Carolina

Schools you can possibly get IS tuition at but regarding a few things:
-UC Davis
-Minnesota

Cheapest OOS schools' OOS tuition: (I live in CA)
-Wisconsin
-Texas
-Oklahoma
-Lincoln Memorial
-Oregon
-Auburn
All above are less than $175,000 tuition ONLY.

All others are $180,000 +
 
Didn't feel this deserved its own thread, and thought this was probably the most appropriate location for it. I was denied from my IS (ncsu) and accepted OOS (Purdue) and waitlisted OOS (uga). Therefore my only option this cycle is Purdue. I would like to go to Purdue, hence why I applied to begin with. However, I am unsure with going there making life more complicated (harder for SO to get a job, very far from immediate family - though close to extended, debt, etc.) whether it would be worth taking the risk and reapplying next year. Obviously a large risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take. Opinions on giving up an acceptance to reapply IS?

I think (to me) this depends on if you think you could improve your application enough to get accepted at NCSU. Obviously tuition there is cheap and if your SO has better job prospects there that's always a plus. If you choose to go to Purdue your SO might just have to live in Chicago (2 hrs) or Indy (1 hour) to make sure he/she is in a large enough city to find a job that works for them. Looks like tuition is almost 120k difference between Purdue OOS and NCSU IS. That's a life changing amount of debt. If you are younger and willing to wait and take the risk and feel you have a strong application that you can drastically improve before the next cycle, I might wait. If you have to go to vet school next year or the next or its the end of the world...then take the seat. But I only applied to my IS....I wanted to be a vet, but not bad enough to get myself that far into debt because I'm older. So take what I say with a grain of salt.
 
I think (to me) this depends on if you think you could improve your application enough to get accepted at NCSU. Obviously tuition there is cheap and if your SO has better job prospects there that's always a plus. If you choose to go to Purdue your SO might just have to live in Chicago (2 hrs) or Indy (1 hour) to make sure he/she is in a large enough city to find a job that works for them. Looks like tuition is almost 120k difference between Purdue OOS and NCSU IS. That's a life changing amount of debt. If you are younger and willing to wait and take the risk and feel you have a strong application that you can drastically improve before the next cycle, I might wait. If you have to go to vet school next year or the next or its the end of the world...then take the seat. But I only applied to my IS....I wanted to be a vet, but not bad enough to get myself that far into debt because I'm older. So take what I say with a grain of salt.

With a small scholarship from Purdue over four years it's a tuition difference of $73,819 ($74,064 vs $147,883) and full cost of attendence difference of $60,315 ($156,902 vs $217,217) though I'm not planning on taking out that full amount in loans and wanting to decrease cost of living. Still a good chunk of money plus interest I agree. Debt and SO job prospects are of great concern. Although I feel I have a good application and have been building on it in case I didn't get in this year, NCSU has a very strong applicant pool (and getting stronger) and I'm not sure the risk would pay off next year which is scary.

Edit: calculated ncsu coa wrong the first time
 
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With a small scholarship from Purdue over four years it's a tuition difference of $73,819 ($74,064 vs $147,883) and full cost of attendence difference of $60,315 ($156,902 vs $217,217) though I'm not planning on taking out that full amount in loans and wanting to decrease cost of living. Still a good chunk of money plus interest I agree. Debt and SO job prospects are of great concern. Although I feel I have a good application and have been building on it in case I didn't get in this year, NCSU has a very strong applicant pool (and getting stronger) and I'm not sure the risk would pay off next year which is scary.

Edit: calculated ncsu coa wrong the first time
I got my #s from VIN map and just did NC resident vs out of state Purdue. I took living expenses out of it. Did I look at it wrong? 191k vs 77k. Congrats on the Purdue scholarship.
 
Didn't feel this deserved its own thread, and thought this was probably the most appropriate location for it. I was denied from my IS (ncsu) and accepted OOS (Purdue) and waitlisted OOS (uga). Therefore my only option this cycle is Purdue. I would like to go to Purdue, hence why I applied to begin with. However, I am unsure with going there making life more complicated (harder for SO to get a job, very far from immediate family - though close to extended, debt, etc.) whether it would be worth taking the risk and reapplying next year. Obviously a large risk that I'm not sure I'm willing to take. Opinions on giving up an acceptance to reapply IS?

I can understand where you are coming from, I feel like I am in a similar but not the same situation. I got waitlisted to all schools I applied for, but I'm low enough at my IS that it's basically a rejection. Seems that what you tend to get when you ask these questions is people saying why did you apply somewhere you weren't 100% set on going to? I find that unhelpful, it points out a past mistake, but really doesn't offer a future action. I have looked at some of the past threads out there on this and the advice seems generally to be to take the acceptance (the only exceptions I found were people applying to schools outside their own country). The primary reason they seem to say this is because VMCAS asks if you have been accepted before and if you turn down an acceptance, that looks really bad (seen as a lack of dedication or something of the sort). The problem is that I have yet to see where they got that information from. I didn't see it on my own application, but I was also a first time applicant. I think a solid answer on that would be important, but I also am not sure where to find one.
 
I got my #s from VIN map and just did NC resident vs out of state Purdue. I took living expenses out of it. Did I look at it wrong? 191k vs 77k. Congrats on the Purdue scholarship.

I just be got mine directly from the school websites. Without the scholarship Just tuition for Purdue is $179,883 and ncsu is $74,064. But Purdue does have a far less cost of living/attendance outside of tuition even with them including NAVLE costs, and externships costs in their estimate.
 
I can understand where you are coming from, I feel like I am in a similar but not the same situation. I got waitlisted to all schools I applied for, but I'm low enough at my IS that it's basically a rejection. Seems that what you tend to get when you ask these questions is people saying why did you apply somewhere you weren't 100% set on going to? I find that unhelpful, it points out a past mistake, but really doesn't offer a future action. I have looked at some of the past threads out there on this and the advice seems generally to be to take the acceptance (the only exceptions I found were people applying to schools outside their own country). The primary reason they seem to say this is because VMCAS asks if you have been accepted before and if you turn down an acceptance, that looks really bad (seen as a lack of dedication or something of the sort). The problem is that I have yet to see where they got that information from. I didn't see it on my own application, but I was also a first time applicant. I think a solid answer on that would be important, but I also am not sure where to find one.

Yeah I certainly agree that's unhelpful. I applied OOS because I'm willing to go OOS but there are obviously different considerations when it comes to making the final decision on school than there are for applying
 
Hi everyone. I was wondering if current students at Ohio State or at Tennessee have any in sight for what makes their school stand out and why you chose that school. The difference comes down to a little over $10,000 financially so it's not a large difference when i'm going to be paying a large amount regardless. Any OOS students opinion on choosing over IS or over another school? Any advice on helping make a decision would be helpful. I would just really love some insight from current students at each of the programs. Preferably OOS students
 
Yeah I certainly agree that's unhelpful. I applied OOS because I'm willing to go OOS but there are obviously different considerations when it comes to making the final decision on school than there are for applying
Agreed that applying vs taking the acceptance are different. Didn't think about the fact that VMCAS asks if you have applied before. I suppose that might look negatively, but if it is adequately explained in a personal statement and it shows mature decisions/reasons can they really fault you for that?
 
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