How did you decide where/how many schools to apply to?

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TBRaysfan

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I'm preparing to apply this cycle (woo, nervous about it but way more excited!) and have been going back and forth about where to apply and how many to apply to.

I know there the main factors such as cost of tuition and applying but was looking for thoughts/opionions/reasons that made you apply to certain schools.

Thanks!
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I just got my VMSAR 2011 matriculation today and I'm suuupeer excited to finally go through it. Since I doubt you have one of those on hand (it's an amazing resource), how I'm (going) to pick schools is mostly based on cost (tuition + COL) and GPA requirements. My cGPA will never be astounding, I don't think, since I've got so many credits, but there's a chance I could raise it up a bit (3.4 or so, I hope) so I'm mostly focusing on cheaper schools, where I think I'd like to live, that don't have like 3.8 GPA requirement-kinda-things.

Make sense? :) Pick the factors that are most important to you, do your research (AVMA has a good list of all the "brief facts" about the AVMA schools), and pick the schools that fit them the best.
 
Basically looked at their average GPA accepted, how many OOS spots they had, and threw in a gamble or two (I'm looking at you, Colorado).
 
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Kansas, Iowa, and Mississippi take good numbers of non-resident students. Oklahoma doesnt take as many, but still a decent amount.
So does Penn if you've got the grades and all that for them.

I looked at average GPAs somewhat, but pretty much threw that requirement out the window, since my GPA was so much lower than all the averages. There were a few schools with 3.4 cutoff GPAs, so obviously I didn't apply there. (NCSU, was one, I think. UTK was another that either had a cutoff or really high averages for OOS)

I didn't apply to Washington because they make you pay the supplemental free before you can even see the supplemental, I didn't like that. :laugh:

Western's supp. is ridiculously long, so I didn't apply there either :)



Beyond that, I had the funds to apply to a lot of schools, so I did. And it paid off, luckily.
 
I just picked schools in locations where I didn't mind living for the next 4 years. Though, I probably should have considered tuition as well.
 
The first filter I used was which pre-requirements I had fulfilled/which ones I was going to fulfill. That knocked off more than half of the schools right there. Then I looked at OOS acceptance rates, and other similar stats. I ended up applying to only four schools because those were the ones I could see myself liking (I had visited three of the four before applying, so I had a decently good sense of this). If at all possible, I would definitely apply to your state school or contract school, even if it's not your first choice!
 
Missouri also takes a lot of OOS students and lets you change residency for tuition purposes. :love:
 
UCDavis because it is my dream school and my in state. (it's no coincidence that I moved to CA for my undergrad!)

Washington state because I have a friend who attends there and she loves it. (and if i've understood their application page- I'm a tier 1 app)

Iowa/Kansas - the Alma maters of the vets I work for, lots of out of staters

upenn- parents are paying for this particular app because the would like me to live closer to them. Very unlikely I'll get in because of my not s great Gpa (3.67) at a low rated undergrad.

Tufts- no clue why- I think I just want to live there...and and since they take some oos's, it's worth an app.

Whew. Just typed all this on my iPhone. Took forever!
 
moosenanny said:
The first filter I used was which pre-requirements I had fulfilled/which ones I was going to fulfill. That knocked off more than half of the schools right there.
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This is where i started too! no sense in keeping schools on the list if you dont have their requirements (i didnt take communication or nutrition).

Then I eliminated all southern schools (personal preference for where to live).

To choose from the remaining schools left, I looked at where i had previously lived, where i have extended family, or places close to my parents. I also looked at GPA and GRE. I kept WI because they have a primate facility and low tuition.

Finally, I chose a "reach" school because you never know!! I ended up going with Penn because it is also the closest school to my parents and have a good research program.

Ironically, i am going to Penn. Thank god i applied to my reach school!! :laugh: I feel spoiled getting into my top school and also being able to live in a city!!! and being close to my parents. The one down side: tuition!

I did not eliminate schools based on tuition and many people recommend doing this. I guess i just have different priorities, and i accept the fact that I'll be in a lot of debt. I'm also very smart with my money and I think i'll be able to handle it wisely as to not make my debt worse or ruin my credit. I know i'll be paying back more money....just personal choice i had to make.
 
BlacKAT33 said:
Then I eliminated all southern schools (personal preference for where to live).
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Haha, I did the same thing, only with the north! Personal preference and my s/o is graduating this May and all his networking is in the south/southeast.

I narowed it down to 4 because of money constraints for applications. I looked a little at tuition and OOS numbers accepted, but honestly, it was almost entirely location-based. If I'm going to spend my next 4 years there, might as well be happy where I am, right?

1. TAMU- my IS
2. Auburn- where I did my undergrad
3. OkSU- location to my family, mostly, and I almost went there for my undergrad, and really loved the campus/people
4. NCSU- we both have family near here and they allow you to get IS tuition after a year. I had also decided on this prior to the business requirement being lowered (I met their previous one), which apparently doubled their number of OOS apps this past cycle. Sigh. Probably shoud have gone with KSU.

UGA doesn't take many OOSers, UF was kind of expensive, and to be honest, I didn't want to spend 4 years in Mississippi or Red Stick, haha. Don't remember why I didn't apply to Tuskegee...no particular reason.

Good luck! :luck:
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As others have stated, I too started off with evaluating their prereqs to see if I had or intended to meet the requirments. Then I looked at their min GPAs, experience, etc to confirm I was even an eligible applicant. I would prefer to stay in the south of the Mason Dixon line and want nothing to do with the west coast (BTDT, not for me). However, I had two deviations to the location criteria. I did place some emphasis on those that didn't interview, not because I'm a social ******, but because interviews get costly.

After all of the above, my list looked like:

TAMU- My IS school. I applied even though I knew I didn't stand a chance. Was hoping for a miracle so that I could pay IS tuition.

OkSU- relatively good OOS chance when you consider the # of qualified OOS apps vs the # OOS applied. Supplemental was super easy and no interview for OOS. Plus, it's close to the fam

KSU- high number OOS, don't evaluate cGPA

LSU- don't evaluate cGPA. I LOVED that I could track everything online with them. Super helpful!

U of Minn- time cut off on older prereqs so my college 1 magically went away. Plus, once you make it past the initial cut to interview stage, all are on an equal playing field.

Wisconsin- no interview so might as well through my hat in the ring. In hindsight I wouldn't have done that one again.

MissSU- grade forgiveness program, so again, college 1 could disappear

NSCU- alternative eligibility for low cGPA and no interview

Tuskegee- more of a holistic view of an applicant rather than just numbers and data on paper. Also, very good odds as an OOS applicant and cheap OOS tuition. Many people don't apply there but I really liked the school.
 
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I applied to my IS, and then I picked the other three schools I applied to based on location (Midwest area, since I am from the midwest) and how many out of state applicants they accepted
 
Then I eliminated all southern schools (personal preference for where to live).
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Well fine, we don't want no uppity Yanks any how!
 
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Sounds like BlacKAT had a similar strategy as me!
I crossed off all the ones that would require me to take additional classes as prereqs. Didn't want to take nutrition, cell bio or any more biochem if I could help it!

Eliminated all Southern schools. I'd love to go travel down there and visit, but at this point, I'm not going to sign myself up to live down there for 4 years.

My grades are good enough that I didn't really look at average GPA. My GRE was pretty much on average for most schools, so I didn't use that to pare down the list either.

Looked at OOS numbers, tuition and exotic/wildlife/zoo opportunities to make things a bit narrower.

Schools that didn't do interviews were a perk.

Waffled a lot about whether I was applying to too many or too few schools, and ended up applying to 9. In retrospect, I wouldn't have applied to Colorado (it was a shoot-for-the-moon kind of thing. Even with good grades, the odds were way against me). I almost didn't apply to Minnesota but threw it in at the end as a "why not." Should've saved my money and swung the other way and thrown it out, they didn't want me anyway. Penn probably wouldn't have made the list a second time, either, since the tuition is high and the odds aren't great.
 
I basically cut all the schools that required a full year of organic chemistry, then picked remaining schools based off of where I thought I had a snowball's chance, and where I'd like to live. I then threw in Ohio and Wisconsin due to their tuition. Like BlacKAT, I pretty much crossed all the southern schools off the list immediately.
 
Eliminated all Southern schools. I'd love to go travel down there and visit, but at this point, I'm not going to sign myself up to live down there for 4 years.
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Like BlacKAT, I pretty much crossed all the southern schools off the list immediately.
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What the hell? We don't bite!

On the plus side, more spots for the rest of us.
 
HopefulAg said:
What the hell? We don't bite!

On the plus side, more spots for the rest of us.
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It has nothing to do with the people. Hot + humid + buggy and I don't get along.
 
I'm in the midst of compiling a list to apply to next year, so this topic is apt!

1) Firstly, I narrowed down my list to my IS and other schools that are known to accept a reasonable # OOS (excluding UCD, CSU, UGA).

2) Then, I removed the schools that want Biochem II (OHS, ORS, UTN) or the GRE Bio (OKS).

3) I don't think I would like PBL of Western. Then, I removed the southern schools (UFL, AUB, LSU, MSS) (I love snow too much!). This leaves me with ~15 schools. I don't want to deal with the hassle of getting experience letters for Cornell. I don't like Tufts for some intangible reason, but I figure i have to draw an arbitrary line somewhere.

4) I love the upper midwest, so I'm keeping ISU, UMN, and WIS on my list. I'm IS at UPenn. I have family in Scotland and love it there, so I'm applying to Edinburgh and Glasgow. I am going to add Kansas too, simply because I visited the area and loved it. This leaves me at 8 schools... which I think is a reasonable number.

5) I have Purdue, Missouri, NCSU, RVC, and VMR in the "maybe" pile. As I'm writing this list, I can't figure out where Michigan fits in my evaluation, so I will consider them too.

I will be graduating after 3 years in college, so if I don't get in this round I will find some fun job/internship to do with my 4th year and reevaluate/reapply. The second round I will probably include Massey too (sounds like a great experience, but a little further than I would prefer)

Hope this was helpful somewhat! I don't have tuition as a huge consideration, but it could play a factor in my final decision if all else is equal. I probably want to do SA or mixed (including "exotics" for rodents etc), but I am keeping my options open and may revert back to my initial equine plan. I figure I'll get a good education at all the schools so their supposed specialties isn't really playing a role at all.

I think my GPA will probably be my application strong point, along with animal experience, lacking in vet experience somewhat. I'm anticipating GRE will be strong too (I'm rather good at standardized tests)
 
HopefulAg said:
What the hell? We don't bite!

On the plus side, more spots for the rest of us.
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I'm sure most of you are very nice, I just think it would be too much culture shock for me, as someone raised in Berzerkeley, CA.
 
My method was totally not as thorough as everyone else's. I got really lucky, because I didn't really check prereqs. I assumed that because my major is essentially pre-vet (aka the class after me is going to graduate with a degree in veterinary and biomedical sciences, as opposed to my degree in animal biosciences) that it would cover all the schools prereqs. So that was kind of dumb.

There were certain schools I applied to based on location (Penn, VMRCVM) because they were closer to home.

I talked to my advisor, and we cut out Cornell and Tufts because he said I couldn't get into those (though Tufts I'm not sure about). He also told me not to bother with the CA schools or the southern schools, because he said they generally only take students from the surrounding states. (Which may be true, but I also think he was sort of talking out his ass, now) He sort of listed a few schools he thought I could get into, and I took his word (soooo dumb!!!!).

In terms of how many, the head of my department once said that since almost all the schools are on the VMCAS and can therefore see which schools you applied to, if you apply to only one or two, you look cocky. If you apply to more than 8, you look desperate and like you don't know what you want (yet I know someone who applied to 18 and got in to two schools). So I applied to seven. Selected my last two out of the VMSAR based on average GPA.

Looking back, I was a total ******* when it came to applying. I didn't do nearly enough research, I took my advisor's word as more or less gospel. My advise is to do your own research. Decide what is financially feasible for you (applying costs a ton of money, make sure you meet the prereqs, look into the specific programs (tracking, non, etc), cost of living, everything. You'll make a better decision about where to apply, and you'll be better prepared for interviews in terms of knowing more about the schools.
 
I applied to my in-state (OkSU) and KSU as my back up because it was the next closest option. My fiancee has a job here and the job market for his profession isn't looking too hot right now so he had to stay put no matter what happened. I'm just glad I got in at OkSU so I didn't have to worry about that.
 
Great replies!

I've made a list of schools to apply to but keep crossing and uncrossing them off the list and going back and forth about how many to apply to.

By December I'll officially be a VA resident so I'll apply to VMRCVM as my IS. I'm thinking about Missouri, WI, Tufts, and possibly Penn. Probably am not competitive enough for Penn or Tufts but they're close to family, which is a plus. I've also been thinking about applying to the schools in the UK for fun. I'd like to apply to NCSU but don't have all the pre-reqs for it. If I have to apply for a second time I'll take those classes and then add that school to the list.
 
lol sry hopefulag. i refuse to live in 100% republican states, especially the one bush came from. also...too much religion and finally, i dont want to stick out like a sore thumb, need diversity.
 
I'm another person similar to Blackkat (but I had no bias against Southern schools).

#1) Requirements. I had a lot of classes left to finish up (and some that I wouldn't meet) so that eliminated a number of schools.

#2) Location.. Location.. Location... Wasn't willing to live in the middle of nowhere (for many reasons). Eliminated most of the schools:(

#3) Reputation. Name brand schooling has helped me in my career up till now so I was biased to want to pick "better" known/rated programs.

#4) Didn't eliminate any schools on supp. app but must say it definitely made me think carefully if I wanted to bother.

Ended up with 4 schools (Penn, UCDavis, Tufts, and CSU). Still before I started applying I was thinking of just applying to UCDavis so that was an increase!
 
nyanko said:
I eliminated the southern schools for this reason and for the people. ;)
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I figured I'm already coming from right-wing fundie land, the home of Focus on the Family, so I figured it couldn't get too much worse.

On another note, I *may* have eliminated the University of Minnesota based off of the fact that hearing that accent for 4 years might drive me crazy. :laugh:
 
I'm applying to 10-12 (depending on the grade I get in orgo 2 :(). I know this is what I want to do with my life, my parents are footing the bill for apps, , I love something about each and every school I am apply to, and I'd rather not apply a second cycle if I can help it!!

That being said, the major factor in my selection of schools was pre-reqs required (my school doesn't offer animal science or nutrition), didn't want to take cell bio or phys, etc. After that, I narrowed it down by OOS students stats. Good luck!
 
DVMDream said:
If I remember correclty I believe UGA also requires the bio GRE but someone can correct me if I am wrong.
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I'd already ruled that out because of the humidity factor. I was just looking on AAVMC website though, and apparently RVC now requires GRE Biology, Biochem, or Chem. *eek*
 
CurrySpice said:
I'd already ruled that out because of the humidity factor. I was just looking on AAVMC website though, and apparently RVC now requires GRE Biology, Biochem, or Chem. *eek*
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:laugh: Yes I also hate the humidity, which is probably why I live in the dry desert that is AZ. People on here say that the bio GRE is not that bad especially since most of it was covered in the pre-requisites that you have to take. Personally, I am not going to apply to OkSU or UGA because of the bio GRE simply because I really do not feel like spending anymore money on standardized tests. I am already heading into round three of the genereal GRE... :bang:
 
BlacKAT33 said:
lol sry hopefulag. i refuse to live in 100% republican states, especially the one bush came from. also...too much religion and finally, i dont want to stick out like a sore thumb, need diversity.
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:laugh: yea, i took the red/blue map from the last election and nixed the red states. kidding :p
 
Geez, what's with all the haters for the southern states? Haven't you ever heard of southern hospitality? Although I had to draw a line somewhere (hence no Mississippi or Louisiana). Every time I drove home from college, I would have to stop in MS, and I swear, as soon as you crossed the state line, you gained 15% humidity, even in December.

On another note, I'm not really religious at all, just wasn't raised with it, and I felt perfectly at home when I moved to AL, but I always thought of Auburn as a little bubble of sanity in the Deep South... I would never, ever live ANYwhere else in AL. :laugh:
 
twelvetigers said:
Correct. But, it's NOT THAT BAD. If you have lower stats or an interesting situation, OKSU may very well be worth taking the extra GRE.
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Word. *looks at c/o above avatar*

DVMDream said:
People on here say that the bio GRE is not that bad especially since most of it was covered in the pre-requisites that you have to take. Personally, I am not going to apply to OkSU or UGA because of the bio GRE simply because I really do not feel like spending anymore money on standardized tests. I am already heading into round three of the genereal GRE... :bang:
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I hear you on that as I too *hate* standardized tests. We do not get along well. However, IMHO, throw down the cash and sit though one more test to give yourself a shot at a school that takes alot of OOS. Plus since they don't interview OOS, consider that you're not spending the $400-600 for an interview, rather ~$150 for a test.

One thing most people don't calculate for OkSU is the #applied vs # qualified vs #accepted. The number that apply posted in VMSAR is misleading. If you look at their website almost half of those are not qualified. If you can ensure that you constitute a qualified applicant your chances increase greatly.
 
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crittergal said:
Word. *looks at c/o above avatar*



I hear you on that as I too *hate* standardized tests. We do not get along well. However, IMHO, throw down the cash and sit though one more test to give yourself a shot at a school that takes alot of OOS. Plus since they don't interview OOS, consider that you're not spending the $400-600 for an interview, rather ~$150 for a test.

One thing most people don't calculate for OkSU is the #applied vs # qualified vs #accepted. The number that apply posted in VMCAS is misleading. If you look at their website almost half of those are not qualified. If you can ensure that you constitute a qualified applicant your chances increase greatly.
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:thumbup::thumbup:
 
crittergal said:
I hear you on that as I too *hate* standardized tests. We do not get along well. However, IMHO, throw down the cash and sit though one more test to give yourself a shot at a school that takes alot of OOS. Plus since they don't interview OOS, consider that you're not spending the $400-600 for an interview, rather ~$150 for a test.

One thing most people don't calculate for OkSU is the #applied vs # qualified vs #accepted. The number that apply posted in VMSAR is misleading. If you look at their website almost half of those are not qualified. If you can ensure that you constitute a qualified applicant your chances increase greatly.
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Good point. I really have not taken a good look at the schools yet to decide where I am going to apply to this next time. I am going to try to finish out this semester first before I start really looking into the schools (also read I am still holding out hope that maybe western will show some love to some of their alternates next week). Then, I will pick schools based on where I think I can live for the next 4 years/proximity to family (so WSU no Pullman for me), next will be curriculum (I like the idea of hands on experience; Western :love:), then probably next will be clubs/programs each school has that I would really be interested in, I will also look at the number of OOS accepted. Then, once I have gotten a list of those schools I will probably cut it down some to maybe 5 or 6 at the most (unfortunately you have to have $ for this). Hopefully I will have a decent list by the beginning of June.
 
My parents are helping me pay so I'm applying to 9-10 schools. I'm REALLY hoping to get into penn as it is my instate and my boyfriend's job market is kind of limited to our hometown area. I chose several places I heard had great SA programs, eliminated ones that I had no chance at (UCD :(), and added ones that meet my organic chem prerequisites. Now that I've chosen I'm swinging wildly between moments of being sure I'll get in somewhere to moments of crippling self doubt. Yay vet school!:laugh:
 
goldnretrivrgrl said:
My parents are helping me pay so I'm applying to 9-10 schools. I'm REALLY hoping to get into penn as it is my instate and my boyfriend's job market is kind of limited to our hometown area. I chose several places I heard had great SA programs, eliminated ones that I had no chance at (UCD :(), and added ones that meet my organic chem prerequisites. Now that I've chosen I'm swinging wildly between moments of being sure I'll get in somewhere to moments of crippling self doubt. Yay vet school!:laugh:
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Good Luck to you!!! Stick around here because come June/July everyone will be going through the application cycle together and it becomes like one big, happy family! Everyone will also be having those same mood swings of confidence and self-doubt. And everyone will be more than willing to help lift you back up when you are having doubts. Anyway, GOOD LUCK and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. :luck:
 
DVMDream said:
Good Luck to you!!! Stick around here because come June/July everyone will be going through the application cycle together and it becomes like one big, happy family! Everyone will also be having those same mood swings of confidence and self-doubt. And everyone will be more than willing to help lift you back up when you are having doubts. Anyway, GOOD LUCK and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. :luck:
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Thank you! I'm relatively new here (been lurking for a while) but I thought it was great how everyone during this last cycle was waiting nervously together/encouraging each other. I could use some of that over this next year! :)
 
I chose my schools really really badly. I did Ochem the summer before applying (in two six week sections), plus another class that lasted twelve. I was planning on taking the GRE in the week between summer and fall sessions. I quickly decided that was a bad idea, so I took the GRE the last week in September and the second week in October. That was the biggest factor for me--the GRE cutoff date. I chose my VMRCVM because it was my instate, Auburn because I liked their program, parasitology reputation, and new LA hospital. I chose Cornell because I really liked the idea of PBL/lecture combo. I don't remember why I chose Iowa, but I ultimately realized (about 1 week before I took the GRE) that the GRE cutoff date on the AVMA PDF was inconsistant with the one on the website. I added Missouri at the last minute because of the 2+2.

I actually was planning on just applying to my IS but my parents convinced me to apply more broadly. In addition to the GRE cutoff date, I included location--Columbia, MO was as big and about as far from home I was willing to go. I also knocked off a few because of some pre reqs I didn't have.

I ended up really loving Missouri and wishing I hadn't applied to Cornell--I think I misunderstood their Community College credit policy and I think I had less of a chance than I thought. I also had a hard time getting some of my experiences write LORs. One was on sebatical, and I had quit on less than ideal terms for another.
 
I applied to 4 schools: Texas A&M (b/c I am a Texas resident), LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have just applied to LSU and Texas A&M, because I didn't really think about my choices until it came down to it after I applied. Believe it or not, your admission rates are lowered after about school #4... so applying to a bunch just to get in somewhere does not always work, and its recommended that you pick a few good ones and go from there.

I was accepted to A&M and LSU, but I had to go with LSU because of some pre-req issues with Texas A&M. I was rejected from MSU and I got an interview at Auburn, but turned it down after I determined it was too far and too expensive... so its good to really research the schools and consider what you're getting yourself into beforehand.
 
libster06 said:
Believe it or not, your admission rates are lowered after about school #4... so applying to a bunch just to get in somewhere does not always work, and its recommended that you pick a few good ones and go from there.
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I hear that a lot, and you know what? I don't believe it. I know tons of people who apply to 15+ schools. And some of them get interviews at 10+ schools, some people walk away with tons of acceptances.

I know Ohio tends to ask questions like "why did you apply to so many schools," but I don't know anyone who's ever not gotten in just because of that. I really doubt that the number schools you apply to will affect how many schools you get into.

If you have a 3.9 GPA, and 1500 GRE and 10,000 experience hours, you're probably best off only applying to a few schools.
But if you're like me, with a low GPA, and GRE scores that only "average" at best, sometimes it pays off to apply to lots of schools.
 
cowgirla said:
I hear that a lot, and you know what? I don't believe it. I know tons of people who apply to 15+ schools. And some of them get interviews at 10+ schools, some people walk away with tons of acceptances.

I know Ohio tends to ask questions like "why did you apply to so many schools," but I don't know anyone who's ever not gotten in just because of that. I really doubt that the number schools you apply to will affect how many schools you get into.

If you have a 3.9 GPA, and 1500 GRE and 10,000 experience hours, you're probably best off only applying to a few schools.
But if you're like me, with a low GPA, and GRE scores that only "average" at best, sometimes it pays off to apply to lots of schools.
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That is a common comment, and I have always wondered both about the source and the veracity.

The only reason why I thought it might be somewhat true is that after a certain number of schools, you can't put enough time in to have a well-tailored application due to time considerations (especially with supplemental applications).

I would be especially concerned if someone received a lot of interviews. It would be hard to manage and hard to make a good impression on every one.
 
You're probably right, I just was making a statement, because I don't know if it is true or not, I mean I applied to 4 and only got formally rejected by 1. I just know that some schools can be real jerks when it comes to silly things like that. But I don't want to fill your head with worry.. don't listen to me I'm just a forum poster :p.

I guess I should just say to choose only ones you really want to go to because obviously supplemental app fees range from like $30-50 or 60 bucks, and the VMCAS fees go up the more schools you apply to, but also mainly where do you want to live for the next four years, and possibly longer?
 
StartingoverVet said:
That is a common comment, and I have always wondered both about the source and the veracity.

The only reason why I thought it might be somewhat true is that after a certain number of schools, you can't put enough time in to have a well-tailored application due to time considerations (especially with supplemental applications).

I would be especially concerned if someone received a lot of interviews. It would be hard to manage and hard to make a good impression on every one.
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:confused:

You've plenty of time to go through all supp apps and the VMCAS. And I had a higher success rate of being accepted into schools that were at the tail end of my interview 'tour'. The first two wait listed me lol. I think you get more practice the more interviews you have, thus your last few will be your 'best' (all else equal).

Only real concern is the money issue of traveling.


Though there's got to be some reason they ask about why you've applied to X, Y, and Z school. Ohio and A&M both asked me to tick off which ones I applied to (they already had the list, so I guess they wanted to see if I could remember?) and go into detail as to why I chose that particular school. The "What is each school known for?" thread helped a lot with refining my answers.
 
Well, first I checked all of the tuition/fees for all of the schools, and eliminated the most costly, which left me with about 10 or so that all cost around 40-42k a year. Then I started taking OOS acceptance #, and rates, and put those up. I checked pre reqs at some point, just to eliminated the few places that required the bio GRE, or weird classes I had no intention to take. I must have done the pre req earlier, because I was still looking at about 10 schools, comparing OOS acceptance. I didn't really check the GPA requirements that much, because in my personal case, GPA wasn't my issue, it was experience. Most numbers I could find on experience were fairly misleading, because the average always seemed to be pulled up from the non traditional applicants that had 50k hours of experience in 100 different fields (with animals I'd never even heard of!). At that point, I just chose the schools it looked like I could get in, and applied to 5.
 
HopefulAg said:
:confused:

And I had a higher success rate of being accepted into schools that were at the tail end of my interview 'tour'. The first two wait listed me lol. I think you get more practice the more interviews you have, thus your last few will be your 'best' (all else equal).
Click to expand...

I think that you are right HopefulAg.....I think if I had had a few more interviews under my belt and could have "relaxed" a little bit then I wouldn't have totally BOMBED the 1! that I had up so badly, which is why I was told I was put on the alternate list at Kansas.

I picked my schools based on being my IS (CSU) and location (KSU...relativley close to home). BUT I think this year I am going to take the Bio GRE and throw my app in at OKSU since it is also within my region of interest and "if" I got an interview I would be able to get there.
 
turquoisewolves said:
I think that you are right HopefulAg.....I think if I had had a few more interviews under my belt and could have "relaxed" a little bit then I wouldn't have totally BOMBED the 1! that I had up so badly, which is why I was told I was put on the alternate list at Kansas.

I picked my schools based on being my IS (CSU) and location (KSU...relativley close to home). BUT I think this year I am going to take the Bio GRE and throw my app in at OKSU since it is also within my region of interest and "if" I got an interview I would be able to get there.
Click to expand...


OKSU doesnt interview. So by all means, throw your hat in!
 
Is there a stigma associated with applying to more schools? It seems as though if you have a good reason to apply to the schools you did, then you're okay. I don't know, I thought it showed dedication the profession, but some schools seem to be like "wtf?" Haha. What do you all think? If money was NO issue, how many schools would you apply to?
 
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