OSU vs CSU???

[MilkyWayAngel1]

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe that I'm actually faced with this dilemma, but I'm hoping you all could help me with this decision. I'm currently living in Fort Collins and admitted into CSU's Class of 2016 as an IS student. But I was just admitted off the wait-list at (The) Ohio State and now I'm incredibly torn.

I loved OSU when I was there for my tour, but I'm not sure if I just have a "rose-colored-glasses" view of Ohio State because I was only there for a few days while they were trying to 'sell' their school to the interviewees. VS my slightly more balanced view of some good and bad sides of CSU (?)

For those of you currently attending either school, do you like it there and why? What's your least favorite thing about your vet school? What would you want to change about your school? In particular, if you're equine-focused (which is what I'm interested in) do you feel like you have a lot of equine exposure and opportunities at your school? How easy is it to get involved in clubs, organizations, wet labs, etc? Anything else you about your school that might help sway my decision one way or the other?

And here's the start of my personal pro-con list:

CSU Pros:
- I'm already living here, and I know some of the professors, I have a few friends here
- strong equine focus (which is what I'm interested in.... although I still can't tell if the CSU equine hype is just because of their repro and orthopedic research centers?)
- about $20k less than OSU over the course of the 4 yrs (taking into account that I'm currently IS at CSU but could switch to IS after 1 year at OSU; and I have a cousin in Columbus with whom I could live with rent-free for four years)

CSU Cons:
- they don't have their own campus, but share buildings with the undergrads
- VTH is completely separate from academic buildings (not sure if this affects how much live animal experience 1st and 2nd years get?)
- very old anatomy lab which is shared with other non-vet school classes (including human dissection... eww!)
- only 1 semester of anatomy lab (unless I'm mistaken, fall of 1st year is canine dissection and there is no equine, bovine, etc dissection class? that seems strange to me)
- far away from family (I have an aunt and uncle who live in Colorado Springs, but the majority of my family is on the east coast)

OSU Pros:
- I already have housing and a job lined up
- new facilities, central location
- more dissection labs (again, not sure how much of a "pro" this is? I'm sure CSU has a quality curriculum, it just still seems strange to me how little anatomy they require)
- closer to family (although I don't know how much time I'll have to see them on vacations anyway)

OSU Cons:
- costs about $20k more than CSU over the course of the 4 years
- I'd have to move again

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

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[SnowyRox]

Do you want a change?

It sounds like CSU is the safe option. You know the area. You have friends there. Everything is already settles.

But OSU sounds like the fun option. You get to move and live in a new place. The facilities are flashy and it would be a big change.

From your Pro/Con lists, I would 100% switch to Ohio. 20K is a lot... but not that much. Plus if you have a job in Ohio, then you may be able to work off some of that difference.

I looked up the c/o 2015 threads for each of the schools I was considering when I was trying to make a decision and they were really helpful. Mostly helpful for the pros of each school, but you can pick up on some of the cons too.

 

[NStarz]

Come to Ohio! But I may be biased...

 

[Fly Racing]

Based off looking at your pros and cons list, ohio seems like the CLEAR WINNER. Look at how long your con CSU list is. Plus the pros for CSU are weak! Moving: are you willing to put in the effort for a 4 year move? Equine: some really kick butt equine practitioners have come from Ohio! 20K: sounds like youll make it up and then some with free rent and a job!

 

[TheToothsayer]

Ohio State hands down! Go buckeyes!

 

[August West]

Two additional things to consider. Are you interested in staying in Ohio at the completion of your DVM program? Also, you might want to look into potential grant money available to in-state residents. UC-Davis provides an additional 8K in grants, which I would not be afforded if I chose to attend an OOS school. Although, since you're planning on gaining in-state status at OSU, this might not be as relevant to your decision. Good luck. Sounds like a great predicament to find oneself in.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either school in terms of academics or extracurricular/club opportunities. Whatever personal preference floats your boat (proximity to family, location, etc...) and whether or not that is worth the $20k difference. One thing to think about might be where you plan on working after graduation. Depending on what you want to do, networking in the region you want to gain employment while in school may or may not be something that is easier to do based on where you go to school.

I do have to kind of chuckle at one of your cons though...

only 1 semester of anatomy lab (unless I'm mistaken, fall of 1st year is canine dissection and there is no equine, bovine, etc dissection class? that seems strange to me)

For me, that was like the biggest PRO for CSU . I thought the anatomy curriculum at CSU was very well put together and very efficiently taught (with amazing professors to boot). They were also great at providing extra specimen (both SA and LA I think) for special labs like nerve block labs and joint labs and such. The freshly thawed non-fixed horse leg dissections were nasty and something I would never want to do again, but that definitely beat needing to do another semester of anatomy. And plus no matter where you go, there seems to be a huge case of amnesia that occurs between first year and second year, where a good percentage of that anatomy knowledge fizzles away anyway. The important stuff will be brought up again in the more relevant courses once you start going through abnormals, neuro, and radiology courses. If it was your dream to cut up your own whole horse, then yes, you will be deprived at CSU. But aside from the joys of doing that, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference. There are a few hanging animals that the professors dissect for you (of variable quality), and Dr. Lee has an incredible amount of plastinated and/or otherwise preserved specimen of all kinds to learn from. There were so many of them that I never got through looking at all of them for each exam. So it's not like that material is never covered or anything. You do dissect a rabbit, pigeon, and fetal pig though... Overall, I really felt like anatomy was one of few classes that made my OOS tuition totally worth it.

 

[StartingoverVet]

No one struggled in anatomy more than me ... but I would never want a 1 semester anatomy class. Just way too much to learn in one semester.

Penn has 1.5 semesters and I wish it were 2.

It is an important class, and cramming so much info in such a short time was just not a good deal for me. To each their own.

Anyway, that is my $.05 (inflation has increased the price from 2cents).

 

[Minnerbelle]

No one struggled in anatomy more than me ... but I would never want a 1 semester anatomy class. Just way too much to learn in one semester.

Penn has 1.5 semesters and I wish it were 2.

It is an important class, and cramming so much info in such a short time was just not a good deal for me. To each their own.

Anyway, that is my $.05 (inflation has increased the price from 2cents).

To each his own is definitely right, and I'm sure there's probably people here and there who would have preferred to have had an extra semester of anatomy. And take what I say with a grain of salt because I most certainly am not the biggest social butterfly, but my impression was that most people were pretty happy with the way anatomy went down. I personally have not heard anyone suggest anatomy be lengthened (which again might not mean much... but hey it's at least something).

I think it's important to also assess each course in the context of the entire curriculum and teaching philosophy of the school. I don't think you can equate the effects squishing together 1.5 semesters of the Penn anatomy into 1 semester would have on you to how it necessarily would have been had you gone to CSU. It could be that we actually do cover less material, which is never made up ever, or made up elsewhere. Or it could be that we cover similar material, but just have fewer classes overall. Or I dunno what else, but point being, it's hard to make an apple to apple comparison.

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

I am partial to OSU, as it's my IS, but I think it's awesome to have possibilities; and the opportunity to make friends/colleagues in a new part of the country is very cool.

For me, I'm sooo excited to finally get in to my dream school. I guess my only worry is the huge class size. And even though we're split up for histology sections, we are not split up for anatomy. So 162 students + cadavers in one anatomy room is a little overwhelming to me.

I have no idea about CSU's class size or breakdown, but it might be something to look into?

Either way, good luck!

 

[Trilt]

Your pro/con list seems incredibly biased to me - I honestly think you've already made your decision and should just go to OSU.

 

[squirrelsrule]

I also think you should choose OSU, of course that's where I'm going so I'm partial to it. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited to be moving to Columbus and starting vet school at OSU. I, like OH Bunny Girl, am nervous about the big class size, but it will be fine.

 

[MilkyWayAngel1]

Thanks for all of your input everyone! Trilt- I agree, I think my heart already decided on OSU but it's just a little overwhelming to take in the acceptance and to think about suddenly changing my life with a big move and a new school

But... I've decided to join the OSU CVM Class of 2016!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited to meet my fellow Buckeyes!!!!! Now I just have a few more final exams standing between me and a brand new life in C-Bus! Back to the studying I go... (translation: procrastinating on the osu website and hoping it will will help me on those exams)

 

[NStarz]

Thanks for all of your input everyone! Trilt- I agree, I think my heart already decided on OSU but it's just a little overwhelming to take in the acceptance and to think about suddenly changing my life with a big move and a new school

But... I've decided to join the OSU CVM Class of 2016!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited to meet my fellow Buckeyes!!!!! Now I just have a few more final exams standing between me and a brand new life in C-Bus! Back to the studying I go... (translation: procrastinating on the osu website and hoping it will will help me on those exams)

Yay! Welcome to the c/o 2016! If you haven't already, check out the facebook group

 

[Fireflysushi]

CSU c/o 16 will miss you, but congrats on making your descision!

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

But... I've decided to join the OSU CVM Class of 2016!!!!!!!!!

YAY! Congrats! Welcome!

 

[squirrelsrule]

Wahoo, welcome! OSU class of 2016 is gonna rock!