University of Illinois c/o 2019 Applicants

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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galixia17 said:
Awe everyone just needs to take a breath. On a side note I know exactly when my mail comes is that creepy.
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Haha yes!!! I've never trusted in snail mail although I think it's pretty romantic for some reason. But I've had too many important docs get lost. Had mini heart attacks when my undergrad was mailing out transcripts.
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pinkpuppy9 said:
If a letter can make it from IL to CA in 3 days, you'd think you'd get yours in a similar time frame.

I hope that's not the case, but I guess we'll have to see.
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I hope we both get in and become classmates. How else am I gonna not let you forget that one time when you chose NOT to meet me.
 
300+ envelopes are a lot to address and stuff, seal, and stamp. It probably took them awhile to do them all and they sent out what they had done as early as possible, so we can only hope that's the case and that it's not acceptances first and waitlist second :)
 
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I am so happy for all of you <3

For housing, check out the tenant union, trulia, and craigslist. There are a handful of pet friendly options because the landlords here are aware of vetmed! The vet school is in Urbana in the south east corner of campus. Parking pass is ~$660. The new student page will be updated with all the documents you need to fill out and send to the school, including immunizations, etc. You'll also need to get your rabies series, if you haven't already. They offer it at McKinley health center literally up the street from vetmed.

Also, ASA will make your class an official Facebook page so you can meet your classmates and see other opportunities for housing!

I moved here from PA in August 2013 so I know how overwhelming it can be! But it will be okay :)
 
Are most of the pet friendly housing options far away enough from the vet school that owning a car becomes necessary? And do most of them have a size/weight limit? I feel like living on campus would be so much more convenient but I don't know. Also do you recommend having a roommate? Sorry I'm just so excited!
 
KathleenHadds31245 said:
Are most of the pet friendly housing options far away enough from the vet school that owning a car becomes necessary? And do most of them have a size/weight limit? I feel like living on campus would be so much more convenient but I don't know. Also do you recommend having a roommate? Sorry I'm just so excited!
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Many apts have breed restrictions/weight limits. You just have to sort through them. I'm not aware of any vet students that live on campus. I'm not sure those rentals are pet friendly either. You'll have to scope that out. A lot of students have roomies but in my opinion, if roomie stress starts compromising your mental state, then don't have one or get a new one. A lot of students drive, especially when it comes to your clinics and electives and meetings instead of relying on the MTD (bus system). You can also bike! CU is a big biking campus!
 
My friends that have roommates always complain about them, but it can also work out sometimes. I have one friend that bikes but it's so cold now that she rides the bus. It sucks and if class goes over or let's out early sometime she has to wait a really long time. I think there is a petition out to try and fix the bus time. She has definitely said she is getting a parking pass for next year.
 
Just curious has anyone be listed as an alternate? I didn't see anyone post, but I wonder if any lurkers out their care to share.
 
KathleenHadds31245 said:
Are most of the pet friendly housing options far away enough from the vet school that owning a car becomes necessary? And do most of them have a size/weight limit? I feel like living on campus would be so much more convenient but I don't know. Also do you recommend having a roommate? Sorry I'm just so excited!
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One of my classmates has a great dane and lives in an apartment relatively near campus I think. There's also people who live outside Champaign-Urbana and do either a short commute from Savoy, which has a pet friendly apartment complex no more than 8 minutes from campus that another one of my classmates lives at and I work right next to it, or a long commute like me from places like Rantoul or Tolono. It all depends on your personal preference. Other than road conditions, I don't really mind the drive because rent is more affordable for me up here. I don't currently have a roommate so I can really say anything about that. I've been told though that it's better to have roommates who are different years than you so you aren't around them constantly and with different schedules someone can run home and check on the animals during lunch. Congrats again!
 
apizfoshizz said:
300+ envelopes are a lot to address and stuff, seal, and stamp. It probably took them awhile to do them all and they sent out what they had done as early as possible, so we can only hope that's the case and that it's not acceptances first and waitlist second :)
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Based on what I've heard it doesn't sound like it was acceptances first waitlists second. (I cite again what my sister said--she could be mistaken, but I hope not). I sounds kinda arbitrary and random as to who mailed first so it's hard to tell.

I kinda resigned myself at the beginning to a rejection or waitlist because my vet hours were below average and my GPA was just acceptable. I'm only a first time applicant anyway. But, thinking less doom and gloom, I have good research hours and good variety in my experiences. So I'm really hoping that might be what does it for me if I get an acceptance. Regardless of what happens I'll be applying to IL again next year if I don't get in now and am genuinely happy for those who are already accepted. Congrats again!
 
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thecatastrophist said:
I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Based on what I've heard it doesn't sound like it was acceptances first waitlists second. (I cite again what my sister said--she could be mistaken, but I hope not). I sounds kinda arbitrary and random as to who mailed first so it's hard to tell.

I kinda resigned myself at the beginning to a rejection or waitlist because my vet hours were below average and my GPA was just acceptable. I'm only a first time applicant anyway. But, thinking less doom and gloom, I have good research hours and good variety in my experiences. So I'm really hoping that might be what does it for me if I get an acceptance. Regardless of what happens I'll be applying to IL again next year if I don't get in now and am genuinely happy for those who are already accepted. Congrats again!
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I agree. Also, we have to remember that they are sending out 120 acceptances and the rest (80 something?) are going to be waitlisted, so we should expect to hear more acceptances than waitlists!

I was waitlisted at multiple schools last year and never pulled off. It sucks, but it's really not the end of the world. As a result I was much more comfortable interviewing this year and feel more confident in going to vet school this fall than I would have last year. Keep the faith of course, but even if you get waitlisted, continue to build your experience and you will be a shoe-in for next year if you don't get pulled off :)
 
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apizfoshizz said:
I agree. Also, we have to remember that they are sending out 120 acceptances and the rest (80 something?) are going to be waitlisted, so we should expect to hear more acceptances than waitlists!

I was waitlisted at multiple schools last year and never pulled off. It sucks, but it's really not the end of the world. As a result I was much more comfortable interviewing this year and feel more confident in going to vet school this fall than I would have last year. Keep the faith of course, but even if you get waitlisted, continue to build your experience and you will be a shoe-in for next year if you don't get pulled off :)
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120 for OOS, 85 (out of 140-something) for IS. I'm graduating with my master's degree this summer, so if I don't get in I'm thinking of shadowing around Chicago to diversify my experience further and then either landing an adjunct or full-time faculty position at a community college. Helps to have plans in case of the waitlist (which I treat more as a "maybe next year" letter)
 
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
 
msph19 said:
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
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Live where you want until 4th year then. If it's more economically viable, and you're confident in your ability to get to school on time, then go for it!
 
I am more hopeful of the portals updating tomorrow then I am of getting my letter...Come on portals!
 
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The vet I work for advised me to live further away during years 1-3 to save money but to live closer in fourth year because "it's a lot easier to crawl back home after an overnight ER shift when you know home is just down the street." lol
 
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msph19 said:
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
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Wow! 40 minutes is quite a large radius for traveling in for clinics! Most other schools limit it to 15-20 minutes in my experience. That's nice that Illinois is more flexible about travel time!
 
Question to current vet students:
In regards to the parking passes, are they associated with plate numbers or are they simply a piece of paper that can be swapped between cars? My future roommate and I will both have our own cars down here. We will most likely be carpooling daily, but may switch off which cars to use every now and then (idk, just a thought :p).

Congrats to everyone who got in! And hang in there for anyone else waiting for their letters!
 
cloverbug said:
One of my classmates has a great dane and lives in an apartment relatively near campus I think. There's also people who live outside Champaign-Urbana and do either a short commute from Savoy, which has a pet friendly apartment complex no more than 8 minutes from campus that another one of my classmates lives at and I work right next to it, or a long commute like me from places like Rantoul or Tolono. It all depends on your personal preference. Other than road conditions, I don't really mind the drive because rent is more affordable for me up here. I don't currently have a roommate so I can really say anything about that. I've been told though that it's better to have roommates who are different years than you so you aren't around them constantly and with different schedules someone can run home and check on the animals during lunch. Congrats again!
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Hmmm even 8 minutes sounds like a long commute to me. That would mean a car would be necessary, and I don't have one yet (although I'm seriously thinking about getting one this summer). Thanks for the info though!
 
msph19 said:
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
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I don't go to Illinois and don't know anything about the surrounding area. However, do you really want to be 30 miles away from the school? I don't know how long that equates to in travel time, but let's estimate 40 minutes... do you really want to have to leave that early in the morning? Especially when it comes to winter time and you have to spend the extra time to remove snow/ice from your car, you are looking at waking yourself up at what 6:3oAM (give or take depending on how long you need to get ready in the morning) just so you can get to an 8AM class (what if you have a 7AM elective class or even regular class?). And if you want to study with any people you are putting yourself far away. Plus I know a lot of first years go to the school to spend time in the anatomy lab on the weekend. Also, it is bad enough to get out of school at 5PM or 6PM and only have to drive 10 minutes home, shower, eat dinner, study go to bed. By the time you travel 30 miles... you are looking at getting home even later and if the weather is ever bad, you might not be able to get home.

That doesn't even touch upon the extra $$ for gas and car maintenance...


I was an hour+ away from vet school for the first 2 years and I hated it. If there was ever bad traffic or bad weather it easily turned from 1 hour into 2 hours (granted this was by bus, but still would take longer in a car too). I was often getting home at 7PM or later and by the time I could actually sit down to study it was 9PM and I would have to soon be to bed so I could get up and do it all over again.


Just really is something that you should think about before deciding to live "far" away...


ETA: Not to mention that many vet students have pets or get a pet during vet school and many of them go home during lunch to let dogs out to use the bathroom. At 30 miles away, you wouldn't have that ability.
 
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JCudi said:
Question to current vet students:
In regards to the parking passes, are they associated with plate numbers or are they simply a piece of paper that can be swapped between cars? My future roommate and I will both have our own cars down here. We will most likely be carpooling daily, but may switch off which cars to use every now and then (idk, just a thought :p).

Congrats to everyone who got in! And hang in there for anyone else waiting for their letters!
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It hangs from your rear view mirror. It's assigned with your license plate and student account.
 
Poppy117 said:
It hangs from your rear view mirror. It's assigned with your license plate and student account.
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So would this mean we wouldn't be able to switch it between cars since it's assigned to your license plate?
 
msph19 said:
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
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Yea, I would not advise living 4o minutes away from campus.
Think of it, that is over an hour of your day spent in a car driving each day instead of studying etc. This will make it very hard for you to participate in club activities, possible on campus job, dinner lectures, rotations, etc. Remember that at Illinois you have 8 weeks of rotations during year 1 and year 2 in addition to your 4th year clinical rotations. Also, 3rd year you will have Jr. Surgery where you will be required to be at the school from anywhere between 5:30-6am and may have to be back as late as 10pm, sometimes you may have to come in later depending on your patients status. For clinics it is a good general rule of thumb to be within 15 minutes of campus during on call shifts. Some of my classmates that due live further away (due to being non-trads and having families) end up sleeping on a friends couches when they are on call.

Then if that is not enough of a deterrent for you, in Illinois during winter we do get winter storms with snow and ice. Exams, classes, and requirements to attend clinics does not stop due to weather.

Believe me you don't want to live far away from campus.
 
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Poppy117 said:
It hangs from your rear view mirror. It's assigned with your license plate and student account.
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I've never gone to illinois but in my undergrad I used my roommates parking pass every single day because she used the parking garage. It was assigned to her account/license plate. I never once got a ticket. I'd say to try to share at first. If you get a ticket then okay, but if not that's an enormous amount you save on parking

Edit: sorry meant to rely to @JCudi
 
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Country_roads said:
I've never gone to illinois but in my undergrad I used my roommates parking pass every single day because she used the parking garage. It was assigned to her account/license plate. I never once got a ticket. I'd say to try to share at first. If you get a ticket then okay, but if not that's an enormous amount you save on parking

Edit: sorry meant to rely to @JCudi
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Parking without an appropriate parking pass is a $50 fine here that has to be paid within like 48 hours or it becomes even worse. They're ridiculously serious about their parking at U of I.
 
msph19 said:
What are thoughts about living 30ish miles away? At another university I interviewed at, they said you had to live within a 40 minute drive because you could be called in during 4th year.
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I live a 30 minute drive away and work 30 minutes away by freeway. If you're used to long drives like I am, it's not bad and I still get a lot of stuff done because I know it's going to take me a while to get to where I'm going and I budget that into my day. When class starts at 9am, I get up at 7am to take care of my animals and get ready. On days where I have less to do in the morning, I get up around 7:45am and still get to class on time-ish (my family is full of 5 minute late people). If you're not very good at planning out your day and being able to adjust it when needed, live closer to campus. If you are, then living 30 miles away won't be so bad though I really doubt you'll be saving much on rent living that far away. Plus, if you're adventurous you could always record you saying your notes and listen to it on your way to school.
 
janesie90 said:
Haha yes!!! I've never trusted in snail mail although I think it's pretty romantic for some reason. But I've had too many important docs get lost. Had mini heart attacks when my undergrad was mailing out transcripts.
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Where in California are you from if you don't mind me askong? I'm from Southern California (San Fernando Valley) and am now super antsy. >.<
 
Thank you for the inputs. I ask because my husband and I have lived apart this past year and living together during vet school means a 1 1/2 hour drive (one way) to work for him and a 30 min drive to school for me. He is willing to do it (he's definitely a keeper ) but I just wanted to see how feasible it would be on my end from people that know what's ahead!
 
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I'm imagining the letter stuffing process to look like the set-up Veruca Salt had going on in Willy Wonka....but I think we all know it's a maximum of like five people haha.


I don't know why Willy Wonka is representing my life this week.
 
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cloverbug said:
Parking without an appropriate parking pass is a $50 fine here that has to be paid within like 48 hours or it becomes even worse. They're ridiculously serious about their parking at U of I.
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My undergrad was the same. In my personal opinion it's still worth trying at least. But paying the $50 bucks to find out is worth it to me
 
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It looks like the portal updated... I'm an alternate. :( Pretty
sad about it, but I was preparing myself for that last week. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a spot to open up, but I'm probably trying again next year.

Current students--any idea how much movement the IS waitlist sees year to year?

Congrats to everyone who was accepted this year. For those of you who haven't heard--check your portal.
 
Portal's updated, I got accepted but I will be turning down the offer.
 
Gwenevre said:
Portal's updated, I got accepted but I will be turning down the offer.
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Curiously, when did it say the letters for accepted students were mailed? Mine says alternate letters were mailed 2/16/15, but I never received one and am thinking it must be a typo since nobody else received a letter about alternate status either... Either way, I'm assuming it might have contained information about how we can schedule a file review and such, so I'd like to know what the letter contains and want to figure out if I should just wait for it to come in the mail or make a phone call and see what's up. If the accepted student letters also say they were sent 2/16, I'll just wait and see if it comes this week.
 
OH MY GOD. I'M IN!!!!!!!!!

:biglove::banana::woot::clap::soexcited:
My portal also said 2/16/15. Thanks for the awesome support group this cycle, you guys!
 
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I just found out via the portal that I am being offered admission! -- and it states that letters were mailed 2/16, but I have not received the letter yet. I am expecting it to come today. It took 7 days for a letter to reach me from KSU, so, who knows... - I'm sure all admitted folks and alternates will receive letters shortly.
 
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thecatastrophist said:
Curiously, when did it say the letters for accepted students were mailed? Mine says alternate letters were mailed 2/16/15, but I never received one and am thinking it must be a typo since nobody else received a letter about alternate status either... Either way, I'm assuming it might have contained information about how we can schedule a file review and such, so I'd like to know what the letter contains and want to figure out if I should just wait for it to come in the mail or make a phone call and see what's up. If the accepted student letters also say they were sent 2/16, I'll just wait and see if it comes this week.
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Yeah, portal said letters were mailed out 2/16. I haven't gotten a letter yet though, and I live at Purdue, so an hour and a half away.
 
WildZoo said:
Kind of bittersweet, but congrats anyway. I'll be cheering for you next cycle <3
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Yeah, but at least I know I'm not a complete failure of an applicant. It is possible to get in xD
 
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