Comparing Vet Schools, what is important to you?

First of all, WELCOME!

Well, I took many things into account. First, I applied to the school at which my state has contract seats (Auburn). Does Alaska even have contract seats? I did a lot of my pre-reqs at NCSU, so I applied back at NCSU. Then I looked at the vet schools that were closest to my parents and easiest for them to get to, as that matters a lot to me, so I applied to Illinois and Purdue. I also looked at the schools closest to my parents that were in city-ish areas (because that really mattered to me), which rounded out my list to include Ohio State and Tennessee . I also made sure that these schools accepted a fair number of out-of-state students, so I wasn't climbing an even steeper uphill battle. (For example, I've spent a lot of time in Athens, and I really like UGA, but they accept basically no one who isn't in-state or contract. Didn't want to waste my time or money.)

Hope this helps...

You should definitely consider schools that will let you establish in-state residency after your first year (there are a couple that I know of). This can cut down on costs by a large sum. Personally, I considered my in-state school, then proximity to family, whether I would really want to live in the city/state, and if my husband could/would be able to find a job. Touring schools really gave me a good idea if I would like the environment, curriculum, and facilties. What I thought looked good on paper and websites didn't always move me in person. I wasn't into the problem based learning much so that cut out a few schools too. There are lots of things to consider but basically the school will be what you make out of it. The basic curriculum is the same everywhere but electives will vary. Good luck narrowing down your choices.

As far as where to apply I looked at pre-req's, and geographic location. Once I had options for where to go I looked at the strengths of each program (also interested in behavior so that was a factor), how much hands on experience you get and when you get it, and general feeling about the school. Also look at how many people the school accepts from out of state.

I live in MA and didn't want to go too far away, I also didn't have public speaking (I was currently taking interpersonal). I ended up applying to Tufts, Cornell, Penn, Ohio, Purdue, Prince Edward Island, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. I was accepted at the first five, withdrew from PEI and Iowa and rejected from Illinois and Minnesota.

Good luck deciding.

I don't have the most awesome GPA or GRE scores, nor was I science major (I'm a non-traditional student), so, I applied everywhere I could.

I.E., everywhere that I had satisfied the pre-requisites for (or could, before the end of spring term), and then I edited out the ones I knew I had a really lousy shot at (Penn, Cornell, Davis) for example -- since I pretty much realized it was too long a shot to try for those.

There are sooooo many factors to consider!

I think in Alaska, you can be counted as a WICHE applicant, so you probably want to have at least Oregon, CSU, WSU and Davis on your list.

Check your pre-reqs, see what schools you're elegible for; some require nutrition, micro w/lab, public speaking, etc.

Other factors are class size, student clubs, faculty to student ratio, research opportunities, wildlife opportunities, tracking vs. a non-tracking curriculum, problem-based learning vs. traditional, teaching hospital caseload, and location. I also looked at the VMSAR book to try to compare my stats as an out-of-state applicant.

Ultimately, visiting a school will tell you more about it than anything...but that's $$$.

Good luck!

Wherever would accept me!

Luckily for me the only one that did was my first choice anyway!

It wasn't too hard for me to chose. Since it was my first time applying, I didn't want to spend a lot of money (a lot of people don't get in their first time). UF is by far my first choice for a few reasons. It's my in-state school, offers an international program, spanish for veterinarians, has a great equine program, and has a "minor" in aquamed. The most important thing for me was the spanish. I was surprised how hard it was to find schools that taught spanish. Being this picky probably isn't a good thing since it really limits your options, but don't be afraid to choose schools based on one or two things that you really want to learn.

Chose the one(s):
a) you think you have a legitiment shot getting into
b) know you could live there for 3-4 years
c) is financially feasible in the long run

Applying is expensive, so avoid the ones you truly would not be happy at. I applied to Ohio State this year and in hindsight, should've saved the $ in doing that. I didn't get in, but I really don't want to live there, and it's out of this world expensive for a non-stater. If I got into Ohio, I prob. would have turned them down, even if they were the only ones who took me just to wait one year so I could go where I really want to go: either UF or OK state.

Even though I'm 33...I know one year waiting won't kill me. Plus if you're young and don't get in the 1st time, it does give you a "year off" and a great opprotunity for personal growth.

Wow....Alaska......brrrrrrrr. I'm getting chilly thinking about it

philomycus said:

If I got into Ohio, I prob. would have turned them down, even if they were the only ones who took me just to wait one year so I could go where I really want to go: either UF or OK state.

Click to expand...

Has anyone else heard that schools really look down upon people declining acceptances in order to reapply somewhere else the next year? I feel like it's come up before...but I don't remember if it was here or over in the pre-med forum.

There was a thread where we discussed it, although it has been extensively discussed on the pre-med forums. My general conclusion is that no one really knows, people in pre-med who have done that have gotten in the next year. It's hard to say how that would alter your chances and its better to make sure to apply to schools you would like to attend.

my vet asked me, "What's the best vet school in the country?"
at the time I wasn't sure if it was still colorado....so I say "I don't know"
his response is, "anyone that'll accept you"

Apply where you have the most chance you can get in. I applied to my contracts, and a school i'd like to go to, UF. Still don't know though

how do you get a picture to show up on your profile?

for me....
1) location location location- i'm from florida and didn't want to go too far away from my family, so i applied to a few southern states. (and CA Davis, which was my husband's choice... luckily i didn't get in... i didn't really want to move that far away, but it was a freebie for my hubby)

2) $$$$- if I had a million a dollars it wouldn't matter where i go to school, but i don't so my first choice was my contract state (univ FL), but i didn't get in there, so i went to the school that accepted me (auburn). honestly, if $ didn't matter, auburn would have been my first choice.

3) career path- some colleges specialize in certain areas or are known for their "_____" program. if you know what you are interested in, look into what college has a great "_____."

good luck and don't worry about it too much.

"don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy" -bobby mcferrin