c/o 2018 applicants

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Really? Weird that they didn't put it in place when it first opened. Hopefully it will be up soon.
Thanks for the answer 🙂
 
It is weird. Did you get the email today about schools getting transcripts? haha

Anyone else having second thoughts about applying to certain schools because of the increased debt they'd incur? I'm considering taking one or two schools out. I'm trying to stay logical/practical in my choices while still giving my dream a chance. Ugh. So hard.
 
ChittyBang said:
Anyone else having second thoughts about applying to certain schools because of the increased debt they'd incur? I'm considering taking one or two schools out. I'm trying to stay logical/practical in my choices while still giving my dream a chance. Ugh. So hard.
Click to expand...

ChittyBang,

I grew up in Massachusetts, and completed an externship at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine's Hospital for Large Animals. Tufts is an incredible vet school (in all respects). From where I sit, Tufts is an excellent choice. The institution accepts a large percentage of its class from states other than MA, it has a stellar MS program in Laboratory Animal Medicine, and there are a variety of top quality research institutions in and around Boston in which to gain clinical, lab animal experience during veterinary school. I had dreams of attending Tufts as a child. That being said, I simply cannot justify the cost of tuition at Tufts knowing that I can attend a school of equal or superior quality for half the cost. Practically speaking, it just doesn't make any sense in the long run. I'd rather take my chances with 'riskier admissions' (i.e. a lower proportion of OOS students admitted), and see how the cards play out. If I am not accepted this cycle, I plan to request file reviews at all schools and improve those areas of my application that are weak for the next round. I would rather this route, than have Tufts be my sole acceptance, and pay double the cost for an equivalent education.

A long winded 'yes' response to the question you posed. To those of you applying to Tufts, it is a wonderful school. I wouldn't want to dissuade you.
 
Yes. I'm seriously considering cutting my designated school list in half. I have a few schools on there that will just put me in an outrageous amount of debt and I just don't wanna do it. I WANT to be a veterinarian, but I DON'T want to be a slave to debt for the next 30 years. No. Nope. I want to own a home/land, travel, retire comfortably... :scared:

What is the most frustrating for me is that this would be a career change that I have already put $$$, time, sweat and tears into (pre-reqs), but applying to a lot of schools just to get in to one of them isn't sustainable for most people in the long run. I mean, if I get into a school that will put me out 70K+ a year, will I go? Probably not. Half of that? Yes. So why even apply to the more expensive ones?

I just came back from a local farm with my weekly CSA rations and was asked to volunteer there (helping to take care of the chickens, goats and bees and help out in the fields when needed) and I thought to myself, "Duh...of course! I wish I could live here!". And I got to thinking about how being in a larger than average amount of debt, with an already crazy debt:salary, might cause me to miss out of the simple things in life - the things I love most.

OK. Rant over.
 
HowIMetYourPet said:
I could use some help narrowing down my list guys.....
So, here are the schools on my list...some I realize are probably out of my grasp, but I'm waiting until I take the GRE to knock them off my list:

OhioSU (my ISS) UGA, Auburn, Washington State, VMRCVM, UC Davis, Purdue, OregonSU

My stats are: 3.38 cGPA (yes, I know, its on the lower end)
5 years in a medical research laboratory working 20-30 hours a week.
Showing dogs in Agility, conformation, and agility since since I was 10 (so, 12 years)
Running my own business where I would train, condition, and present dogs in conformation.
Fostering puppy mill rescues
3yrs horse back riding lessons
at the time of my app ~300 SA shadowing hours
~100 equine shadowing hours
~100 research animal shadowing hours

and yes, I've posted in the "what are my chances?" thread and gotten positive feedback, but I finding it hard to narrow down what schools I have a real chance at based on my stats......any opinions from my short list would be appreciated 🙂 I suppose others are okay too, but I do not want to go to the "true" midwest (I don't count OH and IN as the "real" midwest, I count that as KS/MO, etc) and I don't want to go out of country.....
Click to expand...

Im applying to Ohio as my IS school as well!! Goodluck! 👍:luck:
 
I have a question, may be silly but..... I took a few graduate courses in my gap year. Do these count in your last 45 hours? Or do they just take your last 45 hours that I had when obtaining my undergrad degree? 😕
 
ivory11 said:
I have a question, may be silly but..... I took a few graduate courses in my gap year. Do these count in your last 45 hours? Or do they just take your last 45 hours that I had when obtaining my undergrad degree? 😕
Click to expand...

I believe grad school courses count as part of your last 45.
 
NStarz said:
I believe grad school courses count as part of your last 45.
Click to expand...

Depends on the school. Some vet schools don't include graduate classes/degrees in their admissions formula at all.

I just called the University of Wisconsin this week to ask this very question. Wisconsin wants graduate classes included in the calculation of the last 30 credit GPA, but only academic classes (i.e. not research credits). I know for a fact that Mizzou does not include graduate classes in their calculation of GPA at all. This information can be found on Mizzou's website and in the PDF that is released to applicants regarding the admissions process.

I have not yet seen the supplementals for my other two schools (NCSU and WSU/USU). As such, I don't know their policies for incorporating grad classes into final credit GPA.

I would recommend calling those schools to which you are applying and ask this question. It should be a very short phone call, and you'll have the solid answer that you're seeking. Good luck!
 
Remember, Georgia only takes like two out of state students each year. If you don't have a 4.0, it's probably not likely.

Also, auburn uses your organic/physics average for your science GPA. And last year they dropped everyone who didnt have a 3.5 cumulative before interviews
 
ChittyBang said:
Another member, Orion12, shared this in another thread and it really made me feel a bit better about taking on the debt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Iq9bxJU_qc
Click to expand...

Isn't she awesome? It's all about attitude and being smart about your money. We should be excited about paying back out loans instead of fearing them. They are what allowed us to become a doctors and loans are just a small and necessary part of the journey. "The main internal obstacle to weath is fear"- suze

It's just money anyway 😛 the most important part is being a good doctor and the money will follow.

Live below your means
Only buy things you NEED
Save your money- put it in a Roth

Three simple rules along with patience and you will be financially fine.
 
Orion12 said:
Isn't she awesome? It's all about attitude and being smart about your money. We should be excited about paying back out loans instead of fearing them. They are what allowed us to become a doctors and loans are just a small and necessary part of the journey. "The main internal obstacle to weath is fear"- suze

It's just money anyway 😛 the most important part is being a good doctor and the money will follow.

Live below your means
Only buy things you NEED
Save your money- put it in a Roth

Three simple rules along with patience and you will be financially fine.
Click to expand...

👍
 
I know vet schools do file reviews after you get a rejection but has anyone heard of anyone speaking with someone before applying and reviewing their application? I have been thinking about contacting the dean's office at my vet school and seeing if I can speak with anyone this summer about my application and my chances of gaining an interview. Thoughts? Couldn't hurt to call, right?
 
KSU2015 said:
I know vet schools do file reviews after you get a rejection but has anyone heard of anyone speaking with someone before applying and reviewing their application? I have been thinking about contacting the dean's office at my vet school and seeing if I can speak with anyone this summer about my application and my chances of gaining an interview. Thoughts? Couldn't hurt to call, right?
Click to expand...

I know VMR does a thing: http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/acad/dvm/admiss_contact.asp but don't know if it's specifically tailored to applicant, though I'm sure you could ask more specific questions.
Poke around the admissions websites for the schools you are interested in and then you cal always call their admissions person to ask.
 
KSU2015 said:
I know vet schools do file reviews after you get a rejection but has anyone heard of anyone speaking with someone before applying and reviewing their application? I have been thinking about contacting the dean's office at my vet school and seeing if I can speak with anyone this summer about my application and my chances of gaining an interview. Thoughts? Couldn't hurt to call, right?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure Penn does, so I'm sure other schools do too.
 
KSU2015 said:
I know vet schools do file reviews after you get a rejection but has anyone heard of anyone speaking with someone before applying and reviewing their application? I have been thinking about contacting the dean's office at my vet school and seeing if I can speak with anyone this summer about my application and my chances of gaining an interview. Thoughts? Couldn't hurt to call, right?
Click to expand...

Davis specifically says on their website (or did when I looked at it last year) that they do not have time to do those, so please don't call asking for one. I'd recommend looking at the school's website before asking - Davis made it pretty clear, so I imagine any school that doesn't want you to call would also make it clear.
 
washbucket said:
Davis specifically says on their website (or did when I looked at it last year) that they do not have time to do those, so please don't call asking for one. I'd recommend looking at the school's website before asking - Davis made it pretty clear, so I imagine any school that doesn't want you to call would also make it clear.
Click to expand...


That's really strange. When I got waitlisted during during the 2012-2013 cycle I was able to call the admissions office and set up an appointment with the director of admissions (I forgot her name- she's the one who spoke to us the day of the MMI's). When I actually spoke with her, though, it wasn't much help. All she told me was that they chose the final applicants based on the MMI score alone and that the pool of MMI interviewees was selected based on everything else (GPA, experience, LORs, etc).
 
Last edited:
gugoodoll said:
That's really strange. When I got waitlisted during during the 2012-2013 cycle I was able to call the admissions office and set up an appointment with the director of admissions (I forgot her name- she's the one who spoke to us the day of the MMI's). When I actually spoke with her, though, it wasn't much help. All she told me was that they chose the final applicants based on the MMI score alone and that the pool of MMI interviewees was selected based on everything else (GPA, experience, LORs, etc).
Click to expand...

Yeah. This is a post-application file review. They were talking about a review of your application before applying.

Honestly, I have not heard of any school that does a review of your application before you apply, but I never really looked into it either. I just figured that they have 1,000+ people sending in applications, calling, and emailing with questions that they really would not have the time or resources to also respond to questions about reviewing an application before applying. Perhaps some schools will, but definitely check out the website before you call to ask. 🙂
 
DVMDream said:
Honestly, I have not heard of any school that does a review of your application before you apply, but I never really looked into it either. I just figured that they have 1,000+ people sending in applications, calling, and emailing with questions that they really would not have the time or resources to also respond to questions about reviewing an application before applying. Perhaps some schools will, but definitely check out the website before you call to ask. 🙂
Click to expand...

Tufts totally does this (or at least did when i applied) and it was super helpful. Actually, I met someone who said he went last year, so I'm guessing they still do it.

Went through my transcript and resume with a fine toothed comb right in front of me and let me know what was good and what needed improvement. Since I was right there talking to the admissions person, she was able to tell me what she thought of my "interview" skills. She also told me exactly how they evaluate their applicants and how they pair them with their interviewers, and how the whole process goes It was really transparent. They also encourage you to call them about any questions, and when you do, the staff remembers you. If at all possible, I would try to schedule one if anyone is applying to tufts.
 
Cornell is really helpful as well. I briefly spoke with Jennifer Mailey in person at an admissions presentation re: my transcript, etc. and then on the phone and via email. I'm not saying this officially, but when speaking with her, she seemed to throw a lot of "hints" out there for you to catch if you're paying attention. Hopefully it all pays off!

Oh, and Miss seems very willing to do the same.
 
Last edited:
If you live in the area I know the U of MN does pre-application seminars. Basically they give a little presentation and you can ask questions directly to the admin staff. It was very useful - and I think you can even go over your VMCAS with them there. Last year they did it during the summer, it is probably posted on their website if they are doing some this summer.
 
Actually, when I made my list of schools that I was interested in....I emailed every school of interest. I have some cumGPA concerns so I wanted to check with them before I expended the time and money. I was very frank with all of them regarding my info.

Some were very helpful....others not so much. Out of 7 schools, I got replies from 5 that they would be happy to help me. One school was SO helpful (on my maybe list) that I changed it to a definite. I interviewed with them in February and was even more pleased with that experience. After the post interview, I am even more confident about this school and I will definitely be applying there again this cycle.
 
I'm considering applying to Penn and Purdue but would need to take calculus this winter. The last time I took a math class was pre-calculus in fall of 2009 and got a C. I was going to retake pre-calculus this fall, but I'm still worried if I'll be able to get at least a B- in calculus.

Has anyone else had success taking a math class after 4+ years even though the last one they took they didn't do so hot in?
 
Nevermind, I answered my own question 🙂
 
Last edited:
KitCat said:
I'm considering applying to Penn and Purdue but would need to take calculus this winter. The last time I took a math class was pre-calculus in fall of 2009 and got a C. I was going to retake pre-calculus this fall, but I'm still worried if I'll be able to get at least a B- in calculus.

Has anyone else had success taking a math class after 4+ years even though the last one they took they didn't do so hot in?
Click to expand...

I don't think math is something that you can skip a few years and give another shot. Too many rules and regulations that are essential to the right answer. I admit that it was ten years since my last math class, but tested into trig. I took trig. We will not discuss the result. However, I went back and took intermediate algebra then college, and aced it by college algebra. Just really depends on your particular math brain at the end of the day. I caught back on quickly, but took an insane summer session to get me back on track.
 
KitCat said:
I'm considering applying to Penn and Purdue but would need to take calculus this winter. The last time I took a math class was pre-calculus in fall of 2009 and got a C. I was going to retake pre-calculus this fall, but I'm still worried if I'll be able to get at least a B- in calculus.

Has anyone else had success taking a math class after 4+ years even though the last one they took they didn't do so hot in?
Click to expand...

I went six years without taking a math course. I didn't do stellar in Calculus I & II (B's), but I managed I guess. Using Khan Academy was really useful for reviewing algebra and pre-cal.
 
KitCat said:
I'm considering applying to Penn and Purdue but would need to take calculus this winter. The last time I took a math class was pre-calculus in fall of 2009 and got a C. I was going to retake pre-calculus this fall, but I'm still worried if I'll be able to get at least a B- in calculus.

Has anyone else had success taking a math class after 4+ years even though the last one they took they didn't do so hot in?
Click to expand...

I had about 8 years between Calc 1 and Calc 2 and I did so much better in Calc 2. I think that I got a C+ in Calc 1 and A- in Calc 2. I think it was because I was not afraid to ask questions and seek help the 2nd time around. I also bought a book to help me along.

I was scared that I was going to fail Calc 2 because the first time around was so miserable. You'll be fine if you are not afraid to ask questions and dedicate a little more time to it. Good Luck!
 
KitCat said:
I'm considering applying to Penn and Purdue but would need to take calculus this winter. The last time I took a math class was pre-calculus in fall of 2009 and got a C. I was going to retake pre-calculus this fall, but I'm still worried if I'll be able to get at least a B- in calculus.

Has anyone else had success taking a math class after 4+ years even though the last one they took they didn't do so hot in?
Click to expand...

I took both pre-calc and calc after not being in school for over 10 years and got a B and A respectively. What made the difference for me was, as WPChica said, not being afraid to ask questions and seek help.

There's a math wiz from Princeton, Adrian Banner, who has great videos online. And Kahn Academy, of course. And my biggest advice? TALK YOURSELF INTO IT. Get excited and feel the math love...even if you're only pretending 😉
 
Last edited:
I have already taken Biochem way back in 2005, I did not do all that great in it but I passed...

Biochem is the only class that UTK has a time limit on (I asked and they will not allow me to petition it). I was going to retake it in the Fall, but I am beginning to question if I really want to do this. I am already taking a full Graduate class load (on top of Biochem, I had to get special permission to go over the umber of hours) and have committed to working in the fall. I just don't know what to do...

If I drop UTK from my list will take it down to 4 or 5 schools, which is not bad.

Any advice or thoughts? I have until mid-August to drop it...
 
Biochem was my least favorite course EVER so I would say "let it be" (sung in Paul McCartney's voice, of course). But if you reeeeally like UTK, really, really want to go there, and think you'll get a good grade then definitely do it.
 
...funny Biochem anecdote:

During my Biochem lectures (not lab 'cause that was fun) I would daydream about screaming, running across the room and throwing myself out the window. Hahahaha! 😛

Of course I would never really do that, but I came pretty damn close. I should add that I only had lecture once a week so that was about 4 hours of Biochem lecture at one shot. Yeah, it was painful.
 
I <3 Biochem ^.^ My undergrad biochem class was autotutorial (learn at your own pace with quizzes every week). I liked it so much that I was a TA for that same class the next semester.
 
WulfpackChica said:
I have already taken Biochem way back in 2005, I did not do all that great in it but I passed...

Biochem is the only class that UTK has a time limit on (I asked and they will not allow me to petition it). I was going to retake it in the Fall, but I am beginning to question if I really want to do this. I am already taking a full Graduate class load (on top of Biochem, I had to get special permission to go over the umber of hours) and have committed to working in the fall. I just don't know what to do...

If I drop UTK from my list will take it down to 4 or 5 schools, which is not bad.

Any advice or thoughts? I have until mid-August to drop it...
Click to expand...

It sounds like you're taking on a lot this fall. Are you sure you can pull off biochem on top of your other responsibilities? On one hand, you have previous experience in the course that might help. But it still requires a lot of memorization and time. Is it worth it to you? If UTK is one of your top choices, then maybe you can motivate yourself enough to accomplish it. Can you replace UTK with any other schools that you already meet the requirements for?
 
gugoodoll said:
I <3 Biochem ^.^ My undergrad biochem class was autotutorial (learn at your own pace with quizzes every week). I liked it so much that I was a TA for that same class the next semester.
Click to expand...

😍 biochem as well. My class was taught by one of those really introverted, awkward professors who everyone is nervous around at the beginning of the semester and by the end of the semester we were trying to convince him to expand enrolment for his seminar course the next semester because it was only half the size of the biochem class and so many of us wanted to take it. I got credit in that class for writing a poem about spider silk protein domains. :laugh:
 
Blech, weirdos 😉

I really hated biochem. Maybe it was just the format of the class and the way it was presented, I'm not sure. I didn't have a disliking for the material specifically, but the way the class and the exams were...I feel like I learned nothing useful that I can recall; just memorized a bunch of random structures, pathways, and facts and regurgitated them with little understanding of the overarching concepts. Having night exams from 7:30-9:30pm was also not appreciated. Two semesters of suck.
 
Frozenshades said:
Blech, weirdos 😉

I really hated biochem. Maybe it was just the format of the class and the way it was presented, I'm not sure. I didn't have a disliking for the material specifically, but the way the class and the exams were...I feel like I learned nothing useful that I can recall; just memorized a bunch of random structures, pathways, and facts and regurgitated them with little understanding of the overarching concepts. Having night exams from 7:30-9:30pm was also not appreciated. Two semesters of suck.
Click to expand...

👍 👍

^^^ this was my class as well.. Rote memorization and purge after each test.. Worst professor ever. I warned everyone below me to NOT take this fella..hopefully they listened lol
 
I loved biochem as well! Probably one of the most challenging courses I took because my professor was extremely tough, but it was also my favorite class in undergrad. I second what someone said about "talking yourself into it"... Make yourself love it! The more I tried fighting the course in the beginning, the harder it was. Once I really committed to it, I earned an A at the end of the semester. My prof also ended up writing my letter of rec!
 
cs5910 said:
I loved biochem as well! Probably one of the most challenging courses I took because my professor was extremely tough, but it was also my favorite class in undergrad. I second what someone said about "talking yourself into it"... Make yourself love it! The more I tried fighting the course in the beginning, the harder it was. Once I really committed to it, I earned an A at the end of the semester. My prof also ended up writing my letter of rec!
Click to expand...

That was my one C. I really couldn't make myself care. And I dropped Biochem II the instant I decided I wasn't going to go to TAMU :laugh:
 
Frozenshades said:
Blech, weirdos 😉

I really hated biochem. Maybe it was just the format of the class and the way it was presented, I'm not sure. I didn't have a disliking for the material specifically, but the way the class and the exams were...I feel like I learned nothing useful that I can recall; just memorized a bunch of random structures, pathways, and facts and regurgitated them with little understanding of the overarching concepts. Having night exams from 7:30-9:30pm was also not appreciated. Two semesters of suck.
Click to expand...

Can't say I hated biochem, but it was definitely a huge pain. Our professor was new to the university and spoke with a thick accent. He also wasn't terribly clear in lecture and a lot of material seemed to just "appear" on the quizzes without us having previously covering it. Additionally, we would have to be in by 8am every Friday to take quizzes before our 9am lecture. It would have been better if I lived on campus, but I commuted from 45 minutes away.

Is it just me or has anyone else had to go in outside of class to take tests and quizzes? This happened a lot in the sciences classes I took.
 
Glad to hear that were some other as miserable as I was taking it the first time around. There were day dreams of flinging myself off of the top of the library on campus when I was studying.

I think that I could do better in the class this time around, knowing what I need to do and how much time it will take. But... I don't know if I necessarily want to. If I strike UTK off of my list, it will be a bummer but not the end of the world. My top choice is NCSU (IS school) and then I had a couple I have been talking to the admissions about. So... there are still choices out there 🙂
 
selisona said:
Is it just me or has anyone else had to go in outside of class to take tests and quizzes? This happened a lot in the sciences classes I took.
Click to expand...

Most of my school's classes were put on the university schedule- depending on what day and time of the week you had a class, you took your prelim exam (our word for "midterms") on so-and-so day of the week at so-and-so time at night. Our prelims were usually at night in some randomly assigned building on campus. Same with our finals, but those are spread throughout the day since classes are no longer in session.
 
Question about how you guys are spreading out your hours...


I have thousands and thousands of hours that I've spent with dog shows, and dog-show related things (training, grooming, the actual shows, etc)....I'm wondering what you guys are doing with experiences that are similar/related...are you grouping them together, or separating them? Right now I have it split.....an entry for all the grooming (I have a coated breed), an entry for the training, and an entry for the actual shows.....but do you think I should group them all together?

I just can't decide!!
 
I did dog shows/trials/training all in the same kind of thing. When I was a steward for a show, I put that separate. I also was one of the people who put my own pets under animal experience, so grooming went under that section for me.
 
So, I have contacted a couple of the schools that I am applying to about how to classify my experiences (per advice of VMCAS). According to many of the schools, my time at the CRO doing animals studies/handling/necropsy will now be classified as Research (which I guess is a good thing now) and my time at the public health lab doing rabies testing on animal samples will be classified as Animal Experience.

This kind of bums me out and makes me worry a little because I want to do Public Health or Lab Animal. I am not sure what schools are going to say when I address this in the personal statement 🙁 Plus I have to go move everything around in my application and the "Vet Experience" part looks kind of pitiful now, since I will only have one place listen in there. Granted I worked there Part Time and Full Time for about 4 years so I have about 4,000hrs, but now I feel like I have less diversity :bang:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

addie.ed
DVM-PhD c/o 2030 Applicants
Replies
4
Views
619
Tech_Penguin
Tech_Penguin
NCSU CVM
NC State University c/o 2031 Applicants
Replies
3
Views
406
robera1979
R
vampyrica
Successful Applicants C/O 2029
2 3 4
Replies
193
Views
52K
battie
battie
NCSU CVM
NC State University c/o 2030 Applicants
Replies
43
Views
5K
NCSU CVM
NCSU CVM
avalanche777
Utah State University c/o 2029 Applicants
6 7 8 9 10
Replies
455
Views
48K
graceless27
G
Top