Can you delay enrollment to vet school? (@Ross)

[exotic birb]

SO. I applied to 10 schools this round and the applications did not go well. I did get an interview at my IS, but I didn't get in. As of right now I have 8 rejections, one alternate, and one acceptance from Ross. I am so excited to be accepted into vet school, but I was really hoping for a different school!! Honestly, I sent the application to Ross only due to some external pressures from family and friends. I never really intended to leave the US.

For a multitude of reasons, I don't plan on enrolling in the Fall at Ross despite my lack of acceptances elsewhere. I feel like I need more time to make my decision whether to jump into a vet school in the Caribbean, so I was hoping to delay my enrollment at Ross. Has anyone delayed their enrollment to vet school (particularly Ross), and if so how did you approach it?

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[DVMoftheFuture]

SO. I applied to 10 schools this round and the applications did not go well. I did get an interview at my IS, but I didn't get in. As of right now I have 8 rejections, one alternate, and one acceptance from Ross. I am so excited to be accepted into vet school, but I was really hoping for a different school!! Honestly, I sent the application to Ross only due to some external pressures from family and friends. I never really intended to leave the US.

For a multitude of reasons, I don't plan on enrolling in the Fall at Ross despite my lack of acceptances elsewhere. I feel like I need more time to make my decision whether to jump into a vet school in the Caribbean, so I was hoping to delay my enrollment at Ross. Has anyone delayed their enrollment to vet school (particularly Ross), and if so how did you approach it?

You would have to contact Ross to see for sure, but generally schools don't let you defer unless you have a legitimate life circumstance that requires you to delay enrollment.

 

[coolkorbin]

Ross might. It depends. I was accepted at Ross last year, but told them I wasn't accepting for the fall because I was waitlisted elsewhere and they still have emailed me since about enrolling.

 

[Nalra095]

Honestly, if you are not 100% sure you want to commit to Ross, I wouldn't do it.

Contact your IS and get a File Review to see how you can improve and start working towards that.
Improving your app for this next cycle and getting into your IS will be so much better than just committing to Ross, financial wise.
If getting into vet school 1 year late could save a significant amount of money, it's worth it in the long run.

 

[vethopeful_2]

I am in a similar position. Haven't been rejected from my IS but am expecting it.

The only thing I would like to mention about the "do I wait another year or go to Ross?" debate is that you are not guaranteed to get into your IS this next round, either. I think it really boils down to what your stats are. If you are an average/*slightly* below average applicant then sure, it probably makes more sense just to apply to your IS again. But I think you really have to be honest with yourself about what improvements need to be made and how long that will take.
I'm saying this because VMCAS opens again in like 3 months. I know I personally did not have enough time to make all the necessary improvements to be a shoe-in for this next round of applications because I am a below average applicant GPA-wise, and have taken 140+ credit hours which would be nearly impossible to significantly bring up in less than a year. Sometimes I think people make it sound really easy to just apply again, but keep in mind there are people who apply for several cycles and still don't get into their IS school or elsewhere.

I would love to go to my IS, and heck I would love to just apply again to my IS this round and only have to sacrifice one more year of waiting, but I personally can't take the risk of waiting around several more years while trying to get into vet school (I'm at non-trad applicant). I'll be done at Ross (with ~2.25 years there total) before I probably would have even gotten into a state school.

Do what's best for you but be realistic with yourself and what you are willing to do. Some people would rather wait a couple more years than moving to an island, and I totally get that as well. Good luck!!

 

[ajs513]

SO. I applied to 10 schools this round and the applications did not go well. I did get an interview at my IS, but I didn't get in. As of right now I have 8 rejections, one alternate, and one acceptance from Ross. I am so excited to be accepted into vet school, but I was really hoping for a different school!! Honestly, I sent the application to Ross only due to some external pressures from family and friends. I never really intended to leave the US.

For a multitude of reasons, I don't plan on enrolling in the Fall at Ross despite my lack of acceptances elsewhere. I feel like I need more time to make my decision whether to jump into a vet school in the Caribbean, so I was hoping to delay my enrollment at Ross. Has anyone delayed their enrollment to vet school (particularly Ross), and if so how did you approach it?

I can’t speak to deferment. Definitely contact Ross. But my question to you is what do you plan on doing as a vet? Do you want to be a GP or do you want to specialize? If you want to be a GP, then just go to Ross. It doesn’t make as much of a difference because you have the same degree and the same ability to practice veterinary medicine. I know many Ross graduates which loved the school and have no regrets.
Do you think you stand a chance next cycle? You got an interview so that’s a good sign. Do you think you just bombed the interview? If so, reapply. You can also take a few classes and boost your GPA even if it’s just a bit. Going from a 3.0 to a 3.1 can be enough of a difference. Not much, but every bit helps. Especially if you really boost you last 45 GPA. If you think your stand a chance, reapply. If you are set in specializing, reapply. If you just want to be a GP and debt isn’t an issue for you, go to Ross. In this day and age, where you go to school isn’t quite as important as how you are as a doctor. You’ll always have a few clients who doubt you because of where you went to school, and you can’t do anything about that. But if you just want to practice and make a living and do what you love, go to Ross.

 

[vethopeful_2]

I can’t speak to deferment. Definitely contact Ross. But my question to you is what do you plan on doing as a vet? Do you want to be a GP or do you want to specialize? If you want to be a GP, then just go to Ross. It doesn’t make as much of a difference because you have the same degree and the same ability to practice veterinary medicine. I know many Ross graduates which loved the school and have no regrets.
Do you think you stand a chance next cycle? You got an interview so that’s a good sign. Do you think you just bombed the interview? If so, reapply. You can also take a few classes and boost your GPA even if it’s just a bit. Going from a 3.0 to a 3.1 can be enough of a difference. Not much, but every bit helps. Especially if you really boost you last 45 GPA. If you think your stand a chance, reapply. If you are set in specializing, reapply. If you just want to be a GP and debt isn’t an issue for you, go to Ross. In this day and age, where you go to school isn’t quite as important as how you are as a doctor. You’ll always have a few clients who doubt you because of where you went to school, and you can’t do anything about that. But if you just want to practice and make a living and do what you love, go to Ross.

Would also like to add that while this may not be the case for all Ross grads, I work at a specialty hospital and 2/6 Drs that work there are ross grads. Going to ross does not mean you cannot specialize just like everyone else. Going to Ross will make you no less of a doctor than any other US school

 

[Ljaps23]

I can’t speak to deferment. Definitely contact Ross. But my question to you is what do you plan on doing as a vet? Do you want to be a GP or do you want to specialize? If you want to be a GP, then just go to Ross. It doesn’t make as much of a difference because you have the same degree and the same ability to practice veterinary medicine. I know many Ross graduates which loved the school and have no regrets.
Do you think you stand a chance next cycle? You got an interview so that’s a good sign. Do you think you just bombed the interview? If so, reapply. You can also take a few classes and boost your GPA even if it’s just a bit. Going from a 3.0 to a 3.1 can be enough of a difference. Not much, but every bit helps. Especially if you really boost you last 45 GPA. If you think your stand a chance, reapply. If you are set in specializing, reapply. If you just want to be a GP and debt isn’t an issue for you, go to Ross. In this day and age, where you go to school isn’t quite as important as how you are as a doctor. You’ll always have a few clients who doubt you because of where you went to school, and you can’t do anything about that. But if you just want to practice and make a living and do what you love, go to Ross.

Is it harder to specialize if you go to Ross? Does it have something to do with matching into residency like their med school has an issue with?

 

[vethopeful_2]

Is it harder to specialize if you go to Ross? Does it have something to do with matching into residency like their med school has an issue with?

I think people are referring to the fact that ross is expensive (similar to going to an OOS school) and residents don't make any money (like $20k a year I think?)..... which would obviously make specializing more challenging financially. I think it's been established at this point that Ross produces good and bad vets, just like every other school in the U.S.. It's all about the individual's motivation to be great.

*edit* I would be interested to see what the match rate is for Ross vet grads. It probably also has a lot to do with where you go for your clinical year.

 

[ajs513]

Is it harder to specialize if you go to Ross? Does it have something to do with matching into residency like their med school has an issue with?

I can’t find any data on it since vets don’t have to do residency at all, but from wha I’ve heard, it’s more difficult. Residencies often look at what school you graduated from, the difficulty of the program, and your class rank.

 

[CanadatoUS2019]

I can’t speak to deferment. Definitely contact Ross. But my question to you is what do you plan on doing as a vet? Do you want to be a GP or do you want to specialize? If you want to be a GP, then just go to Ross. It doesn’t make as much of a difference because you have the same degree and the same ability to practice veterinary medicine. I know many Ross graduates which loved the school and have no regrets.
Do you think you stand a chance next cycle? You got an interview so that’s a good sign. Do you think you just bombed the interview? If so, reapply. You can also take a few classes and boost your GPA even if it’s just a bit. Going from a 3.0 to a 3.1 can be enough of a difference. Not much, but every bit helps. Especially if you really boost you last 45 GPA. If you think your stand a chance, reapply. If you are set in specializing, reapply. If you just want to be a GP and debt isn’t an issue for you, go to Ross. In this day and age, where you go to school isn’t quite as important as how you are as a doctor. You’ll always have a few clients who doubt you because of where you went to school, and you can’t do anything about that. But if you just want to practice and make a living and do what you love, go to Ross.

Where you went to school for getting into residencies hardly matters at all. People get into Cornell's residencies coming from Brazil or Colombia, which are not only not AVMA accredited, but also with the exception of one school in Brazil, not highly recognized by ranking systems (based almost entirely on research I might need to add).

You can get into the most competitive residencies coming from the most far out schools you'd think of. And then once a diplomate there are often special circumstances that allow you to practice as only a specialist if your school was not AVMA accredited. Neither of these are the case with Ross or St. George's.

 

[Nalra095]

I can’t find any data on it since vets don’t have to do residency at all, but from wha I’ve heard, it’s more difficult. Residencies often look at what school you graduated from, the difficulty of the program, and your class rank.

I actually disagree.

In this day and age, where you go to vet school doesn't seem to have much, if any, factor in determining internship or residency match.
The match is really all about who you know and how well they vouch for you (of course, grades and class rank matter too), and then after that it's about the impression you make during your interviews. And we don't take classes on how to interview in vet school, so it's really up to the person who's applying not what school they come from. Look at some of the top institutions/private practice interns on VIRMP/the practice website, there's a definite even spread in vet schools represented, including St.Georges and Ross.

The only thing that should discourage someone from committing to an island school is: if they have trouble not being able to go home as often during breaks and get homesick easily or if tuition is a big concern for their financial future(which it should be).

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

I can’t find any data on it since vets don’t have to do residency at all, but from wha I’ve heard, it’s more difficult. Residencies often look at what school you graduated from, the difficulty of the program, and your class rank.

This is not really accurate.

While class rank/GPA matter, I have heard from basically every professor and program that letters of rec/who you know matters much, much more (provided your GPA is adequate).

The difficulty foreign medical students face in getting a residency doesn't hold true in the veterinary world (for a multitude of reasons).

 

[battie]

@exotic birb so this very well may be a tough love moment.

Honestly, the time to consider on whether or not you'd jump into the island life was a year ago when you were making your school list. You don't have that kind of time any more. For any applicants who reads this in the future, this is why you don't apply to schools you would not attend. Now you are between a rock and a hard place for a couple reasons, and it's hard to give any real advice without knowing your stats.

If you do not attend Ross in the fall, you need to be extremely cognizant of the fact you may never be accepted to vet school again. You will have to say if you had been previously accepted to veterinary school on next year's VMCAS, which may or may not raise red flags depending on who is evaluating your application. You will be competing against a different pool of applicants, and honestly, the pool is just getting more competitive each year. Is never becoming a vet worth the risk to you (since we know nothing about your stats, your financial situation, etc).

If you do plan to apply again, you may need to sit down and consider 1) skipping a cycle since the next one opens in May and 2) doing a ton of research into *all* of the schools and re-evaluating your school list so you aren't making a list of schools that are heavily skewed against you.

We'd be able to give you better advice knowing your stats and school list. If you have a 2.8, I would tell you to stick with Ross. If you were a 3.6, I'd need more info.

 

[ajs513]

I actually disagree.

In this day and age, where you go to vet school doesn't seem to have much, if any, factor in determining internship or residency match.
The match is really all about who you know and how well they vouch for you (of course, grades and class rank matter too), and then after that it's about the impression you make during your interviews. And we don't take classes on how to interview in vet school, so it's really up to the person who's applying not what school they come from. Look at some of the top institutions/private practice interns on VIRMP/the practice website, there's a definite even spread in vet schools represented, including St.Georges and Ross.

The only thing that should discourage someone from committing to an island school is: if they have trouble not being able to go home as often during breaks and get homesick easily or if tuition is a big concern for their financial future(which it should be).

That’s interesting. I guess what I’ve heard is antiquated. That’s good to know.

 

[exotics&wildlifehopeful]

@exotic birb so this very well may be a tough love moment.

Honestly, the time to consider on whether or not you'd jump into the island life was a year ago when you were making your school list. You don't have that kind of time any more. For any applicants who reads this in the future, this is why you don't apply to schools you would not attend. Now you are between a rock and a hard place for a couple reasons, and it's hard to give any real advice without knowing your stats.

If you do not attend Ross in the fall, you need to be extremely cognizant of the fact you may never be accepted to vet school again. You will have to say if you had been previously accepted to veterinary school on next year's VMCAS, which may or may not raise red flags depending on who is evaluating your application. You will be competing against a different pool of applicants, and honestly, the pool is just getting more competitive each year. Is never becoming a vet worth the risk to you (since we know nothing about your stats, your financial situation, etc).

If you do plan to apply again, you may need to sit down and consider 1) skipping a cycle since the next one opens in May and 2) doing a ton of research into *all* of the schools and re-evaluating your school list so you aren't making a list of schools that are heavily skewed against you.

We'd be able to give you better advice knowing your stats and school list. If you have a 2.8, I would tell you to stick with Ross. If you were a 3.6, I'd need more info.

Seriously, thank you for this. I was going back and forth for a while (family members health changed after I had sent my application, but their somewhat stable now) because I was accepted to Ross and no where else this cycle. This is the tough love I personally needed. As much as I want to wait, especially for cheaper tuition, the money I’d spend improving grades, my application, and possibly a masters would most likely be around what I’d spend at Ross anyways. And I’m kinda getting excited for island life and getting away from my home state!

 

[CoffeeQuestionMark]

Seriously, thank you for this. I was going back and forth for a while (family members health changed after I had sent my application, but their somewhat stable now) because I was accepted to Ross and no where else this cycle. This is the tough love I personally needed. As much as I want to wait, especially for cheaper tuition, the money I’d spend improving grades, my application, and possibly a masters would most likely be around what I’d spend at Ross anyways. And I’m kinda getting excited for island life and getting away from my home state!

Don't forget that it means 1 more year of salary!

 

[FutureFelineVet]

Seriously, thank you for this. I was going back and forth for a while (family members health changed after I had sent my application, but their somewhat stable now) because I was accepted to Ross and no where else this cycle. This is the tough love I personally needed. As much as I want to wait, especially for cheaper tuition, the money I’d spend improving grades, my application, and possibly a masters would most likely be around what I’d spend at Ross anyways. And I’m kinda getting excited for island life and getting away from my home state!

This is why I decided to go with Ross as well. It would take me at least a couple years and tons of money to be considered competitive for my IS/dream school (UF). I’m really excited to go to Ross and who knows, may even get to complete my clinical year at UF!

 

[vethopeful_2]

*edit* moved my question to other ross thread

 

[CFortVET]

On a similar note, since Ross operates on a rolling admissions process, if you get accepted there earlier than in state schools that we apply to can we accept/reject the offer once we hear from those other schools or will Ross want a decision sooner than that?

 

[that redhead]

@ajs513 Going to Ross or SGU will not impact your chances of specializing whatsoever. Just to make that clear. There used to be more stigma when they weren’t accredited, which is maybe when your information was from (years ago). But it isn’t like med school matching.

Seconding @batsenecal - I was only accepted to a Canadian school when I applied and decided to bite the bullet and go. I had a sub-3.0 GPA so my road to one of the US schools was going to be a lengthy, costly, uphill battle and likely unsuccessful if I was being honest with myself. The school that accepted me evaluated stats a bit differently and it worked out in my favor (I actually received an early acceptance based on how good of an applicant I was- ha!) It was definitely a tough road going to vet school out of the country and far from home, but it for me to where I wanted to be. Don’t go if you don’t want to go to school on an island far away from friends and family, but consider it if your application is weaker and you really want this.

 

[exotic birb]

Since this thread just flared back up, I wanted to share an update as the OP.

My stats happen to be strong. My GPA is above a 3.6, i scored well on the GRE, and I had a decent number of experience hours. My not getting into my IS school last year was without a doubt due to my performance in the interview. The other 8 schools just prove how hard it can be to get into a US school.

I discovered I could defer my enrollment to Ross after following the advice on this thread and contacting them. They were very accommodating. Actually conversing with the admissions coordinators helped reassure me that I’d be supported as a student at Ross. With my deferment though, I did choose to reapply this cycle. I am just not built for island life (vastly allergic to bug bites/stings, a home body, etc etc). While I’m sure I would love the school, I am taking the opportunity for deferment to apply to a location better suited to myself personally.

I do not recommend this route at all. The tough love I got in this thread is true: don’t apply to a school you don’t really want to go to. Vet school is just too expensive and difficult to spend 4 years in a place you’ll be miserable at. Don’t spend the money on the app and put yourself in the same position as I did. The anxiety of passing up vet school because I was being picky was real. I have ok stats so I chose to take the chance and reapply. I’m lucky because if worse comes to worse, I can still be welcomed at Ross due to deferring. During this gap year I am able to live at home and work, so financially I’ve been able to cover the extra application costs too. I don’t know if I’ll get in to a US school this time, but I’m taking the chance. Thanks everyone for your advice on this forum, it was much needed and very appreciated!!

 

[Fintastic19]

Since this thread just flared back up, I wanted to share an update as the OP.

My stats happen to be strong. My GPA is above a 3.6, i scored well on the GRE, and I had a decent number of experience hours. My not getting into my IS school last year was without a doubt due to my performance in the interview. The other 8 schools just prove how hard it can be to get into a US school.

I discovered I could defer my enrollment to Ross after following the advice on this thread and contacting them. They were very accommodating. Actually conversing with the admissions coordinators helped reassure me that I’d be supported as a student at Ross. With my deferment though, I did choose to reapply this cycle. I am just not built for island life (vastly allergic to bug bites/stings, a home body, etc etc). While I’m sure I would love the school, I am taking the opportunity for deferment to apply to a location better suited to myself personally.

I do not recommend this route at all. The tough love I got in this thread is true: don’t apply to a school you don’t really want to go to. Vet school is just too expensive and difficult to spend 4 years in a place you’ll be miserable at. Don’t spend the money on the app and put yourself in the same position as I did. The anxiety of passing up vet school because I was being picky was real. I have ok stats so I chose to take the chance and reapply. I’m lucky because if worse comes to worse, I can still be welcomed at Ross due to deferring. During this gap year I am able to live at home and work, so financially I’ve been able to cover the extra application costs too. I don’t know if I’ll get in to a US school this time, but I’m taking the chance. Thanks everyone for your advice on this forum, it was much needed and very appreciated!!

Hi!
For Ross in order to be deferred were you required to make the deposit before the deadline?
I have an interview with my IS school this month and the deposit is due today for Ross.. bc I enrolled for the summer term. I’ve reached out but haven’t gotten any replies I guess everyone is out for the break.
Should I just make the deposit or should I wait?

 

[exotic birb]

Hi!
For Ross in order to be deferred were you required to make the deposit before the deadline?
I have an interview with my IS school this month and the deposit is due today for Ross.. bc I enrolled for the summer term. I’ve reached out but haven’t gotten any replies I guess everyone is out for the break.
Should I just make the deposit or should I wait?

I paid the deposit because to me $1000 is more affordable than another round of vet school applications. I did it as a sort of vet school insurance, but maybe don’t pay it if you think you’ll want to reapply for your instate anyway.


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[mother-of-cats]

I paid the deposit because to me $1000 is more affordable than another round of vet school applications. I did it as a sort of vet school insurance, but maybe don’t pay it if you think you’ll want to reapply for your instate anyway.


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Did you contact admissions about deferment through email? I have also sent an email about deferment but have not gotten a reply back. I am in the same boat where my deposit deadline is today. Thanks for all your advice!

 

[Fintastic19]

I paid the deposit because to me $1000 is more affordable than another round of vet school applications. I did it as a sort of vet school insurance, but maybe don’t pay it if you think you’ll want to reapply for your instate anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

Oh okay, thank you! I think my best bet would be to pay it, just in case. This is my second time applying to my IS already. I don’t think I’ll want to do another :/ last year I did put all my eggs in one basket by just applying to my IS, I got listed as an alternate after the interview but didn’t get called. So now I reapplied to more schools, and have interviews in Colorado and my IS again. Kind of wish I would have applied for the fall term in Ross but I just thought if I didn’t get in I would want to start right away didn’t think about the deposit smh.
Thank you so much though I really appreciate your fast reply

 

[Fintastic19]

Did you contact admissions about deferment through email? I have also sent an email about deferment but have not gotten a reply back. I am in the same boat where my deposit deadline is today. Thanks for all your advice!

Yes I did, I emailed Justin Taras, and he said they do not defer into the fall class and asked my reason. I replied and he hasn’t answered yet. I’m just wondering if after today they reject you or if you aren’t allowed to make the deposit at all..

 

[exotic birb]

Did you contact admissions about deferment through email? I have also sent an email about deferment but have not gotten a reply back. I am in the same boat where my deposit deadline is today. Thanks for all your advice!

I actually did it by phone and asked if it was possible to push it out. They were really helpful, so I’m sure email or phone works fine. As I was deferring though, they still seemed to want to the deposit right away so I just sent it that day after the call.


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[exotic birb]

Yes I did, I emailed Justin Taras, and he said they do not defer into the fall class and asked my reason. I replied and he hasn’t answered yet. I’m just wondering if after today they reject you or if you aren’t allowed to make the deposit at all..

I deferred from a fall to a May class, they often have trouble filling that one I think so they were willing to help me out with that.


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[Fintastic19]

I deferred from a fall to a May class, they often have trouble filling that one I think so they were willing to help me out with that.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

Oh okay yeah I can see how they were more flexible with that option.

 

[WonderingStudent]

SO. I applied to 10 schools this round and the applications did not go well. I did get an interview at my IS, but I didn't get in. As of right now I have 8 rejections, one alternate, and one acceptance from Ross. I am so excited to be accepted into vet school, but I was really hoping for a different school!! Honestly, I sent the application to Ross only due to some external pressures from family and friends. I never really intended to leave the US.

For a multitude of reasons, I don't plan on enrolling in the Fall at Ross despite my lack of acceptances elsewhere. I feel like I need more time to make my decision whether to jump into a vet school in the Caribbean, so I was hoping to delay my enrollment at Ross. Has anyone delayed their enrollment to vet school (particularly Ross), and if so how did you approach it?

Ross allows you to defer to January but after that point you would have to reapply which is totally fine (that's at least what happened for me. I applied, decided not to go but they kept emailing and said I can go in Jan then after that deadline said they were deactivating my account). You don't have to apply through VMCAS (you can if you want).

 

[mother-of-cats]

Ross allows you to defer to January but after that point you would have to reapply which is totally fine (that's at least what happened for me. I applied, decided not to go but they kept emailing and said I can go in Jan then after that deadline said they were deactivating my account). You don't have to apply through VMCAS (you can if you want).

Did you pay the deposit?

 

[WonderingStudent]

Did you pay the deposit?

No I decided to try and reapply the next year to more vet schools. But there is also St George if you want to apply to a different carribean school.