Colorado State c/o 2021 Hopefuls

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Devastating

Devastating

:ok_hand: 2022
7+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2015
Messages
1,601
Reaction score
1,525
It's finally time to start this thread! Who is applying?
This will be my second time applying here. CSU is without a doubt the closest I've got to a "dream school" (not that I'd turn down an acceptance from a more affordable school :laugh:), so I'm excited to see what may happen as I improve upon my app this year!

I also wonder what changes CSU might make to the supplemental this cycle, now that the PPI has been discontinued--and I hear that they will start doing interviews?
Members don't see this ad.
 
Devastating said:
It's finally time to start this thread! Who is applying?
This will be my second time applying here. CSU is without a doubt the closest I've got to a "dream school" (not that I'd turn down an acceptance from a more affordable school :laugh:), so I'm excited to see what may happen as I improve upon my app this year!

I also wonder what changes CSU might make to the supplemental this cycle, now that the PPI has been discontinued--and I hear that they will start doing interviews?
Click to expand...
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
I'm glad I could goad you into starting this thread, Deva.

Everyone applying this cycle - I'm an MPH/DVM student, so I'll be in the class of 2021 with you if you end up attending here. I went to undergrad at CSU as well, so I can answer a few questions here or there, but as Deva pointed out CSU is making a few changes to their application process this cycle.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Coopah said:
Yay! I love CSU! I'll be applying as an OOS. CSU is the only school that I'm not really sure about the admissions process. @vetmedhead any ideas how they rank candidates?
Click to expand...
I'm going to preface this comment by saying that I pulled most of this information off CSU's website.

How they choose who to admit is a bit of a broad process. CSU refers to their application process as holistic and as such I've never seen them publish any kind of a system or heuristic where certain aspects of an application are given weights/points compared to other aspects. I saw on their website that their final decisions for this cycle will be based 50% on your application and 50% on your interview, but there was no further break down beyond that.

There is no minimum GPA to apply, but it says in their website that applicants with below a 3.2 tend to not be admitted (though of course there are always exceptions). Every application with below a 3.4 is sent to early academic review during the admissions process - the goal of this review is to make sure that applicants still appear to be capable of handling the rigorous academic demands of veterinary school. If applications "pass" that academic review, they're placed back into the regular pool and evaluated the same as every other application in that pool.

CSU tends to value things like good communication skills, civic involvement (volunteering), and leadership skills in addition to the veterinary/animal experience that veterinary applicants typically have. They definitely put together very diverse classes from what I've seen.

They also take into consideration extenuating factors that may have impacted you throughout your pre-veterinary education - things like history of low income, needing to work to support yourself/your family, history of abuse, speaking English as a second language, etc.

You may find some pages from their website helpful (the first link has a link to their veterinary admissions philosophy at the end of the page, which I encourage you to look at):
I should also reiterate that I'm definitely not involved in admissions in any way shape or form, so if you're told something different by CSU please take their word for it. 😀
 
Something I'll also add, since I know many of you look for it:

For their most recent class, average GPA was 3.6, and average GRE scores were Q: 154, V:154, and A:~4.0-4.5.

CSU used to not look at your analytical scores, but I believe they want them for this cycle. I also couldn't find any statistics breaking down stats differences between sponsored (IS) and nonsponsored (OOS) applicants.

Something to keep in mind for this is that CSU takes all sorts of people. I've seen people be admitted with extremely little veterinary experience, with low GPAs, and everything in between. CSU's perspective on admission is that people should be considered as a whole, so one weak spot on an app doesn't tend to stick out as much if the rest of your app is solid.
 
vetmedhead said:
I'm going to preface this comment by saying that I pulled most of this information off CSU's website.

How they choose who to admit is a bit of a broad process. CSU refers to their application process as holistic and as such I've never seen them publish any kind of a system or heuristic where certain aspects of an application are given weights/points compared to other aspects. I saw on their website that their final decisions for this cycle will be based 50% on your application and 50% on your interview, but there was no further break down beyond that.

There is no minimum GPA to apply, but it says in their website that applicants with below a 3.2 tend to not be admitted (though of course there are always exceptions). Every application with below a 3.4 is sent to early academic review during the admissions process - the goal of this review is to make sure that applicants still appear to be capable of handling the rigorous academic demands of veterinary school. If applications "pass" that academic review, they're placed back into the regular pool and evaluated the same as every other application in that pool.

CSU tends to value things like good communication skills, civic involvement (volunteering), and leadership skills in addition to the veterinary/animal experience that veterinary applicants typically have. They definitely put together very diverse classes from what I've seen.

They also take into consideration extenuating factors that may have impacted you throughout your pre-veterinary education - things like history of low income, needing to work to support yourself/your family, history of abuse, speaking English as a second language, etc.

You may find some pages from their website helpful (the first link has a link to their veterinary admissions philosophy at the end of the page, which I encourage you to look at):
I should also reiterate that I'm definitely not involved in admissions in any way shape or form, so if you're told something different by CSU please take their word for it. 😀
Click to expand...

Thank for the info! I got most of that off the website as well, but I guess that's all there is. It must be pretty hard to say what they're looking for when the applicant pool is so diverse, I wouldn't fancy having their job lol. Interesting to know that 50% of admission is based off their interview when they haven't done them before this year.
 
Coopah said:
Thank for the info! I got most of that off the website as well, but I guess that's all there is. It must be pretty hard to say what they're looking for when the applicant pool is so diverse, I wouldn't fancy having their job lol. Interesting to know that 50% of admission is based off their interview when they haven't done them before this year.
Click to expand...
I think that's what they decided on for this year and they may adjust as necessary. There've been rumblings about them holding interviews for years now though, so I'm sure they spent a lot of time figuring out how to implement them into their process effectively.
 
vetmedhead said:
I think that's what they decided on for this year and they may adjust as necessary. There've been rumblings about them holding interviews for years now though, so I'm sure they spent a lot of time figuring out how to implement them into their process effectively.
Click to expand...

Wish they had started the interviewing sooner.

I will also add that they like to see upward trends. If you are someone who started out with a 2.0 your freshman year and worked your way up to a 3.3 or 3.4 the subsequent semesters, that is something they like to see. However, consistently having a 3.4 every semester is not something they like to see. Got this from a file reviews.
 
I'm thinking of possibly adding CSU to my list. I have a pretty low GPA, which is why I'm unsure!
 
ilikecake said:
I'm thinking of possibly adding CSU to my list. I have a pretty low GPA, which is why I'm unsure!
Click to expand...
I'll be hanging around if you do decide to apply here!

I also obviously chill on SDN a lot, so even if you don't apply here I'll still be around. 😉

How's your app going?
 
vetmedhead said:
I'll be hanging around if you do decide to apply here!

I also obviously chill on SDN a lot, so even if you don't apply here I'll still be around. 😉

How's your app going?
Click to expand...

I keep thinking I'm behind, but then I realize that I'm only 2 weeks in 🙂 I'm still working on my personal statement, and right now I'm writing up descriptions for all of my experiences. I'm finished with the academic and personal sections, though, so that's exciting!
 
ilikecake said:
I keep thinking I'm behind, but then I realize that I'm only 2 weeks in 🙂 I'm still working on my personal statement, and right now I'm writing up descriptions for all of my experiences. I'm finished with the academic and personal sections, though, so that's exciting!
Click to expand...
Nice! My advice is to get everything written to your satisfaction and then let it sit for a week or two before editing it. Helps you see things with fresh eyes.
 
vetmedhead said:
Nice! My advice is to get everything written to your satisfaction and then let it sit for a week or two before editing it. Helps you see things with fresh eyes.
Click to expand...

Actually, would you mind looking at what I have for my statement so far? I have a lot of ideas but I need to cut a lot of it out and I'm not sure which parts sound best.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Man, I wish I would've applied here. I think I personally would've been kinda competitive. Guess it's a moot point though. If I was accepted and all other outcomes from this past cycle had remained the same, CSU would've been my most expensive option.
 
rockatiel said:
Man, I wish I would've applied here. I think I personally would've been kinda competitive. Guess it's a moot point though. If I was accepted and all other outcomes from this past cycle had remained the same, CSU would've been my most expensive option.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's my concern as well, but I really like the program. I would definitely go if given the chance, but I would also love a cheaper option. I just keep wishing I could pick up and move to get an IS somewhere.
 
As someone who had a rough first undergrad semester and then improved, the holistic approach of CSU appeals to me. The fact that we'll have interviews now is pretty exciting! Didn't get any interview invites last cycle.

I also coincidentally have relatives in Fort Collins.
 
Ooh, thanks for the reminder! Haven't even been thinking about supplementals yet but summer is going really fast...
 
Devastating said:
Ooh, thanks for the reminder! Haven't even been thinking about supplementals yet but summer is going really fast...
Click to expand...
It opens on the 15th of July, so you still have some time. 🙂

I think CSU also has links to their old supplementals on their website somewhere, though of course you wouldn't need to look through it since you applied last year and it doesn't change much from year to year.
 
vetmedhead said:
It opens on the 15th of July, so you still have some time. 🙂

I think CSU also has links to their old supplementals on their website somewhere, though of course you wouldn't need to look through it since you applied last year and it doesn't change much from year to year.
Click to expand...

I wonder if it'll be different this year since they're doing interviews.
 
ilikecake said:
I wonder if it'll be different this year since they're doing interviews.
Click to expand...
I doubt it, as I can't think of any questions they would really alter for interviews. I think they will still want all of the essays they want now, as the interview style they'll be using isn't really directed at the types of questions they address in their supplementals.
 
vetmedhead said:
I doubt it, as I can't think of any questions they would really alter for interviews. I think they will still want all of the essays they want now, as the interview style they'll be using isn't really directed at the types of questions they address in their supplementals.
Click to expand...

Darn you're right. I was hoping for a slightly easier supplemental. Applications on top of philosophy, biochemistry, and anatomy classes are a lot of work 🤣
 
ilikecake said:
Darn you're right. I was hoping for a slightly easier supplemental. Applications on top of philosophy, biochemistry, and anatomy classes are a lot of work 🤣
Click to expand...
FWIW, I think their supplemental was the lowest stress of the four I filled out. If you're not applying for a dual degree program, the beefiest essay you have to write is like 600 characters I think.
 
vetmedhead said:
I'm going to preface this comment by saying that I pulled most of this information off CSU's website.

How they choose who to admit is a bit of a broad process. CSU refers to their application process as holistic and as such I've never seen them publish any kind of a system or heuristic where certain aspects of an application are given weights/points compared to other aspects. I saw on their website that their final decisions for this cycle will be based 50% on your application and 50% on your interview, but there was no further break down beyond that.

There is no minimum GPA to apply, but it says in their website that applicants with below a 3.2 tend to not be admitted (though of course there are always exceptions). Every application with below a 3.4 is sent to early academic review during the admissions process - the goal of this review is to make sure that applicants still appear to be capable of handling the rigorous academic demands of veterinary school. If applications "pass" that academic review, they're placed back into the regular pool and evaluated the same as every other application in that pool.

CSU tends to value things like good communication skills, civic involvement (volunteering), and leadership skills in addition to the veterinary/animal experience that veterinary applicants typically have. They definitely put together very diverse classes from what I've seen.

They also take into consideration extenuating factors that may have impacted you throughout your pre-veterinary education - things like history of low income, needing to work to support yourself/your family, history of abuse, speaking English as a second language, etc.

You may find some pages from their website helpful (the first link has a link to their veterinary admissions philosophy at the end of the page, which I encourage you to look at):
I should also reiterate that I'm definitely not involved in admissions in any way shape or form, so if you're told something different by CSU please take their word for it. 😀
Click to expand...

The GPA referenced - is that cumulative? or....?
 
Last edited:
This thread gives me the feels 🙂:arghh:😡😍:bang::corny:

Good luck all! So tempted to join you, but so done. If you want advice on vet clinics, or things to do around FoCo or where to get surgical experience or anything, I just left Fort Collins. I spent the last 6 years there and loved almost all of it!

Again, good luck!
 
rodeomarie said:
The GPA referenced - is that cumulative? or....?
Click to expand...

Yes it was cumulative, but they don't really look at your cumulative GPA past the first phase of academic review. That is not to say that they don't look at your grades, they do. I believe that they mostly look for trends in the grades. Upward trends make them think much more highly of you than downward trends or stagnant mediocre. That's just my impression from the website and ideo's they posted.

Just for reference there will be four phases of admission:
Phase One: Incomplete applications are denied.
Phase Two: Early Academic Review; Combined Program Review; DVM Review
Phase Three: Interview Selection and Format Interview Dates: January 14-15, 2017
Phase Four: Post Interview Decisions Notification Date: mid-Feburary
 
Coopah said:
Yes it was cumulative, but they don't really look at your cumulative GPA past the first phase of academic review. That is not to say that they don't look at your grades, they do. I believe that they mostly look for trends in the grades. Upward trends make them think much more highly of you than downward trends or stagnant mediocre. That's just my impression from the website and ideo's they posted.

Just for reference there will be four phases of admission:
Phase One: Incomplete applications are denied.
Phase Two: Early Academic Review; Combined Program Review; DVM Review
Phase Three: Interview Selection and Format Interview Dates: January 14-15, 2017
Phase Four: Post Interview Decisions Notification Date: mid-Feburary
Click to expand...
For those of you who have applied before, these phases are different from last year. Folks interested in any combined programs will also probably hear decisions later this cycle than they did last cycle.
 
Like vetmedhead, I was a CSU undergrad student, but I'll be c/o 2020. Lemme know if you have questions!
 
I'm wondering who to put as my three evaluators. I have two vets to choose from and two professors. They all have already submitted their recommendations, but I don't know which to pick for CSU to read. I'm pretty sure they are all good evaluations, but I don't know which are better because I can't read them. Does anybody think that two vets and a professor would be better than two professors and a vet? Thanks for any advice.
 
Coopah said:
I'm wondering who to put as my three evaluators. I have two vets to choose from and two professors. They all have already submitted their recommendations, but I don't know which to pick for CSU to read. I'm pretty sure they are all good evaluations, but I don't know which are better because I can't read them. Does anybody think that two vets and a professor would be better than two professors and a vet? Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Do you already have all of your ELORs in on VMCAS? I don't know why but I was under the impression that they would read all of the ELORs submitted. Some schools only read the first three that come in, though. I would check with CSU first to see if you can even specify which three they read. (To be fair, I don't know what the 2017 CSA looks like since I don't have access to it, and I know they've changed some things up this year, so you may already know the answer to my questions based on what CSU has in their supplemental).

Anyway, in terms of which evals to pick, I would think about what each person could speak about for you. Who knew you a long time, who could have potentially spoken about weaknesses on your application? If you think they are all good it shouldn't be a huge deal who you pick. Personally I think I would emphasize veterinarian LORs if I was lacking in experience and professor LORs if my academics weren't as great, but that's personal preference. I would go with what feels right to you.
 
I don't think multiple vets is necessarily a better thing. I used one (my husband-wife vet team wrote it together) vet letter, one professor letter, and one supervisor. Who has known you in a professional capacity longest? Which would make you seem the most well rounded? CSU values diversity.
 
Thanks for the responses! Yes CSU allows you to specify which ones to read on their supplemental, that's why I was asking😉. As far as weaknesses are concerned I think my academics are a little weaker than my experiences, but those aren't the best either :thinking: it all depends on how you look at it. I could have awesome academics if you look at my last two years (4.0) but pretty bad if you only look at my undergrad degree (3.04). Averaged out it's only a 3.28 or something. I think I'll go with my professor since she'll offer a different perspective than another vet. Now I just have to decide which vet :bang:.
 
Wasn't going to apply here originally due to higher tuition, but looks like my husbands job prospects are looking great in Fort Collins. I may add it to the list! We lived in NM for several years and visited Colorado a couple times. I have several friends from high school who now live all over the state and adore it.
 
Just want to let you know I was accepted with only 100 hours of experience, so I do believe the holistic application review is true.

Play to your strengths, they care about you as a person. There is a lot more to all of us than GPA after all.

Good luck! I'll see you next year unless vet school kills me first 😛
 
wheelin2vetmed said:
Just want to let you know I was accepted with only 100 hours of experience, so I do believe the holistic application review is true.

Play to your strengths, they care about you as a person. There is a lot more to all of us than GPA after all.

Good luck! I'll see you next year unless vet school kills me first 😛
Click to expand...

Thanks, and I hope vet school does not kill you. FIGHT THE POWER!
 
vetmedhead said:
I think that's what they decided on for this year and they may adjust as necessary. There've been rumblings about them holding interviews for years now though, so I'm sure they spent a lot of time figuring out how to implement them into their process effectively.
Click to expand...

Do you know if they will be MMI, or regular?
 
vetmedhead said:
From what I've heard their interviews this year will be MMI. I believe they mention it on their website as well.
Click to expand...

Ok, thank you! Also, at the moment I have 3 LOR's. I was planning on also only using 3. Is that in any way a bad thing for an applicant? Does it matter how many (this is for any school not just specifically CSU)?
 
VetMed1 said:
Ok, thank you! Also, at the moment I have 3 LOR's. I was planning on also only using 3. Is that in any way a bad thing for an applicant? Does it matter how many (this is for any school not just specifically CSU)?
Click to expand...
I think 3 is fine so long as the school doesn't specifically request more. FWIW I only had three last year and got in to several schools. I will also add that this is the first year in a while where CSU is actually reading the LORs, as before they had your recommenders fill out something called a PPI where they would rank you on different qualities and comment on those specifically. (they may or may not have read the letters last year too, I just know they cared more about the PPI) The PPI was discontinued though, so no need to worry about it.
 
Thank you for your response. Yes, I knew about the PPI. I am debating on whether or not I should ask the vet I am currently working with to write me one or not. I have only worked with them for about 1 month though twice a week so I am just not sure if that is enough time to really get to know me. I have three very solid LOR's, so I was just unsure if I should ask this other vet or not to have a fourth one. The reason being that it is a unique vet and experience, so it could add to my application. I just worry it would not be as solid considering she hasn't known me super long. I know already really likes me and did from the beginning, and has offered to read my essays, etc. but I worry about it possibly being a weak LOR only b/c she doesn't know me as well as I would like. I know she would probably write me a great letter, but I have no idea. Is it worth the risk? Is it better to have 3 solid letters vs. 4 with 3 being solid and the last one being possibly not as solid but a unique person (Public Health)?

The three I currently have are: Vet I worked with for 2.5 years who is also the owner of the practice, Dept. chair of my program who has a PhD, and a professor who is non-animal related but has known me for years since I've taken several classes with them.

Thanks!
 
VetMed1 said:
Thank you for your response. Yes, I knew about the PPI. I am debating on whether or not I should ask the vet I am currently working with to write me one or not. I have only worked with them for about 1 month though twice a week so I am just not sure if that is enough time to really get to know me. I have three very solid LOR's, so I was just unsure if I should ask this other vet or not to have a fourth one. The reason being that it is a unique vet and experience, so it could add to my application. I just worry it would not be as solid considering she hasn't known me super long. I know already really likes me and did from the beginning, and has offered to read my essays, etc. but I worry about it possibly being a weak LOR only b/c she doesn't know me as well as I would like. I know she would probably write me a great letter, but I have no idea. Is it worth the risk? Is it better to have 3 solid letters vs. 4 with 3 being solid and the last one being possibly not as solid but a unique person (Public Health)?

The three I currently have are: Vet I worked with for 2.5 years who is also the owner of the practice, Dept. chair of my program who has a PhD, and a professor who is non-animal related but has known me for years since I've taken several classes with them.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I find that the best way to tell if someone will write you a great letter of recommendation is to ask them. I straight out asked if they would be able to write me a great one and some said yes and others hesitated and said they would like to know me better.
 
Coopah said:
I find that the best way to tell if someone will write you a great letter of recommendation is to ask them. I straight out asked if they would be able to write me a great one and some said yes and others hesitated and said they would like to know me better.
Click to expand...


Thanks! I was planning on waiting another 2 weeks or so until I have more time with the vet. That way if they do decide to write one, they'd have about a month to do so. I think I will just see how I feel at that time. Thanks again!
 
In the Prerequisites section, what are we supposed to put for "Other"? Is it just science electives, or any electives?
 
ilikecake said:
In the Prerequisites section, what are we supposed to put for "Other"? Is it just science electives, or any electives?
Click to expand...
I think it was any as long as it added up to whatever number of credits they were looking for. Their website I think has more information on it.
 
I'm finishing up my CSU application and had one last question. The disadvantaged circumstances essay is optional- are you guys writing anything for it? I wrote essays for the other optional questions as those seemed important, but I don't want to sound like I'm being whiny for this one. They do have examples of cultural factors and being born to immigrant parents. My parents came here from another country right before I was born, and I didn't learn to speak English until I went to kindergarten. I don't think it affected me too much though, I just went to ESL and other English classes. I'm torn on writing about it.
 
ilikecake said:
I'm finishing up my CSU application and had one last question. The disadvantaged circumstances essay is optional- are you guys writing anything for it? I wrote essays for the other optional questions as those seemed important, but I don't want to sound like I'm being whiny for this one. They do have examples of cultural factors and being born to immigrant parents. My parents came here from another country right before I was born, and I didn't learn to speak English until I went to kindergarten. I don't think it affected me too much though, I just went to ESL and other English classes. I'm torn on writing about it.
Click to expand...
What the disadvantaged circumstances essay does is allow your application to go to the Vet Prep program.
If they liked your application but had reservations about your ability to handle the course load for any reason, they look at the disadvantaged circumstances essay. If you fit into one of their qualifying catagories, you may be admitted through that program even if denied in the general pool.

There is no reason to write anything if you don't want to be considered for that program.

(Aka It might be nice as a backup, if you are willing to do the 5 year program, but if you have a great application and think nothing really held you back, I don't know that writing anything there can help your application.)
 
ilikecake said:
I'm finishing up my CSU application and had one last question. The disadvantaged circumstances essay is optional- are you guys writing anything for it? I wrote essays for the other optional questions as those seemed important, but I don't want to sound like I'm being whiny for this one. They do have examples of cultural factors and being born to immigrant parents. My parents came here from another country right before I was born, and I didn't learn to speak English until I went to kindergarten. I don't think it affected me too much though, I just went to ESL and other English classes. I'm torn on writing about it.
Click to expand...

I think if you feel compelled to disclose definitely share your story! I hear from admins all the time not to feel like you are being whiny. They want to get to know you better!
 
Hey guys, my CSU supplemental page says that they haven't received anything, including my GRE which was sent in July. Is anyone else having this problem? I'm only asking because the page says that things will be downloaded at certain times. Does that mean they won't receive them until then? Thanks for any help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

supershorty
Oregon State 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)
Replies
0
Views
472
supershorty
supershorty
supershorty
Oklahoma State 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)
Replies
0
Views
468
supershorty
supershorty
supershorty
Ohio State 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)
Replies
1
Views
633
Little Red Rats
Little Red Rats
supershorty
Washington State 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)
Replies
0
Views
392
supershorty
supershorty
supershorty
Mississippi State 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls)
Replies
0
Views
584
supershorty
supershorty
Top