Cornell Applicants c/o 2017

[vethopeful2011]

How was the January 25th session?

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[hygebeorht]

It was good! Weather in the teens and lower with snow Friday, and sunny and cold Saturday. Bring shoes you won't mind getting crusty with ice salt.

I recommend staying with a student if you can. It's good perspective on the types of places students live, and you can pick their brains. Many people brought a parent, but I really didn't get a good chance to meet a lot of people, as there were a TON there. Some people brought a brother/sister/friend, and I didn't really meet anyone who brought an SO. That may be a function of the crowd. It looked very young, like most of them were fresh out of undergrad, unlike the people I've met at other interviews. Of course I don't know this for sure, because I wasn't checking IDs or anything.

I learned that the earliest session is usually the most popular and the last session has the fewest people, so if you want a more intimate trip then plan for the Valentine's one.

It is a bit of a long day since you're getting a lot of information at once, so plan to get good sleep the night before. There was some sort of party thrown by a professional frat on Friday night, but I didn't go, instead opting to check out the town with a relative who lives there and some friends. If you do go, don't overdo it. I had heard there were some problems with that in the past.

These things are always a little strange, since many of the people you meet have pored over your application and know WAY more about you than you know about them.

Enjoy the session, and ask lots of questions if you have them!

 

[rubygirl]

Ahhhhh it's -2 in Ithaca right now...not looking forward to that for 4 years :-(

In the 2 years that I have been here we have had 2 total weeks of super cold weather and very little snow either winter. I wouldn't let cold weather keep you away, once you are at school you don't have to go back outside until you leave at the end of the day!

 

[hygebeorht]

Bumping this thread.

I know I have a whole thread about Cornell and its OOS costs, but I want to hear from people in my shoes, the accepted students of 2013. If you are OOS, have you already decided to go to Cornell? If so, how do you justify the cost?

I am fascinated by how people make these decisions, because I'm still undecided...

 

[Bismarck]

I was in your shoes last year and choose the program that fit my professional educational needs and style of learning over simple cost. The fact that I got some good financial aid (for vet school anyway), paid summer research opportunities, and an opportunity to network with alumni in the northeast after I graduate was a definite plus. Early integration of hands on/clinical learning is another huge plus of our curriculum that I didn't see at other schools.

That being said, you'll want to make smart decisions to minimize the cost of your education if you choose Cornell. Most schools are pretty tapped out financially and even the Government/Army gravy train isn't what it once was. I couldn't pass up the Ivy prestige but it probably won't a huge difference career-wise (clients will be impressed with the name, but your pedigree won't automatically make you a better vet).

 

[ThrowMeABone]

So, with the storm coming... do we think snow boots are acceptable for tomorrow's accepted student day?

 

[felinelvr44]

So, with the storm coming... do we think snow boots are acceptable for tomorrow's accepted student day?

I would definitely wear snow boots and pack a pair of flats in my purse to change into. But I can't stand having cold feed. You'll be sitting in the same spots most of the day so you should be able to just scoot your wet boots under the table. When you break for lunch/mini PBL I can't imagine anyone would steal your boots.... stay safe!

 

[stressedvet308]

So, with the storm coming... do we think snow boots are acceptable for tomorrow's accepted student day?

On Jan 25th we didn't go outside at all, also everyone was dressed way more casually than i thought they were going to be, so i dont think anyone will care if you're wearing boots around! Have fun!

 

[equineconstant]

So, with the storm coming... do we think snow boots are acceptable for tomorrow's accepted student day?

I sure hope so, cause that's what I'm wearing. Eh, my snow boots are black, I expect them to look okay with my nice black pants. Im honestly not worrying too much about looking super professional and all. i just had my last interviews and am kind of being-judged-out. I'm more worried about my buses to and from Ithaca...

 

[deleted497320]

I wore 'business casual' clothes to the infosession and felt a little overdressed- quite a few people were in dark jeans, nice boots, and a nice top. so I don't think you'd be out of place in your black snow boots.

 

[CrazyCatLady77]

Bumping this thread.

I know I have a whole thread about Cornell and its OOS costs, but I want to hear from people in my shoes, the accepted students of 2013. If you are OOS, have you already decided to go to Cornell? If so, how do you justify the cost?

I am fascinated by how people make these decisions, because I'm still undecided...

Hey Hyge! I'm pretty sure we met at the Jan 25th session (did you have a friend that is going to med school - peds)?

Anyway, I'm in a somewhat similar situation, and still completely undecided as well! However, the twist is that Cornell is my IS school.. The location (at least in my situation) is less than ideal... Ithaca is beautiful, but its relatively remote location makes it pretty difficult for my husband to find a great job that falls in line with his career. As such, I'm very strongly considering my other options, where tuition is more expensive (except Wisconsin of course). However, they may end up actually being the "cheaper" option as the difference between my husband's salary elsewhere vs near Cornell would "make up" for what I'd save as IS tuition.

I've spoken with several "unbiased" vets that I've shadowed for some time - they all feel that school name/prestige/ranking can be somewhat beneficial, they don't feel it plays a large role in obtaining residency or jobs (especially when choosing between some of the top schools where you really cannot go wrong). The head vet explained that if she interviewed applicants from Cornell/Tufts/Penn/Wisconsin (and other similarly reputed schools) - not a single one of these names would hold weight over the other as they are all amazing schools. She further elaborated that you will get an excellent education wherever you decide, and you will be more stringently evaluated on what you do in veterinary school, not where you go (especially when choosing between top tier schools). That at least alleviated my concern of having to turn down Cornell (which is unfortunately pretty likely at the moment).

Further, we discussed that debt can be a very large consideration. It may not necessarily sink in until you "see" the six figures you've accrued at the end of your vet school experience. That being said, we also discussed how it is essential that you are happy wherever you go, as that is likely to affect your performance. Personally, that is more a function of the school community than the state/city in which it is located (unless of course the location is prohibitive to my way of life, i.e. living with my husband). My problem is that I've really enjoyed all three schools I've had the pleasure to visit so far. My plan is to wait and see if Wisconsin accepts me, then I'll gauge my impression/feeling when I go to visit... then I'll continue to go back and forth for awhile, debate over the pros and cons of each, and eventually it will come down to this: choose the schools that "fit" me, then compare the cost of attendance to the salary offered to the hubby at each of these locations, and choose the one that generates the least financial burden... Ultimately, I think I'm very fortunate to have these choices (even though I hate this decision-making process) and if the choice is this difficult to make, I think I'm going to end up pleased with whatever choice I make. I think/hope that will be the case for you too.

Obviously you're choosing from really fantastic schools where you are going to get a great education... How happy/unhappy do you think you'll be at each place? Do you think you'll be so unhappy at the non-Cornell options that it's worth ~$100K more? If so, then go for it. Better to be poor and happy than rich and not… But if you think you can happily "manage" living at your other options, I think money should be a strong consideration (as educational strength is relatively equal).

 

[hygebeorht]

Hey CCL, yes we must have met! Can you jog my memory a little?

What you have to say really rings true to me. As it stands, Cornell is looking like a less appealing choice with every day. To justify that kind of debt, I would have to be head over heels in love with everything about it, and hate my other options. Neither of those are the case.

I too have an SO who will be looking for employment, and his work is such that being stuck in a centrally isolated location like Ithaca for four years will ruin his life's work and make him miserable. I'm not really willing to do that to him. If I were in love with Cornell, it might be something we could find compromise on, but...I'm not.

I think a lot of my cognitive disconnect is that on some level, I WANT to love Cornell and I want it to be a great fit for me. But I keep thinking about how lovely the other schools I've visited have been, and I did get the impression from our visit that the reputation of the school is probably rather overblown. For dairy, I'm sure it's a great program. But a lot of the day was spent selling prestige and vague "contacts" and the history of the school. For an extra ~$100+ in debt, I would want to attend a school that seems more invested in bettering itself, rather than just resting on laurels.

It is a difficult choice, and I'm not ready to make it yet. Each school has their pluses and minuses; I'm just thinking aloud here. I agree that money should be a strong, if not the strongest, consideration at this time. I think I will give it time...I feel like I am circling the right choice. I am just waiting for it to click. And like you, I'm still waiting on Wisconsin

It's wonderful that we are lucky to have this hard choice. It's good to talk with someone in similar shoes...I do feel awful complaining about problems while I wipe my tears with acceptance letters.

Still, I think one of the best things about all of this is that when we do choose a school, there will some great news on its way to some wonderful, deserving people sitting on waitlists right now

 

[Andie1]

Good luck to everyone traveling to Ithaca tomorrow! Please be careful given the forecast and hopefully you'll still be able to have a great trip.

And regarding attire, I visited earlier and was dressed in nice jeans, average boots (a dusting of snow had fallen), and a plain nice sweater. Plenty of people were in both business casual and comfy casual clothing. Just be comfy! It's a long day. Not a ton of walking or anything but tiring nonetheless! Have fun! I really enjoyed my trip.

 

[hpequalslove]

Thanks for the good luck! I'm heading off to the information session in a little bit. Unfortunately my flight Saturday morning got canceled due to this crazy snow that's supposed to be coming so we'll see how this weekend goes!

 

[CrazyCatLady77]

What you have to say really rings true to me.

Ditto!

It is a difficult choice, and I'm not ready to make it yet. Each school has their pluses and minuses; I'm just thinking aloud here. I agree that money should be a strong, if not the strongest, consideration at this time. I think I will give it time...I feel like I am circling the right choice. I am just waiting for it to click. And like you, I'm still waiting on Wisconsin

It's wonderful that we are lucky to have this hard choice. It's good to talk with someone in similar shoes...I do feel awful complaining about problems while I wipe my tears with acceptance letters.

Still, I think one of the best things about all of this is that when we do choose a school, there will some great news on its way to some wonderful, deserving people sitting on waitlists right now

 

[deleted497320]

But I keep thinking about how lovely the other schools I've visited have been, and I did get the impression from our visit that the reputation of the school is probably rather overblown. For dairy, I'm sure it's a great program. But a lot of the day was spent selling prestige and vague "contacts" and the history of the school. For an extra ~$100+ in debt, I would want to attend a school that seems more invested in bettering itself, rather than just resting on laurels.

I probably heard similar speeches, but I didn't get the same impression as you. I think it's obvious Cornell actively improves itself- the problem-based learning and the block courses seem somewhat unique and therefore a product of the school critiquing its own curriculum and dramatically revising it throughout the years. I thought they mentioned contacts just b/c Cornell takes *a lot* more students from OOS than most other schools- 45%, IIRC. So if all of those students return to their respective parts of the country, the alumni network is scattered throughout the U.S. A school that takes 10-25% OOS students doesn't have the wide geographic range of its alumni network, so if you're looking to connect w/someone when you graduate, you're limited to certain regions.

I don't really care about the alumni network, to be honest- I'm a Cornell undergrad alum and "the network" hasn't helped me too much. but I did like the way the curriculum was structured, mainly b/c it seemed like it was innovative and aimed to teach things in a cohesive way that would be most applicable in practice. YMMV, of course.

 

[equineconstant]

I've decided that I don't really want to go to Cornell, and I'm okay with that.

Man that was a long day of info sessioning (especially since I spent about three and a half hours with my student host and lots of other vet students afterwards). I started out really excited about the clinical opportunities, but I was also reminded of all the reasons I'd rather not go to Cornell. And I am totally content with that decision.

 

[hygebeorht]

I probably heard similar speeches, but I didn't get the same impression as you. I think it's obvious Cornell actively improves itself- the problem-based learning and the block courses seem somewhat unique and therefore a product of the school critiquing its own curriculum and dramatically revising it throughout the years. I thought they mentioned contacts just b/c Cornell takes *a lot* more students from OOS than most other schools- 45%, IIRC. So if all of those students return to their respective parts of the country, the alumni network is scattered throughout the U.S. A school that takes 10-25% OOS students doesn't have the wide geographic range of its alumni network, so if you're looking to connect w/someone when you graduate, you're limited to certain regions.

I don't really care about the alumni network, to be honest- I'm a Cornell undergrad alum and "the network" hasn't helped me too much. but I did like the way the curriculum was structured, mainly b/c it seemed like it was innovative and aimed to teach things in a cohesive way that would be most applicable in practice. YMMV, of course.

You're right, Cornell does have some neat things to offer. I personally would LOVE learning via PBL. But I was expecting to be more impressed, and I did come away feeling a little disappointed.

Cornell seems like a great school. But to pay twice as much to go there, I'd want to feel like it was twice as good as my other main contenders.

One thing I will say: everyone seemed just so friendly and nice. It was cool meeting the faculty and wonderful, long-suffering Jennifer Mailey.

 

[equineconstant]

I just officially declined my offer. Attempted to fill out the survey, but there was a server error when I tried.

 

[hygebeorht]

I just officially declined my offer. Attempted to fill out the survey, but there was a server error when I tried.

Hey Equine, do you mind elaborating on your decision not to attend? If you don't feel comfortable putting it all on the thread but don't mind answering, would you mind PMing me? It might help me think through my own decision.

 

[hpequalslove]

Yeah I found myself during the whole information session yesterday flip-flopping between totally seeing myself as a student at Cornell and then feeling as though Cornell isn't the right fit for me personally and academically. And honestly a lot of it right now is coming down to how much money Cornell is able to give me because I don't know about being over $200 K in debt after this especially if I get the option to attend my IS school. Ahh this decision is way harder than I thought it would be

 

[CheshireNeko]

I asked some students about the tests at Cornell and they said you are allowed 8 hours for the written part and there is an additional laboratory component the next day. Is this normal for other schools?

 

[hygebeorht]

Yeah I found myself during the whole information session yesterday flip-flopping between totally seeing myself as a student at Cornell and then feeling as though Cornell isn't the right fit for me personally and academically. And honestly a lot of it right now is coming down to how much money Cornell is able to give me because I don't know about being over $200 K in debt after this especially if I get the option to attend my IS school. Ahh this decision is way harder than I thought it would be

I feel you, HP. Give it a few weeks. I was feeling much more torn right after I visited on the 25th. Now I'm working my way toward clarity as the razzle-dazzle wears of a bit from each of my college visits.

 

[equineconstant]

Hey Equine, do you mind elaborating on your decision not to attend? If you don't feel comfortable putting it all on the thread but don't mind answering, would you mind PMing me? It might help me think through my own decision.

I'll go ahead and post it here, since a few of us are struggling with this decision. Wall of text incoming!

I'm going to start by saying that cost is a major factor for me. The two schools I'm still considering are 1) my IS and 2) one that allows you to get IS tuition after first year. I did the "I don't care about cost, I'll go wherever makes me happy" thing for undergrad, so I’ve already got a good bit of debt.

Another factor was location, and this one’s more individualized. I’m from Louisiana—Cornell is far away. This is another thing I did for undergrad, but for vet school I want to feel like I’m starting my life, not going off to school and then going “home” to live with my parents for breaks. Also, it would be more long and difficult to get a car up there, and I know I’ll need to have a car at least for rotations in later years. Finally, after today, I don’t want to live this far north anymore. I don’t know how to drive in snow, and I hate the way everything’s shut down for it (I’m kind of sore about being stuck in a bus terminal for 3 hours and not getting back until 5 hours after I was supposed to). I liked the snow for 4 years, but I don’t really want to live in at least Ithaca levels of it.

I was doing some flip-flopping at the info session. I got really excited about the clinical opportunities and “soft skills” training, especially in comparison to Penn where I interviewed last Friday. The financial aid presentation gave me kind of a reality check, but I was still pretty into it. It was mainly the conversations at lunch that really swayed me. One professor talked about the poor bus system, which is a problem with my car stuff as discussed above. I also got some (apparently mis-)information about the time available for externships which can lead to potential jobs, which is something I really liked about Mizzou. Apparently that professor really doesn’t like students leaving Cornell for practice experience. The current student I was staying with said she found plenty of opportunity for it, but the professor made it sound really difficult to apply and focused on where students find time and opportunities for networking/job interviews. I personally didn’t care for the PBL session, either. I felt like I would be too overwhelmed with minimal background, and even the students talking about it seemed more like they were glad to have done it than thought they did well with it.

I kind of feel the trip wasn’t worth it for me (again, sore about dealing with buses) since I would have come to the same decision based on cost alone. But seeing the school, I sort of slowly came to realize that I’d rather be at Missouri or LSU, and I’m totally comfortable with that decision.

Hopefully that helps some with your decision. Let me know if you have any more specific questions, I’ll keep checking in this thread for a while.

 

[hygebeorht]

Dealing with transportation issues is definitely something to consider, because while one bad trip doesn't necessarily mean all trips will be bad, it does say something about the difficulty of traveling to such an isolated spot. I flew in, and my last flight from PA to the dinky little Ithaca airport was delayed for five hours, then cancelled. From what I heard, that's not terribly uncommon, either.

Not sure fighting bad transportation options will be any more fun around holidays, when I'll be doing most of my traveling.

 

[turnbackhelly]

Congrats on being one step closer to making your decision, equineconstant! Ruling out schools that are not a good fit is an important part of the process, and I'm sure you will be happy and do well no matter what school you end up at.

As a third year Cornell student who has already done externships and is working on scheduling more for later this year, I just wanted to comment on this for those still considering Cornell:

Apparently that professor really doesn't like students leaving Cornell for practice experience. The current student I was staying with said she found plenty of opportunity for it, but the professor made it sound really difficult to apply and focused on where students find time and opportunities for networking/job interviews.

I'd be curious to know which professor you're talking about here (you don't have to say if you don't want to, or you can PM me if you do) because I have yet to come across a professor who discourages students from gaining clinical experience outside of Cornell. Regardless of who likes it or doesn't like it, we do get ample time to schedule clinical time away from Cornell. Built into our clinics schedule, we have 4 weeks totally free (meaning, you can go on vacation, sit at home and do absolutely nothing, or use that time to visit other schools/hospitals) and an additional 6 weeks during which we HAVE to spend either a) doing external rotations for credit, or b) doing elective rotations at Cornell (dentistry, therio, clin path, shelter med, etc). Most if not all people choose to spend at least some (if not all) of those 6 weeks doing externships for credit, and I have not yet heard of anyone who has been met with resistance from faculty or administration for doing so - most actually encourage us to leave as much as we can, to see what's out there, learn different ways of doing things, make connections for internships and jobs, etc. The professor you had lunch with might personally disagree with students leaving, but thankfully he/she is not in a position to actually have any say about it because it is very, very easy to get externship time away from Cornell. There are also other ways to get even MORE time for rotations away from Cornell during your clinical years, but I won't go into them all here (future Cornell students should consult upperclassmen early on about how to do this, though - you have to be crafty and plan ahead!). I personally have 3 weeks this March, 8 weeks in July and August, and 3 weeks next December for externships (and I'll use a bit of it for vacation too) - and this is not counting winter breaks and summers, which many use as well for clinical experience away from Cornell. When I start clinics next month, I'll have already done 2 RAVS trips, a 2-week externship at a big referral hospital in Boston, and a 6 week lab animal externship in NYC - and I earned some kind of credit for all of those experiences. It's unfortunate that that professor gave you the impression that he/she did, because I can assure everyone here that it's very easy to find time (and get approval, where applicable) for rotations away from Cornell!

 

[Bismarck]

I remember a similar comment from a faculty member (but I cannot remember who) when the subject of clinical rotations came up in our overview of the curriculum during our class orientation in August. The thought was that the core rotations and most of the elective rotations are top notch at Cornell and students shouldn't need to seek additional experiences at other institutions in these areas because their own school was lacking. That said, if you have an interest that is outside of main stream (international vet med) or you would like to work in a specialty practice for a few weeks you'll have the opportunity to fit that into your schedule. People also use free time on clinics to interview for jobs, etc.

 

[myotherself]

I asked some students about the tests at Cornell and they said you are allowed 8 hours for the written part and there is an additional laboratory component the next day. Is this normal for other schools?

I'm curious about this as well. And is this the typical exam at Cornell? That sounds so intimidating!

 

[turnbackhelly]

I'm curious about this as well. And is this the typical exam at Cornell? That sounds so intimidating!

I can't speak about exams at other schools, but at Cornell exams really vary from block to block. In several blocks, exams span 2 days and you are allotted 8:30am to 5pm to complete them - however, many students complete these exams in about half that time each day. Some blocks also have separate laboratory practicals (some do not), and other blocks have exams involving live teaching animals (demonstrating PE skills, applied anatomy/"point to where you would inject this joint", that sort of stuff). Most exams are case-based, where you receive, complete, and turn in one section at a time before getting more information about the case in the next section, and these exams really require you to apply (rather than regurgitate) your knowledge in a clinical situation. Most exams are short answer/essay format - multiple choice exams are few and far between in the core curriculum (electives are another story), though there are a few here and there (mostly during third year). Once you hit second semester of first year, most exams are also not proctored - you can take them in any of several designated areas of the CVM, you can take breaks to go for a walk around the building or eat lunch as you please, and for the short answer/essay based exams which the profs prefer you type, you are even allowed to take the exam on your own laptop if you choose (if not, there are plenty of computers for you to use in the CVM). There are also a few online take home exams (most are closed book, but a few are open book).

Before anyone asks: yes, this does beg the issue of cheating and whether or not it occurs - the vast, vast majority of students respect the honor code and have the attitude that they are truly only hurting themselves by cheating, since we need to know this stuff for our careers. I have heard of only one or two incidents where one student observed another student engaging in questionable behaviors during an exam, but in accordance with the honor code, that student reported what he/she saw which launched an investigation and, where applicable, consequences for the offending student. So basically, people do try it, but they WILL get caught - thus 99.99% of students abide strictly by the honor code, and those who do not pay for it. Cornell takes cheating pretty seriously (to the point where entire classes above mine have ALL had to retake entire exams because of 1-2 people cheating), and I don't think they would continue to administer exams in these formats if they thought cheating was anywhere close to commonplace. I think they mostly offer these formats (unproctored, flexible on where you take it, with way more time than you really need to take the exam) because they know how rigorous the exams are, and it helps us as students to feel a little more comfortable and thus better able to perform mentally while taking them (I work much better during those exams nestled in my favorite cubicle in the library than in a claustrophobic lecture hall with 87 other visibly and audibly distressed vet students).

 

[Bismarck]

That's a pretty good summary of the exams here. I would add that I have never felt like I was rushed for time on anything (save for one or two stations out of like 35 on a lab practical). Outside of Block 2 's T/F and multiple choice structure, exams do tie concepts together nicely (life is rarely a multiple choice exam after all).

As for the freedom to take exams, people follow the honor code because the consequences for violating it seem to be pretty dire socially and administratively. Students administrate/adjudicate any violations with minimal faculty involvement; honor board is pretty much a student-run organization. People are pretty good about asking others if they have taken a quiz or exam before they discuss it (say at lunch for instance).

 

[myotherself]

Whoa, thanks for all of that information turnbackhelly and bismark. I was also wondering, is there a test bank of old exams/are there sample questions to study from (other than I'd assume the tutor groups prepare you for the case study exam questions)? I'm terrified of going into exams without any idea of the specific format/phrasing/style the professor uses.

 

[Bismarck]

Professors will make old exams/questions/materials available for students to see if they wish (most faculty will give you something to gauge what types of questions/depth of answers to expect). Students who have previously taken courses will sometimes pass along useful links and scanned study guides/diagrams too. That said, using old exams/test banks that others do not have access to is considered academic dishonesty under our honor code. If you have a question about whether a resource is appropriate to study from, you could always ask the professor too.

 

[turnbackhelly]

Professors will make old exams/questions/materials available for students to see if they wish (most faculty will give you something to gauge what types of questions/depth of answers to expect). Students who have previously taken courses will sometimes pass along useful links and scanned study guides/diagrams too. That said, using old exams/test banks that others do not have access to is considered academic dishonesty under our honor code. If you have a question about whether a resource is appropriate to study from, you could always ask the professor too.

Seconded. The only thing I have to add is that I have never really felt unprepared for the types or styles of questions on core curriculum exams (content is of course another story... heh). The professors do do a good job of providing resources to help you get an idea of what to expect. For the case-based exams, they know that probably no one has taken exams of that kind before vet school. I don't know if this has changed since I was a first year, but during block 1 they weight the midterm very lightly (like, 10 or 20%) and the final very heavily (80-90%) because the block 1 midterm is the first case-based exam you see, and they know that the format can be difficult and tends to psych some people out. I'm not sure if they still do this, though. That way, if you totally bomb it (...which can happen) it pretty much doesn't matter. And even though you objectively know that it pretty much doesn't matter, you WILL still study for it as if your life depended on it. (I haven't quite figured that one out yet.)

If any of you 2017ers are coming to the admitted students session this week, I'll be giving tours Friday afternoon! I'm likely to be the only third year doing so, so I shouldn't be hard to figure out. Also, if you are staying with a current student, it might be helpful to ask them if you can take a look at their old case-based exams or block schedules. I did that for some of my previous prospective students, and they said it helped them get a much better feel for how the curriculum is organized, what a "typical" week is like schedule wise, and what the case-based exams are like.

 

[anotherbusybee]

Re: debt load and Cornell OOS tuition.
I've plugged in the numbers into the loan repayment calculator - for both my IS and for Cornell, and I've done it with a bunch of different repayment plans w/ a bunch of different figures for starting salaries.

My conclusion is: The debt is going to be enormous no matter if I choose my IS or Cornell. I'm not married and don't plan to marry anytime soon. My salary will be taxed even more heavily if I DON'T have any student loans to repay. Forgive me if my numbers are wrong, but this is how it looks to me: Repay student loans over a 30-yr-repayment plan and have that deducted from my income VS pay just as much in taxes and have the same basic income.

So, financially, it seems the same to me...Now, experientially - that's where it differs a lot. Go to Cornell and gain different skills, meet vastly different people from my IS (which accepts very few OOS, so most students are in-state residents), and gain valuable insight about a different part of the world. Or, stay IS and basically go to school with a bunch of people I already know - seriously! Not joking! I know at least 10 people going to my IS right now. That's a little too familiar for me. Plus, Cornell's great resources, the great research, the great faculty, the PBL curriculum (I think this caters to my style of learning), etc. To me, it's no question. But that's just me and my ramblings It's a very personal process, and I wish everyone luck!

 

[felinelvr44]

Re: debt load and Cornell OOS tuition.
I've plugged in the numbers into the loan repayment calculator - for both my IS and for Cornell, and I've done it with a bunch of different repayment plans w/ a bunch of different figures for starting salaries.

My conclusion is: The debt is going to be enormous no matter if I choose my IS or Cornell. I'm not married and don't plan to marry anytime soon. My salary will be taxed even more heavily if I DON'T have any student loans to repay. Forgive me if my numbers are wrong, but this is how it looks to me: Repay student loans over a 30-yr-repayment plan and have that deducted from my income VS pay just as much in taxes and have the same basic income.

Perhaps I am not understanding you but the money you will be paying back for your student loans is taxed. Just because that percentage of your salary goes towards loans instead of for say, living expenses, doesn't mean it isn't considered taxable income. So your tax burden isn't reduced by simply paying back loans. Your tax burden will be reduced slightly by paying the interest on your student loans but the student loan interest deduction is capped at $2,500 and it is a deduction. It will reduce your adjusted gross income by $2,500 unless your AGI is over $70,000, after which you are no longer eligible.

But your deduction will be the same, whether you are paying back $180,000 with a monthly payment of $1,500 (paying $18,000 per year with $5000 towards interest) versus paying back $240,000 with a monthly payment of $2,000 (paying $24,000 per year with $7000 towards interest). You are still only eligible for the $2,500 deduction. As an example, if your AGI is $55,000 and supposing you have no other deductions for simplicity sake, the $2,500 student loan interest deduction is reducing your effective tax rate from 17.6% to 16.5%, a difference of $605. And there is no change to that rate if you have an additional $60,000 to pay back.

Obviously this is an overly simplified explanation but I hope that makes sense and my math is correct. Please correct me if I have anything wrong....

 

[Nate1988]

I'm just popping in to say Cornell's anatomy rooms are insane. I visited on the 8th, and the two rooms filled with models and plastinated sections were amazing. I'm curious -- do most current students end up actually using those resources very often, or (given the limited time to learn a large volume of material) do you find yourselves sticking to text/lecture/dissection?

Also, to rdonnell (and I'm assuming Bismarck...), you guys did a really nice job speaking for the student panel. You seemed genuinely welcoming and happy to be there without giving an affected vibe, which was well appreciated.

 

[turnbackhelly]

I'm just popping in to say Cornell's anatomy rooms are insane. I visited on the 8th, and the two rooms filled with models and plastinated sections were amazing. I'm curious -- do most current students end up actually using those resources very often, or (given the limited time to learn a large volume of material) do you find yourselves sticking to text/lecture/dissection?

I think how often one uses the MRC really varies from person to person. I have many friends and classmates who seemed to be in there constantly, taking notes on the module guides and revisiting the same modules often. Although the MRC was originally one of the things that sold me on Cornell, I personally only used it a handful of times - however, the few times that I did use it, it was EXTREMELY helpful. Also, some modules are more popular than others (read: modules that cover stuff almost everyone is having trouble grasping, *cough*heartembrology*cough*), and you may have to make several trips in to the MRC (or come at crazy hours) before it is available for you to use.

 

[Bismarck]

I would suggest utilizing the MRC as it has some very nice modules that will complement your learning. In particular, the plastinated thoracic and pelvic limb modules really helped me to visualize important muscle groups, their attachments, and their action(s) at key joints better than reading Little Miller. The cardiac embryology module also gets an honorary nod for clarifying a complex simultaneously-occurring process. Your tutor group partners will let you know when a specific module clarified something for them; this sometimes means that there will be a wait/line to use a module as word gets out. If you go early morning on the weekend, you'll likely have uninterrupted time in the MRC. Think of this as yet another avenue for learning the material you can use when your other resources fall short or you would like to approach the material in a new way.

I'll admit I didn't appreciate the MRC fully on my tours before I matriculated, so I hope this clarified things somewhat.

 

[myotherself]

Another question for current Cornellians:

Of course I'm sure every school will have these types of people, but about how many in your class do you find are of a super competitive/unsocial/kind of stuck up type of personality? I will say one thing that worried me is hearing the students on my info day in the panel answering why they chose Cornell with, "Well.. It's ranked number one, so why wouldn't I come to Cornell?" as opposed to emphasizing the curriculum, professors, research, animal exposure, atmosphere of the school... just anything else! And I felt like way too many of the other accepted students had a somewhat ... elitist?... attitude to them. Of course it has the name and prestige of Cornell, but it worries me that there isn't going to be a real community among students or that it will feel very high school clique-ish. Did I just totally get a wrong impression? I hope so... Especially for the sake of the tutor groups. I'm fine with PBL, but in groups with people who may not be all that interested in participating or interacting or being friends (considering we will be spending four years together)... it's troublesome.

 

[rdonnell]

Another question for current Cornellians:

Of course I'm sure every school will have these types of people, but about how many in your class do you find are of a super competitive/unsocial/kind of stuck up type of personality? I will say one thing that worried me is hearing the students on my info day in the panel answering why they chose Cornell with, "Well.. It's ranked number one, so why wouldn't I come to Cornell?" as opposed to emphasizing the curriculum, professors, research, animal exposure, atmosphere of the school... just anything else! And I felt like way too many of the other accepted students had a somewhat ... elitist?... attitude to them. Of course it has the name and prestige of Cornell, but it worries me that there isn't going to be a real community among students or that it will feel very high school clique-ish. Did I just totally get a wrong impression? I hope so... Especially for the sake of the tutor groups. I'm fine with PBL, but in groups with people who may not be all that interested in participating or interacting or being friends (considering we will be spending four years together)... it's troublesome.

Gah! I'm sorry to hear that someone said that. I think the community at Cornell is absolutely amazing. I would say almost everyone is extremely friendly and helpful and wonderful, and it's a way more tight-knit community than I expected (between students, obviously, but also with staff, faculty and clinicians, etc).

There are, of course, some people who are less "social" than others (depending on your definition of social, I suppose), but I haven't met anyone competitive or elitist whatsoever. And to be honest, I don't usually think about or hear about Cornell's rank unless it's coming from someone outside of the vet school. All in all, the people are actually what keep me sane in vet school

 

[Bismarck]

Which day did you visit? I was on the panel every week and I don't think we had a question quite like that (though we were asked about student personalities and what we didn't like about Cornell). To reiterate: the mythos of the "cutthroat Cornellian" seems to be centered around the undergrad population and even then I don't think it's universally true (it's hard to make a statement like that for 20k people across many majors), especially when I hear it from people who have never spent a day in Ithaca in their lives! Here at the vet school, people are generally very supportive of one another. Tutor groups do promote some clique-like tendencies in that you grow much closer with the other people in your group over your classmates, but my experience has been that I can approach anyone else in my class (i.e. sit at their lunch table) and not feel excluded. As you join clubs and do extracurriculars like Southside Community Clinic, you will meet people from other classes (or your classmates in another context) and get to know them better ( we have gone out for beers after Southside on occasion). I just did an afternoon in our Community Practice Service today and everyone from the Second and Fourth Year working cases with me to the faculty clinicians was super nice and welcoming despite the fact that I was new to the system.

If you have any other questions, post them here and I can clarify if needed. Otherwise, PM them to me if it's something more personal/individual (applies to anyone really).

 

[hygebeorht]

Another question for current Cornellians:

Of course I'm sure every school will have these types of people, but about how many in your class do you find are of a super competitive/unsocial/kind of stuck up type of personality? I will say one thing that worried me is hearing the students on my info day in the panel answering why they chose Cornell with, "Well.. It's ranked number one, so why wouldn't I come to Cornell?" as opposed to emphasizing the curriculum, professors, research, animal exposure, atmosphere of the school... just anything else! And I felt like way too many of the other accepted students had a somewhat ... elitist?... attitude to them. Of course it has the name and prestige of Cornell, but it worries me that there isn't going to be a real community among students or that it will feel very high school clique-ish. Did I just totally get a wrong impression? I hope so... Especially for the sake of the tutor groups. I'm fine with PBL, but in groups with people who may not be all that interested in participating or interacting or being friends (considering we will be spending four years together)... it's troublesome.

This was also my impression of some students at the information session. Many seemed down-to-earth, but there were more than a few who were like "well Cornell is number one and that's the most important thing to me." At least one student seemed bored and like s/he had better things to do than answer questions at an admitted students day.

Maybe I read something that wasn't there, but I was somewhat put off by some folks on the student panel, which I know is the LAST thing that most Cornellians would wish for. :/

 

[myotherself]

Hey Bismarck, I just PMed you more details. But I also wanted to add that I am getting more used to the idea that maybe it was just my day was not the greatest from a variety of factors, and when I re-visit in a few weeks, I'm going to be going in with an open mind and hoping to change that perspective.

 

[hpequalslove]

So definitely just realized I haven't done the "Dean's Certification of Good Standing" form that's supposed to be turned in by March 15th. Have any of you already done this? Are advisors included in someone able to fill out the form for you? None of my other acceptances have me do this so it all seems a little foreign to me. Haha.

 

[deleted497320]

So definitely just realized I haven't done the "Dean's Certification of Good Standing" form that's supposed to be turned in by March 15th. Have any of you already done this? Are advisors included in someone able to fill out the form for you? None of my other acceptances have me do this so it all seems a little foreign to me. Haha.

Ahhh I totally forgot about this. Thanks for reminding me! I e-mailed Jennifer Mailey to ask who should fill it out...I'm pretty sure if I sent this to the 'Dean of Students' at either my grad or undergrad institution, it wouldn't even be looked at.

 

[Bismarck]

It should be someone in your school's academic services department (likely a Dean) who can vouch for the fact that you are not in academic trouble/probation and not wanted for multiple felonies otherwise

 

[futurehealervet]

Do you guys have any insight into what cornell wants in an applicant? They dont seem to have a certain type of applicant they admit. Ill just be applying soon and its my IS (cheapest option as well as dream school-works out well ) Is there anything specific you guys did that tipped the scales? Any insight you can give would be much appreciated.

 

[bwestner]

I just got accepted into my IS (Illinois), so I'm declining my acceptance at Cornell!

 

[gugoodoll]

Not going to vet school just yet, but I spent 3.5 years as an undergrad at Cornell, so if anyone has any questions in general about life in Ithaca (housing, restaurants, things to do) I'd be happy to answer via PM!

 

[Bismarck]

Do you guys have any insight into what cornell wants in an applicant? They dont seem to have a certain type of applicant they admit. Ill just be applying soon and its my IS (cheapest option as well as dream school-works out well ) Is there anything specific you guys did that tipped the scales? Any insight you can give would be much appreciated.

The criteria seems to be the same as when I applied (found here). As you can tell, half the weight is placed on your academic and test taking ability. This seems to be a pretty good predictor of your performance in veterinary school as you'll be handling lots of classes and taking a few tests along the way. Strong letters of reference that speak to your personal qualities and area of interest are also important for your application; try and pick people who you have known for a while. Cornell has a supplemental that requires letters for any animal experience you list on it (you can use VMCAS letters here to meet this requirement), so try to keep track of what you've done and for how long. Finally, the supplemental application offers a series of short answer questions. I suggest using anecotes that illustrate the actions you took and the outcomes you obtained. I tried to highlight personal qualities in my responses that showed I would be a good fit for working with others which is inherent in our tutorial-based learning.

If you can, try and attend an admissions presentation either at your school (Jennifer Mailey makes road trips) or here in Ithaca. Hope this helps somewhat.