Cornell c/o 2015 applicants

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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LaylaPhone

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Hey , I was just wondering if anyone else on SDN applied to Cornell?

If so have any updates other than the tracking page?

Thanks!
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I was wondering when this thread would pop up.

I applied and have heard absolutely nothing yet. :/

I just had a minor panic attack when I saw that I hadn't turned in the "Dean's Certification," luckily it isn't necessarily due until March. Gah.
 
I applied, this is my in-state. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get in, as I only live about 15 minutes away, but alas, I fear that my numbers aren't high enough :(

I don't believe we will be hearing anything from Cornell until they send out decision notices in early January. At least that's what their website says.
 
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I'm in-state too!
 
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hkt8646 said:
I applied, this is my in-state. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get in, as I only live about 15 minutes away, but alas, I fear that my numbers aren't high enough :(

I don't believe we will be hearing anything from Cornell until they send out decision notices in early January. At least that's what their website says.
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Last two years, I heard nothing from them until the first week of january. I believe it may have been Jan3rd last year. You'll get an email with a link to their decision portal. They don't interview, so by January you have your answer and can either stop worrying or move onto plan B!
 
cowgirla is right - you won't hear anything until early Jan, when you get the decision. Which is relatively quick and painless, since you don't have to worry about interviews.
I didn't bother to re-apply this year - I did last year, even knowing my stats were too low to reasonably expect anything. *shrug*
 
I'm a current first year at Cornell, and I definitely don't have any inside info (sorry!!) - other than I'm pretty sure I got my letter (email) January 7th last year - but if you have any questions feel free to PM me! Aside from the fact that I woke up to accumulated snow on my car today, I don't have any major complaints so far. :) Good luck everyone!
 
Yeah! I applied as OOS. I visited the school earlier this year and fell in love with it:) Sooo hopefully I will get it...Keeping my fingers crossed!!
 
OOS reapplicant simply hoping for the best.

Good luck to ALL!! :luck:
 
Whyevernot55 said:
cowgirla is right - you won't hear anything until early Jan, when you get the decision. Which is relatively quick and painless, since you don't have to worry about interviews.
I didn't bother to re-apply this year - I did last year, even knowing my stats were too low to reasonably expect anything. *shrug*
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I have mixed feelings about not having interviews. On one side, it is a painless yes or no and one less thing to stress over. On the other side, you could be rejected without them even getting the chance to actually meet you. :/
 
bonaparte said:
I have mixed feelings about not having interviews. On one side, it is a painless yes or no and one less thing to stress over. On the other side, you could be rejected without them even getting the chance to actually meet you. :/
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Yup - that's a huge part of why I decided not to reapply, and why I was hesitant to apply the first time last year. I mean, not having to worry about the interview is great, but at the same time I know that I'm unlikely to be accepted solely based on my stats and a few extra short essays. Very short essays.
 
I am applying OOS and my scores are no where near the averages so I am just hoping for the best!
 
My grades weren't that great (look at the successful stats thread from last year) and I still got in albeit I went here for undergrad so I'm sure that played a small part in it. The best thing to do now is hope for the best. You'll definitely hear from them early Jan. Good luck and feel free to PM me as well with any questions.
 
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Ahhhh another OOS-er here...I 've been reading up on all my apps/supplementals and thinking what the @#$$% was i on writing this. It's not normal for your PS/short answers to look really stupid when you read it again later right? Hmm.

Oh well.
Good luck everyone! :D
 
Mereafterthough said:
My grades weren't that great (look at the successful stats thread from last year) and I still got in albeit I went here for undergrad so I'm sure that played a small part in it. The best thing to do now is hope for the best. You'll definitely hear from them early Jan. Good luck and feel free to PM me as well with any questions.
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Well that is slightly encouraging. Except my hours are on the low end too because I didn't decide on vet school until my junior year of undergrad but there is nothing else I can do now! Thanks and I will definitely PM you if I have any questions!
 
Mereafterthough, I just saw your picture. So cute! I have two cavaliers, a blenheim and a tri! :)
 
Aww thanks! I love, love, love cavaliers and I've decided that when I become a vet and have money I'm going to get a tan and black one! :)
 
I know its not really adding much but I applied OOS and haven't heard anything yet either.

Anyone know the odds of getting in if I am completing my pre-reqs this year? Think that will be held against me?

Thanks
Casey
 
I just about had a heart attack when my phone said I had an email from Cornell... too early for an acceptance, I was thinking the worst!
 
cubby38 said:
i just about had a heart attack when my phone said i had an email from cornell... Too early for an acceptance, i was thinking the worst!
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me too!!!
 
I saw it too and thought the same thing...then I remembered I didn't apply there. ha.
 
Anyone have a good idea of how many seats are for OOS students? I'm applying to Cornell from California, but I am a legacy (don't know if that helps at all).
 
dyslexic24 said:
Anyone have a good idea of how many seats are for OOS students? I'm applying to Cornell from California, but I am a legacy (don't know if that helps at all).
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There was a chart on the AAVMC website that had general information on schools and it said that Cornell had 49 IS seats and 42 OOS. So you could use that as an estimate.
 
Hi All,

In the same boat as you guys . . . biting my nails for a few more weeks. Good luck to everyone!
 
Hey all!

I'm so excited for you guys. I can't believe it was only a year ago I was in the same boat as you all. The best advice I can give you is 1) Enjoy the holidays even though you want nothing more than for them to be over so you can find out if you got in and 2) Try as hard as you can to not stress too much over this (I know, easier said than done) 3) Try and not open you're admissions letter at work and scare half the staff with a blood curdling scream. I look forward to welcoming the Class of 2015! Happy Holidays!!
 
Also applied, another OOSer. Hate the waiting, I'm impatient, but I am glad I at least know I don't have to worry about Cornell until after the holidays, so that's a positive for my head. Happy Holidays everyone
 
I applied and am OOS...and this may be the first year ever that I want the holidays to fly by! Cornell is my top choice...*sigh* such a long shot though.

Class of 2014, how do you like Cornell's curriculum and teaching style so far?
 
I'll be brutally honest and tell you that I'm not such a fan of the case-based learning style at Cornell. Although I can objectively appreciate its value and definitely learned what I needed to learn, it was often frustrating for me because it sometimes felt like a lot of time wasted on independent study of things it turned out we didn't really need to know (yet) - just tell us what we need to know! I know that's not the point of pbl (it teaches you how to learn, how to find relevant information for yourself, yadda yadda yadda), and I did anticipate not liking it before starting at Cornell so I wasn't too disillusioned by not being in love with the case-based style. However, I will say that in hindsight it wasn't nearly as frustrating as it seemed while I was going through it and I have a greater appreciation for it retrospectively. As with anything, it has its pros and cons, and it's not an ideal system for everyone. Many of my classmates love it, others just tolerate it like I do, but we're all getting a great education from some really fantastic professors. The good part about Cornell is that not everything is taught in the case-based style so if you're not crazy about it you'll get periodic breaks from it throughout the program (for example, we had case-based stuff for the first 12 weeks, it's been lecture-based since the beginning of November, and the case-based stuff will return in the spring) . Even though I had doubts about it going in and ended up in fact not being crazy about it im still happy at Cornell and don't at all regret my decision to go there (...except for maybe the days when I wake up and it's 10 degrees outside!).
 
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Thank you so much for your reply, turnbackhelly! This is exactly what I was wondering about. It is great to hear your honest thoughts on the pbl system.

As a follow-up question, are you given a framework on which to build upon before jumping into specific cases (like anatomy, etc) or is all learning during the case-based period framed around individual cases? In other words, do you feel learning is very disjointed due to the case-based format or do cases complement each other (and are starting to form a "big picture")?
 
Shadow23 said:
Thank you so much for your reply, turnbackhelly! This is exactly what I was wondering about. It is great to hear your honest thoughts on the pbl system.

As a follow-up question, are you given a framework on which to build upon before jumping into specific cases (like anatomy, etc) or is all learning during the case-based period framed around individual cases? In other words, do you feel learning is very disjointed due to the case-based format or do cases complement each other (and are starting to form a "big picture")?
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if i'm understanding your question correctly... no, you're not really given much of anything before the case-based instruction starts. we started the first case on the first or second day of class, so depending on your background in anatomy, there's a good chance you won't really know what's going on in the very beginning (but don't worry, no one does - during the first case, part of my group had an "argument" about what on the radiograph was the heart :laugh:). in general there is at least 1 (sometimes 2) case per body region (thorax, neck, head, abdomen, pelvis, pelvic limb, thoracic limb), and there is limited over lap between them. there are some moments of "oh yeah, that's kinda of like xyz in the last case!" but for the most part the cases are pretty self-contained. what helps to unite the cases into a big picture is anatomy lab, which is "synched up" with the cases (the week you do the case about the thorax, you'll be dissecting the thorax in lab). somehow all of the cases do come together to form a big picture, although i don't know if it's possible to really explain/put my finger on exactly how this happens. again, i think this is really thanks to your cadaver - because the cases you study are about all different animals (various breeds of dog, some cats, some horses) which can feel disjointed at times, but you're dissecting everything on a dog which somehow unites them. does that make any sense?

also worth noting are the exams that are given on the case-based material. the exams are also case-based, which sounds scary but is actually sort of fun (can't believe i just said that). you get 1 page to start, which basically says "Fluffy is a 5 year old FS lab with xyz presenting complaints. What are your hypotheses and what diagnostics would you use to test these hypotheses?" Then you hand that sheet in and get the rest of the (20ish page) exam. "Ok, so Fluffy present with pyometra... draw a picture of the uterus with all of its mesenteric attachments" and so on and so forth. All of the questions are asked within the framework of the case presented at the beginning of the exam. "You run bloodwork on Fluffy... here it is... what's abnormal?" etc.
 
On the flip side, I thought I was going to LOVE PBL and I actually don't like it too much. Like Turnback I just tolerate it and am thankful for the breaks we have from it. I learn better from studying on my own and when I'm given the specific material that I need to know. With that said, I DON'T regret going to Cornell because like my peer just said above, we're learning from awesome professors and getting a world class education. I say just be prepared to not like it and be realistic when it comes to your expectations of it. I also didn't like block 1 at all (still a bit bitter but I'll get over it) so that might also be a huge factor in me not liking PBL. Also, I had one person in my PBL group that I didn't really care for so that made it hard as well. Hopefully when block 3 starts in the spring and we have PBL again I will change my mind :) I'll definitely keep you posted though.
 
Mereafterthough said:
On the flip side, I thought I was going to LOVE PBL and I actually don't like it too much. Like Turnback I just tolerate it and am thankful for the breaks we have from it. I learn better from studying on my own and when I'm given the specific material that I need to know. With that said, I DON'T regret going to Cornell because like my peer just said above, we're learning from awesome professors and getting a world class education. I say just be prepared to not like it and be realistic when it comes to your expectations of it. I also didn't like block 1 at all (still a bit bitter but I'll get over it) so that might also be a huge factor in me not liking PBL. Also, I had one person in my PBL group that I didn't really care for so that made it hard as well. Hopefully when block 3 starts in the spring and we have PBL again I will change my mind :) I'll definitely keep you posted though.
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It seems like PBL could be so easily integrated into a more traditional lecture format. I like that Cornell has blocks of lecture thrown in, but I'd love to know their reasoning for separating the two learning styles out like that. :shrug:

I hope you enjoy it more next block, turnbackhelly and mereafterthought!
 
Just another question about PBL... I was wondering if it seems older students tend to like it more than first years? Basically, whether you need to 'learn how to learn' in that format, making for a rough start relative to lecture (where we all have pleeeeaaanty of experience learning). The approach sounds a lot like all the lab work I've done in my grad program - used to DRIVE ME CRAZY to not know where to start, to have my adviser tell me 'figure it out' and all that, but now that I'm nearing the end, I really appreciate that I learned how to learn in that situation, and it sets me up waaay better for future work than if I'd been given more outside guidance. Just curious as to your thoughts.

Thanks! This has been a really helpful thread!
 
Shadow23 said:
I like that Cornell has blocks of lecture thrown in, but I'd love to know their reasoning for separating the two learning styles out like that. :shrug:
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It's pretty simple - some material works with PBL, and other material doesn't. Things like anatomy (which is "block 1") and physiology (which is "block 3" - just arbitrary names Cornell uses to confuse everyone) lend themselves to case-based study because, well, there are real live cases about anatomy and physiology based diseases/problems. Block 2 (what we're in the middle of now) is completely lecture-based because it's Cell Biology and Genetics, which as I'm sure you'd agree doesn't really lend itself to case-based learning. We do learn about genetic diseases that are seen in the clinic, but for the most part its about stuff like DNA, protein receptors, cell signaling pathways... :sleep: (you get a lot of online shopping done during class, though!)
 
light10 said:
Just another question about PBL... I was wondering if it seems older students tend to like it more than first years? Basically, whether you need to 'learn how to learn' in that format, making for a rough start relative to lecture (where we all have pleeeeaaanty of experience learning).
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I think that the case-based style of learning definitely gets easier as you have more experience with it, but whether or not that translates to greater enjoyment of the style I think probably depends on the person. By the end of block 1 I think I had the "system" figured out pretty well that it wasn't taking me as long to do what I needed to do, which was nice, but I didn't like it any more than I did on the first day. But some of my classmates started out skeptical and really liked it by the end, while others seemed pretty gung ho on PBL in the beginning and eventually became jaded. It's really a personal thing, I think. Either way, I wouldn't let it worry you too much - Mereafterthough and I are living proof that you can get through it with your sanity intact even if you don't love it, and no one (at least in our class) has dropped out because they didn't like/couldn't handle the PBL system. Who knows, it may really grow on me this spring during block 3. I'll let you know if that happens. ;-)

When I was trying to decide where to go to vet school PBL was a huge road block for me because although I was fairly certain I would be able to succeed in the system (which I have so far), I was also fairly certain that it would be a huge pain in my @$$ (which, honestly, it has been so far). In the end my decision came down to money, and even though I'm not PBL's biggest fan, no regrets here. I will reiterate that plenty of people (maybe even the majority) really really enjoy the case-based style at Cornell, and you very well may be one of those people some day! I don't want anyone reading this to be scared off, because Cornell is a great place with great professors and clinicians, even if you don't love PBL. Do feel free to continue to ask any questions you have about PBL or Cornell in general. Compared to some other schools there aren't many of us Cornell folks on SDN, and when I was in your shoes last year I really wished there were.
 
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turnbackhelly said:
We do learn about genetic diseases that are seen in the clinic, but for the most part its about stuff like DNA, protein receptors, cell signaling pathways... :sleep: (you get a lot of online shopping done during class, though!)
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:laugh:
 
Just curious...does Cornell's interview/selection process take into consideration if a student will do well with their PBL curriculum? I know at Western they are very heavy with trying to make sure that your learning style fits in with their curriculum. There's a 10 question supplemental application form and interview questions that are behavior based to make sure you can work well in group settings. After one semester of PBL (2 blocks of 8 weeks each), most everyone seems to be getting the hang of it. It was really rough and stressful during midterms after the first block because we all felt lost and terrified of not knowing what stuff will be on the exam. The upperclassmen always tell us not to fight the process because it will hold you back and stress you out when you could be productive instead.
 
marcwood said:
Just curious...does Cornell's interview/selection process take into consideration if a student will do well with their PBL curriculum?
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Not to my knowledge, at least not specifically. I think (pure speculation here, I'm not an adcom member :)) the selection process is more concerned with whether or not applicants can handle the material itself and the rate at which it's thrown at you, not necessarily the manner in which it is thrown at you. Again, there are parts of the curriculum that are not taught in the PBL style, so jiving with PBL is probably less important at Cornell than it is at Western (which, to my understanding, is exclusively PBL but correct me if I'm wrong). Also, the blocks that are taught in the PBL style also have some lecture and more traditional learning methods mixed in, so again, it seems like it's not as PBL-intensive as Western. Cornell doesn't conduct interviews (although they should, imho - rumor has it they're considering it for the future) but there are a number of behavioral essays on their supplemental.
 
turnbackhelly said:
We do learn about genetic diseases that are seen in the clinic, but for the most part its about stuff like DNA, protein receptors, cell signaling pathways... :sleep:
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:mad: not boring!!

I am so jealous of you guys and your PBL. Seriously.

Not that the current curriculum at Davis is awful or that I'm doing poorly or anything, but honestly in retrospect Cornell's probably the only school I may have chosen over Davis had they let me in...
 
turnbackhelly said:
I think that the case-based style of learning definitely gets easier as you have more experience with it, but whether or not that translates to greater enjoyment of the style I think probably depends on the person. By the end of block 1 I think I had the "system" figured out pretty well that it wasn't taking me as long to do what I needed to do, which was nice, but I didn't like it any more than I did on the first day. But some of my classmates started out skeptical and really liked it by the end, while others seemed pretty gung ho on PBL in the beginning and eventually became jaded. It's really a personal thing, I think. Either way, I wouldn't let it worry you too much - Mereafterthough and I are living proof that you can get through it with your sanity intact even if you don't love it, and no one (at least in our class) has dropped out because they didn't like/couldn't handle the PBL system. Who knows, it may really grow on me this spring during block 3. I'll let you know if that happens. ;-)

When I was trying to decide where to go to vet school PBL was a huge road block for me because although I was fairly certain I would be able to succeed in the system (which I have so far), I was also fairly certain that it would be a huge pain in my @$$ (which, honestly, it has been so far). In the end my decision came down to money, and even though I'm not PBL's biggest fan, no regrets here. I will reiterate that plenty of people (maybe even the majority) really really enjoy the case-based style at Cornell, and you very well may be one of those people some day! I don't want anyone reading this to be scared off, because Cornell is a great place with great professors and clinicians, even if you don't love PBL. Do feel free to continue to ask any questions you have about PBL or Cornell in general. Compared to some other schools there aren't many of us Cornell folks on SDN, and when I was in your shoes last year I really wished there were.
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I would also like to point out that there are a lot of people who do like PBL. Like I said, Block 1 was a HUGE transition for me and I survived (even though barely). I don't want to scare you guys either because overall I do love being here. I just got hammered with the new learning style and the amount of material that was thrown at me in block 1. I'm pretty sure I will end up liking PBL better in Block 3 because I will know what to expect and how to handle it. I would say more but I think turnbackhelly covered everything. As always if you have questions PM me.
 
nyanko said:
:mad: not boring!!

I am so jealous of you guys and your PBL. Seriously.
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to each his own, for sure! i honestly admire people who enjoy that sort of material because i don't know if i ever could convince myself to. someone needs to be out there doing the research - it's definitely not gonna be me, so i'm thankful for people like you! :)

also, i will say that - for as much as i complain/ed about PBL - i do on occasion find myself longing for the days of block 1 case learning ever since the straight up lecture(/online shopping) style of block 2 began in november. retrospectively, it is pretty neat and can be a lot of fun at times, especially when you have an awesome tutor group (small group in which the cases are studied). learning anatomy over homemade pancakes and french toast around a small table with 6 of my favorite classmates 3 or 4 days a week definitely beats powerpoints in a lecture hall. i guess i just have a bad habit of always wanting what i don't have, haha.
 
nyanko said:
:mad: not boring!!

I am so jealous of you guys and your PBL. Seriously.

Not that the current curriculum at Davis is awful or that I'm doing poorly or anything, but honestly in retrospect Cornell's probably the only school I may have chosen over Davis had they let me in...
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PBL is a nice change from being yapped at for hours on end!! Block 2 material is a bit dry but the nerdy part of me kinda enjoys it, so I'm with you Nyanko lol
 
We should be hearing something any day now guys!:scared: I'm very excited, but nervous too!
 
It looks like people heard back on Friday, January 8th last year. It might be this weekend!! Fingers crossed:xf:
 
I'm accepted!!!!!!!!! The Dean of Admissions just called me :D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Whoohoo!! Congrats PendantWorld!!:soexcited::highfive:


Cue the intense nerves for me (and I imagine many others!)! Phone calls? eep. And I have to do a lot of noise-sensitive testing this week (i.e. no cell phone).
 
I was super surprised b/c I don't remember them calling in previous years. However, the Dean said he would be making more phone calls, and that all information would be sent out on Thursday. So everyone else should at least hear by then.

I can't remember ever being this excited :soexcited:. Cornell is my IS and I was really skeptical of getting in, so I've been dancing for joy for the past couple hours and celebrating with my family. Crossing my fingers for everyone else!!!! :xf::xf::xf:
 
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