Hi all! This application cycle has gone unexpectedly well, and I'm having an unbelievably hard time deciding between two of my top choices, CSU and Penn Vet. At Colorado I've been accepted to the MPH/DVM program (5 year program), in which I would do MPH work for the 1st year and establish domicile in CO, after which I would get in-state tuition for all 4 years of the DVM. At UPenn I would also do a dual degree program (undecided on DVM/MES vs DVM/PhD) and they've offered me a $20k/yr recruitment scholarship.
I've lived in Washington, DC for a few years doing research at the NIH, and really like living in a city (proximity to restaurants, nightlife, big skateboarding scenes). But, I've made trips to CO multiple times a year for the past, like, 7 years. I love CO (snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking, etc are all big parts of my life too) so I think I would also feel at home in Fort Collins, even though I haven't visited the campus.
I've been accepted to other schools that are tough to rule out (Cornell, UW-Madison, Tufts, RVC) but I think I've narrowed it down to Penn and CSU.
I'm interested in wildlife conservation first and foremost (Tufts would've been a top choice if it was cheaper), as well as research, public health, etc. The only thing I'm confident about is that I know I want a dual degree so as to not corner myself into having to practice in case I don't enjoy it.
CSU comes out to be cheaper, unless I pursue a DVM/PhD at Penn. However, it would be very tough to get a PhD in something I'm interested in (conservation) instead of something like immunology/cell & molecular biology, etc. I've been doing immunology research for years and don't think I want to do it for 8 more years. I don't have any debt currently.
I know no one can make this decision for me but any insight is very much appreciated. Thanks for reading
I've lived in Washington, DC for a few years doing research at the NIH, and really like living in a city (proximity to restaurants, nightlife, big skateboarding scenes). But, I've made trips to CO multiple times a year for the past, like, 7 years. I love CO (snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking, etc are all big parts of my life too) so I think I would also feel at home in Fort Collins, even though I haven't visited the campus.
I've been accepted to other schools that are tough to rule out (Cornell, UW-Madison, Tufts, RVC) but I think I've narrowed it down to Penn and CSU.
I'm interested in wildlife conservation first and foremost (Tufts would've been a top choice if it was cheaper), as well as research, public health, etc. The only thing I'm confident about is that I know I want a dual degree so as to not corner myself into having to practice in case I don't enjoy it.
CSU comes out to be cheaper, unless I pursue a DVM/PhD at Penn. However, it would be very tough to get a PhD in something I'm interested in (conservation) instead of something like immunology/cell & molecular biology, etc. I've been doing immunology research for years and don't think I want to do it for 8 more years. I don't have any debt currently.
I know no one can make this decision for me but any insight is very much appreciated. Thanks for reading
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