CSU vs. WesternU (possibly)

[lis1127]

Hello! With the big delays that WesternU has had in releasing decisions, I am now realizing that if I do get into WesternU, I won't have a lot of time to decide which school to go to. I've got a lot of factors to consider and was hoping that someone could help me gain some insight to help me make a decision. I am from California and was accepted into the Vet Prep program at CSU. As a result, this means that if I got to CSU, then I will be at school for 5 years. I've created a list of pros and cons below. As a side note, I also don't know all the specifics about WesternU yet but will be going to their preview day next Saturday and plan on asking a lot of questions to help me decide what to do if I do get accepted into WesternU.

I am interested in zoo/exotic medicine and potentially veterinary behavior. Of course, this could easily change during my time in school. I also have 2 dogs (one is 35 lbs and the other is 9 lbs). My 35 lb dog is a little bit more on the nervous and anxious side, and so a plane ride with her is absolutely not a possibility as I don't want to put her through that stress.

CSU Pros:
-Tuition is cheaper, even with the extra year of Vet Prep. It comes down to $178, 762
-COL is also cheaper
-CSU has connections to the zoo in that area
-CSU has a great reputation and is known to be a great veterinary school
-Lots of research opportunities (I am also interested in research and did a lot of research during my undergrad)

CSU Cons (based on what I've heard/researched):
-CSU isn't very hands-on
-Cumulative exams every year. The thought of not passing them makes me a little bit nervous.
-Would have to spend an extra year in pursuit of my DVM. While I suppose this may not seem like very much, my partner and I have decided that it is best to push pause on creating a life together (not our relationship) until after I graduate. This means possibly getting engaged after and certainly getting married only after I have graduated. As a result, this also means pushing back the creation of a family. By the time I graduate from CSU, I will be 29. With regards to our relationship, I do think that both of us are ready for the next step (we've been together for 5.5 years now) but are only waiting until I get my DVM. I don't know if I want to wait until I'm 29...just feels like a long time to me.
-A longer long distance relationship with my boyfriend. He cannot leave the Bay Area due to his work contract.
-A longer drive for my dogs to endure through if we do go home to CA to visit (and mileage is also a concern here as currently my car is leased with a contract on how many miles I can drive. I am leaning towards buying out my car, but it's not 100% set in stone)
-Away from all of my chosen family, friends, and partner
-Would need to take the CA board exam when I choose to move back home. I've heard from many vets who I've worked with that CA has one of the hardest board exams and that is makes it a lot easier when you're able to go to a school in CA

WesternU Pros:
-PBL curriculum. Based off of my learning style and the fact that I am currently basically self-studying for my master's from U of F, I know that I would thrive in PBL
-More hands on
-A lot closer to home and so easier to travel home + my partner is more willing to come down to SoCal for weekends due to how much closer it is
-Lots of research opportunities
-Closer to chosen family, friends, and partner. I even have some friends who live in SoCal!
-4 years instead of 5
-Would most likely have a better chance at passing the CA board exam based on what I've heard from the vets I've worked with

WesternU Cons:
-I know that Pomona is generally considered unsafe (though tbh, I'm not too bothered by it since I went to Berkeley for undergrad)
-Tuition is higher at $222,300
-COL is also more expensive
-I know that WesternU doesn't have the best reputation and ranking (which I have heard doesn't matter too much)
-The admissions department right now is doing really poorly on their communication, which is a bit of a red flag for me. I know that they're extremely busy, but there have been a lot of people saying that they can't get in touch with them at all
-Pushed back their decision date to mid to late March which is a little frustrating on all of our part

While tuition is certainly an important factor (I know that the advice is to always choose the cheaper school), the biggest and most important factor for me is location and culture of the location. Location and culture can play an extremely huge part in my mental health (due to an abusive history with my parents), and my mental health is definitely one of my top priorities. Mentally, I am in a very good place right now. With this being said, the mental health services that both schools provide are also important to me if anyone is able to comment on this. If anyone else is also able to comment on opportunities with research, zoos, exotics, or animal behavior with regards to either school that would also be much appreciated! WesternU is my #1 school, with CSU at a close #2. Sorry, this was such a long post! I'm just trying to make sure that I make the best decision for me, my mental health, and of course, my dogs! Thank you in advance!!

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[kittenvet]

I did my post-bac at CSU last year and as a California native, I LOVED Fort Collins. It is very much a college town. I never lived in seasons and the snow really wasn't that bad. I think it got to -7 once in January during the day but they canceled class for being sub-zero. Just get some great Columbia gear and you're set lol and I hate being cold. The mountains on the skyline I loved. Hands down some of the best sunsets. My apartment was basement level (which they didn't disclose to me and I was very upset) but getting outside for the sunset views in the spring/summer/fall and Vitamin D kept me sane. I believe undergrad and grad share the same campus with the teaching hospital down the road. I lived across the street from the front of campus and walked to school every day. My rent was $1,400/month including parking, pet rent, and utilities for a 1 bed/1 bath. Of course, roommates would make that cheaper. My major there was Zoology so I crossed the vet students often and the facilities are nice. I often studied in their new Biology building or the Zoology/Anatomy foyer as it was mostly grad students and recently built. I worked at 3 vet hospitals in the area and DVM's who graduated from CSU did echo that they didn't get enough hands-on by the time they went into clinical year and felt the need to seek an internship post-grad. I'm not sure how that compares to recent grads and current students.

Obviously not a CSU vet student so can't speak to the program itself but some insight on life in FoCo as they call it lol.