ClockworkCat09
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This is a hypothetical - I'm on the waitlist for Missouri, so I may not get in at all, but if I do get notified in April or May I could go, I'd have to decide quickly between OOS Missouri vs 4-year program at Edinburgh (also admitted to Dublin & RVC's 4-year, but am leaning towards Edinburgh), so I want to give it good thought early.
I did the math and with the high initial cost of OOS Missouri, the total tuition for 4 years would only be about $6,000 more total at Edinburgh (or, if I can somehow get a scholarship, it would actually be $14,000 cheaper at Edinburgh - small likelihood, though, given the likely high number of scholarship applicants). That was using last year's tuition for Missouri, though, which is likely to continue going up (whereas Edinburgh is fixed) so it wouldn't surprise me if I wound up breaking even with tuition. Haven't had time to really look into cost of living differences yet.
Pros of each:
I am much more interested in small animal than farm/equine, and I love that Missouri has a feline genetics laboratory. It would also simplify things in terms of moving, as I could drive out there and keep a car - which I really value having - wouldn't have to worry about changes in health insurance, could carry more out there with me, etc. The town looks similar in size to my current college town, and I think I'd enjoy being there about the same.
I love the work-life balance promoted by Edinburgh. From what I understand, they never make you stay late and never ask you to come in on weekends, whereas US schools will. You even get a few hours of a break every week, again not something that you'd find at a US school. I really value & appreciate that they afford us that respect and feel it would help immensely with my overall stress levels. I also feel that I would love living in Edinburgh - the city looks gorgeous (reminds me of my favorite city I've ever been to), we are guaranteed student housing for one year to help us get organized (shared apt. but private rooms with other 4-year program students), and there's a bus that runs to the vet school that's only about 15-20 mins of a ride (and the bus pass cost is subsidized by the school). I think I'd do better in the Edinburgh climate, too - I'm much better suited to the cold than the heat, and I actually enjoy overcast/cloudy days. Plus, being abroad for 4 years would probably be a valuable life experience, and it could let me explore Scotland/Ireland/England while I'm there, which I'd love to do.
Cons of each:
Practically speaking, they're both going to be about equally difficult to get home from. Missouri is about a 2-full-day drive from my home, so I'd probably have to fly to get back home for breaks, so Edinburgh's default flight requirement isn't that bad in comparison. I don't know how hard homesickness and/or culture shock could hit, but I couldn't exactly take a weekend trip home from either school regardless.
For Missouri, I've heard that not everyone who intends to establish in-state residency is able to - and 4 years of their out of state tuition would be a massive amount of student debt I'm not prepared to invite on myself, so I'm not sure I'd like to risk it. I also have the default worry about overworking students that's so common in US schools (lack of meaningful breaks, etc).
For Edinburgh, I'd have to get by without a car, which obviously is doable and not the end of the world, but I do think it would bother me. I appreciate the convenience of being able to drive myself where I need/want to go, and it makes running errands, getting groceries, going to a specific location, etc so much easier. Driving is also a bit of a de-stressor for me, so I think I'd miss it (however, it would save me having to learn to drive on the other side of the road, which would be quite nice). I'm also a little nervous about the EMS/AHEMS - I think they offer support in finding them, but they also state they basically leave it up to us to figure out, and I'm concerned about scrambling to get it all done, whether I should do them in the US or in Scotland, etc. Also, the NHS health insurance sounds nice on paper, but I have one specialist medicine I'm worried about getting in a timely manner, as it seems that the wait to see the specialist I need can be years over there. Obviously not viable. I believe my current insurance does cover some private clinics over there where I could be seen sooner, but I'd have to take a multi-hour bus or train ride to get to the nearest one. Additionally, the move-out necessitates a plane flight, so I'd be a lot more restricted on what I could bring with me, and would have to buy a lot more once over there (bedding, kitchen stuff, cleaning supplies, to an extent even clothes) than I'd need to for Missouri.
I'd really appreciate any tips or insight - I feel like Edinburgh has both more positives and negatives, and I'm conflicted about the whole thing (though, of course, if I never get off the Missouri waitlist it won't even matter). If anyone has any thoughts on Edinburgh v Dublin v RVC, I'd also love to hear those
I did the math and with the high initial cost of OOS Missouri, the total tuition for 4 years would only be about $6,000 more total at Edinburgh (or, if I can somehow get a scholarship, it would actually be $14,000 cheaper at Edinburgh - small likelihood, though, given the likely high number of scholarship applicants). That was using last year's tuition for Missouri, though, which is likely to continue going up (whereas Edinburgh is fixed) so it wouldn't surprise me if I wound up breaking even with tuition. Haven't had time to really look into cost of living differences yet.
Pros of each:
I am much more interested in small animal than farm/equine, and I love that Missouri has a feline genetics laboratory. It would also simplify things in terms of moving, as I could drive out there and keep a car - which I really value having - wouldn't have to worry about changes in health insurance, could carry more out there with me, etc. The town looks similar in size to my current college town, and I think I'd enjoy being there about the same.
I love the work-life balance promoted by Edinburgh. From what I understand, they never make you stay late and never ask you to come in on weekends, whereas US schools will. You even get a few hours of a break every week, again not something that you'd find at a US school. I really value & appreciate that they afford us that respect and feel it would help immensely with my overall stress levels. I also feel that I would love living in Edinburgh - the city looks gorgeous (reminds me of my favorite city I've ever been to), we are guaranteed student housing for one year to help us get organized (shared apt. but private rooms with other 4-year program students), and there's a bus that runs to the vet school that's only about 15-20 mins of a ride (and the bus pass cost is subsidized by the school). I think I'd do better in the Edinburgh climate, too - I'm much better suited to the cold than the heat, and I actually enjoy overcast/cloudy days. Plus, being abroad for 4 years would probably be a valuable life experience, and it could let me explore Scotland/Ireland/England while I'm there, which I'd love to do.
Cons of each:
Practically speaking, they're both going to be about equally difficult to get home from. Missouri is about a 2-full-day drive from my home, so I'd probably have to fly to get back home for breaks, so Edinburgh's default flight requirement isn't that bad in comparison. I don't know how hard homesickness and/or culture shock could hit, but I couldn't exactly take a weekend trip home from either school regardless.
For Missouri, I've heard that not everyone who intends to establish in-state residency is able to - and 4 years of their out of state tuition would be a massive amount of student debt I'm not prepared to invite on myself, so I'm not sure I'd like to risk it. I also have the default worry about overworking students that's so common in US schools (lack of meaningful breaks, etc).
For Edinburgh, I'd have to get by without a car, which obviously is doable and not the end of the world, but I do think it would bother me. I appreciate the convenience of being able to drive myself where I need/want to go, and it makes running errands, getting groceries, going to a specific location, etc so much easier. Driving is also a bit of a de-stressor for me, so I think I'd miss it (however, it would save me having to learn to drive on the other side of the road, which would be quite nice). I'm also a little nervous about the EMS/AHEMS - I think they offer support in finding them, but they also state they basically leave it up to us to figure out, and I'm concerned about scrambling to get it all done, whether I should do them in the US or in Scotland, etc. Also, the NHS health insurance sounds nice on paper, but I have one specialist medicine I'm worried about getting in a timely manner, as it seems that the wait to see the specialist I need can be years over there. Obviously not viable. I believe my current insurance does cover some private clinics over there where I could be seen sooner, but I'd have to take a multi-hour bus or train ride to get to the nearest one. Additionally, the move-out necessitates a plane flight, so I'd be a lot more restricted on what I could bring with me, and would have to buy a lot more once over there (bedding, kitchen stuff, cleaning supplies, to an extent even clothes) than I'd need to for Missouri.
I'd really appreciate any tips or insight - I feel like Edinburgh has both more positives and negatives, and I'm conflicted about the whole thing (though, of course, if I never get off the Missouri waitlist it won't even matter). If anyone has any thoughts on Edinburgh v Dublin v RVC, I'd also love to hear those
