• Practice your interview with the new SDN AI Interview Coach. Choose a school, answer by voice or typing, and receive a personalized feedback report. Available now to all SDN members. Try the AI Interview Coach.

Factors when picking a school

Started by whyrightmeow
Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
W

whyrightmeow

OSU c/o 2012
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
So I am in my first year and there are a few things I wish I would have considered before I made my final decision. These are only my opinion, and I won't be offended if yours varies. I am only posting this because I wish I would have read something like it before I made my decision.

I am at The Ohio State University right now as an out of state student.

Positives:
Can apply for resident tuition next year
Great school, nice facilities
Curriculum includes Professional development - basically a 1 credit course on a variety of topics including stress, time managment, finances, etc
Parking is right outside the building
Parking pass is a hang tag, so carpoolers can share 1 tag between several cars
24 hr access to building
Nice recreational facility/wall climbing
Social worker available 24/7 (for when you finally have that meltdown)

Negatives:
Quarter system (not semesters) - this complicates everything. Plus you don't finish until June.
Can only leave for 3 weeks over the summer - so any externship must be in-state unless it is HIGHLY unusual.
Lockers are tiny; a normal bookbag will not fit into them. It is also very crowded when everyone is trying to get to their locker at the same time. (seems minor, I know, but its the little stresses that are the worst)

Things I wish I would have asked:
Is anatomy lab structured, or do you just get a dog and a book? (Our canine anatomy lab is, in my opinion, poorly structured)
Are tests returned to students, or is it against honor code to write down questions from the test? (At OSU vet school no tests are returned, EVER. This bothers me after every test, since I like to know what I got wrong and what the correct answer was - this may have been a deal-breaker for me)
How much (live) animal interaction is there for first year students?
Do you buy class notes or are they posted online so notes can be taken directly on a laptop? (I was amazed at needing to buy 80% of my notes, when I came from an undergrad school that I never once bought a course pack for)
Is the schedule set, or does it change from day to day? (Our schedule has a main theme, but basically changes a little each day)
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
futuredogtormeadow said:
Is there any way we can revive this document/ allow current students to post updates to the pros and cons list? I am not sure how old this document is and would love for everyone to have the most UTD information while making decisions!
Click to expand...

SkiOtter said:
@battie did you want to host the doc since you were initially going to start a new one?
Click to expand...
Totes your goats Fam. It'll be later tonight after Baby Bats goes to bed; I'm doing 5 12s at my ER this week, so going to take full advantage of my day off today. 😅
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
What do you mean about Illinois having a lack of trees? Like maybe on the drive down to Champaign, but the vet school is literally across the street from the arboretum and Japan House's Cherry Trees. There are trees all over most parts of campus, a huge portion of residential streets have giant trees. The only places you really dont see them are the more industrial/shopping sections of town. Urbana has been a Tree City before as well. Also in the 8 years I've been in Illinois one Tornado has touched down in Urbana and messed up a shed.

I just feel those couple of points were off base.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
VeggieTrex said:
What do you mean about Illinois having a lack of trees? Like maybe on the drive down to Champaign, but the vet school is literally across the street from the arboretum and Japan House's Cherry Trees. There are trees all over most parts of campus, a huge portion of residential streets have giant trees. The only places you really dont see them are the more industrial/shopping sections of town. Urbana has been a Tree City before as well. Also in the 8 years I've been in Illinois one Tornado has touched down in Urbana and messed up a shed.

I just feel those couple of points were off base.
Click to expand...

Not sure! I didn’t write the actual information myself. I just copied and pasted what other students wrote on the original document! If it’s inaccurate, feel free to change it!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
VeggieTrex said:
What do you mean about Illinois having a lack of trees? Like maybe on the drive down to Champaign, but the vet school is literally across the street from the arboretum and Japan House's Cherry Trees. There are trees all over most parts of campus, a huge portion of residential streets have giant trees. The only places you really dont see them are the more industrial/shopping sections of town. Urbana has been a Tree City before as well. Also in the 8 years I've been in Illinois one Tornado has touched down in Urbana and messed up a shed.

I just feel those couple of points were off base.
Click to expand...
I totes agree with all of this
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Upvote 0 Downvote
battie said:
I totes agree with all of this
Click to expand...
Why does everyone forget the Cherry Blossoms?!
20220416_160125.jpg
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hello everyone! Any updates on the pros and cons lists of the schools here? Type of programs of each school? Living experiences in the towns? Semester/quarters? Anything useful? Curious to know about UF, NC State, WS, Purdue, UC davis, OSU, Univeristy of Georgia, Oregon, Iowa, LMU, Cornell, UTK, U of A, LSU, Western Sciences, Midwestern and UPenn? Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Upvote 0 Downvote
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
schooby said:
This link no longer works 🙁
Click to expand...
The one in this thread works!

battie

Thread 'List of Vet School Pros and Cons'

Here is the link for the new Vet School Pros/Cons List. Please keep in mind this is at a minimum the third rendition of such a list over the last 10 years. The original list was made by a friend, Elkhart, many years ago. Even though they are no longer on SDN, a shout out is needed to recognize this individual's efforts to educate pre-vets about what they are getting into.

There is some more information I want to add to each school (VIN education map info, accreditation status), which will get done over the next few days depending on personal life time.

The list is blank as of 9:30pm...
  • Like
  • Love
  • Care
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I've searched but am unable to find the link.
Someone made an adjustable excel sheet that you can input your classes, grades, and it calculate overall, science, and last 45 GPAs. Does anywhere remember that link? Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
vetschoolhopeful101 said:
I've searched but am unable to find the link.
Someone made an adjustable excel sheet that you can input your classes, grades, and it calculate overall, science, and last 45 GPAs. Does anywhere remember that link? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Idk about the specific one you're thinking of, but there are tons of general ones online you could use if you don't find what you're looking for. VMCAS has a calculator you can use here too, you would probably just need to create separate pages per GPA type.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
pp9 said:
Idk about the specific one you're thinking of, but there are tons of general ones online you could use if you don't find what you're looking for. VMCAS has a calculator you can use here too, you would probably just need to create separate pages per GPA type.
Click to expand...
It's an excel sheet that someone posted just a couple months ago, but I don't remember what it was titled, and what I've tried in search hasn't been fruitful lol. I know how to calculate them individually, it was just kinda nice to have them all in one spot and easy to add as a semester is currently ending. I had kept it up in my browser for this reason, but then my computer crashed and it went away...go figure.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
vetschoolhopeful101 said:
It's an excel sheet that someone posted just a couple months ago, but I don't remember what it was titled, and what I've tried in search hasn't been fruitful lol. I know how to calculate them individually, it was just kinda nice to have them all in one spot and easy to add as a semester is currently ending. I had kept it up in my browser for this reason, but then my computer crashed and it went away...go figure.
Click to expand...
I’ll upload mine when I get back from my trip if you’d like. It is UT’s GPA calculator, science, prerequisite, last 45, last 60, and cgpa calculators.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
vetschoolhopeful101 said:
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Attached is my master list for vet school applications. The second tab has my GPA calculator. Fill in X's for prereq, science, math, and course load greater than 14 credits per semester. Be careful in deleting rows as it will mess up the equations, and if you have any blank spaces leave them at the top (i.e. most recently completed course has to be in row 58). It'll automatically update the calculation for each in the bottom. I have University of TN's GPA score in there too. LMK if you have any questions
 

Attachments

Upvote 0 Downvote
Speedybeans said:
Attached is my master list for vet school applications. The second tab has my GPA calculator. Fill in X's for prereq, science, math, and course load greater than 14 credits per semester. Be careful in deleting rows as it will mess up the equations, and if you have any blank spaces leave them at the top (i.e. most recently completed course has to be in row 58). It'll automatically update the calculation for each in the bottom. I have University of TN's GPA score in there too. LMK if you have any questions
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for sharing! I am unable to get it to open on my work computer, but that could be due to firewalls. I'll try again at home. Thanks again.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hi!! Im a bit torn on what to do or how to proceed. Ive been accepted to 2 schools, Ross & LSU (still need to hear back from others). Im having trouble really deciding on what to prioritize; I am OOS everywhere and Im really scared for how this new Bill will dictate my future repayment loan plans...

So I have the chance to start in Ross early and can qualify for the current Bill (before July 2026) so less fallback on Private loans, but it is still pretty expensive and the COL is pretty high...

However, LSU is also pretty expensive, but doesn't have so much negatives on lifestyle...
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
stinkyfreddy said:
Im really scared for how this new Bill will dictate my future repayment loan plans...
Click to expand...
vet school is vet school— like we’ve discussed on this forum previously this a matter of “is it worth it?” and only you can decide that for yourself.

private loans dont qualify for forgiveness, you HAVE to pay them off no matter what. and the loan re-payment options available rn for FAFSA loans are not the best and they’re constantly changing. you will have to pay two different types of loans at the same time and the rate for the private will be assigned for you.

it will be difficult, but possible. just a matter again of “is this worth it?” you’ll have to work over breaks to earn money to pay your bills for the following semester, you will have to apply for any and every scholarship available regardless of if it’s vet med related or not.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
stinkyfreddy said:
hi!! Im a bit torn on what to do or how to proceed. Ive been accepted to 2 schools, Ross & LSU (still need to hear back from others). Im having trouble really deciding on what to prioritize; I am OOS everywhere and Im really scared for how this new Bill will dictate my future repayment loan plans...

So I have the chance to start in Ross early and can qualify for the current Bill (before July 2026) so less fallback on Private loans, but it is still pretty expensive and the COL is pretty high...

However, LSU is also pretty expensive, but doesn't have so much negatives on lifestyle...
Click to expand...
I'd look at the VIN calculator for repayment plans - if you can still get in on the current loan situation you might save $200,000 or more over 30 years on interest (RAP is going to be insane, it nearly doubles the cost over 30 years compared to current plans 🙁 )
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
FelineFine30 said:
AP is going to be insane, it nearly doubles the cost over 30 years compared to current plans 🙁
Click to expand...

Everyone's goal on RAP will have to be aggressive payoff to avoid those interest payments. I'm currently on the 10 year plan with 105k and my interest is currently 550/month alone. When I get switched over to RAP, my goal is to pay off aggressively just to get rid of them
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
battie said:
Everyone's goal on RAP will have to be aggressive payoff to avoid those interest payments. I'm currently on the 10 year plan with 105k and my interest is currently 550/month alone. When I get switched over to RAP, my goal is to pay off aggressively just to get rid of them
Click to expand...
To be fair, the first few years out of vet school if you do an internship or residency, it's pretty nice. You'll pay based on your prior year income tax (presumably $0 during school). So you'll only have $10/mo payments the first couple of years while you get yourself settled and until your full year's salary catches up. Hopefully by then we have friendlier legislation. ... I wouldn't pay off the debt immediately with RAP, because the interest is forgiven when your prior year's income was low. RAP is a form a deferral in a way, except your balance does not grow(!) with negative amortization. However, 30 YEARS of payments is like a mortgage (that's how you get the doubling in total costs compared to current plans). We all just have to hope there's a better plan put in place ASAP that we are allowed to move over to...

You DO pay tax on the forgiven interest amount, FYI. And if you're in a foreign country, you have to be wary of US-expat tax treaties. Countries like Ireland? You'll be making higher RAP payments than if your foreign earned income was reported as $0. So that Ireland salary will have to pay your 10% RAP rate back home in the US. Just FYI... it's good to consider.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
FelineFine30 said:
To be fair, the first few years out of vet school if you do an internship or residency, it's pretty nice. You'll pay based on your prior year income tax (presumably $0 during school). So you'll only have $10/mo payments the first couple of years while you get yourself settled and until your full year's salary catches up. Hopefully by then we have friendlier legislation. ... I wouldn't pay off the debt immediately with RAP, because the interest is forgiven when your prior year's income was low. RAP is a form a deferral in a way, except your balance does not grow(!) with negative amortization. However, 30 YEARS of payments is like a mortgage (that's how you get the doubling in total costs compared to current plans). We all just have to hope there's a better plan put in place ASAP that we are allowed to move over to...

You DO pay tax on the forgiven interest amount, FYI. And if you're in a foreign country, you have to be wary of US-expat tax treaties. Countries like Ireland? You'll be making higher RAP payments than if your foreign earned income was reported as $0. So that Ireland salary will have to pay your 10% RAP rate back home in the US. Just FYI... it's good to consider.
Click to expand...

I know all of this. I graduated in 2021.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
SkiOtter said:
To be fair, you don’t have the veterinarian tag or a c/o 2021 with your “u illinois” 😂😘
Click to expand...

That is totally fair.

Tbh, I've been having a hell of a time trying to get the veterinarian tag. I try to do it and I get lost and can't figure it out. I think I've tried twice 🤣😅

So much for my doctor brain 🫠
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
  • Poll Poll
Which Vet school?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Polocrosse2017
P
S
LSU vet school
Replies
1
Views
1K
battie
battie
V
LMU vs Auburn Vet school
Replies
2
Views
2K
supershorty
supershorty
vetschoolhopeful101
attn all school attendees -- LARGE ANIMAL & FOOD ANIMAL info
Replies
0
Views
2K
vetschoolhopeful101
vetschoolhopeful101
F
  • Locked
n/a
Replies
0
Views
2K
finleyfrank
F