for those applying this year...

[teatime]

Have you guys narrowed down your list of schools you're applying to? I'm finding it really hard to do! My in-state is Davis, but I'm looking at like 6 or 7 OOS as well. What do you think is a reasonable number of schools to apply to, and how are you narrowing it down? I've reviewed older posts about pro/cons of each school but it's seeming to make the decision harder, not easier! Of course, I'm taking cost into consideration, but it looks like the range for OOS tuition will be almost the same for most schools...

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[cowgirla]

Have you guys narrowed down your list of schools you're applying to? I'm finding it really hard to do! My in-state is Davis, but I'm looking at like 6 or 7 OOS as well. What do you think is a reasonable number of schools to apply to, and how are you narrowing it down? I've reviewed older posts about pro/cons of each school but it's seeming to make the decision harder, not easier! Of course, I'm taking cost into consideration, but it looks like the range for OOS tuition will be almost the same for most schools...

Look at schools that take a lot of OOS-- Kansas, Iowa, Mississippi come to mind.

I've always been told that you will get a solid veterinary education at any of the schools. If you have specific interests, like zoo or wildlife, you can look for schools that are stronger in those, but for basic SA, you really can't go too wrong, IMHO,

Also factor in where you can see yourself living for four years. If you won't live in Massachusetts for four years, don't apply to Tufts. If you hate the South and won't live there, don't apply to Louisiana. It's easy to say "Oh, I'll go wherever I get in," and "four years isn't that long" but its still something to keep in mind.

 

[luplodw]

After applying to 5 schools this year, I have realized I should have applied to more schools. Remember, your chances go up the more you apply to....and I truly believe it would be worth the time and money it takes!

 

[Poochlover11]

This is my first year appyling too, and I will just be applying to my instate (Iowa State). At this point I don't have all the class requirements for other schools cause ISU is alittle weird-we only require one physics class, and two chem labs. And I would like to attend ISU because I love the vet school, instate tuition, and being close to my family and friends.

However, if I don't get in this year I will apply to other schools in addition to ISU next year. Like cowgirla said I'll be basing that decision on the number of OOS applicants they accept, location, and average GPA. I think I would prob apply to Kansas, Virginia-Maryland, and Colorado for the heck of it.

As far as how many is too many, I would say it depends on your budget. The more you apply to, the better your chance of getting in. Good luck, and hopefully we will get accepted this year!!

 

[lalzi22]

On the other side of what luplodw said, I applied to 21, and that was unnecessary. It felt good at the time, and I def think the number of schools I applied to contributed to how many interview invites I got, but did I really need to apply to U Washington that accepts like 5 OOSers? Probs not.

 

[Poochlover11]

On the other side of what luplodw said, I applied to 21, and that was unnecessary. It felt good at the time, and I def think the number of schools I applied to contributed to how many interview invites I got, but did I really need to apply to U Washington that accepts like 5 OOSers? Probs not.

Wow! 21! How much money do you think you spent on the whole application process?

 

[rileydog]

On the other side of what luplodw said, I applied to 21, and that was unnecessary. It felt good at the time, and I def think the number of schools I applied to contributed to how many interview invites I got, but did I really need to apply to U Washington that accepts like 5 OOSers? Probs not.

21?!?! How much did you spend to apply to that many?

Edit: poochlover types faster than me

 

[DVMDream]

I am currently trying to decide which schools to apply to should I not get off the waitlist this year.

My list is looking like this:
Kansas
Iowa
Mississippi
Ohio
Western
and possibly the Wiche schools again: WSU, CSU, Davis and potentially Oregon (I have to find a cheap animal nutrition class on-line first).

Unfortunately my list will be limited by finances so I will just have to wait and see how much $ I will have saved up by October 2nd.

 

[twelvetigers]

I'm applying to about ten. An this is my 3000th post, so that means I'll definitely get into one of them.

 

[rileydog]

I'm applying to about ten. An this is my 3000th post, so that means I'll definitely get into one of them.

Wow, you should have a party to celebrate all that posting

 

[variegata]

I applied to 9, but in retrospect, I probably should've eliminated a couple off of that list. I narrowed down from the 28 US schools by 1) eliminating schools I would need to take additional pre-reqs for, 2) geography (I'd love to visit the South, but I don't see myself wanting to live there at this point), 3) wildlife/zoo/exotics in the curriculum or at least a club, 4) number of OOS students accepted. It worked out pretty nicely for me, applying strategically in this way. I got invited to 5 interviews out of 7 schools that did them and got accepted to 1 of the 2 schools that didn't interview.

 

[Poochlover11]

21?!?! How much did you spend to apply to that many?

Edit: poochlover types faster than me

Poochlover: 1
Rileydog: 0

Lol, totally kidding. Twelvetigers posted a link before me on another thread so she is faster then both of us

 

[lalzi22]

Wow! 21! How much money do you think you spent on the whole application process?

Around $3,300 ish for applications, supplementals and GRE's alone. With the interviews I went on (and I ended up turning a bunch down, so it could have been more) probably a grand total of around $6,500, give or take a couple hundred.

Thanks mom! haha

 

[twelvetigers]

Bzam! It's sorcery.

 

[cowgirla]

My application process went something like this:

Months of scouring websites to decide that I wanted to apply to: Cornell, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Mississippi, PEI, and VMR.

That was going to be my list, and I was happy with it, based on the schools, my chances, etc.

Then, Daddy came along and said "Oh honey, i'll pay for all your application fees. Why don't you apply to more schools so you have a better shot at getting in?"

Stupid me, I agreed.

The four interviews I got were all from schools on my "short list." My waitlists came from my "short list." My acceptance came from my "short list."

All the ones I added on as an afterthought? Rejections. What a waste of my time doing all those extra supplementals!

I shoulda just stuck with my original plan

 

[Bearby]

If I don't get in this year (still waiting to hear from one school), I think I'll be applying to around 9 schools this upcoming cycle. Of course, not having to apply again would be fantastic but I'm trying to be ready just in case. This year I applied to 3, but I wasn't expecting to get anything from it. It was mostly to get a feel for the process and get some feedback on my initial application materials so that in the future I would have a better chance. Good luck to those of you about to apply for the first time, and to those applying again this upcoming cycle, hang in there! You all rock! Always keep that in mind!

 

[SocialStigma]

I'm only applying to OVC, my in-province.

I don't think my application is competitive enough experience-wise and I'm still in my 2nd year of undergrad (will be finishing up my 3rd year when I apply though) so I'm more applying this app cycle as a long shot on the off chance that my GPA and MCAT scores get me in. If not, I can use this extra year to gain more experience and finish my undergrad degree before applying again.

I really do want to stay in-province and go to OVC.

 

[teatime]

Would it be stupid of me not to apply to Western?

I'm not sure I will have enough vet experience hours to apply, AND I would need to somehow find a way to take two upper division science courses (one with lab) before matriculation - hard to do since I've been taking my science pre-reqs at a CC -(I'm a nontrad) and the local universities that have open registration for classes usually get filled super quick.

Also, I've tried PBL before, when I studied abroad during undergrad and HATED it. I'm not sure I could willingly go there knowing that I don't do well in that type of curriculum. One of my lab partners this semester dropped out after her first year at Western for that exact reason. Any people from Western on here that could give me some info/advice?

 

[ckd816]

This will be my first time applying and I'm having a really hard time trying to decide on how many schools I should apply to... Here's where I'm at so far:

Definites:
Colorado State (WICHE)
Oregon State (WICHE)
Ohio State
Tufts
U. of Edinburgh
RVC

Maybes:
U. of Florida
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
U. of PEI
U. of Wisconsin

I've decided mainly based on location and OOS acceptance numbers first, then based on my interest in individual programs. It's probably bad that I have just as many maybes as definites.

 

[variegata]

Would it be stupid of me not to apply to Western?

If you're thinking you should apply just because you're in-state, don't. They consider everyone equally, so it shouldn't be easier to get in as a CA resident, and everyone (regardless of residency) will pay the same tuition. Especially if you already know PBL doesn't work for you. Save your money or use it to apply elsewhere.

 

[mickeyy]

I applied to 10 schools, and I'm happy with what I did.
Keep in mind that while applying to a lot of schools is easy with VMCAs because it's all the same application, each school will most likely have supplemental essays. So the more schools you apply to, the more supplemental essays you have to write. ::

 

[teatime]

If you're thinking you should apply just because you're in-state, don't. They consider everyone equally, so it shouldn't be easier to get in as a CA resident, and everyone (regardless of residency) will pay the same tuition. Especially if you already know PBL doesn't work for you. Save your money or use it to apply elsewhere.

Thanks, this is kind of what I was already thinking. It's hard explaining that to people, they think I should apply just because it's close to home...

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

 

[racccjlm]

Thanks, this is kind of what I was already thinking. It's hard explaining that to people, they think I should apply just because it's close to home...

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

Not true. Especially for those schools that accept a lot of OOS i.e. Kansas, Iowa, etc. Other schools accept less OOS, so the spots are more competitive, but...it's still OOS lol.

 

[bardsle1]

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

Defs not true, as the OP said, it depends on the number of OOS applicants the schools take of course. But.. I got accepted to 2 OOS schools and waitlisted at my IS. When I told my counselor that I was planning on applying to 5 OOS schools, she said I was stupid to apply to those schools because my GPA and GRE weren't high enough.. but I was convinced I could win them over in my interviews because I do very well in them and it seems to have worked. My IS, Michigan State doesn't interview so I'm going on the thinking that its probably that.. though I could be wrong, its just a feeling

 

[littlegray]

Ugh...I feel like a total dream crusher for posting this...but...your vets aren't completely wrong.

Since we don't know your stats, I think you should really try to evaluate your honest chances of getting in OOS. Then, its up to you! If you really think your experience/academics are competitive and you think you can stand out, then apply away!!! I think everyone else has given some great advice on choosing schools. But, doesn't Western require 500 hours of vet related experience? If you don't have that then I'm tempted to say that won't be competetive enough for other OOS schools (again, don't know your stats).

I have enough confidence in myself to know that I will make a great vet someday, but I'm also realistic enough to realize that there just aren't enough OOS spots out there and I just don't have the finances to apply to more than maybe three or four schools. There are always those wonderful success stories out there (especially on SDN) and you may be one of them so I'm not saying don't bother...but be aware that rejection is unfortunately common and it really sucks, especially after pouring your heart and soul into those applications.

Then again, I think my application gets stronger every year I apply (this is my second round) so that doesn't mean I won't be applying to OOS schools next year...but hopefully I won't have to!!

 

[teatime]

Ugh...I feel like a total dream crusher for posting this...but...your vets aren't completely wrong.

Since we don't know your stats, I think you should really try to evaluate your honest chances of getting in OOS. Then, its up to you! If you really think your experience/academics are competitive and you think you can stand out, then apply away!!! I think everyone else has given some great advice on choosing schools. But, doesn't Western require 500 hours of vet related experience? If you don't have that then I'm tempted to say that won't be competetive enough for other OOS schools (again, don't know your stats).

I have enough confidence in myself to know that I will make a great vet someday, but I'm also realistic enough to realize that there just aren't enough OOS spots out there and I just don't have the finances to apply to more than maybe three or four schools. There are always those wonderful success stories out there (especially on SDN) and you may be one of them so I'm not saying don't bother...but be aware that rejection is unfortunately common and it really sucks, especially after pouring your heart and soul into those applications.

Then again, I think my application gets stronger every year I apply (this is my second round) so that doesn't mean I won't be applying to OOS schools next year...but hopefully I won't have to!!

Thanks for your honest opinion. As far as experience hours go, I'm hoping to have just about 500 by the time I apply. I'm a non-trad, like I said earlier, and it took me a while to adjust to taking only sciences courses every semester (I knew grades were super important), and by the time I felt comfortable looking for clinical stuff, it was really hard to get anyone to take a chance on me. I only recently started getting clinical hours (small animal) but hope to shadow an equine vet this summer. I have over a 100 hours of zoo experience. My cum GPA is about 3.6, science is 3.7. GRE - 560V/640Q (I'm going to retake). I was a business major and I studied abroad during undergrad which are some unique things about me...I guess, haha.

 

[marycatherine]

Thanks for your honest opinion. As far as experience hours go, I'm hoping to have just about 500 by the time I apply. I'm a non-trad, like I said earlier, and it took me a while to adjust to taking only sciences courses every semester (I knew grades were super important), and by the time I felt comfortable looking for clinical stuff, it was really hard to get anyone to take a chance on me. I only recently started getting clinical hours (small animal) but hope to shadow an equine vet this summer. I have over a 100 hours of zoo experience. My cum GPA is about 3.6, science is 3.7. GRE - 560V/640Q (I'm going to retake). I was a business major and I studied abroad during undergrad which are some unique things about me...I guess, haha.

Your grades are great, but I'd really look into getting some diverse and interesting experiences to pad your application. You could see if you can volunteer somewhere on the weekend, just so you're adding hours in all the time? I guess my experience is skewed, because I'm hoping for hours to make up for less-than-stellar grades.

 

[lei325]

I originally was going to apply to 8 schools, 7 through VMCAS (Tufts was a separate app). I ended up shaving three from my list simply because I didn't have the money to complete the pre-reqs and, quite frankly, the cost to apply to all 8 schools. I ended up applying to Tufts, RVC, VMRCVM, Illinois, and Wisconsin. My two top schools were Tufts and RVC and I ended up getting interviews at both. The rest flat out rejected me. I got wait-listed at Tufts but I got in at RVC (they literally accepted me right after the interview, I was floored). I paid for everything, since my parents and I agreed that everything post-undergrad would be my responsibility. Plus, I live close to the interview sites for both so it wasn't a huge travel expense (in fact, I'm kinda glad I didn't get an interview anywhere else because I would've had to pay for plane tickets...).

So it really is up to what you think you can handle money-wise. I researched for a loooong time about which schools to apply to; I think I started my junior year of college and didn't finalize until last summer. I focused a lot on the stats of the classes for the past 5 years to see if it was feasible for me to get accepted, and then focused on what they offered class-wise and the types of programs (for me it was equine sports medicine mainly, but overall equine med). That's how I reached my 8 and then finally my 5 schools to which I applied.

 

[eventualeventer]

Yeah, that's misleading. It's true that you do have a higher probability of getting in to your IS than OOS, but each school looks for something different and it's hard to predict with certainty which places will accept you and which places you will click with. There are multiple people both on and off this board who have gotten in to an OOS school and NOT gotten in to their IS school, so it is NOT a waste to apply to multiple schools. I thought that I was wasting my time applying to UC Davis as an OOS student, but I did anyway and they ended up being the only school to accept me outright! My IS school, VMRCVM, waitlisted me.

I agree with variegata. Even in an ideal situation, vet school is a lot of work, time, and money to get through, and you want to make sure that you are setting yourself for success in an extremely rigorous curriculum, not wondering if you'll be able to get by from day 1. If PBL doesn't work for you, don't apply to Western.

I applied to 9 schools, and that seemed to be the perfect number, since I was waitlisted at 3 schools and accepted to exactly one!

 

[canis13]

my definite list is: Penn (IS), Cornell, Tufts, CSU (going to apply to the MPH/DVM program at CSU, hoping that that might give me a better shot of getting in OOS)

my maybe list is: Guelph-OVC, PEI-AVC, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Mostly my list is based off of where I can see myself living for the next 4 years, and schools that I can complete the pre-reqs for. And if I don't get in on my first shot, I don't think I'll be too heart broken; it'll just give me more time to do other cool things in my life before applying again.

 

[jesiah]

if you look online on the vmcas website, there's a nice spreadsheet where they have all the schools and their prereqs. another one has all the schools and how many i/s and oos students they take and tuition. when i applied, i basically went down the first sheet to see where i could apply, then went down the other sheet and tried to apply to the ones that took the most oos.

i ended up applying to 9 schools, thinking i would only have a shot at western, but i also heard back from davis and kansas (about half of the class is OOS) and got waitlisted for michigan. so it don't think it hurts to try if you can afford it.

teatime, i think some universities allow open registration for summer classes if you need to take upper divs. thats what i did last summer. but i did have to hustle my big ol @ss around other schools, seeing if i could get in, but it somehow all worked out.

btw i love uc davis because there was no supplemental =)

 

[parietal]

Thanks for your honest opinion. As far as experience hours go, I'm hoping to have just about 500 by the time I apply. I'm a non-trad, like I said earlier...

I'm a non-trad, too, and have quite a bit less vet experience than many on this forum because I couldn't afford to quit my full-time job to work in a clinic for near minimum wage. I shadowed all that I could in a wide variety of fields (shelter, equine, emergency, SA, zoo, wildlife, public health, farm animal) as well as volunteering about 200 hours with a shelter vet and about 100 hours with an equine vet. I also had a lot of animal experience: I own horses, previously trained and competed and have had a small hobby farm for a few years. And my current grades and GRE are pretty good.

I was really worried about my lack of vet experience, but it really didn't seem to be a problem. But I really sold my rather unique non-trad experience in both my personal statement and my interviews. I actually even asked an adcom member about it after my Iowa State interview. He said they realize that many non-trads have different demands on their time and take that into consideration.

Ultimately, I was accepted to two of the three schools to which I applied and waitlilsted at the third. That was a better outcome than my traditional classmates who applied to the same schools in previous years with more experience but similar other stats.

Hope that helps.

 

[parietal]

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

I agree with the others that this isn't always true. Different schools look for different things. It can even be something as minor as an adcom member with a similar background who really goes to bat for you. It is very competitive, but many more people also turn down their seats than at their in-state schools.

I think a lot of older vets think this way though because when they went to school there were far fewer OOS seats than there are now. So many vet schools have added OOS seats within the last decade that I think it really has changed the admissions game.

 

[clouds815]

Thanks, this is kind of what I was already thinking. It's hard explaining that to people, they think I should apply just because it's close to home...

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

not true.
waitlisted IS, accepted earlier than most via phone the day after my interview OOS.
you never know - its worth filling out a few extra supplementals. i had to write an extra 5 lonng essays for one i got into, and wondered if it was worth my time. turns out it was

 

[Armymutt25A]

Your grades are great, but I'd really look into getting some diverse and interesting experiences to pad your application. You could see if you can volunteer somewhere on the weekend, just so you're adding hours in all the time? I guess my experience is skewed, because I'm hoping for hours to make up for less-than-stellar grades.

I'm with you on this one. Found out that NCSU calculates GPA a little differently than I thought. They include everything you have ever done past high school. That really bad last semester I had after burning out in grad school knocks my GPA way way down, both the cum and last-45. I'm not discouraged though. I have few years of experiences to discuss and hopefully something sparks an interest in the committee members.

 

[moosenanny]

I'm a California resident and got into Davis (where I'll be attending), as well as LSU and Mizzou. So you can definitely get into OOS schools even with two IS schools in your state! I chose not to apply to Western after visiting - that school isn't for everyone, but I can respect why certain people love it.

My best advice is to talk to admissions people to see what they are looking for in an applicant. I made personal visits to Mizzou, LSU, and Davis and met with their admissions directors. I'm sure that's part of the reason I was so successful as a first-time applicant. For instance, I learned that the way Mizzou evaluates applications is based on a point system formula, and an applicant maxes out his or her vet/animal experience hour points by having 100 quality hours under the supervision of a vet in each small animal, equine, and bovine, with extra points for exotics/wildlife and lab animal. So if you have broad experiences with at least 100 hours in each category, Mizzou will love you. Davis, on the other hand, told me they look for someone who is well-rounded, but who has the majority of their hours (around 1000 probably) in their area of interest. So Davis wants you to have a clear goal in vet med that you've pursued. You can change your mind once you're in school, though, so don't feel confined by this!

I hope this helps any future applicants out there. If anyone would like more advice about LSU, Mizzou, or Davis, PM me!

Thanks, this is kind of what I was already thinking. It's hard explaining that to people, they think I should apply just because it's close to home...

BTW, the vet that I'm working for is making it seem like my only chances of getting in are at Davis and Western. She basically said if you have an in-state school it's highly unlikely that you'll be considered OOS anywhere else. She even said one of the other techs shouldn't have even bothered applying to the three OOS schools that he did. Is this true to any extent? It seems from other people's experiences here that it's not. I'm confused.

 

[teatime]

Your grades are great, but I'd really look into getting some diverse and interesting experiences to pad your application. You could see if you can volunteer somewhere on the weekend, just so you're adding hours in all the time? I guess my experience is skewed, because I'm hoping for hours to make up for less-than-stellar grades.

I'm still taking classes right now, working on Thursdays and Saturdays. I def need to take genetics and animal physiology this summer, but I'm hoping to get more hours at the SA clinic I work at right now and shadow an equine vet as well.

I forgot who said it but those last classes that Western wants would have to be completed by end of spring, so taking them next summer would not be an option.

I was actually looking at Mizzou, and now knowing how they calculate hours makes me feel a lot better!

 

[NittanyKitty]

Everyone goes about this process in a slightly different way, but here's how I approached it this year. My goal from the beginning was to get a list of about 5 to 7 schools for my application cycle.

Step 1: Cost of Attendance. I am a Pennsylvania resident, so even though UPenn was never really at the top of my list (due to high cost and living in downtown Philly), I applied there as an in-state student. That set the financial "benchmark" for me - I looked at the other 27 schools in the U.S. and tossed out at least half of them because the cost to attend would be significantly higher than if I went to Penn. The schools that remained on my list were ones that had lower tuition/cost of living average or allow OOS to gain IS residency. Step 1 complete.

Step 2: Chance of Acceptance. Of those left on the list, I then used my VMSAR book and the information on the VMCAS website to remove schools that I stood a snowball's chance in heck of getting into. UC Davis, which takes about 5 OOS students? Scratched off. UGA, which takes an average of 0 OOS students? Gone. This is hardly a scientific or accurate process, but I figured it gave me the best chance of having to go through only one application cycle. Step 2 complete.

Step 3: Location. I think there were only one or two schools that I crossed off my list due to this factor. Washington State was one that I can remember. I don't mind moving far from family and am actually excited to have the chance to do that this year. Buuuut, 3,000 miles away is a little TOO far for a first time move out of PA. Removed schools that were too far from home or were in locations I wouldn't have been happy in. Step 3 complete.

After all of this and a little more reading about individual programs, I was left with 5 schools: UPenn (IS), NCSU, Mississippi, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Out of that I got 3 offers to interview (declined at Mississippi), 1 waitlist, and 3 acceptances, so it worked for me. Now, this being said, there are no guarantees in life. I thought I had NO chance of getting into Wisconsin since they only take about 2% of OOS applicants, but I was accepted there over NCSU. This process seriously cannot be wholly predicted or understood by us mere mortals!

You need to approach this in a way that will make YOU feel comfortable. If that means applying to the one school that you have your heart set on as many times as it takes to be accepted, do it. If that means taking the once-and-done approach and applying to all 28 at once, do it. Just be sure that you understand your reasons for how and where you apply and be sure that you're comfortable when you hit that "submit" button, because you'll be the one living with the consequences. Good luck!!!

 

[eventualeventer]

This process seriously cannot be wholly predicted or understood by us mere mortals!

(emphasis mine)
This bears repeating. By the application to admission ratios, I was, oh, an order of magnitude more likely to get in to VMRCVM as a MD resident than to UC Davis as an OOS applicant, but I was waitlisted at VMRCVM and accepted to UC Davis. You can get a general sense of what is a good bet and what is not from looking at past applicant stats, etc., but do not count on the schools to fall in line with your expectations!

These are the criteria I used for selecting schools -- somewhat random, but, hey, you have to narrow it down somehow from 28 schools. I also posted a thread on here and got suggestions about where to apply.

1. Climate: I, too, did not think I wanted to live in the South for 4 years of school. For one thing, it gets too (expletive) hazy, hot, n' humid and stays that way for too much of the year. I'll take snow over 90* and 90% humidity. Davis, CA, may be a bit hot for me, but it's a dry heat, so you can actually use evaporative cooling.

2. Preconceived (possibly ill-conceived?) notions about strength of equine programs and the general equine industry in certain states

3. Number of OOS applicants taken, with a few "reach" schools (they're all reach schools, really, just some more than others) thrown in just to see what happened

My list:
1. VMRCVM - IS, obvious choice
2. UPenn - relatively large fraction of class is OOS; New Bolton Center; close to home (closer than VA Tech); actually liked atmosphere around school when I visited!
3. Cornell - not likely to get in, but I liked the fact that they have a long-running, well-established PBL-based curriculum
4. Michigan - at least prior to economy going in toilet, had a growing horse industry; heard good things about equine people at VTH; decent # of OOS'ers
5. Minnesota - same as Mich.; also, does not take grades (my weak point) in to consideration for final admissions decisions
6. Iowa - new LA facility; large LA caseload; lots of OOS'ers
7. Illinois - same as Minnesota
8. CSU - why not? I could win the lottery, too, while I'm at it. Famous for equine sports med, etc. Close to sister.
9. UC Davis - um, dream school since I first talked to a friend who did her LA IM residency there, not that I'd have any chance of getting in, right?

There were others on my long list, too, like WI and Tufts, but I pretty much randomly cut it down to 9 after seeing how much work and money it was to do the supplementals, send test scores, etc.

 

[rileyroo]

So if you have broad experiences with at least 100 hours in each category, Mizzou will love you.

i'm definitely going to have to disagree with this statement

from my post in the successful applicants stats thread:

2 years Zoo Med (low ball estimate of approx 400 hours)
630 hrs SA (Emergency/Critical Care, Specialty, Exotics)
318 hrs LA (Food animal, Equine, Small ruminant)
189 hrs Research

and i got their super fantastic "eff off" rejection letter without an interview. but maybe i'm the exception to the mizzou love?

 

[cowgirla]

i'm definitely going to have to disagree with this statement

from my post in the successful applicants stats thread:

2 years Zoo Med (low ball estimate of approx 400 hours)
630 hrs SA (Emergency/Critical Care, Specialty, Exotics)
318 hrs LA (Food animal, Equine, Small ruminant)
189 hrs Research

and i got their super fantastic "eff off" rejection letter without an interview. but maybe i'm the exception to the mizzou love?

Nope, because I've got SA, equine, LA, Mixed animal, emergency med, equine/bovine repro, exotics (turtles/other reptiles mostly), etc, for a couple thousand hours totally and I got the F-U letter too.
Werent they the supplement that asked about specific species you've worked with? Because on that one I was able to talk about my buffalo experience too.

 

[chyactnate]

I shall be applying to

1.Tufts (IS) but it doesnt really matter because the IS tuition is high!
2.Kansas
3.Missouri
4. Iowa
5.Ohio
6.Cornell-I probably dont have a shot, but I am going to the open house in May and I am super excited!!!
7. Colorado- my dream school, I would go crazy if I actually got in!
8. Western
9. Minnesota
10. Illinois

I think that is it so far. I might apply to Georgia if I take the Bio GRE. If I dont get in the first time I will take animal nutrition and apply to other schools, but hopefully I dont have to worry about that!!!

 

[rileyroo]

Werent they the supplement that asked about specific species you've worked with? Because on that one I was able to talk about my buffalo experience too.

pretty sure they were...i actually put a lot of effort into their essays and felt good about the application i submitted. but before they cashed my check, i got the nicest letter from them in the mail.

 

[teatime]

Nope, because I've got SA, equine, LA, Mixed animal, emergency med, equine/bovine repro, exotics (turtles/other reptiles mostly), etc, for a couple thousand hours totally and I got the F-U letter too.
Werent they the supplement that asked about specific species you've worked with? Because on that one I was able to talk about my buffalo experience too.

maybe moosenanny's personal visit to the school made the difference....?

 

[moosenanny]

maybe moosenanny's personal visit to the school made the difference....?

Sorry guys - I didn't mean to make it sound like as long as you have those experience hours, that's your golden ticket. They explained the entire point system to me, and that was just one piece (a very important piece, nonetheless). Other components include motivation points (how many units you took per semester, and at which school), letters of rec, and a lot of the other usual things . . .

Also, let me add that Mizzou is really picky about what they count in those 100 hours. This is not to say that any of you don't have "quality" hours, but they only count time spent actually with a vet, as deemed by them. So depending on how an applicant portrays their experiences, things can be subjectively interpreted either correctly or incorrectly . . .

I was trying to make a greater point about visiting schools and getting to know their systems so that you can play up your strengths according to what they're specifically looking for.

 

[that redhead]

Have you guys narrowed down your list of schools you're applying to?
For the most part, yes. I've used information from this community and my own research to compiled a list of schools I think will be the best for me.

What do you think is a reasonable number of schools to apply to, and how are you narrowing it down?
To be honest, I don't think there's any magic number that is reasonable. A lot depends on cost and if you can afford the application fees, GRE fees, etc.

I'm going to be applying to quite a few to give myself the best chance possible. There have been people on this forum who have applied to only one, and some who have applied to eight, ten, whatever. I think its a personal decision - are you will to travel overseas/across the country or do you want to stay close to home (instate)? And although I'm applying to a large number (at least comparatived to the numbers I've seen in this forum), I've triple-checked that I will meet all of the requirements and have a fairly decent shot at getting in. I'm not going to apply to a school that accepts next to zero OOS students and wants a 4.0, for example.

I'm narrowing it down based largely on OOS student acceptance rates and emphasis on GPA (since mine is extremely weak). I wish I could be more choosy, but oh well

 

[nyanko]

and i got their super fantastic "eff off" rejection letter without an interview. but maybe i'm the exception to the mizzou love?

Yeah, I feel the same way whenever people mention how much Penn loves research. (I'm sure ColoGirl does too, haha!)

It all boils down to whatever comes up on the random number generator program written by the monkeys they have in the basements. I've decided this and nobody is going to change my mind about it.

edit: the solution? Go to the school and bring bananas.

 

[eventualeventer]

 

[zoogirl88]

I applied to 4 schools and got accepted at 3 and waitlisted at 1.
When I looked at the app process, I thought it was silly to apply to more that 5. I looked at the AAVMC website and picked schools based on how many OOS applicants they accepted, what their overall avg GPA and GRE stats were, and how close they were to my home-state, IL. I applied to IL, MN, KS and Penn.

Another important factor is price. I wish I would have looked into that more before I applied, and based my decisions on how much the school's tuition is.

 

[deleted266066]

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