how important is the undergrad school that you attend?

[cvt]

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I'm worried that not going to a known school for my undergrad will hurt me.
I'm going to a local university that is often joked as being "the 13th grade". The reason I am going to this school is because it is the only place that I can afford to pay tuition out-of-pocket, and I am working myself through school. (the reason for this- I have been in school for several years, went to two rather expensive schools, and have already racked up enough loan debt... and if I do get into vet school I dont want anymore debt going in than I need to).

I'm also VERY interested in a DVM/PhD program, and I plan on beginning research experience asap. What else can I do to help overshadow the less than prestigious undergrad school? (aside for busting out a 4.0 my whole way through, haha)

Am I wasting my time? Should I just suck it up and get loans to go to a "better" school?

 

[twelvetigers]

You aren't wasting your time, especially in taking 'gen-ed' type courses there. Be careful, though - some schools require that upper division required courses be taken at a four year university. So I would make sure that organic, biochem, and things like that come from some sort of four year institution.

 

[cvt]

You aren't wasting your time, especially in taking 'gen-ed' type courses there. Be careful, though - some schools require that upper division required courses be taken at a four year university. So I would make sure that organic, biochem, and things like that come from some sort of four year institution.

It is a 4 year university, just not a well known one. Luckily I have most of my gen eds done from my previous years of schooling. All I've really got left are the required courses for my major (biology- pre-vet concentration).

 

[Minnerbelle]

I'm also VERY interested in a DVM/PhD program, and I plan on beginning research experience asap. What else can I do to help overshadow the less than prestigious undergrad school?

Yeah seriously, don't worry about it. Especially if you want to go into a DVM/PhD program, your research experience would matter much more anyway.

Make sure you choose your research experience wisely though! Don't just walk into any lab that will take you. Make sure you've made it clear with the pI or lab manager exactly what your expectations are before you begin. Ask what projects you'll be working on, and how that will be supervised. Will there be a chance for you to have your own little project? Will they consider you as a co-author if there's a publication? Running a pcr here and there a couple times a week probably won't be enough for you to make yourself a strong applicant for DVM/PhD programs. You need to show that you've done enough in a lab to show that you have PASSION for research.

*Take this with a grain of salt though, because I'm not interested in DVM/PhD programs so I could be making this up. I thought about going to grad school for a little while, and that's what I've been told.

 

[cvt]

Thanks for the encouragement. Right now my game plan is to talk to my biology professor to see if I can get involved with some of her research. She's a cell biologist doing cancer research at the unviersity.

 

[georgie339]

...

 

[nyanko]

I'm from the same area as you originally! 😀

I think that as long as you are able to get in to do some quality research, that's all that matters.

 

[TurtleLover]

I agree. It's always been my motto that it doesn't matter what school you go to, it's what you make of your experience while at that school. You can go to Harvard and do absolutely nothing and just barely get by or you can go to wherever else, do amazing, be involved, publish research, etc. and youll be more highly looked upon from the other school, in my opinion.

Also I just stated vet school a couple of weeks ago and there are plenty of people in my class who are from universities I have never even heard of before! So I think they like it too, as a "diversity" aspect....yep I said the dreaded "D" word! LOL

 

[bunnity]

Hey, I'm also from Pittsburgh (went to Pitt) and am now at Penn Vet. Out of my class of 125 (so 63 of us are from PA) there are I think 4 people that went to Penn undergrad (the most "prestigious" eastern PA school) and zero from CMU (the most "prestigious" western PA school). So we can assume that the other 59 of us went to either Pitt (actually it's very few of us), PSU (decent amount of people), or some other university without a big name.

So my point is that there are plenty of people getting into your instate without big name university degrees. I think Penn might give you a little boost if they like your undergrad, but it is such a small factor on your application that as long as it's a four year university and you are happy there, don't worry about it.

 

[vnair2]

Hey, I'm also from Pittsburgh (went to Pitt) and am now at Penn Vet. Out of my class of 125 (so 63 of us are from PA) there are I think 4 people that went to Penn undergrad (the most "prestigious" eastern PA school) and zero from CMU (the most "prestigious" western PA school). So we can assume that the other 59 of us went to either Pitt (actually it's very few of us), PSU (decent amount of people), or some other university without a big name.

Who are you damn it? Ive been trying to put the puzzles pieces together, but Im failing.

 

[twelvetigers]

You guys! I just thought of this while I was in the shower today. Find out if pupsforseeing is in your class! She vanished one day and I want to know if she's okay and stuff. She's pretty young and she spent time in Mexico working with deaf children (and therefore knows ASL)... she deferred with Penn for one year and should be in your class. If you figure out who se is, muster up your best 'scolding mother' voice and tell her that twelvetigers was very worried! Lol.

 

[bunnity]

Vnair I'll give you a hint: I'm your DISC twin and we had our rabies shots together.
twelvetigers I haven't met anyone who sounds like pups yet but I'll keep a lookout.

 

[vnair2]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Much Appreciated.

You have any ideas who BigGreenVet, 2013, Ben and Me, tpad40, easilyamoosed, or candy16 are? ( I just stripped these names off the Will be Attending thread - so I assume they are real people)

 

[Shanomong]

Vnair I'll give you a hint: I'm your DISC twin and we had our rabies shots together.
twelvetigers I haven't met anyone who sounds like pups yet but I'll keep a lookout.

Damnit I'm so mad I didn't figure this out before this clue! (and vnair's subsequent text telling me who you were after the clue still didn't do it for me lol). Major fail.

 

[Shanomong]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Much Appreciated.

You have any ideas who BigGreenVet, 2013, Ben and Me, tpad40, easilyamoosed, or candy16 are? ( I just stripped these names off the Will be Attending thread - so I assume they are real people)

Candy16 is no longer in our class. Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do with the rest of those haha...

ETA I'm going to take this on over to the Penn thread if I figure anything out...

Editing again to add: we should be out drinking right now. You suck.

 

[vnair2]

You are not going out? I know it wont be fun without me, but you should try.

Edit: This thread has been officially hijacked for our own personal conversation. You can all go elsewhere,

 

[Shanomong]

You are not going out? I know it wont be fun without me, but you should try.

Husband fell asleep and wont wake up, and eatpinkpenguins is probably backing out... I'm friendless...

And I know who easilyamoosed is 🙂 She's my Physical Exam buddy

 

[vnair2]

Make eatpinkpenguins go. She has no excuse, its like 6 blocks. I have 20 to walk and more importantly i have already declothed. There is no way im putting pants on again.

 

[nyanko]

twelvetigers I haven't met anyone who sounds like pups yet but I'll keep a lookout.

She's like a really tall (like 6 feet or close to it), slender girl, if that helps.

 

[Shanomong]

She's like a really tall (like 6 feet or close to it), slender girl, if that helps.

Do you know her actual name?

 

[Shanomong]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Much Appreciated.

You have any ideas who BigGreenVet, 2013, Ben and Me, tpad40, easilyamoosed, or candy16 are? ( I just stripped these names off the Will be Attending thread - so I assume they are real people)

I just remembered that I know who tpad40 is... eatpink and I figured it out a while back. Totally forgot about that 🙂

 

[Shanomong]

99% sure I know who Ben and Me is too... though I don't know who Ben is if I've go the right person..

ETA: I'm willing to bet Ben is the horse. Stalkage over for the evening. Next week you can figure out 2013, BigGreenVet and easilyamoosed.

 

[Ben and Me]

Now I'm totally confused...Or I was. Just re-read and figured it out. Ben was my horse. Horse to the left is actually Pete (also no longer mine). And I've found Ben and Me to be quite a fitting name now that I'm at Penn--it's a book about Ben Franklin and a mouse. Who knew. I picked the name out when I was like 13. Fate.

Anyway, back to the poster: It depends on where you're applying. Some schools (Penn and Cornell, for example) specifically state that take into account the prestige/difficulty of your undergrad institution. Others do not. I will say that graduates of ivy leagues seem to be well-represented among my classmates...but then there are others from smaller, lesser known schools too! At my info session at NC State, they specifically said that they count grades from every university equally...from community colleges up to Ivy Leagues. So, it varies from school to school!

 

[vnair2]

Im pretty sure the original function of this topic was lost long ago, but good effort Ben and Me. Now go figure out who BigGreenVet is and then report back.

 

[Shanomong]

Im pretty sure the original function of this topic was lost long ago, but good effort Ben and Me. Now go figure out who BigGreenVet is and then report back.

And 2013! 😀 I was reminded today that we actually already figured out easilyamoosed above...

 

[eatpinkpenguins]

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