Illinois

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:soexcited::soexcited::clap::wow: I'm going to vet school!!!!!

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I should add that they told me there is a whole stack of waitlist people that are going to be getting phone calls tomorrow, so if anybody else was on the OOS waitlist (I was in the "somewhat unlikely" category), they've made it down into that range already!
 
:soexcited::soexcited::clap::wow: I'm going to vet school!!!!!


YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH! Ninnerfish THAT IT FANTASTIC! Feels absolutely great doesnt it!? HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND I HOPE YOU ACE YOUR EXAM:love:
 
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Congrats Ninnerfish! What a great bday present!
 
Alright, Ninnerfish!

I had a feeling it wasn't a glitch!

Congratulations! This is so great!
 
Well, we did it! We bought a house at Florida and Maple (a little over a mile from campus) and are closing in June.

Looking to rent the master bedroom to someone who loves cats (as in five of them) and doesn't have a dog (I love them, but again, the cats...). The room we're going to rent out is BIG and has its own bathroom and exterior entrance.

PM me if you'd like more info and/or pics.

P.S. Congrats to everyone who got in off the waitlist!!!
:highfive:
 
Hello everyone! Do you know how many years the VMSP program at U of I generally takes? I am just curious. Thanks!

You should expect to spend about 7 but more realistically 8 years in the program. http://vetmed.illinois.edu/asa/vmsp.html I know a few of my classmates are doing it and I gave it some thought. My one concern was that I didn't want to get removed from my cohort and, for me, if that was enough to deter me, clearly I wasn't meant to go for the DVM/PhD.

There is also a DVM/MPH program. I'm in that program and if you're interested in learning more about it I can post about my experiences with it. That program requires one extra year in Chicago after you complete your DVM and most students work full time while finishing the MPH. http://vetmed.illinois.edu/asa/mph/

If you're truly interested in research, Illinois is a great place to persue those interests. There are a lot opportunities to get involved both within the college and across the entire campus.
 
Just curious...has anyone else received anything from the school lately? I remember in our offer letters they said we would hear more in May. The month's more than half over and I haven't heard a peep. :confused:
 
I haven't heard anything either. Their commencement (at least for undergrads, not sure about the vet school) was this past weekend, so I'm sure we're a low priority until all of that craziness is over.
 
The graduation for the vet school was this weekend, as well. I'm sure we'll get mail and other stuff after the dust settles.

Man, I'm glad I spent most of my time in Rantoul. The traffic in and out of town was ridiculous.
 
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Hi 2013-ers!!!!!!!!
If any of you are interested I am moving out of my house and need someone (female) to take my place. It is an older house that was just totally redone last Aug. New kitchen, bathrooms, carpeting, windows. It has 3 giant bedrooms and 2 smaller ones. 2 roomies live there and rent is 358 each plus utilities. there is a giant backyard and the pet policy is totally open. 1 roomie is going to be a second year. the other is a grad student in animal behavior. There is a giant basement that stays dry with a washer and dryer (free) down there. 2 full bathrooms (1 full br one with a stand up stall)- all new since August. It is less than an 8 minute drive to the vet school. and only a couple of blocks from downtown Urbana (farmer's market, organic grocery, some cool bars and a couple of great dives). It is in Urbana, which is a giant neighborhood all the way to campus. Funny little houses and big ones, brick roads and we have a great neighbor who even watched our cats a few times. :) I am moving 2 streets away. I love the area.

It is a ton of space and literally the nicest place I've lived in since moving out of my parents :). I am moving out to live with my boyfriend of a couple of years. It is time for me to make the move, and he needs help with his mortgage. :) I took one of the smaller bedrooms and used the other small one as storage for all my stuff: dressers, extra closet, etc. So the 3rd bedroom was the guest bedroom. You would have your choice.

It is not furnished but most of the furniture is mine (which the b/f already has diplicates) so I could take it or leave it. We can discuss. And I am really flexible on move in date: any time between tomorrow and Aug 1 (when the lease would start)

Anyway, emial me if you are interested. I can send pics and/or refer you to the roomies' fb pages. [email protected]

congrats to all of you!!!
 
UIUC former students can see their new "professional" student status on Enterprise/Self Service (That's where you went to register for classes and check finacial aid packages.).

It freaked me out when I checked it for something else.
 
All this talk about professional dress has me wondering if Illinois has a dress code and if so what are professional students required to wear?
 
Our tour guide on interview day told us there was no dress code until clinics.
 
If there is one, it goes out of the window, quickly. Just going to the admissions office, I've seen people in t-shirts, hoodies, and jeans all of the time.
 
whew that's a relief! I was worried about having to pay for school AND buy a whole new wardrobe!
 
Still haven't heard anything. What's the dealio?
 
I'm currently trying to gather as much info as possible about Illinois to help me make my decision between Illinois and Iowa, does anyone know about gaining residency in Illinois? I've been told that students do it all the time, but does anyone have any information about how easy it is?

By the way, I talked to Mary Kelm today, and the new curriculum might make me pick Illinois no matter what, it sounds amazing!!!
 
This is what the borad of trustees says about residency. It can be found in the faq section for the university wide web site. This website includes administrative information for Southern Illinois, University of Illinois - Chicago, and UIUC.

1a. What do I, an independent student, have to do to become an Illinois resident for tuition purposes?

The University of Illinois requires that you be a bona fide resident of Illinois for one calendar year prior to the term for which you are applying for resident status. The University's requirements to establish residency may be different than other Illinois institutions of higher education or government agencies. Bona fide residency involves being gainfully employed and actually living in the state for one year, and taking other specific actions which link you to the state of Illinois. It also requires that you reside in Illinois primarily for reasons that are not related to receiving an education. It’s important that actions be completed before the beginning of the term in which you are attempting to establish residency.

From what I've seen, you just have to have your drivers license changed, get a part time job, and pay taxes in the state. You have to have proof of the changes for one year. I'm assuming that is rent payments, or utility payments. The Office of Student Affairs will have more specific information on what you as an individual will need to do.
 
From what I've seen, you just have to have your drivers license changed, get a part time job, and pay taxes in the state. You have to have proof of the changes for one year. I'm assuming that is rent payments, or utility payments. The Office of Student Affairs will have more specific information on what you as an individual will need to do.

This is what I saw as well, and it seems possible, my only concern is the part time job! I wasn't planning on getting one during my first year, but if it can take off thousands off dollars off my debt I suppose it's worth it. I wonder if I could get a job like 5 hours a week? I might be able to do that.

Another question, do the vet students drive to school? Is there enough parking for everyone/most people to do so? And how much does this cost/year? Just trying to get an idea of how far from campus I can live.

Sure sounds like I'm leaning more and more towards Illinois!
 
littlelisa,

There are usually several announcements shortly into the semester about job openings at the school itself (diagnostics lab, etc.),for about 8 - 10 hours and they are very understanding of your coursework needs.

As for parking, there is plenty for everyone at the CVM. Most do drive, and some ride their bikes when the weather is decent - depends on you. Currently, parking passes range from about $420 (9 month pass) to $480 (12 month pass). Good luck with your decision!
 
Okay, I made the decision. Illinois here I come!!
 
Mary Kelm called me on thursday to tell me I'd made it in off the waitlist. I was at the doctor's office so I couldn't yell and scream and jump around. Then as soon as I hung up I started to think I had just dreamed it all. Thank god it wasn't. I'm going to Illinois next year!!
 
I can't find my acceptance letter at the moment. Can anyone tell me when the deadline for spring transcripts was? Tell me it wasn't today. :scared:
 
Transcripts are due by July 1st. So, you've got another month.
 
littlelisa and turcle -

just wondering, were you guys in state or out. and what was you "rank" in the letter... "likely to get in", "not likely", etc
 
littlelisa and turcle -

just wondering, were you guys in state or out. and what was you "rank" in the letter... "likely to get in", "not likely", etc

I am in state and I had the probable one or whatever, not sure on the wording but the better sounding of the two. Also Mary Kelm was very helpful and responsive, you may want to try calling her and see if she can give you any advice.
 
littlelisa and turcle -

just wondering, were you guys in state or out. and what was you "rank" in the letter... "likely to get in", "not likely", etc

I was out of state and it was "somewhat unlikely" that I would get in. And I agree with Turcle that Mary Kelm was extremely helpful, so don't hesitate to call.
 
Has anyone heard anything about the welcome letters? I thought we were supposed to get them yesterday!
 
I was out of town last week and though for sure my letter would be waiting for me today when I got back, but alas. So disappointing! I wish we would hear something.
 
I'm in town. I'll let you know when I get one.
 
Where is everyone planning on living? Anyone want to share?
 
I'm living in downtown Champaign, on State Street. I wanted to be walking distance from bars and restaurants. It seems like a pretty nice area, with lots of trees, and a pretty quick commute. It's going to be my first time living by myself and I'm a little nervous.
 
I got another message on Facebook about how they didn't send the letters on the 5th, because they don't have exactly what we'll be doing set, yet. The message was sent on the 11th, so I'm not thinking I'll be getting any mail about scheduling this week.

I plan to call, if I don't get anything in the mail tomorrow.
 
Oh man, Truth, I got so excited when I saw you had posted to this thread, thinking you must have gotten your letter today.
 
Finally. Phew, I didn't want to have to bug people at the admin office. hopefully, they'll have the class schedule in there, so I can plan my part-time schedule.
 
The Information Letter has been received....FINALLY!!!! The postmark on the envelope was yesterday, so Mailing center may not have had a bunch of stuff to do and got it out in a timely fashion.

It has information for the mandatory orientation, the leadership experience (iVLE) and how to get set up on Enterprise and your e-mail account.
Expect the same timing as previous mailings (that means hella slow, but what ya gonna do).
 
Has anyone received their financial aid letters? When I logged into Enterprise for the first time it said that my award letter was not ready. I'm just worried since class starts in 2 months.
 
The tuition and fees have not been calculated yet. Unfortunately, that has been held up as well, due to the new curriculum.
You can call financial aid, and they can either schedule an appointment to give you an idea of what they may offer in your situation, or keep checking the Enterprise system.

It says that your fafsa was submitted, right?
 
Mine says-Free Application for Federal Student Aid Satisfied I filled out my FASFA months ago, and I hope I filled it out properly. Maybe I'll just give them a call today, to make sure they have the correct paper work. Thanks for the info!
 
Hi Georgie339,

I saw your early post about the VMSP at Illinois. I am a 2nd year in the program and in my mind, I am still aiming for seven years-2015 graduation. But it could take eight years. I am currently doing my PhD in Veterinary Bioscience where we have an oral and a written qualifying exam, a preliminary and then the final defense for the PhD. There are also two required graduate courses and some courses recommended by your committee. The timing of the program would depend on when you can pass your qualifying and preliminary exams.

The biggest problem is finding time to read background on the research, do the experiment and take the graduate level classes to prepare for the exams. A PhD is committee-depend, so the early I can get started in getting to know my members/advisors and get started on working toward laying out my research project, the higher likelihood of passing the exams and final defense.

In my case, I always knew the field of research I want to work in and was lucky to find the lab that fosters my interest. I think this saved me a lot time and enables my conduct my first official annual meeting with my chosen committee this coming August. This will allow me to focus a lot better on my project, journal reading and this summer, I am taking Biochemistry- which is one of two required courses in the program. I also need to take a lot of other research-related courses that my committee recommends. The limiting factor in the VMSP will be finding the time to take the graduate courses in preparation for the qualifying exam. My current plan is to finish VM3 and then switch to graduate school full-time for three years. I will do my qualifying exams and preliminary exam within the first couple months of my full-time appointmentship and then work towards paper publication and chugging away at the research. I hope to be ready to write my thesis in 2014 while doing VM4 and then defend during the off-block. So, in a nutshell- that would be a 7-year program in my case. I'll keep you posted how it works out.

To answer your original question on the number of year for the VMSP, it depends on how convicted you are in the type of research you want to do and then jump in and starting working. Of course, the more techniques you know in the type of research you do, the faster you will be able to obtain results. So, gain a lot of lab experience!

Hope that helps.
 
Cost of Attendance Budget Component Amount Tuition $37,704.00
Fees $3,338.00
Room and Board $11,526.00
Books and Supplies $2,700.00
Other Expenses $2,760.00
Total: $58,028.00
 
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