Midwestern Class of 2020 applicants

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Yasai said:
I'm (needlessly) worrying about admissions stuff since my interview is so late. Do they just move you to the next semester if they don't have room in the class? Since they're accepting people now. ): someone tell me it's all going to be okay.
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It's all going to be okay. They wouldn't have offered you an interview invitation if there was no chance of accepting you!
 
hazelmoo said:
It's all going to be okay. They wouldn't have offered you an interview invitation if there was no chance of accepting you!
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Thank you. I think it's end of semester stress eating at me with the wonderful combination of waiting for vet school stuff. >.<.
 
Ugh, I feel you. I just got a rejection email from my IS school, so Midwestern is looking like more and more of a possibility for me! I would consider myself lucky to go there though because it seems like a really good school and I loved it when I was there. The only thing that scares me is the debt, but I think that's normal!

Good luck to everyone!
 
ketoone said:
So they got back to me and I'm an alternate. Normally I'd be disappointed, but considering my stats and how I feel I completely botched the interview, I'm actually pleasantly surprised.

Keep the hope alive! Haha. :dead:
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Here's to hoping we both are accepted! <3
 
vetman2020 said:
So I had this same struggle as well. I work at a hospital with 20+ doctors and have been talking to the doctors a few years into practice and also the interns just fresh out of school. One of the doctors I talked to has $400k in loan debt but with the new financial aid programs it's really helpful. There is one program that's 15% of your salary for 25 years and after that your loans are forgiven and a new one that started in 2014 that is 10% of your income for 20 years and then the rest is forgiven. Seeing as we will not be making very much as vets, especially not in the first few years the monthly payment is actually not to bad. Even starting off strong at 70k a year 10% is only less than $600 a month. So at 10% of 70k that's $140k paid off over 20 years and the rest is forgiven (although I believe you have to pay tax on it still which is very expensive but in the long run your not having to pay the full 350k+ and you are still a successful DVM). Yes it's very intimidating to be in debt for 20-25 years but this is just the way the profession is so they have made ways to take the burden off. I'm sure none of us will be living lives of luxury and may struggle financially at time but I absolutely love Midwestern and know this is the school for me so I am willing to take that leap and get my degree and I think hard work all the way through and into our careers will pay off and we will be able to defeat this mountain of debt hanging over us. That's just my thoughts on the matter. Anyways congrats to all of those newly accepted and I can't wait to move to AZ this summer and start as part of the MWU-CVM Class of 2020!
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This train of thought is very scary. I'm not necessarily saying you can't or shouldn't take a spot at this school because of the high tuition (I myself went to a school with one of the highest tuitions in the country, though tuition has definitely hiked since I started by quite a bit... My projected cost of attendance was $250k when I started)... But if you do, please think logically and factually first. I know way too many recent grads who are really struggling because of their loans, so please please please don't just say "well, it'll probably be fine cause it'll be forgiven in 20 years and all i have to do is pay 10% of my income" and brush it off. And by struggling, I don't mean they're living life without luxuries. I mean, like they can't leave an abusive relationship solely because of financial situation type of struggling.

Trust me, you will almost always pay back at least the full amount you took out. Whether it be directly to federal loan brokers or to the IRS.

The chart below is what all the different payment plans would look like if you take out $300k AND you earn between $80-130k salary throughout your entire career (which is quite optimistic). You can play with the numbers by going to the vin foundation calculator and plugging in what will be applicable to you.

http://www.vinfoundation.org/AppUti...357&objecttypeid=10&redirectFromMiscDefault=1

Also, @bluenose and I talked about this at length on the Estimated Costs of Veterinary School thread recently, starting from Post #485:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/estimated-costs-of-veterinary-school.849671/page-10

upload_2015-12-18_19-32-31.png
 
Minnerbelle said:
This train of thought is very scary. I'm not necessarily saying you can't or shouldn't take a spot at this school because of the high tuition (I myself went to a school with one of the highest tuitions in the country, though tuition has definitely hiked since I started by quite a bit... My projected cost of attendance was $250k when I started)... But if you do, please think logically and factually first. I know way too many recent grads who are really struggling because of their loans, so please please please don't just say "well, it'll probably be fine cause it'll be forgiven in 20 years and all i have to do is pay 10% of my income" and brush it off. And by struggling, I don't mean they're living life without luxuries. I mean, like they can't leave an abusive relationship solely because of financial situation type of struggling.

Trust me, you will almost always pay back at least the full amount you took out. Whether it be directly to federal loan brokers or to the IRS.

The chart below is what all the different payment plans would look like if you take out $300k AND you earn between $80-130k salary throughout your entire career (which is quite optimistic). You can play with the numbers by going to the vin foundation calculator and plugging in what will be applicable to you.

http://www.vinfoundation.org/AppUti...357&objecttypeid=10&redirectFromMiscDefault=1

Also, @bluenose and I talked about this at length on the Estimated Costs of Veterinary School thread recently, starting from Post #485:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/estimated-costs-of-veterinary-school.849671/page-10

View attachment 198855
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm not saying it's not going to be tough and you aren't going to work your butt off and save to pay it all off. Obviously it's my a free ride and it's still scary to be in debt however if you look at the picture you posted, there is a $140k and $360k difference in paying back the full amount vs. the new programs so yes you will still pay back most if not all of the amount but your not getting killed with interest and if you work hard I think it's very doable. Yes there are people struggling but I work with a lot of people that have a hefty amount of debt and are working hard and working through it. At least paying 10% you are paying a small portion and then can save a good amount of your other income for when you have to pay $140k or so in taxes. I'm just trying to be a positive light and let everyone know that if this is your dream it's definitely something that can be achieved.
 
Minnerbelle said:
This train of thought is very scary. I'm not necessarily saying you can't or shouldn't take a spot at this school because of the high tuition (I myself went to a school with one of the highest tuitions in the country, though tuition has definitely hiked since I started by quite a bit... My projected cost of attendance was $250k when I started)... But if you do, please think logically and factually first. I know way too many recent grads who are really struggling because of their loans, so please please please don't just say "well, it'll probably be fine cause it'll be forgiven in 20 years and all i have to do is pay 10% of my income" and brush it off. And by struggling, I don't mean they're living life without luxuries. I mean, like they can't leave an abusive relationship solely because of financial situation type of struggling.

Trust me, you will almost always pay back at least the full amount you took out. Whether it be directly to federal loan brokers or to the IRS.

The chart below is what all the different payment plans would look like if you take out $300k AND you earn between $80-130k salary throughout your entire career (which is quite optimistic). You can play with the numbers by going to the vin foundation calculator and plugging in what will be applicable to you.

http://www.vinfoundation.org/AppUti...357&objecttypeid=10&redirectFromMiscDefault=1

Also, @bluenose and I talked about this at length on the Estimated Costs of Veterinary School thread recently, starting from Post #485:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/estimated-costs-of-veterinary-school.849671/page-10

View attachment 198855
Click to expand...
I was hoping you'd wander in here and post about this!
 
vetman2020 said:
Obviously it's my a free ride and it's still scary to be in debt however if you look at the picture you posted, there is a $140k and $360k difference in paying back the full amount vs. the new programs so yes you will still pay back most if not all of the amount but your not getting killed with interest and if you work hard I think it's very doable.
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I mean, a $5 million dollar home is also a steal if it's $10 million dollars off. Doesn't make it affordable.

If you think that >$300k is doable to pay off as a veterinarian, then that is your prerogative. But that is very different from what you stated.

If you think it's doable because there are other people who are in the same boat, just keep in mind that I doubt there's really anyone out there yet who has been out of school long enough with this level of debt to have actually "made it," so don't use that as a security blanket. Of course people are 'fine' while they're in repayment because they're only paying 10% of your discretionary income. It's the planning for the after that's the hard part.
 
vetman2020 said:
At least paying 10% you are paying a small portion and then can save a good amount of your other income for when you have to pay $140k or so in taxes.
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I think you're probably overstating how much you can save. Don't forget, the 10% you are paying is pre-tax. It's really difficult to put enough away to pay that much in taxes. And if you start making more, you have to pay more.
 
It's a bummer that the Midwestern thread has become a depressing thread of people telling all future students they aren't going to be okay and aren't going to make it. Thank you all for your concern.
 
vetman2020 said:
It's a bummer that the Midwestern thread has become a depressing thread of people telling all future students they aren't going to be okay and aren't going to make it. Thank you all for your concern.
Click to expand...

You need to learn some reading comprehension if that is what you took away from what people stated in this thread.
 
vetman2020 said:
It's a bummer that the Midwestern thread has become a depressing thread of people telling all future students they aren't going to be okay and aren't going to make it. Thank you all for your concern.
Click to expand...
You need to go into the profession eyes wide open. Otherwise, you're going to feel stuck. This does not mean it is depressing. It just means be prepared. And wishing away the problems with the profession won't work.
 
That's not all I got out of it. However I have gone through and read the threads about the cost of Vet school and everything regarding loans all which have been incredibly helpful and I honestly thank you all for all your knowledge. However when you come on the Midwestern thread and tell me that it is not doable for me I am going to take offense to that. You know absolutely nothing about me, you don't know how how much I have researched, how much I have saved, you know nothing about my family or support. Since none of the vets have gotten through it yet you also cannot claim that it's not doable. I have a family background in finances and have put more thought and consideration into this decision than you think so if I fail then that is on me. I do appreciate helpful advice although since I have put in the time and done the research and know what I'm getting myself into I'm going to take everything negative you tell me and put a poaitobe spin on it. So anyways back to talk about Midwestern, anyone get any good news lately?
 
vetman2020 said:
That's not all I got out of it. However I have gone through and read the threads about the cost of Vet school and everything regarding loans all which have been incredibly helpful and I honestly thank you all for all your knowledge. However when you come on the Midwestern thread and tell me that it is not doable for me I am going to take offense to that. You know absolutely nothing about me, you don't know how how much I have researched, how much I have saved, you know nothing about my family or support. Since none of the vets have gotten through it yet you also cannot claim that it's not doable. I have a family background in finances and have put more thought and consideration into this decision than you think so if I fail then that is on me. I do appreciate helpful advice although since I have put in the time and done the research and know what I'm getting myself into I'm going to take everything negative you tell me and put a poaitobe spin on it. So anyways back to talk about Midwestern, anyone get any good news lately?
Click to expand...

The bolded is your problem. You should be able to understand why that is your problem.
 
vetman2020 said:
That's not all I got out of it. However I have gone through and read the threads about the cost of Vet school and everything regarding loans all which have been incredibly helpful and I honestly thank you all for all your knowledge. However when you come on the Midwestern thread and tell me that it is not doable for me I am going to take offense to that. You know absolutely nothing about me, you don't know how how much I have researched, how much I have saved, you know nothing about my family or support. Since none of the vets have gotten through it yet you also cannot claim that it's not doable. I have a family background in finances and have put more thought and consideration into this decision than you think so if I fail then that is on me. I do appreciate helpful advice although since I have put in the time and done the research and know what I'm getting myself into I'm going to take everything negative you tell me and put a poaitobe spin on it. So anyways back to talk about Midwestern, anyone get any good news lately?
Click to expand...
First of all, I didn't come in here to tell you anything. I moderate the forum and therefore check all threads and new replies. I responded to someone else. Second of all, you're taking it all rather personally when it is meant to be advice in general.
 
You're right I did take it a bit to personal
 
vetman2020 said:
It's a bummer that the Midwestern thread has become a depressing thread of people telling all future students they aren't going to be okay and aren't going to make it. Thank you all for your concern.
Click to expand...

That is not at all what I said. I just corrected a factually incorrect statement and disapproved of the general sentiment that allowed for such ignorant statement. If that doesn't apply to you, then move the eff on. You don't have to take anything personally that wasn't directed at you.

I never said you aren't going to be okay or that you aren't going to make it. Many people who go to vet school will be fine. But many will not. You need to go in with correct information to ensure that you're more likely going to be in the successful group of people, particularly if you are going somewhere with very high tuition.
 
HEY FOLKS, few questions for ya'll

1) is anyone else interviewing Tuesday, January 5th? I'd love to see some of your smiling faces

2) I would LOVE tips on the interview; is it scenario based, what did they ask, etc, etc. I don't *think* there's a confidentiality agreement so help me out ( private message me if that would make you feel more comfortable)

3) how long was the turn around time from interview to decision?
*crosses fingers it was short as turn around time for submition to interview for me was 50 million years

4)also, those accepted, have you started looking at housing? I know all of us have done ample amounts of research but I, inadvertently, stumbled across a spreadsheet of housing within the vicinity of the university made by Midwestern and it was extremely helpful. I can post the link here if desired
* I also think this spreadsheet may appease (to a certain degree) financial worries in regards to living expenses

5) any place cool I should check out while I'm there? Restaurants, landmarks, or shopping? I'm skipping the firs week of school to be in Arizona, mine as well make it worth it

😀😀😀Gracias
 
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cheddar87 said:
HEY FOLKS, few questions for ya'll

1) is anyone else interviewing Tuesday, January 5th? I'd love to see some of your smiling faces

2) I would LOVE tips on the interview; is it scenario based, what did they ask, etc, etc. I don't *think* there's a confidentiality agreement so help me out ( private message me if that would make you feel more comfortable)

3) how long was the turn around time from interview to decision?
*crosses fingers it was short as turn around time for submition to interview for me was 50 million years

4)also, those accepted, have you started looking at housing? I know all of us have done ample amounts of research but I, inadvertently, stumbled across a spreadsheet of housing within the vicinity of the university made by Midwestern and it was extremely helpful.
* I also think this spreadsheet may appease (to a certain degree) financial worries in regards to living expenses

5) any place cool I should check out while I'm there? Restaurants, landmarks, or shopping? I'm skipping the firs week of school to be in Arizona, mine as well make it worth it

😀😀😀Gracias
Click to expand...
Although I'm not interviewing on the 5th. I would also like some interview tips too! I've searched this and last years threads, but any help would be awesome!! Congrats again Cheddar87🙂
 
cheddar87 said:
HEY FOLKS, few questions for ya'll

1) is anyone else interviewing Tuesday, January 5th? I'd love to see some of your smiling faces

2) I would LOVE tips on the interview; is it scenario based, what did they ask, etc, etc. I don't *think* there's a confidentiality agreement so help me out ( private message me if that would make you feel more comfortable)

3) how long was the turn around time from interview to decision?
*crosses fingers it was short as turn around time for submition to interview for me was 50 million years

4)also, those accepted, have you started looking at housing? I know all of us have done ample amounts of research but I, inadvertently, stumbled across a spreadsheet of housing within the vicinity of the university made by Midwestern and it was extremely helpful. I can post the link here if desired
* I also think this spreadsheet may appease (to a certain degree) financial worries in regards to living expenses

5) any place cool I should check out while I'm there? Restaurants, landmarks, or shopping? I'm skipping the firs week of school to be in Arizona, mine as well make it worth it

😀😀😀Gracias
Click to expand...

Housing in Glendale is definitely affordable. The coyotes are playing on the 9th and hockey tickets are very affordable here. I don't know if you are staying that long. Phoenix Zoo Lights (Tempe) are happening as well every night starting at 5:30. If you purchase online, it's $12. The Phoenix Symphony (downtown) is having a John Williams show (2nd-3rd) and Mozart show (8th-9th). Student tickets for those are $12 for best seats available at the box office. If you want to buy online, you can find the, as cheap as $18. City Scape (downtown) has an outdoor ice skating rink for $10 I believe.

Hiking is free - Piestewa (Squaw) Peak Park, Camelback Mountain, and others. If you want to know more hikes, PM me.

Restaurants - Chino Bandido (Chinese + Mexican food), any of the restaurants at The Yard (hip place, games, live music, good bar, young people). This also depends on where you will be staying. I will think of more.

Shopping - try Scottsdale Fashion Square, also some cool stores in Old Town Scottsdale, I don't really know what you are looking for in this category. Scottsdale is expensive. But you can try stores in downtown Glendale as well.

I can also provide directions to any of the above and have some info on parking. Lol.
 
You have a whole week. You could drive north to Jerome, Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, the Grand Canyon, or south to Biosphere 2, Tucson, Benson (Kartchner Caverns), saguaro national monument, etc.

I'm interviewing on the 6th and I live here. So I know a lot. But this is what I thought of quickly. I don't know what you are interested in doing. Lol
 
I will be there for the interview on the 5th! Hope to see you guys there! Super happy to move it up from the end of march!
 
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Yasai said:
There's an interview slot on the 5th open, I wonder if I can swing it. It is very tempting.
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Do it. I was originally signed up to interview Feb 3rd but kept checking everyday for new slots and ended up signing up for Nov 10th like the week before. And I got accepted so I'm glad I did that haha
 
LlamaVet said:
Do it. I was originally signed up to interview Feb 3rd but kept checking everyday for new slots and ended up signing up for Nov 10th like the week before. And I got accepted so I'm glad I did that haha
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Hopefully I'll get accepted too! Either way, it's fewer months of not knowing.
 
according to the academic calendar says they are on break until the 1st but i dont know if that applies to administrative offices as well. I cant find a business calendar
 
cheddar87 said:
according to the academic calendar says they are on break until the 1st but i dont know if that applies to administrative offices as well. I cant find a business calendar
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This is what I found as well - but from the sounds of their calls going to voicemail I presume they are off as well.
 
Oh ****, interview is next week! Who else is there on the 5th? Anyone have any audiobook recommendations? 10 hour drive for me.
 
Yasai said:
Oh ****, interview is next week! Who else is there on the 5th? Anyone have any audiobook recommendations? 10 hour drive for me.
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Have you thought about podcasts? If you're into video games there's a good one called "The Co-Optional Podcast" where a bunch of gamers get together and occasionally talk about video games xD
 
Gwenevre said:
Have you thought about podcasts? If you're into video games there's a good one called "The Co-Optional Podcast" where a bunch of gamers get together and occasionally talk about video games xD
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Usually I'm not a big podcast person, the only one I've found so far I like is Welcome to Nightvale. Though...since I'll be going through small desert towns in the middle of nowhere, maybe I should re-listen to those 🙂
 
I will be withdrawing my application to Midwestern since I just got accepted to K-State. I just can't justify the higher tuition, and K-State is much closer to home for me. Hopefully that frees up an spot for someone else on the interview waitlist!
 
Can anyone who has been interview please give me insight on the interview questions? Can't find anything anywhere and don't want to be blindsided next week
 
cheddar87 said:
Can anyone who has been interview please give me insight on the interview questions? Can't find anything anywhere and don't want to be blindsided next week
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I had my interview months ago but here's what I remember. It was a combination of question types so some were personal like about your resume and some were situational like they describe a hypothetical situation and ask what you would do (not always vet med related) and then some were just vague open ended questions like one was along the lines of what qualities make a good vet. Hope that helps
 
cheddar87 said:
Can anyone who has been interview please give me insight on the interview questions? Can't find anything anywhere and don't want to be blindsided next week
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I posted some questions from my interview earlier in this thread. I'm too lazy to do the digging now.
 
Good luck on upcoming interviews everyone!! ❤️
 
Can i just say that I find it exceptionally annoying that we are in a drought yet today, it happens to be pouring in both my departure city and in arizona, delaying my flight multiple times....:bang:
 
Is anyone debating between Midwestern and Western in pomona? They are both private and it would be interesting to hear someone else's opinion about the differences and similarities between the two.
 
AAKBT said:
Is anyone debating between Midwestern and Western in pomona? They are both private and it would be interesting to hear someone else's opinion about the differences and similarities between the two.
Click to expand...


Me!! I'm struggling with this actually. Western in Pomona is about an hour and a half from my home but too far to live at home unfortunately. While it is close to home, I am pretty hesitant to attend here. The cost of living in Los Angeles is ridiculous, especially in comparison to the cost of living in Arizona. I just got back from Arizona and a 800 sq foot apartment will run about $800-$900 whereas as 300 sq foot apartment in the LA area will run $1500, no utilities included. Considering tuition is already through the roof, the cost of rent can add a substantial amount of money to your already looming debt. Im also hesitant to attend Western because of the lack of a teaching hospital. While I think there are upsides to being sent out in the community for your rotations, I am afraid this will actually hinder my learning as I will be exposed to the same routine problems. Its great to be an expert at the everyday issues that you'll see frequently in GP but I also want to be exposed to the grander issues like TPLOs and cataract surgery (the things that would generally be referred to a larger animal hospital such as Midwestern or UC Davis). However, MWU animal hospital isn't fully functioning yet since its current students have not hit clinical rotations yet so, like any other business, there may be hiccups along the way. On the flip side, I really like Western's approach to teaching. At MWU, all 100 of your peers are in the same class at the same time and I am worried about being a small fish in a big pond. I do like the PBL approach that Western has and the small cohorts you're in. I also like the "lunch and dinner talks" that Western provides to its students so you're learning outside the classroom in a more relaxed setting. I am SO confused as to where I am going to go! And anyone chime in on this if you have a different thought process.
 
cheddar87 said:
Me!! I'm struggling with this actually. Western in Pomona is about an hour and a half from my home but too far to live at home unfortunately. While it is close to home, I am pretty hesitant to attend here. The cost of living in Los Angeles is ridiculous, especially in comparison to the cost of living in Arizona. I just got back from Arizona and a 800 sq foot apartment will run about $800-$900 whereas as 300 sq foot apartment in the LA area will run $1500, no utilities included. Considering tuition is already through the roof, the cost of rent can add a substantial amount of money to your already looming debt. Im also hesitant to attend Western because of the lack of a teaching hospital. While I think there are upsides to being sent out in the community for your rotations, I am afraid this will actually hinder my learning as I will be exposed to the same routine problems. Its great to be an expert at the everyday issues that you'll see frequently in GP but I also want to be exposed to the grander issues like TPLOs and cataract surgery (the things that would generally be referred to a larger animal hospital such as Midwestern or UC Davis). However, MWU animal hospital isn't fully functioning yet since its current students have not hit clinical rotations yet so, like any other business, there may be hiccups along the way. On the flip side, I really like Western's approach to teaching. At MWU, all 100 of your peers are in the same class at the same time and I am worried about being a small fish in a big pond. I do like the PBL approach that Western has and the small cohorts you're in. I also like the "lunch and dinner talks" that Western provides to its students so you're learning outside the classroom in a more relaxed setting. I am SO confused as to where I am going to go! And anyone chime in on this if you have a different thought process.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! It's great to hear that someone else is thinking the same way I am! I agree with everything you have said! I LOVED how new everything was at Midwestern (their anatomy lab blows away Westerns) and I also have family that live close to Western! I truly like both schools but am trying to make the best decision based on my learning style as well as financially.
 
I'm biased since I've never seen or been to western, but one thing that blew me away was MWU's teaching hospital. It is AMAZING, and I think it's really unique and beneficial that students get to start performing spays and neuters on shelter animals in their second year. It's also in a very populated area that has a lot of demand for vets, and when I had my interview the hospital's waiting room was full of people waiting to be seen. I also really like how they hire actors that you interact with to see your strengths and weaknesses before you start talking to actual clients. I'm super excited at the possibility of attending there!
 
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