Ohio State c/o 2028

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Little Red Rats said:
I feel this. Now my hours didn’t come anywhere near yours so I can definitely say my hours are to blame but for you that’s just… insane to be honest. Things like this really do make you wonder how decisions are made. Do file review for sure. It sucks because the only other school that offered me file review told me that in all honesty my application was great and it was luck and the applicant pool this year.
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Another person also commented on the interview and (granted I didn’t get in) but what my advisor stressed with me is to tell each interview question like a story with three parts (beginning middle and end), each with an example to give insight into who you are. These techniques helped my friends get in but not me so idk I guess I just didn’t present well or something. We’ll see what the file review says! Good luck and I’m right there with you. We’ll get in one day, I know it.
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monster zero enjoyer said:
IS rejection. 3.98 GPA, ~10-11k hours vet experience (working since I was 15) + overseas and domestic veterinary volunteer experience. It seems like all of my grueling work was in vain, and that I completely wasted my time focusing on grades and working. I believe my interview had to be the only thing holding my application down, even though I think I did well on it, just not exceptional. I thought my answer for the scenario question was pretty good too. Kinda sucks that it’s worth over half of the score, and that GPA and work experience weight is severely capped because of it. Any tips on how to show how much I’ve done through my interview, since the interviewers don’t get to see files?
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They make it pretty clear on their website that grades only account for 10% of their evaluation. Obviously it’s never a negative to have good grades and never a waste of time but a school like Ohio State is very clearly looking for more than a 3.9 GPA to fill their classes and they make a point to say that.
 
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pantsman10 said:
They make it pretty clear on their website that grades only account for 10% of their evaluation. Obviously it’s never a negative to have good grades and never a waste of time but a school like Ohio State is very clearly looking for more than a 3.9 GPA to fill their classes and they make a point to say that.
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True, but having tens of thousands of vet experience isn’t nothing either. Granted I know nothing about this person besides their gpa and hours but still.
 
monster zero enjoyer said:
IS rejection. 3.98 GPA, ~10-11k hours vet experience (working since I was 15) + overseas and domestic veterinary volunteer experience. It seems like all of my grueling work was in vain, and that I completely wasted my time focusing on grades and working. I believe my interview had to be the only thing holding my application down, even though I think I did well on it, just not exceptional. I thought my answer for the scenario question was pretty good too. Kinda sucks that it’s worth over half of the score, and that GPA and work experience weight is severely capped because of it. Any tips on how to show how much I’ve done through my interview, since the interviewers don’t get to see files?
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I want to offer just a small piece of advice and you can take it or leave it :)

Your last sentence “…how to show how much I’ve done through my interview…”

Your interview isn’t to highlight what you’ve done. If interviewers are meant to take what you have done into account, then they will be open file and will have read about what you’ve done.

Otherwise, it’s about WHO YOU ARE not what you have done. Your experiences shape you, so they’re important. Instead of highlighting ALL you’ve done, you should highlight how YOU have grown from your most valuable experiences, what you have learned, what got you here.

Also, make sure you remember this isn’t about what all you’ve done in vet med. things outside of this field are just as important. :)
 
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OOS acceptance! 🎉
I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity! I am a second time applicant.
 
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Has anyone received their official acceptance letter yet?
 
BlueFeetBooby7 said:
Hi there! Would it be okay if I ask some questions about your experience at tOSU? Are there positions in the teaching hospital that are open to 1st/2nd year students? Are they flexible in terms of scheduling and managing while taking classes? I know some schools require summer commitments as well if students want to work at the hospital so I'm just curious if this is the case for tOSU. I was also curious about how do you feel about the 165 class size? Do you feel like students are getting individual attention from the professors or is it hard to really establish connections with them? Thank you so much ;）
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Sure, I will post this publicly in case anyone else is curious.
I don't have a lot of experience with the positions on campus, but for the few that I did look into, I noticed that they stressed that they are flexible with classes and don't ask for many hours. I remember one stated that some part of the summer was required while the other one said they have no expectations for you to work over breaks. And if I'm not mistaken I think the GP teaching hospital allows for an externship-like summer program for students as well. You will have to complete shifts there for class during the school year.
While we have one of the largest class sizes of all of the US schools, I feel that the professors do a really good job on making sure students have access to more individualized tutor sessions if needed. Last semester I was able to meet with my anatomy professors one on one multiple times. I feel like I have already gotten to know most of my professors pretty well because of this!
 
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I was excited about being on the waitlist until I saw that it doesn't move too much, at least where Im at (in the 50's) so congrats too all those accepted! I will still keep a little hope because there is always a chance until the first day of class but I will be working on improving my application for next year!!
 
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Little Red Rats said:
Sorry for the late reply, I just got back from a banquet!

I sincerely appreciate all of the tireless hard work you and the rest of the application committee have put into scouring our thousands of applications, making the difficult decision of who should get in and who should not out of countless highly qualified applicants. I know I could never do that job because I'd be thinking everyone should get in, but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. I'm very glad you pointed out the new legislation. It puts my mind at ease. Whether or not it's an excuse, the fact is I brought up the "diversity" thing in the midst of my mental breakdown because one of the people who was helping me prepare for the interview kept going on about how I am a very "not diverse" candidate and so I must present myself in other ways to be competitive. And when I say she stressed this I mean she brought this point up any chance she got to the point that it was aggravating, and so this thought was on my mind when I was being a keyboard warrior in the bathroom earlier, even though truly I know that is not the reason I was rejected. The fact is my experiences are weak. I know that and yet I did not want to admit it to myself. I have decided to pursue a master's degree, get more experience and research, and come back in a few years when I am ready. I want to congratulate everyone who got in. You guys have worked so hard for this. Savor this moment and become the amazing veterinarians you have always dreamed of becoming!! Good luck to you all, and I'll see you again in a few years.
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I read some of your replies here, and I want to give you credit for looking back at your thoughts & realizing they weren't fair or representative of your true feelings. Someone once said to me "Your first thought is what you've been conditioned to think, your second thought/reaction is what you DECIDE to think." I think this is a great example of that.

As for working for next time, I think it's definitely good to look at the breadth & diversity of your experiences, but it's also worthwhile to think about whether your overall LIFE experiences provide a sense of diversity. I hate to say it, but not exploring any other career options & going straight into vet med has become a recipe for disaster & burnout in the newest generation, and a lot of vet schools are realizing that & trying to find people that have a little more of an understanding of the "real world". You also need to find some way to either diversify OR spin your current experiences/views to be diverse and practical. I'd think about whether your essay/interview responses display your true understanding of the profession and maturity about how the real world works. Think about some real-world situations & figure out what a measured, realistic, mature response would be, especially considering various socioeconomic backgrounds in your clients.
 
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EB73674 said:
I read some of your replies here, and I want to give you credit for looking back at your thoughts & realizing they weren't fair or representative of your true feelings. Someone once said to me "Your first thought is what you've been conditioned to think, your second thought/reaction is what you DECIDE to think." I think this is a great example of that.

As for working for next time, I think it's definitely good to look at the breadth & diversity of your experiences, but it's also worthwhile to think about whether your overall LIFE experiences provide a sense of diversity. I hate to say it, but not exploring any other career options & going straight into vet med has become a recipe for disaster & burnout in the newest generation, and a lot of vet schools are realizing that & trying to find people that have a little more of an understanding of the "real world". You also need to find some way to either diversify OR spin your current experiences/views to be diverse and practical. I'd think about whether your essay/interview responses display your true understanding of the profession and maturity about how the real world works. Think about some real-world situations & figure out what a measured, realistic, mature response would be, especially considering various socioeconomic backgrounds in your clients.
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Thank you! I feel like my essay and interview responses were pretty mature (for my young age) and expressive of what I’ve learned from life. My fiancé reminded me that diversity is not just race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc and that diversity can mean dealing with a difficult time and overcoming it. For me that was my battle with anorexia. Obviously I won’t get into it much here but I was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of ten and I nearly died from it. I’m talking on a feeding tube for months and not eating. A lot of my essays and interviews focused on this and how I learned that my determination is my strongest weapon and something that I can wield to accomplish my dreams. I mainly discussed how my animals were always there for me throughout my life and never judged me and that it’s because of them that I’m alive today, and that is why veterinary medicine is so important to me. I was originally distraught over this cycle’s rejections and ready to give up, but I reminded myself that my dream to become a veterinarian saved my life and that it’s something I’ve wanted to do forever and that one setback is not nearly powerful enough to stop me from achieving my goals. I’m currently applying to tOSU’s veterinary public health program, and I’m driving to Columbus to attend the Midwest veterinary conference! Life is great and 22 is too young to throw in the towel! I’m so excited for this next chapter of my life
 
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Little Red Rats said:
Thank you! I feel like my essay and interview responses were pretty mature (for my young age) and expressive of what I’ve learned from life. My fiancé reminded me that diversity is not just race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc and that diversity can mean dealing with a difficult time and overcoming it. For me that was my battle with anorexia. Obviously I won’t get into it much here but I was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of ten and I nearly died from it. I’m talking on a feeding tube for months and not eating. A lot of my essays and interviews focused on this and how I learned that my determination is my strongest weapon and something that I can wield to accomplish my dreams. I mainly discussed how my animals were always there for me throughout my life and never judged me and that it’s because of them that I’m alive today, and that is why veterinary medicine is so important to me. I was originally distraught over this cycle’s rejections and ready to give up, but I reminded myself that my dream to become a veterinarian saved my life and that it’s something I’ve wanted to do forever and that one setback is not nearly powerful enough to stop me from achieving my goals. I’m currently applying to tOSU’s veterinary public health program, and I’m driving to Columbus to attend the Midwest veterinary conference! Life is great and 22 is too young to throw in the towel! I’m so excited for this next chapter of my life
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Hey I’m not trying to bring down anything you are thinking of doing to further your chances at getting into vet school, if you truly want a masters, by all means go for it, but if you are wanting to get into vet school, i think it may be wise to take the year to diversify your experiences for reapplication. I read over your stats the multiple times you sent them and you had a fantastic gpa that doesn’t need to be covered by a masters program but what appears to be not a lot of clinical experience. A masters program may not be as beneficial from an experience standpoint but is instead typically used for students with lower gpas. Again, it wouldn’t hurt your chances but you may want to reflect on your experiences and practice interviewing for your future application cycle. I know it seems like a masters may be the perfect answer but I would recommend trying to see where you think your application fell short and try to improve upon the scope of your experiences in that category! Hope this helps, wish you the best of luck
 
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anonp-vet said:
Hey I’m not trying to bring down anything you are thinking of doing to further your chances at getting into vet school, if you truly want a masters, by all means go for it, but if you are wanting to get into vet school, i think it may be wise to take the year to diversify your experiences for reapplication. I read over your stats the multiple times you sent them and you had a fantastic gpa that doesn’t need to be covered by a masters program but what appears to be not a lot of clinical experience. A masters program may not be as beneficial from an experience standpoint but is instead typically used for students with lower gpas. Again, it wouldn’t hurt your chances but you may want to reflect on your experiences and practice interviewing for your future application cycle. I know it seems like a masters may be the perfect answer but I would recommend trying to see where you think your application fell short and try to improve upon the scope of your experiences in that category! Hope this helps, wish you the best of luck
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Thank you! I do really want the masters. The only school that did offer me file review told me my experiences weren’t the problem (this was Virginia-Maryland). I’ll see what OSU has to say. Virginia-Maryland told me nothing on my application was the problem and that it was simply a matter of too many applicants . Granted this was Virginia-Maryland, not OSU. Regardless I will be getting more experience during the masters as well, especially over the summer. I appreciate everyone’s advice and well wishes!
 
With the recent curriculum change does anyone know how many weeks are spent on clinical rotations now at tOSU?
 
amandalar845 said:
With the recent curriculum change does anyone know how many weeks are spent on clinical rotations now at tOSU?
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We just got what appears to be posted confirmation, class of 2026 starts clinics March 3 of 2025. It’s possible they may realize it 100% doesn’t work & will return to the old schedule, but that seems fairly unlikely! That means we spend 61 weeks on clinics, March through May of the following year.
 
Any other accepted students still not recieved information regarding instructions on activating your buckeyelink email address and/or details about the accepted students day?
 
es223 said:
Any other accepted students still not recieved information regarding instructions on activating your buckeyelink email address and/or details about the accepted students day?
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In the same boat. I am accepting my seat today so perhaps afterwards I'll receive something
 
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Did anyone receive information on financial aid/scholarships with their acceptance or is this something that will be awarded later?
 
bee1414 said:
Did anyone receive information on financial aid/scholarships with their acceptance or is this something that will be awarded later?
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I did not- but if it’s later, when? Before or after the acceptance deadline
 
halfn1/2 said:
I did not- but if it’s later, when? Before or after the acceptance deadline
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If you receive a recruitment scholarship, that will absolutely come to you before the acceptance deadline, almost definitely within the next couple of weeks. All other financial aid & scholarships don't get sent out until after acceptance, but you are guaranteed approval to borrow up to the full cost of attendance in federal loans, pretty much no matter your financial situation, and you'll have the option to apply for the Health Professions Student Loans program, which is similar to the Perkins Loan program for undergrad. Scholarships will come out later, but I'll warn you now that non-recruitment scholarships are fairly rare for first years, you generally have to apply for them through the school in later years. The only exception is if you apply for the army repayment scholarships.
 
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EB73674 said:
If you receive a recruitment scholarship, that will absolutely come to you before the acceptance deadline, almost definitely within the next couple of weeks. All other financial aid & scholarships don't get sent out until after acceptance, but you are guaranteed approval to borrow up to the full cost of attendance in federal loans, pretty much no matter your financial situation, and you'll have the option to apply for the Health Professions Student Loans program, which is similar to the Perkins Loan program for undergrad. Scholarships will come out later, but I'll warn you now that non-recruitment scholarships are fairly rare for first years, you generally have to apply for them through the school in later years. The only exception is if you apply for the army repayment scholarships.
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Thank you for sharing your insight!

How are the recruitment scholarships decided? For the future years- do many students receive the scholarships available? And how much is typically awarded? I know it’s a vague question, I just like to know stats.
 
halfn1/2 said:
Thank you for sharing your insight!

How are the recruitment scholarships decided? For the future years- do many students receive the scholarships available? And how much is typically awarded? I know it’s a vague question, I just like to know stats.
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Last year there were early acceptances sent out to a few students - all of those who received early acceptances received some kind of larger recruitment scholarship. The early acceptances were based on scoring criteria for the entire application. The top few applicants received early acceptances and thus, large recruitment scholarships.

I’ve talked to many of my classmates and most of them received a few thousand dollars, even if they didn’t receive a large recruitment scholarship.

As for years 2-4, we have a universal application system that lets you apply to like 100 internal scholarships. Some of them are large, some are small. The criteria is less about grades, more about involvement in the school, community, and your essays + financial need (as far as if you come from a poorer background …bc let’s face it, almost all dvm students have some financial need). The goal is for everyone to receive something even if it’s small.

I want to say there’s a couple MILLION dollars in scholarship funds that are distributed among the classes every year! So there are a LOT of opportunities, our dean LOVES to fundraise and talks a lot about how scholarship funds grew by like 700% in the last decade or something crazy like that.
 
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flotus said:
Last year there were early acceptances sent out to a few students - all of those who received early acceptances received some kind of larger recruitment scholarship. The early acceptances were based on scoring criteria for the entire application. The top few applicants received early acceptances and thus, large recruitment scholarships.

I’ve talked to many of my classmates and most of them received a few thousand dollars, even if they didn’t receive a large recruitment scholarship.

As for years 2-4, we have a universal application system that lets you apply to like 100 internal scholarships. Some of them are large, some are small. The criteria is less about grades, more about involvement in the school, community, and your essays + financial need (as far as if you come from a poorer background …bc let’s face it, almost all dvm students have some financial need). The goal is for everyone to receive something even if it’s small.

I want to say there’s a couple MILLION dollars in scholarship funds that are distributed among the classes every year! So there are a LOT of opportunities, our dean LOVES to fundraise and talks a lot about how scholarship funds grew by like 700% in the last decade or something crazy like that.
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Thank you!!
 
Is anyone aware of outside scholarships that are available for incoming first years that we can apply to?
 
es223 said:
Any other accepted students still not recieved information regarding instructions on activating your buckeyelink email address and/or details about the accepted students day?
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I’ve received buckeye link information but not anything about accepted students day.
 
I haven’t seen a groupme yet so figured I’d make one:
You're invited to my new group 'Ohio State CVM C/O 2028' on GroupMe. Click here to join: GroupMe
 
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I'm planning on visiting during one of the accepted student weekends. I'm looking for hotel recommendations in the area and looking for apartment recommendations to check out while we are there. Thanks!
 
AllCreaturesBigandSmall said:
I'm planning on visiting during one of the accepted student weekends. I'm looking for hotel recommendations in the area and looking for apartment recommendations to check out while we are there. Thanks!
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Have you received information for when the accepted student weekends will be?
 
I am interested in wildlife and conservation medicine. Could any current students with the same interests please comment on the opportunities at tOSU - coursework and clinical opportunities? Thank you.
 
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dvmhopeful13 said:
I am interested in wildlife and conservation medicine. Could any current students with the same interests please comment on the opportunities at tOSU - coursework and clinical opportunities? Thank you.
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I'd also like to know about what electives are like! I couldn't find a list at all online
 
The electives are currently being worked out - that part of the curriculum, more than anything, is in the testing phase to see how long they should be, what they should be, and how effective they are in the new formats. We (2nd years) are going into our first block of electives at the end of this semester, within a 2 week period. We have the option for 1 feline medicine course (1 credit), 1 equine medicine course (2 credits), 1 global public veterinary health course (1 credit), 1 zoo/wildlife medicine course (1 credit), and 1 independent study course in small animal dentistry online via the University of Illinois (1 credit). There will likely be more options in the future & more options throughout the years of the curriculum, but those are what we have thus far.

ETA: I just looked back through my emails, and it tentatively looks like we'll have quite a bit more time for electives in both semesters of 3rd year, nearly the full available elective courseload that we had before. I will continue to be salty that we don't have the full Large Animal Nutrition course available to us, but such is life. But we have lots of large/small/exotic/wildlife/food animal/public health courses coming up for availability!
 
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does anyone have any thoughts on living in Columbus, Ohio? I am an international student and just wondering about COL, safety, public transportation etc. Thanks!!!
 
futurevet28 said:
does anyone have any thoughts on living in Columbus, Ohio? I am an international student and just wondering about COL, safety, public transportation etc. Thanks!!!
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COL- I would say is average or a little bit on the lower side for city. The money allotted to us for COL through loans ideally would cover most of your expenses - especially if you had roommates and budgeted well. A lot of people are paying between $700 and $1000 rent if they split it with someone. Other things are pretty average: food, gas, utilities, car insurance etc. “Luxury” services are also average (~$25 for a sit down meal for one, $45 for a pedicure, $8-10 for a drink at most bars)

I do not have roommates, nor do I budget well, so I rely on other sources of income lol.


Transport - The city isn’t really walkable, at least not where the CVM is located, so transport is important. There are public busses to get around the city and there is also an OSU bus that circles campus and provides transport to students. A lot people live within 2 miles and bike to school. Near the school, there is a Target, movie theater, a few restaurants, some shops, etc. so if you can get to the school - you’re around “enough” stuff that you theoretically wouldn’t need to get around much more. Still though, it appears there is a robust public transport system. I do not use it, so I can’t comment on it more than just that it exists.


Safety - like any city, there are good and bad parts. Where the CVM is located is very safe and I’ve never felt uncomfortable. However, down the road on High street, things can get dicey. Move up the road a mile to Upper Arlington further down Lane Ave. area and you’re in a VERY ritzy area that is super safe and well off. So, literally within a 3 mile triangle you have dangerous, pretty safe, and super safe areas lol. Another close by area is Grandview. It’s mostly nice, but there is a little more property crime around that way. It’s very location dependent. I LOVE upper Arlington and I love where the CVM is located. I’ve never felt unsafe in either area. High street is where the main campus is and there are bars, plus a lot of general commotion. It’s pretty okay during the day, but absolutely has a reputation. It’s still fun to enjoy the shops and restaurants there!

I have never moved to another city, but I’ve found Columbus to be pretty easy to adjust to. I like that there are a lot smaller cities/towns that surround Columbus- plenty of things to do and explore.
 
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flotus said:
Still though, it appears there is a robust public transport system. I do not use it, so I can’t comment on it more than just that it exists.
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Compared to other cities’ public transportation, Columbus’ bus system is fairly limited. Downtown has the best coverage over the most hours of the day. The further you get from High Street, the fewer options you’ll have and the longer your commute will be when you have to switch bus lines. If you live in some neighborhoods/suburbs you might have the option of express busses that will take you directly to downtown, but those lines only run limited hours in the mornings and in the evenings. Sadly, Columbus, like many midwest cities, is best navigated by car.
 
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Is admitted students day a two day event? Or have the option to do Friday or Saturday of the week you choose?
 
Melanie Caldera said:
Is admitted students day a two day event? Or have the option to do Friday or Saturday of the week you choose?
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I wanted to know the same thing so I emailed them on Friday evening. Haven't heard back yet
 
Congrats to everyone accepted. I was very blown away with the interviewees we had.
 
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