Ohio state vs Tufts

[RFaeth01]

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Hi there!
So I have been lucky enough to be accepted to both of these great schools and am having a really tough time making a decision. I was hoping current students from both schools could give me their input on what the school is like for them- strengths, weaknesses etc, .. I'm looking to go into general practice, mixed animal. Thanks so much!

 

[twelvetigers]

Here's a post with links to a review for Cornell and a couple for Ohio - basically a pros/cons list for each school from current students.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=9236088&postcount=196

 

[Crazy Hippos]

I was going to post the same topic, but in the pre-veterinary forum. I'm also having a hard time deciding between the two. I only flew in to take my interview at Ohio and flew out right after, so I didn't really get a feel for the school. On the other hand, I did spent the entire day at Tufts and absolutely loved it! Here's my pros/cons list that I've generated. Someone please correct me if any of these are wrong. Also, my list is very short so I'd love to hear what other people think of both the schools.

Tufts:
Pros-interaction with animals from 1st year, international & wildlife programs, wildlife hospital, farm.
Cons-less exposure to surgeries, more expensive.
Neutral-Smaller school


Ohio:
Pros-less expensive (tuition & cost of living), more exposure to surgeries.
Cons-no interaction with animals (except for wet labs) until third year.
Neutral-Larger school

I think both schools have very strong programs. Ohio is ranked #5 and Tufts is ranked something like #13, but after reading about how the schools were ranked, I'm not really giving this much weight.

 

[RFaeth01]

Wow I can't believe someone else is having the exact same conundrum! Your pros/cons list is very similar to mine, and I feel the same way- that only being in Ohio for that interview day was not enough to get a feel for the city- although I'm guessing its a bit more happening than North Grafton.. The only thing I would mention is that Ohio also has a farm, it's just 20 min away, not on campus like Tufts. And both schools have an ambulatory large animal service which is pretty cool. I also get the feeling that Ohio has a stronger food animal program. But overall, the two schools offer a lot of the same perks. Do you know what the deal is for getting Ohio residency? I'm confused about the summer- whether or not I could go home for more than 3 weeks. Are you out of state? You'll have to let me know what you end up deciding..


I just checked out those links comparing schools- they were great, thanks!

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Ohio has a farm too? Awesome!

You're right. There wasn't much to do in North Grafton, but it was a quaint town and Boston is just an hour away. When I went to Tufts, I felt like the faculty and students were really supportive of each other. I was wondering if you got the same feeling at Ohio?

Yes, I'm OOS. To gain residency, you have to spend one summer in Ohio and cannot leave the state for more than 3 weeks. It can be the summer before you start vet school or the summer between your 1st and 2nd year. You sit down with the residency person with your financial statements to show that your parents haven't been padding your account. I believe they look at your checking/savings account a year before matriculation (2013) and you are only allowed to use the money you had in your account up to that point. THEOSU2012 is a really great source to talk to about gaining residency.

Good luck on your decision! Keep me informed. 🙂

 

[Angelo84]

Congratulations on your dilemma! I had this decision a few years ago and agree that both schools are great. Is either cheaper? If so go with the cheaper option just make sure you are looking at cost of education and take into account that ohio has three quarters. Other than that you will get a very good education at either school. I think one of the main benefits of Tufts is earlier hands on work with live animals. At least when I applied you didn't touch a live animal in class at Ohio until third year. I don't know if that is still the case.

Feel free to PM if you want more specific info. But both schools are great options.

Good luck with decisions.

 

[Bill59]

Is either cheaper? If so go with the cheaper option just make sure you are looking at cost of education and take into account that ohio has three quarters.

This. And I'm guessing The OSU is cheaper but make sure you look at everything.

 

[RFaeth01]

Thanks everyone for the help. I do think that OSU would be the cheaper option, but only if I could get instate residency which I need to look into more..

Crazy Hippos- It's funny you mention the supportive atmosphere at Tufts, because that was what most impressed me about Ohio. When I went for my interview the main thing that I took away from the whole day was how much the faculty wanted you there and wanted you to succeed. They mentioned free tutors and the fact that faculty give you their cell phone number and regularly hang out with students for social activities. All the students I met really loved the school and felt good there. I didn't actually get the same feeling from Tufts, (although I'm sure its there!)but I'm glad that you did. Do you live in Mass by any chance? I'm in Boston currently.

The fact that Tufts starts you off with once a week at the farm working with animals did really appeal to me. And yes, to the best of my knowledge, all animals you touch at OSU are dead until about your 3rd year. That being sad, I know that through clubs and such you can get lots of wet labs and extra stuff prior to rotations.

 

[david594]

Thanks everyone for the help. I do think that OSU would be the cheaper option, but only if I could get instate residency which I need to look into more..

The fact that Tufts starts you off with once a week at the farm working with animals did really appeal to me. And yes, to the best of my knowledge, all animals you touch at OSU are dead until about your 3rd year. That being sad, I know that through clubs and such you can get lots of wet labs and extra stuff prior to rotations.

Being a previous MA resident who is now at OSU...

Getting in-state residency isn't really a big deal. They tell you exactly what you have to do, then its just a matter filling out the right paperwork and playing by their rules(ie, no one giving you lots of money). And the loan money we can get is really more than enough to cover our living expenses, so it's really not something to worry about(at least I'm not).

Two quarters in so far with no animal interaction, but I think we might see the occasional animal in labs for neuro 3rd quarter of our first year. Otherwise no real live animal contact until 3rd year sounds about right. My honest opinion on the matter is that while it seems like it would be more fun/interesting to have some early animal contact, I don't feel like the lack of has a negative affect on my education.

I'm a small animal guy and have gotten a job doing 1( or sometimes 2) shifts in a small emergency clinic on weekends and I absolutely love it. It's plenty of animal interaction to get me through the weeks.

Cost wise I think you are going to come out a lot cheaper here compared to Tufts. Tuition costs are less(assuming residency) and the cost of living is a fair bit cheaper than massachusetts.

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Thanks everyone for the help. I do think that OSU would be the cheaper option, but only if I could get instate residency which I need to look into more..

Crazy Hippos- It's funny you mention the supportive atmosphere at Tufts, because that was what most impressed me about Ohio. When I went for my interview the main thing that I took away from the whole day was how much the faculty wanted you there and wanted you to succeed. They mentioned free tutors and the fact that faculty give you their cell phone number and regularly hang out with students for social activities. All the students I met really loved the school and felt good there. I didn't actually get the same feeling from Tufts, (although I'm sure its there!)but I'm glad that you did. Do you live in Mass by any chance? I'm in Boston currently.

The fact that Tufts starts you off with once a week at the farm working with animals did really appeal to me. And yes, to the best of my knowledge, all animals you touch at OSU are dead until about your 3rd year. That being sad, I know that through clubs and such you can get lots of wet labs and extra stuff prior to rotations.

I'm so glad you mentioned that bit about Ohio. I really wish I could have made it to the presentations/panels. I live in NYC, so both places might take some getting used to.

I also loved the fact that Tufts had you work at the farm once a week. I'm most likely going into small animal medicine, but I'm itching to experience life on a farm!

I'll most likely choose Ohio (money wins), but it will definitely be hard turning down Tufts. 🙁

Thanks for the advice guys! 👍

 

[lalzi22]

Hey, I know its been a few days since you posted, but I had to post since I too was going though the same tough decision. Tufts has been my dream sine I did their AVM summer program I high school, and I was finally accepted, which was amazing. I was accepted to a few schools, but for me it came down to OSU and Tufts. I too am from NY and got on a plane the second my interview was done, but in the little time that I spent at Ohio simply for my interview, I loved it.

For me, it comes down to cost. I am going to be a DVM no matter what school I chose, and it just seems so silly to be an extra 40k in debt (WITHOUT interest, which spikes pretty high). I loved Tufts, but I also loved Ohio, and with the whole money issue, it just seemed a no brainer for me.

Just wanted you to know you are def not alone! Maybe I'll see you in my OSU classes this fall!

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Thanks lalzi. Definitely makes me feel better to know that someone who also fell in love with Tufts is turning it down since Ohio is the smarter decision financially. Hope to see you in Sept! 🙂