PEI/AVC or reapply?

[lentilsmom]

Hi all, I need some help making a decision. I am a 24 y/o, non trad, first time applicant from california. I applied to a lot of schools in the states and didn’t get in ( still waiting on western). My cGPA is 3.3, sGPA 3.2, and last 45 3.54. My interest in wildlife, specifically marine medicine. I was accepted to Atlantic veterinary college (in PEI, Canada) and am excited about the prospect of going, but it would be more ideal to go to school in the states. AVC has a small class size and is great for aquatic medicine, but I’m unsure. Is it worth the risk to do a masters / retake classes to raise my gpa and reapply for the 2023 cycle or should I cut my losses and go where I got in? Thanks in advanced for opinions and advice!

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[BlackCatsRuleTheWorld]

Hi all, I need some help making a decision. I am a 24 y/o, non trad, first time applicant from california. I applied to a lot of schools in the states and didn’t get in ( still waiting on western). My cGPA is 3.3, sGPA 3.2, and last 45 3.54. My interest in wildlife, specifically marine medicine. I was accepted to Atlantic veterinary college (in PEI, Canada) and am excited about the prospect of going, but it would be more ideal to go to school in the states. AVC has a small class size and is great for aquatic medicine, but I’m unsure. Is it worth the risk to do a masters / retake classes to raise my gpa and reapply for the 2023 cycle or should I cut my losses and go where I got in? Thanks in advanced for opinions and advice!

In my opinion it would be better to spend the $$ on vet school tuition at AVC vs spending the $$ on a masters or retaking classes and then having to reapply (in which case these classes or programs wouldn't be on your transcript for this coming cycle, so you'd be looking at applying for c/o 2028). Totally fine to take that gap and time if that's what you really want, but if you're not using that masters or classes outside of the goal of getting into vet school, accepting the AVC offer seems like your best bet!

 

[that redhead]

I was in this literal exact same position when I applied and even posted here about it all those years ago

In the end, this is the only guaranteed acceptance you have. There is no guarantee of a US acceptance no matter how hard you work, how much you add to your application, etc. I am SO glad I took my acceptance and became a vet four years later. From a pure cost perspective, having a doctor salary after four years vs sinking more money into application boosters like additional classes, repeat app fees +/- travel expenses for interviews etc…it made sense.

What makes you feel unsure about AVC?

 

[booksandhorses]

Have you considered requesting a deferral?

 

[lentilsmom]

I was in this literal exact same position when I applied and even posted here about it all those years ago

In the end, this is the only guaranteed acceptance you have. There is no guarantee of a US acceptance no matter how hard you work, how much you add to your application, etc. I am SO glad I took my acceptance and became a vet four years later. From a pure cost perspective, having a doctor salary after four years vs sinking more money into application boosters like additional classes, repeat app fees +/- travel expenses for interviews etc…it made sense.

What makes you feel unsure about AVC?

Honestly the distance is getting to my head. 8 to 10 hours of travel time pretty much rules out the possibility of going home on a weekend if needed. I’m very close with my family and they are my biggest support system, so the thought of being so far away from them is daunting. Also, I struggle with my mental health and am worried about the resources available on the island. I think it would be helpful for me to visit to see that it’s not super super small town. Did you ever feel “trapped” there?

 

[that redhead]

Honestly the distance is getting to my head. 8 to 10 hours of travel time pretty much rules out the possibility of going home on a weekend if needed. I’m very close with my family and they are my biggest support system, so the thought of being so far away from them is daunting. Also, I struggle with my mental health and am worried about the resources available on the island. I think it would be helpful for me to visit to see that it’s not super super small town. Did you ever feel “trapped” there?

I’m from Maryland so it was a two day drive of 10+ hrs each to get home on breaks, and my now-husband and I typically met up in Portland for long weekends. I am also close with my family and they and my husband were my biggest support system too; it was certainly challenging to be so far from home and everyone I knew and loved.

I wish I could comment on the support for mental health available but I unfortunately cannot. Obviously there are school resources but like with every university setting, the demand is high especially around exam times, etc. That would absolutely be something to ask the school about as part of your decision process.

There were times I felt trapped, but I think anyone any distance from home and familiarity will feel that way. Especially because vet school as a program anywhere doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

The distance was a big deal. Charlottetown and PEI are super small town How much will that matter when you’re immersed in school and studying? I still “felt” it and wasn’t always happy but at least for me, it was manageable. It’s four years, and I was able to schedule my last six months of school at home. Plus breaks and such.

The question is, will you regret not going if you don’t get in stateside for a cycle or two or ever? That was what I had to ask myself and what convinced me to go.

 

[lentilsmom]

I’m from Maryland so it was a two day drive of 10+ hrs each to get home on breaks, and my now-husband and I typically met up in Portland for long weekends. I am also close with my family and they and my husband were my biggest support system too; it was certainly challenging to be so far from home and everyone I knew and loved.

I wish I could comment on the support for mental health available but I unfortunately cannot. Obviously there are school resources but like with every university setting, the demand is high especially around exam times, etc. That would absolutely be something to ask the school about as part of your decision process.

There were times I felt trapped, but I think anyone any distance from home and familiarity will feel that way. Especially because vet school as a program anywhere doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

The distance was a big deal. Charlottetown and PEI are super small town How much will that matter when you’re immersed in school and studying? I still “felt” it and wasn’t always happy but at least for me, it was manageable. It’s four years, and I was able to schedule my last six months of school at home. Plus breaks and such.

The question is, will you regret not going if you don’t get in stateside for a cycle or two or ever? That was what I had to ask myself and what convinced me to go.

Thank you so so much for this. Really put things in perspective for me!!