Penn

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I called the State of NJ a few months ago and they said the Vet Contracts were going to be fully funded in the Fall of 2007. Still doesn't mean much because when I talked to Penn they said it varies year-to-year on the number of seats. So who knows how many seats there are. I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
 
just a question i figured i'd ask in the PENN thread.

i see from interview feedback that the cold interviewer first asks, "tell me about yourself." into how much detail did you go into with that question if you've had an interview already?

Well, for my interview last week (not at penn), when i got asked this I just smiled and said, "well, where should i begin?" I started with the beginning of my undergrad... because thats about when i decided what i wanted to do, etc. They seemed happy with my answer, as far as i could tell.
 
I called the State of NJ a few months ago and they said the Vet Contracts were going to be fully funded in the Fall of 2007. Still doesn't mean much because when I talked to Penn they said it varies year-to-year on the number of seats. So who knows how many seats there are. I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

I called Amanda Billups, who runs that program, and she doesn't know what's going to happen with the funding until July 2007 when the budget passes. So I'm not sure where you heard that...but I think they also don't assign the contract seats until the budget passes. At Penn it's based on merit. There are 3 seats, and usually 6-8 people from NJ are accepted.
 
I called Amanda Billups, who runs that program, and she doesn't know what's going to happen with the funding until July 2007 when the budget passes. So I'm not sure where you heard that...but I think they also don't assign the contract seats until the budget passes. At Penn it's based on merit. There are 3 seats, and usually 6-8 people from NJ are accepted.
Thanks for the info. I talked to Amanda a few months ago (when NJ shut down for a few days) and she said it was going to be funded. Maybe I misunderstood her or the other way around. I'll worry about getting an acceptance first then worry about the money later. Let me know if you hear anything new.
 
1) How many people were in the interview groups?
30
2) Has anybody claiming NJ residency had an interview yet? (NJ has a contract w/ Penn)
There was a woman in my interview group who was a NJ resident. She asked a question during the info session, and the answer made it sound like Penn doesn't pay attention to whether or not you're from NJ when they do admissions. Like, if there were 10 funded seats available and they only admitted 5 NJ residents, that would be OK with them. (Rather than 10 funded seats meaning they would have 10 seats reserved that would *have* to be filled by people from NJ.)

It was also clear that you have to do some paperwork with the State of NJ to make sure they consider you a resident, and then this paperwork goes to Penn. Penn doesn't have any say in who qualifies as a NJ resident.
 
thanks kate_g and mistifical for the advice.

monkey85: i'm from nj too, and i'll see you on the 23rd! 🙂
 
This thread is long-overdue. Two purposes to this thread:

1) For those who haven't gone to interviews yet/haven't gotten interviews yet, feel free to rant.

2) For people who have already gone to the interviews, did you think this was a school that would fit your needs? I ask this because I'm interested in wildlife/conservation, and I don't really know if Penn would be as good of a choice as, say, Illinois or Tufts. Does anyone have any insight on this?
Penn, and this is from vet student's who've I've talked to who are penn students, UPenn does not have a good wildlife program.
 
Are there still a lot of applicants out there awaiting invitations from UPenn to interview with them? As they advertised that their interviews are from mid-January to March, and February being almost over, I'm starting to worry a lil bit. I'm an out-of-state applicant to UPenn if that helps anyone in responding to my situation...
 
Are there still a lot of applicants out there awaiting invitations from UPenn to interview with them? As they advertised that their interviews are from mid-January to March, and February being almost over, I'm starting to worry a lil bit. I'm an out-of-state applicant to UPenn if that helps anyone in responding to my situation...

I'm in-state and nothing, not a peep, which surprises me slightly since I got either accepted or interviews to all the other places I applied to...
 
I'm in-state and nothing, not a peep, which surprises me slightly since I got either accepted or interviews to all the other places I applied to...

Schools outside of the country are different...but don't give up yet
 
Piddlingfish, was your Penn interview on 2/16? I think I met you - you live above the vet clinic where you work? And have to shovel the walks? 😛 I have curly blond hair and was wearing a brown sweater and getting more nervous by the minute because my interview was dead last, haha.
 
Piddlingfish, was your Penn interview on 2/16? I think I met you - you live above the vet clinic where you work? And have to shovel the walks? 😛 I have curly blond hair and was wearing a brown sweater and getting more nervous by the minute because my interview was dead last, haha.
lol, that was definitely me. and this just after i sent you a PM! my interview was very much towards the end of the day, too. heh... i'm not one to get nervous for any old interview... but that one messed me up!
 
Oh damnit, see? I was completely in a fog of nerves. I'm not usually that easily shaken either, but oh man was it rough to be at the end of the day! So sorry. I actually PM'd you back, inaccurately as it turns out because I did meet you!
 
empty your PM box! blasted 5 msg limit.
 
Are there still a lot of applicants out there awaiting invitations from UPenn to interview with them? As they advertised that their interviews are from mid-January to March, and February being almost over, I'm starting to worry a lil bit. I'm an out-of-state applicant to UPenn if that helps anyone in responding to my situation...

I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but I had an interview at UPenn today (2/23) and they said they were 95% sure today was the last day they would be interviewing applicants. The board has been accepting about twice as many applicants from each group compared to previous years.
 
Hey guys,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I heard through the grapevine that today was the last day of interviews and they are going to be going back through the on holds and filling out the class. Apparently they may add another day as people accept/decline offers if they need to.
Sorry! 🙁
 
So, how many of you have actually gotten a *letter* of acceptance, as opposed to just the phone call?

I interviewed 2/2 and got a phone call the next day, but still nothing in the mail. I know some people got letters, because tapir mentioned getting a scholarship offer in the acceptance letter.

Tapir, had you already submitted your FAFSA before interviewing, or at least before you got the letter? I'm *almost* able to delude myself that they're waiting to send my letter until I submit the FAFSA so they can offer me a big fat scholarship... 🙄
 
So, how many of you have actually gotten a *letter* of acceptance, as opposed to just the phone call?

I interviewed 2/2 and got a phone call the next day, but still nothing in the mail. I know some people got letters, because tapir mentioned getting a scholarship offer in the acceptance letter.

Tapir, had you already submitted your FAFSA before interviewing, or at least before you got the letter? I'm *almost* able to delude myself that they're waiting to send my letter until I submit the FAFSA so they can offer me a big fat scholarship... 🙄

I never got a phone call at all, but I did get my acceptance letter the Thursday after my interview. No scholarship though :/

Maybe you should call? They made a big deal about 'you'll have a letter in two weeks' when I was there. Never hurts to just check up on things.
 
So, how many of you have actually gotten a *letter* of acceptance, as opposed to just the phone call?

I interviewed 2/2 and got a phone call the next day, but still nothing in the mail. I know some people got letters, because tapir mentioned getting a scholarship offer in the acceptance letter.

Tapir, had you already submitted your FAFSA before interviewing, or at least before you got the letter? I'm *almost* able to delude myself that they're waiting to send my letter until I submit the FAFSA so they can offer me a big fat scholarship... 🙄

Dunno if this helps or not...
I interviewed 1/12 and got the official acceptance letter in the mail on 1/27. I had not submitted my FAFSA at that point (didn't submit until the beginning of February), and there was no scholarship listed, just a few lines about the state grant for PA residents.
 
Sorry Emio, the darn thing filled up overnight! I'll PM you my email address.
 
I had my interview 2/16 at penn, got a call the same night, and this friday 2/23 I received the acceptance letter!🙂 So for those waiting for this precious little envelope...check your mailbox! & good luck!:luck:
 
Tapir, had you already submitted your FAFSA before interviewing, or at least before you got the letter?

Sorry for the late reply, but no, I didn't submit my FAFSA until mid-Feb. I would just give them a call if you haven't gotten the letter yet.
 
Cornell U College of Veterinary Medicine is considering the NJ Contract Seats for Admissions but they will not discount tuition unless the NJ Contract Seats are fully-funded.

Other schools are giving pro-rata discounts depending on the funding.
You can help your cause by going to the following and signing the petition. Be sure to have your parents, friends, neighbors and any voters you know from NJ sign also. The budget is being considered in the next two to three weeks and when the final budget is passed you will know if the NJ contract seats are fully-funded or partially funded. The schools will determine how they will use the funding.

Veterinary Medical Education Act of 1971


Blog: http://VMEA1971.blogspot.com


Please sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/VMEA1971/petition.html

Write the Governor: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html
Write your NJ State Legislators: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/SelectMun.asp
 
I haven't heard anything from them at all. I e-mailed them earlier this week to ask what the deal was, but haven't gotten a reply yet.
They suck with communication. 👍
 
I interviewed on the 2nd and only just got my letter this past Saturday. I had gotten a phone call already...so I knew I was accepted. But, it took them a while to get the letter to me. I submitted my FAFSA around the 16th of Feb. Dont know if that had anything to do with it coming late or not...
 
...me too, until very recently. I'm trying not to look to far into it, but I can't help but be a little suspicious of the significance.
 
...me too, until very recently. I'm trying not to look to far into it, but I can't help but be a little suspicious of the significance.

I wouldn't read too much into that -- they've probably been very busy with the last couple rounds of interviews and finalizing all their decisions and stuff like that. Hang in there!
 
you think so? Mrs. Herpen has been very prompt with answering all of my emails.
Hmmm.... mind giving me the e-mail address you're using?
I've just been using the general admissions e-mail address.
 
That's the one Roseanne Herpen responds to. At the beginning of the admissions process she was extremely prompt, I'm sure they've been flooded with emails recently though.
 
Has anyone else gotten interviews OR rejections from Penn in the past couple weeks? Is there any hope? I feel I'm a pretty well-qualified applicant, but am a CA resident w/ strong wildlife interest. Could that actually have hurt me? I missed that memo... I toured the vet school over the holidays and an admissions staff member spent 2hrs with me, which seemed above and beyond...any thoughts or suggestions? I'm thinking of writing a letter stating my strong interest in the school...?
 
Has anyone else gotten interviews OR rejections from Penn in the past couple weeks?

When I interviewed on 2/23, the admissions staff told us that it was the last interview day. They actually accepted a higher than usual number of applicants from all the weeks previous to ours, and were a little........vague about whether or not that hurt our chances (the Dean later said it did not). But they did tell us we were the last group.

Sorry. A lot of it really seems like arbitrary luck, sometimes. Like, I got into Penn, but it looks like I didn't get into Wisconsin? How does that work?
 
That's what I assumed when I got my rejection letter. I think it was right around the time of your interview. It does seem weird that they sent some rejections out and not all as I do think they were pretty much done with interviews. The only thing I can think of is that maybe they are done interviewing, but because they accepted so many people from each group they want to keep a pool of applicants if a lot of people withdraw that they can interview later? This is completely speculation on my part, but they are being quite confusing.
 
When I interviewed on 2/23, the admissions staff told us that it was the last interview day. They actually accepted a higher than usual number of applicants from all the weeks previous to ours, and were a little........vague about whether or not that hurt our chances (the Dean later said it did not). But they did tell us we were the last group.

Sorry. A lot of it really seems like arbitrary luck, sometimes. Like, I got into Penn, but it looks like I didn't get into Wisconsin? How does that work?
Well, there we have it. Thank you for the information. 👍
 
Thanks to all for your insight! I agree, Penn's being quite vague and it's odd that they didn't send everyone their rejection letters at once. Oh well--I'm sure mine's coming. Best wishes to all the Penn acceptees--and everyone else too!!
 
Hmmm.... mind giving me the e-mail address you're using?
I've just been using the general admissions e-mail address.


like ri23 said, i just used the general admissions email. she responds to that.

and yeah, like everyone said: Penn took more per round than normal and they said they were 95% sure that feb 23 was the last set of interviews. they even called people the morning of to invite them.
 
For anyone who sent their $500 deposits into Penn already: have your checks been cashed/deposited yet? Thanks.
 
For anyone who sent their $500 deposits into Penn already: have your checks been cashed/deposited yet? Thanks.

Not yet. i wish they would just take my money. hahaha!! not something we'd want to happen everyday, right? go ahead..... take all my money! 🙂

i called mr. keiter 2 weeks ago just to confirm that my check was received (it was). he said they didn't have time to deposit them yet.

hope this helps!
 
i called mr. keiter 2 weeks ago just to confirm that my check was received (it was). he said they didn't have time to deposit them yet.

That does help! Thanks a lot. I just don't want to forget about it and have it accidentally bounce. :laugh:
 
Piddlingfish, was your Penn interview on 2/16? I think I met you - you live above the vet clinic where you work? And have to shovel the walks? 😛 I have curly blond hair and was wearing a brown sweater and getting more nervous by the minute because my interview was dead last, haha.

Hi, I was at the 2/16 interview too. I also live above a small animal hospital and have to do things like shovel the walks and after-hours treatments. Weird! I though for sure piddlingfish was talking about me!
 
Hi, I was at the 2/16 interview too. I also live above a small animal hospital and have to do things like shovel the walks and after-hours treatments. Weird! I though for sure piddlingfish was talking about me!
lol
after she described herself to me, i thought hmmm, i remember her, but i really don't think i talked to her? how did she know i shoveled sidewalks? it must have been you! haha small world, no? 🙂

so where the heck is your small animal hospital? you're doing equine at penn though, right?

edit: 100th post. i'll try to stop being a post *****. 😳
 
edit: 100th post. i'll try to stop being a post *****. 😳

Haha, I wish I could reset my post count so people wouldn't see what a loser I've been. Almost 300 posts since the start of the application process? And most of them were after the applications were already in...!
 
Its near NBC. No, I am not interested in equine. My main interest is in poultry medicine, but I also like small animal surgery.


lol
after she described herself to me, i thought hmmm, i remember her, but i really don't think i talked to her? how did she know i shoveled sidewalks? it must have been you! haha small world, no? 🙂

so where the heck is your small animal hospital? you're doing equine at penn though, right?

edit: 100th post. i'll try to stop being a post *****. 😳
 
Its near NBC. No, I am not interested in equine. My main interest is in poultry medicine, but I also like small animal surgery.

APEC...I think I was actually talking to you at the Penn interview! 😳 In the circle of chairs in the corner to the right when you walked in the door? (past the food table) No wonder Emio and I didn't quite remember each other...wow, small world, and now I feel silly!
 
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