Residency Question

[jtom]

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I am 24 and will be applying for vet school in 2011. I have no vet/animal experience so I need to make this a full time committment pretty much until I apply next year.

I do not like my instate school and I wanted to go somewhere cheaper. I thought of the idea of moving to a state that has a vet school I like this summer to make it there a year before I would apply in order to meet the one year requirement for residency. However, as I said, I am 24 so I am classified as an indepedent I believe. If thats the case I would then assume I would have to prove I am totally supporting myself. Since I have to get experience hours and make it my top priority and since these positions will pay little or anything, I might not be able to support myself. At which point my parents could help me out but they would be from another state. I have also read on a few program websites that they ask for your records going back 24 months, not 12. Im not sure if it would send a red flag to them that every record of mine is not in there state past 12 months. I am not sure why they say a year before applying but then ask for your records going back 24 months.

So should I move? I believe that I am in an unfortunate situation due to my age and the fact I have to make getting hours in my top priority that it would be iffy if I could get in state residency and given preference in admissions.

Also, would vet programs get wise to what I was doing? Meaning lets say they review my file and see I conviently moved to their state one year before applying. Basically, do they have bias for people who have been living in the state longer? So if I and a long time wisconsin resident had similar stats and the only difference was that the other had been living in the state for many years, would they go with them?

Thanks!

 

[moosenanny]

I'm sorry that this isn't directly answering your question, but I don't understand why you feel the need to move so strongly. Yes, you dislike your state school, but you can certainly apply to schools as an OOS student. I got into two schools OOS this year, one of which allows you to become an IS resident and get the more affordable tuition after the first year (i.e., Mizzou).

You may be placing too much of an emphasis on residency. Yes, being a resident of the state helps, but I think it is much more important to focus on getting the best grades possible and getting the most depth and breadth out of your experiences. Then, apply wisely to a variety of schools, focusing on those that accept a high percentage of OOS students (search old threads for this info), and those that allow you to become a resident after the first year (if money is a big issue for you).

Again, sorry if this does not address your question very well, but I'm just curious why becoming a resident is such a "holy grail" for you. It certainly helps, but is by know means the magical formula for acceptance!

 

[jtom]

Oh of course I know having a good academic record is extremely important but I just wanted to increase my chances even more by being considered an instate resident. I really would like to get accepted my first cycle. Money is an issue for me as well, I refuse to get into high levels of debt and will be applying to the cheaper schools available.

 

[BlacKAT33]

sorry i dont know too much about residency details. however, i dont think that they will give preference to people who have lived there 1 yr vs. 10 yrs. if anything, it shows how much you REALLY want to go to this school. but i'm not even sure if the top admissions people actually see all this detail. It may just be the secretaries who verify your IS residency forms are accurate and that you are considered an IS applicant.

do you mind sharing your IS school? So i guess you want to go to cornell because it says "new york soon" by your avatar. Just making sure...is this residency change truly about going to a cheaper school? or because you want to go to the #1 ranked vet school?? Have you visited the campus? do you think their program is right for you? I'm pretty sure they have that new way of teaching, PBL? Are you going into SA medicine? i know people who do internships at penn because there is not a high case load at cornell. anyway, i think there are a lot of things to consider before choosing your top school and i'm not sure if you have done that yet...?

 

[jtom]

I am currently in florida at the moment and was moving to new york. However, yesterday I have decided to look into other states as well. I was basically going to narrow schools down according to cost and then go further into case load etc to pick my top schools.

 

[rileyroo]

I am currently in florida at the moment and was moving to new york. However, yesterday I have decided to look into other states as well. I was basically going to narrow schools down according to cost and then go further into case load etc to pick my top schools.

if you are looking for cheap tuition, Cornell isn't one of the cheapest...at $26,500 for IS. that's about $3,000 MORE than Florida's IS tuition, so you'd be moving to NY to pay MORE for tuition.

like blackat said, you need to educate yourself on each school before deciding to just up and move. curriculum, application process (look at their supplemental apps!), etc.

i mentioned on your other thread about looking into residency...whatever school you school, check their requirements for obtaining residency (the vet school, not undergrad).

i doubt the adcoms care if you've lived there your entire life or just long enough to obtain residency IF you are within their residency guidelines. there are so many other factors that go into vet school applications that the last thing they need is to add on yet ANOTHER area of consideration...well these two candidates are exactly the same - experience, gre, gpa, LORs, BUT this one has lived here her entire life, so... doubt it.

 

[sumstorm]

Just a suggestion: add on to your previous threads. You are asking very similar questions repeatedly. It kind of seems like you are starting to repeat a question with slightly different aspects, or splitting hairs. Folks will read the original if you post in that thread. and you don't answer the questions asked (like what is wrong with FL education at the CVM level) which makes it seem like you are looking more for folks t say 'that's a brilliant idea, do that.' rather than realistic advice. That is just my opinion and suggestion, worth what it cost! 🙂

 

[No Imagination]

I made the move (from NYC to Mississippi) - iirc, Cornell does NOT take a lot of IS vs. OOS students. I may be wrong. Also, competing for an IS spot at Cornell (in New York) is probably as hard or harder, then competing for an OOS spot at many other schools (name recognition, a large number of IS applicants, and just a damn good school).

Now, if you are not worried about getting in (your application is that good), then disregard this post - as it probably doesn't pertain to you.

But moving to NY to get IS for Cornell - for any reason other then lower tuition, would be a bad move IMO... Unless you are THAT sure you are getting in.

I did the math many years ago, and flagged 4-5 schools with low IS application #'s, Low tuition, and a HIGH IS % acceptance quota - and made my decision based on those facts.

Hope this helps.

 

[sumstorm]

yeah, I am another that made residency change to improve chances. husband put in for work in states with low IS tuition...and we got the best deal possible!

 

[jtom]

I made the move (from NYC to Mississippi) - iirc, Cornell does NOT take a lot of IS vs. OOS students. I may be wrong. Also, competing for an IS spot at Cornell (in New York) is probably as hard or harder, then competing for an OOS spot at many other schools (name recognition, a large number of IS applicants, and just a damn good school).

Now, if you are not worried about getting in (your application is that good), then disregard this post - as it probably doesn't pertain to you.

But moving to NY to get IS for Cornell - for any reason other then lower tuition, would be a bad move IMO... Unless you are THAT sure you are getting in.

I did the math many years ago, and flagged 4-5 schools with low IS application #'s, Low tuition, and a HIGH IS % acceptance quota - and made my decision based on those facts.

Hope this helps.

Wow NYC to Mississippi, that must have been a change. I do agree with your move, you highly increased your chances by doing so. I was just contemplating doing something similar. Just to clarify, I was planning a move to new york becuase I could get my old job back (not animal related) and it had nothing to do with getting instate residency for cornell. Cornell as you mentioned is difficult at best to get into plus it is more money then alot of other schools. I decided that it would be wise to getvet/experience hours in and decided to put that on hold and look into other states with vet programs.