Ross 2012

[jmo1012]

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I apologize in advance for the long post!!!!
I have been driving myself crazy trying to make the right decision... I feel like my pro and con lists for the two are about even. Faculty numbers/credentials seem similar, technology seems similar.... I work with a vet who graduated from Ross so originally it was my top choice then I wavered back and forth since then. I feel I would rather be on Grenada and the campus is beautiful, but I know a lot more people who went to Ross.

Okay so new thoughts since my last post.... Ross has an AHAA Teaching Hospital. How much does that matter... I know Deg told me the small animal facilities are nice at SGU with Digital Rad and Ultrasound.....

Can anyone comment on whether Ross has student support services like counseling, office hours, study skills, etc. I have heard SGU has?

Ross has an in-room phone with a U.S. area-code and free calling to U.S. .... and provide you with a local cell to put pre-paid minutes on. Does SGU do this?

Lastly.... I like the idea of being able to live closer to campus and not have a car :/



You're right, I will give you that! I guess I just mean it's been around longer 😛

as far as I know, we're working on the AAHA certification thing. even in just the past 4 months thing have been modified/updated for the better 🙂 i'm pretty sure one of the ross brochures has someone ultrasounding on it, so my guess is they have digital rads and ultrasound too 😉

you can call back to the US for free in a variety of ways. you can use things like skype or google video, or you can purchase magicjack for ~$30 and plug it into your computer to call on an actual phone to US #s for free (you register for a US #). google voice allows for texting, and of course theres always email, fb, and snail mail.

during orientation week, both phone companies set up a booth on campus. you get a SIM card and phone for free with purchase of minutes at this time. for example, you'll purchase $60 EC worth of credit and get the phone free with it (a very good deal, and $60 EC is about $25 US)

can't comment on the driving thing, i DEFINITELY don't want to drive here, the islanders are (safe) maniacs when it comes to driving. their system seems like complete and total madness, but it really does work for them!

and yes, ross has definitely been around longer haha (but SGU has managed make quite a name for itself in the 12 years it's been around too)

 

[jlm179]

I love love Ross and St. Kitts!

I know absolutely nothing about SGU, lol. My vet said go to Ross so thats what I did.😉

Ross is amazing! I don't know why people think they don't have support for there students thats just completely and utterly untrue.

Professors have office hours, hold Q&A sessions outside of class if enough people want them. There are so many TAs sessions that I could go to class 7 days a week if I wanted to..lol. There are also tutors that are Ross approved.

As for the locals, they have always been really nice to me. Most know how much having the vet school on the island helps their economy and gives them jobs etc...

O and driving here isn't bad at all! I think its fun..lol You can live close to campus and never get a car. I know friends of mine that do that or they share a car with their roomie.

I love it here and couldn't imagine going any where else. You get so much hands on experience here its amazing! You have clinical skills lab every semester to help you learn all the skills you need to to make you a good surgeon, vet, etc..

I can't say enough good things about Ross. Its a fantastic school. 😀

 

[kiwiseeds]

Glad to hear great things about Ross, because I'll be going down there in Sept for the Vet Prep program! Anyone else in the same boat? =)

 

[jlm179]

Glad to hear great things about Ross, because I'll be going down there in Sept for the Vet Prep program! Anyone else in the same boat? =)

I did vet prep!! 😀😀 Its a pretty cool program! Definitely helps you out with your future at Ross. Its a bit boring at times as you have a lot of free time, but helps prepare you for your future of sure. I am way less stressed out as a 1st semester vet student than most because I am already used to the island etc etc...

 

[jmo1012]

I love love Ross and St. Kitts!

I know absolutely nothing about SGU, lol. My vet said go to Ross so thats what I did.😉

Ross is amazing! I don't know why people think they don't have support for there students thats just completely and utterly untrue.

Professors have office hours, hold Q&A sessions outside of class if enough people want them. There are so many TAs sessions that I could go to class 7 days a week if I wanted to..lol. There are also tutors that are Ross approved.

As for the locals, they have always been really nice to me. Most know how much having the vet school on the island helps their economy and gives them jobs etc...

O and driving here isn't bad at all! I think its fun..lol You can live close to campus and never get a car. I know friends of mine that do that or they share a car with their roomie.

I love it here and couldn't imagine going any where else. You get so much hands on experience here its amazing! You have clinical skills lab every semester to help you learn all the skills you need to to make you a good surgeon, vet, etc..

I can't say enough good things about Ross. Its a fantastic school. 😀

aww it makes me smile to hear such nice things about ross, the rumors can be so nasty (about both schools though) 🙂

 

[abear]

JML179-->

Can you give a bit more info about Vet Prep? Did it teach you good study habits? Are there people who fail out? 16.5 credits is quite a load, but it sounds like that is nothing compared to most semesters. Thanks.

 

[abear]

I am wondering why everyone says to get a car on St. Kitts. I understand the reasoning for a car during the rainy season, but why not a bicycle? Is the car for safety reasons? If you guys have any ideas--I would love to hear them.

😕

 

[jmo1012]

I am wondering why everyone says to get a car on St. Kitts. I understand the reasoning for a car during the rainy season, but why not a bicycle? Is the car for safety reasons? If you guys have any ideas--I would love to hear them.

😕

if the roads on st. kitts are anything like the roads of grenada, it's pretty much impossible to ride a bike on them. in addition to being unsafe, the roads here are in disrepair and are full of divots and potholes. i attribute the damage to their being so much rain (kind of like a reverse snow effect). also, the main roads are paved, but a lot of the side roads are not (i.e. where apartments are).

an alternative to cars here is getting a moped. these are pretty popular with the students

 

[Beezil]

Can anyone tell me what happened to your online application status once Ross made a decision. I am currently "in review" and I was wondering what happens next.

 

[jlm179]

JML179-->

Can you give a bit more info about Vet Prep? Did it teach you good study habits? Are there people who fail out? 16.5 credits is quite a load, but it sounds like that is nothing compared to most semesters. Thanks.

I already had good study habits, but I suppose it would teach you good ones if that something you needed to work on. I just didn't apply said study habit in college...whoops. You do take test to figure out how you study best and you have block exams so it teaches you how to study for multiple classes at once and not get behind with others. Thats really important for the rest of the semesters. O and yes people do fail out of vet prep. We lost one from our 16, so only 15 moved on.

Vet prep load isn't bad at all. You only have tests in 4 of the classes. The rest are just pass/fail with a few assignments here and there. Its a really cool program that definitely helps you for your future at Ross. You have so much free time with Vet Prep though which get boring some, but would be nice to have now that I am in 1st. At the end of the day it was worth the money! I could of spent more money going back and retaking classes etc to hope to get in or I went into the program and did a whole semester to prove I was worthy of getting in. Faster in the end and probably the same it would of cost me in the states.😀



As for cars here, yes it randomly rains, but not only that drivers are crazy here! Plus the roads are a mess with the potholes. They actually do fix them but it rains so much here that you just get more. You couldn't pay me to ride a bike here. Some people do, but I wouldn't. Some people also get mopeds, but I wouldn't. The cost from what I have seen is about the same so might as well get a car IMHO.

🙂

 

[abear]

I already had good study habits, but I suppose it would teach you good ones if that something you needed to work on. I just didn't apply said study habit in college...whoops. You do take test to figure out how you study best and you have block exams so it teaches you how to study for multiple classes at once and not get behind with others. Thats really important for the rest of the semesters. O and yes people do fail out of vet prep. We lost one from our 16, so only 15 moved on.

Vet prep load isn't bad at all. You only have tests in 4 of the classes. The rest are just pass/fail with a few assignments here and there. Its a really cool program that definitely helps you for your future at Ross. You have so much free time with Vet Prep though which get boring some, but would be nice to have now that I am in 1st. At the end of the day it was worth the money! I could of spent more money going back and retaking classes etc to hope to get in or I went into the program and did a whole semester to prove I was worthy of getting in. Faster in the end and probably the same it would of cost me in the states.😀



As for cars here, yes it randomly rains, but not only that drivers are crazy here! Plus the roads are a mess with the potholes. They actually do fix them but it rains so much here that you just get more. You couldn't pay me to ride a bike here. Some people do, but I wouldn't. Some people also get mopeds, but I wouldn't. The cost from what I have seen is about the same so might as well get a car IMHO.

🙂

You are a breath of fresh air! Thank you for the response. I can unknot my stomach now... until the next worry! 😉

 

[dreid1492]

So within 2 weeks of my acceptance last year I send them the $500 to hold my seat. I'm reviewing the Accepted Student Checklist and it says that I need to submit the final $500 tuition deposit no later than 4 months prior to the start of the semester (Fall 2012). Does this mean that if I pay this money, that i have officially accepted and am now enrolled?

What about those of us on the wait list for a US vet school? I know April 15th is the big date when those wait lists start moving and people get called off.

Signed
-Worried 🙁

 

[Beezil]

Has anyone else had problems with your application on Ross's end? This has become very confusing with them telling me I need to submit items that they received a month ago. My application status changes from "incomplete" to "in review" back to "incomplete". I really want to attend for the summer but this is taking forever. I had applied last year and they told me they wanted me to retake the GRE and show significant improvement so this time around there was no interview to gauge my response time. Anyone else in the same boat?😕

 

[jlm179]

In both cases I would e-mail the new jersey office and ask.

Ask what's the lastest date to pay the last of the deposit.

Ask why its not incomplete. Mine did that after I had the interview. My vet didn't include his e-mail/phone number on his letter of recommendation, so I just had to have him e-mail it to them.

 

[labanimaltech]

Glad to hear great things about Ross, because I'll be going down there in Sept for the Vet Prep program! Anyone else in the same boat? =)

Yay!! I found a friend! I just got accepted into the Vet Prep program for the fall of 2012! I'm excited and a little nervous... mainly because the pressure is on! It's really a time to prove yourself! But I guess if you can't make it through the Prep program, then you can't make it in Vet school either!

 

[juno10]

alright. freaking out. I have been in "committee review" for over two weeks. for those accepted or rejected, how long were you in this phase? hellllllllpppppppppp

 

[Beezil]

I was in application review for about a week and a half. I am now in committee review since last Thursday. Waiting to hear.

 

[kiwiseeds]

Hey juno10 and beezil! I hope you guys hear some good news soon! For me personally, it took them about four weeks from my interview to get back to me. Most nerve wracking four weeks of my life!

Yay!! I found a friend! I just got accepted into the Vet Prep program for the fall of 2012! I'm excited and a little nervous... mainly because the pressure is on! It's really a time to prove yourself! But I guess if you can't make it through the Prep program, then you can't make it in Vet school either!

Labanimaltech! So glad to find someone who's also going to be in the Fall 2012 Vet Prep class! It's still 5-6 months from now but I can't stop thinking about heading down to St. Kitts!

 

[juno10]

thanks beezil and kiwiseeds!

i'm wondering if they are considering my application for the vetprep program and maybe that is what is taking so long... would anyone accepted into vetprep mind posting their stats? no worries if no one is comfortable but it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[kiwiseeds]

Gah, I am afraid of being judged.. But juno10, I know how nerve wracking it is to keep wondering how you measure up to others who have already gotten accepted! So.. despite my discomfort, here are my stats..

First time applicant, 22 years old, Female, NJ resident.

Cum GPA @ time of application: 2.9
Last 45 credit hrs: Not sure?
Science GPA @ time of application: 2.6
GRE: 1100. 560q, 540v, 4.0 AW

Veterinary Experience:
- 502 hours working as a veterinary assistant at small animal clinic

Animal Experience:
- 84 hours working as a lab animal technician in a research lab
- 84 hours working as a research assistant in a research lab
- 690 hours working as with dogs and cats at a pet daycare
- 20 hours working with sheep for an animal showing
- 84 hours working with dairy cows

Employment
- 900+ hours as an Assistant Lab Supervisor at university computer labs

Extracurricular/Community Activities:
- Member of the Women and Gender Studies association on campus
- Member of Slow Food club on campus
- Member of Veterinary Science Club on campus

LORS:
- Vet from small animal clinic I was a veterinary assistant at
- My adviser for all 5 years of my undergraduate career, with whom I also worked as a research assistant in her lab
- My animal nutrition lab TA

Awards and Honors:
- Consultant of the Month in October 2010 at my job at the computer lab

 

[Beezil]

Here are my stats:

Second time applicant, 38 years old, Male, Illinois resident.

Cum GPA @ time of application: 2.8
Science GPA @ time of application: 2.8
GRE: Verb:158, Quant: 148, Writ:4.5 which is equal to 580,600, and 4.5 respectively based on the old scoring system so approx 1184.5

Veterinary Experience:
- I have worked for 4+ years as a technician at an emergency/specialty/referral small animal hospital

Additional Animal Experience:
-very little, have been around large animals before but nothing monumental

Research:
-I have approximately 100 or so hours of research at school

LORS:
-Former Ross graduate (DVM)
-Head surgeon and medical director of my hospital (DVM)
-Ecology professor (PhD)
Hope you don't mind but I used your format kiwi. I am still waiting for a decision as my application is still in "committee review" for the summer session.

 

[juno10]

thanks beezil and kiwiseeds!

 

[LoveTheMICES]

I love this forum. Congrats to all who have gotten in! Beezil have you heard back yet? I got offered an interview yay, but my stats are low. Scared to get rejected after I prepare to dazzle them in my interview. But we will see!

 

[labanimaltech]

Kiwiseeds, I knowwww I can't stop thinking about it either!

Do you think we will get to see our class roster before the semester begins? - or - does Ross make some sort of Facebook group for our class? I just want to get to know my future classmates already! I wanna know who I'm going to be pulling all-nighters with in the library haha 😉

 

[jlm179]

Kiwiseeds, I knowwww I can't stop thinking about it either!

Do you think we will get to see our class roster before the semester begins? - or - does Ross make some sort of Facebook group for our class? I just want to get to know my future classmates already! I wanna know who I'm going to be pulling all-nighters with in the library haha 😉

Ross will make a facebook group to help you get to know people before coming to the island and help to make your transition smoother.

😀

I am currently in the States on break! A week and 2 days before I will be headed back down to the rock! Time really does fly when you are down there. You are so busy studying etc that a semester is over before you know it!

 

[labanimaltech]

Ross will make a facebook group to help you get to know people before coming to the island and help to make your transition smoother.

😀

I am currently in the States on break! A week and 2 days before I will be headed back down to the rock! Time really does fly when you are down there. You are so busy studying etc that a semester is over before you know it!

Well Ross needs to "chop chop" on making that Facebook page 😉 haha Thanks jlm179! How much longer will you be at Ross before you move back to the states for your clinical year?

 

[jlm179]

Well Ross needs to "chop chop" on making that Facebook page 😉 haha Thanks jlm179! How much longer will you be at Ross before you move back to the states for your clinical year?

a little less than 2 years.

 

[Tropical vet]

What is the average GRE score and GPA required for this program in Ross??

 

[krh696]

hey everybody i was wondering if anybody could comment on my stats and let me know if you think i have a chance or not? I have already been rejected by Mississippi state and Florida and really freaking out I won't get any interviews 🙁

Female, 23 years old, Florida resident
Applied: Mississippi, Auburn, North Carolina, Florida
Rejected: Mississippi, Florida
Waiting: North Carolina, Auburn

Academics:
Graduated with B.S. in Biology from FAU with minor in psychology
Cumulative GPA: 3.53
Science GPA: 3.55
Last 45 h: 3.53
GRE: took it once Verbal 152, Math 150, A 3.5

Veterinary Experience
3500+ hours with small animal hospital i worked at

Animal Experience
7 hours volunteering with horses and mentally and physically deficient children
2 hours on a donkey/miniature pony/sheep farm run by a veterinarian
3 hours at a Dairy farm with animal science class
2 hours at an equine clinic with animal science class
200+ hours pet sitting dogs and cats

Employment:
100 hours at FAU bookstore
70 hours at Law office

Honors:
Undergrad:
Cum laude Graduation honors


Extracurricular activities

Undergrad:
Biology Club: Director of Recruitment
Pre Veterinary Club