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lmscout

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  1. Pre-Veterinary
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Anyone applying to ross for september semester??
 
I did. It's a back up for me, but I don't know if I would end up actually going, but I felt why not apply if it makes me feel better.
 
I applied for may semester. Why not go? I think I might still go even if I get in here in the states. It's still vet school, it's a slightly excelerated program, and it is still a beautiful place to spend your time as a student!
 
MissSilverlinin said:
Why not go?
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It's expensive.
It's not accredited.
It's away from family and friends.
Poor loan options.
Not really the safest place.

Or was that a rhetorical question?
 
I guess all those points are valid concerns. Maybe I'm just being a pessimist and thinking that it's more likely that I'll get in at Ross than anywhere else. SO, i'm making myself feel better and willing to accept whatever gets me where I want to go.
 
david594 said:
It's expensive.
It's not accredited.
It's away from family and friends.
Poor loan options.
Not really the safest place.

Or was that a rhetorical question?
Click to expand...

Agreed. And I'd like to add that you might not like living on a Caribbean island as much as you think. And, unless you've got an extra 1000 bucks lying around, you probably won't be going to visit until you go down there for school, and even if you do, liking it for a 3-day visit doesn't mean you'll like living there for 2 1/3 years.

Also, they don't have Red Vines or salt & vinegar chips. Lame!

I'm really not trying to be a downer or naysayer or anything, just want you to be able to consider the cons as well as the pros. 🙂
 
if it's the only school that accepts you, it is a perfectly fine place to go. you deal with the negatives, and come out 28 months later to practice clinics in the states and then end up with a DVM.

Not all of us are lucky enough to get into US schools, though we may deserve to for various reasons.

All that said, I too am applying for September. I am waiting to hear from the 4 US schools I applied to, but since this is my second time applying, and I am an older applicant, I am not wasting any more time.
 
lalzi22 said:
I don't know if I would end up actually going, but I felt why not apply if it makes me feel better.
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The kicker will be when they accept and want your $500 deposit to hold a seat in the class months before you expect to hear if you are accepted to a US school.
 
david594 said:
The kicker will be when they accept and want your $500 deposit to hold a seat in the class months before you expect to hear if you are accepted to a US school.
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Don't care. My parents are paying for it, and it makes me feel better. Call me spoiled, but since this is my dream since 4th grade, my parents are footing whatever bills it takes me get me there, and I gladly thank them for that.
 
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I hate the fact that people keep bashing the caribbean schools. I know I'll be applying and if it's the only place I get accepted, then I'll be going.

If you're the type of person who went your entire life without ever leaving your family for more than a weekend and did your pre-vet close by to your family, I can see how going to the caribbean will be difficult to do. Not everyone is like that though. I'm 6 hours away from my family, living in the middle of a sketchy city, and I don't have the time or my friends don't have the time to go with me to catch a movie or hit the mall or order pizza, so I say bring it 😛

When I first arrived on this forum, people were defending the caribbean schools and giving reasons for why they aren't as bad as people make them out to be. I remember people saying that graduates from the Caribbean schools are just as good as graduates in the states, and that you get hands-on experience sooner! Now people are like "You can't buy potato chips there so it's horrible!" *sigh* Not having malls or potato chips isn't going to stop me from going.
 
lalzi22 said:
Don't care. My parents are paying for it, and it makes me feel better. Call me spoiled, but since this is my dream since 4th grade, my parents are footing whatever bills it takes me get me there, and I gladly thank them for that.
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can your parents adopt me? 😀
 
no malls?!??!! or....CHIPS? OMG forget it I'm not even bothering...

please. you realize you can bring stuff over from the states, right? pack food in your checked bags?

anyway-there are still lots of people who are pro-carribbean schools. Look up the alums-they're everywhere and very often as skilled and proficient. I'm fine with wherever I end up getting in. I will gladly give $500 to save a spot for myself if its guaranteed, rather than to not know if a US school will give me the time of day. and if i lose that $500 because I do get into a US school? its the risk I take. I've been working toward this for 6 years after being out of undergrad for 6 already, so I'm ready.

if you want more positive views of carribbean schools-check out valuemd.com, and there are also some old posts on this forum.
 
Hey now, zpink was being silly about the potato chips. You guys should know that.

Of the people in this thread (and on this forum as a whole) she is one of the few people that has actually been to Ross and experienced it for herself.

No one has said that the graduates of Ross are inept or unqualified in any way! They have just pointed out a few of the downsides to going there, most of which have been perfectly reasonable. It's expensive, and you are very far away from family. These are things you should consider very heavily. If you have thought it through and you are still interested, well, that's great! We won't stop you, we just want you to make sure that you would be comfortable there.

Honestly, I think some of you might not realize just how small the island is, or how few places there are to buy things (clothes, food, hygeine products... batteries?)

Also, you can't pack THAT much food, and you don't want to pack anything that's really valuable... so that's not an automatic answer to that problem.

It's also hard to get your pets there.

But it's a great school, and you'll get a great education there.

It's just best to have considered all of these things ahead of time, don't you think?
 
Thanks, TT! I was being partially facetious about the chips. And they do have chips, just not salt and vinegar chips. But seriously, you guys can't think that I'm telling you to not go to vet school just because they don't have chips on St. Kitts. Come on, now. 😉

Really, I wasn't trying to offend anyone. I didn't get into any US schools either, and that's why I went to Ross. If I had decided that vet med was really want I wanted to do, I would have stayed there. And I knew a lot of people who really enjoyed living there, although I think everyone does get tired of it once in a while, just like you'd get tired of living anywhere else.

I'm not trying to convince anyone about Ross either way. It's a good school, and you'll get a good education if you decide to go there. Like TT said, I'm just trying to make sure you have as much information as you can before making the decision.
 
lalzi22 said:
Don't care. My parents are paying for it, and it makes me feel better. Call me spoiled, but since this is my dream since 4th grade, my parents are footing whatever bills it takes me get me there, and I gladly thank them for that.
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Okay. You're spoiled. 😉

edit: can you ask your parents if they will buy me a pink unicorn? it's my dream since 10 minutes ago... 🙁
 
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nyanko said:
Okay. You're spoiled. 😉
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haha, I know. I'm ok with that though since I worked my spoiled little butt off to try to get into vet school.
 
rileyroo said:
can your parents adopt me? 😀
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ill ask them if they want another kid. they'd probs be thrilled, you can replace my little sister!! yayy! haha kidding (ish)
 
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lalzi22 said:
haha, I know. I'm ok with that though since I worked my spoiled little butt off to try to get into vet school.
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As long as you realize it! :laugh:

My mom paid for my first bachelors degree, but anything after that (and oi there's been a lot after that....) is my responsibility, so I'm only slightly less spoiled myself. 🙂
 
I honestly don't know how I feel about Ross or SGU...

On one hand, I know I have a better chance of getting in there, and the education is solid.

On the other...
1) I can't picture myself living on an island for 3-4 years. My favorite relaxing thing to do is drive. Especially in the fall. And to nowhere in particular, even if it's just for a night.
And as much as I love summer and the beach, that's a little too much summer and too much heat for my enjoyment.
2) Horses. I need to ride. If I go too long without being on a horse, I get twitchy. Seriously.
3) Dogs...I've got a long haired, double coated dog, which is an issue on top of the "getting her there" part.
4) Don't know about SGU, but I know Ross goes all year round for an accelerated program. Honestly, I love my vacations..Even if I'm working full time, it gives me a break from classes and all that stress. I don't care if it means 4 years instead of 3, I think I'd get burned out going all year long. I did summer classes once, and I was exhausted that whole year.
5) If I applied now, and heard yes, I certainly can't afford to lose $500 on a school that's not even close to my top choice.
6) Ross requires you live on campus the first semester...do they even allow dogs in dorms? Plus, I don't do too well with the whole roommate thing (in the same bedroom) or the whole sharing a bathroom with 20 other people thing. I could handle that for 3 months if I had to, but really prefer not to.
7) Cost, plus I can't afford to fly back and forth for visits and vacations and such. I live 8 hours from my parents now, but still manage to see them every month or so, and I kind of like it that way...

Even if I get rejected from all my schools this year, I don't know if I'd go that next step and apply to the caribbean. It's just not a good fit for me.
 
I would add 8) safety to that list... probably the number one thing that would bother me. Traveling in groups and worrying about having things stolen? Not something I worry about much here in rural Oklahoma.

I don't think there are horses on the island. Lots of goats...
 
zpinkpanther said:
Thanks, TT! I was being partially facetious about the chips. And they do have chips, just not salt and vinegar chips. But seriously, you guys can't think that I'm telling you to not go to vet school just because they don't have chips on St. Kitts. Come on, now. 😉
Click to expand...

I'm Canadian. Does the states have ketchup chips and Smarties yet? 😛 I lived in Texas for two years and missed having them, so I know what it is like 😉
 
twelvetigers said:
I would add 8) safety to that list... probably the number one thing that would bother me. Traveling in groups and worrying about having things stolen? Not something I worry about much here in rural Oklahoma.

I don't think there are horses on the island. Lots of goats...
Click to expand...


I grew up just outside new york city. So yeah, I'd worry about safety, but I would probably risk it if if it was the only con.
 
cowgirla said:
I grew up just outside new york city. So yeah, I'd worry about safety, but I would probably risk it if if it was the only con.
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just curious, where did you grow up cuz I am right outside NYC in westchester
 
Well, I think you have to take all this stuff with a grain of salt. Going down to Ross is going to be more challenging then moving a few states away. But as far as safety goes, that is with any foreign country. When you travel somewhere that is unfamiliar and you do not use common sense, you become a target. As far as expenses go, it is not much more expensive then other OOS schools, like Ohio is up there for out of staters! If it is your dream, and Ross makes it a reality then I for one will be on the next plane.
 
cowgirla said:
Long Island side.
Started off Port Wash. area, eventually moved out to Suffolk Country before relocating up here. Lived in the city itself for about a year when I was ten.
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Oh my god, one of my best friends is from Port Wash! Nice to see another New Yorker here.
 
radio2020 said:
Well, I think you have to take all this stuff with a grain of salt. Going down to Ross is going to be more challenging then moving a few states away. But as far as safety goes, that is with any foreign country. When you travel somewhere that is unfamiliar and you do not use common sense, you become a target. As far as expenses go, it is not much more expensive then other OOS schools, like Ohio is up there for out of staters! If it is your dream, and Ross makes it a reality then I for one will be on the next plane.
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It's not even the cost of tuition. I can handle that, with loans, no problem.
But a flight to Ohio costs maybe 100 dollars, max. Even if I can't get home, my parents could visit every couple weeks, and my brother lives in Ohio anyway. I can't even imagine what a flight to the Caribbean runs...definitely not something that's doable on any kind of frequent basis.
Even if I were going all the way across the country, it's a common enough flight that it's affordable.

Or the cost of rabies testing a dog and getting her there, plus then having to worry about a quarantine? I don't even know what that runs!
 
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scarcelyheard said:
I'm Canadian. Does the states have ketchup chips and Smarties yet? 😛 I lived in Texas for two years and missed having them, so I know what it is like 😉
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Smarties? You mean those funny dark chocolate M&M type candies you call Smarties?

Smarties is the name we use for your Rockets. 🙂
 
So what is the overall thoughts on St. Matthew's? Seems comparable to Ross in the accelerated program, but beats it in location (safety) and cost. Any thoughts?
 
radio2020 said:
So what is the overall thoughts on St. Matthew's? Seems comparable to Ross in the accelerated program, but beats it in location (safety) and cost. Any thoughts?
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i visited St. Matthew's this time last year and it was ok. The Cayman's beats St. Kitts and Grenada hands down on livability, but it is really expensive. The campus was not impressive - 1 building in a 4 building courtyard. Looks exactly like a typical commercial medical complex.

I spoke with the Dean for about 30 minutes - he was great. At the time, their anatomy classes had moved off campus to the USDA facility that houses the 'hospital'. i did not get to see it and it's my understanding that it was about 30 minutes away. Kind of a hassle, in my opinion, to make that trip several times a week without a vehicle. The school van acted as a shuttle and other students have cars, but still......

The island was a typical caribbean island in terms of the infrastructure, housing and local feeling. It had some very nice properties/hotels/restaurants, but it also had it's fair share of poverty. I had a rental car and drove all over the island.

All in all, i certainly felt like i could get my education there, but i was concerned that it was a newer school and doesn't have as much invested in the school as say, SGU (the campus, buildings, technology, staff) and could close their doors and not lose much (they have not built their own 'campus' and are only tenants).

I felt i could make do there and the proximity to the US, along with most of the amenities we are accustomed to, were selling points for me. In the end, i chose SGU over SMU until i got accepted to Edinburgh 😀
 
Since, everyone is chiming in about other schools. Im just going to say is simply dont just think that you cant get into the US doesnt mean that you cant get into veterinary school. Try to look at all your options. It took a ton of reading of the VMSAR and talking to other students before I made my decision to apply international. Honestly, I believe that if you are pretty solid in most areas you have a chance to get into an accredited school somewhere! Look at Australia, look at Scotland, England or Even Canada. Before you just settle down on a carribean school because hell I was sold on SGU. I visited there. I loved it there. It was beautiful, pleasant and pretty safe. Problem they dont have Federal Student loans which I live off of NOW. So cant imagine to live without it. But there are like ten...accredited international schools out there that may be longer than the US and quite possibly be more expensive but you will only have to take the navle and you still get your degree. Hell, it may not be a DVM but it will be DVM equivalent. Also does anyone know where or how to make a banner so I can put up mine?
 
I know more about Ross than I'd like to and that's all ill say about that. Just don't forget, even if you do want to bring things in or have packages sent to you, you are taxed on almost everything. They tryed to tax me for my cat! I was SO angry. The guard was like - "what is the value of this cat?" I was like, are you kidding? He's PRICELESS to me, but I picked him up off the street like a piece of trash so no, I didn't pay for him and I don't owe you a tax on him. Anyyyways, beside that (which still isn't a reson not to go, just pointing out differences you never know what to expect) for those of you who will look at Ross because of the "hands on" aspect, don't forget they were being sued because of their unethical ways. Plus, PETA came along, protested and now there are no more live surgery classes like they used to have. I don't know how it works now so you should check on that, but I know they get less "hands on" than they ever did now...which is the sole reason they were perhaps a little more efficient at certain things coming out..just saying, look into it. Its a terrible thing to get down there and then realize its not where you want to be.
 
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