Should I Play This Card?

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EllieGirl89

EllieGirl89

Ohio State CVM c/o 2015!
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I've been struggling with whether or not to somehow work this into my application and I'd like your guys' input. So-I'm a gay woman. I've found Ohio State to be a very good campus for GLBT students and I know that schools are always asking applicants what makes them different and what they will add to the diversity of the class.

I was going through my supplemental and I think I've found a pretty good way I could "use" it, and it's not in the way of "oh poor me, I've overcome this obstacle yada yada." It's actually going to be a part of the "integrity" question.

My question is-I know that Ohio State has a non-discrimination policy and that sexual orientation is a part of that but I know that doesn't keep people from having their own little biases in their minds. But do you think it has the potential to REALLY negatively affect my application if I include it? I'm more than comfortable talking about it in an interview and I'm completely out in every other aspect of my life so that's not anything that bothers me. I just would hate for it to negatively impact my chances, so I'm wondering if I should just keep my mouth shut about it unless directly asked something about diversity? I would really love to be able to include it for my supplemental because I think it would help me write a really good, relevant, personal essay but I'd like to hear some opinions on it. Thanks guys!
 
I think it's really hard for any of us on here to give you an accurate opinion about whether or not this could negatively affect your application. The fact is, sometimes people you never expect to get in do, so its pretty much a crap shoot and your peers on SDN can't really say how it will look to an admissions committee. I do realize you are merely asking for opinions here so here is my 0.02$ If you feel that your sexual orientation has shaped you as a person and its something you feel comfortable explaining then do it. If you are seriously questioning adding that info into your application then don't. Like you said, you can always bring it up at interview.
 
I think this is a very personal decision that only you can know if you are comfortable with. I could definitely see how that could lead to a good essay about integrity. It would be personal and relevant. I don't know how it would be received. I'm sure, just like with everything else, it depends on who ends up reading it and what sort of mood they're in that day. Not sure...
 
One of my friends applied to med school and posted this question on the pre-allo forum (it started a sh*tstorm, if you can imagine).

Ultimately, he had to include it in his application. He was discharged from the military because of it, and needed to give an explanation. He had serious reservations about bringing it up, because of people's personal biases.

You're going to have to ask yourself: Why do I want to include this? Is it worth the possible risk?

I don't think any of us can answer that for you. Good luck!
 
I would like to think that in this day and age, being a gay/lesbian (isn't that redundant?) would not hurt you in your admission (in terms of specific bias). Of course, personal bias does still exist, hopefully it doesn't come out during the application process.

I would however be careful (sounds like you are/know what your doing) about bringing it up... Most admissions look for a solid class that can work well together, don't think anyone wants an activist (again, not suggesting you are, and it certainly doesn't sound like it) - but that would be my only concern about 'using it'.

In terms of should you play the card - you are trying to get into one of the most difficult programs in the country. If I could get away with it I would tell them I was a black albino ginger from Alaska if I could. So yeah, use it if you got it IMO.
 
I agree that no one can really tell me whether or not to do it in the end, but I just wanted to bounce the idea off some other people who don't really "know" me (because my mom is all DO IT!) and see what the reaction was. The way I see it, there's a risk either way. There's the risk of putting it and having the "wrong" person read it and have it hurt my chances, but there's also the risk of not putting it and missing out on a chance to include something that makes me different and adds diversity to the class. Hmm.

I've still got a couple of days so I'm going to continue to think on it. I welcome anyone's thoughts in the mean time.

Thank you guys again, I really appreciate your help and input!
 
Just a thought here, but I think you are a stellar applicant already - your PS was great, you have good grades and a good GRE, you have lots of experience, and you're IS for the school. You very well may not NEED to mention it at all.

But, that says nothing about whether you should or not - just food for thought.
 
No Imagination, I agree it shouldn't be a problem nowadays. I mean, it's not like it's ONE person reading my app, right? I definitely don't consider myself an activist, more of an awareness-ist when the time is appropriate. I don't try to change peoples' beliefs and I really hate to argue.

I do, however, work well with people of all types and belief systems. In fact my girlfriend of over 4 years and I are of completely opposite political persuasions, so I can always work through differences of opinion. I don't "hate" anyone and a person's beliefs very rarely have an affect on my view of them as a person, so long as they aren't cruel.

Your last point made me laugh...I agree that a lot of people struggle to find something that makes them "diverse" so it's nice to kind of have one sitting there.

TT, thank you for your vote of confidence! I really appreciate that as I prepare myself for rejection...haha I'm really nervous about this and am trying to play up whatever might help, and minimize the things that won't.
 
Normally i recommend going with the most conservative decision when it comes to adcoms, but in this case I personally don't think that is the right call....

Why? Because oftentimes the most important thing is to make yourself stand out (in a positive way). If you have a way of making this show yourself in a memorable and positive light then I say go ahead. Unless you get the most bigoted person (which is still a possibility), I would think there will be an element of respect given to your application and your decision.

If you are matter of fact and not going for shock value then I see more possibility of good than harm.

Of course, as others have said, your decision, but it seems to me you are comfortable with yourself and don't have much to worry about. Good luck either way.
 
No Imagination said:
If I could get away with it I would tell them I was a black albino ginger from Alaska if I could. So yeah, use it if you got it IMO.
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:laugh:


In all seriousness, though, as others have said, if you think that it is an integral part of who you are, and that you cannot give the adcom an accurate portrayal of yourself as a student, learner, or person, then it makes sense to include it. If it's something you can include in your PS without it sounding awkward or "stuck in", I say go for it. Personally, I think it would be easier to include it as a part of your PS than to bring it up in an interview. As a non-trad, I can't imagine writing my PS without mention of my husband, who is supporting me through this whole career change thing, so I'm in essence identifying myself as a straight female. Not that there are the same kind of stigmas attached to that, but hopefully I'm sort of making a point!
 
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From my personal perspective, as a gay man, I didn't put it in when I was applying to schools. Maybe it's because I always see the negative in people, but I feel like the chances of someone who would dislike that about me would be higher than someone who would see it as a plus.
If there's something else that can make you really stand out, I wouldn't because I feel like it would be an unnecessary risk.
If you do though, I would connect it with various actions that would make you a more competitive applicant regardless e.g. getting involved in stuff.
Just my opinion. 😳
 
I've found that with any information I want to include in my app, I've asked, is this relevant? I'd say if you were involved in clubs/organisations/won awards/organized an event or something notable/something you are proud of or something which made you better equipped to be a vet that should be included in an application than of course mention it.
I'm from a very liberal area of the country, and I'm very liberal myself, so I suppose I don't think twice about sexual orientation. The people who are part of the medical/science field tend to also be a liberal group, it would be sad and shameful if this info. was held against you.

Best of luck!
 
Gay man here. Don't. I was out on my application, because I was in charge of GLBT organizations, but I didn't put it in my PS.

Here's the thing - you don't know who's gonna read it. And right or wrong (hint:wrong) some people will judge you negatively because of that, and it will color their perceptions of you negatively.

I'm not making any generalizations about the attitudes of adcom members - you might be just as likely to get a cool liberal person who'll say "rock on!" as you are to get a grouchy old homophobe who says "keep this chick out," but with your stats, I just don't think it's worth the risk.
 
Hmmm...so the general consensus from "the gays" is no. Interesting.

I'm not sure who thought I was going to put it in my personal statement, but that's not where I was going with it.

My angle was this: the Ohio State application has a question that basically asks you to describe a time when you failed to demonstrate integrity. I've never really done anything majorly wrong in my life so everything I was coming up with seemed dumb and insignificant and didn't have any impact on who I am as a person. There's not a lot of ways to show that I learned from them.

What I was planning to do was explain about how I went to a small-town conservative high school where there were often a lot of "gay jokes" and anti-gay rhetoric. I never said anything, because I was gay myself and was afraid that saying something would raise suspicions. Etc. etc., not being true to myself (ie not demonstrating integrity) and not standing up for what I believe in, etc. etc. By my junior year I had come out and set the stage for several others to do so as well. Most people were very accepting, I had underestimated my classmates, and I was voted "Most Brave" of my senior class. Learned that being true to oneself can be the most important form of integrity one can possess.

lol Obviously it would be worded way better, but that's where I'm going with it.
 
I like it, but I thought it was a good idea before anyway.

Some here have said you have great stats so don't bother, I haven't read closely enuf to remember so I can't copy.


More importantly, from an adcom perspective, I know that at Penn, for example, they are in fact trying to increase the yield from Gay and Lesbian undergrads and are instituting programs to be more proactive in that area. I have no idea what Ohio State's view on the subject is, but perhaps you can research that. There are club/organizations at most campus and you might try asking them what Ohio's particular view is both officially and unofficially.

You might just need a phone call to the appropriate studend organization and if you have a proactive administration then great, if there is an anti-gay sentiment on campus, then that is just as important to find out (for both your PS and for your desire to attend the school).
 
EllieGirl89 said:
What I was planning to do was explain about how I went to a small-town conservative high school where there were often a lot of "gay jokes" and anti-gay rhetoric. I never said anything, because I was gay myself and was afraid that saying something would raise suspicions. Etc. etc., not being true to myself (ie not demonstrating integrity) and not standing up for what I believe in, etc. etc. By my junior year I had come out and set the stage for several others to do so as well. Most people were very accepting, I had underestimated my classmates, and I was voted "Most Brave" of my senior class. Learned that being true to oneself can be the most important form of integrity one can possess.
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Hey Ellie - As a staunch supporter of the GLBT community, my heart says go ahead, wave that flag high and proudly!! Not to mention that my white, straight, female butt is a touch sad that I have nothing to wave. However, my frontal lobe is saying that you might want to approach your phrasing with a little bit of caution.

The integrity question is a tough one and is driving me nutty!! :bang: I worry that whatever I put down as a lack of integrity will work against me because I may come of looking like a 'bad' person. So, no matter the subject, I think we may all have a bit of a dilemma. However, your situation is slightly different given that yes, sadly, there are more than a few narrow minded bigots out there. But there are also plenty of open minded folks who care more about 'who' you are than 'what' you are.

So, here's my two cents: If you feel that this is something that you can honestly write about in regard to your integrity, then by all means use the example. After all, it's part of who you are and the person you've become today.

Good luck to you!!! :luck:
 
I know it's unfair, but the way I would personally look at it for any kind of personal subjects that may/may not be unjustly taboo for someone who might possibly be an adcom member (mental health issues, sexual orientation, etc...) is:

Knowing that a school would reject you based on your sexual orientation, is this still a school you want to attend?

If not, then toot your horn all the way!
If yes... then you might want to be on the conservative side and leave it out.

If you're having a hard time coming up with an integrity essay otherwise, maybe you can do what a bunch of us did last year to cop out, and write about a mishap you had during your adolescence.

It seemed like the admissions staff at OSU were like the sweetest people ever on earth, so I kind of doubt that they'll use anything of that nature against you... but you can never be too sure. It's a great school with a great atmosphere, so I hope you get in and feel comfortable there! If it weren't for personal circumstances, I would probably have gone there myself.
 
I remember sometime last year the issue of race coming into apps and chances of getting into vet school. IMO, sexual orientation is on the same plane as gender or race. If one thinks their gender or race plays into the person they are, then maybe bringing it up in the application is important. It's hard to say though.

I personally declined to list my gender because I know 90% or more of the applicants to UC Davis now are female and I didn't want to be discriminated against because I am female. I think my insecurity was probably unfounded, but still I'd rather the adcoms judge me on my experiences and education that will make me a great vet and not all the other stuff that makes me a unique human. I'm pretty sure you'd be fine bringing it up if it factors into how it will make you great at what you plan on doing with your DVM degree.
 
Thanks, LMMS, and thanks for your support of the community =) We need more people like you! And yes, it is something that made me who I am today. Very much so, and as such I've got a lot to talk about with it...so I really don't mind if it becomes interview fodder. Good luck to you too!

Thank you also Minnerbelle. You've been so helpful to me, and you bring up a good point. Would I REALLY want to go to a school that would reject me on the basis of sexual orientation? Ick. I spent two years too many in the closet in high school; why would I want to do that again? I agree that the OSU staff is really nice. My undergrad teachers have been wonderful, as have all of the friends I've met here. I have a hard time imagining that there would be enough people on the adcomm that had a problem with homosexuality that it would be the sole reason, all other things considered, that I would be rejected.

Funny story as a side note, my mentor and one of my eLOR writers is a large animal vet I rode around with a lot this summer. He was a crotchety old guy, heart of gold but really crusty on the outside. He had a very unusual sense of humor and made gay jokes (though not derogatory ones) from time to time. I'd just laugh along with him. Finally one day he turned to me and said "Do you have a boyfriend?" I looked him dead in the eye, smiled sweetly and said "No, Doc, I'm in fact one of those lesbian's you're always joking about." His response? "Oh that's fine, that's perfectly fine! I love lesbians!"

Haha so that kind of gave me hope, that if an old ex-dairy farmer could have that point of view then any older, set-in-their-ways adcomm members might too =)
 
I'm really playing it as a straight numbers game - higher probability of getting in anywhere, with no consideration of preference.

However, I might be showing my upbringing a bit. I grew up in a conservative town and went to a religious college, so I learned that the best plan in that situation is to not give them any official notice. I did what I wanted most of the time (and was always publicly out), but I was careful never to let the people in charge have written record of my gayness. I just didn't trust them.

Maybe these schools are better. Mine certainly seems to be. Whatever you choose, I wish you luck, and I admire you (like I admire every out gay person) for having the courage to speak out and be who you are.
 
In reference to what Minnerbelle had to say...

I can bet you that at least one person would be super conservative and would have negative views on this issue at EVERY school in the country. If by slight chance you happened to get this person to review your application then you are SOL. Remember that one person doesn't represent the overall school's opinion. Yes OSU in general might be very open about the subject, but if you had a very conservative person, then they might have a negative view of you from the get go. There is no school that will deny you based on the fact that you are gay BUT someone may think of you negatively and may focus on the negative aspects of your application more intently than for other applicants.

I wouldn't mention it just because if there is even a slight chance you might get one of these people...I wouldn't want it to keep you from getting in.
 
Interesting thread! I think I'm on the "yes mention it" side. I can see reasons from both sides but I'm leaning more towards mentioning it. I like the way you would use it too, in that integrity thing. Being gay is more than just a part of your life, it makes you who you are and why not show who you are on an application?
 
I would think OSU would tend to stray away from the idea of putting that kind of personal information on your application, just to save their own butts?

The school might see it as a potential lawsuit. Even though they may claim a "no discrimination" policy, rejected applicants may see it as "it's because i'm gay/bi/ect."

I know you may want to add it into your application solely because of how it "diversifies" the student body. But your safest bet would be to find an alternative.

sorry i'm rambling, physio lecture starts in a few minutes!
 
StartingoverVet said:
I like it, but I thought it was a good idea before anyway.

Some here have said you have great stats so don't bother, I haven't read closely enuf to remember so I can't copy.


More importantly, from an adcom perspective, I know that at Penn, for example, they are in fact trying to increase the yield from Gay and Lesbian undergrads and are instituting programs to be more proactive in that area. I have no idea what Ohio State's view on the subject is, but perhaps you can research that. There are club/organizations at most campus and you might try asking them what Ohio's particular view is both officially and unofficially.

You might just need a phone call to the appropriate studend organization and if you have a proactive administration then great, if there is an anti-gay sentiment on campus, then that is just as important to find out (for both your PS and for your desire to attend the school).
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You mean they are trying to get more GLBT vet students or more GLBT undergrads? I think they could have gone a long way in making current GLBT students feel comfortable during orientation by pointing out the existence of the GLBT center... but then again I think the vet school needs a lot more diversity in every sense of the word.
 
EllieGirl89 said:
No Imagination, I agree it shouldn't be a problem nowadays. I mean, it's not like it's ONE person reading my app, right?
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Just a suggestion (and I know you are hitting time limits) but you might call and ask how apps are reviewed at your top school. Several schools take a divide and conquer approach; they distribute apps to small groups of adcoms, who then review their stack of apps, and select the best from that group for review by the full committe. So if your app goes to a cluster that considered bringing such things up as inappropriate, that could be a road block. Since you aren't talking about the PS, you might want to ask whether the full packet is distributed to adcoms, or in general what the process is. Some schools realize diversity statements are personal and don't release those with the rest of the packet, or filter them through a diversity committee first.

Since it is on your mind and you have found a way to bring it up in a positive context, I think I would include it. I am bi and have had long term relationships with both men and women, but I have experienced judgement from both straight and gay communities, so I rarely share that information. I don't hide it, but since I am married, folks make assumptions. I wouldn't have included it in my application because it causes confusion (married? bi? ummm....?) and it gets chalked up to 'youthful confusion/indiscretion' (which really annoys me) or 'indecisive' (huh?)

I think the question is simply 'if you do not get in, and the review doesn't give you a solid reason, will you wonder if this is the cause, and will you regret it?'
 
As a gay man, I will say that on my application, I am listing the GLBTQ organizations that I was involved with in high school/college under the extra-curriculars section, because activism was a huge part of my life for a while, and I would not want to try to hide that. I'm not mentioning it anywhere else, but that's just because there isn't any relevant reason that I can find for me to include it in my essays.

Not sure if it's relevant, but I went to a very very liberal high school and college, so for me, sometimes I even forget to think "would this person/people be biased against me because of my sexual orientation" because I just assume that no one cares, and if they do care, it's because they think it's rad and that I add diversity or whatever.

But in my opinion, unless you're applying to a school that you know is very conservative, I would have absolutely no hesitations putting it in your essay.


Semi-unrelated - I'm not sure if you've found this organization before, but I plan on joining when I'm a vet student: http://www.lgvma.org/stu/index.html
 
As a gay man, I too would suggest not throwing it out there. Straight people don't put down the straight card, so you shouldn't feel like you need to play the gay card. I too, came from a very liberal high school and college, but you just don't know who is going to read through your application. Unfortunatey, you might have a fantastic application, but the gay card might rub someone the wrong way and affect their scoring - whether intended or not.

I mean, I bite my nails. It's an obstacle I've had to overcome. I have difficulty picking up coins and scratching things, but I'm not going to put it in my application because I don't know if there's a nail-biting hater out there.
 
I think you should leave it out because I would just not put anything on my application that might be looked upon negatively. No school should discriminate but an adcom that doesnt like it might be the one reading your file. I think it is very risky to put it in there.

You have a very competitive file and I would hate to see you get denied due to this. While no one should, there is going to be an adcom at every school who doesnt like this.

Remember, you have worked very hard to get here and to put something like that in your essay that could impact your chances when you could choose a different topic just doesnt seem wise to me.
 
oakave said:
As a gay man, I too would suggest not throwing it out there. Straight people don't put down the straight card, so you shouldn't feel like you need to play the gay card. I too, came from a very liberal high school and college, but you just don't know who is going to read through your application. Unfortunatey, you might have a fantastic application, but the gay card might rub someone the wrong way and affect their scoring - whether intended or not.

I mean, I bite my nails. It's an obstacle I've had to overcome. I have difficulty picking up coins and scratching things, but I'm not going to put it in my application because I don't know if there's a nail-biting hater out there.
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I understand that straight people don't put down the straight card, but that's because people are usually assumed straight until proven gay, you know? I guess I worded it wrong in that I'm not really trying to play the card so much as use it to write a good essay on my supplemental because it's something that's relevant and I could write a good essay about given the prompt I've been provided.

Again, not trying to use it as an obstacle I've overcome. In fact, the majortiy of the struggles I've had with it have been purely internal. I've had a wonderfully supportive family, an amazing group of friends, and have only a few times actually been given problems about it. So for me I really wouldn't consider it an "obstacle" because it's not really been that for me (yet). It's just a good example I could use for my supplemental essay.
 
P.S. You guys are awesome-this is a great discussion =)
 
My opinion is that you should not include this information. Just as the general consensus was not to include an abortion (explicitly stated as such) in the explanation statement, I would say not to include your sexuality in your application. I think that, like abortion, the topic is still (unfortunately) too polarized and the chance for someone to see this on your application and view it negatively is just too much of a risk, for me personally at least.

I don't think you should be ashamed of your sexuality at all, and if there is a way you can reference it that really highlights a positive attribute of yours, maybe you should include it. But I tend to think that just saying, "And oh by the way, I'm gay/lesbian!" is just...not necessarily needed on an application. I understand that it has likely played a big part in your life and shaping who you are today, which merits it "include-able" if you will, but I would just worry that someone would see that and judge you negatively for it. Besides, as TT mentioned, you see to have an otherwise strong application and jeopardizing it with something that isn't necessary to include it just too risky for my taste. Do what you want, of course, and I wish you the best of luck either way 🙂
 
bunnity said:
You mean they are trying to get more GLBT vet students or more GLBT undergrads? I think they could have gone a long way in making current GLBT students feel comfortable during orientation by pointing out the existence of the GLBT center... but then again I think the vet school needs a lot more diversity in every sense of the word.
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That is an undergrad program specifically. In fact in today's Daily Pennsylvanian they have an article that Penn is the most gay friendly "college" in the U.S. according Newsweek
http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/article/lgbt-interest-rise

Not directly related to vet school, but the culture of the university usually permeates throughout its schools.

But the point in my post was to show that some research could help in making the decision.

As for diversity, one of the reasons I came to Penn was because I thought it was the most diverse of the schools I visited. A large part of the diversity problem is the applicant pool, not the school, but that is of course entirely my personal opinion.
 
bunnity said:
You mean they are trying to get more GLBT vet students or more GLBT undergrads? I think they could have gone a long way in making current GLBT students feel comfortable during orientation by pointing out the existence of the GLBT center... but then again I think the vet school needs a lot more diversity in every sense of the word.
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I do think our student body is the least diverse environment i have ever been around. My high school had a bigger variety of ethnicities lol. I guess in the vet field there are less variety of ethnicities that prefer to go into this field?? Even at VMRCVM i thought the diversity was low. oh well, at least everyone is friendly and accepting!! 🙂
 
StartingoverVet said:
That is an undergrad program specifically. In fact in today's Daily Pennsylvanian they have an article that Penn is the most gay friendly "college" in the U.S. according Newsweek
http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/article/lgbt-interest-rise

Not directly related to vet school, but the culture of the university usually permeates throughout its schools.

But the point in my post was to show that some research could help in making the decision.

As for diversity, one of the reasons I came to Penn was because I thought it was the most diverse of the schools I visited. A large part of the diversity problem is the applicant pool, not the school, but that is of course entirely my personal opinion.
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whaaaat?? penn the most gay friendly college?? interesting. I would have voted for GW!! i know soooo many GLBT's that migrate from all over the county to go there lol plus it is in DC.

I still need to go down to those rainbow roads in center city though. i need to find a fun gay karaoke bar!!
 
I decided to do it! I have the essay and will PM it to you if you want to read it =)
 
Just my personal opinion but....

I wouldn't include any information that indicated your sexual orientation or preferences. Gay, straight, trans-gender, or any of the others.
 
I don't know about including it in a personal statement unless it really plays into your story about your path in vet med. But if there are questions about adding diversity to a class or, heck, when you have an interview, use it! I highly doubt it will negatively affect you - our first-year class here has five lesbian women in a class of 80! 🙂
 
NittanyKitty said:
I don't know about including it in a personal statement unless it really plays into your story about your path in vet med. But if there are questions about adding diversity to a class or, heck, when you have an interview, use it! I highly doubt it will negatively affect you - our first-year class here has five lesbian women in a class of 80! 🙂
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Hot damn! Those are some good odds! Levels the playing field for the straight girls vying for the few men too 😉
 
EllieGirl89 said:
Hot damn! Those are some good odds! Levels the playing field for the straight girls vying for the few men too 😉
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Hahaha I really like your logic on this one as one of those straight girls! I would love to read your supplemental essay if you'd like to share it! After I get done with all of mine that is
 
EllieGirl89 said:
Hot damn! Those are some good odds! Levels the playing field for the straight girls vying for the few men too 😉
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I know, right? Unfortunately, I think all but one or two of our guys are taken. 🙄 I have a better half, but it's definitely slim odds for the singles in the class.
 
EllieGirl, I'm glad you decided to do it. I really am surprised how many people on here thought you shouldn't include that info in a personal statement, and I really disagree that there's always going to be one "homophobe" on the admissions staff.
From vet students I know at Tufts and Penn, there are a handful of gay men and lesbians in every single vet school class, and I would guess that that is also the case at Ohio, and I bet you are probably not the first nor the last person to include info about your sexual orientation in an admissions essay.
I'd love to read it if you're willing to PM it to me.

Also, Robdude: "trans-gender" is not a sexual orientation and the word transgender does not have a hyphen in it.
 
NittanyKitty said:
...our first-year class here has five lesbian women in a class of 80! 🙂
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My wife would definitely prefer that sort of ratio from which to chose study partners. When I was discussing the importance of studying with people who are serious, she reminded me that her study buddy is a gay guy.
 
Armymutt25A said:
My wife would definitely prefer that sort of ratio from which to chose study partners. When I was discussing the importance of studying with people who are serious, she reminded me that her study buddy is a gay guy.
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Nice! Unfortunately we, strangely enough, have not one gay guy in the entire class! Very weird!
 
canis13 said:
EllieGirl, I'm glad you decided to do it. I really am surprised how many people on here thought you shouldn't include that info in a personal statement, and I really disagree that there's always going to be one "homophobe" on the admissions staff.
From vet students I know at Tufts and Penn, there are a handful of gay men and lesbians in every single vet school class, and I would guess that that is also the case at Ohio, and I bet you are probably not the first nor the last person to include info about your sexual orientation in an admissions essay.
I'd love to read it if you're willing to PM it to me.

Also, Robdude: "trans-gender" is not a sexual orientation and the word transgender does not have a hyphen in it.
Click to expand...

Traditional gender roles are limit to M and F. Sexual orientations are:

M + F = Straight
M + M = Gay
F + M = Straight
F + F = Gay (Lesbian)
M + MF = Bi
F + MF = Bi

I've never heard of any sexual orientations that include anything beyond that. Once you introduce transgendered individuals into the mix, it gets a lot more complicated.

M + T = ???
F + T = ???
T + T = Gay? Because they are the same sex?
T + MFT = Tri? Because they are into three genders?
T + MF = Bi? Because they are only into two gender?

Unless there are words that describe those particular situations; I felt like including the trans option kept things nice and inclusive.
 
Robdude said:
I've never heard of any sexual orientations that include anything beyond that. Once you introduce transgendered individuals into the mix, it gets a lot more complicated.

M + T = ???
F + T = ???
T + T = Gay? Because they are the same sex?
T + MFT = Tri? Because they are into three genders?
T + MF = Bi? Because they are only into two gender?

Unless there are words that describe those particular situations; I felt like including the trans option kept things nice and inclusive.
Click to expand...

The trans person usually identifies their sexual identity themselves. A trans man or woman is not a 3rd gender... to them, they are male or female, usually, and most trans people identify as gay, straight, or bi.
 
A lot of people that would otherwise identify as bi, identify as pansexual to be more inclusive to transgender people.

And there are definitely people that do not identify with either gender.
 
Last edited:
I'm kind of surprised how many people bring up the possibility of coming across a intolerant admissions committee member rather than questioning the relevancy of being gay and a potential veterinarian. I guess it depends on the context of the situation. I think that's why it's hard to say yes or no on including this subject in a PS.
 
Edited since I think I misread the first time
People talk about all kinds of things in their PS and application (and on all those supplemental questions). If nothing else, we need more vets of every minority. We have clients of every minority who may feel most comfortable with someone who looks / thinks / acts like them, and this goes for race and language spoken too.
 
i think you should play with it
smile.gif
 
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