Tufts vs. Rowan vs. Oklahoma

[windy1]

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Hi guys! Thanks so much in advance for everyone's input. I'm OOS for all of these schools, and money is definitely my primary concern, so I'm more between Oklahoma and Rowan right now, but still waiting to see what my financial aid package from Tufts looks like.

Right now, my dilemma is that I want to go into food/large animal medicine, and OkSU seems to have better opportunities for that, plus tuition there is cheaper by about 8k less than Rowan. However, Rowan is MUCH closer to where I live (3 hours away vs 18 hours away), so the cost of travel is definitely something I'm thinking about, and I'd love to be as close as I can to my family. What do you guys think?

 

[beans2020]

Assuming Tufts doesn't end up being cheaper than Oklahoma State (probably unlikely from what I've seen) I would recommend Oklahoma due to it being your cheapest option. Given the new loan restrictions due to the big beautiful bill, it will be in your best interest to have the cheapest tuition possible and hopefully minimize the amount of private loans you may have to take out.
It is so hard moving away from family, I absolutely get that - I had to leave Ohio for Missouri for vet school and i wish I was closer to family. I miss them a lot. However, it is only 4 years and you can move back home after vet school!

 

[vindelilas]

If finances are a factor, I would strongly encourage you to attend Oklahoma State. I am now finishing my undergraduate at Oklahoma State and have worked at the vet school for several years. I ultimately chose to attend a different institution for my DVM-PhD for variety of reasons, but the school does place a large emphasis on large animal medicine and building “day one ready clinicians” within that realm of medicine. I will note that the new hospital will likely not be ready prior to your clinical year (at least as it stands right now), but the current hospital has some wonderful specialists and they are actively seeking to hire more (in addition to hiring a new dean). The cost of living is supremely cheap compared to where I am from and it is easy to find a relatively inexpensive house within walking distance of the vet school.

Stillwater does have an airport, but it only utilizes American Airlines and only flies to DFW for connecting flights from there. It is most common to fly out of either Tulsa or OKC. Both airports are within an hour or so of campus and are of my favorite to travel through. Being far from home is difficult but the community here is unmatched and it will be easy to find your people within weeks. I understand proximity to family is a factor (especially as I am very close to my own), but as my own mentor told me, it is not likely you will have the free time to visit family much (whether you are 3 or 15 hrs away). So make the decision that feels right for your career path and feasible with current loan changes/your personal finances. Feel free to PM me, I am happy to answer any questions you have!