UGA vs. UoI vs. The Northeast?

[PastelEl42]

Hi guys! Congrats to everyone for making it through the cycle <3 it’s been a stressful ride.
I was incredibly fortunate to get into several schools, which I completely did not expect. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to weigh in on my situation.
I am interested in small animal, ER, and shelter medicine, though I would like to keep an open mind wherever I go. Because I live in CT, I’m leaning heavily towards UPenn, Tufts, and Cornell (waitlist), which all seem to have very good shelter medicine, animal welfare, community med and outreach, etc.
However, I was also accepted to UGA and UoI. I grew up in Atlanta (which is why I applied to UGA in the first place) and love the Athens area, but I'm not very impressed by their shelter medicine offerings? And while UoI seems to have lots of shelter med and community outreach opportunities and an interesting curriculum, I'm not sure if I'm willing to make the move with my cats and partner. I understand the tuition at these schools is much lower, however, I am fortunate enough to benefit from the GI Bill, and parents who are willing to partially support me if I do choose a more expensive program. And of course, I would like to make a decision sooner rather than later, so the amazing people on the waitlist, especially those for whom a cheaper tuition is a big concern, can have a chance to hear back.
If there’s anyone who chose UGA or UoI OOS, particularly with an interest in shelter med, is there a particular reason why you chose those schools? (And as an aside, do you know any students able to participate in arts extracurriculars such as choir or dance classes?) I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts. Thank you all so much <3

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[genny]

I didn’t attend any of those schools, but since no one has responded, I’ll put my two cents in. It doesn’t really matter in terms of curriculum where you go if you’re interested in shelter med. You need to learn small animal medicine, which any vet school can teach you. It’s important to get surgical experience 4th year, which you really can do from any school by taking externships (ASPCA in NC is a good one). Any of those schools would be a great choice for going into shelter med.

So my recommendation is to take a hard look at the costs associated with each school. I know you said you have a lot of financial assistance, but take a look at what the actual difference in costs would be, and how that difference would grow with interest. How much more debt are you willing to take on to stay closer to family for four years?

 

[orcafin]

I imagine it would be much easier to find performing arts-related activities and clubs at UGA UofI and Penn since their vet schools are near/on the same campus as their main schools, and these schools are also in more populated/urban areas

 

[PastelEl42]

Thank you both for your input! I'm currently deep in the spreadsheet-making, trying to figure out how much assistance I'll get at each school and how much debt I'll graduate with. And orcafin you're right, the more I consider Tufts the more difficult I realize it would be to keep up with my hobbies. I think it all comes down to what you prioritize, and whether I will value the veterinary opportunities at Tufts more than artistic opportunities. Unfortunately, it is on the pricier side, so I would have to really fall in love with the school to commit. Again, thank you guys for your thoughts! For those of us currently making decisions, I feel like every tiny bit of information and advice is a major help on our journey to vet school