UPenn 2014 cycle updates!

[BlacKAT33]

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You can't be too far behind yet when some (many?) of us haven't made our final decisions yet. Jeez, ur makin me nervous.

ok sryyyyyyyyyyy

 

[Ben and Me]

You will get a series of packets throughout the summer. You are fine. 🙂

 

[absvet]

Just declined my seat - hope somebody on the wait list hears good news soon! Good luck!

 

[bunnity]

You will get the packet when you have given up hope and have started to wonder if you were accepted in the first place 😉
Actually it's probably going to be coming in June.

 

[BlacKAT33]

omg june is SOO far away lol i will also be living off of saved money by then. when do people start taking loans out? right before school starts or the summer before school starts? Do you even have a choice with the stafford loans or does everyone get stafford at the same time?

 

[dgm]

You don't have a choice. I can't remember whether mine showed up right before or right after school started, but you definitely won't have them to help you get through the summer.

 

[nude mouse]

Hey guys,
So obviously I'm stoked about penn and I've been perusing through the website and saw that we have an optional wildlife elective for 1st yr. How many people take this? Is it a lot of extra work?
Also I heard about a business certificate that we can get.. how does that work again?
Thanks!😀

 

[BlacKAT33]

Hey guys,
So obviously I'm stoked about penn and I've been perusing through the website and saw that we have an optional wildlife elective for 1st yr. How many people take this? Is it a lot of extra work?
Also I heard about a business certificate that we can get.. how does that work again?
Thanks!😀

It's optional? where did you see that it says optional? i thought everyone had to take it. Maybe im looking in the wrong place. This is where i'm looking
http://www.vet.upenn.edu/Portals/0/media/SummaryElectiveCur.pdf
It doesnt say which are optional even in 3rd year where it is obvious because they list 10 courses lol

But at the happy hour i remember someone making a joke about the wildlife course-as in it was easy.

I remember the business certificate coming from one of the clubs you can join. Forgot the name lol But i guess if you join the club they offer classes ?? That did seem great though. I just cant decide between this and the MPH certificate. Do you think it is possible to get both?? And how useful are these certificates? Is it a waste of time or do people take it seriously after you graduate.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Blackat -

We received a sheet in our folders on interview day titled Summary of Core Curriculum 2007/2008 (guess they don't update it much) in our folders. On the back of that sheet is the Summary of Elective Curriculum. For First year the only courses listed are Introduction to Wildlife Medicine I and Introduction to Wildlife Medicine II.

Definitely electives!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Blackat -

We received a sheet in our folders on interview day titled Summary of Core Curriculum 2007/2008 (guess they don't update it much) in our folders. On the back of that sheet is the Summary of Elective Curriculum. For First year the only courses listed are Introduction to Wildlife Medicine I and Introduction to Wildlife Medicine II.

Definitely electives!

I realize the wildlife med course is an elective, i posted the elective schedule in pdf. I just meant, it sounded like everyone had to take it because it is the only elective. If everyone didn't have to take it, then why isn't it in the long list of electives to choose from in third year? Or where exactly does it say "optional"? Anyway, I don't know the answer and I guess I'm still waiting for one lol Ben and Me, dgm, bunnityyyyy i know you're out there 😀

Edit: i guess the difference is, startingovervet and nude mouse are assuming that since it is an elective it is optional. i see where the miscommunication is. But i just don't get, why is there only one choice for electives during first year?? it seems strange to me that only the people who want to go toward wildlife will have to take it. that means that maybe 5% of our class has to take on another course first semester?? while the rest of us get to "chill" til our later years??

 

[vnair2]

The Wildlife course is indeed optional. It is only 1 credit I believe, so it is not very time intensive, nor is it much work. It would seem that most people in the 1st year class take it, regardless of their interests, because having completed more credits can give you more flexibility later on.

That being said, I didnt take it.

 

[CanadianGolden]

I realize the wildlife med course is an elective, i posted the elective schedule in pdf. I just meant, it sounded like everyone had to take it because it is the only elective. If everyone didn't have to take it, then why isn't it in the long list of electives to choose from in third year? Or where exactly does it say "optional"? Anyway, I don't know the answer and I guess I'm still waiting for one lol Ben and Me, dgm, bunnityyyyy i know you're out there 😀

Edit: i guess the difference is, startingovervet and nude mouse are assuming that since it is an elective it is optional. i see where the miscommunication is. But i just don't get, why is there only one choice for electives during first year?? it seems strange to me that only the people who want to go toward wildlife will have to take it. that means that maybe 5% of our class has to take on another course first semester?? while the rest of us get to "chill" til our later years??

You posted the list of elective courses. There is a different schedule of required courses, obviously. Third year, many of your courses are electives. However, wildlife is an elective that is only available first year. Electives are optional. You can take them if you're interested in the material, but there is no reason you have to. In third year (unlike first and second), you are required to take a certain number of elective credits, but you can choose from any of the listed electives to tailor the program to your individual interests.

 

[bamitsme]

a little off topic...

when people ask what you're doing with your life and you mention you're either a vet student or will be going to vet school and they ask where and you say upenn or the university of pennsylvania

..and they say "OH ok yeah penn state" and you have to correct them by saying "no no, not penn state" and then they look at you with blank eyes and you want to ..oh i dont know...scream really loudly in their ears...
or something else..

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[BlacKAT33]

You posted the list of elective courses. There is a different schedule of required courses, obviously. Third year, many of your courses are electives. However, wildlife is an elective that is only available first year. Electives are optional. You can take them if you're interested in the material, but there is no reason you have to. In third year (unlike first and second), you are required to take a certain number of elective credits, but you can choose from any of the listed electives to tailor the program to your individual interests.

Yea i didnt see the need to post the core courses but I have it saved 🙂

I still find it strange wildlife is only offered first yr and you cant choose to take it any other time. I wish there were other electives to choose from first year. I do enjoy wildlife but i'm not sure if it is worth spending extra time on when i could be focusing more on the core.

 

[StartingoverVet]

a little off topic...

when people ask what you're doing with your life and you mention you're either a vet student or will be going to vet school and they ask where and you say upenn or the university of pennsylvania

..and they say "OH ok yeah penn state" and you have to correct them by saying "no no, not penn state" and then they look at you with blank eyes and you want to ..oh i dont know...scream really loudly in their ears...
or something else..

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I was an undergrad so have been living with that for many many years... My response is usually (sarcastically), "you know, the ivy league school, not the football school)." That usually ends the conversation pretty quickly.

Sadly, I had a roommate from W. Pa who said his friends thought he was crazy to go to Penn over Penn State. "You got into Penn State and you aren't going?" Amazing what a good football team does for a school's reputation.

 

[GellaBella]

I'll be honest ,I didn't realize for a long time that they were separate schools. When I did finally figure that out (prob sometime in college cause I grew up in MA and just never knew anyone going to any PA schools), I then had a hard time figuring out which one was the ivy league school. I knew one was and I heard about PennState so much I thought it might be that one. Its not like I put a lot of time into thinking about it, but I was definitely confused.

But now I know. And knowing is half the battle. 😉

 

[BlacKAT33]

lol i cant believe this. Ive known about penn being ivyleague since i was a jr. in hs and applied to colleges. all my friends who had aced SATs applied to penn.

The one thing i got confused about was some people would say Penn and mean pennstate and others would say Penn and mean UPenn. i'm not sure which is correct or if both are correct but that was super annoying!the only way i knew which one they were talking about was because i knew which university they attended.

 

[vnair2]

It sucks going to the forgotten Ivy, but such is life. It could always be worse, you could be attending Cornell.

 

[bamitsme]

It sucks going to the forgotten Ivy, but such is life. It could always be worse, you could be attending Cornell.

 

[CanadianGolden]

Yea i didnt see the need to post the core courses but I have it saved 🙂

I still find it strange wildlife is only offered first yr and you cant choose to take it any other time. I wish there were other electives to choose from first year. I do enjoy wildlife but i'm not sure if it is worth spending extra time on when i could be focusing more on the core.

It's only offered first year because they have to coordinate it with the first years' schedule. It is too hard for them to schedule 12 or 15 or however many lectures wildlife has for times that every student in the first, second, and third year class can attend.

 

[NittanyKitty]

Sadly, I had a roommate from W. Pa who said his friends thought he was crazy to go to Penn over Penn State. "You got into Penn State and you aren't going?" Amazing what a good football team does for a school's reputation.

Umm...don't you mean it's amazing what being an awesome school does for a school's reputation? 🙄 Penn State has many excellent programs (one being agriculture and animal science), and I also chose to attend there over UPenn because, let's be honest, it pretty much IS a better school for pre-vet studies. Plus living in Happy Valley kills Philly any day of the week. And...well, football and tailgating make for some pretty great Saturdays.

But enough outta me - back to Penn stuff!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Umm...don't you mean it's amazing what being an awesome school does for a school's reputation? 🙄 Penn State has many excellent programs (one being agriculture and animal science), and I also chose to attend there over UPenn because, let's be honest, it pretty much IS a better school for pre-vet studies. Plus living in Happy Valley kills Philly any day of the week. And...well, football and tailgating make for some pretty great Saturdays.

But enough outta me - back to Penn stuff!

nittanykitty-i just looked you up under final decisions and ur not there! where did u decide to attend? id rather not stalk you to find out lol

as for pennstate vs upenn: i have no idea. but how can a place that has no vet school be better for prevets?? lol also, isnt pennstate surrounded by farms? i love how upenn is in the city. just my opinion 😀

 

[turnbackhelly]

FYI for you future PennWes, the bookstore sells t-shirts that say "NOT PENN STATE" with the Penn "P" logo. They were a little elitist for my taste for me to actually buy one when I was a grad student there, but I have to admit they amuse me. 🙂

 

[bamitsme]

FYI for you future PennWes, the bookstore sells t-shirts that say "NOT PENN STATE" with the Penn "P" logo. They were a little elitist for my taste for me to actually buy one when I was a grad student there, but I have to admit they amuse me. 🙂

i'll probably buy one... 😳

 

[NittanyKitty]

nittanykitty-i just looked you up under final decisions and ur not there! where did u decide to attend? id rather not stalk you to find out lol

as for pennstate vs upenn: i have no idea. but how can a place that has no vet school be better for prevets?? lol also, isnt pennstate surrounded by farms? i love how upenn is in the city. just my opinion 😀

Haha, yeah, I'm putting off deciding as loooong as possible! I'm visiting Wisconsin on March 26th for their open house and then choosing (probably by April 1st). It's much tougher than I thought it would be!

And even though this is way off-topic, I will definitely pump up PSU. It's the second land-grant university in the country (1855, baby!) and was founded for only teaching agriculture at the time. Ever since its ag program has been top-notch - some of the best research, facilities, and opportunities out there. There are some very specific classes that are perfect for pre-vet students (a practical cattle artificial-insemination class, for example) and clubs and organizations for every vet interest (biomedical sciences club, collegiate cattlewomen, etc.). You can even live at any of the barns during the year to do work in exchange for free rent!

Penn's strengths (having never attended) are its academic rigor and proximity to the vet school, and I think if you're persistent, you can definitely get some work and "ins" with the program as an undergrad. PSU? They are there for the taking and professors practically shove them at you every single day. I definitely don't regret my choice (while one of the vets at my practice, who attended Penn for undergrad and vet school does due to the huuuge extra loans she needed for her B.S. She told me the other week that she wouldn't do it again)!

Also, just to clarify, this is NOT any attack on PennVet!!!!!!!(times infinity)!!! You can't possibly ask for a better school, and I totally freaked out with happiness when I was accepted this year! It just kills me to see Penn State put down in any capacity, especially in a pre-vet sense because it really is excellent for preparation for vet programs. 🙂

 

[CanadianGolden]

nittanykitty-i just looked you up under final decisions and ur not there! where did u decide to attend? id rather not stalk you to find out lol

as for pennstate vs upenn: i have no idea. but how can a place that has no vet school be better for prevets?? lol also, isnt pennstate surrounded by farms? i love how upenn is in the city. just my opinion 😀

Any school with a competitive biology or animal science program is a good pre-vet school. Most applicants attended schools that don't have a vet school (since there are less than 30 vet schools in the country). It's all about whether the curriculum prepares you for vet school, and in my opinion that means a rigorous hard science program.

 

[BlacKAT33]

Any school with a competitive biology or animal science program is a good pre-vet school. Most applicants attended schools that don't have a vet school (since there are less than 30 vet schools in the country). It's all about whether the curriculum prepares you for vet school, and in my opinion that means a rigorous hard science program.

ya I agree. i didnt mean to say PSU has a bad prevet program. I just didnt know how you can compare with UPenn who actually has the vet school right there. But it sounds like there are some pretty amazing clubs at PSU. I think my university was great for prevets too even though the vet school wasn't near us.

CanadianGolden-did i meet you at happy hour in Feb? Did you give tours? anyway, i hope to meet you on the 26th! ill be there for happy hr!

 

[bamitsme]

Haha, yeah, I'm putting off deciding as loooong as possible! I'm visiting Wisconsin on March 26th for their open house and then choosing (probably by April 1st). It's much tougher than I thought it would be!

And even though this is way off-topic, I will definitely pump up PSU. It's the second land-grant university in the country (1855, baby!) and was founded for only teaching agriculture at the time. Ever since its ag program has been top-notch - some of the best research, facilities, and opportunities out there. There are some very specific classes that are perfect for pre-vet students (a practical cattle artificial-insemination class, for example) and clubs and organizations for every vet interest (biomedical sciences club, collegiate cattlewomen, etc.). You can even live at any of the barns during the year to do work in exchange for free rent!

Penn's strengths (having never attended) are its academic rigor and proximity to the vet school, and I think if you're persistent, you can definitely get some work and "ins" with the program as an undergrad. PSU? They are there for the taking and professors practically shove them at you every single day. I definitely don't regret my choice (while one of the vets at my practice, who attended Penn for undergrad and vet school does due to the huuuge extra loans she needed for her B.S. She told me the other week that she wouldn't do it again)!

Also, just to clarify, this is NOT any attack on PennVet!!!!!!!(times infinity)!!! You can't possibly ask for a better school, and I totally freaked out with happiness when I was accepted this year! It just kills me to see Penn State put down in any capacity, especially in a pre-vet sense because it really is excellent for preparation for vet programs. 🙂

never meant to start a war between upenn and penn state.

my point was only that people don't know the difference between the two, much less do they know upenn is one of the top schools in the nation (and the world, for that matter)

...and you cannot really compare penn vet to penn state because penn state does not have a vet school. its like comparing apples to softballs

 

[BlacKAT33]

...and you cannot really compare penn vet to penn state because penn state does not have a vet school. its like comparing apples to softballs

that is what i was trying to say lol i never meant they have a bad prevet program. i just thought i dont think u can compare the two since one doesnt have a vet school. im not a bad guy!!! lol

 

[CanadianGolden]

CanadianGolden-did i meet you at happy hour in Feb? Did you give tours? anyway, i hope to meet you on the 26th! ill be there for happy hr!

Nope, I don't think I met any interviewees. I don't generally go to happy hour, but I'm sure I'll see you around at some point.

 

[NittanyKitty]

Haha, hope I didn't offend anyone earlier! Seriously not trying to say anything bad about Penn (undergrad or vet program) - just defending PSU's honor. They are two very different schools and anyone should be happy to go to either! Back to the regularly scheduled program...

Anyone else decided for sure that they are attending Penn? How's the housing search coming along?

 

[StartingoverVet]

Haha, hope I didn't offend anyone earlier! Seriously not trying to say anything bad about Penn (undergrad or vet program) - just defending PSU's honor. They are two very different schools and anyone should be happy to go to either! Back to the regularly scheduled program...

Anyone else decided for sure that they are attending Penn? How's the housing search coming along?

No decision for me but I am going with the spouse to look for housing in 2 weeks.

On the Penn vs Penn State thing, I always thought it was a little sad that there wasn't much of a rivalry there. Other than getting confused for each other, there really isn't that much direct competition. Not in sports, and not really in academic programs. Just like in veterinary. Want pre-vet? Have to go to Penn State. Want to go to Vet school? Have to go to Penn.

That's why the "Not-Penn State" shirts seemed silly to me (not to mention I went to Wharton undergrad which is a whole other intra-penn rivalry thing).

 

[BlacKAT33]

Haha, hope I didn't offend anyone earlier! Seriously not trying to say anything bad about Penn (undergrad or vet program) - just defending PSU's honor. They are two very different schools and anyone should be happy to go to either! Back to the regularly scheduled program...

Anyone else decided for sure that they are attending Penn? How's the housing search coming along?

Going in a couple weeks with my parents! unfortunately my sig fig hasnt found a permanent job in philly yet so i think i will be living alone til he comes! i cant wait to show my parents the city, they will love it!!! just like i love it 🙂 I'm really super excited. I know Penn and I are like in terms of fit. Now that the cost is behind me...i cant wait to start my dream career in an awesome place with super friendly people!

Startingovervet- are you going the weekend of the 26th? did you join our facebook group? we are all planning on going then and meeting each other, also attending the happy hr with the current students

 

[Ben and Me]

I'm not taking wildlife. I'd say about 80% of our class is taking it though. It seems pretty easy, but somewhat time consuming and isn't something I'm very interested in.

There are other electives that are semi-unofficial and you'll find out about them when it comes time to enroll -- I'm taking an equine nutrition class, and there is also a public health course.

Funny that both Wharton and Penn State were brought up in this thread--we were compared to Wharton and referred to as Penn State at the SAVMA symposium this weekend. Thanks a lot, UC Irvine. 😉 🙂

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Going in a couple weeks with my parents! unfortunately my sig fig hasnt found a permanent job in philly yet so i think i will be living alone til he comes!

Just posting b/c I thought it was cute that BlacKAT called her bf her sig fig. lol. 😛

 

[BlacKAT33]

Just posting b/c I thought it was cute that BlacKAT called her bf her sig fig. lol. 😛

haha people always make fun of me when i say it. but its such a habit! so much easier to say than sig other lol. see...doesnt have the same "ring" 😀

 

[NittanyKitty]

No decision for me but I am going with the spouse to look for housing in 2 weeks.

On the Penn vs Penn State thing, I always thought it was a little sad that there wasn't much of a rivalry there. Other than getting confused for each other, there really isn't that much direct competition. Not in sports, and not really in academic programs. Just like in veterinary. Want pre-vet? Have to go to Penn State. Want to go to Vet school? Have to go to Penn.

That's why the "Not-Penn State" shirts seemed silly to me (not to mention I went to Wharton undergrad which is a whole other intra-penn rivalry thing).

Ooooh, exciting! Are you guys going for a house, apartment, circus tent, etc? Any idea about location? What a big move!

I also wish there was more of both a partnership and rivalry. Two great schools that basically ignore each other. Such a shame.

Going in a couple weeks with my parents! unfortunately my sig fig hasnt found a permanent job in philly yet so i think i will be living alone til he comes! i cant wait to show my parents the city, they will love it!!! just like i love it 🙂 I'm really super excited. I know Penn and I are like in terms of fit. Now that the cost is behind me...i cant wait to start my dream career in an awesome place with super friendly people!

Yay! Guess your parents have never been to Philly before? Take 'em to Reading Terminal Market for a meal - if you like food, you'll be in heaven! And good luck with the boy situation. I know that things will work out great for you!

 

[StartingoverVet]

Ooooh, exciting! Are you guys going for a house, apartment, circus tent, etc? Any idea about location? What a big move!

Gee, you had to remind me we still haven't decided.

Thinking of maybe a house out by the main line. Close to school but out of W. Philly with a place for the doggies to run around. Alternatively maybe a condo downtown like at Naval Square - another place where it is nice to walk the dogs.

Circus tent sounds interesting though.

 

[StartingoverVet]

But to clarify... I have not yet made my decision which school I am going to yet. Housing is one of the key variables though....

 

[BlacKAT33]

But to clarify... I have not yet made my decision which school I am going to yet. Housing is one of the key variables though....

oh, i thought you were going to penn also lol i guess i misread somewhere

 

[BlacKAT33]

Yay! Guess your parents have never been to Philly before? Take 'em to Reading Terminal Market for a meal - if you like food, you'll be in heaven! And good luck with the boy situation. I know that things will work out great for you!

yup, first time for the rents. I do plan on going there!! i didnt get a chance to go to the market during my interview but my bf went without me and loved it! so this time i will def stop by!

 

[bunnity]

If anyone wants advice as far as housing in University City and a block by block analysis of the area around Penn, let me know 🙂

 

[GellaBella]

Does anyone know when transcripts are due at Penn by or who I should contact about that?

Does Penn let you continue courses through the summer or is it one of those schools where everything needs to be done by the spring?

🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

Does anyone know when transcripts are due at Penn by or who I should contact about that?

Does Penn let you continue courses through the summer or is it one of those schools where everything needs to be done by the spring?

🙂

From the website:
"All course requirements must be met prior to matriculation", so summer is ok.
From the VMSAR book:
"Course completion deadline: prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the summer term of the year in which admission is sought"

From the acceptance letter:
"All prerequisite courses must be taken prior to matriculation and yo must have earned a grade of C or better in these courses."

Good question about where to send transcripts. I assume still to the admissions office but best to check.

 

[th1rteen]

Hey does anyone know about a shelter medicine program at Penn? I read something about a Maddies Fund Shelter Med program but it said it wasnt available 2010-2013 ( this may have been a residency program)? Im kind of confused so if anyone had information on this..I would really appreciate it!! Thanks in advance=)

 

[Crazy Hippos]

Hey does anyone know about a shelter medicine program at Penn? I read something about a Maddies Fund Shelter Med program but it said it wasnt available 2010-2013 ( this may have been a residency program)? Im kind of confused so if anyone had information on this..I would really appreciate it!! Thanks in advance=)

I think bunnity would be a good person to talk to about this.

 

[Doggiepoo]

Hi All! I was hoping someone could tell me whether Penn Vet followed the undergrad calendar: http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/3yearcal.html

Also, is Penn on quarter or semesters? Thanks!

 

[BlacKAT33]

Hi All! I was hoping someone could tell me whether Penn Vet followed the undergrad calendar: http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/3yearcal.html

Also, is Penn on quarter or semesters? Thanks!

Our orientation is late Aug. and first day of classes is Aug. 30th. So if you compare to the link you posted, then I guess I'd say no. Someone posted a calendar of curriculum but sry i dont have time to find it i gotta run out the door. it was either ben and me or bunnity i think

 

[Shanomong]

.

 

[bamitsme]

i'm trying to get my financial situation figured out for next year and trying to determine how much money i will be able to borrow (or not borrow) for living expenses...at what point do you meet with a financial aid person from penn? can you just make an appointment and go down yourself? or do they generally contact you regarding this matter?