VT vs. MN?

[charismarl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey guys-

OK...I have a problem. I was originally waitlisted at VT (my in-state school)and I got into Minnesota and I loved the school. So I decided I wanted to go to MN over TN (the other school I got into) and dropped my check in the mail and as I was leaving the post office, Virginia Tech called and said that I had gotten in. What do I do? I don't care about losing the deposit money to MN I just want to make the best decision. Any thoughts? Tuition difference is a big deal but the fact that I liked MN better is also a big deal. Besides the weather being significantly milder and it being a 6-hr drive from home, there isn't anything else that wows me about VMRCVM.

Please help......I am freaking out.

 

[VAgirl]

Ok, well this doesn't help on the comparing of programs, but if you make up your mind that you want to go to VMRCVM within the next few days (before MN gets your check), you call call and tell MN you're declining and then you can cancel your check through your bank. So you'd be out $25-$35 rather than the $200-$500 deposit they likely have. It's also possible that MN would be willing to just tear up the check for you if you call to tell them the situation and decline your place before they get the check in the mail.

Not that a little drop in the bucket like your deposit should sway you, given that the tuition differences are so much greater... But it might be a little nagging thought in the back of your head, so I just thought I'd throw that out there.

Also, if you haven't yet read the article that someone (lanlanni, I think) posted in the "How much debt will you be in" thread (called something like "Inviting the Elephant Into the Room"), you should! I felt fairly familiar with the issue of vet student indebtedness, but that article was still eye-opening for me. May help you shed some light on how much to value the tuition differences between the two schools.

 

[LVT2DVM]

Sorry me again..saying the same thing. (I always end up giving the same boring advice) Money or Happiness??? Uhmmmmm. If you go to Tech for tuition purposes would you always wonder if you made the right decision? If so then go with MN. Your going to be paying a huge loan anyway, may as well be satisfied with your choice. Perhaps a stupid analogy, but think if it as a test, always stick with your first instinctive choice. Wish I could give you more help than that but its all so personal and relative to your specific interests and needs. Good luck in all your endevours.

 

[fargeese]

Maybe I am slanted because I just had to choose between Wisconsin OOS and VT as my instate just this week, but I would definitely take Tech. I already turned down MN myself because it is going to be 42K next year, as opposed to 16K at VT as an instate student. I was not wowed by Tech either, but 200K+ debt, which you will incur at MN, will cripple you for years. You can potentially get out of Tech for less than 100K (tuition plus expenses) and be able to start your career with more freedom. If you love MN that much, apply for an internship or residency there, when it is more important which school you choose.

I know it is not the sexy choice, but it is the sensible one. I hate being sensible myself so I understand how hard it is, but I think I am going to be happy there, and certainly warmer.

 

[Hobiecat1642]

As someone who will be "crippled for years"(that created a nice visual image of me living in a goat shed, lol) by the OOS tuition at MN, I would also take a serious look at the financial aspect. MN is my only US acceptance, and I am thrilled to be going there, but the tuition is very high. Most of us will be in some debt no matter where we go, and if you can cut that by a third, or by half, I say go for the less expensive option.

 

[critterfixer]

42K per year vs. 16K per year is a difference of $100K provided there are no tuition increases in four years, which is unlikely at best. That's the mortgage on a house in a lot of places and a pretty good chunk of change in any event.

Unless you really don't like VT, I can't see the advantage to going to MN. Unless you have family in MN, or they offered you something that VT just can't, it doesn't seem to make sense to choose MN.

 

[SillyFilly]

If I were in your shoes - I'd pick VT.

Money can't buy happiness, but it suuuuuuure does help!

 

[ZoeyBay]

Pick VMRCVM.

We just had our open house this past weekend and had around 1000 people come! Not too shabby in my opinion. It was pretty cool to see the community so involved. I listened to so many people go on about whatever problem their pet came into the hospital for and how they thought the students did such a great job.

The teachers are great - helpful, entertaining, knowledgable.

My classmates are awesome - always sending out study guides, forming intermural sports teams, getting together after stressful weeks.

The area is beautiful - especially now that the weather is getting nice - I can't wait to go tubing on the river once it is actually hot out!

Seems like a no-brainer to me!

Now if only tests didn't get in the way......😀

 

[Danaish72]

I understand that happiness is important in life, but a lifetime of indebtedness probably doesn't help on the happiness front. Pick up a copy of the Wall Street Journal and get a sense of the current state of our economy before opting for a higher debt load (not to mention the fact that many private loans are drying up lately). I suppose that's very utilitarian of me, but I think it's important to think of your financial future right now too (think about how much kids cost!); in any case, I'm sure you will make the choice that fits you best. Good luck!

 

[wi girl]

Charismarl: I literally was in your same shoes. Yes, I got waitlisted at Mn, but I was already thinking about this before I heard from either school. My in-state (16K) versus Mn (42K). Before I had heard from either, I had already realized that if I got into both (congrats to you!) I was going to madison for the exact reason critterfixer metioned -- in madison, I've bought a condo, and will end up only a little bit more in debt than had I gone to Mn.

100K is really hard to grasp (at least it was for me). And I really loved Mn. And claimed on here backwards and forwards that I was going to Mn if I got in. Then I realized that 100K buys me a condo ... or four cars, or some unimaginable amount of things.

Summary, while I TOTALLY understand your position, go to VT. Plus, fargeese will be there, and she's super cool. 😀

EDIT: Brucecaboose raises a good point below; I was lucky to have an IS school that I loved just as much as Mn. I still think that an extra 100K would be VERY difficult, but if you'll be MISERABLE at VT, then go Mn.

Yeah, I wasn't much help, in retrospect.

 

[BruceCaboose]

Think really hard about this - I don't think it's as simple as a financial decision. You're investing four years of your life, make sure you're happy. Yeah VT will save you money but will you regret it once you're there? If you were dedicated enough to the first school to send in a deposit I'd say that's a pretty solid decision. That's just my two cents, in the end you have to make the decision for yourself.

 

[Badger Girl]

Hey Wi Girl- I just looked at MN yesterday and I agree; I totally love that school! My friend is a 3rd year student there, so I got to go to classes with her! It was so cool. She had cardiology and small animal ultrasound. Awesome! I change my mind nearly every day about this, but I think that I am going to work on my pre-reqs to get in to WI, and if I don't get in the first time, I will take the extra two classes I'll need to apply to MN for the second round. I'm so thankful for this forum for many reasons, but I definitely like knowing that we are all (or have been) in the same boat in regards to making these decisions. They aren't easy ones to make, that's for sure!!

 

[fargeese]

Thanks for the compliment wi girl 🙂 I guess I wanted to say that I agree with Bruce that it should not be solely financial, and if you really think that there is no chance you'll be happy at Tech, you shouldn't go. But...unless there is a compelling reason you need to go to MN (your interest in Raptors for example) I would think you will get an excellent education at Tech for a 1/3 of the price.

And Hobiecat, I am actually contemplating a single wide trailer out at Tech because I can pay for it outright now not have to pay rent for 4 years. A very small step up from a goat shed I'd say

 

[StealthDog]

and certainly warmer.

Aw, don't throw out MN just because of the weather! Snow is fun!

 

[VetMed555]

Think really hard about this - I don't think it's as simple as a financial decision. You're investing four years of your life, make sure you're happy. Yeah VT will save you money but will you regret it once you're there? If you were dedicated enough to the first school to send in a deposit I'd say that's a pretty solid decision. That's just my two cents, in the end you have to make the decision for yourself.

Well, while I agree that you shouldn't make the decision solely based on finances, they are certainly a HUGE factor.

BruceCaboose, at the time she sent the deposit, VT option was not available to her, so it's not about dedication, it's about evaluating all options once they became available.

 

[dartfrog]

So, I will be one of the OOS students paying 42K next year to attend MN. I loved the school and chose it over several others that would have been somewhat cheaper. In my case, all my acceptances were OOS and the difference in tuition was not enough to dissuade me from attending MN. However, had I been accepted to a school whose tuition was 16K a year, I would have definitely chosen it over MN unless there was something about that school that I really didn't like. No matter what school (accredited) you go to, you will still end up with the credentials to practice veterinary medicine. If you can save yourself 100K while doing so, all the better. 😀

 

[alliecat44]

VT has a great program. All schools are a little different, but the education you get is pretty much the EXACT same. Do a quick search on here for all the threads asking about whether or not certain schools are better than others, whether or not what vet school you go to has any bearing on obtaining an internship/residency, etc and you'll see what I mean.

The $100K isn't "just" $100K, either. Over the years and with interest, you're talking about an extra $150-200K. As someone else pointed out, that's a HOUSE. That is the ability to have a child (or a second).

VT is a great school in a great location--it's beautiful in Blacksburg. As a slightly-older student, I cannot stress strongly enough how little it matters where you go for four years. We ALL have "cardiology and abdominal ultrasound." The education is pretty much the same. I would encourage you not to make a decision you'll regret for the extra 20 years you will take to pay off your loans--especially when you're talking about going to a great school that's AVMA-accredited.

The fact that I have to go to an out-of-state school instead of my in-state means a major difference in the quality of my life--for the rest of my life.

It also means that I really don't have the option of NOT specializing--which is an extra four years of training. So, even if I got married in school and would love to have children within a couple of years, I can't--because i HAVE to do a residency in order to have a lucrative-enough career to pay back $2,000 a month in loan payments. As a mature student, this means I won't be done with my training until I'm 36 years old. And I'm female. Even though you're younger, the same principles (minus the urgency of fertility) do apply.

Because I pretty much HAVE to specialize, my grades actually ARE important. Which means school is technically more "stressful." (However, I will admit that I have always been certain I want to specialize--but your situation might be different.)

Just other things to think about. There is a major domino effect--it is not "just" a matter of taking out more loans.

 

[Serendipity4]

I think the question definitely becomes how MUCH did you like MN better? I'm a first year at MN, and I ABSOLUTELY love it! I love how excited the professors are to teach, how close our class is, how the administration is completely willing to listen to us and how they actually care if we're happy... all of it. So there's definitely a part of me that wants to convince you to come here 🙂 (And, as someone originally from Arizona and who is far more used to 115 degrees than a 9 inch snowfall, I can say it's totally possible to survive winter... next year I'm actually going to try enjoying it 😉

That said, I was in somewhat of a similar situation when I was deciding where I wanted to go to undergrad -- I had two schools, one which was the far better financial decision and the other that I LOVED. Ultimately, I decided that I would be happy wherever I went. If I chose the school that gave me more money, I was certain I'd find things I absolutely loved about the school. And if I chose the school that cost more, I decided I wouldn't let myself worry about the money and would instead focus on how much I loved the school. Basically, I decided I'd have no regrets, and last year I graduated with just that. 🙂

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, fortunately, you don't have a bad decision. WHY did you love MN more? How much did you love MN more?

And lastly, you mentioned that VT is your in-state school... I know we didn't give our in-state applicants tours and everything unless they set them up specifically, whereas we had a full day of events for out of state applicants. Was it the same as VT? Do you think you would have liked VT as much as MN if you had been treated as an OOS student? Just a thought...

Good luck with your decision!

 

[twelvetigers]

Aw, don't throw out MN just because of the weather! Snow is fun!

Haha. A corgi in that much snow, hard to imagine! Mine hates rain, much less snow. It doesn't snow much at all here in Okla (but there are occasions)...

 

[xtinglo]

i would call MN asap and tell them it was a mistake!! They're so nice there, I'm sure if you call them right away (hopefully you already have) then they'd understand and let it slide. Isn't their notification date April 18? or is it the 15?

anyway- on another note, i made a comment on a different post about you going to royal... messed up with acronym.. woops. ignore that. congrats on VT 🙂