Western c/o 2015 Applicants

Started by Lambgirl
Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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It is indeed a jazz bar that has little fondue heater things in the tables. Although the band that was performing when I was there labeled themselves as 'dust bowl revival.' Kinda a low blow for someone from OK, but they were good so I didn't take it personally. :d

ETA: It was called 'The Hip Kitty' 🙂
 
twelvetigers said:
It is indeed a jazz bar that has little fondue heater things in the tables. Although the band that was performing when I was there labeled themselves as 'dust bowl revival.' Kinda a low blow for someone from OK, but they were good so I didn't take it personally. :d

ETA: It was called 'The Hip Kitty' 🙂
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There was a band? All I remember was gorging myself on chocolate-covered everything...

Oh, and staring at the neighboring table's cheese fondue meal.
 
I have a few questions for the current vet students.

After paying rent, do you have anything left? Rent seems very high there.

Is there affordable rent in the area?

What cities do students live in?

Also, does the traffic get bad on the 10 and 15? If so is there certain times to avoid them?
 
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I also have a question for current students:
Could you give some input on the 4th year- where do most students live while doing their "8, 4 week rotations"? Do the Vets you are externing with put you up? Do you live in a hotel for 4 weeks, I can't imagine the cost if so!
Thanks!
 
I'm not a current student, but azdvm2b's question was addressed during my interview day.

During your 3rd year, you will do 'rotations' at lots of different places in California, including the zoo, UCLA, etc. and if you are far enough from home the school will pay for a hotel.

During fourth year, you can go wherever you want - anywhere in the U.S. or even outside of the U.S. if you like. However, because you are choosing where to go and it is absolutely possible for you to do all of your 'rotations' in southern California, it is up to you to pay for plane flights and lodgings. They specify that there is usually a classmate's relative to stay with, so many students are able to do things 'on the cheap.' Also, if you want to go home to wherever you are from, you can! You just have to do the different sorts of rotations required of you (they can tell you the specifics, but I know they allow you to do a lot in your chosen areas, like whatever you're interested in the most) and you have to go back to graduate. Which is probably okay. 🙂

Hopefully some current students can comment on traffic and stuff like that.
 
cowdocsoon said:
I have a few questions for the current vet students.

After paying rent, do you have anything left? Rent seems very high there.

Is there affordable rent in the area?

What cities do students live in?

Also, does the traffic get bad on the 10 and 15? If so is there certain times to avoid them?
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I'm relying completely on loans right now, and per semester, I think the max you can take out is around $11,000 (after tuition has been subtracted). It kills me inside to know I'll be that far in debt, but I know that's what I got myself into when I said "yes" to WesternU's seat offer.

Rent varies between $600/mo - $1500/mo, but it depends on where you live and whether you're splitting it with someone else (and whether utilities are included or not).

Right now, I live in the Helix (3 min walking distance from school), splitting a 2 bedroom apartment with my roommate. I'm paying $700/mo for rent (cable, gas, internet, and water are included), plus $30/mo for electricity. If I'm not careful, I say I spend around ~$1200/mo on rent, food, gas, which still leaves me with ~$5000 for everything else. I'm planning on taking out fewer loans for subsequent semesters.

There are cheaper alternatives a little farther from Pomona, where rent + utilities go down to $500-600/mo, but you do have to do some leg work to see the places, and it's almost impossible to find rent+utilities lower than $700 where you're not splitting your living arrangements with others.

Cities students tend to live in: Chino, Claremont, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga, Pomona, Ontario, Norco (kinda far with traffic). I'm not sure how traffic is during rush hour though because I walk to school 5 min. before class 😛. The aforementioned cities are between 10-30min. drive from campus.
 
twelvetigers said:
I'm not a current student, but azdvm2b's question was addressed during my interview day.

During your 3rd year, you will do 'rotations' at lots of different places in California, including the zoo, UCLA, etc. and if you are far enough from home the school will pay for a hotel.

During fourth year, you can go wherever you want - anywhere in the U.S. or even outside of the U.S. if you like. However, because you are choosing where to go and it is absolutely possible for you to do all of your 'rotations' in southern California, it is up to you to pay for plane flights and lodgings. They specify that there is usually a classmate's relative to stay with, so many students are able to do things 'on the cheap.' Also, if you want to go home to wherever you are from, you can! You just have to do the different sorts of rotations required of you (they can tell you the specifics, but I know they allow you to do a lot in your chosen areas, like whatever you're interested in the most) and you have to go back to graduate. Which is probably okay. 🙂

Hopefully some current students can comment on traffic and stuff like that.
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just to add on the housing situation, a western extern told me that anything further than 60 miles (or was it 50?) will be covered by the school.

regarding traffic... http://maps.google.com/ -> activate traffic layer -> next to legend it'll say live traffic...click the "change" link -> specify day and time
 
So tomorrow is my interview and I am really excited. I am however a local and I wanted to give some insight on the housing issue.

I did/am doing my undergrad at Cal Poly Pomona, just down the 10 freeway from Western. I currently live in Corona right next door to a girl who's in the Dental program at Western. She commutes everyday and says leaving at 6:45am gets her to school on time for parking and her 8am classes. So although it is a little bit of a drive from campus I only pay $500 a month for rent (water included). I share a two bedroom & a den home with another student for $1000.00/month total. I have also lived in Chino Hills which is about half the distance closer to western than is Corona in a 4 bedroom home. I was in the master bedroom and paid $600 a month and each of the other three bedrooms were $500 a month. The house was 2,100 sq ft and with some simple addition you would have fig. out that we paid $2,100 a month to the landlord. So in my experience there is definitely some variety in choosing your housing situation , based on dollars, distance and roommate living situation. Claremont, San Dimas, La Verne, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Phillips Ranch (part of Pomona), Diamond Bar, and Chino Hills are all the "nicest" cities in the area but of course are the most expensive. Ontario, Corona, Norco, Pomona, Covina, and Chino are also nice places to live but most of these will require a 30 min drive minimum to campus.

Freeways that may cause some headaches for a few not used to traffic: The 91 west between 7am and 9:30am; the 91 east between 4:00pm and 6:30pm; the 15 south between 5:00pm and 6:30pm (near norco and corona). Hope this helps. Good Luck Everyone!
 
Thanks TT 🙂 (love your corgis!)

The 2nd years said pretty much the same in our Q and A session but I was hoping someone maybe had some experience with it... doesn't look like a lot of 4th years are looking at our c/o 2015 page though :-( haha Oh well.
I guess I'll cross that bridge if I come to it but it seems pretty crazy. I love the idea of going home to PA for 4th year but also would love to go all over including some in CA. It would suck paying rent in Pomona AND a hotel cost or something for ~8 months as well during that year. A clinic I worked at during my undergrad had externs like crazy during the summer months and the vets always let them stay at the house and fed them etc. Either way, it's absolutely worth it no matter what 🙂
GOOD LUCK everyone!!!
 
azdvm2b said:
A clinic I worked at during my undergrad had externs like crazy during the summer months and the vets always let them stay at the house and fed them etc. Either way, it's absolutely worth it no matter what 🙂
GOOD LUCK everyone!!!
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the preceptor housed and fed them? wow...that's really generous of him/her
 
ApplicantNSoCal said:
So although it is a little bit of a drive from campus I only pay $500 a month for rent (water included). I share a two bedroom & a den home with another student for $1000.00/month total.
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Can you give any insight as to where we can find a cheap place like that? It seems that everyplace I have looked at online is at least $1600 a month for kind of a dump, or an iffy area.

I agree with azdvm2b, can any fourth years elaborate on the fourth year? I was under the impression that you had to go back every eight weeks or so. How often do you have to go back? Do you have to go back for anything other than graduation? Can a person move back home and only visit Pomona? Like az said, it doesn't matter, I am going if accepted, just wanted to know. 🙂
 
To weigh in on the local housing...I am starting with the class of 2015, deferred from last year, and live in Costa Mesa, which is in central/coastal Orange County. My husband works for the city we live in, and the commute is only 35-40 minutes each way. Personally I like the extra time to think between school and home, and I am going against the traffic each way. We are having a baby this month and my parents live in Irvine, on my way to school, so truthfully, although it is a longer drive than most students would be willing to make, I think it will work for us! If anyone else ends up in OC, let me know and we can try to set up a carpool!
 
Scrchvy said:
To weigh in on the local housing...I am starting with the class of 2015, deferred from last year, and live in Costa Mesa, which is in central/coastal Orange County. My husband works for the city we live in, and the commute is only 35-40 minutes each way. Personally I like the extra time to think between school and home, and I am going against the traffic each way. We are having a baby this month and my parents live in Irvine, on my way to school, so truthfully, although it is a longer drive than most students would be willing to make, I think it will work for us! If anyone else ends up in OC, let me know and we can try to set up a carpool!
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I know someone else in 2014 that commutes from OC. Those of us who commute (>30min) get used to it and have adjusted pretty well, I think. I still would not recommend it unless you have too (such as family situations, etc.) but it can be done.
I am like Scrchvy, I like having the alone time in my car and just listen to music and decompress from school work.
 
I really will just need to learn to separate my time - stay at school to do school things, and be home when I am home. The ultimate schizophrenic!
 
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I found my place via word of mouth from some close friends. Should any other cool housing setup become available, I'll be sure to inform any SDNers looking for housing. Had my interview today and everything went great! Everyone at Western is wonderfully inviting, full of well wishes to all of us applicants.
 
Apparently Monday is the last day that they're reviewing applications. Does anyone know approximately how long after an application is processed will the applicant find out about an interview? I've been freaking out since invites first went out in December!
 
@ Jspitz, Yep, they themselves got a stipend for allowing them to extern etc too, but they would have let the externs stay either way, they were just good ol' country people 🙂

@Scrchvy, you sure will have your hands full! Looks like you got a good plan set up though 🙂

Gotta say it today- GO STEELERS!!!!!
 
I thought I'd let you guys know that I canceled the interview I had scheduled with Western. I had an interview at Western last year and was impressed enough to apply again, but this year I got an acceptance that will be less expensive. Good luck to those of you interviewing and still waiting to hear! Hopefully my spot helps out one of you whose application is still being reviewed
 
Interviewing tomorrow morning. Spent the day today roaming around Pomona. Love the area. So excited to meet everyone. Anyone want to go out to dinner tomorrow night?
 
One more quick question about housing-
I'm not from the area so I'm not really sure which way traffic is going (although its LA, so probably going in all ways :laugh:)
But I was thinking about living in Pasadena with a friend. Will I get caught in traffic all the time? Anyone know about how long that commute would be?

Good luck to all those still interviewing!:luck:
 
Hey TT! Yes, there are still interviews for next Sat, Mon and Tuesday. I just got my app complete e-mail last Wed and the e-mail said it would go to review. Also, in the e-mail it said that I could have as little as one week's notice however, I also read that someone said they could have less than a week's notice. Then while reading last year's thread I saw that there were some last minute interviews added so I was just curious to see if any of you that interviewed or who are current students heard anything down the grapevine about added interview dates?

To all of you intervieweing today and tomorrow good luck! I'm jealous!
 
alexmack said:
Hey TT! Yes, there are still interviews for next Sat, Mon and Tuesday. I just got my app complete e-mail last Wed and the e-mail said it would go to review. Also, in the e-mail it said that I could have as little as one week's notice however, I also read that someone said they could have less than a week's notice. Then while reading last year's thread I saw that there were some last minute interviews added so I was just curious to see if any of you that interviewed or who are current students heard anything down the grapevine about added interview dates?

To all of you intervieweing today and tomorrow good luck! I'm jealous!
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No word so far about added interview dates. Last year I interviewed on the "added interview dates" so there's hope.
 
Anyone else still waiting to hear something?

According to a message I received a few days ago, I think they're supposed to notify me of their decision today... :xf:
 
Thanks Marcwood. Well hopefully they will follow last year's footsteps.

Yes, Cautionary Tail I'm still waiting too and it's torture!
 
I received... my complete application / you're being reviewed e-mail.

I'm wondering when they'll let me know whether or not they are interested. I was assuming that was the notification I'd be getting today.
 
I received an email from them Dec. 6th saying that my application was complete and going to review and I still haven't heard from them. Who knows maybe they are just getting my rejection letter ready, but until I read it I'll still have some hope. All this waiting is killing me though.
 
twelvetigers said:
Also, if you want to go home to wherever you are from, you can! You just have to do the different sorts of rotations required of you (they can tell you the specifics, but I know they allow you to do a lot in your chosen areas, like whatever you're interested in the most) and you have to go back to graduate. Which is probably okay. 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks TT, that does help, but I have more questions.

Can anyone elaborate more on this? I am very curious about this. Do the 4th year students even live in Pomona? Do you have to go back for anything other than graduation (i.e. tests, etc.)?
 
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has anyone ever wondered why tuition for 4th year is still 42,000 even though you spend most of it off campus? Is this a general policy for most schools?
 
I can't go into much more detail for sure, so hopefully someone else can do that - there probably aren't many 4th year students around, so maybe a graduate (ahem) will wander through soon. 🙂

STW, I think the school pays the places you are doing externships at? Maybe? I'm not sure.
 
twelvetigers said:
I can't go into much more detail for sure, so hopefully someone else can do that - there probably aren't many 4th year students around, so maybe a graduate (ahem) will wander through soon. 🙂

STW, I think the school pays the places you are doing externships at? Maybe? I'm not sure.
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I knew a grad ('09) who I used to work with from San Diego and did all his 4th rotations in San Diego. I don't know how often he had to go to campus. But I do know that he was living primarily in San Diego during his 4th year.

And yes, the preceptors/rotation sites are paid by the university.
 
i recall them saying (i could be wrong) that they interviewed approx 300 candidates, going to give out 160 yes, 30 no, and the rest will be an unranked alternates list. I'm assuming historically they have a decent amount of people whole decline their offer for what ever reason to always have a class between 100-105 students.
 
I thought I heard "160" too and that seemed like a lot of "yes" to me so I called and was told the 160 included alternates. So 100-105 yes and then 60-80 alternates. Hmmmm I wonder which numbers are correct??? I like your numbers better....
 
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gsi924 said:
i recall them saying (i could be wrong) that they interviewed approx 300 candidates, going to give out 160 yes, 30 no, and the rest will be an unranked alternates list. I'm assuming historically they have a decent amount of people whole decline their offer for what ever reason to always have a class between 100-105 students.
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Thankyou both~! I thiiiink gsi924 is right. I heard them say only 30 or so get a rejections letter. :xf:
 
If I haven't heard anything about an interview, can I officially cross Western off my list now? Silly that that would make me feel a little better, just finally having confirmation I guess rather than feeling in limbo!
 
Mohorsegirl said:
If I haven't heard anything about an interview, can I officially cross Western off my list now? Silly that that would make me feel a little better, just finally having confirmation I guess rather than feeling in limbo!
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Blah I know! I've been waiting since December and it's making me crazy! My application JUST went into processing on Tuesday. I'm giving it til the 12th since that's the first of the last of the interview dates.
 
Birdo88 said:
Blah I kn
​
ow! I've been waiting since December and it's making me crazy! My application JUST went into processing on Tuesday. I'm giving it til the 12th since that's the first of the last of the interview dates.
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SAME! I got my application complete email Tuesday as well, with a message that if I was invited to interview to note the interview dates and keep in mind that I would have less than a week to get there (I live on the east coast). I was thinking about calling tomorrow because I didn't think the review committee would meet on Saturday or that I would be😴 able to reach anybody on the weekend..... and I would really love to book a flight tomorrow :xf::xf: :xf: how late do you think they would let us know???
 
Those of you who have not received an official rejection letter should keep up the hope. If you look on the Official rejections page, some people have received them already. As some current students have said, they didn't get theirs until the very last minute. So hang in there! :xf:
 
Yowza- just got my interview invite today... for this saturday or tuesday!!! yikes... guess it's time to book a flight...
 
Congrats, mohorsegirl!

Anyone know if the rejections for OOS-ers are arriving by e-mail or snail mail at this point? I am in Minnesota, and in order to make the Tuesday date (if it were offered), I would have to tweak my flights and go directly from Minnesota to California. If they send something to my house, I am not going to receive it between now and then.
 
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twelvetigers said:
SUCH short notice... it's kinda not cool. I hope everything works out!

CT, I would almost call and be like, "Look... I have this other interview... I need to know today (please)."
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Gah... do they think we are just twiddling our thumbs waiting? I have two tests and a speech next week! *sigh* Feeling frazzled.
 
twelvetigers said:
SUCH short notice... it's kinda not cool. I hope everything works out!
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Way not cool! I feel for you out-of-towners that have to buy plane tickets and book hotel rooms on such short notice. But that's just me and I'm a planner.

ETA: Congratulations btw Mohorsegirl!
 
I cant wait to interview this saturday and see my future Westerners I have it all planned out and ready! Im wishing everyone the best and keep hoping because ita int ova til the fat lady sings😀
 
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