Whats your first choice and why?!

[GellaBella]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if any of you would mind sharing what your first choice school is and why you have made that your first choice? I'm interested because I feel like no matter how many times I go to a schools website, I'm having a hard time deciding where I'd like to apply and why I should choose one school over the other.

For me (as of right now-though I'm not applying til next fall) I think that Tufts is my first choice for a couple reasons 1) I'm originally from Massachusetts so not only will I get in state tuition-which is still expensive-but I probably have the best chance getting in based soley on residency. Plus my mom and sister are still there 2) I visited last year and I really like the campus and the area surrounding the campus and can imagine myself living there for 4 years 3) My fiance will be going back to school as well and Tufts is close enough to Boston for us to be able to make that work more easily

I'm interested in exotics medicine, I'm not sure if Tufts is a good place for that or not but I hope so. I still have to look into it.

So how about you? Whats your top choice and why?

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[cerealrhapsody]

My top choices are Florida and Tennessee - Florida because I'm a resident and Tennessee because I have family there and I've visited the school and I really like it, as well as Knoxville.

Also, I'm interested in exotics as well and I've heard that those schools both have really good programs, although I need to do a lot more research on the matter.

 

[LadyHitokiri]

My first choice is Iowa State because of the awesome programs and opportunities for public health and research. They have animal disease and food safety centers, which are a great resource for me. They also have a DVM/MPH program that I can complete in 4 years. Everyone there that I met was friendly and the atmosphere just seemed very conducive to a well-rounded education where it's not as cut-throat as some other schools. I like their curriculum and their new large animal facilities. Basically....I REALLY wanna go there!

Note: You may not be able to make your decision based soley on comparing info on websites. You might have to actually travel to the schools to see which ones you fall in love with!

 

[NittanyKitty]

Well, I'm not applying this cycle, but I think Mississippi and Missouri are my top choices. I think I could get a lot out of their 2:2 programs, and living in the South/Midwest for a few years is appealing. Plus, I might be moving down to the area to work for a year or two, so if I get residency in one of those states, it'd be even better.

 

[athane960]

Iowa for me basically for the same reasons Lady Hitokiri mentioned !! And, like she said . . sometimes you have to travel there. I did not know about alot of their work in public health and infectious diseases before I went up there for the interview basically where they floored me!

Texas A&M would be a close second or maybe a tie for first since they are my IS school and I love Texas!

 

[wildvet]

Illinois is definitely my top choice. For one, it's my in-state school, so tuition will be a heck of a lot cheaper. And secondly, they have an awesome exotics/wildlife department, and really good opportunities for public health students. Not only that, it's a very well-rounded school in general, so if I do change my path, it wouldn't hurt me too much. They have great opportunities for small/large animal, equine, and research too. But on both ends of my spectrum of possible career paths, they have a lot of great things. There's the envirovet program, their wildlife clinic, and faculty conjoint with brookfield zoo, not to mention plenty of faculty that have an exotics emphasis. As for public health, they have a combined DVM/MPH program that can be completed in 5 years... I know some students in the program and have heard great things about it!

 

[livefor32]

VA-MD for me! I am from Maryland, so it would be in-state, but I also graduated from Virginia Tech. I moved to New England for grad school, but I'm ready to go back! I'm a hokie for life...

 

[Kanashimi]

Auburn.

Reasons:
1 I've only been up north a few times in my life, and I couldn't stand it. I have to be in the warm south.
2 In-state tuition
3 I can *hopefully* keep my sugar glider rescue running- with the lower tuition I'm praying that I can find a place to stay that allows animals, or at least let them stay with my family and visit on the weekends. Or maybe even find a way to allow them to stay with me on campus *wishful thinking*
4 It's fairly close to some of my family. I'd love to be able to visit them more often.

 

[vnair2]

From the posts so far it seems that for most people proximity to family and IS tuition are the main factors. So out of curiousity, when you go on interviews, and these schools ask you why you think they are so great, are you suppose to be honest about it or make something up about how their programs are rockin?

Just curious, because im in the same boat.

Thanks
V

 

[Kanashimi]

I'm going to be honest. I love your location, I love your IS tuition, but I also truly am excited about coming here because I feel like it would be the perfect place to further my education.
I will tell them my goals, and how their school is going to help me get there. I am a believer in honesty. Not always full disclosure, because there are some things that don't need to be said- but honesty is a must. Most interviewers are experienced enough to tell a liar... and the fact that you lie will count more against you than whatever you were hiding could have. Unless, of course, you have a body in the trunk... that's another story.

 

[NycVet]

personally my top choice would be cornell, although my reasons are similar to those here, i also believe that you wanna pick a school based on the area and the specialty. for example, vet schools in the midwest are generally great for equine and bovine, since the midwest is more of an agricultural region. as for exotics i dont really know, maybe austriala?

but dont only go by the school, remember your picking a profession and not a school, so if you love the profession then pick a school that suites your profession and not the other way around.

and as for the interviews i definitely think that honesty would be the best approach.

 

[VeganChick]

i also believe that you wanna pick a school based on the area and the specialty

I absolutely agree! I just wish there was more information on this, particularly in relation to SA specialties (ie, surgery, neurology, etc.)

 

[hopefulvet21]

Hmm, I think RVC is my top choice. I am in love with London and I like being abroad. University of Melbourne is a close second, but they are on a diff. semester schedule which means I would graduate a year later. I applied to UPenn and Tufts too, and I think they are probably going to reject me...but if I did get in I think I would still choose RVC. I'm also more flexible because I have no in-state school and I just want to be a small animal vet- and every school has a good program for that. Mainly, I'm just picking where I would want to live for 4-5 years.

 

[TurtleLover]

For me, it's Western University. I am from Florida, so California is very similar in weather patterns. I have never seen snow or been in really cold weather, so UPenn is my last choice of the schools I applied to, also the farthest north school I applied to, lol. I personally love the curriculum idea at Western with how it is PBL (problem based learning). They also have an exotics/zoo/wildlife medicine club there, which is what I am interested in. They also don't discriminate with in-state vs. out of state. Everyone has the same chance of getting in and paying the same tuition!

 

[cozycleo]

My top choice is definitely Minnesota. Second choice is Iowa state. Geography is definitely a priority, but my interests keep coming back to the public health and food animal programs.

 

[MooSuga]

1st: U Penn because it is the closest school to NYC. Can't move far away cause of my husband.

2nd: Cornell, it's the next closest one.

If I don't get into either one of those two, then I am open to other schools

 

[nyanko]

For me, it's Western University. I am from Florida, so California is very similar in weather patterns.

well, it's actually really different, but a lot nicer in my opinion in that it is not humid and doesn't rain all summer long every day. I hope you get in at Western, too!!!