WICHE vs. Resident

[tigerkissedqt]

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I currently live in North Dakota and am attending undergrad here as well. I am pre-vet and have 1 year left of undergrad and then 3months (next summer) at a different college in ND followed by 9months at a clinical site around the country of "my choosing" (sites can be requested but are not necessarily guaranteed) to finish my Clinical Laboratory Science major-- so I am presently 2 years away from vet school.

My dilemma is in deciding if I have a better chance at acceptance into a vet school if I become a resident there or if I have a better chance at acceptance if I remain a ND resident and apply through WICHE. 😕

Presently CSU is my top pick and I have been planning on doing my 9month clinical in Grand Junction, CO (there are also 3 other clinical site options in CO to fall back on if that site doesn't pan out) to become a resident of CO before applying to CSU. Do you think this is a good move or do I stand a better chance trying for the reserved ND seat through WICHE? (which I believe is one reserved spot for a ND resident at CSU presently) But if I become a CO resident I then lose the chance at WICHE spots at other veterinary schools such as Iowa (another one of my top picks).

It feels like I would be putting all of my eggs in one basket for my top pick and possibly gambling away my other options, but on the other hand that seems like it may increase my odds to get into CSU. My grades are not stellar so I need any chance to get the upper hand in the application process; although I am well-rounded and have many other valuable experiences and qualifications to balance them out. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Minnerbelle]

My dilemma is in deciding if I have a better chance at acceptance into a vet school if I become a resident there or if I have a better chance at acceptance if I remain a ND resident and apply through WICHE. 😕

Presently CSU is my top pick and I have been planning on doing my 9month clinical in Grand Junction, CO (there are also 3 other clinical site options in CO to fall back on if that site doesn't pan out) to become a resident of CO before applying to CSU. Do you think this is a good move or do I stand a better chance trying for the reserved ND seat through WICHE?

That is kind of a gamble, but it kind of seems like people who apply WICHE and get in somewhere pretty much get in to all 3 schools (or at least that's what it seems like talking to WICHE people at CSU). Okay, well take that with a grain of salt, because I really dunno what I'm talking about.

That being said, if you really want to go to CSU, becoming a resident will give you a much better chance. Since they only take 1 or 2 ND WICHE students out of 10-20 applicants... you're kind of at the mercy of the other 8-19 students that apply with you. If any of those people outshine you, you're kind of screwed. if you apply IS for CSU, you have a ~25% chance of getting in out of like 250-300 applicants. I have a friend who got burned by WICHE with Utah one year because they didn't support anyone that year. WICHE is a great deal, but sometimes it in itself can be a big gamble.

 

[cowgirla]

Would you be considered a CO resident if you moved there for a school related reason? Sometimes there are funny hoops to jump through. I'd talk to someone at the vet school about their residency requirements first.

 

[cuitlamiztli]

But if I become a CO resident I then lose the chance at WICHE spots at other veterinary schools such as Iowa (another one of my top picks).

Just to clarify, Iowa State is not part of WICHE. We have a contract with North Dakota. So you apply as OOS/contract, and then if you're accepted the state of ND decides if you get a contract seat or not. More details can be found here: http://vetmed.iastate.edu/academics...ions/contracts-and-state-cooperation-programs.

I'd talk to someone at the vet school about their residency requirements first.

I agree with this -- it's possible that obtaining CO residency could push your application back at least another year from your current plan. Most requirements I've seen require you to be in the state for non-school reasons, with documented intent on staying in that state (driver's license, paid state taxes, etc.), for at least 12 consecutive months prior to applying.

 

[eringobraugh]

My dilemma is in deciding if I have a better chance at acceptance into a vet school if I become a resident there or if I have a better chance at acceptance if I remain a ND resident and apply through WICHE. 😕

Presently CSU is my top pick and I have been planning on doing my 9month clinical in Grand Junction, CO (there are also 3 other clinical site options in CO to fall back on if that site doesn't pan out) to become a resident of CO before applying to CSU. Do you think this is a good move or do I stand a better chance trying for the reserved ND seat through WICHE? (which I believe is one reserved spot for a ND resident at CSU presently) But if I become a CO resident I then lose the chance at WICHE spots at other veterinary schools such as Iowa (another one of my top picks).

WICHE is great if you are a strong applicant and your state can support more than 3 people. It's kind of a weird system, here is how it works from what I was told when I applied;

You apply to your state certifying board. If you get certified that doesn't guarantee funding (at least in my state). Once your state legislature approves funding, which they have to review every year in most cases, then you find out if you get funded. Some states fund at least a dozen people others 3 or less (UT 🙁).

When you apply to the WICHE schools as a WICHE applicant they rank you according to which students they feel are the strongest. This list is then sent to the overall certifying board in Boulder , CO. This board then sends your rank to your states' certifying officer and they in turn let the schools know if they have enough money to fund you.

Once you are guaranteed funding and you were ranked, most schools will offer you a position.

I'm not sure how ND works but UT has a VERY limited budget for funding. The first year I applied they only funded 2 people, the second they funded no one and the last time I was ranked 4th in the state and they only had enough money to fund 3 people. Fortunately for me, one person dropped out to go to a non-WICHE school so I got his funding 🙂.

You have to be careful about moving to a state just to apply as an in-state resident. CSU really frowns upon this and so it's not something that will necessarily help your application if they find out that's what you did. If I were you I would find out how many students your state is able to fund before I would make any kind of decision and if they can definitely offer you funding (they should be able to tell you this).

Hope that helps, sorry post is so long!

 

[Minnerbelle]

You have to be careful about moving to a state just to apply as an in-state resident. CSU really frowns upon this and so it's not something that will necessarily help your application if they find out that's what you did. If I were you I would find out how many students your state is able to fund before I would make any kind of decision and if they can definitely offer you funding (they should be able to tell you this).

Are you sure it's not only just frowned upon by that grumpy old CSU farm vet we loved so much at the goat farm? At least from when people introduced themselves at Pingree, it looked like a lot of our classmates are from out of state but are IS students because they moved here 1 year before matriculating.

Here's info on how to become sponsored as a CO resident: http://sfs.colostate.edu/residency/pvmstudents.aspx

 

[rugbychick16]

WICHE is great if you are a strong applicant and your state can support more than 3 people. It's kind of a weird system, here is how it works from what I was told when I applied;.

I'm not sure how ND works but UT has a VERY limited budget for funding. The first year I applied they only funded 2 people, the second they funded no one and the last time I was ranked 4th in the state and they only had enough money to fund 3 people. Fortunately for me, one person dropped out to go to a non-WICHE school so I got his funding 🙂.

You have to be careful about moving to a state just to apply as an in-state resident. CSU really frowns upon this and so it's not something that will necessarily help your application if they find out that's what you did. If I were you I would find out how many students your state is able to fund before I would make any kind of decision and if they can definitely offer you funding (they should be able to tell you this).

Hope that helps, sorry post is so long!

👍 ND doesn't fund many WICHE applicants per year because it already has the other contract schools, and I don't know how strong your app is-but the ND resident I know that got the one spot at CO had a 4.0 in undergrad. I think you'd stand a better chance with the contract spots in Iowa or Kansas if that interests you at all. PM me for more info.

 

[tigerkissedqt]

To further expand on my situation: the CLS clinical time is not technically as a student, it is for on-site training in a clinic or hospital. The remaining CLS courses are all online through the University of North Dakota and taken at the same time as the clinical training. And I would be choosing a CO training site over a ND training site so I am not coming to CO by force as the only option. I also have no intent to return to ND after vet school, my hope is to remain in CO afterward, and stay in CO to work for a year as a CLS if the first round of vet school applications don't work out for me. I am not simply seeking residency to attend CSU and then leave the state.

Thank-you all so far for the insight and links! 👍 Greatly greatly appreciated!

 

[eringobraugh]

I also have no intent to return to ND after vet school, my hope is to remain in CO afterward, and stay in CO to work for a year as a CLS if the first round of vet school applications don't work out for me. I am not simply seeking residency to attend CSU and then leave the state.

You better check with ND about the WICHE contract then. A lot of states make you come back to practice for a few years in return for paying half your tuition. If you have no intention of going back then I'd pass on WICHE (unless you aren't obligated to go back and practice).