Would like some opinions on this possible plan.

[Gimpyrks]

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Hello everyone. I am a sophomore in college, and I am attending UMN at this point in time. My freshman year in college I attended a community college because I was still uncertain about what I wanted to do.

I still want to be a vet, but I have been thinking about moving back to Maine and getting my animal science degree and/or pre-vet degree, instead of staying in MN. I love MN and I have had a great year, but I do have some some big (in my opinion) reasons as to why I should move back to Maine. I was wondering if I could get some opinions about this decision.

My reasons:
1) The university here is so much more expensive then if I was in Maine
2) I'd be closer to my family, it would be really hard to get back home in case of a big family emergency.
3) I cannot really get a solid job here that pays well because I want to go back home over the summer and vacations with no hassle. If I moved back to Maine I could easily get a job part time, and it is VERY likely I'd be able to get it at the vet's office that I planned to do my internship at over the summer.
4) This may seem like a small one, but, I have no way of transportation except for buses. My car wouldn't make it to MN and even if it did, I don't get paid enough to have a car.

I have had a fantastic room mate this year but she is a senior and will be leaving, and I feel like I won't get as good as a room mate next year, that has a car.

My worries are, will vet schools be less likely to consider me because I have transferred to three different colleges?

I am definitely going to finish off this school year here in MN, but I was thinking about transferring next fall.

 

[ckd816]

I don't think the number of schools attended has much weight on admissions as long as your grades are good. It sounds like your mind is almost already made up about going home, and really the only benefit to staying in MN would be if you could gain residency. Then you would have an in-state vet school to apply to down the road, which would save you tons on tuition in the end even though you're paying more for it now.

 

[Gimpyrks]

I can't really even gain residency. I have to live in MN 2 years prior to attending school to gain residency. I'm going to talk to my mom about it tonight and get her opinion also.

 

[squirrelsrule]

I think several people start off at CCs so that isn't a big deal, and then switching universities after the first year isn't gonna matter much either. I think as long as you do well in your classes it won't matter if you went to one school or 5 or 6 or more. I think saving money is gonna be a huge plus and being close to family is always a plus 👍. Think about it in terms of vet hours too, if you can get a ton more vet experience back home, that is gonna outweigh any negatives of having more than 2 schools transcripts. Plus if asked about it in an interview, you can explain that that was one of the determining factors in changing schools, and they will see that in your experience. So, I'd say make the switch and head back to Maine.

The only thing to consider is if you can get in state status in MN and therefore get cheaper tuition in vet school (If you are planning to go to university of Minnesota vet school that is). Does Maine have any contract states? If not, there are always schools like Ohio and Missouri where you can fairly easily gain in state tuition after the first year or Wisconsin where even OOS tuition is very low. So, I don't think heading back to Maine is a bad choice no matter how you look at it.

 

[Gimpyrks]

Thanks for the reply 🙂

I wanted the university experience and I got it. Not once have I been depressed, but I do miss my family and I feel like if I can get a good education, for a cheaper price, and get a TON of vet experience, and not a lower possibility of getting into vet school I believe I should do just that.

 

[LetItSnow]

I can't really even gain residency. [...] I wanted the university experience and I got it. Not once have I been depressed, but I do miss my family and I feel like if I can get a good education, for a cheaper price, and get a TON of vet experience, and not a lower possibility of getting into vet school I believe I should do just that.

My impression from my out of state friends is that you could gain residency (for vet school down the road) if you were to spend your summers working here as an undergrad. But I'm in-state, so take that with a grain of salt.

You will not lower your chances of getting into vet school by transferring between schools a few times. If you think moving back to Maine is the best move for you, then you ought to do it!

 

[sooprnova]

It sounds like your mind is made up....and it looks like you have some solid reasons to go back to Maine. I don't think schools will look down on it, provided that you complete your pre-reqs, do well in them, and continue down the path that you're on. I think it would look bad if you got terrible grades and transferred, as it might seem like you're running away from them. BUT, if you got terrible grades, transferred, then got awesome grades, that's another story!

You listed many, many pros to the situation, and only one con (the transferring issue). Step away from the situation as much as possible, and see if there are other cons you haven't thought of or that you might purposefully be ignoring. If the answer's no, I say go for it. Sounds like you'll be much happier and more productive.

 

[breenie]

Yo, move to Maine because it's awesome and that's where my boyfriend is from.

But seriously... do what it is best for you, and that sounds like moving home. My new favorite thing to preach on this forum is doing what it takes to make you a happy and successful person, and THEN thinking about all the little details that MIGHT matter to vet schools.

🙂 Good luck!

 

[T_Rose]

I think you should move back to Maine if that is what you really want to do. I had a friend (different major) who was worried about attending too many universities because she had heard it would look bad on an application, but I agree with everyone else. As long as you keep your grades up, earn vet experience, and meet the pre-reqs, you should be fine. Just be ready to explain your change in schools in an interview or on an application. Also, realize that when you attend veterinary school, you may be experiencing your reasons for moving back all over again. You may end up being far away from your family once again, tuition will be expensive, and you may have the same issues with finding a solid job. Hope that helps. 🙂

 

[Dsmoody23]

Yep. You're going to have to get used to being away from home at some point, and sooner is probably better than later.

Home always seems like a better option until you actually get there again and realize why you left in the first place. Or maybe I'm projecting.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Yep. You're going to have to get used to being away from home at some point, and sooner is probably better than later.

Home always seems like a better option until you actually get there again and realize why you left in the first place. Or maybe I'm projecting.

I completely agree with Ds on this one. My biggest criticism of a few of my classmates is how they were so incredibly dependent on mommy and daddy. You are in grad school, time to cut the strings.

 

[kaydubs]

But seriously... do what it is best for you, and that sounds like moving home. My new favorite thing to preach on this forum is doing what it takes to make you a happy and successful person, and THEN thinking about all the little details that MIGHT matter to vet schools.

🙂 Good luck!

👍 Best advice from my personal experience, go where you will be happy overall and relatively stress free. If you're going to vet school/are in vet school/are thinking of the remote possibility of going, you'll understand why you deserve a stress-free environment for even a mere two years of time.... Besides, some people go the community college, change school, and change 20 more times til they find their fit (and change their majors n+1)...[although I wouldn't necessarily encourage such indecision. It happens though😛]