<p>I'll probably have to take the same courses as pre-med kids but I know those courses are strong at both schools... I have this impression that I'd be lost in a sea of Asian pre-meds at Stanford, but is that just some generalization I picked up over the years? I'm also graduating from a high school with really smart kids who worked very hard but didn't really compete among one another, so people have warned me about the really competitive atmosphere at Stanford, especially among the pre-meds. I also know that since Dartmouth is in a rural setting it will probably have more opportunities for pre-veterinary experience, and I need those hours to get into vet school, especially hours spent working on horse farms as that's what I'd like to do. </p>
<p>Thoughts? This is all I know, I haven't visited either school and I don't want to make any assumptions based on general ideas or stereotypes of either school. I also don't care very much about weather, I was actually thinking that I really want a place where I can see snow because I've grown up in places without 4 seasons.</p>
<p>Stanford students are said to be like ducks: calm and cool on the surface, but paddling furiously under water. Dartmouth, on the other hand, is known to have a collaborative student body. You are correct in saying that Dartmouth has tons of pre-vet opportunities.</p>
<p>Both schools are excellent. It’s an issue of fit.</p>
<p>^ Please tell me that’s a Chuck allusion</p>
<p>^bump</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply… Any more?</p>
<p>I’d go to whichever school has the strongest Animal Science program (not necessarily either Stanford or Dartmouth). </p>
<p>When I was in grad school at UC Davis every year they would publish the undergrad affiliations of the incoming freshman vet students. And the top schools represented were almost always schools with strong Animal Science and not necessarily the most selective or most highly ranked in the general sense.</p>
<p>My D was recently accepted to vet school, and her degree was for Biological Sciences. Vet schools do not look at your undergraduate school as much as what courses you took there and what opportunities you pursued. They look for strength of schedule and how strong your grades were in those tough courses. Even more importantly, they require a great deal work experience. They view the practice of vet medicine as sort of a calling because it is such a small fraternity. For instance, my D spent several months in Belize working in a vet hospital, and she had two jobs working as a vet assistant during her undergraduate years.</p>
<p>As for which school is better - Dartmouth or Stanford - I vote for Stanford for purely selfish reasons. My S is waitlisted at Dartmouth, and if you choose to attend Stanford, it just might open up a spot for him. Best of luck with your decision.</p>
<p>You’re in Thailand now. Getting to Stanford will be quite a trip – but getting to Dartmouth will take an extra eight hours or so. (Consider a five-hour flight to Boston, then a bus to Dartmouth.) That’s kinda a big deal, unless you’re only going to do it once a year.</p>
<p>coureur - None of them have Animal Science. I applied to Cornell for that, but didn’t get in. In terms of animal experience from internships and volunteering, though, Dartmouth would probably be easier. </p>
<p>Laf1980 - I’m aware of those expectations. Another reason I liked Dartmouth was that the D-plan would let me take terms off to do those internships and not only during my vacations. Best of luck to your son. 
</p>
<p>VeryHappy - I was only going to consider making the trip once or twice a year anyway, not for Thanksgiving or anything like that, so that’s not a worry. :)</p>
<p>Again, thanks everyone!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Stanford has a vibrant Thai community, please check it out…
[THAIS[/url</a>]</p></li>
<li><p>Stanford students are known to help each other. You might want to email the THAIS students if you have any doubt.</p></li>
<li><p>It might be worthwhile to consider the weather factor…
Bangkok
[url=<a href=“Data Not Found”>BANGKOK, THAILAND Weather History and Climate Data]BANGKOK</a>, THAILAND Weather History and Climate Data](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/group/thais/index.html]THAIS[/url”>http://www.stanford.edu/group/thais/index.html)
Stanford
[Average</a> Weather for Palo Alto, CA - Temperature and Precipitation](<a href=“National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com”>National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com)
Dartmouth
[Average</a> Weather for Hanover, NH - Temperature and Precipitation](<a href=“National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com”>National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>bluesails:</p>
<p>be careful of your student visa. The D-Plan is takes a little extra work for internationals bcos the US Government does not understand a six month break between academic terms.</p>
<p>I realize that you have probably already made your decision, but for anyone else with a similar question: I would discourage anybody looking to go to vet school from spending buckets of money on an expensive, private undergrad education. Vet schools don’t care if you went to Stanford–I don’t think it is likely to boost your admissions chances, and I don’t think the education will be any better. I would advise you to go to a public school that has a vet science/animal science program where you can actually get education in your area of interest. Work hard to get experience out of school as well, and make excellent grades (those count for a lot in most vet schools’ admissions process). I myself was going to go to Dartmouth until I realized how stupid of an idea that was. I went to University of Nebraska-Lincoln (they have both Animal Science and Vet Science majors), which cost probably 1/3 what Dartmouth would have (granted, I got in-state tuition), and got an excellent education that was much more pertinent to vet school. The only thing I regret is not making that decision earlier in my senior year of high school, because I missed the deadline to qualify for what probably would’ve been a full-ride scholarship. </p>
<p>Basically, what I’m saying is that when you consider that you are going to spend $80,000-180,000 on vet school alone, it’s silly to spend any more than you have to on an undergraduate education. The average debt-income ratio of a new vet graduate is scary enough as it is (in case no one has told you, vets really don’t make a lot of money). I’m currently a 4th year, and many of my classmates will probably be lucky if they pay their loans off before they die (and this is at Iowa State, one of the least expensive vet schools)! Of course, if you’ve got the cash just lying around, I guess then I could understand.</p>
<p>fwiw, the OP chose Dartmouth, and as an international student, she wasn’t going to get in-state tuition anywhere (and Dartmouth has great financial aid)</p>
<p>Hahaha… i like Chuck :D</p>
<p>Post #11 is spot on. This is one of the few instances where its important to find the program that is the right fit and not always choose the most prestigious school.</p>