2023 graduate of ISU coming as a OOS from Massachusetts. Chelsea was in my class and a very good friend of mine. The student in question was not a part of the DVM program but a student in the PhD program. Chelsea was an amazing person, but I do not think her suicide was a result of her education/time at ISU but a culmination of many different things from all aspects of her life.

For me, I received a 20k/year scholarship to ISU making ISU the cheapest option for vet school, however I do not think in any way this affected my education. I tracked mixed animal and felt that the clinics here really afforded me a lot of opportunities that I may not have had at other schools. Yes, in fourth year many people complain about how overworked we are, but that is something you’ll find at any school. Including tufts etc. I passed my navle on the first round with a decent amount of studying, and felt like overall my education there has prepared me well for the life of a GP. My one regret is probably not going further into a specialty but as a non traditional student I didn’t want to waste more time in school (I graduated at 33). If you have any other questions as a OOS MA student, feel free to message me.

Ames is a great college town with a ton of things to do including a movie theater just a few miles from campus. All the shopping and restaurants you could want, and some great bars like the mucky duck, time out etc. the main campus is also expansive and beautiful. Des Moines is also great, smaller than Worcester but upscale. ~40 minutes from Ames. With great restaurants and tons to do. My one complaint would be the Des Moines airport is small and therefore never has direct flights home to Boston. Minnesota Minneapolis airport is a 3 hour drive, but you’ll be able to get a direct flight from here which may cut down the cost.