UC Davis vs. Auburn (an updated debate)
(cross-posted from SDN)
Hi all, it's me (again). I made a post here a while back and have essentially narrowed my choices down to UC Davis (IS based on residency) and Auburn (IS due to military).
For the past month(-ish?) I have been pretty set on Auburn. Placed a seat deposit. Told everyone that I am 99.5% Auburn, 0.5% Davis. Planning to invest ~$35k in housing on Wednesday. With the start of school looming ever nearer, I keep getting this nagging feeling that I'm making the wrong choice. I can't tell if this is just me being afraid of moving somewhere totally different from home (new culture, new climate), the truly negligible "school rankings" getting in my head, the feeling that I'm being pulled in different directions by people/events in my personal life, or a combination of everything.
Here are the relevant parts of my previous "Help Me Decide: Vet School X vs Y" post:
Currently, my interest is in mixed animal general practice.
UC Davis is my instate. After attending their admitted student day I felt that the faculty and my potential future cohort were all very friendly and personable. Although they track (small animal vs large animal), it seems that there are still plenty of opportunities/electives/externships that align with my interest in mixed animal medicine. As far as “reputation” is concerned, the program speaks for itself. This is seemingly the obvious choice.
However, my husband (who is active-duty military) is currently stationed in Gulf Port, Mississippi and projected to be there until 2029. Him and I have been doing long distance for about 8 months now and I gotta be honest, it’s quite ****ty. Auburn is within driving distance to him (~4 hours). Realistically, this means visiting once a month maybe? Not ideal, but definitely more time than we’ve been able to do now living on opposite sides of the country. He has VERY selflessly, graciously, compassionately offered to transfer his GI Bill benefit to me. According to Auburn’s Veteran Affairs Center, this means that I qualify for in state tuition. That said, this would make Auburn the more cost-effective option than Davis (especially when cost of living is taken into account). ** ETA: Calculated this out to an approximately $40,000 difference after four years. Most people (myself included) have preached about choosing the more affordable school above all else.
The Auburn campus is beautiful and the city itself is a comfortable size. Not too metropolitan but not too remote either. My in-laws live in Mobile (~3 hours from campus). I really wish I could have attended their admitted student day to meet the class of 2030 cohort but unfortunately it was the day after Davis’s. I did have the opportunity to tour the CVM in January and the students and faculty were so kind.
As an aside, I do have animals that would be moving with me (2 horses). The mule is, unfortunately, *quite* ancient and I wouldn’t feel justified uprooting her, hauling her somewhere 2+ days away, and forcing her to adjust to a place that gets as humid as the South does. Comparatively, Davis is a reasonable distance away from where she is currently boarded (~5 hours) with similar weather.
Now for some additional context that was not included in my first post:
My parents are both experiencing health issues. They live in California and travel for them would be difficult - which means visiting them only on the occasional holiday (naturally, with being busy while in school). Perhaps TMI but relevant to my decision-making struggle, my dad had a massive heart attack last year and is now facing a recent Parkinson's diagnosis. It feels incredibly selfish of me to deliberately move out of state to be closer to my husband, when Davis would be a much more reasonable option to be close to family that can't travel (especially in the event my dad has another health emergency).
I am also riddled with guilt that I will be leaving my mule behind. She is in great hands at her current boarding facility with friends that have selflessly offered to look after her while I'm in school, but again she is ancient and chances are it'll be an inevitable goodbye that I can't be there for (overly sentimental, I know).
And yet, the idea of choosing UC Davis feels selfish because I would be making the "logistically easier" choice over my partner. He has said time and again that he will support my decision regardless of where I choose. But I know that deep down he's rooting for Auburn. And even this isn't a "close" option (4 hours of driving is still 4 hours of driving). And of course, there is the present uncertainty regarding the state of the world and military matters.
If circumstances were different... I know I'd be choosing UC Davis. Auburn didn't even make the list until last minute (I wasn't able to confirm with admissions beforehand if my coursework would be accepted but I decided to shoot my shot). I have made countless pros and cons lists, up to the most irrelevant details (like the fact that I absolutely despise the color orange but hey, at least Auburn's got a Bucc-ee's) and I still feel so unsure if I'm making the right decision.
I have already received great advice here and on SDN. So, to be honest, I don't know what else I am looking for or if there is anything else to be said that will provide me with better clarity. I genuinely understand how lucky I am to have these choices, but at present, I just feel torn.