[gotnurse333]

One school has a great reputation and was highly ranked in the US news and world reports.(UT Houston in the Medical Center) But, the cost of living in the area is high and many of the courses (theory, advanced patho, pharm, and assessment are online) so I'm worried about the quality of the education despite the school's good rep. And also I'm afraid it will be difficult to find a preceptor in this area.

The other school is a smaller school closer to home and basically has no reputation at all. But the classes are not online, cost of living is lower, and preceptorship seems less competitive.

What do you think?

[grad*student]

I say the second. From what NPs tell me, the reputation of a school is essentially of no consequence in the work place. It's also of little issue to me personally, though (ie. I will be going to a reputable school, but that's not why I chose the program). The other issues you mention seem much more important. A factor that influenced my decision was the program coursework involved -- in fact, I made my school decision almost exclusively on this. I want to enjoy and find value in the coursework. We need to love the process, not just the end result, since schooling is 2-4 years of our lives. Also, enjoying coursework increases motivation and personal investment. And close to home, cheaper, good clinicals -- is it really that much of a dilemma for you?

[elkpark]

Have you visited both schools, met people, looked around, asked questions? Talked to current students and recent graduates of the schools? I think that is the best way to make a decision. The USN&WR rankings are v. arbitrary and controversial (there are older threads here that discuss that issue in greater detail; I'm too lazy to get into it now! ), and I would not recommend anyone giving them much weight.

The "best" school for one person might be a bad choice for another, and vice versa. It's important to be aware of what type of learning environment is right for you, what qualities your "ideal" program would have, and then see which school of the ones you're considering offers the closest to your ideal.

[DaisyRN, ACNP]

Well, which program are you looking at? FNP? ACNP?

I went to the graduate forum at UTA when I was thinking about doing their ENP program and I felt like they were disorganized. It was probably just because the ENP program was fairly new and it wasn't an indication of the school's overall organization. I don't know though... I have heard lots of good things about Houston and I know that there is an ENORMOUS need for mid-levels in that area and also great preceptor sites (think: MD Anderson, UTMB, Methodist, Memorial Hermann)... I do know there are lots of potential clinical sites around Arlington too. So, either way you go... you will get great clinical exposure. And I understand your hesitation about cost of living, etc. There are some suburb type areas around Houston that are cheaper, i.e. Kingwood, Humble. I think either school would be a good choice... and like others said, its just based on your needs. And yea, once you get done, employers dont really care where you went to school unless they went to the same place, and that gives you a conversation piece.

As for the online courses, you will find that a lot of schools are putting the core classes (theory, patho, etc.) online. Mine were and they were fine. You get to study and post messages etc. at your own pace and schedule. I wouldn't do program-specific courses online though. Just too involved and you tend to remember things better when in class.

Good luck.

[DaisyRN, ACNP]

Dang, it messed up again... *grr*