Columbia University ETP 2008

The ETP program is 60 credits but you also need to have money to live on because you won't be able to work that year. The Master's portion is dependent upon which specialty you've chosen. Most people who are accepted to Columbia are offered a $30,000 scholarship. That's $20,000 for the ETP year and $10,000 if you continue immediately into the master's portion full time.

There are also loans that are "forgiven) at a certain percentage (maybe 15%) for every year you work as a nurse. The bulk (maybe $55k for the ETP portion alone) is in private loans.

dg

How long is the FNP specialty? Can you take a year break between the ETP and Masters portion to work or does that take away scholarship money for the masters? If you go part-time for the masters and work fulltime as a RN does it take it away?

I'm just wondering how long it extends the masters for FNP if you go part time. I'd like to get some RN experience in somewhere.

If you take any break or fall to part time, you lose the scholarship. If you start FNP full time in the summer, I believe you'll be done the following summer of fall. From what I understand going part time only adds a semester (this again depends on the program; I'm talking about FNP only). One of the other complications is that it's more difficult to schedule clinicals in the masters phase if you're going part time.

dg

Hi there,

I was wondering if any of the current ETP students who've been replying to this thread would be able to answer this. I know that in the Columbia ETP application it states that no interview is offered and that you should consider your essay to be your interview. However, in other schools i've heard that, although they SAY there is no interview, candidates who are seriously being considered are contacted individually for interviews. What was the experience for those of you who got into the program? Were any of you contacted for interviews or did you get in based on your application and essay only? It's hard for me to understand how they are able to make these decisions without an interview. Any input is much appreciated.

Thanks

I was not contacted individually at all. I sent my application in and received various updates from the admissions department and then I received my acceptance letter in February. You really should consider your essay to be your interview.

dg

i second that, dg05. i also was not contacted for an interview. there has been talk about introducing an interview into the application process for future applicants, but nothing has been decided or set yet. i'd definitely consider the essay your interview.

I have applied, am finishing up my senior year, and just got this fall's grades which included a prereq. Should I send an updated transcript? I am wondering if they will ask for it or care to see it before decisions because it's not a bad grade, but it certainly wouldn't increase my chances of getting in. Any thoughts?

They probably won't request it before decisions. But if you are accepted, they are going to request it. Not sending it could create a problem if you are accepted and then they find out you did not "satisfactorily" (I don't know what this means exactly...C+ or higher?) complete a crucial class. If it's something like Psych or Stat, I wouldn't fret but if it's Micro or A&P it could be iffy.

What class? What did you get in it?

Persoanally, I submitted my updated transcript because I knew it would increase my chances, but they would have asked for it anyway.

Hey everyone,
I, like it seems many of you, have been having a hard time figuring out the whole FAFSA thing (that is, if you have applied to more programs than just Columbia). I just got off the phone with the customer service rep from FAFSA, and she gave me some good advice. Since Columbia is the only program (that I know of) that considers the first year of the ETP "undergraduate", and the others are all "graduate" (Yale, Boston College, Northeastern, UIC, Vermont in my case), she recommended that I send FAFSA reports to all schools (including Columbia) as a Graduate level student. This is contradictory to the instructions for applying to FAFSA that Oscar sent us in his email, but the customer service rep said that if we are accepted to Columbia and decide to go there, we can change our application to "undergraduate". This seems like the only option. I'm not completely happy with it because I'm afraid that this could have a negative effect on me getting that 30K they are offering. But I guess it is the best we can do? Sorry for the disorganization of this post! If anyone has better ideas, let me know!! Take it easy

Thank you for that. I was getting confused trying to figure the whole FAFSA thing out as well. I hope Columbia still considers the FAFSA as "valid" even though we'd be filling out in the wrong way according to their email.