ABSN Duke Fall 2010

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Hi All!

I have decided to take the plunge and leave my career as a mental health therapist to gain a BSN in Nursing and hopefully move straight into MSN program. Is anyone else applying to Duke in the Fall??:yeah:

Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Wow, I just looked at the forecast and it's like deja vu from last weekend! Brr. I'm appreciating my Florida weather a little more than usual after our Durham trip.

Good luck, tomorrow-interviewers! I'm so glad y'all are finally getting your chance... especially since it means decision-time is on its way. :)

I just wanted to wish Kelly, Amy, and everyone else good luck tomorrow! :)

Yes, good luck to everyone! I'm sure that you'll knock it out of the park.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's thrilled that the last Duke Day is finally upon us. I've been trying to stay as busy as possible at work this week to help the time move along! I'm sure that I'll be on pins and needles starting on Monday.

Re. Nursing school rankings. I think it's important to know that for the most part, the US News rankings are based on how much NIH funding a school receives and they're not necessarily reflective of quality of instruction. For instance, there's a recent thread somewhere on these boards about how students at U of Washington are frustrated because faculty are more focused on research.

At Duke Days, I learned that the rankings are pretty misleading because Duke only has 40-50 faculty, while some of the top-ranked schools have 100-200 faculty members. Since those schools have more professors, it's easier for them to apply for and receive more NIH funding. So, even though Duke is ranked 15th, if you looked at the NIH $ / faculty ratio, they'd be more competitive.

Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Yeah, I'm not concerned with ratings, I'm just saying that if you're asking if other school are 'as good as Duke' based on other factors, well, yes, there's obviously some formula out there that puts other schools ahead in *some* way. :) It's just not really a way that I'm concerned about - massive amounts of research grants, that is - and like you said, if you're not focused primarily on research as a student, that can actually be to the detriment of your education. I just don't want anyone to get so wadded up over the "best school" mentality that they forget that it's nursing school, and a huge part of the success of the student is going to come from the student, not the school; no matter where you go, the opportunities to either work hard and become a great nurse or to take it for granted and not prepare yourself are going to be there. I have no doubts in my mind that I could come out of the University of Florida here and be just as fantastic a nurse as if I went to Duke; my preference for the latter comes from the opportunities it affords me to pursue further education and involvement in advancing the field of practice.

Seriously, I need to get into Duke just to have something to *do* during the days besides write soapbox statements on a nursing forum! :D

Seriously, I need to get into Duke just to have something to *do* during the days besides write soapbox statements on a nursing forum! :D

For real.

I'm going to be a mess next week hoping that maybe, by some small chance, my decision will be made next week, but that is highly unlikely. I need to get on with what lately would loosely be called a life.

Hi ladies. I'm right there with ya. Trying to pass the time by looking for apartments- and making lots of assumptions about the next six months. I'm a tad freaked out after learning there was a cap on Undergrad loans. I don't have ANY from my first degree... but even if I max out with Stafford/Perkins/Private loans it still leaves a 25K+ gap of mystery cash. H-Crap! GULP! Bye Bye Whole Foods and Hello Tuna Helper. Also- hello lottery tickets?

I know lots of you have sig. others... but for those who don't- I'm (wishfully) thinking about a pet-friendly 3bd 3bth...and keeping it at around 1K per month. I know I'm jumping the gun, but I really can't help it. :eek: If anyone else is already (against their better judgement) thinking about housing or roomies... feel free to PM me or find me on FB.

Best Wishes to the bunch interviewing today! :yeah:

I've been casually looking at housing too, but I come with a boyfriend so I don't think you'd want that :) One of my friends is considering making the move with us to NC (just for a change of scenery) so I might be in the market for a $900 2BR that is also pet friendly (I've also been looking on petfinder.com in Raleigh/Durham). I usually stop myself for looking too long cause I don't want to be presumptuous.

When I was on campus I thought about buying a Duke t-shirt but I refrained as I was sure I wouldn't get in if I bought it.

I'm a total head case. I feel like I'll be adding black magic to my superstition soon enough so I can get in.

Specializes in Neuro ICU.
Hi ladies. I'm right there with ya. Trying to pass the time by looking for apartments- and making lots of assumptions about the next six months. I'm a tad freaked out after learning there was a cap on Undergrad loans. I don't have ANY from my first degree... but even if I max out with Stafford/Perkins/Private loans it still leaves a 25K+ gap of mystery cash. H-Crap! GULP! Bye Bye Whole Foods and Hello Tuna Helper. Also- hello lottery tickets?

I know lots of you have sig. others... but for those who don't- I'm (wishfully) thinking about a pet-friendly 3bd 3bth...and keeping it at around 1K per month. I know I'm jumping the gun, but I really can't help it. :eek: If anyone else is already (against their better judgement) thinking about housing or roomies... feel free to PM me or find me on FB.

Best Wishes to the bunch interviewing today! :yeah:

The cap is on Stafford/federal loans, I believe. The mystery cash (in my case, at least) comes from Sallie Mae (aka private/alternative loans). You'll be offered aid up to the Cost of Attendance, even if it comes primarily from the private loans.

I absolutely refuse to start actualy looking for housing yet. I'm not a superstitious person, but that just... ooh boy, I can just see me jinxing myself by doing that!

Geneva, we might actually be looking to share living expenses with someone else... if you don't mind the occasional quirks of living with a couple (we're actually quite well behaved, thankfully), keep us in the loop. After decisions are made, that is. :D The more we talk about moving, the more we're thinking about cranking down the living expenses REALLY low for a year or two to save up for a down payment on a house. Difficult time to do it, with me in school and the boy starting a career, but he'd really like to try and buy a house while the market's still recovering and prices are low...

"The cap is on Stafford/federal loans, I believe. The mystery cash (in my case, at least) comes from Sallie Mae (aka private/alternative loans). You'll be offered aid up to the Cost of Attendance, even if it comes primarily from the private loans."

ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT HOMESLICE?? BECAUSE THAT WOULD REALLY MAKE MY DAY.

Specializes in Neuro ICU.
I've been casually looking at housing too, but I come with a boyfriend so I don't think you'd want that :)

Two words for y'all: ABSN commune.

(Okay, maybe not. :D I can only imagine the level of stress in THAT house the night before exams!!)

Y'all are killing me with the pet-friendly stuff. My pup is in the end stages of lymphoma right now, with probably only a few weeks left if we're lucky, and I keep thinking I'll have to find a place that will accept big dogs and then it hits me that no, I actually won't. It's the only thing about this whole situation that's bumming me out!

Black magic... hrm. Think it'll work? I'll try anything. :D I hear you on the Duke shirt... I thought about it too and told myself nope, I'll wait. They'll still have shirts in mid-February if I need one!

Specializes in Neuro ICU.
ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT HOMESLICE?? BECAUSE THAT WOULD REALLY MAKE MY DAY.

Pretty sure. It's how it worked at the private school I went to for a year; I could only take out the $5k or whatever per year you're allotted via Stafford loans, and the rest came from Sallie Mae. I'll be happier to get confirmation of this from the Duke finaid folks, but I'm fairly sure this is the reason the private loans exist - to cover the gap between federal loan limits and the cost of education.

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