Thought I would start a Columbia thread for all of us who were eagerly waiting for that acceptance letter in the mail last week. Guess you can call this the meet-n-greet and maybe wear like a sticker with our screen names so we can recognize each other during the Visiting Day (ok, might look a bit goofy) but hey, what a way to start off our nursing careers together at Columbia.
I was estactic when i opened that letter, seemed like a thin envelope and was prepared for the worst, and then read the first line! I can't wait and indeed it was a life changing letter for both me and my wife, who also got accepted!! I also got into my first choice of specialty, Nurse Anesthesia, and getting into that program without ICU experience (besides being a nursing assistant in the ER and neurosurg unit as an undergrad) is just simply overwhelming. It took the whole weekend to sink in, and now, I'm psyched! I look forward to meeting all of you and enduring the next 12 months of craziness starting in June together.
Thanks for all the info regarding the accepted applicant packet. I have not yet received mine. What specialty were you accepted to? I am going to be in the Anesthesia track. I am so excited to get started in May!! Also, what do the uniforms consist of??
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in a couple of weeks.
You're welcome! I'm set to be in the Family NP track, but I'm thinking about doing a joint Family and Women's Health. I'm also interested in the Psychiatric NP, so I'm going to see how things go in the 5X5's and maybe switch it around--that is, if I finally decide to go to Columbia. I probably will in the end: it really does seem like a wonderful program.
Congratulations on the Anesthesia acceptance! I'm so excited too!!! It's been a long time coming for me.
Oh, and the uniforms: they consist of a white or navy top (I think short sleeved) and either a skirt or scrub-like, loose pants. The one person I know in the program said the uniforms are the worst part, and to definitely stay away from the skirts! A good piece of advice, since we have to order them without seeing them directly.
Congratulations SuzieChapstick!! Thanks for posting and joining our forum, and yes, like you, the rest of us are excited to be part of the Columbia program; I mean, yes, we heard about the intensity of the first year (the ETP-pre-licensure part) from those who are/have been in the program. As far as the specialty studies go, I've heard for most programs, they have their s*&% together. Congrats on getting into FNP; my wife is actally thinking about a dual degree in WH and Midwifery. Looking forward to meeting you in March.
HyperactiveTTU and Krystellmarie, no worries, like what SuzieChapstick had said and listed that most of the stuff in the package are due March 15th, at the earliest. Though in the meantime, while waiting for your mail, here's the number to call to RSVP for Visiting Day...212-305-5756 or you can email your RSVP to
The deadline to RSVP is March 1st, and that's the only thing due before the 15th. A couple more weeks to go and it's Visitng Day, yeah, can't wait to get to know you guys and the curriculum. :roll
To those of you who are currently in the program--would you recommend saving some $ and going to a cheaper, but less well known and maybe not as good, school?? I have also applied to Stony Brook but haven't heard yet, and it's basically night and day, as far as costs, compared to Columbia!
Is it possible that the MS/NP portion of the program is much better and more together than the RN portion? I have a friend at U Penn who said her BSN portion was really poor but that the MS part seemed to be much better.
I'm currently in the 1st year of the etp program and from what I can tell the master's portion is much better. I would definitely recommend columbia if you are going for FNP. The program is supposed to be one of the best there is. I also think the director is really cool.
I do recommend a cheaper program if you aren't going to stay and go straight through (a lot of people in my program want to take a year off or transfer). Why pay over 50K for tuition for ANOTHER bachelor's degree? And I think they changed the way they award the BSN (at the end with the MSN) so that if you don't go all the way through you don't get the BSN, just the ability to be licensed as an RN.
Oh and as for visiting day, they planned it on the day of our FINALS. I don't know what they were smoking when they picked that day. Needless to say, I won't be able to come.
Thank you for the information!! That was really helpful and made me feel better. I'm a bit older (31) so I want to get my MS/NP degree ASAP, and I plan to go through the whole program in one shot so I'm not grey by the time I'm done.
That's pretty dumb about your finals being on visiting day...sorry we won't see you, but good luck!
NYCacoustic--thanks for the warm welcome! It will be great to meet you and your wife. I forgot to mention the RSVPing for visiting day--glad you added that.
Are all of you planning to move to Washington Heights/Inwood? I currently live in Brooklyn and it would be pretty far for me to commute to school everyday--up to 1 /2 hours each way. I want to be closer and somewhere cheap! Does anyone know if the school has a listing of off-campus apartments? That would be the best.
for everyone who has received their financial aid packet from columbia, if you have been awarded private loans from somewhere (like sallie mae) please make sure you get online (or call) and apply, to make sure you actually qualify for the amount listed!!!
here's why i am telling you this: in my award letter, it states that i am to receive $55,000 in private loans from sallie mae...i got online and applied (as it tells you to in the letter) and guess what? i did *not* qualify for this money! sallie mae told me that my credit was not good enough to take out a loan for this amount of money! i am not trying to bash columbia (it was one of my top choices;o) and i'm sure this applies to other financial aid packages as well, but i only give the columbia example because it's the only one i have received thus far! i just want to make sure that everyone follows the directions in the letter so that there are no suprises, and everyone can have as stress free a school year as possible! good luck friends!
AVOID THE SKIRTS!!!! Unless you are Orthodox and can't wear pants, they are awful! Although, actually, the pants are hideous too. Elastic waist, polyester, ick ick ick. The day I spent on a unit that required scrubs was heeeeaven. The only thing that redeemed an otherwise awful psych rotation was getting to wear "professional" clothes. Oh, and for sizing - I wear an 8 in pants, and the SMALL uniform pants are perfectly baggy on me. They're too long, though, bc they're sized for men.
If you're going to live in Brooklyn, I hope you live off the A/C or 1/2/3 trains.
I'm a lot less with the hate these days, so yeah. I'm moody, what can I say?
krystel, I asked around and the CRNA program does NOT help you find a job. I don't know what the actual prospects are -- I've been focussing on if I'm staying at all. Right now I think I'm going to, and I've been told to wait until Integration to start looking - I guess your Integration site is a good place to start.
I'm not going to be able to "work" at the visiting day, but I'll be around for some of the day - I should certainly be back by the time y'all are done with your tours...if I remember they're done around 2. Feel free to PM me for my phone # and I can come down to campus and grab coffee or something if anyone still has ?? not answered at the session.
Oh, and if anyone needs a place to crash, I normally sleep on my couch anyway, so there's a bed available. I live 13 blocks from campus, just a nice walk, as long as there's not another blizzard.
Specializes in Perioperative Orthopaedics - scrub/circ.
suziechapstick: THANK YOU for the information and the link! That eased my mind until i receive the packet. Thanks again everyone. It's exiting meeting future classmates, and hearing tips from current ones.
I am currently working part time and taking classes part time to fulfill prereqs for nursing school. I am very interested in Columbia's ETP program, and hope to apply this November. I just happened to stumble across this forum, and I have to say that I am so encouraged by your kind words to each other and by your willingness to help each other out. I would venture to say that people in many graduate fields would be hesitant to offer a helping hand to others because they see them as competetion. You guys have inspired me even more to continue pursuing nursing as a profession, and I just wanted to let you know that! CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK to you all!!
i am glad that you found this forum!! i, too, am amazed at how great everyone has been with info sharing and welcoming each other!! i hope this is an indication of how our entering class will treat each other!!
good luck with the application process and feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. this year's students have been a great source of info for all of us!
krystellmarie
63 Posts
SuzieChapstick-
Thanks for all the info regarding the accepted applicant packet. I have not yet received mine. What specialty were you accepted to? I am going to be in the Anesthesia track. I am so excited to get started in May!! Also, what do the uniforms consist of??
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in a couple of weeks.