Admitted to UPenn and Columbia FNP, can't decide

Minnesota622 · Feb 11, 2009

I am in the same boat! Any insights?

doggiedad · Feb 11, 2009

Congrats! I've been waiting to compare the financial aid packages but haven't heard back from either school yet.

Right now I'm definitely leaning towards Penn. I get the feeling that they're more invested in their students. I already know who my advisor would be through both the BSN and the MSN, and she and I had a great interview. I also like the idea that they come up with a plan of study so you have a roadmap for the next few years.

Another plus is being able to take courses at some of the best schools in the country: Wharton, Annenberg, Penn's med school.

Philly or NYC? I've lived in both and the cost of living is cheaper in Philly. There's no city like New York though. One thing that I was wondering about was the availability of nursing jobs (I'm hoping to work in an ER during my masters) and it looks like Philly may be a better market.

But honestly, I don't know too much about Columbia to compare.

What are you thinking?

Tanguera, BSN, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 13, 2009

Hmm.. I wish I had your problem! I got into Columbia for FNP also but I didn't apply to Penn because they had a couple more prerequisite courses that I wouldn't have been able to finish before their application deadline or even date of matriculation! I figured that if I didn't get in anywhere that I really wanted to go this year, I could apply there next year but it looks like I have choices.

Still, I did a lot of research and school visits and if I were you I would choose U Penn over Columbia any day. To me, it seems that Columbia isn't really invested in their students (at least those in ETP) since they didn't even have a personal interview! I worked my @$& off on all of my prerequisites and was very happy with my GRE score, but I find it a little bit odd that they don't have interviews for a school that prepares people to work with people. I think to be a nurse, no, a Nurse Practitioner, one would have to embody certain characteristics that can only be measured in person and that's what struck me as really odd about Columbia's program.

There is a lot of negativity around Columbia's ETP posts from alumni and others who have friends of friends so I think if you found U Penn to be a very good fit, then they might be a good choice. I do wish I had been able to apply to U Penn if not for those few more prerequisites!!

doggiedad · Feb 13, 2009

Hi Tanguera, it's no small feat to get into Columbia so congratulations! I really wanted to apply to UCSF and UW Seattle but had the same prereq problem you had.

The reason I applied to Columbia was that I had a very positive experience with the FNP program's director, Dr. Hall, albeit it was all over email. I also liked the fact that it is in a major city with access to many clinical sights. In terms of interview, I was also using that against Columbia but don't think it's necessarily a fair way to judge. Here's why: many graduate and even PhD programs don't do interviews. It's crazy, I completely agree with you. Even some PhD programs at Penn don't interview and this is for programs that accept ~10 students. Harvard doesn't interview for some of its graduate programs. It doesn't make any sense, but it seems to be across the board.

I read the negativity as well and was worried, but I'm going to be speaking with a current Columbia nursing student who went through ETP and is now in the master's portion this coming week. I'll post what I find. Until then, Misho

Tanguera, BSN, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 13, 2009

Thanks for your message! Yeah, thanks for the insight about the other graduate programs w/o interviews. Are those programs all health-care related? I mean, I can totally see why a graduate program in literature might not need an interview b/c you can see the quality of their work directly from their writing! Still, I guess you're right that I can't hold only the lack of an interview against them... but sadly, that wasn't the only thing that got me suspicious abou that program.

Yeah, I am actually currently in touch with a current ETP student but one student's positive (or negative) experience shouldn't be the sole deciding factor. I am just trying to see where the best fit is for me.

UCSF and UW Seattle would have been great choices and prob better weather than out here... too bad for the laundry list of prereqs!

lauraleigh12 · May 9, 2009

Hi Tanguera - I see that you were accepted into the Columbia program and I am currently working on my application to the program as well. Congratulations on the acceptance! I was wondering if you could tell me how difficult it was in terms of GPA and GRE, etc. I have spoken with them a few times and they have given me the general guidelines, but given it is Columbia, I know that the minimums will not cut it. I am just hoping to get an idea of where I will stand when I apply. Thanks so much!