Anyone applying to Yale GEPN program for Fall 2009?

lauralou2008 · Feb 27, 2009

Biddy, Thanks for your updates! I couldn't make it to Baltimore for this visit -- or, rather, didn't want to miss more school and work and buy yet another plane ticket. I briefly visited JH on my way to the Yale interview and was wondering the same thing about "liveability". I'm from Seattle, where neighborhoods are about personality and comfort and lots of amenities within walking distance. Also, what did the current students you met tonight say about JHUSON in general? I've heard a lot of mixed reviews, and the word "frustration" comes up a lot. Keep the updates coming!!!!

suga70 · Feb 27, 2009

ohhh decisions decisions...:selfbonk:

Biddy · Feb 27, 2009

As far as current JHUSON students, the ones I met last night seemed pretty happy. I talked to one ABSN student who was funny and cynical. She said she doesn't know how clinically prepared she feels (which is the reason I was thinking JHU might be better than Yale--the opportunity to work as an RN more during the program, etc.) She said every time she walks into a room it's an unknown. She did say the clinical instructors, for the most part (with one or two exceptions) are great. I also talked to one of the straight males in the program (according to the first girl, her class of 150 has 7 men, 3 of which she thinks are straight...she only knows 2 are for sure). He was there with his wife. He's getting ready to finish the traditional program and is looking for an RN job here right now. Most of the hospitals here have hiring freezes, but he's not concerned, making the point that since most nurses are women they always have to leave jobs to have babies, etc. His wife is the one (I think I mentioned above) who was telling me about where they live in the suburbs and about having their car broken into in their driveway (in what sounded like a safe neighborhood...) I was told by a girl who is going to attend this coming year (she went to the Univ. of Maryland and has lots of friend here) that Canton is a livable neighborhood--it's on the water, working class (which here seems to mean white...there's definitely racial segregation), and they have a grocery store. We're going to try to check out Canton and Charles Village (where JHU's main campus is and where the shuttle is easily accessible to the school of nursing) after the events today. Will keep you all posted, but might not be until Sunday--our hotel charges $10 daily for wifi (which I find kind of offensive given that even Motel 6s now have free wifi...i guess the Hilton just wants to nickel and dime!) and I don't know that we'll be paying for it again (principles, principles...)

CaliforniaGirl2--have fun at UCSF!

kimiij · Feb 27, 2009

I got my financial aid letter today. Just as I expected....there really weren't any surprises.

Biddy · Feb 27, 2009

So for those of you interested in JHU, Baltimore is growing on me. The school of nursing facilities are definitely much nicer than Yale's (it's a ten year old building that is just the school of nursing--it's not shared). The classrooms have tables with plugs for computers. The labs were really nice--I didn't see labs when we were at Yale...The school was incredibly vibrant in terms of professor-student interaction. Since I'm interested in gerontology and JHU doesn't actually have a GNP program, I'd emailed a professor who does gero research. She found me this morning and told me the head of gero research wanted to meet with me. I went to a panel where this professor was speaking, and afterwards, we sat for about 2 hours discussing all the opportunities available at JHU. Their medical school is the #1 geriatric program in the country. They're trying to get a GNP program in place at JHU that may be available by the time I start. There are tons of opportunities to go abroad. She basically told me she knows everyone in gero, and if I didn't want to pursue my MSN at JHU she could get me into Penn. She was inviting me to attend this conference and that. She said it's strange that she doesn't know anybody at Yale actually, and that they aren't very involved in the outside gero research community (not members of major organizations, etc.) But she also told me that the fact that I'd be a A-GNP in three years from Yale isn't necessarily something she could tell me to pass up (which makes the decision all that much more difficult!) While we sat there, literally every other student that passed stopped to hug her and everyone told me she was "the best". Definitely a very supportive, warm place where the students seemed to be incredibly satisfied with their education. (And I was hoping I'd just decide I hated it and had to go to Yale...)

And as for Baltimore, it grows on you the longer you're here. Apparently, on foot yesterday, we did miss some main areas. Mt. Vernon is a super cute historic neighborhood that we'd been told would be good to live in. Finally saw why today. If I go here, we'll live in that neighborhood. Lots of rentals--every other building has a sign. Cheap, too. According to Craigslist, $700 for a one bedroom in an old row house.

So I'm torn...the professor suggested I get someone on the phone at Yale and ask them more questions. Have them sell me on the specifics of their program (which I feel like, since they clumped us in groups, wasn't done...certainly not like the attention I got today at JHU) and ask why they aren't involved in some of the main gerontological nursing associations, etc.

Kimiij, financial aid--willing to share anymore details? I won't be getting my letter until I get back home on Sunday, and I'm dying with anticipation! I'd read there's about a $5,000 scholarship--yes, no? Wondering if Yale's endowment suffered and if they had to reduce that...how much do they expect us to take in private loans? Of course, it varies depending on the circumstance, but if you're willing to share, I want to know!

And if anyone has any specific questions about Baltimore or JHU, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

Biddy · Feb 27, 2009

One more thing, both professors I spoke with today said getting a BSN doesn't matter. JHU is looking actually at going the route of Yale with the direct-entry MSN, and they said most schools are going to be doing this.

kimiij · Feb 28, 2009

Total Student Budget for 9 months: $65,660

I'm guessing the particulars of the Scholarships will differ by need and merit.

Scholarships: $16,160 (around $8,600 of this was the YSN scholarship, the rest was a merit scholarship)

Loans: $28,000

Sub. Stafford: $8500

Unsub. Stafford Loan: $12000

Perkins Loan: $6000

Nursing Student Loan: $1500

Unless your EFC is out of the park, I think everyone's package will look very similar.

As you can see, the aid given does not necessarily meet the need. Private Scholarships is likely to be= Budget - (Scholarships + Federal Loans + EFC)

Biddy · Mar 1, 2009

Kimiij, And that was a merit scholarship they awarded you? Did you apply for it or was it automatically granted? I have to say I'm feeling a bit slighted. My financial aid sucks. They offered me a scholarship of less than $4,000...What have others been offered? (if people don't mind chiming in with that) I'm assuming it might be because our EFC is high--my husband used to have a good paying job in LA, but we noted on our financial aid application that his job ended in January and was in an industry (film) that doesn't transfer to the east coast and anything he does now will necessitate a pay cut (why did they put that section in if they don't care...) I was also reading an article by the undergrad financial aid officer at Yale, who said they are taking into account families' changing situations in the bad economy and are going to make exceptions in order to ensure financial aid is distributed equitably (though YSN ignored that my EFC is based on money that will not have existed for over 9 months by the time I start school...) Ugh. I'm annoyed. Yale has a large endowment, and I don't really want to take out $60,000 in loans in one year (that means I'll be well above the $100,000 average--I'm fine with that amount...much beyond that, loan calculators make it seem it's not really worth it). I'll definitely be calling financial aid on Monday to negotiate--the prof I met with at JHU told me financial aid is worried about losing students right now to schools with better aid programs, so I should negotiate with anything I'm offered...

Also, did anybody else write down that the first year was $64,000 (and hence more expensive than the specialty years) because it was a full 11 months? I have that in my notes (and I can't imagine I would have decided to put that down on my own), but yet this "award" says its for 9 months. Does that mean the first year is actually closer to $80,000? (The summer tuition is around $10,000, plus living expenses).

Okay, if anyone feels like sharing their scholarships let me know. Maybe $4,000 is closer to average and I shouldn't feel slighted...I am, however, more confused about my decision after going to JHU (it's really an amazing medical complex, and the professors and students there were so incredibly warm and down-to-earth...the students at my panel at Yale seemed to be holding something back that I wondered about...), so if financial aid is what makes me decide, then I guess that's a good thing...

LillyB · Mar 1, 2009

Hi Biddy,

I received a $7800 scholarship but everything else is $0. I don't qualify for Federal Loans until the Spring semester, and I will have to take out a private loan for the Fall semester. I sure hope that the $65000 first year budget includes Summer semester. From YSN website: tuition per semester is $14,512 (so total is about $29,000) and then $11,375 for the summer term, so it all adds up to about $40,400 for 11 months. So I think the tuition listed on our financial aid award letter of $42,095 includes the summer term and all the other fees, like lab fee, etc. As someone said in one of the earlier posts: getting accepted seems like an easy part right now, paying for nursing school is what is keeping me up at night these days. I guess it will all come down to finding jobs with or applying to loan repayment programs after we graduate.

Biddy · Mar 1, 2009

Oh man, LillyB, no federal loans until spring. That's hard to stomach. I guess all this financial stuff is hard to stomach. I will be calling financial aid tomorrow regardless (like I'm sure many others will be) to try and negotiate. We are all in the same boat, though, so at least, we can take comfort in that...

Yeah, getting in was the easy part...I thought I was stressed during the applications, but now I'm a mess. I've been verbalizing the debate with my husband (b/w Yale and JHU) over the past couple of days, and now he understands why I've seemed depressed, withdrawn, sullen, etc. over the last couple of weeks (he assumed I'd be happy I got into all of my schools, but I really haven't been...it's just added stress). I'm too in my head about it all.

(I'm almost ready to flip a coin!) I'd had it suggested to me (by the head of gero research at Hopkins) that I put a deposit down at both schools and make my decision based on financial aid. But this package at Yale is not good enough for me to do that...I feel like Hopkins might have more to offer--not necessarily financially, but in terms of clinical sites--they are the best hospital in the world afterall--opportunities to go abroad, extra curriculars, they expect your capstone project for your masters to be a scholarly paper to be published, which will help if I decide to go on or teach, and everyone I met there was so down to earth and nice...just nice. I didn't get to talk to enough GEPNs to know how I felt about them...

If anyone is debating/stressed/wants to talk about JHU, I'm going to put my phone number out there. 310-795-0782, name is Amy. I sit around on pins and needles with unbrushed hair currently, in front of my computer like a man woman obsessed with finding all the answers on message boards...

I guess I may have my decision tomorrow after I talk to financial aid...then I'll be kempt again!

kimiij · Mar 1, 2009

Biddy- The merit scholarship was awarded to me. I will still have to take out about $50,000 in loans the first year which sucks. The YSN scholarship is based on EFC (I had a low EFC because for much of 2008 I was not working). I would definitely call them to negotiate because if your husband won't have a job for the next six months or so then they should definitely take that into consideration. Be honest with them that you are considering JHU b/c of the lack of aid.

Why is Yale so much more expensive than other schools? And yes, the "9 Months" on the Financial Aid award letter threw me off as well. I also feel like they understated the travel and parking fees.

Somewhat related to financial issues....Are people getting cars?

Biddy · Mar 1, 2009

To be honest, JHU will technically cost more--it'll be four years (a traditional BSN, followed by the MSN, though the prof I met with said I could do the MSN in 18 months) at $50,000 each. However, the cost of living in Baltimore is cheap (a one bedroom in the super cute historic neighborhood is about $700-$800), I won't need a car (I also thought their estimate of travel/parking was absurdly low--parking is $300 per semester, plus we'll be driving, on average, 120 miles twice a week to clinicals? Do they not know car insurance/gas are expensive???), and JHU, because I'll be doing a more leisurely paced program, will allow me the opportunity to work after the first semester, including full time over summer, as a tech in one of their hospitals. Factor those things in and I think it has the potential to be less. Not to mention the economy of NYC area is supposed to shrink by 4%, whereas the DC metro economy is going to grow by 4%--I have to take my husband's ability to get a job into consideration, as once he has one, I will hopefully not have to take out anything beyond tuition.

And Yale isn't necessarily more expensive...Anybody else get into Columbia, look at their aid award for the first year, and then cringe and rip it up and swear to ignore they'd been accepted? (The estimate was over $100,000 for one year and did not alot an amount for which you could actually rent an apartment in the city...)

As a west coaster (who just left after 10 years in LA), I have cars. Two of them. If Yale negotiates and I decide to come, I will assist driving others around (but I will probably do the annoying, awful, oh-so-high-school thing and ask for $5 for gas and incidentals...)