Applying to Direct-Entry MSN Boston Programs for 2015

Nursing Students NP Students

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Hey everyone,

I just began collecting information for applications to the direct-entry programs at MGH, Northeastern, Simmons, and UMass Med. I will be applying at the end of this year for matriculation in 2015 for FNP track.

I'm also interested in gauging the strength of my application, so here's a little about myself.

I'm 23 years old and live in MA. I attended Plymouth State University where I received a BS in psychology. I originally thought I would go into PA but changed my decision due to PA's lack of intimacy with the patient (counseling, health education). I had a 3.57 overall GPA with a 4.0 in prereqs. I currently volunteer as an EMT with about 300 hours (6 months) under my belt. I'm also an LNA but not currently practicing (only worked for a month but decided to focus on EMT and online prereq. courses). I'm expecting to take the GREs this summer and in the process of gathering LORs. I just finished a couple of my statements of intent. My top school is MGH but I'm still waiting to attend information sessions at Simmons and UMass Med.

Is anyone else applying to these schools? I'd love to hear your story... :D

I'm not sure if they do interviews I think I do recall them saying that on the website. It's been so long now haha.

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Got called last week for an interview. Can't believe that they are only just now interviewing....

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Anybody hear from Simmons yet? According to their email, it will be sometime in the next few days.

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Northeastern does do interviews. I interviewed Friday the 20th and got a call this past friday around 6pm that I was accepted to their acute care direct entry program. Online it doesn't say anything and I told them I had a deadline of the beginning of march so I think that's why they got back to me so quickly. I got a pretty substantial scholarship to MGH so even though northeastern is my first choice I think I'm probably going to MGH! good luck everyone!

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Congrats, Elana4! Scholarships make all the difference. I went to the MGH open house this weekend and ended up liking MGH a lot more than I did before. I was impressed that so many faculty members are involved in HIV/AIDS and global health projects. I was also impressed that every student and employee I asked, including those I met randomly in the hallway, loved the school. The students said they loved their clinical preceptors ("the best"), they loved getting so many rotations at MGH ("you learn how to give the best care from one of the best hospitals in the country"), they appreciated MGH's affiliation with Partners (I'm still not entirely clear on what is so great about this, though I gather that you get things like access to Harvard Med School library and hospitals affiliated with Partners like to hire you), and they said the atmosphere at MGH was warm and supportive. In particular, at some schools they do the "look left, look right, these people won't graduate" kind of speech at the beginning of a program; at MGH, they don't. I heard that faculty are very accessible, friendly, and ready to help if you need it. In fact, I contacted a faculty member this morning and she got back to me within hours (on a Sunday!). The campus is nice, right on the water, small and intimate, there's free coffee and hot cocoa all the time, and it's right across the river from the food and culture (and, alas, expense) of the North End. Also, someone made the good point that you aren't surrounded by undergrads--no offense to undergrads, but it's nice to have a more graduate-centered environment. Oh, and the schedule sounds tough but doable, with enough time for nourishing things like exercise and evenings and a day or two off a week--and even time to work. Apparently about 2/3 of students work as RNs during the last half of the program. During the first part of the program it sounds more difficult to manage, as that is the more intense portion. Anyway, I was happy with what I saw there. The one drawback I heard from several people (there and on these forums) is that scheduling can be frustrating, specifically rotation scheduling--one student said you might not know where your rotation is until a week before. If you have other commitments or have a hard time relaxing about that kind of thing, that will probably frustrate you. I've heard the same comment about other schools. Other than that, students had a hard time thinking of things they didn't like.

Still waiting to hear back from Simmons, but MGH is looking mighty nice....

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Hi to All!

I went through all the forums' entries re this topic (or similar) to find out (and connect with) some one that had also applied to the Direct entry FNP track like me - And where? I just heard back from Northeastern this morning to arrange for an Interview tomorrow am! Nervous can not sum it for me... :nailbiting:

I applied to NU, Salem State, MGH, and UMass (given not all had the FNP option, but I applied to the next best choice for me , if that was the case); Originally my list of schools was longer but i ended up only completing my applications only for these four.

My main reason really is that I was lastly considering only schools that award a BSN after the first portion of the Program...

Good Luck to all of you !!! :up:

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Hi Kriscat

I applied for FNP at Seattle U (Rejected), BC (waitlisted? not sure), CSULA (waiting for status), and MGH IHP (accepted with Scholarship). Not sure where I'm heading yet though!

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Hi snailszy!

Hey, good news that you have options to consider! You did not find NEU a good fit? I am waiting to hear back from them...Which one are you leaning towards ? where are you from? Congratulations on the scholarship too!!!

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helpful information thanks

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Sorry to jump on this board, I'm still just eeking our pre requisites and hope to apply next year but I read that some of you had done the Portage online classes for pre reqs? Were those accepted by most Boston schools? I have two kids under 5 and a husband that travels and the only way I can knock out the pre reqs is by doing them entirely on line and self paced so Portage looks really great, but am just wanting to hear from others who have done it!

Thanks

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I'm in Portage's nutrition course right now. It's fine and I really like that it's self-paced. I find it easy, so if getting it done is your goal it's a good option. MGH accepted it as a prereq. I would not count on learning a lot from Portage's courses. I took A&P online at another school and really regret it and, based on Portage's nutrition course I would bet their A&P would not be very rigorous either. I am now looking at studying A&P on my own in the next two months.

Other than the mediocre content, Portage is really, really good. The staff members I've interacted with have been really wonderful, respectful, prompt, engaged, responsive.

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Thank you SO much for replying. MGH is the only school I'm applying to so I would love to get more feedback on you if you decided to go there. I will probably do the FNP track there.

Unfortunately I cant send you a message yet as I don't have enough posts but maybe you could?

LWU

I'm in Portage's nutrition course right now. It's fine and I really like that it's self-paced. I find it easy, so if getting it done is your goal it's a good option. MGH accepted it as a prereq. I would not count on learning a lot from Portage's courses. I took A&P online at another school and really regret it and, based on Portage's nutrition course I would bet their A&P would not be very rigorous either. I am now looking at studying A&P on my own in the next two months.

Other than the mediocre content, Portage is really, really good. The staff members I've interacted with have been really wonderful, respectful, prompt, engaged, responsive.

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