Choosing Grad Schools

[natrgrrl]

Hi everyone,

How did you choose your school? I have narrowed down my list to 2 schools in my area. They are both completely different. What questions do I need to ask myself and the schools in order to decide which is best for me?

I am leaning toward the state university because they offer an RN to MSN that will allow me to take 3 classes that will apply to BSN and MSN both. That will save a lot of time and money. The private university offers a program that focuses on exactly what I want to do, Adult Nurse Practitioner with Cardiovascular focus.

If I choose the BSN to MSN I am tied down to that school and that makes me a little bit nervous.

Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

[grad*student]

My considerations:

1) how I feel on the campus -- is it a place I will enjoy attending for the next several years? do I like the professors, students, and general atmosphere?

2) quality of program -- the types of classes that are offered (I wanted lots of hard sciences outside of the nursing school, and less nursing theory), national ratings/reputation (in case I want a PhD later, and also to be competitive for hiring), lots of clinical experiences w/ the types of settings applicable to my focal area

3) cost

4) proximity to home, needs to fit in with work/life schedule (I have a child)

[natrgrrl]

Thanks grad*student. I think one thing I overlooked was how I feel on campus. I feel awkward looking at grad schools right now but I have to have my application for RN to MSN in to one of the schools by August of this year.:grn: Your post helped, thanks.

[Spacklehead, MSN, NP]

I decided to return to my alma mater for my MSN even though there were several decent/reputable schools which were closer.

One reason was familiarity - I really enjoyed the school and the campus and it has a great reputation. Plus, I knew the general area of where my clinical sites would be, so I didn't worry about going to strange or unfamiliar areas.

Another reason was due to the amount of clinical hours the program required. Of all the schools I looked into for an FNP program, it had the most amount of clinical hours which helped with my decision. I felt the more time I spent in clinical settings, the more I would see/do and the better prepared I would be when I graduate.

Another factor that influenced my decision was that all of the instructors for the NP program currently practiced in an NP role. I felt that was a crucial factor because they really knew what being an NP involved and what the current issues facing NPs were. Plus, they were all up-to-date with evidence-based guidelines, which really helped when we had questions regarding case scenarios.

Lastly, the cost was a factor. I knew I could graduate from my school with manageable student loans as opposed to outrageous student loans that would take forever to pay off.