Columbia University-ETP

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Hey everyone. I was just wondering who applied to Columbia University's ETP program.

I got an email today telling me to keep logging into the website where I applied to check on the status of my application. Has anyone else got this email? And does anyone know approximately when they begin to post decisions?

I'm nervous as this was my #2 school.

what? freyalisa-- where did you decide to go? is the cost alone that deterred you?

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and you're not going to visiting day anymore??? :o(

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Stijunky - the cost is a huge factor, along with the mixed reviews i've heard from repeated sources on the program. I don't know if i'm cut out for a "big" city.... also i didn't get into UVM - did you get your letter?

i'm going to Marquette in Milwaukee. It will get me out of Vermont, it's a really good program and I hear good things about it. The cost is less than half of Columbia, and it is waaay cheaper to live there. I'm not sure I'm a "city" girl - Milwaukee isn't too big, so I can check it out - and there is lots of "countrY" close by. It just feels like a better choice for me.

Well i already bought the tix for NYC, so I will be in New York on the 6th, but probably just doing some sight seeing. ;)

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when did you get your UVM letter? OMG, i can't believe this!! i can't believe you didn't get into UVM!!! awww bummer.... :o(.... i felt a connection to you... we should still meet up that wkend! tell me what you think!

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jenn - i'm so sorry that you won't be joining us in may! congratulations on marquette, and best of luck with your studies!

sevillaes - congrats on the deposit :)

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Stiejunky - i left my email on your page. Contact me. :)

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Hi everyone,

I just joined this site because I am trying to figure out not only where to go to school, but also how I can possibly take on all this debt! I applied to three schools: Columbia, Yale, and MGHIHP. I was rejected from Yale but accepted to Columbia, and I haven't heard from MGH yet. I am looking at my financial aid stuff from Columbia today, and it's SCARY! It seems like Columbia ETP costs significantly more than other programs - am I right?

So that is my first question, and my second one is: Is going to Columbia (being such a highly-ranked school) worth incurring extra debt over going to MGH? It seems to me that they have the same job outcomes but might be different in quality of education/experience? It looks like a difference of about $50K-$80K in loans, which seems big but maybe shouldn't be deterring me from going to a really great school! I would truly appreciate any advice you all can give! Also if you could point me to other threads that people read that might be useful, I'd so appreciate it! I need some advice!

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Hi Samm13, have you visited both MGH and Columbia? I live here in NY so it was fairly easy for me to visit those schools. I also visited Yale. I haven't heard from MGH either, but my specialty is FNP, and MGH only has 10 slots for FNP. It seems like MGH has a smaller class size (like 80 or so) and they don't let you take a year off to work as an RN, similar to Yale's program. MGH does seem like it would offer a terrific education and maybe a bit more individualized.

As far as Columbia goes, I do like the fact that there seems to be some flexibility in changing your specialty (but difficult to change into Anesthesia) and that you can take time off between the BSN and MSN to work as an RN and it seems like the clinical placements are all closeby. I don't have a car and don't really drive very well (native NYer) so staying in NYC is ideal for me... that, and I want to work in NYC after graduation so it looks like I am leaning towards Columbia.

I think it's hard to say where you'll get a better education since both of those schools are affiliated with highly-ranked medical centers (they're not just highy ranked schools) so they automatically have a strong pool of people in the vicinity to choose from when they hire faculty.

However, I think I do have my own biases since I've spent time around Columbia's medical center since I had friends who went to the medical school there and I used to date a med student there. I guess i'm just more familiar with it. I did run into my ex-boyfriend yesterday (how horrible that it was Valentine's Day!) I was around Columbia medical center and he was going into an ER shift, and I talked to him a bit about choosing this school over other cheaper options... and I have decided that I think Columbia is just the best fit for me. I do think MGH is a great school but I do think in the end it's hard to say what will be the best academically since it's hard to really compare that w/o having sat through the classes. I just took into consideration all of those other factors (NYC vs. Boston, where do you want to work afterwards? do you want to work as an RN in between or part time?, for me, I wanted to be closer to my family here in NYC....)

So I have been contemplating the same things.. but I suppose we can't worry too much since we haven't even heard from MGH yet. I don't expect anything since they only accept 10 ppl for my specialty but I'll let you know as soon as I hear something.

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Hi everyone! I was accepted to the Columbia ETP program and I've decided to go. I live in New York now and I'm looking for a roommate for an off-campus apartment. Anyone interested?

I want to move in April or early May if possible, just to get settled. Ideally I'd like to live somewhere on the West side, particularly around the 100s (maybe up to 116th street or so) since rents are not too bad there, and it's closer to the rest of the city than Inwood.

Anyway, please drop me a line if you are interested in finding a place together. Thanks!

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Thanks Lauren. I wish you luck too! It was great getting to email with you!!! This just feels like the better fit for me, and its a feather in the hat that i was accepted at Columbia. *twinge of regret - but fleeting* GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! :redpinkhe

Samm13 - my friend went through MGH and really liked the program. It cost her $80,000 in loans, which is obviously cheaper than Columbia. You can take a year off between ETP and MSN at Columbia, but you loose $11k in scholarships - when you think about working full time though, i think that saves you some money. She said FNP was scary because there isn't enough time to learn everything about kids and adults and that made her very nervous... but i think the job opportunities are better with FNP, and there are way more loan repayment jobs for FNP!

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Thank you, Tanguera and freyalisa for your input!! I am so amazed at the speedy replies already!

I've been to an info session at MGH, which I did like a lot. The professors who were there were so warm (something I didn't always find at Yale)... It seemed like a warm and fuzzy place to go to school. That was nice for me, since I went to a large and highly competitive university for undergrad in the Boston area. Plus I've been living and working in NY (and am originally from NY) since then. Small would be nice for a change.

So like you Tanguera my family is in NY, but my boyfriend is heading to business school in Boston and I still have friends there, so I'm less sure about which city to settle in for the next couple of years. What do think about the question of whether or not which city you go to school in affects your ability to get jobs after school's over? In other words, are the connections you make at Columbia beneficial to getting you a job in NY hospitals, or at MGH for Boston? Should that be a deciding factor? I've posed this question to many different RNs and NPs who I work with, and I've come up with conflicting answers! I think I want to eventually settle in Boston and work in the amazing Partners healthcare system, but I certainly would be open to staying here in NY a little longer, especially if it means a superior education.

I will be at the Columbia info session on March 6 asking all these questions again! It's soooo nice to know other people are in the same confusing boat.

Freyalisa, I would be very grateful if your friend would be willing to share her experiences at MGH with me. I have yet to meet a single person who's actually attended MGH (other than professors, I guess)! I would like to hear particularly about the quality of teaching, guidance, and how challenging the coursework is. I have no idea how to use this website (don't even ask me how long it took me to figure out how to post), but I will give you my e-mail address if I can!

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I was accepted to Columbia and just found out last week I was accepted early to MGH. I have also been accepted to BC. Honestly, I don't think it matters where you go, and its great that I got into Columbia but it is my last choice because of the $$. I didn't apply for financial aid because I have to file as dependent and I want to do this on my own. If you're getting into Columbia you're also getting into other great schools--so for everyone debating the financial piece think about it this way: YOU CANT GO WRONG!!:smokin:

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