Columbia University's School of Nursing

U.S.A. New York

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Does anyone know what kind of GRE scores you need to get into their Master's programs?

Is Columbia ridiculously competitive and very hard to get into?

Many thanks!

LB & Elizabells,

i will be starting the ETP program in May. Just got accepted a couple weeks ago. I was wondering if you could provide any info/ opinions about the nature and quality of the acute care and fnp specialties. I applied for fnp, but I am not sure really which direction I want to go. Any suggestions? Views on the running of either program...? Any insight would be much appreciated...Thanks..

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Both programs are well run. If you want to work through the masters phase, then FNP is the way to go. Libby, who runs the program, wants people to work full time and do the program full-time. OTOH, even though you can't work in the AC program (4 days/week of clinical), Dan Roberts runs that program with an iron fist and claims to have a 100% job placement rate upon graduation. You've got lots of time to decide... primary care and acute care are very different disciplines. Just remember to keep your eye on the prize during ETP, the crazed nature of the academics really got to a lot of people this year.

LB

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Hi LB,

Thanks for your reply and well put advice. It sounds like the program drives you to the breaking point from what I've read in the forums also. yikes..eye on the prize, it is...I am wondering: would you say you are satisfied with the program and faculty and would you make the choice all over again??

I didnt know the little detail about ability to work. i definitely (as most i assume) would like to be working f-t if at all possible that second year without killing myself and program allowing of course. The programs (fnp and ac) are entirely different--it's true. I just recently started to consider acute care after some conversations with a nurse friend who has been in recruitment for some 20 odd years. She was concerned that the job market and options might be limited for fnp's (based on her experience's talking with graduates of Yale's similar program for np's..they were graduating, for example, lots in peds specialty, and at least in CT they werent able to get the jobs in their specialty. Also, she remarked that the training in acute care prepares you for anything and really gives you the confidence to draw from even if you end up working in outpatient or providing primary care ?? I don't know... I know it sounds like a lot of questioning for not having begun the program. My main concern is to try to start with the most likely specialty that I'm suited for so that I don't have play catch up or take extra classes...it looks like from the info i have anyway...that there are some differences even in the first year of classes taken...or is the difference negligible??

thanks again for your reply, lb... i have done mostly reading of this site...i have found this forum so helpful this last year on my journey up to this point...

good luck with everything...

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Hi Livingston,

Just to put your mind at ease, everyone takes the same courses the first year, including a few master's classes. It's adding those classes that can push the courseload over-the-top. There are some changes being implemented for next year that should make it a bit more balanced over 3 semesters instead of killing you for 2 and less crazed for the 3rd. There will be opportunities to talk with program directors and, if you are interested in ac, you can shadow Dan for a day in the MICU. Dan will give you his schpiel several times and you can decide if that's for you. We are trying to arrange it so that next year's ETP students will have more access to the current masters students so that they will feel better able to decide on a specialty. In terms of jobs... you'll see lots of NPs working along side physicians in your clinicals, especially in peds but in all of the other areas as well. NYC may be different from other areas of the country, but I am not sure. I think that the main thing to remember about becoming an NP is that NPs were brought in to fill in the gaps in health care. As long as you are willing to travel, getting a job shouldn't be that tough. If you are rigid, it may take longer to find one.

Come to the visiting day in March if you can and use all of the resources available to you when you get here in June. I've personally made the most of my experience here and had a great time. Some of the didactic teachers are phenomenal and some are just OK. But even those only OK ones have improved significantly over the course of the year due to student input. I feel like they really do listen to what we have to say. My experience with preceptors has been overall very good though I did get a real dud for one rotation. The biggest learning experience clinically comes in march after spring break with a nine-week integration where you work an RNs shift with her. We are all looking forward to this.

Good Luck,

LB

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Hi there,

i didn't even realize there was a 'Columbia University School of Nursing" forum until i saw it just now! hi, thought i drop by to let you guys know that i've started a thread over at the students forum/Graduate MSN FNP named "accepted Columbia ETP applicants" and there are people there starting the ETP this may, like myself and my wife, and also students who are currently in the program as well, like LB here. Feel free to post or ask any questions that we haven't already covered. i live in the medical center area, I'm currently a sr research assistant here so feel free to ask in regards to the living accomodations, etc. Congratulations livingston on your acceptance again and hopefully to see you on March 7th. :balloons:

LB,

Do you know Elizabells? she's a current ETP student and has answered a lot of our questions, and we might all get together after our Visting Day session..and please join us if you have time.

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Hey nycacoustic,

I know who elizabells is, though I don't know her well. :) I'll check out the thread. I am a student ambassador, so I may meet you on the 7th.

LB

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thanks nycacoustic,

congrats to you too... I will be joining you guys on the ETP forum..sorry I wasn't able to check in until after visiting day! would have loved to meet everybody... I hope you enjoyed it! I loved talking with the current students, but I thought it was weird that the guests were shuffled off on a separate tour...I snuck mine on our tour because I thought were were visiting potential housing sites...we're domestic partners and altho we live in astoria, we were seriously considering moving to couples housing since his job is midtown/upper west side area...we're just not sure we want to uproot ourselves...ok, from now i'll post on the other thread...congrats to all..getting in and finishing up with finals...phew!!

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Specializes in NICU.
I thought it was weird that the guests were shuffled off on a separate tour...

I thought it was weird at the time too...but then on my tour, one girl brought her mom along and she was so incredibly overbearing and really dominated things. I'm in no way saying that's parallel to your situation - of course you and your partner should both see the living arrangements, and I think she should have been on the tour with you. I think that's just the reason they do it that way, to avoid parents taking over.

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Elizabells,

That makes sense. I suppose that happens even at this stage...once a mom, always a mom... (:

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Hey, I'm interested in Columbia's NNP program, although no one seems to have any personal info on it. I was wondering about the academic rigors involved, whether the classes were any good, how the nursing teaching facilities are set up, their condition, etc......anyone have any (even general) input about the school? I will be commuting from either NJ or Brooklyn.

Thanks!!

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Hey Columbia NP students/alumni,

Can anyone tell me about the Acute Care NP program or the FNP program at Columbia? How difficult is it to get in? I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a 2.97 gpa (attributing that to my really bad bout of mono one year), average GRE's, have great rec's from professors and nurse managers and have about 2 years experience as an RN currently working on a Neurosurgical Unit at Mount Sinai. I was accepted to Penn on a scholarship, received an award for nursing research at graduation and am now serving on Mount Sinai's nursing research committee. Input please!

:mortarboard:

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Specializes in NICU.
Hey Columbia NP students/alumni,

Can anyone tell me about the Acute Care NP program or the FNP program at Columbia? How difficult is it to get in?

:mortarboard:

Fleeeeee, fleeeee from the ACNP program. They just gutted it, like, really badly. Completely cut the residency, which is conveeeeeniently now a part of the new DrNP program. Huh. Guess if they graduate unemployable MSN-NPs they'll have to come back for the DrNP.

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