Direct Entry MSN 2020 at Columbia University

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Hello Everyone, The applications for June 2020 at Columbia University has now opened. I haven't seen any new threads for this year so I wanted to start one. I am in the process of applying and half way done! References already sent their recommendations!! and an upside to this year is that Columbia University is no longer requiring the GRE. SO I am pretty happy about that!!

Good Luck!

First time posting, long time observer. I got in!

It was the only program I applied to. I go to Laguardia now to finish up my pre-reqs and while I didn’t apply to their program I have heard so much talk about it that I’m curious. I only know of one obvious factor and I find it so interesting (and by that I mean grave) how both programs can have the same caliber Of student but one school is just out of reach financially for many.

Im still accepting and CU is my number one school of choice and it’s worth it to me....But! I’d be interested to see a comparison and to see if, on paper, where exactly the advantages and disadvantages lie in each programs education and career outcome.

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8 minutes ago, Slc said:

First time posting, long time observer. I got in!

It was the only program I applied to. I go to Laguardia now to finish up my pre-reqs and while I didn’t apply to their program I have heard so much talk about it that I’m curious. I only know of one obvious factor and I find it so interesting (and by that I mean grave) how both programs can have the same caliber Of student but one school is just out of reach financially for many.

Im still accepting and CU is my number one school of choice and it’s worth it to me....But! I’d be interested to see a comparison and to see if, on paper, where exactly the advantages and disadvantages lie in each programs education and career outcome.

Hi @Slc, I'm at Laguardia finishing up my pre-reqs now too, and got into the MDE at Columbia. I'll attend the visiting day on Feb 21 to get more in depth details about Columbia's advantages. I think one of the main ones are the clinical sites - I'm not sure where Laguardia does theirs but I don't think they have any at Presbyterian. Obviously a huge downside of Columbia will be the cost.

Also, with Laguardia you would only get an ADN degree instead of MSN, and likely will have to continue on to get at least a BSN, so Columbia seems like a much faster route..

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35 minutes ago, Barbiegirl1229 said:

well I just got rejected

Same

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Specializes in RN.
7 minutes ago, Slc said:

First time posting, long time observer. I got in!

It was the only program I applied to. I go to Laguardia now to finish up my pre-reqs and while I didn’t apply to their program I have heard so much talk about it that I’m curious. I only know of one obvious factor and I find it so interesting (and by that I mean grave) how both programs can have the same caliber Of student but one school is just out of reach financially for many.

Hi @Slc - I'm on my last pre-requisite at LaGuardia (statistics) and also just attended the orientation for the LGA RN program and have been prepping to start it in March (but sorta ambivalently as I waited on Columbia, but just got in for MDE). I honestly think it was harder to get into LGA by far -- much less forgiving, needed As in everything. Yet it's weird to contemplate being stuck there for two entire more years to emerge with an associates. I hear "oh you can get your BSN afterward online in 3 semesters" but have yet to find proof of how this works.

I'm old(ish) at 43, have 2 young kids and not in the best place financially. Yet I think I have almost talked myself into why I don't mind taking on a scary loan for Columbia -- mostly from a time perspective and also for the power of connections/experience Columbia would offer vs LGA (which has its strengths, but "customer service" of its students is not one of them). Please reach out by message if you like too ?

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I got into the MDE program woo! But still waiting for Suny Downstate to get back to me. Anyone else considering SUNY d?

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Specializes in RN.
1 minute ago, ToBeANurse said:

I got into the MDE program woo! But still waiting for Suny Downstate to get back to me. Anyone else considering SUNY d?

Congrats to you! I was very intrigued Suny Downstate, but my B.S. is ancient and it sounded like they required *ALL* (not just science, etc) previous coursework to be fairly recent for the ABSN program? The idea of re-taking English, etc, made my head spin. I do wish public was more of an option overall. It still kills me that to even apply to Hunter or Lehman, I'd need 4 additional semesters of general/then organic chem -- assuming with 4.0.

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11 minutes ago, chanuts said:

Hi @Slc, I'm at Laguardia finishing up my pre-reqs now too, and got into the MDE at Columbia. I'll attend the visiting day on Feb 21 to get more in depth details about Columbia's advantages. I think one of the main ones are the clinical sites - I'm not sure where Laguardia does theirs but I don't think they have any at Presbyterian. Obviously a huge downside of Columbia will be the cost.

Also, with Laguardia you would only get an ADN degree instead of MSN, and likely will have to continue on to get at least a BSN, so Columbia seems like a much faster route..

Yeah, I don’t know much about other programs but I had solid reasons why I didn’t apply to other programs. Namely, as you said, I believe in getting the DNP and doing it efficiently is so worth it for me. I’ve spent too long for my liking in “filler” jobs waiting to get what I really want. And a sad truth is access, like hospitals and your future career prospects, will likely depend on the CU association.

which classes are you taking at LAG now?

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Hi everyone- does anyone know when we can expect to hear about financial aid for the MDE portion of the program? Looking forward to meeting you all on 02/21! ?

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12 minutes ago, oneday_nursepoundcake said:

Hi @Slc - I'm on my last pre-requisite at LaGuardia (statistics) and also just attended the orientation for the LGA RN program and have been prepping to start it in March (but sorta ambivalently as I waited on Columbia, but just got in for MDE). I honestly think it was harder to get into LGA by far -- much less forgiving, needed As in everything. Yet it's weird to contemplate being stuck there for two entire more years to emerge with an associates. I hear "oh you can get your BSN afterward online in 3 semesters" but have yet to find proof of how this works.

I'm old(ish) at 43, have 2 young kids and not in the best place financially. Yet I think I have almost talked myself into why I don't mind taking on a scary loan for Columbia -- mostly from a time perspective and also for the power of connections/experience Columbia would offer vs LGA (which has its strengths, but "customer service" of its students is not one of them). Please reach out by message if you like too ?

Loved your response. Hit on a lot of things like trying to compare an associates or even masters to DNP is not fair.

I have totally convinced myself i can rationalize the cost too lol. However I have experience that it is a reality. I’ve come from Columbia and another Ivy and I’m sure that’s how I got certain jobs (and how I got to reach out to alum and ask for jobs simply on the basis of that connection). Is it worth that much money? Maybe not. But it’s important to also be proud of your schooling too, at least for me. I really find value in more ways than one that that’s where I can say I graduated from.

but I do think LAG program is so competitive. And I always think how the students in my A&P II class would probably out perform me and beat me to a CU acceptance but they never thought to apply because of the cost. It’s terrible.

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12 minutes ago, ToBeANurse said:

I got into the MDE program woo! But still waiting for Suny Downstate to get back to me. Anyone else considering SUNY d?

me!! My suny app hasn’t progressed at all so I’m nervous but suny is my first choice mostly cause of $$. I just got accepted to columbia MDE.

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6 minutes ago, Slc said:

Yeah, I don’t know much about other programs but I had solid reasons why I didn’t apply to other programs. Namely, as you said, I believe in getting the DNP and doing it efficiently is so worth it for me. I’ve spent too long for my liking in “filler” jobs waiting to get what I really want. And a sad truth is access, like hospitals and your future career prospects, will likely depend on the CU association.

which classes are you taking at LAG now?

I'm taking SCB204 with Prof Kendall right now in the 6 week session (midterm Wednesday, ugh)

I agree - I think it will be difficult to get a first job, especially with LGA ADN in a field that is pretty much requiring BSNs minimum now. I also do not like how the SUNY/CUNY schools have such stringent pre-reqs (must be in person, and have to complete like 2 pre-req courses to even take a pre-req for application lol, ie: org chem is required for hunter, but to take org chem you need to take gen chem 1 and 2 first. who has 3 semesters of time to do that unless you're 18-20 years old!!)

I believe the clinical locations during the actual program will be how you get your foot in the door, but if LGA doesn't have any partnerships with the top hospitals in NYC then it could be difficult to even have your resume looked at unless you have another in.

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49 minutes ago, Gmilitar said:

Hang in there. Don’t lose hope. You got this!

Thanks! I'll be checking my email even more so than I did before!! Please tell me you're heading to CU!?

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