Everyone tells me not to spend a lot of money on schools...is it true?

[spiffae]

Hi everyone,

First post here, please be gentle :)

So, I am a 24-year-old guy who recently realized that the jobs I have been doing recently are both unsatisfying and boring for me, and a recent illness in the family put me in contact with a number of great nurses, and after a couple weeks of spending every day in the hospital, I realized that nursing was something I could do and be happy with. I am now trying to get together a plan of what to do to get me from here (bachelor's degree in graphic design) to there (Nurse Practitioner).

My first thought was to look at the big names. I went to undergraduate school at a pretty fancy private college, and so my reflex was to keep that up. I live in NYC and don't plan on leaving, so I looked at the combined BS/MS programs at NYU and Columbia. I happened to meet on of the administrators of the Columbia School of Nursing through a family friend, and when I mentioned that I was considering his program for nursing school, he gave me an interesting piece of advice - don't go to columbia, it's expensive and you don't come out with any practical advantage over a cheaper state or city program, and it doesn't affect your job placement at all.

Needless to say, I was surprised. I started asking around, and to my surprise, everyone I spoke to, current nurses, professors, even a couple nurses finishing their MSs at Columbia - repeated what the professor said.

So now I find myself confused - where should I be looking for programs to get a BS/MS - I'm lost! People have mentioned a lot of places, and I don't know the pros and cons of any of them! If anyone could shed any light on schools in the NYC area that they have had great or terrible experiences with, that would be spectacular.

Thanks!

[AspiringNurse7]

Hi,

I think the decision should be up to you to be honest.You already have a BS so if you applied to a private school you would have less credits to take and you will spend less than 4 years .So, it wouldn't be a big deal if you went to a private school for a couple of years,especially if the expensive /private schools are the only ones you get admitted to.Dont forget that you can always apply for scholarships and take out loans.You wont have to pay the school back at once anyhow. I think its worth it.Its your education.If the program is accredited and you can afford to go, why not? You only have one life to live and I think the investment will be well worth it.But then again, if you get admitted to a public/low cost/reputable school, then why not? I don't think you will loose no matter what path you decide to take.Cheap, expensive,...Education , comfortable salary and a rewarding career will be the outcome of both.CUNY Downstate University and SUNY Stoney Brook as a Accelerated BSN-MSN program and both schools cost around 5,000/per year.NOT BAD AT ALL.SO check those out.Go to CUNY and SUNY .com to check out their programs. All schools are practically the same.They're ALL tough ..Just make sure the school you wanna go to is accreditted.Thats all you need to know b/c other student's bad experiences may not happen to you. Good luck...PS: Im sure the people who are advising you to not attend private schools but who actually attend them were told the same thing.So rely on your own judgment.Good Luck!

[Wsmith16, ADN, BSN]

I too have a bachelor’s. The very first step that you need to take if you haven’t done so is to take your pre-reqs. Take them at a local community college. Since it’s not expensive and by doing so you will see if these classes interest you. Then look at your finances . If you have a heavy debt of student loans I’d go the least expensive route in terms of school. If you do not have a heavy debt then by all means apply to a private school that has a dual degree program so you can finish quicker.

[shippoRN]

Im going to be attending a private 2 yr ASN program in manhattan this fall(I too have a B.S.)

The program has an agreement with a 4 yr school to take classes while in the 2 yr program for the B.S/M.S program. If you are already a BS degree holder you can bridge into the M.S. program.

I completed my science pre-reqs at CUNY schools and I did the liberal arts classes like psych and nutrition with the SUNY Learning Network (SLN), which is online classes network for new york state through SUNY. Im a huge SLN advocate, I think its an excellent way to get non-science pre-reqs out of the way especially if you work. Plus its much cheaper.

Not sure if i answered your question.

[laura11]

i would be attending a two year college for my ASN and then work my way towards being an Np. like you i have a bachelors. the community colleges are cheaper and you can start by getting your pre-requisite there

[justme1972]

The rule of thumb that I have always heard, is unless you graduate from an Ivy League school, it will make very little difference in you getting a job.

Where I used to live, there was a very expensive private school in the area, and everytime we reviewed an application where someone had a degree from there we would laugh and say, "Well, looks like SOMEONE'S parents had some major bucks!"

It made ZERO difference in our hiring practices.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I have found that the more expensive schools have shorter waiting lists, from what I have been reading. CUNY schools are more competitive, thus, require higher GPAs because there are not as many seats BECAUSE there are not enough professors to escort students to clinicals. Many resort to going to the school that accepts them first and worry about the money later...through loans or grants. Good luck.

[pennprincess]

Hey there,

I graduated from an Ivy League nursing school... and I plan on going for my masters... but definitely at a cheaper school if I can. Coming out of school I did not get any bonuses due to the school I went to, and a lot of other people who attended state schools got similar positions as I did. I would recommend going to a cheaper school, as in a profession such as nursing with a critical shortage - it doesn't matter where you go, but as long as you get your license.

Hope this helps!

[loriann, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't spend money on a big-name school for anything other than becoming a lawyer, doctor or business degree. I work with plenty of people who went to the Columbias and NYUs and they are earning the same amount I am (I went to a state school). I think the only difference might be with the location of clinicals. I went to a SUNY school and my clinicals never left Brooklyn, which is not where I wanted to work. Luckily, I had contacts with the hospital of my choice in Manhattan, so getting a job was relatively easy.

[nightnurse1965]

To be honest where I am the 2 year assoc degree RNs come out better equipped to work on the floor then the private 4 year grads do.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

It depends on what you want. I'm attending Columbia right now, and work at NYPres. The nurses I've talked to tell me that all the NP's that came from CU were excellent. For me, the classroom-based program and access to the best hospitals/educators is what made me choose CU. Sure you all end up with the same degree, but what quality of education are you going to get for your money? And you can't convince me that having a Masters degree from an Ivy League school on your resume won't influence you getting the job YOU want.

[gt4everpn, BSN, RN]

i go to liu, simply stated, expensive!!!, anyway, nrsg school rankings do not exist, so there is no real way of telling which school is better than which, word of mouth prevails, my advice is to go to all the 2 or 4yr colleges, which ever one you prefer and see if you can talk to the nrsg students, ask them if the school is worth the money, then find out how you will be able to afford whatever school you decide on. good luck, i've heard liu nrsg program is good!!, i have spoken to nrsg students in the program, but tuition is $771 a credit, and most classes are 3 credits, you do the math!!!!, good luck again!