Experience before becoming an NP

Great question 33 and I think you probably already know the answer here...its a mix of both. I can only speak of my two experiences, and they were a mix. I didn't see any trends to identify, other than I believe I got in simply due to my GRE, already having earned a BSN and years of experience. Maturity plays a role, thats why they interview and to discriminate between candidates. I know of several of my peers who went direct from BSN to MSN with only extern experience and they continued to work while in grad school, which I applauded.

I know for a fact that some folks were NOT interviewed, while others were. When I turned in my GRE scores, the admissions officer glowed when she saw my written score, noting, "we don't see very many 5s, I don't think you'll have a problem." THAT was encouraging, considering my barely 3.0 undergrad.

I think a mix is good. Brings lots of character to the table, lots of different opinions, experiences and challenges. Now, I didn't think some folks needed to be there, but that's not for me to decide and we certainly did lose a few along the way. You'll see what I mean.

I would think the admissions criteria would account for young folks who have little experience, but fairly high GPAs and GREs. If you have neither, you might have to work harder to get in. The competition is getting better, stronger and more mature due to the economy.

Don't count the private schools out. They are marked off a lot of folks lists simply b/c of cost. In reality though, the difference between a state school and private school might be 15-20k. If you lose a year or two, waiting on a state school, that cost becomes irrelevant depending upon your starting salary and definitely when you figure in future earnings. If you are truly serious about attending grad school, I'd apply to all schools your interested in. I do know that many of the scholarship students in my grad school paid much less than if they'd attended the popular state programs.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do well!