HELP!! Down to the wire on ABSN decision

[Greenmountain802]

Hello all,

Over the winter I applied to a number of ABSN programs: University of Miami, NYU, GW, University of Rochester, and Quinnipiac.

As most of you know who've gone through or are applying to these types of programs, they don't seem to offer financial aid in the same way that first bachelor's programs do. However, U of R and QU both offered me a significant amount of money, so my decision has come down to these two schools.

I have visited both now, and am having a realllllly difficult time deciding between the two. They both have things going for them the other is lacking in, and as I am not a nursing student yet, I don't know which things to prioritize.

I was very disappointed in Rochester's facilities and technology. Quinnipiac has dozens of low fidelity mannequins for their skills labs, and several high fidelity mannequins for their simulation labs. Rochester on the other hand doesn't seem to have any mannequins for their skills lab, and only 2 or 3 for their simulation lab. I don't know how important mannequins are in the long run, and how much they augment your learning experience and inform your future as a nurse, but it seems like a nice thing to have. It also speaks to a general outdatedness of Rochester... They had a room which was designed for you to check out movies to watch on techniques and the like, and the TV they had in their was from the 90s it looked like (big, boxy, black).

In general, Quinnipiac also just had a much nicer built learning environment, with lots of places to study and work and the like.

That said, I don't know about the teaching quality, and whether that would make up for the outdated qualities of Rochester.

The biggest draw for Rochester is that they have Strong Memorial Hospital, and this is where a lot of your clinicals are held. Quinnipiac on the other hand does not have its own hospital, and so they have clinical relationships with many different Connecticut hospitals, and they could be up to an hour away. They also cycle through a different clinical placement every 6 weeks or so. I don't know if this is enough time to really develop meaningful relationships and to experience a sense of place.. but it could also be nice to get a variety of experiences at different hospitals... Furthermore, Strong Memorial is literally across the street from the nursing school, which saves on commuting time, and allows more time for studying etc., not to mention just convenience.

Lastly, the "reputation" of the two schools is quite different. U of R is a known quantity, and shows up on lists of best nursing programs in the country etc. Quinnipiac is not as well known. That said, maybe this means Rochester is able to rest on their laurels, while Quinnipiac is trying to hustle and make a name for themselves, which could equate to a better experience.

If anyone could help in terms of their experience of their nursing programs, and tell me what things they found to be most important for them I would be SO SO SO appreciative. Also, if anyone has gone to either of these programs and can offer their two cents I would be much obliged.

Also, the other schools I mentioned are out at this point, so I can't choose one of them!! I would have gone to NYU in a heartbeat, but it was $98k for 15 months, plus the cost of living in NYC, and I just couldn't bear to borrow that much money.

Thank you so much!!