Hopkins vs. UMD

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Can anyone here give some insight on the differences between the two programs? If you had to decide between the two schools which would you choose...granted JHU is twice as expensive! Is it worth it? And how much can they really help you financially? Are there any major differences between the two schools in terms of education, personal attention, outside opportunities, clinicals, job search??? I would greatly appreciate any input!

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Can anyone here give some insight on the differences between the two programs? If you had to decide between the two schools which would you choose...granted JHU is twice as expensive! Is it worth it? And how much can they really help you financially? Are there any major differences between the two schools in terms of education, personal attention, outside opportunities, clinicals, job search??? I would greatly appreciate any input!

Hi Jennifer,

A friend of mine got into both UMB and Hopkins. She chose Hopkins, because she felt the faculty and staff were geniune. She has a disability and they have been doing everything they can to accomodate her. So far her clinical experience has been great. Her classmates are awesome. She just didn't feel as comfortable with the staff at UMB. Financially, she does have to come out of pocket (even with aid), but she feels it's worth it. Hope that helps a little..

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Financially, it is such a HUGE difference. The new 17-month program at JHU would end up costing $45K on tuition alone while UMD would be significantly lower. It sounds like the personal attention would make a huge difference in your friend's case considering the intensity of the nursing program.

I will have to make a decision pretty soon and I will not have any information regarding financial aid to help me with my decision.

Right now, I am leaning towards UMD...

Hi Jennifer,

A friend of mine got into both UMB and Hopkins. She chose Hopkins, because she felt the faculty and staff were geniune. She has a disability and they have been doing everything they can to accomodate her. So far her clinical experience has been great. Her classmates are awesome. She just didn't feel as comfortable with the staff at UMB. Financially, she does have to come out of pocket (even with aid), but she feels it's worth it. Hope that helps a little..

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Specializes in tele, ICU.

i think both schools are ranked in the top 10. i attend UMB and didn't bother to apply to hopkins because of the fact that it's so expensive. i don't know much about hopkins, but can tell you that my experience at UMB has been very good so far. i definitely feel the staff at UMB is genuine. and you're in a large class a lot of the time, but all of the teachers are approachable and friendly. as far as clinicals, i'm not there yet and don't know much about it- but i imagine the 2 schools have a lot of overlap in terms of locations. UMB also has a program set up with certain area hospitals where if you agree to work for them after graduation, they contribute money to your senior semester, so that's useful if you're looking for a job.

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bigmona,

thanks for your input. it sounds like both programs have very great things to offer! I am glad to hear that you are enjoying UMD...it looks as though I will be there come January! I am going to send in my deposit in the next couple of days.

What has your 1st semester been like at UMD? Do you have much free time for work/play? Do you get to know your classmates rather quickly? How competitive is it? Also, do you know anyone in the accelerated program that is taking the graduate level courses as substitutes for the undergraduate equivalent? I believe there are 3 classes that you can take but I wasn't sure if accelerated students had time for the harder classes. Sorry I have so many questions!

By the way, Do you know what each school is ranked? I can't seem to figure out which is higher than the other (granted, they are both GREAT schools with awesome facilities!). just curious...

Thanks for your advice!!!

JenniferC

i think both schools are ranked in the top 10. i attend UMB and didn't bother to apply to hopkins because of the fact that it's so expensive. i don't know much about hopkins, but can tell you that my experience at UMB has been very good so far. i definitely feel the staff at UMB is genuine. and you're in a large class a lot of the time, but all of the teachers are approachable and friendly. as far as clinicals, i'm not there yet and don't know much about it- but i imagine the 2 schools have a lot of overlap in terms of locations. UMB also has a program set up with certain area hospitals where if you agree to work for them after graduation, they contribute money to your senior semester, so that's useful if you're looking for a job.
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UMB also has a program set up with certain area hospitals where if you agree to work for them after graduation, they contribute money to your senior semester, so that's useful if you're looking for a job.

Very true. But it's only 7 hospitals, and you have to have at least a 3.0. I know several people who've done this.

What is this new 17 month program at JHU? I thought their accelerated program was 13 months?

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There are other hospitals in the area that will reimburse your entire senior year tuition.

I graduated from UMB. There were some issues with it, particularly with administration. But after talking with JHU grads, they also had issues.

I was accepted at both and turned down JHU. From talking to grads from both places, the curricula were very similar, almost identical. At JHU parking is $10 a day. Their free parking is in a very dangerous area, though they have free shuttles to the school, you have to wait. Add that to the fact that I would have been $40K in debt at graduation and the choice was simple.

Ranking: for years, JHU and UMB have either been tied for 5th and 6th place or they have flip-flopped back and forth for those same two places.

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Specializes in Adult SICU; open heart recovery.

US News and World Report (2004) ranks JHU tied for 6th (4.3/5.0), and UMB is tied for 10th (4.1/5.0). I saw, but didn't purchase the 2005 edition, and I believe the rankings were the same. For specialties, UMB got 5th for Adult NP and 8th for Adult Med-Surg CNS. For Community/Public Health, JHU was 2nd, and UMB was 8th. For Nursing Service Administration, UMB was tied for 7th, and JHU was tied for 10th (there were no 8th or 9th).

All in all, the schools are both ranked very well and essentially tied in many areas. I've set my sights on UMB's RN to MS program, in large part because it's such a good deal ($) compared to a private school. I think it also has more programs to choose from.

Hillary

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Very true. But it's only 7 hospitals, and you have to have at least a 3.0. I know several people who've done this.

What is this new 17 month program at JHU? I thought their accelerated program was 13 months?

JHU has a 17 month accelerated "hybrid" program. It's not as long as the 2 year program or as intense as the 13.5 month accelerated one. They just started it in January 2005. They took 48 people for this program. Generally, if you want more time inbetween your classes than the 13.5 month program, this is a good program. You pay the same amount for tuition as the 13.5 mo one. It's an experiment by JHU to see if they can squeeze in more nursing students by taking them in January rather than the fall. They can allocate resources (labs, clinicals) by starting a class in the winter.

I applied for the 13.5 month one and got in. During the interview, they tried to sell me on the 17 month one. But I didn't want to pay for 4 more months of living expenses while I was going to school. I just wanted to be able to get the BSN quickly. Hope that helps.

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Thanks smile. I heard that they began a January-start accelerated program at Hopkins, but I didn't realize it was 17 months long. UMB was all I could handle at 16 months. I was soooo ready to graduate near the end.

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Financially, it is such a HUGE difference. The new 17-month program at JHU would end up costing $45K on tuition alone while UMD would be significantly lower. It sounds like the personal attention would make a huge difference in your friend's case considering the intensity of the nursing program.

I will have to make a decision pretty soon and I will not have any information regarding financial aid to help me with my decision.

Right now, I am leaning towards UMD...

What is the financial difference? Are you a Maryland resident? Or an out of state student? Can someone tell me what the cost of tuition would be for UMB for a resident and non-resident? Thanks.

Smile123

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What is the financial difference? Are you a Maryland resident? Or an out of state student? Can someone tell me what the cost of tuition would be for UMB for a resident and non-resident? Thanks.

Smile123

Check out their website:

http://nursing.umaryland.edu/admis/financial2.htm

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