How many schools should I apply to? (accelerated Masters)

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Hello,

This is my first post. I am in the process of applying to accelerated Masters programs for nursing. Specifically, I am interested in applying to direct-entry nurse-midwifery programs. I have recently graduated with my Bachelors in Biology, and want the fastest route to becoming a CNM. Does anyone know how many schools I should apply to?

I have heard that people typically apply to 5-7 schools. In this case, since I want to apply for a CNM program, how many programs should I apply to? I was thinking I should just apply to them all, and hope that I will get into at least one program... But I was wondering what the average number is?

I am worried that it will be a challenge for me not to get in because I do not have much experience and I am not a mother (It seems like many aspiring midwives/nurse-midwives are mothers). Thanks for your input!

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How many schools you should apply to is completely up to you and your circumstances. There really is no average number because it really depends on the situation. You should consider your financial situation, your location, the school itself, and whether you are able to relocate amongst many other factors. Of course you can apply to all schools, but it's just not feasible sometimes especially if they all have different requirements.

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Thank you for your input!

Those are great suggestions. I will definitely take those factors into consideration. Thanks again!

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It's hard to say. I applied to 6 which seemed reasonable at the time, but I ended up with multiple acceptances. This made choosing hard and stressful for me. Plus it was a lot of money to apply to all those programs, several of which I actually turned down interviews from because I had too many acceptances already and didn't want to complicate things further. Talk about a waste of money. If I could go back I would have only applied to 3 or 4... however, it's hard to know how competitive your application is.

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Hi Myelin,

thanks for your response! Yeah, I remember the admissions counselor for UCLA said applying to 5-7 programs is decent. But I guess I'm paranoid about not getting in at all because I'm surrounded by pre-meds who are submitting 20+ applications. How much was it to apply? And what kind of programs did you apply to (BSN, MSN?)? Thanks again! :)

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And if you don't mind me asking... How did you determine which schools to apply to and which one did you end up deciding to go to in the end? :)

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And if you don't mind me asking... How did you determine which schools to apply to and which one did you end up deciding to go to in the end? :)

I applied to 6 direct entry psych NP programs. Choosing came down to quality of the program and rotations (ie: I really wanted to go to a top school affiliated with an academic medical center), cost, and location. I am a west coast person, so that made me prefer west coast over east coast programs. Feel free to PM me for details or you can post-stalk me, since I posted a lot during the application process, so it's all in my history.

Oh and applying probably cost me about 1000$ after I paid for all the transcripts (from multiple institutions) to be submitted, application fees, etc. It was not cheap!

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