I'm considering applying to NP programs this fall, and I'm hoping to get some feedback.
As experienced NPs, did you find that your school's name/reputation was helpful in getting hired as a new grad? I'm sure that this topic has come up many times on AllNurses, but I've searched through a few forums and couldn't find it. I know that as an RN, school "name brands" are pretty useless. However, over the last several years, I do recall a few NPs on AN saying that attending a reputable NP school was beneficial in the hiring process; perhaps it's because those specific NPs were hired by MDs (vs. RNs, who are hired by other RNs), and "name branding" is a much bigger deal in medicine than it is in nursing.
I'm specifically interested in U-Penn's PNP program for a number of reasons: it's the only PNP I've found with a 'major'/concentration in my specialty of interest, it has rotations at one of the best children's hospitals in the world, it conducts classes in-person (though this may change post-COVID), and it can be completed in one year full-time. It also happens to be an expensive private school that is very well-ranked in both nursing and medicine (Top 3 in nursing, pediatric advanced practice nursing, and medicine). According to the website, the entire MSN can be completed for $55,000, although I'm not totally convinced.
Upon graduation, there's a very competitive new grad PNP fellowship (entirely unaffiliated with Penn) that I'd love to take part in. Unfortunately, given my nursing background (primarily in NICU, not PICU), I wouldn't be the strongest applicant. I'm hoping that attending a well-ranked, reputable NP program with a unique, pertinent concentration would make me a stronger applicant for the fellowship.
