info on philly area??

Hello Hushpupgrl:

I am getting ready to start the Drexel ACE program after evaluating other area programs including DeSales, LaSalle, Jefferson, Villanova, West Chester, Temple and Widener.

When I first decided to go back to school, Drexel started at the top of my list of schools. As it turns out, after evaluating the other schools - Drexel remained at the top of my list. Everyone is different for why they choose the programs that they did. My personal feelings are that Drexel as a school is very well known - great reputation. As for the program itself, it is fast - 11 months... I like this type of pace and I excel in this type of environment. But.. I am a very driven person used to working 60plus hours a week in a very demanding career. I do realize that this program may have been more expensive then some of the others - but I feel that it is worth it to me. The fact that Drexel offers DrNP is also a plus. Graduating from here with a BSN does not guarantee acceptance in any of the graduate programs; however, it gives me the opportunity to meet people involved in these programs. Networking etc. I also like that Drexel offers a plethora of on-line certificate programs etc - see link

http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/nursing-degrees/certificates_main.aspx

It all depends on what is important to you and what works for you - and of course where you are accepted. The only program that I was turned off by where the ones that require religion courses. My personal opinion is that that has nothing to do with Nursing.

I hope that this helps you in your search. I do not post on here alot but I used this site to search for information when I was looking into schools and for financial advice. This site has been very helpful for me and I hope that it will help you as much as I.

Hi Hushpupgrl,

The Drexel ACE and Jefferson FACT programs seem to be popular. They are the ones that are the most discussed here at any rate. I am getting ready to start Jefferson's FACT program in May. My reasons for choosing Jeff were similar to why Kmberle chose Drexel. Jeff's program is 12 months (wanted to get done as fast as possible), and I have always been impressed by their reputation in health care. When deciding where to apply, I only considered teaching hospitals and actually only applied to Jeff. Another reason I liked the FACT program was that I want to go on for the MSN degree (FNP), and Jeff accepts accelerated students into both programs (BSN/MSN) at the same time so you don't have to reapply. Also, they offer work-commitment scholarships (they'll pay for the tuition if you agree to work for them for 2 years).

Here is a link to the program info if you want to take a look:

http://www.jefferson.edu/jchp/nursing/fact.cfm

They also offer the same curriculum in a 2-year program:

http://www.jefferson.edu/jchp/nursing/accel.cfm

I currently work at Penn and have been asked why I chose not to apply to the nursing school here. My reasons: the program at Penn is longer (it takes 2 to 2-1/2 yrs for accelerated program), more expensive, and focuses more on nursing theory than Jeff (I wanted more clinical, less theory).

There is another thread on this board about how people chose their school: https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/why-did-you-pick-nursing-school-you-did-275377.html

You might find this helpful for general considerations which I think would apply to schools in Philly. I agree with Kmberle that where you choose depends on what is important to you. Some basic things to start with: cost, length, focus of program, amount of prerequisites. Once you start looking into the programs, you'll likely find that you are drawn to some more than others.

It's funny. The reason I didn't apply to Drexel's ACE program was because it was 11 months! LOL At my age and with my family situation, I knew I would be a giant stressball for 11 months. I decided to apply to Jefferson's APW program, which is 2 years and which leads into the MSN program. I like the 2-year pace better. It all depends on what your personality is like, what you are looking to do and how fast, etc. Do your research and decide what is best for YOU. And don't let anyone talk you out of it. I can't tell you how many people have told me I am crazy not to do a 1-year program, when I already have a Ph.D. I guess if I picked a 1-year program, other people would tell me I am crazy to do it so fast!