Johns Hopkins worth the price?!?

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Hi everyone,

I was just recently admitted to JHU for the accelerated BSN and would love to attend but just can't get past the enormous price tag. I am curious if any alums from the programs there or anyone familiar with the school could give me some information as to whether or not it's worth it? It seems like many employers do not care where you go to school? I live in California so I can't make it out to Maryland to check out the school. Does the reputation of the hospital make the education and price worthwhile? Any information any one might have would be great! :wink2:

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Specializes in cardiac electrophysiology, critical care.

Hi, I went to JHU for the second degree BSN, but it's tough for me to say for sure if the price is worth it since I don't have any other nursing school experience to which I can compare it. That said, I do feel the weight of the enormous debt and wonder if I made the smartest choice. I moved to Boston after graduation (where there is definitely NOT a nursing shortage) and my education did not seem to make a difference to any hospitals...I looked for a job for a long time and finally got one offer (luckily a good one) that I took. A lot of my colleagues went to more affordable state schools. I have heard from more experienced nurses that no matter where you go to school, the bulk of learning is done on the job, and so far I agree with them! I think that JHU does have some unique aspects that might not be offered at other schools- lots of community service opportunities, the chance to work with profs on their research, a fellowship where you get a stipend and scholarship to work on a quality improvement project at Hopkins Hospital. Although it seems like these things on my resume might not have made a difference for my initial job search, maybe they will help me when I apply to grad school?? (which will definitely be a state school this time..) Don't get me wrong, I think I got a good education but I will be paying for it for a loooong time! Hope this helps, I know it is a hard decision.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Not in my opinion unless you a scholarship student and or have future aspirations where impressive alphabet soup behind your name is important. Hopkins is definitely a nice pedigree but imo they kind of ride their good name a bit much. I haven't checked recently but it used to be that their wages for nurses were very low. I guess the honor of working there should be sufficient. :( For most nursing jobs a BSN is a BSN and I've also never heard of anyone having trouble getting into grad school because their undergraduate degree wasn't from a fancy university. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Specializes in oncology.

As a manager I can tell you the nursing school you went to doesn't make a difference. When you look for a school, make sure and ask what percentage of their students pass boards. When you do get your first nursing job, ask if they have loan forgiveness. Good Luck.

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I would love to JHU for my graduate degree - but for your BSN, it's not worth the price. When you get your RN - nobody will care will you went to school. Your academic education will not matter - as a matter a fact, some of the best nurses come from ADN programs. It also doesn't give you an edge for getting a job unless you're an area where there isn't a nursing shortage. In a slowing economy, you don't want to accrue any more debt than you have to.

Go to a cheaper school - you can always work at JHU afterwards and get the same exposure AND get paid for it. And you can also apply there for grad school.

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Specializes in oncology.

But it is starting to matter what your academic education is!!! I totally agree with you, some of the best nurses came from diploma nursing schools! You had more clinical time. My hospital is headed toward hiring only BSN prepared nurses. At some point it will be worth your while to get that degree. It will open more job opportunites for you. Believe me I know. After 22 years of being a nurse, I'm back getting my degree. I wanted more options available to me than a staff nurse.

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I have my BSN - I did it right after i finished my ADN. But it's not necessary to pay tens of thousands for a degree at an expensive university (esp. if you're going to accrue lots of debt in the process) when your employer won't really care where you got your BSN. Also the nice thing about getting your ADN first is that you can work while you're getting your BSN and take advantage of programs like tuition reimbursement.

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rla4585-

Congrats on getting in and good luck making your decision!

May I ask, when exactly did you hear back? I am still waiting to hear back for the joint accelerated bsn/msn. Did you hear via email, regular mail, or phone call?

Thanks :)

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Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for your replies they've been extremely helpful. I sent in my FAFSA so we'll see what happens but I'm also trying to get into a California school, where I live, that is less expensive and has a great loan forgiveness program. I appreciate all of your input. Hopkins would be a wonderful school but at this point I just can't justify spending all that money especially when I already have a bachelor's degree.

Marbar01-

I heard from Hopkins January 22 via phone and received a letter in the mail shortly after. I hope everything works out for you, let me know if you have any other questions.

:nuke:

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