Overview Penn (Accelerated), Jefferson (FACT), Villanova (BSNExpress), Drexel (ACE)

greeneggs · Dec 27, 2012

congrats on being offered an interview, dassit! i am really excited about the study abroad options at upenn as well, and i definitely want to take advantage of the opportunity if i am accepted into the program. i've been obsessively checking my email in hopes of being offered an interview but so far...nothing. i'm getting so worried!!! *crosses fingers*

Gingermetimbers · Dec 28, 2012

Me too....I've decided on Jefferson at this point but I'm bummed I haven't heard from Penn they were definitely my first choice

iridium54 · Dec 28, 2012

Wow, a sticker price of almost $100k for Penn??? That seems incredibly outrageous and went up significantly since I applied (applied for May 2011). It was something like a little over $60k + COL. Penn was my dream school and I got waitlisted to ultimately be denied.

I just wanted to question the statistic regarding Jefferson about a 100% job placement rate within 5 months? I'm not sure where you got that from but as a 2012 FACT grad I don't think that's true. I don't know anything about job placement and know many classmates still looking for work. Not trying to dissuade you, just curious as to where that info came from.

Also, there is time for externships, but not a ton. I already had a non-hospital part-time job so I did not make the time for an externship, though I wish I had because maybe it would have helped me find a job sooner (I have secured employment finally but have not started yet)>

sinbadx81 · Dec 29, 2012

The job placement rates there are from the interviews I had with each school (Drexel has no interview and I hadn't interviewed with Penn yet). It was also mentioned at Jeff that although there is time for externships they dissuade you from it. The breaks aren't long enough to do a traditional externship, are they?

I'm sure there is some kind of spin from some of the interview-based facts but it's technically "official" information. The interviewer at Penn also mentioned it wasn't easy even for a few of their graduates (she didn't quote any numbers though) so I would imagine the same is true of the others.The Villanova interviewer seemed to blame lack of job placement due to individuals unwilling or unable to relocate, which seems plausible in at least some of the cases. I know from a relative that in rural areas like Lancaster there are some new grad openings even for ADNs.

For Penn they say most students are able to get at least $30K in aid. The price might be a deal breaker though if I am lucky enough to get accepted. The difference is enough for a new car.

What was your impression of the job market iridium? Where you applying mostly in the area or was it difficult pretty much everywhere you tried?

hopefulnurse24 · Dec 30, 2012

I interviewed at Penn for the BSN-MSN Second Degree program in early December, and I loved everything about the program. The school is beautiful, the facilities are top notch, and the faculty and staff are so nice and welcoming. I would have to say it is one of my top choices, if not my top choice - the only reason I can't say it is my top choice for sure is because I haven't visited the other schools yet (interviewed at Johns Hopkins over the phone, Marquette and NYU don't do interviews, Duke doesn't let us know until January 30th and I haven't submitted my app to Northeastern yet, but they do phone interviews as well if you don't live in the area)! However, I can say that the cost of the program is crazy and shocking at $99,000 without COL, BUT Filomena did say at the info session that a lot of the Accelerated BSN students who have financial need get the Penn Grant as well (that's probably the $30,000 you were talking about that was being referenced to in those articles, sinbad). And there's also a loan (Perkins Loan) that becomes forgivable if you work in nursing, so it basically turns into a grant, and of course, low-interest Stafford loans. And they also allow you to work after the first summer as a research assistant - there are a lot of opportunities at HUP and CHOP. It works as work-study :)

Knowing all of this makes everything a lot less scary for me. At $99,000, with the Perkins loan being forgivable, and the Penn Grant being at a minimum of $30,000 (excellent news!), that brings tuition down to about $58,000. Still scary, but not as terrible as before. I hope this helps you all! Good luck!

sinbadx81 · Dec 31, 2012

Thanks for the info hopefulnurse. Good to know about the Perkins Loan - I hadn't heard about it and the fact that it's forgivable. Good luck on getting in to all your schools and with your decision.

Dassit82 · Jan 2, 2013

congrats on being offered an interview, dassit! i am really excited about the study abroad options at upenn as well, and i definitely want to take advantage of the opportunity if i am accepted into the program. i've been obsessively checking my email in hopes of being offered an interview but so far...nothing. i'm getting so worried!!! *crosses fingers*

Thanks, Greeneggs. Keep your head up. There's still time to get that interview!

iridium54 · Jan 2, 2013

The job placement rates there are from the interviews I had with each school (Drexel has no interview and I hadn't interviewed with Penn yet). It was also mentioned at Jeff that although there is time for externships they dissuade you from it. The breaks aren't long enough to do a traditional externship, are they?
I'm sure there is some kind of spin from some of the interview-based facts but it's technically "official" information. The interviewer at Penn also mentioned it wasn't easy even for a few of their graduates (she didn't quote any numbers though) so I would imagine the same is true of the others.The Villanova interviewer seemed to blame lack of job placement due to individuals unwilling or unable to relocate, which seems plausible in at least some of the cases. I know from a relative that in rural areas like Lancaster there are some new grad openings even for ADNs.
For Penn they say most students are able to get at least $30K in aid. The price might be a deal breaker though if I am lucky enough to get accepted. The difference is enough for a new car.
What was your impression of the job market iridium? Where you applying mostly in the area or was it difficult pretty much everywhere you tried?

You certainly will not be able to do a traditional summer externship, but you can still get hired as an "extern" at Jefferson, for example, during other times of the year. You just need to have had your Med-Surge Clinical, which you will do over the summer in FACT, and then can try to get in some where. CHOP offers a "sitter" position that offers no patient care but a potential way to get in there. Even that is no guarantee for a job, though.

My impression of the job market in the South Jersey/Philly area is tight. I was mostly applying in the area. I could have gotten a job in Wilkes-Barre, but I did not want to move there. If the situation became that dire, though, I would have moved though. I'd love to move to NYC, Cali, Miami, but again, those are considered by many to be desirable places to live and thus hard for new RNs to get jobs. Maybe when I get some experience I'll try that.

My advice is to network. I wouldn't say that's exactly how I got my job, though, but it seems to work for many people!

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2013

Jefferson was breaking work for tuition contracts with FACT students recently because there were no placements for them when they graduated. Plus side, those students got a hefty scholarship without being locked in to a work commitment, but on the negative side, it'd make me really question their placement rate.

I went to Drexel. It's an intense program to be sure- we lost about 30% of our class by the end. You do get multiple times to take the exit exam and I didn't study a bit for the NCLEX because I'd done all the review I needed to pass the program. The graduates are very well regarded in the area- a lot of my classmates wound up working at Jefferson, HUP, and CHOP, all notoriously hard hospitals to get in to particularly as new grads. The manager who hired me told me that they specifically look for Drexel new grads to start in specialty areas. There's a TON of posts here on the ACE program for folks looking for more details.

A note on Villanova- I know of at least 1 person who got cut from my class at Drexel who transferred to Villanova. They accepted most of her Drexel credits and she said it was a fantastic experience with them. It sounds like a really supportive school in general- I worked with an NP who was continuing her education there and who raved about the school.

hopefulnurse24 · Jan 3, 2013

hiddencatRN, where do you work?

I had heard that the Philly job market was very tough to get a job in period, let alone for a new grad, which is what makes me nervous about Penn - graduating from there with a ton of debt, and being unable to find a job anywhere (or in the Philly area, if I end up getting in and wanting to stay).

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2013

I worked at St. Chris before leaving the city. I'd be careful about taking on UPenn debt too. I'm no expert but I don't think the Perkins loan is available to second degree students; I got through Drexel on Stafford loans, savings, and a private loan. Even with a $30k grant that tuition is already well above the other programs, and it's definitely more of a burden as a new grad than you think it will be, even if you manage a job right away. The biggest employment spurts in my class seemed to come at 4 and 8 months after graduation, with a handful having jobs sooner and a good number taking longer than the 8 months.

hopefulnurse24 · Jan 3, 2013

Thank you for the advice! From what we were told at the information session at our interview, the Perkins loan is available to second degree students at Penn, but I'm not aware of all of the requirements... we were just told it was available to us and it was able to be cancelled. I did some searching and apparently it isn't available at every institution, though.

I'm very weary of the debt at Penn though - but who knows, I may not even get in and this may not even be something that I need to worry about! It's just good to think about all of these things through, even before we are notified of an admission decision. I've also been thinking about living arrangements, as well, just in case!