Penn vs. Jefferson (accelerated BSN programs)

hellomellow · Mar 2, 2010

I totally get your frustration. I fell in love with both Jefferson and Penn. If you have the time and money, I would highly recommend visiting both schools in person. (You'll probably get a gut instinct as to which school is right for you.)

Both programs have great reputations, relatively small class sizes, supportive faculty, great resources, and stellar NCLEX pass rates. Clearly Penn is more recognized than Jefferson on a national level (I think Jeff's nursing school is ranked in the 100s, whereas Penn is in the top 5).

Bottom line: Go with your gut! And a big CONGRATULATIONS on getting into both programs! I wish I had your dilemma on my hands. :)

Also, would you mind sharing your undergrad and prerequisite GPAs?

alg12 · Mar 3, 2010

Thanks for the reply. I was not aware of the rankings, which are helpful to see. Nevertheless, most nurses I talk to say it doesn't really ultimately matter where you go to school. (Something I like about nursing...) Your post makes me realize I can't really go wrong.

I had, I think a 3.7 something for my undergrad GPA, and I've been a mega-dork with my pre-reqs (4.0). I think that it's better to have a balanced life than a 4.0 but that's not really my strength.

Thanks again for responding. Are you applying to these programs this year?

hellomellow · Mar 3, 2010

Hey,

Hopefully I'll be in your shoes soon.:) (I also graduated with a 3.7 and hope to have straight As for my prerequisites.)

I'm applying to Villanova (my alma mater), Jefferson, Penn, and Georgetown this fall. I have yet to see Georgetown, but I hear it has a pretty good program.

Keep me posted on where you decide to go -- but it sounds like either school would suit you well.

dgoldbe3 · Mar 3, 2010

I am in the same boat. I got into both Penn, and Jeff and can't decide between them. I'm leaning towards Jefferson because it is less expensive and has a wonderful reputation. I just don't know if going to Penn would look better in the long run. I'm so lost! Let me know what you decide.

juniataemt06 · Mar 3, 2010

Good luck with your decision. I've been on the floor with students from both schools. Both schools have a great reputation.

I'm in my last two weeks of the ACE program at Drexel Univ.

hellomellow · Mar 4, 2010

Hi Juniata,

Would you mind sharing your thoughts on the ACE program? I will be applying there this fall, and I'd love to know what you think!

Was your experience worthwhile?

alg12 · Mar 4, 2010

Hi dgoldbe3 - I think I'm leaning towards Penn because with the financial aid and grant money, it's (surprisingly) not that much more expensive than Jeff. Believe me, money was an issue for me too, but when I write it all out, it seems like $30,000 in loans after I graduate will be about what I'm facing regardless of whether I go to Penn or Jeff. (I'm independent though, so if you're still considered dependent it might make Penn a lot more expensive.) And Jeff seems like they encourage students to take out private loans a lot more than Penn does.

Anyone who knows better than my best research/guess work has allowed, please correct me if I'm wrong!

juniataemt06 · Mar 4, 2010

Hi Juniata,
Would you mind sharing your thoughts on the ACE program? I will be applying there this fall, and I'd love to know what you think!
Was your experience worthwhile?

Pupule,

I had a good experience with the ACE program. You'll hear a lot of people complaining about it but I just chose to distance myself from them. Any accelerated program requires 100% commitment from the start. You can't let yourself fall behind at any point. As for ACE, it's the most accelerated program in the country as opposed to Jeff or Penn at a little less then 12 months total. They say 11 months but they don't take into account weekends, breaks, and holidays. Be prepared to put your life on hold for those 12 months for the most part. I didn't kill myself at any point but throughout the program you definitely have to "buckle down" as they say. I found that I had a lot more free time in the beginning of the program. At times I definitely felt frustrated and second guessed myself for being in the program but I just kept plugging away.

As for NCLEX pass rates, we are the best in the state. Here's a recent article from the Philly Inquirer:

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12E1E8D5ABC0D228&p_docnum=1

Let me know if I can answer anymore questions. I was in your shoes a year ago and know how overwhelming it all can be. There are so many schools with their own positives and negatives. I just wanted to get done fast! I'm tired of being in school that's why I picked Drexel. They have a great reputation (stats don't lie) and the program is the fastest.

hellomellow · Mar 5, 2010

I really appreciate your thoughts, Juniata. I did read/hear a handful of negative comments regarding the program, so it's nice to know you had a good experience. And you're right, Drexel does have a great reputation and stellar NCLEX pass rates!

Do you know what the job placement was like for Drexel grads?

juniataemt06 · Mar 5, 2010

Pupule,

We have about 3 weeks left in the program right now. A couple already have jobs lined up but I've heard they have good connections that got them in around the philly area. No matter what school you're from, job placement in the philly area is VERY tough right now. There are so many nursing schools in the region pumping out a ton of nurses that the job market is tight and with the economy it's even worse. The great majority of the people in my program are from the philly/nj/delaware area and want to stay. Personally, I am not from the philly area and just came here for school. I'm returning to my home town and have applied to some graduate nurse internships (20 wk ICU program with job offer at the end). I've heard that some of the big hospital organizations in philly aren't even holding internship programs this summer because they don't have any openings. If you're looking to move to areas where there are jobs, ACE grads (along with other accelerated grads) are supposedly well received by employers because of our past experiences (2nd degree ) and ability to learn new things quickly.

juniataemt06 · Mar 5, 2010

Oh yeah I forgot to add,

I'm not sure about placements for the last graduating ACE class, but I have ran into a lot of past ACE grads at hospitals where I had clinicals. They were all great nurses and have all said that their employers love ACE grads.