Deciding Schools. Help Please

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Hello,

First off I would like to start by saying that I am VERY new to this website..about one hour old. :o So if there is a thread regarding my question, please by all means redirect me!

I am currently taking A&P II during a six-week program that my community college offers, and yes, it is crazy and action packed. Most of my classmates are REALLY competitive as well (I don't get it). I digress, I am taking these science pre-reqs in hopes to transfer into a nursing program that will eventually allow me to receive my BSN and RN after I take my NCLEX. My dream school is Villanova, because of their BRAND NEW (three years) facilities and their job placements at CHOP , HOP and other Mainline Hospitals. They have credibility around the country as well. They have a really great 'mission' that they are there to help the needy and this is exactly WHY I am getting into nursing. I don't want to be a nurse for the job security, although it is a bonus, I am doing it because it's the only way I can imagine myself caring for people. Unfortunately, Villanova is 42K a year and as I may be a regular middle class 20 year-old, my parents and I just can't afford it (that's if there is no crazy scholarships). I have talked to advisors at Nova, and they said if I keep up my grades (3.89) that I will, 'with out a doubt,' get into their program. So that's a no go for now.

Where I am running into a problem is figuring out whether or not the other school I am looking at is good. I am looking at Thomas Jefferson University, and although it seems nice and it's a big hospital school, I don't know how to gauge its credibility. The program is just about the same at Villanova's but I just can't but feel that Jefferson will provide me with a lesser education. Also, Jefferson's price is 33k. Please excuse my bluntness, I do not mean this in a brash way. I just want others' input. PLEASE by all means give me some info, or advice. It would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks so much for reading!

-Dibbadee

I think your goals are great and i wish you luck :)

If it were me, I would probably forego those 2 schools and opt for one that may not be as ritzy but will be less expensive. Have you thought about how much you will need to take out in school loans if you decide to attend? There are a lot of posts about new grads having a hard time finding a job after graduation. You may need to think about the starting pay vs your monthly loan repayment. This is just one thing you will need to think about. But if your heart is set on these schools, you will find a way!

Have you tried talking to any nurses who graduated from the schools you were interested in? They would probably be able to provide a wealth of information you can't find online or in a brochure :)

Hi,

I just wanted to post on this topic because I have also considered schools in the east coast including Jefferson. I was getting a physical the other day and it was done by a nurse practitioner. She was a very nice lady who was just chatting with me and offering advise. Are you interested in being a nurse or a np? Anyways, she gave so so much information about how so many recent grad nurses she receives that don't know how to do much, don't know how to perform, etc. She was saying that I really need to look at what kind of school I am going to and more importantly know what kind of training they will give me. She went to a school in California where her masters for a np degree was under the school of medicine and she raved about the program. I valued her advise because I have heard before that some nurses graduate not knowing how to communicate with doctors, etc. She was so shocked to also find out the price for some of these private schools. The best is to talk to nurses in the field after they have graduated and how their education has helped them perform in their jobs, etc. I just got this insight, wish I had gotten it a little sooner before applying, but of course this is just one opinion. She also said that private schools (like Jefferson) tend to charge more almost always, but there are some very good public schools in certain states. She had a lot of experience though both as a nurse and nurse practitioner so I definitely took it.

oops! didn't finish...

I think it's worth looking into that at schools, how easy it is to find jobs after wards, etc. Now I am really thinking whether I want to be in so much debt after I graduate...

Good luck :)

Yeah,

I'm looking at Binghamton University which seems to have a nice program and it's CHEAP compared to some of these CRAZY private schools. I talked to a bunch of nurses about school names and almost all of them said no one cares as long as you pass your boards. Anyway, that's just what I've been told. I have done stupid amounts of research on different schools and all seems to have the same thing going for them, minus the price.

thanks for the advice!

Thats exactly it, no one cares after you pass the boards because all any of the schools do is teach you the basics and how to pass the nclex. It has been repeated here numerous times. I'm at a top 100 NS (and its a state school, even a bargain in the area that I live in) though I don't think anyone will care at all when I'm applying for a job. Save some cash, go to an accredited state school. JMHO :)

do you guys think it is harder to get into public than private schools though?

also Jefferson their program for the BSN is 2 years 33K a year, but with living cost etc it ends up being around 45K. The tuition they are talking about does not include books or uniforms which are a couple hundred.

I'm really weighing my options too because I already have a bachelors in something else so for my nursing degree I will not get any financial aid because I already have a degree, only some loans from school and then private loans, is it worth it? I don't know...lots to consider for me too especially with Jefferson...

best of luck :), let me know if you guys know how well Jefferson functions as a program, etc...

+ Add a Comment