MrsLeo33

Hi there, sorry for the late reply. I am just finishing up a direct entry MSN. I am going into a post master's FNP certificate program in January and will also be starting a nursing job at that point as well. It made sense for me to go this route as I had a B.S. Business - Healthcare Management, the direct entry MSN program was only 16 months long since I had a non-nursing degree already. I will say that the program I was in, was absolutely insane... especially the first and third semesters. It was like having an absolute mountain of work piled on you every week with no end in sight at times... I mention this because based on my own experience, I would not recommend going this route if you intend to have any spare time to do other things, or have any quality of life outside of just school. We had about a 25% washout rate in our cohort. So if you want to work at a bit more leisurely pace without so much stress and pressure, this would not be a good fit. The academic benchmarks are high and B's and C's will not cut it. (we were allowed one C, and more than that would result in dismissal). Now if you are uber organized and able to hyper-focus and don't mind putting your life on hold for a year or so, then this type of program may be a good fit for you.

Hi Ashley, You're looking at about $11k per semester. If you contact the University they can give you a good cost breakdown. You can apply for a GradPlus loan to cover your tuition and expenses. I would encourage you to order your books as soon as you receive the book list. The first semester is VERY rigorous and intense. Be sure to get your ducks in a row prior to the first day of class.

See you soon!

A new thread has been started to reflect a new cohort start date of August 2020.

Just wanted to start a thread for all of our cohort members and candidates to share information in the days leading up to our program in August. Looking forward to getting to know all of you. Hope everyone is well and everything is going according to plan.

Hello MsTweet! I will be joining you in August. I was supposed to start in May but due to Covid our cohort will now start a little later than originally planned. I have really struggled with housing. Part of the problem is that I am a little older than the average student. I am kind of set in my ways and I do not relish the thought of living in a dorm or an apartment with other students. I have kids the same age as many of the students there and trust me there are days the only reason I let them live with me is because I gave birth to them LOL. But I digress, I have looked at the financial impact of living on campus vs. on campus and aside from the convenience of being within walking distance of classes and the cafeteria, I do not see a huge advantage to living on campus. Here is a link that is outlines the cost of living in the dorms at MSJ (the 2nd floor of the Southeast is reserved for grad students) . I believe that if you live in the dorms, you are required to purchase a meal plan and I have included a link below as well. https://www.msj.edu/tuition-aid/tuition-costs/room-rates/index.html https://www.msj.edu/tuition-aid/tuition-costs/meal-plans/index.html I have spent a good deal of time apartment shopping down there since I live about 3 hours away, commuting is not possible. There are a lot of very sketchy apartments, you have to be very careful and really pour over the reviews. Their brochures and websites may look very nice but there are lots of issues with criminal activity, bedbugs etc... So whatever you decide, make sure you do your due diligence. I have a list provided to me by Dr. Hiltz that was helpful (see below). Also one of the admission counselor's family owns a plumbing business there and also owns some apartments that range around $750-800 mo. and they are very nice folks. So with all that being said, I have vacillated over this decision for months and I think that I am probably going to make a financial investment and just buy a house or duplex down there and try to take advantage of the current economic instability. I'll use it to live in while I am in school and then hopefully by the time we're done, I will sell it and recoup what I bought it for and have lived down there for free plus maybe make a little profit. If I do find a nice duplex to buy, and I have an apartment to rent, I will let you know. Looking forward to meeting you in August! Indian Lookout Apartments 98 Anderson Ferry Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45238 513-922-7000 River Bend Apartments 167 Anderson Ferry Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45238 513-922-1363 Delshire Apartments 4463 Glenhaven Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45238 513-251-5990 Delhi Estates Apartments 5320 Delhi Pike Cincinnati, OH 45238 513-922-7934 Pinnacle Point Apartments 5751 Signal Pointe Drive Cincinnati, OH 45247 513-574-4222 Clearwater Crossings 4512 Clearwater Pl Cincinnati, OH 45248 513-295-3335 Skyridge and Northcrest Apartments 5411 Blue Sky Drive Cincinnati, OH 45247 513-574-6817 West Hills Apartments 6560 Hearne Road Cincinnati, OH 45248 513-574-0202

Congratulations Ahmed! I spoke to a couple of the other people who were at interviews last Friday as well (I'm the older gal with the pastel hair color) and the two people I spoke to were also accepted. I just have to finish up Chemistry which won't be done until May 9th, and we start there May 18th. I am heading back to Cincy on the 10th to finish up apartment hunting and fingerprints.

Are there any other candidates out there? I would love to share this experience with another person considering/being considered for this program. Interviews are coming up and I am extremely excited. I am going to Cincy for a few extra days to scout out apartments and get the lay of the land. Let me know if you are going to be there as well.

Hope you don't mind I sent you a FB friend request. Would love to stay in touch. You are a wealth of information.

Are you a local resident or did you move there to attend the program? I live about 3 hours away, and will need to find an apartment I think. I don't think could handle dorm life (I live with a 17 & 19 year old right now ack! lol) Not sure how easy it will be to find a place.

I recall hearing about that. While it would be really nice to have the summer off, I am really anxious to get started. Where/how did you take Patho? Also, have most of the people who started in your cohort, hung in the program or have many washed out (that sounds harsh, but it is something that I have found is a good indicator to see the program's focus) some focus on a process of elimination to keep their NCLEX pass rates close to 100%, others have a nice blend of student retention and high pass rates... any other information you have to offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!!!

I am strongly considering this program. I have started the application process and I am finishing up the pre-reqs (so far all 4.0 GPA), I have my financial aid lined up. I'd like to start in May 2020. My last 2 courses are Chemistry (will finish May 9th)and Nutrition (will finish in March). I intend to CLEP Lifespan in the next few weeks and take Patho self paced, independent study online. Any tips, suggestions or experiences you'd offer? I am also going to be looking for any suggestions for a reasonable place to stay during my time down there.