ForeverPsych

I addressed the key factors that were important to me, objectively when possible, and provided my perspective. I don't work for CUSON and don't feel a need to try and sway other people's decisions for or against CUSON. You can't go wrong with any of these top programs.

I replied to this already but wanted to follow up on the program size I mentioned in my original post - I confirmed that the psych specialty is 30 students. So, while the MDE average cohort is between 200 and 250 (split up into groups of ~10 for clinicals), the DNP specialty cohorts are much smaller. Personally, this matters to me more since this is where you spend the majority of your time in the program and is what'll prepare you for practice in your specialty.

Congratulations! What specialty are you in?

Columbia ?

I was accepted to both Yale and Columbia and would be happy to share my perspective on various metrics that were most important to me when considering which school to attend, and which I hope will be helpful. Columbia’s MDE/DNP vs Yale’s GEPN/MSN: Columbia offers a 15-month accelerated Masters Direct Entry (MDE) program leading to an RN license and generalist MSN degree. This is followed by a 2-2.5 year DNP specialty program leading to an NP license and DNP degree. Yale offers a 12-month accelerated Graduate Entry Prespecialty in Nursing (GEPN) program leading to an RN license, followed by a 2-year specialty program leading to the NP license and MSN degree in your specialty. So, after ~3 years, you could earn a masters and doctorate from Columbia or a masters from Yale. Yale offers a DNP program which requires a separate application and takes an additional 2 years to complete. Clinicals: Columbia offers more clinical sites (200+ partner sites), more clinical hours (1,000+), and more diverse clinical settings. Columbia also utilizes their ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group practice and 16,000 sq ft simulation lab as part of their clinicals, as well as a 6-week integration experience at one of their global partner sites or in NYC with a nurse preceptor. Yale has a 5,300 sq ft lab and offers 600 clinical hours. Not much else is available in terms of detail about clinicals on their website. Cost: This varies based on so many individual factors, but for my situation, Columbia’s MDE/DNP program is 40k more expensive than Yale’s GEPN/MSN program, but is 20k less expensive if you add Yale’s DNP program. Columbia offered me 2.5x the scholarship aid that Yale offered me, which offset the initially much larger price tag. The takeaway here is that cost is not as clear-cut as some people might lead you to believe - it really depends on your situation. Rankings: According to US News & World Report Rankings, Columbia’s DNP program is #1 in the country and Yale’s DNP program is #17. Columbia’s MSN is #11 and Yale’s is #14. I did a lot of research going into this application process, and it included rankings. In general, I found that CUSON is more highly ranked as compared to YSN. Other: One of the advantages I think Yale has over Columbia is the name recognition. Even though they’re both Ivies and Columbia has become more selective in terms of admissions in recent years - it doesn’t register the same as Yale. (If you Google Columbia’s famous alumni, I think it puts things into perspective). Also, Yale’s nursing program is much smaller than Columbia’s and I got the sense from the communication I had with them that they can offer more individual support to their students. Columbia’s MDE program has an average cohort size of 200-250 students compared to Yale’s ~100 for GEPN, but is broken down into smaller clinical groups. My understanding is that once you move into the DNP program, it’s much smaller. Another factor is location, which is largely subjective, but I think NYC does offer more opportunities for just about anything I can imagine. Obviously this won’t be your exact situation, but it helped me to lay it out all this way. I have a PowerPoint and everything ? I also hope this helps to bring some of the focus back to why we’re all here to begin with - CUSON is one of the best places to get a nursing education.

Early June. The 7th, I think.

Also wanted to add that I totally get the loan concerns. I had some serious commitment issues not just about Columbia, but about all these absurdly expensive nursing programs. Like wow - I really thought I would get more aid LOL. I was waiting on Vandy with high hopes because I felt as though Columbia and Yale were financially out of my reach, which was totally disheartening. I thought that Vandy's 2-year MSN with the psych specialty could provide the solution. What changed my mind shortly before I received my admission offer from Vandy is discovering that it is actually possible to work as (an RN, not NP) during Columbia's 3-year DNP program. For some reason, I missed this little nugget of info during my previous research into the program. I confirmed with a recent Columbia grad, who said that she and many of her peers worked part-time or per diem as RNs. I love this option, because not only does it alleviate some of the financial burden, it also gives you experience that I think is important once you graduate and enter the workforce. This was a game-changer for me, and after confirming that Vandy wouldn't provide an affordable option, relatively speaking, the decision was pretty clear. I think that if Yale offered a 4-year DNP, it would be a tough call. Ultimately, I know that if I were to attend Yale, at the end of the 3 years when I'd be earning my MSN, I would find myself thinking, "By this time next year, I would be earning my DNP from Columbia . . .". It is pretty cool to get other people's perspectives and insights, though, because even as we choose different programs to meet our needs, we're all going through basically the same process. Cheers!

It's such a hard decision to make. I think most of us come to these forums to find solidarity and to see what others in similar situations have to say as though it will somehow make the decision easier. Sometimes it does, but mostly I think we just come to realize that that there is no "right", clear-cut choice. It's a very personal choice. I'd be curious to see what school you choose!

Congratulations! The most important factors are choosing the best personal fit and being happy with your decision. Glad I could help.

Thank you! And, congratulations to you too! The main reason I’m choosing Columbia is because of the seamless MDE/DNP program. As compared to Yale, Columbia is the better choice for me for several reasons. 1. Columbia’s 4-year DNP vs Yale’s MSN: Earning my terminal degree in the shortest amount of time possible gives Columbia the obvious edge. If I were to do Yale’s GEPN program and transition into their DNP program, it would take me 5 years. 2.. Columbia’s clinicals are stronger: More clinical sites, more clinical hours, and more diverse clinical settings. Columbia also uses their Nurse Practitioner Group practice and 16,000 sq ft simulation lab to strengthen clinicals. Yale has a 5,300 sq ft lab that isn’t highlighted on their site. I get the sense that Columbia’s nursing program is more innovative. 3. Cost: A DNP from Yale would cost me $20,000 more based on the financial aid packages I received. This was surprising to me because everyone always talks about how Columbia is soooo much more expensive than any of the other programs. It really depends on the aid you get. 4. Columbia School of Nursing outranks Yale School of Nursing: Columbia’s DNP program is #1 in the country; Yale’s MSN program is #14 and their DNP program is #17. (Columbia’s MSN is only marginally better - #11 vs #14). One of the advantages I think Yale has over Columbia is the name recognition. Even though they’re both Ivies and Columbia has become more selective in terms of admissions in recent years - it doesn’t register the same as Yale. If I cared enough about this then I would choose Yale. Also, Yale’s nursing program is much smaller than Yale and I get the sense from the communication I’ve had with them that they can offer more individual support to their students. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me because there would only be an obvious difference when compared to Columbia’s 15-month MDE. Their average cohort is huge - 200-250 students. Once you move into the DNP program, it’s much smaller. I also went to UC Davis for undergrad and am used to large lectures where I didn’t know my professors haha. I’m a pretty independent student so for me it’s fine. The Vanderbilt appeal has always been the 2-year masters with psych specialty (for me). Columbia has a 15-month masters direct entry, but it’s a generalist masters with no specialty. Vanderbilt also offers a DNP that would take about 2 years to complete, so 4 years total for an MSN and DNP. Vanderbilt would also be $30,000 less than Columbia and $50,000 less than Yale. Still, Columbia wins for me because of the strength and format of the clinicals. I don’t want to have to travel up to 150 miles for clinicals in the MTA or pay for my own lodging, transportation, etc. I also think the NYC urban setting is a better fit because one of my passions is working with marginalized/socioeconomically disadvantaged/ethnic minority populations. The south is not as diverse obviously. What school are you leaning towards?

That's tough - especially if U of Miami is significantly less expensive. I really struggled with choosing Columbia, even though it's the best overall fit, because of the cost. I had hoped that Vandy would come in with a generous financial aid package to give me a more practical option. It didn't, but it did make my decision easier. I'd be curious to hear what school you end up choosing!

Columbia. What about you?

If it makes you feel any better, there’s no “grass is greener on the other side” when it comes to the cost of these programs. Yale only offered me $6,300/year. Columbia actually offered me the most - a combined scholarship amount of $90,000 - but of course their program is crazy expensive. It may be possible to work during the MSN specialty year, though.

Thanks! Congratulations to you too! My financial aid award was only $7,800. I believe this is it.

You seem like such a lovely person. I wholeheartedly wish you luck, whether you are still waiting to hear from programs or decide to reapply next year. Above all, nursing school candidates should be passionate and you clearly are.