Kara Le

Hiii, so what you mean is we will have a short Winter break? Then we finish everything in Fall 2027 right? I'm confused about what they said, 16 months or 4 semesters, like when am I gonna grad LOL

Hi everyone, I'm really glad I found this group. I'm currently choosing between Western University (California) and Johns Hopkins (Maryland). I live in Southern California and my long-term goal is to return here to work and eventually apply to either CRNA or NP programs. I think what I'm struggling with the most is that I genuinely don't know what CRNA/NP schools value the most. Is it the reputation of the MSN program? The clinical rigor? The network? Or is it mostly about ICU experience, GPA, leadership, and how you perform as an RN? Western feels practical because I would stay in Southern California and start building local connections right away. But JHU offered me a 50% tuition scholarship, and I can't ignore the level of training and reputation they're known for. I'm trying to understand this clearly: Would training at JHU truly give me a meaningful advantage when applying to CRNA or NP school later, even if I plan to build my career back in California? Or would staying local and focusing on strong ICU experience and networking in SoCal matter more in the long run? I would really appreciate honest advice from those who've gone through this path. I just want to make the smartest decision for my future. Thank you so much! P/s: Really need an honest opinion here if the program at JHU really worth it! Because I also thought about taking the NCLEX in California instead of transferring the license from Maryland back to SoCal in case if I chose JHU.