jnd1213

Hey I'm also attending NEU's DE Program this fall! I'm currently living and working in Boston since I graduated from college in 2006. I'm excited for the program to begin but also not excited about not having an income anymore and living off of student loans! Looking forward to meeting everyone!

ive had a completely different experience with NEU. they get back to me just as quick as other schools and i found out about my admission in december oddly enough. They must be getting a ton of calls/emails. Also, i think it seems like most people get into these programs (in response to a comment above) bc we are on a website for crazy applicants (myself included) who really care about our applications/programs!

I am making the same decision as you. If you go to an MBA program thats ranked in the top 10 compared to one that is not ranked, you WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANTLY more amounts of money and it WILL change your career. An NP is an NP no matter where they go. Besides, some of the people who get into these "top ranked" nursing programs would not have gotten into a prestigious undergrad degree...its like comparing apples and oranges. I was not "Ivy" material as an undergrad but got into all the "Ivy" nursing programs. Case and point.

Thanks for the input. Since I will be direct entry student, I am avoiding the "fast" programs. One school is boston, for example, would make me an NP in 2 years! I think that is way too soon to feel adequately prepared...

I'm currently living in Boston and would love to stay here. I applied for adult psych specialty (but am very open to acute care). From what I've heard, MGH does not actually have anymore of a connection to the Boston hospitals as NEU (maybe for the RN clinicals they do, but beyond that it's a level playing field). Yale sounds fancy, but I did a lot of research and have concluded that the Ivy name is not very important in the nursing field (as it is for an MBA or JD). I'll see, i think if all things are equal, I should go the school that will leave me with the least amount of debt as possible...

I'm currently deciding between MGH, Yale, and Northeastern. To be honest, I would like to work as an RN part-time while getting the MSN (something which Yale does not allow for direct entry students); Yale is also very $$$. Both MGH and NEU allow part-time MSN. NEU offered me a good amount of money so I am sort of leaning in that direction. On that note, I have yet to hear that either MGH or Northeastern is drastically better than the other....does anyone else know how these compare???

So i've decided to go with the cheaper option. After much research, I feel a fancy university on the resume does not do much for NP's. An NP is an NP...not matter where they go to school (I have heard this from 99.9% of NP's in the field). The program I am going to attend is very well-respected in the nursing community and is still pricey (actually only 15k less than the overly priced Ivy; although, they offered me a scholarship for another 30k...so i'm actually saving 45k on tuition alone). Moreover, I can complete the master's portion part-time (FYI-this is for direct entry) and work as an RN...whereas the other program HAS to be completed full-time in 3 years. The name of where you go to school can drastically affect your life if it's for undergrad, MBA, and JD (ie-if you don't go to a top MBA program, its almost not worth it). Nursing is not about branding yourself as it is for other fields. I went to a well known liberal arts school for undergrad and i feel that was more important than for my graduate degree.

I think its important to understand that nursing school is not the same as undergrad or grad school for say, an MBA or JD. While I agree it is Yale...in the end, you are going to be an NP. NP's are NP's wherever you go. The pay scale for an NP who went to Yale vs. someone who went to a less renowned school is not going to differ. MAYBE you will be a somewhat more attractive job applicant out of school, but after that it's all about experience (which is what ive been told by NP's) I personally love yale's program and am was/kind of still is close to choosing it; however, a much cheaper option at another very well-respected but less renowned school is very tempting. Because of this dilemma, I've been doing a lot of research and asking current NP's if it really matters going to a school with a great name. I have YET to hear that it does. I have been told that as long as you go to a school with good clinicals then the name doesnt matter. (and to be honest, I was hoping for the opposite answer so that I'd feel more comfortable justifying the extra money). But that has not happened and I think I need to make the smart move and go for the more sensible option. If this was for an MBA, JD, or something like that, the extra debt would be well worth it because it's guaranteed to make you significantly more money in a lifetime and drastically change your life. As for USCF, not only is it cheaper, but it's also higher ranked (I think) in most categories compared to Yale. Lastly, my parents were also a little disappointed about me possibly turning down Yale (unofficially as of now) but once I explained that nursing is more of a "trade" and that the name isn't what truly matters, they recommended to go for the much cheaper option. Don't get me wrong, if i had the financial resources, I would choose Yale (I'm not gonna lie, I am very attracted to the name and "glory" of saying I go there)...so if you can make it happen or are OK with the debt, then i say go for it! Sorry for that long rant, but this topic is fresh on my mind because i have been dealing with the same issue and thought i'd share my thoughts.

ps- i meant dumb to turn down money...not "done". ha

Looks like i too am turning down Columbia bc of money and bc of the fact that going to "ranked" school does not do much for ones career in nursing (as opposed to business or law school). I got a lot of money from Northeastern in Boston so it looks like I am thats my place! I almost went with Yale, but even they leave you with 100k of debt...and after doing some cost-benefit analysis...it seems I'd be done to turn down money. Pluse I really like the fact that I can work part-time during the masters portion of NEU and the 9 month co-op will be nice as well! Good luck to both of you!

anything like that for psych?????????????

PS- I know for an MBA or JD going to a top ranked school will make a HUGE impact on ones salary. However, I get the feeling this is NOT the way it works for NP's. Is this true? Or could I expect, say, 10-20k more a year as an NP from a "ranked" (and I use that term loosely) nursing school...?

thank you for all of your input. Bascially im deciding bn the big name, great reputation school, and a smaller, well respected program in Boston. The smaller one offered me a nice scholarship...I estimate the difference in debt is about 35-40k (however, both are still being significant). Now with that in mind...is 35-40k worth the fancy name/reputation...it appears most of you believe its not.

they said avg debt coming out of the program is......(drum-roll)....$100k.

i came out of a small undergrad college that was 45k a year with only 17k of debt. i am relatively young (25) so becoming an NP before the age of 30 will have its rewards financially. Moreover, I am becoming an NP because it is what I want to do. Originally I was working iin the business world preparing to go for an MBA (and make way more than an NP) but then changed careers in order to pursue something i genuinely enjoy. I am more than confident this investment will be well worth it. I don't see making a large investment in myself a stupid decision. I think buying a 70k car, for example, is a NUTS investment/choice.