corykatt

Hey de2013, I'm wondering if you have any advice on which profs to take, when there are choices. Seems like many classes there is just one, but sometimes there is a choice. I checked them on rateyourprof, but the ratings were very inconsistent. Maybe email me at [email protected], rather than make that public. Thanks!

Hi Ayla, Awesome! I'm taking dev psych too, although its online and I won't yet be in the area. Where are you from in Western MA? Since you're having to take the anatomy class, you'll probably be looking for housing before I will, but I will be hoping to find other students in June to try and get a place with. Here is a link to the yahoo chat group we started, send me your email if you have problems with it and I can just add you. SimmonsNP2014 is what you need to look for Cory

@Meredith, I'm kinda losing track of who I said what to :-p but I started a yahoo group for discussion for everyone: SimmonsNP2014 is the name just look for it I find yahoo groups generally easy to use and send emails on, but if anyone wants to start a group on another site like facebook, go for it! Oh, you have to fill out a quick form to be approved for the group, just write Simmons or something in the field (otherwise a bunch of spammers will join the group and, well, spam). @DE2013 - Thanks for all of the advice! It is so nice of you to take the time out to help us out. I would definitely love advice about the best places to live without a car, as I would prefer not to get one while I'm out there. Thanks!

Hey, I'm gonna try and start like a facebook group or something, I asked the admissions person to forward my email to accepted students and she did, so now I'm getting emails from other people! I agree it'd be pretty hard to coordinate finding housing unless we were all in Boston at the same time to look at it and talk about it and such. Not really sure how it would work, I guess I'm not going to worry about it too much until I move to my parents place in early June, then hit the housing market! I've decided I'm in for sure, btw, super excited

Thanks for replying! That is very good to know, for some reason from the first line (which is the only one appearing in the email with the link to read it) I somehow got the impression is was going to be negative towards Simmons, so I was extra super happy to hear how much you like the program! I have heard from several people about how great the clinicals are and I think that is very important. I have 100% decided that I am doing it, thanks again for the feedback. Oh, also, how did you find housing? Does Simmons do anything to help students out? I like the idea of renting a place with other students in the cohort, but it seems like that might be hard to do ahead of time. Thanks! Cory

OMG seriously it is coming up so fast! You're not very far from where my parents live, in South Hadley MA, just up from Springfield not far over the border. Maybe when I get there in June we can carpool into Boston to look for housing and such before the programs begin. Are you starting in July or do you have prereqs to finish there earlier? I just have the developmental one to do online (which makes me mad, cuz I took a challenge exam and my undergrad degree is in psych, but none of those things count :-p at least it'll be easy for me!) I don't remember anything asking about housing, was that on the application? If so, I probably checked yes too, it was just so many applications ago! I am so happy to stop filling out applications too! Sorry I kinda wrote a book there, I get rambly sometimes. Anyways, I'm like 95% sure I'm doing it at this point, I'm certainly going to send in my deposit and I dont really see a better option for me. Cory

Hi Meredith, good to hear from you! I've almost certainly decided that I'm doing it, its too good an opportunity to pass up. What part of CT are you in? I went to CT college in New London. I would also love to get a group together before classes start to talk about stuff, especially like housing! I wonder if the school would give us an email list if we asked, I suppose it never hurts to ask! Cory

Hey everyone, I just got accepted to Simmons for their NP program. My application got slowed down, so I think most folks have already been accepted. I found some threads on Simmons, but none of them seemed to be about those accepted into this program (if you know of some, please send me their way, otherwise please reply here!) I'd love to hear from others who are accepted and are doing it or still considering. So far its the only one I've been accepted to, but I'm still waiting on Samuel Merritt (case management) and UMass Amherst (ABSN). I grew up in Western MA, lived in Oakland for the last 7 years, and really have no idea what Boston is like! I'm kind of scared to move there :-p Not scared of Boston per say, but just starting over again in a place I don't know anyone. Anyway, would love to hear from other folks who got in or folks who started a year or more ago. Thanks! Cory

yeah, its amazing what schools won't take certain prereqs that others will, and not just state to state! I def wouldn't intend the list to be an absolute, for all the reasons, but as a jumping off point, it would certainly (and still would be!) have been helpful to me. I appreciate the feedback!

thats a good idea, I have no idea how to go about this stuff tho, my brother liked the idea and said he'd run it by a web developer he knows, so who knows! I don't have the time to do it now of course, but maybe if I ever do it, I can get others to submit any info they have and cut down on the time involved.

my friend and I have been going through this arduous process and we joke about making a website with a simple spreadsheet: name of school, link to website, DUE DATE, required prereqs. My god would that have saved hours upon hours of labor! Some schools I swear hide their due dates and required prereqs on purpose. Anyway, my question is, if we ever actually got around to doing something like that, who would be interested and how much do you think people would pay for access to something like that? I honestly don't think I'd ever get it done, I could do the spreadsheet stuff, but don't know much about websites or payments or anything like that, but still, I'm curious! Plus, why hasn't anyone done this yet, and if they did, how on earth could I be missing it!?

Hey, sorry I only just checked back on this board. My interview that friday too, but the afternoon group. If you were too, we probably did see each other!

thank you for sharing your blog! I really love what you wrote about working with the other students, this is exactly the kind of atmosphere I am looking for! In my prereq classes I met two types of people, those who looked at everyone as their competitors (or just didn't give a damn) and those who at the others as their support system and realized that when we help each other we help ourselves in the long run (that sounds so cheesy, but its totally true!) This is one huge reason I want to go to a master's level program, not just any old RN program, so I can work and study with people who have the same type of goals and dedication as I do (on a side note, is that a good thing to say in an interview or does it sound too, I dunno, stuck up?) My friends say be guinuine in the interview and I really do mean it.

Hi, wish I'd found this message board last month! Anyway, I have an interview for the psychiatric nurse practitioner program. I was also totally freaked out by the thin letter! Especially since two of my friends had just gotten rejected :-( Anyway, I don't know if people met up or what, but if anyone is still game, I would love to talk this through with other people going through the same thing! I feel like I am qualified and I would do well, but at the same time, I have no idea what to say in the interview or how to express this! I live in Oakland.