spiced_chai

Hello! I'm in my final semester of my family nurse practitioner program, and am planning on taking the credentialing boards this summer. As many of you already know, there are two options for family nurse practitioners: the ANCC exam, and the AANP exam. As I'm preparing to register for the boards, I wanted to ask you all: Which credentialing exam did you take, or which are you planning to take? Why? I know that there's a lot of feedback on the topic out there, but I thought it would be helpful to get some more current opinions about this.

Splitting a hotel room sounds awesome. I'm down.

Sai A, want to arrange some time to talk online? I feel like there's a lot I want to share with you because I've been in CA all my life as well (and I'm very proud of it) and being a UCLA undergrad got me pretty acquainted with MECN. Perhaps it could help to have someone who is evaluating JHU from a similar background...

I was just accepted to Columbia University's ETP program. While researching it, I came across a NY Post article (linked here: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_GRaiDBJ3aEtfOq1OOZtImO#ixzz1G4bSL400) titled "F Student Sues Columbia Nurse School." I found the situation pretty off putting, and I was wondering if there are any ETP students/grads that can set the record straight about Columbia's ETP Program. Here's the article: Columbia University gave him an "F," but he deserves an "A" for audacity. Nicholas Perrino was kicked out of the Ivy League institution's School of Nursing for missing an exam, and now he is suing to get back in. "I should have went to Yale," moaned Perrino, who is representing himself in the case. The 27-year-old Illinois native said he was working toward two master's degrees last summer, when his grandparents became gravely ill, forcing him to take a few days off. He told his instructors he would be absent for a skills exam and tried to arrange a makeup, Perrino claims in documents filed June 15 in Manhattan Supreme Court. Instead, he says, the school failed him in the course - part of a fast-track master's program. Without the test, the school wouldn't let him continue his nursing coursework. Filing academic grievances and appealing to the Columbia provost got him nowhere, he said, and he was withdrawn from the School of Nursing. "It's insane," Perrino said. "It's not like I killed someone." Perrino, who says he spent $65,000 on tuition, did complete a master's degree in public policy. He says he had a nearly spotless academic record at the School of Nursing. A Columbia spokesman said he could only confirm Perrino had been a nursing student, and cited privacy rules preventing him from discussing the case. Perrino is asking a judge to remove the "F" from his transcript, reinstate him at the school and reimburse tuition costs for classes he has already taken.

Depends on your program. I was accepted to the traditional BSN, and accepted students day is on April 8th. (Anyone going?) As for the MSN decisions: I spoke to an admissions counselor on the phone today. (I'm on the edge of my seat for this decision one because I'm trying to decide between Yale and Hopkins). She told me that admissions will be made at the end of the week this week and I can look forward to getting a phone call after that.

I haven't gotten my financial aid package yet. This could be a function of the fact that I live in CA, or because of the on-campus housing mailrooms at my University... In either case, I hope I get it soon!

Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! I wish you all the best! If it could be of any assistance, I am a graduating senior from UCLA and would be more than happy to provide any information about the University in general, moving to and living in Westwood, and anything else that can help you transition to this awesome program better! :heartbeat

andie_mw, Thank you so much for that wonderful explanation. On a sidenote, are you a Bruin? (Just a guess because you mentioned that you attend a UC and that you live in LA...) If so, we should meet up before the decision deadline rolls around!

I second the motion! I'm sure that there are several of us who weren't able to make it to the accepted students day. (I'm still an undergrad and I need to go to class!) If any one would be so kind as to give us anything from a CliffsNotes of the event (but if you want to write us a detailed play-by-play, that's cool too), I would be very grateful! It would also be great to get some feedback here from students accepted to different specialties!

Congratuations to everyone who was accepted, and best of luck to everyone else who is waiting! :heartbeat I'm in for A/GNP! I got the call at about 1:30 Pacific Time and I'm honestly a little embarrassed about my response. My exact words were, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you!" How awkward. I wish I didn't say that!

I'm getting pretty antsy here in CA because my phone hasn't rang yet. Is it possible that they are accepting people in alphabetical order? Or by specialty? My last name starts with a V and I've applied for A/GNP...

Thanks! And to answer your question: Yep! Well, kind of. I've gotten into the BS/MS ETP Program at Columbia, and the BSN part of the Combined BS/MSN program at Hopkins. I'm still anatomically bound to my cell phone and stalking my postal workers to find out about the MSN decision at Hopkins. MSN applicants are required to interview, and during mine, my interviewer told me that if I am not accepted to the MSN section right off the bat, I would have a better chance at getting accepted after they see how I would do as a BSN student at Hopkins. Makes sense, I suppose. Though I think it would be less of a "pins and needles" situation if I knew both decisions...

For those of you who are considering MSMC's program: Some community colleges offer classes such as these online. In my experience, knocking out some of these prerequisites online has been great because I don't have to worry about commuting, being late to class, etc.

Just because many of us here weren't offered admission doesn't negate our strong credentials, and definitely doesn't mean that we won't make wonderful nurses in the future. It seems very clear to me that many of the people on this forum are dedicated to excellence in nursing - and that kind of commitment will take you far! It simply means that we don't fit the criterion for what a particular school during a particular year. There are so many factors that go into decisions that are within our control (like our grades, extracurriculars, etc) but there are also so many other factors that are out of our control. I might be going out on a limb here, but I feel like many schools seek to create a diverse incoming class that come to nursing from different geographic regions and walks of life. Who knows exactly what a certain school has in mind when they look at applicants? And just because you might not have what a specific school is looking for in their incoming class doesn't mean that you might be exactly what another school is looking for. Personally, I wasn't offered admission at UCLA as well (nor was I offered admission at USD), but I did get accepted to Columbia and Johns Hopkins!