Swedee5886

Hi Amanda. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I've been in the same apt for the last two years living with my boyfriend and other roommates. We found the place on craigslist- we were originally looking for a one bedroom, but those are still so pricey that we decided to look for rooms for rent that were willing to take a couple. We lucked out with a pretty big space with it's own bathroom and patio- just share the common areas (kitchen, living/dining rooms, laundry). Luckily it's easy to hop on public transit and park here. I'm sure housing prices have gone up since I was looking a few years ago... certainly there are areas in San Francisco that are cheaper than others. Looking in South SF is probably more affordable. MUNI bus#28 runs along 19th avenue all the way to Daly City Bart Station. It stops right in front of SFSU- I wonder if you can find housing along that route? I'm sure living in San Jose has some more affordable options, it would just be a longer commute if you are willing. Check out 511.org to look up bay area public transit and let me know if you have any specific questions. As far as summer classes- I know they are not offering any right now. They were dropped a few years ago because of budget cuts- MAJOR BUMMER! I tried to send you a message for the FB group, but I don't think I'm eligible to send private messages until I post a certain # of times.... Talk to you soon! Hanna

Congrats Gobbstopper! Very excited for you and looking forward to meeting everyone. Let me know if you need any advice on where to live. I have been here for about four years- currently in the Sunset District (which works well because I'm in an affordable living situation and it's close to school). However, there are a lot of different neighborhoods in SF and around the Bay Area... I'd be down with a FB group! -Hanna

Hi TinaBina, I saw you posted this question on another thread, so see my response there. It is definitely worth applying with that GPA

Hi TinaBina, I wanted to let you know it's definitely worth it to apply with that GPA. I applied this past year to master's entry programs in California. I was accepted to USD, SFSU, and USF. I decided to go to SFSU (GMSN- women's health) as it is the best fit for me and my future goals. I have a bachelor of arts in Neuroscience (GPA- 3.2), and in all my prereqs I had a 3.9 GPA. I do have some clinical experience as I have worked as a medical assistant for 3 years at a busy family practice, and had various volunteer opportunities in hospitals and clinics. GPA is an important part of the application, but it certainly wasn't the strongest portion of mine! I think having a lot of clinical experience helped me. Especially since I know I want to go into women's health, I geared my goal statement with that in mind. I have been volunteering as a doula at SFGH on the L&D floor, so that may have helped as well. In the end, you never know what they are really looking for- but it certainly doesn't hurt to try! Good luck:)

AntRo- I was doing a lot of research comparing CNL vs. CNS roles, and came up with a lot of the same information that you mentioned. Part of my decision to choose SFSU aside from the lower cost was because I wanted the more specialized CNS degree. It is also considered an advance practice registered nursing degree, whereas the CNL is not. I know the CNL role is fairly new in the field, so it may take a while for the demand of jobs to increase. I was also accepted to USF (MEPN-CNL), and read on a FAQ page that when joining the work field as a CNL you may need to tell your employer what you are trained to do, as most may not be familiar with the role :/ Anyways, I opted for the CNS (women's health) at SFSU. It seems like a better fit for my future goals. Check out this link, it has some good info on CNL vs. CNS roles: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/cnl/CNLCNSComparisonTable.pdf I'm not clear about the CNL role being created to replace the CNS. I know there has been a lot of confusion and mixed feelings about adding yet another degree (CNL) to the field. The CNL, CNS, and NP all have some overlap in responsibility and training. However, both the CNS and NP are advance practice degrees. Here is another chart that helps to compare (http://resources.css.edu/academics/nsg/grad/docs/advancedpracticenursingrolescnsvsnp.pdf). It seems like both NPs and CNSs play different roles in the field and are needed. Anyways, I hope you will hear back from SFSU soon. I know those accepted have to send notification by May 1st, so I’m sure you will be finding out soon. Best of luck! Hanna

@jali22- The $100 depost was not directly to the school of nursing, but to SFSU admissions. I mailed my response letter to the nursing school, but I also logged online to accept my admissions offer to SFSU and pay $100 deposit. Hope that makes sense. Looking forward to meeting you- I'm a bit nervous myself as I haven't heard much about the GMSN program. What have people told you about the program? (just curious)...

@AntRo- I did exactly the same as you! I had put down my 1000 depost for USD as well, but decided SFSU is a better fit. Deposit is $100 for State. Hope to see you in the fall, #5 is very high on the list so I bet you'll get in;)

Thanks for starting this thread. I will be attending SFSU in Fall 2012 for the GMSN (CNS-Women's Health) program. Looking forward to getting to know everyone! I've had difficulty finding information about the program, but have been in contact with some nurses in the area and they have said good things about SFSU. @Gobbstopper- I am not sure about the wait-list situation, but #4 seems pretty high on the list to me! I would actually be surprised if you don't get in. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to an info session about the program, so I've been trying to piece together info mostly from the internet. Anyone else out there who will be attending in the Fall 2012, or any current/past nursing students at SFSU want to share his/her experience and/or advice?

So I finally decided I will be going to SFSU Fall 2012! I just sent my reply and deposit. Looking forward to starting classes. :)

Kristen, Thanks for your response! I got an email from SFSU today because I asked them as well. Their reply: "The GMSN is 8 semesters long, no summer classes - only fall and spring. It is set up for you to finish in 4 years if you take all classes full time. The classes are mixed with undergrad students the first 5 semesters because you have no nursing background. At the end of the 5th semester, undergrads graduate with their BSN and you continue to get your MSN. You will receive further information regarding orientation in the coming weeks." As far as the CNS vs. NP in women's health there is a fair amount of info online. I've been searching a lot as well regarding the different roles in nursing. I do know that both the CNS and NP are considered advance practice nurses. Check out this link- it may help explain. http://resources.css.edu/academics/nsg/grad/docs/advancedpracticenursingrolescnsvsnp.pdf. I have to admit I don't know too much else about the program- I'm really mad at myself for not going to an info session! I wish they offered classes in the summer so the program would't take 4 years to complete. Unfortunately I need to decide in the next couple of days because USF wants my deposit by 4/13. I like this program because of the CNS-Women's Health specialty and the low cost (compared to USF)... It would be great to hear from students who are in the program now or who have already graduated. I wish I could be of more help- I'll certainly post what I find out;) Hanna

Hi!I was also accepted to the 2012 GMSN-CNS women's health track! I' m very excited as well, but hoping for some insight about the program. I was unable to go to an info session, so I'm getting most of my info from the SFSU website. I'm currently deciding between USF (MEPN-CNL) and SFSU. I'm leaning toward SFSU because they offer the advanced practice nurse degree, and women's health is the field I want to go into. Anyone else in the GMSN program at SFSU have advice? Do you like the program and faculty? How are the clinical sites? Do you take classes as a cohort or with the other BSN students? Any input would be appreciated!