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Not all specialties at Vanderbilt give you that option, so be sure you're looking at the right ones! If you absolutely need flexibility in your specialty year, have you considered doing an Accelerated BSN program and then doing an online Masters degree? ABSNs are also usually geared towards people with non-nursing bachelor's degrees, and doing ABSN+Masters is often about the same time length as a direct-entry program (although Vanderbilt is particularly short). Is your need for flexibility more about location or time or something else?

Vanderbilt's program meets 3x a year: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing - PhD in Nursing Program - Overview

I'm doing NMW and my GRE scores are all above 95%. I don't have much medical experience (volunteering for a few months in a NICU) but I do have international volunteer experience and relevant work experience. I've heard that Vanderbilt places a high emphasis on GRE/GPA in admissions, but I didn't complete my applications with any other schools so I'm not sure how they are in comparison - but definitely your GPA alone shouldn't discourage you from applying!

I'm starting in August and my undergraduate GPA (without nursing prerequisites) was a 3.38 or so. There are many factors that go into acceptance, including essays, experience, and GRE scores. If you feel like your GPA is low, make sure to get stellar GRE scores to offset it, and if you still have prereqs to take, go for the 4.0 - it shows you can be expected to be able to handle graduate level work.

From their website: http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/clinicalplacement/PDF/clinical_placement_process.pdf If you're a local student, you are assigned preceptors/clinicals. If you are a distance student, you find your own, but they provide a list of approved preceptors as well. They told me at the info session that they have never had a student not graduate because of not being able to find a preceptor.

Hey all - I withdrew my app to UIC after too many hiccups and an acceptance elsewhere, but I currently volunteer at their hospital in the NICU and live in Pilsen, the neighborhood just to the south of campus, so I'm happy to answer any questions about volunteering or my neighborhood as well! I'm still reading this thread out of habit And if anyone is looking to move to Chicago in August instead of December, I've got a great little apartment you will love - for CHEAP!

I looked at schools that offered direct entry programs (for people with non-nursing bachelor's) and based my choices on their start date (most start in May, I couldn't do that!) and number of prerequisites. I've ended up with Vanderbilt and I'm confident it's the right choice for me!

I actually got an e-mail as well as a letter, for NMW. I think because it was the Wednesday before the open house, they wanted to give us a chance to make arrangements if we hadn't already.

From talking with some people in different programs I've run into, I think the BSN "requirement" really depends on your program and your specialty. UIC, for instance, encourages students to do their masters portion part-time so they can work as an RN and get experience while they study - but because they don't offer a BSN, it can be incredibly difficult to get that job (which is part of the reason I decided not to go with UIC as my first choice, even though people have told me that for CNMs it's the only specialty where this really isn't a problem). Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has you go full time through the whole process, so you really don't have a chance to work as an RN before becoming an NP - once you have your masters, I would think not having your BSN isn't going to hurt you. I've heard it can change by specialty as well - I think the acute specialties are more encouraged to get RN experience than the primary care specialties, before continuing on to the masters. It all depends on what you're looking for!

It's hard for me to tell, since I haven't been to a traditional nursing school! Vanderbilt lets you transition directly from the MSN to the DNP... and I'm not sure you're going to find anywhere that has no online component to their program, because these programs are mostly designed for non-nurses so we need to get some nursing experience before we get our Masters. I know with Vanderbilt, it is a "modified block" format, where you will complete some work online and be in Nashville 1 weekend per month for in-person classes; other program are online specifically to allow you to begin working as a nurse while you complete your masters. I didn't look at very many schools, because I essentially chose based on timeline (I couldn't start this summer like most programs do) and number of prerequisites needed; Vanderbilt happens to be the perfect fit for be based on location and their emphasis on innovative teaching techniques and their requirement that all faculty (in NMW at least) be actively practicing practitioners. It's in the part of the country I want to end up practicing in, and I'm not going to pretend that having a "real" football school will be a bonus! You might want to post in this forum: Post Graduate Nursing Student: MSN/DNP/DNSc/PhD. That's where most of the applicants seem to congregate, and there are threads for a multitude of different programs - I know I didn't find this side of the forums until well after I applied to my schools.

What specialty are you looking to do? That can change how courses are delivered. I'll be starting at Vanderbilt in the fall for Nurse-Midwifery; my specialty courses will be primarily in person, but I believe some other specialties have more online options.

For starters, would you rather live in New Haven or Nashville? Seems like an obvious choice to me...

Yeah, I definitely don't have any schools listed on the Application Summary page. It just has the Payment listed and the Nursing Supplemental Application listed. I e-mailed them but don't expect to receive a response since it is the last day of applications! Sad that I spent $100 on this application but hey, that leaves one more spot for somebody who hasn't experienced the great city of Chicago yet!! EDIT: Eating my words! They just called me to help me trouble-shoot! Looks like I'll get to apply still!

I believe the pre-specialty program does count as Direct Entry - that's what it's called at almost every other school, but yeah, seems surprising that you have to actually be enrolled, so I guess it would only cover the 2nd year of our program! It seems a lot of the scholarships are that way - I know the ACNM scholarship is only for people who've completed at least 1 semester

Am I missing where to upload your transcripts? There was no where on the supplemental application, and the Application Summary page does not give me a spot to upload them (the 'help' screenshot shows that's where it should be). If my application doesn't get complete, that's okay since I got into my first choice school on Wednesday so I know I'll be going somewhere, but I'd still like to hear what UIC has to offer and their application process sure is making that difficult!

I got an e-mail that said I'd be getting a letter I'm wondering if because it's so close to the Open House they saved a few days in case there were last minute decisions to be made... I'm not going since I went in November, but it'd be nice to have a few days to plan if I were!

Just got an e-mail... I'll be seeing all of you in Nashville!!! NMW specialty!

When I went to my info session at Vanderbilt, they said they had never had a student unable to graduate because of not being able to find a clinical placement. It seemed like they give you more-or-less a pre-approved list and you just have to take the step of actually calling. This doesn't seem to be the case for a lot of other schools, since their students are frequently posting on here about being unable to find preceptors, so I don't know what the difference is, but I didn't get the impression it would be a problem at Vandy. They even have a staff person who helps with clinical placements, so I think it really is just, we have some autonomy and learn professional skills in terms of setting it up, but we're not just left for the wolves.

Oh, I know! I'm not worried about my getting stuff in but I am worried about one of my recommenders. I think last year they extended the deadline, but I might be making that up - in any case, I'll call this afternoon and ask about the link. Thanks everyone, and good luck!

How long as it taken everyone to get the supplemental link after submitting the first application? I've been delaying applying, hoping to hear from Vanderbilt first, and now I'm concerned since the site says it can take 10 business days to get the supp link and there's not even 10 left before the deadline!

Most Vanderbilt specialties are 2 years for the MSN (1 year / 3 semester (including summer) for prespecialty and 1 year / 3 semesters (including summer) for MSN). Nurse-Midwifery is 4 MSN semesters. Any dual specialty has at least one additional semester as well.

Simmaplease - what's your specialty? The list on the right here: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) | Vanderbilt School of Nursing shows which specialties are offered distance and not - it looks like for RNs, everything except Acute Care / Geriatrics is possible!

ktbelle - I don't think most programs provide the BSN - the only one I looked at was, I think, Columbia (I'm going for CNM). From talking to people who are currently in a program in Chicago / have graduated from it, they say that not having the BSN can be hard to get hired if you're expecting to work part-time while you do the Master's portion. Once you have the MSN / NP licensure, I haven't heard of it mattering. If you're planning to do the MSN full time immediately after the BSN, I wouldn't think that would be too much of a problem - but a lot of people tell me that doing an accelerated BSN then a Master's doesn't take that much more time than doing a combined program, so maybe that's the best route for you!

Nope - I don't think the admissions department has any idea when the faculty will turn them over! I'll likely call back on Friday, right before I submit my other application, in the hopes that I don't have to.

They're still reviewing files for NMW, if anyone else is waiting on that! Looks like I'm gonna be submitting a back-up application this Friday... did not want to spend the extra money!