Sami92

Congrats to everyone accepted! I completed the pre-specialty program. It was challenging, but certainty manageable. You will find out pretty quickly which classes require more attention than others and which reading assignments you can skip if you’re low on time. I feel like they spend so much time telling you that you’ll be so busy you essentially won’t have a life and I didn’t find that to be true. (Although hearing that did forced me to adopt really good study habits up front out of fear- and that was helpful). The pre-specialty year is busy because it covers so much content but realizing how much you have learned at the end makes it all worth it! Overall, I do think it was a great program and I am so happy that I chose it. BUT I will admit that it often felt very unorganized which frustrated a lot of students. Best advice is to find someone who has been through the program (and ideally went into your specialty program) to go to with questions. That was seriously a lifesaver for me! GOOD LUCK!

Congrats to everyone who applied!!! I am a future applicant hoping someone can quickly clarify the application cycle. It looks like applications are typically due around February-March, but what is the earliest you can start working on applications? I am graduating NP school in August 2019, so I am assuming the earliest cycle I can apply for is the one ending in February-March 2020.. does this sound correct?

Does anyone know if Vanderbilt is an approved NP program for the NURSE corp scholarship program?

Hi Everyone! I was recently accepted into the pre-specialty PMHNP program!! I'm very excited but can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the price tag! From speaking with admissions before the application process i thought that tuition would be about 115,000 and that we would be able to work the second year to offset the cost. With all of the fees tuition looks like it will be about 140,000 and working during the second year is still allegedly very difficult to do. This means with living expenses its going to cost me about 180,000. Anyone else surprised by this or is this the standard rate of these programs?

For what specialties??

I interviewed for the pre-specialty PMHNP program back in January and they told me around the second week of February.

Does anyone know if they are done extending pre specialty PMHNP interview invitations? At least to those who applied before Nov 1?

Congrats to everyone receiving interviews! I applied to the Pre-Specialty PMHNP program and haven't heard anything yet... starting to get nervous!

Congrats to everyone receiving interviews!! Does anyone know when pre-specialty applicants to the PMHNP program will be notified regarding interview decisions? To those of you who have been contacted did you receive your invitation via phone or email? Thanks!

Hi Everyone, I just applied to PMHNP programs, and came to this thread hoping to get a more realistic idea of what to expect to be paid right away. Hopefully my first job will include NHSC loan forgiveness (since I will be taking out loans and want to pay them off ASAP,) and will ideally be somewhere on the East Coast. If anyone has taken out loans to pay for their education and wouldn't mind sharing how long it took them to pay them off- that would be great! Form what people have been saying here it appears it is not unrealistic to hope for around a 100,000 starting salary, is that still true? What are some of the highest paying settings (private practice, hospitals, VA..)? Also, if this is the starting salary, what can one expect to make say 10 years later? Thanks!

Hi Everyone! I submitted my application today!! Still waiting on one letter of recommendation but that should be in by the end of the week. Does anyone (especially those applying to the pre-specialty entry to PMHNP track) know when we should expect to hear back-or not- about interviews? I know that they do interview for this specialty. Also does the microbiology prerequisite have to have a lab component? Or could this class potentially be taken online? Thanks and good luck to all!!!

I am really hoping to make the November 1 deadline! I submitted my GRE scores and transcripts, however does anyone know how we can check to see if they have received our official transcript? Do they need to receive the official transcripts in order for our application to be complete, or are the unofficial transcripts which we upload to our online application considered sufficient?

SOP QUESTION! I'm almost positive that I read somewhere that Vanderbilt wants students to use the SOP to address any weaknesses in their application. I called yesterday to confirm and the person I spoke with somewhat disagreed. She didn't say not to, but it also seemed like she had never heard of that before. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

Does anyone know how heavily they weigh GPA? I realize that they have a holistic review process but I have also been told that they (more so than other schools) place great emphasis on GPA and GRE scores. I have a 3.3 (average accepted is 3.4-3.6) GPA from undergrad with mostly As in the last two years, and a 4.0 GPA in prerequisites. My GRE is well above their recommended scores (165V 159Q) and I have great full time research experience in my area of interest, but I am not sure if my undergrad GPA will rule me out. Worth noting I am applying to the PMHNP program for students with no nursing background

When is the next open house? Their website still says March 2016. I'm done with the GRE (thankfully), but I also took it several times. Hang in there!

Thanks for that information! What do you mean by the state has to be in the compact?

Hi Everyone, I too am considering applying this year however I might wait one more year because I have completed very few of the prerequisite courses. So far I have taken Statistics, Lifetime Development, and Nutrition. I am taking A&P 1 this fall semester, A&P2 during the spring semester, and Microbiology the first summer session. This would allow me to complete all prerequisites before the deadline, however does anyone know if not being able to submit grades for these courses during the admissions process hurts applicants chances? Also, if I do not get in the first time, does anyone know how they view repeat applicants? I had one grad school tell me that they do not typically admit students who have reapplied- I am not sure why. Lastly, does anyone know which GPA they consider? I know several grad schools who only consider upper level course work (last 60 credits or so) and prerequisite GPAs. Any chance Vanderbilt is one of these schools? Thanks!

Thank you so much for your input! I read the minimum criteria on schools websites however it is hard to use that as a baseline because I realize accepted students typically have higher credentials. I have even been told my several schools that the psych NP track is usually more competitive than others. I appreciate your suggestions and am very committed to improving my application in any way possible!!

Hello all, I am hoping to apply to direct entry nurse practitioner programs with a concentration in psychiatric mental health (PMHNP). I realize that these programs are extremely competitive however I wanted to see what people thought about my application. I graduated with a B.A in psychology from Boston University with a 3.3 cumulative GPA. In the prerequisite courses I have taken so far (two levels of statistics, developmental psychology, and nutrition) I have received all A's, and my GPA from the last two years was a 3.6. GRE score: 165 Verbal 159 Quantitative. Since graduating two years ago I have been working full time as a psychiatric Research Coordinator. I have been published several times and have interacted directly with patients. I have narrowed my list to include UT Austin, Yale, Vanderbilt, MGH Institute of health, OHSU, and UCSF. Do I have a chance of getting in?

Any thoughts?

Hi Everyone! After researching many direct entry MSN programs (with the intention of becoming a PMHNP) Vanderbilt is my top choice. I do have several concerns that I am hoping others can help me address. 1) Is anyone familiar with the general reputation of this program? Given that it is only 2 years while most others are 3, I do have some concerns. 2) How difficult is this program to get into? By the time I submit my application I will have to complete both anatomy and physiology courses and a microbiology course. I am concerned that without official grades from these courses they will be hesitant to accept me (The program does allow you to submit applications without having completed all prerequisites as long as they are completed by the start of the program) 3) I have a bachelor's degree in psychology and graduated with a 3.3. In the other prerequisite courses (statistics, developmental psych, and nutrition) I have received all A's, and my GPA from the last 2 years was a 3.6. I took the GRE and scored a 165 verbal and 159 quantitative. Additionally, I have three years experience working as a Research Coordinator for psychiatric research, and have been published several times. Do I have a chance of getting in? Any information is appreciated, but If anyone has attended this program- or knows someone who has- those insights would be especially helpful!! Thank you!!!

Hi All, I am preparing to apply to direct entry nurse practitioner programs with a concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health in the near future. Not all of these programs will allow you to earn a BSN en route to a MSN. I realize that the importance of having a BSN is very much related to ones career goals, however I have been told by several people that if I do go to a direct entry NP program, going to one that allows you to earn a BSN is extremely important. Does anyone have further insight on this topic? Thank you!!!

Thanks Grumble88! Is anyone else familiar with the admissions process at these schools? When I called to ask about the average accepted GPA and GRE most of them just told me their minimums but I would like to know what makes someone competitive.

Thanks for your input! I do intend to become an NP (PMHNP). I hope to receive all As in the prerequisites as I have done in the past in science courses however due to a tough freshman and sophomore year my cumulative GPA from undergrad is 3.3. I do have 3 years of clinical psych research experience post college and 159Q 165V GRE scores so I am hoping that I will still be competitive at the schools I previously mentioned!

Hello everyone, I am very interested in attending a Direct entry MSN program (my BA is in psychology.) I am specifically interested in going for psych. From my research so far it looks like I will have to take several standard science prerequisite courses. Has anyone on this site completed these courses while working full time? Some of the lab courses like anatomy and physiology make this seem very overwhelming and expensive. On a separate note- what are the expected GPA and GRE scores these programs are looking for? I am especially interested in Vanderbilt, BC, UT Austin, U Seattle, UPenn, UCSF, MGH, Yale, and OHSU. It would be horrible to spend a ton of time and money on these prerequisites and not get in- so I am trying to be realistic. Any input is appreciated!