which public college is better?

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Hi I am a high school senior and am looking into Massachusetts public colleges because its so much less money! Eventually, I would like to be a nurse practitioner or nurse midwife. I was wondering, though, which school do you believe is better (nursing program & overall): Umass Boston, Umass Amherst, Fitchburg State or Salem State? Please tell me your stories & opinions! Thank you =]

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.

I went to Salem State. I was very happy with the nursing program there...it's very well known in the area. Administration can be a bit stressful, but I'm sure that's true anywhere you go. The faculty in the nursing department are amazing...so much so I've contemplated getting my MSN from Salem State as well. Couldn't tell you which is better as I think that is subjective, and I only have experience with SSC. Hope this helps.

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You're very wise to stick with the less expensive schools.

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Hi!

I just graduated from UMass Amherst, I loved it, I posted previously about it and you can read that here: https://allnurses.com/massachusetts-nurses/umass-amherst-dartmouth-341886.html

Good luck with your search and decision!

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I know Fitchburg State also has an excellent nursing program. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the schools you mentioned. You are definitely smart to go into nursing right out of high school and be looking into state schools. I think if I were you and I wanted to the full college experience in addition to a great nursing education, I would choose UMASS Amherst! Good luck to you!

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I'm actually looking at those schools as well and hope to be a transfer student. I was told by my current community college advisor that (while all the schools are great) Fitchburg state is actually ranked to be the #1 BSN program in the state. I'm not sure where she got that statistic though. I have a friend in the program and she highly recommends it.

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Specializes in PMHNP, Faculty,.

I went to Salem State and thought it was great. It was a second degree program for me, so I don't have first-hand experience with the undergrad program, but I do know that reputation of the nursing program at Salem State is excellent. They have a great lab, great professors and some pretty good connections for clinical placements. My first degree is from Worcester State and I know they have a great nursing program, too - check them out (I loved that school!). I would go for a visit to each school as they are all quite different from each other. Give some thought as to what kind of environment makes you happy, whether you want to know most of the students or not, small cozy campus or huge and sprawling, city or rural etc. Good luck with your decision!

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I will be a 2nd degree student also. How was it different from their regular undergrad program at Salem? Did you basically only take nursing classes since everything else was out of the way? Also I was looking at their application and it struck me as a bit odd because there were no essays or recommendations needed with the application! Thanks

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Bear in mind that state schools aren't always less expensive. I was accepted to UMass-Amherst with a merit scholarship and that "free tuition" from the MCAS or whatever it was (which wasn't the huge deal that it was made out to be at the time, as tuition was very, very low and the fees were still thousands of dollars), but due to the scholarships and financial aid package I received from an out of state school, it was significantly less pricey for me to attend the school in another state.

Just my two cents. :) Good luck!

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