University of Rochester Accelerated Nursing Program - ABPNN

guest_57352 · May 16, 2011

Thanks so much ansaguy. Can we not buy our own stethoscopes elsewhere? Also how did you afford it? I really am worried about the costs..with tuition, books, insurance, etc, I feel like I'm looking at a 70K loan. I'm not even sure a bank would give me a 70K student loan

ansaguy · May 16, 2011

You can buy your own, but the scope from the school is a littman classic II se. It's a decent scope from what I've read, and it's built into your tuition. It's basically just a waste of money to buy your own.

Affording it...I was part of a scholarship called Robert Wood Johnson. I didn't get a school scholarship, but I got that one. It was worth 10k. That helped, but most people had to take out private loans, in addition to fafsa. Fafsa would have given me 12,500 the first half of school and 6,250 the second if I recall. It's been a while. I wasn't eligible for any state funds because of some lame definition of dependence on my parents. I lived in a house they owned, but I rented from them. The state doesn't care...calls me a dependent, and wouldn't give me any money. Anyway, affording it was tough, and I'm told is the main reason why someone is unable to finish the program which is why they they told us all what it was going to run up front.

guest_57352 · May 16, 2011

Thanks Ansa - how did you apply for Robert Wood Johnson?

ansaguy · May 16, 2011

The school sent out a packet with all the scholarship info in it after I was accepted. I think it was part of the initial paperwork they sent out in the acceptance packet. I wrote a little essay and sent it in. I'm not sure if that particular scholarship is run all the time or not because they get "rounds" of funding. So depending on if/when that round of funding comes through they can offer it. They have a UR scholarship I think too, but it's an either or thing so you can't get both scholarships.

There are several places to look for scholarships online too which the school gave out. I haven't applied for any of those though.

guest_57352 · May 16, 2011

So you got 10K in scholarship and had to take out like 50K in loans? You think it's worth it?

ansaguy · May 16, 2011

My case was a little different than most of my classmates. My loans are through family. Most of my classmates, indeed have that much out in loans. It's definitely worth it for a BS in Nursing in my opinion. It's a great school, with very good affiliated hospitals. A lot of top people at two local hospitals are "fond" of UR students. There are a lot of us floating around, and we keep growing in numbers. Plus, working at one of two local hospitals gets you free classes to work toward your MS, and PhD or DNP. It's roughly comparable to other good schools I'm told. One classmate said NYU or something had a similar program but it wasn't as highly regarded and cost more. I don't know what other schools charge though. I am tied to Rochester so I had no choice but to go there.

xoxjedixox · May 17, 2011

Thanks for all the information ansaguy! How many pairs of scrubs do people usually buy? Can you give us an example of a typical week for you at Rochester? For example, how often are you in class and clinical? Do you go to class all day one after another or are there some morning and some afternoon? Do you spend all day at a clinical or go to class in the morning and clinical in the afternoon? I don't know much about how what my daily schedule will be like if I get accepted. Thanks!

ansaguy · May 17, 2011

xoxjedixox,

Most of us bought 1 lab coat, 2 bottoms and 2 tops. The only time you will work more than 2 consecutive days in a week is at the end for your capstone experience when you will work the same shifts as your assigned nurse. I wasn't buying extra scrubs that I will never wear again just for that! The lab coat is only worn for very few things. Definitely don't need two.

Honestly, you'd be best to read a blog by a current student to get a feel for a typical day and how things run. At the risk of being edited, a person may be able to find such a thing by googling mursetales.

Clinicals are on their own days, meaning the first two rotations during the first semester for us was Wednesday and Thursday, 7 am - 4 pm where we would usually get out early. Then we had a 3 day weekend once we started clinicals but that was after we had finished 2 classes. Classes and lab were held throughout Monday and Tuesday with the length of the break between classes depending on whether you chose lab 1 in the am, or lab 2 in the pm. Classes usually got out by 3 or 3:30 if you had lab 1. If you had lab 2 it ran to 6:30 pm. Either way, don't let the thought of free evenings or a 3 day weekend excite you. It will be filled with reading, studying, and papers or care plans.

They are pretty good about giving you a brief break during the 3 hours lectures though. Enough time to go get more coffee.

xoxjedixox · May 17, 2011

ansaguy,

Thank you! That was definitely helpful and I will try to find student blogs online! I have already assessed that I will have no life outside of school during the program and that I will be living on lots and lots of coffee! But it will all e worth it in the end! :)

guest_57352 · May 17, 2011

Yeah, thanks for the info ansaguy.

I wonder when we'll start to hear back!

guest_57352 · May 17, 2011

Also, ansa, I read that blog you mentioned (the one from googling mursetales) and I saw in one of his post's he said:

"Tuition for this program is set at roughly $50k. Now that assumes living expenses but tuition and fees itself runs around $36k. $9k is estimated for room and board, and the rest is "indirect" costs like books and supplies and travel expenses. "

This was in January 2011. Now for those starting in September 2011, the TUITION alone is $52,000 for the program. Did it really go up 16 THOUSAND dollars in just 9 months?? Or did he get it wrong?

ansaguy · May 17, 2011

Well he didn't get it wrong, he didn't update I got conflicting info on the actual cost of school. That post references what I was told by some dimwit in financial aid before I saw a sheet from someone else in financial aid, which said that actual tuition costs were around 50k, and room board and food and all that brought the cost to up to a lot more. Apparently he had deducted my scholarship and what I had already paid or something when discussing how much it cost overall.

Either way, I believe it was around 17k for the first of three semesters, which brings the total cost to around 51k. I think that's where the discrepancy comes from. So we are both paying about the same amount for tuition. Hope that helps.