Which Program is best for me? JHU/MD/Towson?

Agrippa · Feb 26, 2008

Also, has anyone else wondered about JHU's rather short list of required pre-reqs for those who already have a bachelor's degree? I mean, i plan on taking more than what is required (ei, chem classes)....but it has made me wonder. Is chemistry just not that important in the field of nursing where it is not required as a pre-req? Is it just used as a class to weed out students - which i suppose would be unnecessary if one already has a bachelor's degree? Curious....

clhRN2b2010 · Feb 26, 2008

:twocents:Here is mine.

Re; which school. Only you can decide that. It just depends on your personal finnacial situation, family situation, career goals, and what you value. I will say that after facing down similar decisions with JHU, I decided against the 60k (minimum) in student loans I would have racked up with the 2nd degree program. So many reasons...none of which that JHU isn't an awesome school with a wonderful reputation. In the end it just didn't make sense for me in any of the above categories.

Now, regarding the short list of pre req's at JHU. In my opinion, elite private schools like JHU like to keep their options open when it comes to candidates. They don't have to follow all the same rules and regulations as schools that get money from the State and so they don't manadate the same extensive pre req's. They can choose one candidate because they like their volunteer experiance and their vision for the future. Or another because they had excellent academic history. One thing I loved about them was that they really looked at the individual. Now, that doesn't mean that they don't have high standards. Specifically, the Chemistry thing. I was told by Admissions there that even though it isn't listed, it is assumed that a candidate will have had some Chemistry in their history. If not, they may choose to make it a conditional acceptance or part of their individual curriculum, but they weren't ruling anyone out just because they hadn't had Chemistry.

Make sense?

Good luck with your decision. It's a tough one and uniquely individual.

mdmomrn · Feb 26, 2008

Have you take a look at CNL program from UM. It's more expensive than regular BSN at UM but less money than JHU and have a good reputation too. YOu only need to take 1 more class like gen-chem!

NCLEX pass rate is also high.

Also go visit the open house of each university. That way you will gain more info and impression. Then you can decided which one is fit you!

Agrippa · Feb 26, 2008

I did look at the CNL program - saw that they discontinued the accelerated bsn program for this. The thing that worries me about this program is that it is fairly new and im not quite sure what to make of it. I mean, i would love to get a master's level degree, but it is still a generalist degree it seems and I don't see the advantages of a CNL over a BSN. I plan on working for a few years after and then determining what area id like to specialize in and then getting a graduate education in that field. I am also trying to keep my costs down.

Also, thanks for the info on JHU. Ive got some time now (still taking my pre-reqs) so I will deff take a good look at all of the programs I mentioned. Thanks for the advice all.

Also, does anyone think that taking my prereqs at a community college will be disadvantageous for admissions to good nursing programs? My first bachelors degree was from a good research university (that cost me a lot of money). Im trying to keep costs down by just doing my pre-reqs at a CC, but am concerned about whether this will be looked down upon. Thoughts?

aHolisticStudent · Feb 27, 2008

Also, does anyone think that taking my prereqs at a community college will be disadvantageous for admissions to good nursing programs? My first bachelors degree was from a good research university (that cost me a lot of money). Im trying to keep costs down by just doing my pre-reqs at a CC, but am concerned about whether this will be looked down upon. Thoughts?

Agrippa,

I'm a traditional BSN student at UMB so I can't speak to Towson's or JHU's admission process, but my experience is that there is no disadvantage to CC credits. I know some people like to claim that University courses are "more challenging" than CC courses, but my experience has been that CC students are adapting much more easily to the stresses of the program than the University transfer students. This is anecdotal evidence so take it as you will. I came through CCBC with a 4.0 GPA and was selected along with ~90 other students from over 3000 applicants. Nearly every single one of us had 4.0 GPA's who began the program this year so be aware that it is extremely competitive. I also had a fairly robust extracurricular, volunteer, leadership, and community service record which helped to secure the seat I received. With regards to your earlier question on $$$; UMB offers significant financial scholarships and grants to student applicants. I personally received 12K from the school in merit scholarships (so keep that in mind when making your decision) in addition to numerous other smaller awards (no loans baby!!!!).

One final note, I'd be reluctant to enter into any program that "looked down upon" where I did my prereq work. Either you understand physiological, chemical, and developmental processes or you don't. Saying that Joe understands the intricacies of NS development and motor and sensory pathways to a lesser degree because he went to a CC smacks of academic snobbery. Something I'd try to avoid at all costs.

Best success in your pursuits,

aHolisticStudent

Agrippa · Feb 27, 2008

Thanks for the input. UMD is definitely a top choice for me. Wow 3000 applicants! When you say you were selected along with 90 other students, you mean that your total class size is only about 90 students?

aHolisticStudent · Feb 27, 2008

Thanks for the input. UMD is definitely a top choice for me. Wow 3000 applicants! When you say you were selected along with 90 other students, you mean that your total class size is only about 90 students?

Agrippa,

Glad to hear it ranks high on your list! I've been very happy with the experience so far.

Yes, the Traditional BSN class I came in with is about 90 students but we rarely have class with just us. At this point in the program the new CNLs are taking courses with us (ex: Pathopharmacology, Health Assessment, and Fundamentals of Nursing Practice) so the actual lecture attendance size is ~150-180 students. As we move forward, the CNLs will split off away from us and our class size will shrink down to our actual size. Secondly, all the classes have clinical practice labs which are much smaller. We have 12 people in our labs.

Feel free to ask anything else you'd like to know I'm happy to share.

Agrippa · Feb 27, 2008

Do you happen to know how many are accepted as opposed to the actual yield of the class? There doesn't seem to be an applicant profile chart available. Also, obviously you chose to go with a BSN instead of the CNL. Is there a particular reason why? (assuming you already had a bachelors and the CNL option was available when you applied). I kind of wish that UMD didnt change the accelerated BSN program to the CNL program. Only other accelerated bsn around the area seems to be JHU now.

aHolisticStudent · Feb 27, 2008

I don't have any exact numbers regarding admissions for you, but you can e-mail the Admissions department at the school if you need to know. The e-mail is: [email protected].

I chose BSN because I don't have a prior undergraduate degree, so the CNL option wasn't available for me.

clhRN2b2010 · Feb 27, 2008

Yes, U of Md is very competitive. I'm not surprised that all the accepted applicants had 4.0's in their pre req's. The good news is that they are looking at pre req's only for those of us with previous degrees who may not have done so well GPA wise the first time. Still, when it came down to it for me I would have had to take ALL my pre req's over again-all 60 credits-because I had no A's in them the first time around. I was told the CNL program is AS competitive and since I didn't quite have a cumulative 3.0 in my first undergrad 15 yrs ago I could not even apply because CNL is part of the graduate school and 3.0 in undergrad work is a minimum requirement.

My bottom line was that I didn't have the previous grades to get into ANY accelerated/traditional BSN. I MIGHT have been able gain admission to JHU based on my pre req work and life experiance, but could not justify the $$ in my situation. I have applied to our local CC program (one of the top NCLEX pass rates in the State) and will tack on the RN to BSN/MSN at a later date. If I'm lucky someone else will be paying for it. In the end, on my way to my end goal/degree, the only thing I am out is one year of my time. Plus, I end up with significantly less debt.

Do your homework and talk to lots of people. Student, Faculty, Administrative, and also potential employers. They will all give you valuable insights.

MedicVeronica · Feb 29, 2008

I live in MD, but just graduated from Georgetown 2nd Degree and was accepted to Catholic U's program too. They both have great reputations - G-town has had 100% pass rate for NCLEX for several years. I looked at JHU, Towson, U of MD - but all wanted me to retake all my pre-reqs since I finished my first BS in 1982. G-town and Catholic took all my old stuff - and my grades were terrible (like a 2.5 GPA). Spending 2 years to take all the pre-reqs wasn't going to work for me. The MD Schools didn't seem to think that being a paramedic for 7 years was of value towards nursing either.

However, the State of MD Nursing Scholarship/Grant wasn't available to me since I attended a DC school, and G-town doesn't give scholarships based on grades. Catholic did offer me $5,000 per semester but after I had accepted at G-town. Also - since G-town's program includes summer school, you get out 6 months earlier and it ends up costing less overall.

Yes - the commute from Baltimore would be horrible - but at least they are options.

BTW - if you have any EMT-P experience - nursing school is going to be very easy!