My D is struggling in making her final decision, and I’m just as stressed. She was accepted into all the above nursing programs, except UDel, which was her first choice (she was accepted to the college but not the nursing program). None of the others are “the perfect fit”. She was also accepted to nursing at Seton Hall, Wagner and Catholic but has crossed them off her list.
She loved Scranton U itself, but does not feel safe in the area. She did not get the “this is where I want to be” feeling at any of the others either, except UDel. There, she would hope to later transfer into the SON at UDel, which I assume will be next to impossible.
Can anyone offer insights to the the remaining 4–5 if you consider UDel? Pros/Cons to the programs, and also input to life on campus and surrounding areas would be much appreciated. Anything that would help her make a smart choice.
Thanks in advance.
@donnamod Could I ask why she crossed Seton Hall off her list? I was also accepted there, but only as pre-nursing. I’m most likely going to cross it off my list too, but I really really liked the feel of that school. It used to be my #1 so it’s hard to let go, but I don’t know if pre-nursing is worth it. As for the other schools, I’ve heard that they all have excellent nursing programs. Is Ramapo direct entry though? I live in NJ and I didn’t apply there, so I don’t think it is. Maybe I missed it though? Now I don’t know enough about each school to help you, but I would definitely cross UDel off my list unless I had a backup career in mind. UDel’s nursing program is so hard to get into for incoming freshman that I’m not sure if it would be worth the risk to go there & hope to get in. I would be devastated if I did that and still didn’t get in.
She just didn’t like the feel of Seton Hall. Plus I think it felt “too familiar” as I used to work nearby. Ramapo is direct entry but, like all schools, you have to maintain minimum grades to advance through the program. So even if it’s not called “pre-nursing” it’s similar.
@donnamod Ohh okay, thats understandable! And I don’t know too much about Ramapo but one of my friends is going there for nursing. She really liked the school and apparently their dorms are the best in NJ! The school is also ranked #28 in Regional (North) Universities according to U.S. News, and the tuition is not bad. I don’t know if cost is an issue, but Scranton and Quinnipiac are pretty expensive. Even though these two schools are ranked higher, maybe its not worth paying more at a school that she’s not 100% sure about.
I’m wondering if theres anything besides cost, NCLEX pass rates, and location that she’s interested in? Like diversity, dining options, social life, whether she wants a commuter or residential campus, class sizes, study abroad opportunities, etc. I made a pro & con list for the 3 schools I was stuck in between and it really helped. I also read reviews on niche.com capped.com. I have found these websites more helpful than what tour guides and admissions counselors have told me at school events, because usually students on here are more honest about the bad things. Good luck!!
I made a matrix with my kids to help their final selection. Each category was ranked for each college with a certain number of points. The total number of points in a category could vary by the importance of the category.
We visited the Univ. of Delaware last spring. We thought it was the quintessential east coast college campus - gorgeous! We met with the nurse recruiter and she said each nursing class had 130 students which is a large number. There will be students who will decide that nursing is not for them, that it is too difficult, etc. opening transfer opportunities into the SON. Already being at the Univ. of Delaware could be advantageous for transferring into the SON, but your daughter must keep her GPA very high and follow the curriculm that the nursing students are taking their freshmen and sophomore years. If she was to go to the Univ. of Delaware and volunteer as a research assistant in the SON, she then would be meeting and getting to know some of the nursing faculty whom might serve as a reference on a SON application.