<p>I am thinking about applying to the nursing programs at these schools:
Northeastern University
Quinnipiac University
Boston University (health sciences major? I am not super set on nursing, and I read it could put me on the path to becoming a Nurse Practicioner.)
I'm not sure/am more unfamiliar with:
Sacred Heart University
George Washington University
MCPHS (does anyone know anything about this school??)
Any other recommendations for nursing schools in the Northeast (see my stats below)</p>
<p>It looks like Northeastern is my top choice, but it's also the most expensive. When I visited the campus I was overwhelmed as it seemed like everyone there was above my level, but researching on the internet has made me feel like I have a much better shot. If I were to get in, my parents are willing to pay around 20-30k for each year of my education. I wouldn't want to take out huge loans if the school didn't offer me anything. My parents are convinced we won't qualify for financial aid as combined they make 200k.
I don't think my chances for a merit scholarship there look so good, but here are my stats for chance:
GPA: 3.7 unweighted / 4.0 weighted
SAT: 680 Math / 630 Critical Reading / 670 Writing
ACT: 30 Composite / 34 English / 28 Math / 29 Reading / 30 Science
(I am definitely looking to retake both standardized tests this fall)
My guidance counselor predicted I would be in the top 5-3 percent.
Classes: 8th/9th grade: all core honors classes offered
10th grade: all 2 AP classes offered - Music Theory and Euro (scored 4s), all other honors
11th grade: AP English lit, AP Physics (scored 3s), IB History of the Americas, Honors Pre-Calc (no AP offered) and IB Music
12th grade: AP English lang, AP Bio, AP Stats (should I switch in to calculus??? I wouldn't do as well) IB Music, SUPA Social Studies
I never had a lunch period, took music theory and orchestra all 4 years, art for three years, and language (Italian) 8th/9th/10th (dropped to make room for other classes)
ECs: National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Long Island Youth Orchestra (toured in four countries summer 2013 and plan to write college essay on experience) over 100 volunteer hours with public library, playing violin, camp counseling, and going to a soup kitchen. Participated in NYSSMA and a few string festivals (LISFA/SCMEA) Played in high school pit orchestra for four years. Worked at Mcdonalds all of 2014.
I overcame depression and anxiety but I don't know if that's a good idea to talk about.
I understand that I'm nothing special; I just want to get an idea of how often private schools such as Northeastern give out money. (Any ways to raise my chances?)</p>
<p>I can always attend SUNY Binghamton, Stony Brook, or Buffalo (I am a NY resident) but I'd love to go away to a city like Boston...</p>
<p>Your parents are correct. With a $200,000 income, you likely will not qualify for any need based aid.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you attend an instate public school if you plan to be a registered nurse. Your preparation there will be the same as at an expensive out of state private university. If you are instate for NY state, those SUNY schools will be far less than half the cost of those private schools you are listing.</p>
<p>I am a little confused by one statement in your post…regarding BU, and being in the “right track to be a nurse practitioner”. My DD is looking into this option amongst others. Our understanding is that to become an APRN (nurse practitioner), one first had to become a NURSE and actually practice as a nurse for two years. Then one could apply to APRN programs. I’m not sure how you would “get on the right track” at BU since they don’t seem to offer a nursing program.</p>
<p>Run your family financials through the NPCs of the schools you are considering and see what the results are. I don’t see you getting much financial aid. You can check the scholarships available at the schools and see where you stand in the admissions pool in terms of getting any merit money. For nursing, it can be very difficult to get such money, because it is a program that has so many wanting it. Frankly, the program at SUNY Buffalo is an excellent one. Give other schools a go, if you want private, but make sure you have affordable back ups. </p>
<p>Try to raise your SAT/ACT scores. Check Case Western’s nursing program. Case often gives $15,000-30,000 scholarships to qualified students.</p>
<p>Even with a $30,000 scholarship to Case, the student will have a balance of $25,000 to pay. Isn’t that more than the cost of her SUNY options?</p>
<p>SUNY straight up would be close to the mid $20s, depending upon the school. With some merit money, the cost could be brought down. For our kids, the state schools, for the most part, were the least expensive option. </p>
<p>I’m not aware of too many programs that would educate you to be an NP without you being an RN first. And if you’re not dead set on nursing why would you why would you apply to an RN program, let alone consider being an NP? </p>
<p><—NP</p>
<p>Where do you plan on working when you complete your degree? </p>
<p>If you plan on working in NY, you should attend a NYS school. When it comes to schools and licensing, all schools must teach the same content for your license. </p>
<p>200k for 4 years at NU is not going to net you any advantages over a CUNY/SUNY school with a high pass rate on the NCLEX and training at a good teaching hospital. What you will see in pretty much any program not all students who start out at nursing majors, end with degrees in nursing.</p>
<p>BTW, Buffalo has an 89% pass rate, which is one of the highest in the state, so they are going to have a really completive program. You should not count yourself as a lock to get admitted there.</p>
<p>If you are looking to seek an advanced degree to become a NP, you need to save your money for that as the only thing you will receive is loans.</p>
<p>start here</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs-nclexrn2013-17.htm”>http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nurseprogs-nclexrn2013-17.htm</a></p>
<p>Also check the SUNY/CUNY stickie; if you graduate in the top 10% you would qualify for free tuition at SUNY/CUNY (contact HESC to ask that nursing be added as an approved program). Are you graduating with an advanced regents diploma with mastery in mathematics and science? That would definitely help you in applying to s SUNY/ CUNY program</p>
<p>Sybbie is cutting through a lot of muck to give it to you straight. If you really want to give those other schools a shot, go on ahead and apply to see where you get accepted and what is affordable. Yes, if you want to practice in NY in any number of professional venues, it’s easier to get licensing and jobs if you go to a state school set up with a certification program. Also, bear in mind that you are not going to get extra money for having gone to, say NEU over SUNY. A lot of debt to pay off on the same salary is what you are going to have. Many , many young people I know are trying very hard to get into certification programs in the SUNYs after under grad at private schools and finding the going rough as the competition for these programs which result in extra bucks earned is steep. My son’s SO could NOT get into any of them despite a good GPA and a bachelors’ for two years straight and is going to a private one out of need to get this done. She’ll be paying back those loans for years. Really, you are better off with a state school and in some cases the line to get in on the BA/BS level is shorter.</p>
<p>Why are you only looking in the NE? </p>
<p>Alabama would give you a 2/3 tuition scholarship for your stats and has EXCELLENT nursing.</p>
<p>99% pass rate on the national exam ( National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).)</p>
<p>Gorgeous state-of-the-art facilities…Robotic Patients…new College of Nursing building across the street from the Medical Center …gorgeous campus…lots of OOS students, including from NY (I think NY is about #10 in sending kids to Bama.)<br>
.<br>
With that scholarship, your remaining costs would be well-under your parents’ budget.</p>
<p>and if you raise your scores to a 32 (or M+CR SAT of 1400+), you would get free tuition. </p>
<p><a href=“http://nursing.ua.edu”>http://nursing.ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the advice! I didn’t expect to get so much feedback right away. I feel kind of ignorant/naive now haha, but I really appreciate all of the honesty. @mom2collegekids my family doesn’t want me going too far away, but I’ll check out Alabama. @thumper1 I’m frankly having trouble just letting go of Boston University (it was my childhood dream college) as I am becoming more and more sure that I want to go into nursing. @kandcsmom that was stupid of me, I just see myself going further than being an RN - if it’s not too much to ask I was wondering if people ever start going to school to be an NP directly after becoming a certified RN or do you have to have a lot of experience first? I’m just nervous about making the commitment of what I want to do with my life, but the more I am reading about the profession the more I can see myself in it, so I guess I just have to trust my instincts at this point. I can see why it would be a bad decision to go to one of the private schools unless they give me a groundbreaking deal, and I think I am just going to get used to the idea of going to a SUNY school @sybbie719 @cptofthehouse. Thanks for pointing out those benefits. I also visited a couple campuses and was very impressed. So I’ll probably still apply to a couple private schools just to see but I think the SUNY path will end up being the right decision. I’ve been studying for the ACT all summer so hopefully I can get that 32 to boost my chances. Thanks so much everyone!</p>
<p>There are some schools that will admit you directly after your RN but as an NP I don’t recommend it. You will likely have debt from your BSN and you really need about 2 years experience at a minimum. Don’t just look at pass rates for the NCLEX, look at completion rates. It’s not just about the seat in the program. If you take the loans and don’t finish you have the debt without the increased earning ability to pay them. </p>
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<p>Since her parents are willing to pay $20k-30k per year, there is no reason for her to graduate with undergrad debt unless she insists on attending a pricey school. With her stats, she could easily get enough merit at a school with very good BSN programs and have no undergrad debt at all. </p>
<p>@katevade if you really do believe you want to go into nursing and NP, first see if there are any programs in your area that you have a seat in junior/senior nursing classes with beginning UG there, or what the stats are for getting into these classes (many schools it is fr/so GPA and GPA in sciences, and interview).</p>
<p>UAB has a nursing scholars program (look at web site <a href=“http://www.uab.edu”>www.uab.edu</a> and specific info in nursing school info, but in the past, you apply by Dec 1 of HS senior year). My DD is in that program and is starting her junior year nursing courses this month - the majority of the seats are filled with nurse scholars, and the other seats are filled by GPA 3.5+ - one friend of DD is completing nursing program at UAH because she was not competitive enough GPA to gain a seat at UAB but was able to gain a seat at UAH. DD wants to go on to NP and DNP. UAB is also generous with OOS merit similar to UA - again check out at web site.</p>
<p>UA and AU have excellent nursing programs, as do many other programs like UAB. I am not that familiar with USA (University of South Alabama) - which has a medical school and other advanced medical programs. UAB has a very large nursing program as B’ham is a large medical city - UAB is the largest employer in the state with UAB hospital and UAB university.</p>
<p>I went to nursing school at a private college in Milwaukee, with no worries about getting ‘cut’ from the program. That was important to my parents - friend’s DD got cut from state program and finished was able to get her BSN at this private college (I was glad to complete BSN at a great school). However I know a number of nurses that went to state nursing programs that completed on track.</p>
<p>I know a few students that are completing NP at Vanderbilt and Emory - the graduate program is expensive but they are also expecting fairly strong salary at completion.</p>
<p>If you feel strongly about staying close to home, or if your parents and you are ready for a great college experience farther from home.</p>
<p>Our state used to require that RN’s be recommended for the NP and/or PA program by their facilities-Hospitals and clinics because there were so many RN’s that wanted to do this and our state had limited training facilities. I have several friends that are NP’s and PA’s. If you haven’t had much experience with patient care as a new grad, how do you think you would be accepted by an NP program? In this line of work, you really do have to pay your dues because it helps you in the day-to-day training during the NP experience. </p>