<p>College admissions counselors told us that DD had virtually no chance to get into a direct entry nursing program. She is a B student that never really worked too hard.</p>
<p>Accepted and committed to Towson for pre-nursing. Students apply in Junior year for the nursing program. We were set.</p>
<p>Yesterday she got accepted to Drexel direct entry to 5 year nursing co-op. She was ecstatic. Wanted to go.</p>
<p>Drexel is a much better school. The first two academic semesters are identical course-work in both schools.</p>
<p>I was always the bottom student in the brightest class. I hated this, so I picked a college where I would be an average student. I thrived.</p>
<p>She is so torn, these schools could not be more different. City vs Suburban, etc. We were VERY impressed with Towson's administration. Haven't gotten a feel yet for Drexel. Regardless of the school, she would have to pass the nursing exams.</p>
<p>DD is not social and had a socially hard time in HS. She had no trouble finding a roommate at Towson. She has been speaking to potential roommates at Drexel and hasn't clicked with anyone yet and gets the sense that she might not fit in.</p>
<p>College prepares us for our future, therefore Drexel. However, there is a very big social aspect to college and a happy student has a greater chance of success so I think she will be better at Towson.</p>
<p>She is very confused. Nursing a sure thing at Drexel, but she may not fit in socially. Chance at nursing but will almost definitely fit in at Towson.</p>
<p>social skills will be developed when kids grow up, don’t worry about it. Go with Drexel, she could not get wrong, if price is not a concern. My cousin, he was a real introvert before he went to college, never even talk to us when we were joking around. After he went to college, once on a wedding banquet table, he started to crack jokes and was the center of attention all of a sudden. We were thinking what was wrong with him? Today, he is the General Counsel of a major (Fortune 100) corporation. </p>
<p>Does she have any sense yet as to the difficulty of making the cut for the nursing program at Towson? That would be worth investigating. Also, she needs to find out how many of the nursing graduates pass their boards on the first attempt - a much more important measure than a general notion that one or the other is the “better” school. What matters is this specific program.</p>
<p>Lastly, if she would change her major, which place offers good options for her (and for your budget)? Would she still like Drexel if nursing turns out to be a bad match for her?</p>
<p>The kids I know at Drexel love it. The kids I know at Towson love it. Either of these could be perfectly fine.</p>
<p>I have since found out that the first year course work is much more difficult at Drexel.</p>
<p>That is Drexel weed out classes. I believe every school will have some, including Towson. For Towson, the weed out may happen when you try to get in the nursing program in two years. Your D can be socially inactive, but not to academically slack off when get there.</p>
<p>If she’s a B student, she may be less likely to be “weeded out” during her first year courses at Towson. Does she have the preparation required for the 1st year nursing classes at Drexel?
Drexel is indeed a much better school - but if it’s a poor fit and it’s too hard, is there a risk she may flunk out? What support services exist to prevent that? Will your daughter have enough self confidence to ask for help and find help where needed?
I would imagine Drexel has better support services than Towson, being private and very costly, but investigate.
Investigate support services (walk in or by apointment? hours of operation? staff?), quality of advising, length of drop/add/W period, whether the 1st year nursing or prenursing classes are curved and what percentage typically gets an A or B, what percentage fails, etc.</p>