This will be our first to do a ‘specialty’ major-- she is a bit gun shy of going OFF to school right away, and I get it, she is VERY young for her grade level, just turning 16 this month as a junior.
We live outside a large city which is great news… but she also seems to think going off to my ex husbands in central CT might be a good option. My gut tells me that going to nursing school near a huge medical centered area (Philadelphia) is going to bring way more opportunity in the end. I am open minded about it but know NOTHING.
Here she can go to Rowan College (and then transfer to Rowan University on campus) OR to Rutgers-Camden and live at home OR go to campus. I feel like having a BSN from Rutgers is going to be a good thing. THOUGHTS?
At this point, your daughter does not need to pick a college. She needs to pick a range of colleges where she will apply. There will be plenty of time to think through what she likes and doesn’t like, as you make visits to colleges. However, you need a range of colleges on your applications list, including at least one college that is both an admissions and financial safety. Nursing applications ideally should be submitted in Sept. or October, so it is useful to do your research early.
Rutgers New Brunswick is one of the most competitive programs for admission in the northeast, as other people have reported on here. Every applicant should put it in their reach category, because of the number of applicants.
It is nice to have one or two major hospitals near your nursing school, to reduce the threat of long travel times to clinicals. However, I wouldn’t worry about having prestigious research hospitals nearby. It is only a BSN degree, not a surgical residency.
If you are seeking merit aid, consider applying to some colleges where your scores will be in the top 15% of the student body. You can use net price calculators for each college to get a general idea of eligibility for merit and need-based aid.