I’m a senior in high school and I recently received a few direct entry nursing/BSN program acceptances, but I’m having difficulty choosing between them.
- Northeastern University:
Boston seems like the perfect college town; it has the city life and freedom that I dreamed of having for the longest time. Being in the big city, I have a plethora of activities to do, places to go to, food to try, and people to meet. And I feel like Northeastern provides more of a traditional college experience than both Case and USFCA. The main thing I considered, however, was the co op opportunity at Northeastern. I currently reside in the Bay Area and I definitely plan to come back to California to work. Knowing how difficult it is to find a job as a nurse around the San Francisco area (despite it being a lot easier everywhere else), I’m thinking the co op, giving me an extra year of work experience to put on my resume, would benefit me in landing a job in San Francisco. Additionally, most of my peers at Northeastern would be at similar or better academic standing than me, which is a plus because I’m seeking for self-development and more independence as an individual.
One con is that I feel distant from the student population at Northeastern, given from personal experiences within the admitted student groups and chat rooms. Although I love meeting new people, it is tiring to put myself out there all the time, but that kind of 24/7, bubbly disposition is what I am seeing from most of Northeastern’s admitted class of 2022. I am seeing fleeting efforts to befriend others on a shallow level instead of attempts to find a true, life-long friendship. I am afraid that I will not be able to find my own niche, but I know that once I do, this will no longer be an issue. Additionally, Northeastern is a private institution and if full price, can run up to 67k this year. I haven’t received my financial aid package, so I am unsure how much I will have to pay. Considering the addition of co op salary, I would max out at around 60k/year.
PLEASE ALSO COMMENT BELOW IF YOU KNOW ABOUT NORTHEASTERN’S NURSING CURRICULUM, I WISH TO KNOW HOW MANY HOURS OF CLINICALS ARE DONE AS A NURSING STUDENT AND WHICH YEAR CLINICALS BEGIN?
DOES NORTHEASTERN HAVE CONNECTIONS TO CALIFORNIA HOSPITALS FOR CO OP?
PLEASE ALSO SHARE YOUR PERSONAL OPINION AND EXPERIENCE AS A NURSING STUDENT AT NORTHEASTERN.
- Case Western Reserve University:
Case has an excellent (perhaps the best of all the options above) nursing program and is in close proximity to Cleveland Clinic. It is also impressive that clinicals for nursing students begin the first semester, allowing students to gain more hands-on experience quicker than any other nursing schools. In addition, I was given a 25k scholarship, bringing the COA to about 40k/year. The students at Case are academically strong and intrinsically motivated to learn; I believe this will drive me to be more motivated and procrastinate less. The NCLEX pass rate has risen and is now around 95%, compared to Northeastern and Rutger’s 93% and USFCA’S 88%. I found Case students seemingly easier to talk to and more approachable as well. However, I do not consider myself the most intrinsically motivated person or someone who loves to learn about other subjects (humanities, arts) as well. I am good at perseverance and get things done, but usually under pressure.
Considering the large workload and grade deflation at Case, I am afraid that a low GPA would hinder me from getting my graduate education (CRNA or nurse anesthetist school). Some of the biggest problems that are holding me back from committing is the location. Although I understand that this shouldn’t matter as much, there doesn’t seem like there is anything fun to do near campus. I am not a big fan of sports anything except skiing, dance, and my own version of “basketball without rules.” Ideally, there would be many shops of asian cuisine, boba, and clothing near my future college campus.
I CAN BARELY FIND ANY INFORMATION ON CASE’S NURSING. IF ANY ALUMS OR CURRENT STUDENTS COULD SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL!
ARE NURSES GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CO OP AT CASE?
AND ARE THERE LARGE CONNECTIONS TO CALIFORNIA HOSPITALS THAT COULD HELP CASE STUDENTS EARN A JOB OFFER?
- USFCA (University of San Francisco)
A big plus of USFCA is its location in San Francisco! I live about an hour away from San Francisco, and I am most familiar with this place. Compared to the other states, California has the best weather. I like the idea of being able to visit friends and family often, but at the same time, would love to explore new places and challenge myself to step outside my comfort level. So food and location wise, SF is great. I also received a scholarship for USF, totaling my COA to around the same price as Case, and was accepted into their new honors program. Another plus is USF’s partnership with UCSF, which if I applied and got into, would probably secure me a nursing position after graduation.
On the downside, USF’s NCLEX pass rate is the lowest at around 88%, which is a big red sign for me. Although I was placed into the honors program, I heard that the caliber of students in majors outside of business and nursing are lower than those in business and nursing. Also, if I am unable to get into the USF-UCSF partnership, my clinicals would be done in USF’s affiliated hospitals, which I’m not as fond of. Overall, I feel like I won’t be getting the college experience that I wanted.
- Rutgers University
I think the biggest plus of the school is the price, which is the cheapest at 35k. It’s also a great nursing school and I think the environment is different enough, but also comfortable enough. It’s also super close to NY and I have family friends near the campus. Also forgot to mention, but I’m a big fan of milk tea and it exists in New Brunswick so… 
On the downside it’s super cold and theres no like top 10 hospital to do my clinicals at. In addition, I would have to go to Newark for clinicals. Also, I’m uncertain that I would be able to find a job in California after graduation.
If any one can provide more information about these universities and their nursing programs, please let me know! Thanks c: