I’m looking for direct-admit programs that allow students to mix with general population of students, etc., particularly fresghman year. I’m concerned that some programs unintentionally isolate students. Any thoughts?
For the first 3 or 4 semesters, most nursing programs involve students taking most of their classes with the general population. Some colleges have special bio or chem classes just for nursing students (which has the advantage of separating them from highly competitive pre-meds).
The first year should be the time when you make friends with students of different interests. I believe in the last few semesters, you will be having most of your classes with nursing students at any college, and will be busy with clinicals. However, you can still keep contact with the students you met earlier.
The programs can contribute to that campus feel.
In one program my daughter applied to, there were more liberal arts classes required the first two years along with everyone else. In the program she is attending, it is heavy science and nursing classes. But in that program, a nursing student was homecoming queen and the nursing school has a float in the parade every year. That’s just an indicator of campus involvement, lol, and says nothing about the program.
You might also want to ask if the nursing students are encouraged to do extra curriculars. At one program, that my daughter instantly disliked, the director said they discouraged their students from too many activities on campus. I specifically asked about that issue at other programs, and they said they wanted their students to be part of the campus however they could balance it.
My daughter was able to play a varsity sport her 1st and 3rd semesters, but she realized she would not have time for that time consuming activity during later semesters. She was still involved in other activities all 4 years.