Hello, so after a long college search, I have narrowed down my schools to 3 options, University of Delaware and two small, in-state colleges as a nursing major. I was very surprised I got into udel nursing since I heard it is extremely competitive. Although Udel has the best program out of the three schools, it has the highest cost since they gave me no merit scholarships. School #1 would cost $16,000/year with merit, School #2 would cost $21,000/year with merit, and udel would cost $42,000/ year. As you can tell, money is a bit of an issue here.
HOWEVER, I would really like go on to a good psychiatric nurse practitioner program after I graduate, and I feel like Udel would look very good on an application. Many masters programs may not have even heard of the other two schools.
So my question is, is it better to go to a well known school that is more expensive, or a school that is not as well known and is cheaper?
I am also currently in the process of applying for outside scholarships so that might help me pay for udel
OK, not a nursing expert, but here are my 2 cents until someone better comes along. Yes 100k is a huge difference.
It would be very unusual for a Master’s program not to have heard of undergraduate programs since their admission officers job is to review applications and be familiar with undergraduate colleges.
I would be very surprised if grads of all 3 colleges made any different salaries, usually jobs pay one salary no matter what school you came from. The difference could be in getting the offer.
You might want to check how many students at each school take the NCLEX (nursing licensing exam) compared to the number in the major, and what percentage of them pass.
oh good heavens! Isn’t one of the other schools Ramapo. Of course grad programs are going to know about Ramapo. Ramapo is a very well-respected school.
NO…it is NOT worth all that extra money to go OOS to UDel for a BSN. It would be a total waste of money.
What are your parents saying? Are they happily agreeing to pay that much more for UDel? If they won’t pay, then your question is moot. You can only go where you can afford to go. And, you can’t borrow much at all…only $5,500 for frosh year.
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am also currently in the process of applying for outside scholarships so that might help me pay for udel
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It’s doubtful that you’d get the money for UDel. Outside awards are usually SMALL and only for ONE YEAR…for freshman year ONLY. How would you pay for the other 3 years?
Again…how much will your parents pay per year? What are THEY saying?
Go for the option that is the most affordable. Especially as it sound like you will also be pursuing a Masters. Figure out what the payments will be on any amount of money you borrow and see how long it will take to pay it back. For example, for the Federal unsubsidized loan that is in all my son’s financial aid packages, total cost is 25,000 over 4 years. Doesn’t seem like a lot, however when I add in the % interest and % finance fee ( if it stays stagnant and it won’t), it would take my son 10 years at $310 per month to pay back after he graduates. When starting in the “real world” after college, $310 is a big portion of a monthly budget. Think it through very carefully and do the math. I will not be having my son take the loan, but I am in the position for now to be able to do this. Hope my 2 cents helps! Good luck in your decision and Congratulations on your admissions!
They are letting me make the decision, but as far as likability of the schools, I like Ramapo the best and will probably end up there; they have an excellent nursing program, great academics, and the nicest campus I’ve ever seen. Making the decision is still very tricky though
Why is it tricky? You’ve indicated that your parents will pay for Ramapo, and that you love the campus.
Frankly, since your SAT isn’t strong, I think it’s a bad idea for you to go to a flagship like UDel for nursing. My concern would be that your classmates for BSN would be stronger than you and your grades will suffer. If you have hopes for grad school, your grades have to be top notch.
It sounds like your family is affluent if they’ll pay for either Ramapo or UDel. If so, why not ask them if they’ll help pay for grad school if you go to Ramapo rather than UDel (the savings is substantial).
If you like Ramapo more and it’s cheaper, that’s a win. I am a parent who just graduated as an Assosciate Degree nurse from a community college. The new BSNs earn a little more than I do, but when I finish my online BSN, I will earn the same. So the school name doesn’t matter. Save your money for the Master’s program adn go to the school you like best. In order to get into most Master’s Degree programs you will need a 3.0 minimum, and won’t necessarily be easy.