Hi! I’m currently a nursing major at UMass-I’ve done pretty well here but I’m not fond of the school, and I have been accepted at two other nursing schools for the fall semester. All are similar in affordability, so that is not a consideration.
I’ve worked out a pros/cons list for each school, and I’m trying to make a final decision-I was very set on Northeastern before, but I’m afraid I may not be bright enough for it.
UMass Amherst
PROS:
I know what I’m doing here, am confident I can continue to do well
CONS:
Rural campus, lack of campus pride/unity, I don’t feel extraordinarily challenged here, I’m not too fond of the school
Northeastern
PROS:
Being in Boston is amazing as a nursing major, the co-ops can’t be beat, facilities and campus are wonderful, there’s a transfer group to make the transition easier
CONS:
Northeastern is a very selective, very challenging school-what if my grades drop significantly? I currently have a 3.7, but I feel like UMass is significantly easier than Northeastern
Saint Anselm
PROS:
Small class sizes, focus on volunteer work, campus unity, beautiful campus, well-respected nursing program, tradition, and religious emphasis
CONS:
Rural location
I need to make a decision by June 1-can anyone help me choose?
I would consider neither Amherst MA nor Manchester NH rural, but if you do, sounds like Northeastern (and Boston) is the place for you. Northeastern is strong academically as well. Go for Northeastern.
The Nashua-Manchester-Concord corridor which is about 35 miles has in excess of 500,000 people. It is not a rural area and its known for a very high quality of life.
I’m caught between Northeastern and Saint Anselm-I visited Saint Anselm again today and it was absolutely amazing, so my final choice is caught between those two
I had never heard of St. Anselm but then met two truly outstanding individuals who went there and left an enduring impression. You will do well to go there because they’re obviously doing something right.
I am familiar with St. Anselm’s College and, although the campus is pretty and they have some dedicated faculty, I think the OP should focus first on academic caliber. Given similar costs, Northeastern is a MUCH stronger academic experience. According to admissions data in the schools’ Common Data Sets, the 25th percentile at Northeastern surpasses the 75% at St. As. Northeastern has much more name recognition and reputation. Don’t be afraid of a challenge. Northeastern accepted you because they think you can handle it.
Why do you think Northeastern will be hard for you?
Is there a difference in the amount of grant money you got and loans? How much loan debt will you have from each of the schools upon graduation?
Loans total up to roughly 35,000 (for four years) either way.
Is the rural campus a major deal breaker for you? If it’s a main reason why you didn’t like UMass Amherst, then you probably shouldn’t choose Saint Anselm. Northeastern is a very good school with strong academics (Don’t feel intimidated – you will be fine once you’re in there!) but if you really love Saint Anselm for your other pros on the list, then choose Saint Anselm.
The rural campus wasn’t a huge deal breaker-I think it was more the lack of community