I was accepted into Stony Brook’s pre-nursing program and Binghamton’s nursing program and I was wondering the pros and cons of attending each one over the other.
I live close to SBU, which is a good and bad thing. I live at a commuting distance but i MIGHT be able to dorm for one year just to make it easier to make friends and have a somewhat “college experience” which is important to me. I like being somewhat close to home, but I want to have that college feel and I’m not sure if Stony Brook would be able to do that for me. However, since Stony is a teaching hospital and has lots of resources, its nursing program should be great. I heard Binghamton’s, though a fantastic school, nursing program, or any medical/health science programs isn’t that great.
I’m fairly certain that Stony Brook’s nursing program is better (SB has a good reputation for their medical and allied health programs in general). However, I don’t know if that matters in nursing.
The pro with a direct-entry nursing program (like Binghamton’s) is that you already know from the outset that you are in the nursing program - as long as you keep your grades at an acceptable level, you can major in nursing and sit for the NCLEX at the end. At programs like Stony Brook’s, you have to compete for limited slots into the nursing program, and you might not be admitted - which means that you would either have to transfer elsewhere or change your major. It might not be a big deal - especially if Stony Brook admits most of their pre-nursing students anyway, or has some sort of guaranteed admission program. But it’s something to consider. On the flip side, you could save money by commuting to Stony Brook in years 2-4.
Here’s another thing (from Binghamton’s website):
We offer clinical practice locally in Binghamton and Johnson City, but also areas that include Syracuse, Elmira, and Sayre, PA. Other areas can also be included. All students are required to travel outside of Binghamton for clinical, and are responsible for their own transportation. Many students carpool to clinical sites.
Binghamton is an hour from Syracuse and Elmira and about 45 minutes from Sayre. So if you don’t have a car (or won’t be bringing with you), you’d have to rely on the kindness of classmates to get to some of your clinical sites. Stony Brook likely will not have this problem, being located in a major metropolitan area. Even if you had to go to NYC for your clinicals, you know that you could always take the train. Even if you do have one, traveling 45-60 minutes to your clinical sites might be a hassle.
@jla00197 wow this a year old lol. I’m applied to Binghamton and Stony Brook! I didn’t know that they had a pre-nursing program otherwise I would’ve done that. I applied as a health science major. Do you think that would still be okay to get into nursing?
