My daughter was accepted to both of these programs and really likes both schools. Is there any advantage to one of these schools over the other? Any input, especially from nursing students would be appreciated.
S was accepted to UVM, Fairfield, Saint A’s and a few other nursing programs. Deferred at UMass, Villanova and BC. Right now with great meiit awards most are same or cheaper than UMass. Umass has a great rep so that is a plus and if you are from the area and she wants to stay and work here after I would go with UMass. We have several current family members in school for Nursing and between your Jr and Sr summer you really want to get an intership/job at a local hospital. So much easier in MA to do so with the fact that you are attending the state flagship school they are familiar with and not an out of state school that they are not familiar with the curriculum. Speak from experience - one example is niece attends Case Western for Nursing (a top program) and lives in Philly area. She is finding that even as an A student it is difficult to compete with other Nursing students from Drexel, UPenn and all the local colleges as hospitals go with what they know first.
UDel is a great school, dont get me wrong as a family member works there in athletics so we know it well.
One thing about the UMass Amherst experience - expect lots and lots of driving - esp even into Boston which will be a pain from out there. Not a lot of clinical experience available out there so one reason they cut the amount of students admitted this year.
We most likely going with UVM or Saint A’s. UVM great location, good merit and hospital right on campus. Saint A’s number one in the area with clinicals in top Boston Hosp, 100% NCLEX pass rate (and that is what counts, right?). Check the ICU units at the top hospitals and majority of nurses are SA. So check NCLEX at UM and UD - make sure it is a first time pass rate listed -
Good luck those are two great choices
@Momtofourkids Thanks for the info. Where did you get your information about how far the clinicals are at UMass? I’ve been in contact with a senior nursing student there and she listed all of her clinicals and with the exception of one rotation, all of them were between 20-40 minutes away. The woman who runs the program said that the only people who drive to Boston for internships are the ones who live near there and chose to go there. Yes, they did tell me that they made the program smaller this year so that placement for clinicals would be easier. Both schools are out of state for us since we are from New York. Not sure if there’s an advantage to having a larger cohort like UDel has- UMass 64 students to UDel 165 students. She’s really torn and it’s a hard decision.
@lisag519 - while sometimes smaller groups are nice, 65 is very small and will be the group they are with for 4 years - personally I would rather have something slightly larger as personalities sometimes get tiresome and its nicer to have a bigger group - and its only 165, not like its 1000
Another parent on this blog went to a UMass early acceptance nursing info session where there were students there who gave her this info (this past year) and bragged about all the driving they do - so it is student-new parent of a new student-to me but that is where I got it from
From a personal view my niece lives in PA but goes to school at Case Western and is having a bit of difficulty finding an internship for her jr-sr year summer as those hospitals are familiar with Drexel, UPenn etc so she has to work harder to find one - something to think about from NY to MA or NY to Del? Where does your child want to live after school for at least a few years - look at that as they will be making important contacts thru school and maybe getting offers. Some of the schools we are accepted to routinely have students getting job offers thru their preceptorships or internships - ask your schools if that is the norm? Also the NCLEX pass rate the most important as you cant work as a lic nurse without it.
Again both great schools so I would really try to drill down, visit the departments with a list of questions etc. That is what we have found helpful - talking to alumni and finding out where they are working and networks etc Good luck!
Yes, I do understand what you are saying about the smaller cohort. She would like to sit for the CNA exam after her sophomore year so that she could be employed as a NA at home during the summer. We’ve also found opportunities for student nurses at sleep away camps and since my daughter is interested in pediatrics this would be great for her. I’m not concerned about her finding a job at home after graduation as we know many people who have found great jobs in NY after attending school out of state. There are just so many hospitals on Long Island and New York City. At this point, I’m just wondering which school would be the best match. It’s a tough decision because both schools are great for different reasons. Thanks for your help.
Hi there! I am highly interested in the UD nursing program and was wondering if you would mind sharing your daughters stats that earned her acceptance to the program. Or if you don’t mind sharing if they are comparable to my own.
Unweighted gpa 4.0
Weighted gpa 5.56
SAT score 1310
Class rank 9/263
All honors/ AP classes in HS
National Honor Society
Plenty of volunteer/ leadership hours
Certified in CPR/ AED & first aid
Thank you so much in advance!