Hi! I’m hoping some people can help me out. Both Pitt and Penn State accepted me for nursing, and although I am still waiting to hear back from other schools, I would just like to know which program and school is better? I haven’t visited the campuses yet, which I am planning to soon but I do know Pitt is in the city and Penn State is in a more rural area. I come from a suburb of Los Angeles, so I don’t know how well I’d enjoy a school located in a rural area. As of right now, the city seems more appealing but I have heard that at Penn State it hardly feels like you’re in a rural area. One of my biggest dreams is also studying abroad, and I know both schools offer different experiences. SO if you are attending any of these schools, have gone, or know a lot about their study abroad experiences for nursing students, your help would be much appreciated! But please if anyone can outline the cons and pros of both schools or share their experiences, I would love that! I’m looking for the school that will give me the best college experience and the school that will help me land a job right after graduation.
Both places are great places to go to colllege, and both have excellent reputations for their nursing programs.
Pittsburgh is a great city, with lots to do. There are a number of colleges in Pittsburgh, and an active walkable downtown. Most of the major league sports facilities are close to the downtown. It also includes a large number of hospitals, most of which are controlled by UPMC (which used to stand for University of Pittsburgh Medical Center but now stands for Unrestrained Pennsylvania Medical Conglomerate). They have a virtual monopoly, and for the last 2 years, they have been in a nasty and wasteful fight with the largest health insurer in the region.
If you really enjoy cities, then I would choose Pitt.
State College is one of the greatest college towns on the east coast, and is a cosmopolitan place with much to do, for the size of the town. It is one of the 10 largest residential university campuses in the US. However, it rather isolated. If you enjoy outdoor recreation (such as hunting, fishing, cross country skiing and hiking), it is an ideal location. However, it is a long drive to get to other cities. It also is at a high elevation, which means a higher than average amount of snow and ice.
There is only one small hospital in State College. (I believe some of the clinicals are at nearby state prisons.) That is why most nursing students have to spend their junior or senior year at the Milton Hershey Medical Center in Hershey PA. Hershey is also a nice area, with a tremendous amount of recreational and entertainment offerings, such as a large arena for concerts and minor league ice hockey. It also has one of the largest and most modern medical centers in PA. and has a med school. The nursing housing is right next to the hospital complex. The downside is that some people don’t like to spend one of their four college years away from their non-nursing friends. It is about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from State College.
You should also check out commercial flights, including the costs for flights at Thanksgiving. I imagine it would be much easier and cheaper to fly from Pittsburgh than from State College. The Pittsburgh airport is about 30 minutes west of Pitt. The Pittsburgh airport is large and modern, but has fewer flights than it used to have. There is a relatively small airport owned by Penn State. The closest major airport to State College is Harrisburg, which is about 1.5 to 2 hours away. Penn State does run buses to major PA. cities (including Harrisburg) during breaks.
thank you so much, this really helped!