Hello! I am a high school senior who is contemplating where to go for my BSN. I am mainly debating between CWRU and SDSU:
Case Western: expensive, got $27.5k scholarship. Net cost is around $40k. Is it worth it, versus a state college? I am planning to attend graduate school to get a Masters in Nursing (to specialize), so will graduate schools (looking at CWRU, UCLA, etc.) favor me more if I went to a top school such as Case versus if I went to a state school? Also, what is the nurse hiring outlook in Cleveland? Will I be working in a good, reputable hospital?
SDSU: still no reply, but pretty confident (4.4 GPA, 1520 SAT). The cost is considerably cheaper as I am in state, but I am worried that I may not find many like minded people there? I am a pretty introverted, academically driven person and I heard that SDSU is mostly a party school. Will this hinder my chances of getting admitted into a good/prestigious grad school/affect my hiring outlook later on?
Thank you everyone in advance! I am really feeling pretty lost about deciding where to invest my next 4 years!
I can only address SDSU’s program and social scene.
Any college could be a “party school” and SDSU’s “party school” reputation was from 20 years ago. SDSU has come a long way and yes there are parties but nothing to the extent that it was many many years ago. You will find like minded serious students at SDSU especially in the Nursing program.
I suggest you visit SDSU and specifically ask for Nursing program tour to really decide for yourself.
If you are lucky enough to get accepted in SDSU’s Nursing program, you should take advantage of a great school and Nursing program especially if you plan to stay and work in California.
Although not a nurse myself, I work in a cancer center and interact with Nurses on a daily basis and the school name makes no difference on your job prospects or grad school. What is important to do your best in any program you end up pursuing.
These were my thoughts about the BSN selection process a few weeks back. I’m just pasting below. For my D who ended up at SDSU I can’t overstate the importance of the campus visit. Once my D visited Gonzaga, for example, she realized she liked a bigger school but not one as big as Ohio State. SDSU or U Cincinnati were sized right for her. She chose SDSU primarily for the cost advantage for a resident.
We went through the selection process for top direct entry BSN programs a year ago. We found that the ranking process is difficult. BSN rankings are scattered across different ranking sites. Try bringing up the same program across various rankings sites (such as college choice, niche or college factual) and you might see the discrepancies. We quickly turned to other factors to help with our selection. While numbered to help with formatting to make easier to read they are not in any order.
direct entry status - varies from program to program what it actually means. minimum progression requirements?, dedicated nursing adviser to ensure students get required classes?
proximity to hospitals for clinicals - how far are these to campus?, how many hospitals participate with clinicals?
size of school and surrounding city - what’s the best fit for you? how many students per cohort, start times?
quality of nursing lab - ?
NCLEX pass rate - a stat that can be manipulated as discussed in this forum, but a check the box data point
Merit award criteria / cost of attendance - can you afford it especially if you are out of state? criteria to renew merit?
road map / 4 year plan - % of students graduate in 4 years? if program takes longer is that covered by merit? AP/DE counts toward what courses?
opportunities such as study abroad, externship/internship resources, masters program - to name a few. lots to consider
Your list may vary. And many of these you have to ask questions such as during campus tours, phone calls, emails and even posting questions right here at this forum. It’s nearly impossible to get the answers for your list by looking at one site’s rankings.
Most RNs work on their masters part time, with funding from their employer. Therefore, you will probably be attending a grad program near where you work. A prestigious name means little in nursing. Employers know which universities do a good job of preparing nurses, but that has little to do with prestige.
You need to calculate all of the cost differences over 4 years , including air fare (which can be expensive over holidays). The cost of housing is probably much less in Cleveland, especially if you live offcampus as an upperclassman. Then ask the question: Is a BSN from CWR worth $X more than a BSN degree from SDSU?.
Cleveland does have some prestigious hospitals. I understand the area of Cleveland that includes most of the hospitals and CWRU is very nice, and unlike the stereotype of Cleveland. I have visited downtown Cleveland and was impressed.
If you end up living with other nursing students, it will be easier to avoid a hard partying scene. A friend of mine worked in San Diego and said there was a problem in her office of all of the guys running out when there were great waves for surfing.
Also consider where you want to work when you graduate.
Chances are you will have the best job prospects at the hospitals where you do your clinicals. Nurses are in demand in most places, but working where you do your clinicals means you know a lot about the area and the job atmosphere, and they know you. But, of course, you can work wherever as long as you pass your NCLEX and fulfill any other state requirements.
I’ve heard good things about Case, but I live in Ohio so maybe that’s why.
Nursing students don’t really party, not if they want to stay in the program. My daughter works her butt off … she has fun when she can (Go Bearcats!) but she doesn’t party.