I think this is a good point to remember – there is no one path. Or kids may change their minds and pick a new path.
One way we are addressing this is by having a couple of non-direct admit schools on our list. Anyone else? Our state flagship does not have a BSN program at all, and our next closest state flagship has a 2+2 program only. I think my D will apply to both of these schools but in health sciences (or similar major). If she still wants nursing after getting her BS, then she can pursue an ABSN. This is also the reason I am trying to include direct admit schools on our list that would be good choices for majors other than nursing – I don’t want my D to feel she is locked into a career pathway she chose at 16 years old!
Did you happen to get clarification on their program in terms of how long it is? Based on what I saw online it looked like 5 years which seems strange (and $$).
Looking at the current list of schools she has compiled, there are about half that are not direct admit. She seems comfortable with either path and knows it will either be a lot of work to be admitted her sophomore year, or a lot of work to stay in the program, so either way she will have a lot of work ahead.
Marquette is definitely on our list – it was the first school we visited and she really liked it (even though it was a gloomy day)!
Edited to add (for others who might be interested): We did a separate nursing tour and were very impressed. Brand new nursing building (was not yet open when we toured, but is now), good student supports, and a very well established program with deep clinical ties in the area. It’s an urban campus, but has some green spaces and is close to clinicals with public transportation available. In addition, they are intentionally expanding their program. We left feeling very positive about the school.
How did you feel about the neighborhood surrounding the Marquette campus? Any concerns? I have been warned by a friend that it is not in a safe area, but I’m wondering if the area may have improved in more recent years?
So, we live in a very big city (actual city, not burbs), so I am generally comfortable in an urban environment and not put off by unhoused individuals, etc. I felt safe and would not have qualms sending my D there. That being said, it was not a posh “cute” area with high-end shopping, etc. Think Chipotle not Michelin stars.
I have a good friend whose daughter attends and I will ask what she thinks.
Oh, thank you! We are suburban but definitely not put off by an urban school. I was just surprised to hear my friend’s strong opinion. We are visiting Creighton this weekend and are hoping to visit others in late March, but need to narrow it down!
Would anyone be able to recommend schools with good scholarships for oos students and my chances of getting in?
My current stats are 3.9 gpa with a 960 on my psat(hoping to get that up)
•attending nursing camp this summer
•200 volunteer hours
•2 ap classes so far
Any information would be amazing!
Many of the small private schools in Pennsylvania would be happy to have you and would offer a good amount of merit and/or need-based aid. You should definitely go test optional unless you can improve your standardized test scores. You could try both the SAT and the ACT. Another possibility in Pennsylvania is IUP, a public regional university which is relatively low cost for out of state students. Admission requirements for IUP nursing include 3.25 GPA and 1030 SAT (or can apply test optional). PennWest campuses (both Clarion and Edinboro) have similar requirements.
Do you have a certain maximum price your family is able and willing to spend? You can run the net price calculators on individual schools’ websites for an estimate of costs.
Not sure where you live but my son (non-nursing) goes to school in TX and takes advantage of the Competitive Scholarship waiver. MANY Texas schools give in state tuition to non-residents if they recieve even just a 1,000 scholarship. We pay ridiculously minimal tuition (2500 per semester +rent). Something to explore. We arent close (CT) but his school has an amazing jazz program that he wanted to attend and we had no idea about the waiver. He would have gone regardless!
Yes, the ones I mentioned (IUP and PennWest) are direct admit, as are the majority of the ones listed in the PDF I posted. However, room and board will be over 10k per year at almost all of those schools, so even if you could get a full tuition scholarship, cost of attendance would be over 10k. Is your family low income and eligible for Pell grants? (Who knows if Pell grants will even be available in the future based on the current political climate). It will be hard to find schools that will have a total cost of attendance of less than 10k unless you can commute to a community college or low cost public university.
You and your family should run the Federal Student Aid Estimator (see below) to see if you qualify for a Pell grant, and if so, how much you would be eligible for. If you are eligible for the Pell grant, you can add that amount as well as the $5500 Direct Student loan and a reasonable amount of summer earnings to the 10k to estimate how much money you will have available for school per year. Of course, all of this Federal aid hinges on whether these programs still exist in the future.
