<p>From the little bit of research I’ve done, it seems that most northeastern colleges are direct entry, while most colleges south of the Mason-Dixon Line are 2+2. I was amazed to see how very few direct entry programs there are in Maryland, for instance, and one of those is an all-women’s college.</p>
<p>For direct entry nursing, it generally makes sense to apply to colleges that are one tier below where you normally would expect to be admitted. Look for the quality of the nursing program, not the prestige of the college as a whole. </p>
<p>Those less selective colleges also have an advantage of offering non-nursing classes that are not extremely competitive, which frees up time that a student needs to handle the nursing workload and clinicals. If you are competing with hard-core hyper-competitive premed students in your english and math classes, that can be stressful.</p>
<p>Also, try to pick a college where you will not need to work during the school year in order to afford it. Some nursing programs specifically say that nursing students should not have jobs during the school year.</p>
<p>I would stress direct entry applications, but keep some 2+2 schools on the back burner if needed.</p>