uhart or uconn

[u/AbbreviationsThin780]

hello! im international student both got accepted to uconn (bio) and uhart (nursing) (tho ik uhart has 96% passing).

which one is worth it?

uconn storrs - originally applied for nursing but got deferred to bio + 10k yearly scholarship

uhart - nursing + 31k yearly scholarship

for context i want to work on medical field immediately (which is why i decided to apply for nursing) and later on work on becoming a doctor.

ps. i kinda want to risk going to uconn and later on apply for changing major to nursing but i heard it was super competitive and im scared to risk it. also i heard so many bad things about uhart but i kinda dont want to let go the 31k scholarship + secured major of nursing (is there any scamming or fooling happening here?)

let me hear your thoughts. thank you!

[u/ExpensiveParking7717]

If you want to stay in nursing, UHart is fine. If you really want to go to Med School, UCONN will give you much better change of admittance to medical school. UCONN pre-med track biology is a better route for medical school than nursing.

[u/fjf1085 → u/ExpensiveParking7717]

I work at the University of Bridgeport. We were just discussing today how the freshman advisors have no idea what they’re doing. They recommend health sciences, nursing, or med tech to people who want to get into PA or Med school and that is not correct. Biology is the better way to go given the classes you have to take. Nursing is not a normal pathway to medical school. They’re two different if interrelated fields.

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all → u/fjf1085]

OP though, is not med school material. OP is not admitted into nursing in Uconn so she is not a top student. If this is the only slightly selective program in a generic state school and she was not admitted, med school is not going to be a thing. Bio admit at U conn will not be selective and pre med is mostly an idea until the classes start to bite.

https://bpir.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3452/2025/07/UConn_CDS_2024_2025.pdf

OP doesn't need a freshman adviser, she needs someone in her home country to advise against any of this, borrowing money for a fantasy. Plenty of Uharts nursing admits won't graduate as nurses (57% graduation rate!). As she already talked about this last round and is on a gap year, I am hoping that the worsening immigration issue gets through to her because the schools will take international students money with zero compunction. International students are cash cows to unis.

OP should go to nursing school near home. The thing is, OP has been rejected for her nursing school app in the PH. The answer would be to either apply to anyschool in the PH or improve her application. Not go to a school in the US for maybe 160,000 USD for something an American could go to CC for.

It is a bummer because American kids say this dumb shit about med school in high school and usually stop saying it after the first semester of college. The kids that are med school material show that in middle school.

[u/AMW131 → u/ExpensiveParking7717]

This is the correct answer.

[u/Illustrious-Chip-245]

I went to UConn and worked at UHart.

UConn by a mile. There are clear differences in standards for admission and it shows in the student body. I met some wonderfully bright students during my time at UHart, but the culture of excellence in academics is lacking. In a science/medical field you definitely want to be surrounded by students who are lifting you up, not bringing you down.

[u/an_nep]

UHart is extremely expensive! Definitely look into how much of that scholarship will cover the full tuition and room and board.

[u/BlowOutKit22 → u/an_nep]

Aassuming F-1 visa (OP said they were international student), they would be paying less going to UHart than UConn given their scholarship amounts. And F-1s cannot obtain state residency for in-state tuition purposes:

UConn tuition (international student): $40K, Scholarship $10K

UHart tutition: $50K, Scholarship $31K

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all → u/BlowOutKit22]

U hart COA though, as OP is looking at dorms, is 72K. so 40K a year just for the school stuff. Lots of other expenses for internationals.

[u/Straight-Cook-1897]

UConn if you want to go to med school. They have robust research programs on campus, thousands of clubs and activities to get involved, a dedicated premed advising floor in their academic advising, etc. it’s just a bigger school with way more resources.

You can always reapply into nursing your sophomore year at UConn too, but bio or Physiology and neurobio are good majors to get working on your prereqs for med school.

[u/RarePerspective4934 → u/Straight-Cook-1897]

Hi, actually you can't just reapply for Nursing at UCONN, as it's a direct-admit program, IN CREDIBLY COMPETITIVE to get into (over 4k applications for 230-250 spots) and they rarely accept transfers into the department. I agree with what others are stating here: what do you really want to do? If you want to be a Nurse, take the Hartford choice if their NCLEX pass rate is over 90%. If you want to go to medical school then UCONN Bio is the way

[u/Purple_Log2581]

You said you want to work in the “medical field”. Have you looked into Uharts DPT 7-year program?

[u/tipsytubbs]

i started at uhart and transferred to uconn, uconn is the better choice for both education and quality of life NO QUESTION

[u/adultdaycare81]

Uconn is a way better school. It’s also way bigger and way out in the woods.

Uhart is a small school. Not as academically prestigious. Still has fun parties because the kids are rich.

[u/himewaridesu → u/adultdaycare81]

I think it’s funny everyone says UHart are the rich kids. Everyone I know who went to UHart are the poors lol.

[u/Aggravating-Menu-976 → u/himewaridesu]

Or musicians

[u/adultdaycare81 → u/himewaridesu]

You couldn’t pry that out of me with a crowbar

[u/skankopita]

I had the same dilemma back when I applied to colleges. I risked it and went to the state school in bio in hopes to apply into their nursing program the end of my sophomore year. I didn’t get in. I was devastated. State schools are a lot harder in my opinion

Ultimately I’m am very glad to be in the feild I’m in but it is not science or medical related. If I went to one of the many private nursing programs I got into with scholarship I’m sure my life would be very different now

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all]

You have done this thread before, right? None of that has changed.

Cite the full COA, not the scholarships only.

Go train as a a nurse in your own country, if you have been rejected there and also not admitted to UCONN for nursing, there is a reason for that,

Nurses do not go on to med school. That might be more of a thing in your home country but not in the US. If you want med school you need an undergrad with time to get an optimal GPA (like perfect or close to) , do your premeds and get all As, and do the volunteering stuff. Does the odd RN go to med school? Maybe, but not normally.

Bio undergrads that don't get to med school are often unemployed and you won't get an OPT.

Foreign students do not regularly get into US med schools Like 1% of US med students are foreign. Are you top 1%?

What was your SAT? AP/Alevels/IB? If you were rejected in the PH for nursing school, you are not going to med school in the US.

[u/ClassicFriendship161]

If you don’t want to be a nurse don’t become one. We already have enough people who hate their jobs in this field. Just go pre-med if you want to be a doctor.

[u/CuriousGeorge718]

UHart Undergrad, UConn Grad here…

UHart is fine. Nursing program is solid from what I’ve heard from friends.

UConn is a better school overall and sets you up for future opportunities. You’ll be pushed harder at UConn academically so you have to bet on yourself that you’ll step up to the standard.

[u/ClearContribution345]

I think UConn because it sounds like you don’t really know where you want to be in the medical field yet and they have a lot more options in that department

[u/himewaridesu]

I’ve had friends do both programs at both schools. Friend who did UHart does well for himself. Friends at UConn do fine. Honestly for me the financial would outweigh the program, being able to get by without loans? No brainer.

[u/Then-Milk-8624]

Went to Uhart and was there through COVID. I loved it. I had a decent scholarship and received it every year without issue. They recently made a bunch of upgrades to campus and the nursing program is in a new building. The campus is also close to a lot of hospitals so there are a lot of places to shadow/do rotations. 

For either campus, you will probably want a car, but there are public bus routes and trains. UConn has a Upass, which makes public transportation free. Lmk if you have questions!

[u/profthrwwy]

Please take a look at the new student visas. We've been told that this administration's new international student visas are only for four years -- with almost no chance of renewal. Hopefully these rules will be changed. But if not: Go where you can complete your degree in 4 years or less. It would suck to be a class short and not be able to graduate (completion from abroad is unclear).

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all → u/profthrwwy]

And now nursing in not a stem for foreign students post grad. So excluded now from stem OPT.

[u/fendifairy]

i wouldn’t suggest becoming a nurse if you eventually want to be a doctor. if you want to work in the medical field before medical school, i’d suggest something that doesn’t require a lengthy school process. also, as someone in nursing school, it won’t help you much with medical school

[u/kasia12m]

You won’t be able to transfer into a nursing program. If you really want to be a nurse, just go to uhart. UConn also has massive lecture halls for biology, is this an environment you’d do well in?

Side note, graduating at 21/22 with a degree you can make good money in is a massive perk.

[u/Patient_Luck2339]

If you want to be a nurse, go to UHart. If you want to become a doctor sooner rather than later, go to UConn. A nursing curriculum will not satisfy a significant subset of the courses required for med school admissions, so you will need to find some way or time to satisfy those and it won’t happen while you are carrying the course and clinical loads of a nursing program.

[u/BeeefBoi873]

A degree is a degree, go where it will be cheaper. You don’t want student loans. 

[u/Allinorfold34]

I would take the free $ and go to uhartford. If you want to be a physician being a nurse first will only help your application.

[u/Perfect_Ad5324]

For nursing, go wherever you get accepted! That’s amazing you got into UHARTs program. If your heart is set on nursing, go there. If you want pre med, I would consider UConn.

[u/gnew18]

UHart is the better choice. 10 years from now, no one will care where you went to school. Doing the job well is the better guaranty of “success” (however you define success)

Colleges should base tuition (if they are going to charge it at all) based on the field of study. Paying the same to get a nursing degree as an attorney just isn’t logical.

Staying out of debt and paying as little as you can to get the qualifications to become whatever you want to become, is better than “where you attended” school in the short and long term. As I said (it bears repeating) no one will give a rat’s ass where your degree is from 10 years from now.

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all → u/gnew18]

OP is paying big money whatever. The scholarship is at most only half. There is no good reason to come to the US for what is JC penny scholarship at a non name school, when no one is full pay, the scholarship is meaningless. If OP was a US person CC would be the more sensible route for nursing.

[u/CommunityDragon160]

Hart for 2 years then transfer

[u/Sibylla-Queen-of-all → u/[deleted]]

If OP has 31K a year and COA is 72K, it is a load of money. That doesn't count cost for travel, health insurance, visas. All for little likelihood of citizenship the US, this was what the money was for back in the day, now that isn't a given at all.