Waiting periods in Sacramento

First of all, I'm impressed that you are applying to 19 schools. This shows true dedication to getting into an RN program, and should dramatically improve your chances of getting an acceptance.

Provided you meet all the entrance criteria, three tries seems to be about the average for the ADN programs that use a lottery (SCC, ARC, and Sierra). However, I've heard of students applying up to six times without being accepted. This is rare, because you get an extra "ticket" in the lottery each time you are rejected.

As far as other Central Valley schools are concerned, it's kind of a mixed bag. Solano uses a waiting list, which I now understand is more then 2.5 years long. It's a long wait, but a good way to hedge your bets. Yuba, San Joaquin Delta, and Modesto all use the chancellor's formula (which is based on four elements: overall college GPA, grade in English 1A or equivalent, core biology GPA, and number of core biology course repeats). CSU Sacramento is purely competitive based on grades, TEAS score, and several "optional critieria" such as medical experience and the ability to speak a foreign language.

It took me three tries to get accepted. I applied to a total of 11 schools, including all of those listed above. The first two times I was rejected by everyone. On the third try I got two acceptances and was named as an alternate for two other programs.

Of course, your mileage may vary.