[40startingoveragain]

I am currently attending Keiser University and love it. It is very expensive but I think worth it since there is a lack of colleges out there with short waiting lists for RN programs. The sizes of the classes are excellent and the professors help a lot!! I have run across some of the recruiting personnel that give you a line when looking at the school. Just do your research when looking at schools!

After college I plan to take advantage of the Florida Loan Forgiveness Program!!! And I'm thankful that I have gotten $20k in scholarships. One thing I can say is apply for any scholarship you can!!!

[DanisTeeta]

The reason there is no waiting list is b/c of the price tag!!! If $$$ is not an option, go for it. They have a great reputation.

[Danish]

Just an update...

I am finishing my 2nd semester of the LPN program at St. Petersburg Keiser and still enjoying it. We are finishing the first half of med surg and beginning the second next week. I still have a 4.0 and am first in my class of 19 (began with 24). I can say that Keiser works very hard with students to keep them in the program and doing well. The classes are Mon-Thu and my instructor is ALWAYS available all day Friday. They work with students who need extra help and push you as much as they can. I have 4 months left and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know it is expensive, but so far, my campus has a 100% pass rate. It has at time felt like a business more than a school, but that is the case with most LPN schools anyway.

[centralflorida]

I went and talked with an admissions counselor at Keiser recently and here is my take on it. I did absolutely feel like I was talking to a used car salesman and that I was being sold a product. Does that mean it's automatically a bad product? I don't think so. They're a business. They charge an arm and a leg - about $46000 total, or about $40,000 if you already have your prerequisites - but they offer in return a very valuable degree, and as we all know even once you finish your pre-reqs, it takes years to get into the community colleges, if you can at all because it's so competitive these days.

That said, I am going to call around some local hospitals to make sure that they hire graduates from Keiser. And if they do, I will seriously consider Keiser because I don't want to wait three years or more to start school.
Other similar schools are FMU and Galen - haven't checked them out but they seem to run on the same model.

[Universerules]

I graduated from Keiser with my ADRN last February.
The actual experience kinda sucked, especially because you're with the same 25 people for almost 2 years. On the flip side I know that I got a great education. Haven't had any problems as of yet and I feel like I had more hands-on training than some people.

What I did was take my prereqs elsewhere, there is no need to pay that much for english and whatnot. After core I owed 17K. They had really good financial services people too so that made the bite a little bit easier. Both BCC and Indian River have pretty good programs too I've heard.

As far as the NCLEX is concerned, I only think one of my classmates failed the first time, and that person had always had trouble with tests. Aced it the second time. Most people said it was a lot easier than they had anticipated.

Good luck with whatever you do choose!

[busyinorlando]

I too attended keiser college orlando campus! The recruiter told me that they would be bringing the nursing program to orlando in august of 2007. He signed me up advising me that there may be a few courses that I will need to take before being admitted into the nursing program as I would be the first on the list for admission. I signed up and begin taking classes in January 2007 I have not heard from him since. I later found out that even after my financial aid and student loans I will still owe the school $1900 per semester. I completed the spring semester making the dean's list for the first time in my life. I made the decision to leave keiser even though I was doing well with the online classes because I felt that the counselor lied to me, and the school waited until I was in semester to tell me that my loans would not be enough to cover classes. Keiser is a good school if you can afford it. I took and pass the net test on the first try and will be attending orlando tech in august for the lpn program.

[blisstarr]

Hi There

My best friend works for Kieser in Miami(I don't want to say where), and trust me you do not want to go to that school. I have gotten to know the people who work there, especially in admissions, and when someone compared them to a used car salesman, it is so true. They are pushed to recruit as many people as they possibly can using whatever tactics necessary. My friend was telling me that until very recently Kieser was not even SACS accredited. Even worse, before they were accredited the staff and faculty where told to keep the fact that they were not on the hush-hush. They would take advantage of peoples ignorance and would sign them up and have them pay 4 or 5x the regular amount that they would pay at a community college. And what is even worse they would not even be able to transfer any credits to another institution.

[Danish]

Originally Posted by blisstarr

And what is even worse they would not even be able to transfer any credits to another institution.

I can attest to this. We just had a girl fail out of our class and she was told that not only could she not transfer her credits anywhere else, but she would have to retake the entire program, even the semester that she earned a B in. Also, she is going to have to pay ALL OVER again if she wants to retake the program. She is in a catch 22. If she wants to finish school, either way she will have to retake the program. IMO she should go elsewhere.

[dragonflyaltoids]

I attend Keiser, and will graduate this Friday. I don't know which you are planning on attending but if it's the Tallahassee campus I advise against it. Unfortunately, I am the first nursing class that was pushed through, there are a lot of inconsistencies with the Keiser program.
On three seperate occasions I was pulled into the nursing director's office on the basis that my "conduct" was unbecoming. After the third trip I informed her that this was bordering on harassment, and if she falsely accused me of doing things because of heresay, that I could and I WOULD file a lawsuit against them.
Sadly, I could go on and on about things that happened in school that never should have but I won't bore you with my sad story.
I am just happy to graduate and get away from the mean spirited place.
However, ultimately it is your decision where to go to school, so best of luck to you!

[sweetynola]

I was accepted to the jacksonville program and had a similar experience with the dean of nursing before I even started she stated I barely got in because of my impatience because amistake was made and my interview with her was canceledunbeknowst to me ??? but I will grit my teeth and bear it becauselike u I wantthe degree