[phillykixx17]

Okay so I am a high school junior and I was recently pulled into my guidance office the other day and we had the talk about college .. i knew for a while know that i want to go into nursing school but I don't know where to start ... i have been looking at many schools but i am unsure if i should go to a school with an ASN program where you can work and continue towards a BSN or just go right to the BSN program ... Also I was interested in Thomas Jefferson but I hear you have to complete pre re work before you can start your classes and everything .. along with that the question of, will i have to take a year off of school and complete pre reqs before i can even go into nursing school or is that just some of the schools ?? this is really hard to figure out and i was just needed some help and my counselor was really no help lol .. but also if someone could suggest some schools for me to look at that would be great ... i have a pretty good GPA unweighted of 3.4 and i am a male and plan on doing the allied health program at our school .. again any help or advice would be great THANKS !!!

[Tweety]

Good luck to you!

Almost all nurses schools require pre-reqs now, and they require very good grades because there are many students wanting to be nurses and very few spots.

Probably since you are young, the best idea is to go for the BSN right away and get it out of the way, if you can.

You might want to make a separate post in the state forum where you live asking for advice about local schools. Just click the tab above that says "local" and that will lead you to the state forums.

Feel free to ask any questions that you might have.

[cowgrrlRN]

Both BSN and ADN programs are excellent. The main thing I had to consider is how I was going to pay for college. Initially I was involved in a scholarship program with the hospital I worked in during high school and planned to get my BSN but the program lost funding so I had no way of paying for tuition to a four year school without being deeply in debt. I chose a community college with a good reputation that had rates I could afford. It was probably the best decision I ever made. The smaller class size and personal guidance made all the difference.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a program and most do require pre-reqs. Mine took a year before the nursing part of things. I agree with Tweety about checking with the local forum. You will need to apply yourself regardlees of what program you choose. Good luck.

[arciedee]

Many BSN programs are organized so that the pre-reqs are integrated into the first year or two along with general education requirements, so you wouldn't have to take a year "off" to take pre-reqs. At your age I would recommend going straight for the BSN, though it obviously depends on your personal situation. You may also want to see whether any local community colleges have programs with the high schools where you can complete college level courses while you are still in high school. This could potentially allow you to work on pre-reqs prior to finishing high school. Definitely check out what is available to you in the areas that you are interested in attending school. Good luck!

[Elvish]

Originally Posted by arciedee

Many BSN programs are organized so that the pre-reqs are integrated into the first year or two along with general education requirements, so you wouldn't have to take a year "off" to take pre-reqs. At your age I would recommend going straight for the BSN, though it obviously depends on your personal situation.

I went for my BSN directly out of college, and this is exactly how my program was set up. I was in and out in 4 years, prereqs and all.