Program questions! Current/Past students at: SDSU, SFSU, SJSU, SSU, CSULB, CSUS

[amd615]

Hello to any and all that may have some helpful information for any of the schools listed above!

I have applied to SFSU, SJSU, SDSU, CSULB, SSU, and CSUS for the Fall 2014 semester. As of yet, I have only heard back from one school (an acceptance to Long Beach!), but I won't be hearing from the others until late April or even early May. This gives me a very small window to make my decision, since most of the schools require that I submit my intent to enroll by May 1. So, in order to avoid paying the fee to practically all the schools on May 1 so that I have some time to figure things out, I'm trying to collect as much information right now.

I think I have a really good chance of getting into every program I applied to, which makes the choice even more daunting since all of these programs are great! Just for reference, my overall college GPA is 3.9, my nursing prerequisites GPA is 4.0, and I scored a 94.0% on my TEAS.

Now, I would greatly appreciate any information from current or past students at any of the above programs. Particularly, I'm interested in clinical sites, student-professor relationships, preceptorship options, overall quality of the program (was it organized? evidence-based? focused on student success?), exam formats (NCLEX-type questions?), and if there are any contract or internship opportunities with hospitals after graduation. And if you have graduated recently, were you successful in finding a job in the area?

Sorry for the length, but thank you in advanced for the information! Whatever advice you have to offer is greatly appreciated. This is probably the most exciting and simultaneously nerve-racking decision I've ever faced!

[zzbxdo]

I think all the schools above hit the marks mentioned. I think the most important criteria is which schools actually provides the connections to get you a paycheck. Chances are you will have to relocate are pretty darn high. Socal has the highest concentration of new graduate programs and being a local has an ever so slight advantage. If accepted to all the programs above, I would personally attend long Beach or sd assuming you have equal connections among all locations.

[RunBabyRN]

I agree that most programs should meet the criteria you seek. Your stats are excellent- I'm guessing you'll have your pick of programs!

I am about to graduate from SSU, so here's my feedback specific to their program:

clinical sites, : Sutter, Memorial, and Kaiser, all in Santa Rosa, for most clinicals. Peds, psych, preceptorship, and community health are elsewhere (all over).

student-professor relationships, : Most are awesome. We have some really supportive instructors, and with a small class (started with 24, graduating with 23), the instructors know us well, we know them well, we have good relationships with them all, they really advocate for us and try to work with us, etc. There are a couple of exceptions, but the general theme is great. They push us hard, but are supportive about it. It's not about trying to thin the herd, it's about making sure we understand the content and what we're doing in the clinical setting.

preceptorship options, : They really try to place us somewhere we'll be happy. There are only so many options, and they have to place us among SRJC and Dominican students, but I'm precepting somewhere great (after an initial assignment in my last choice).

overall quality of the program (was it organized? evidence-based? focused on student success?), : Organization is still being worked out- we're only the second class that's down to 2 years. Evidence based? Absolutely. Focused on student success? YES.

exam formats (NCLEX-type questions?), : NCLEX-style questions. We also have papers, lots of research through the program (see evidence-based).

and if there are any contract or internship opportunities with hospitals after graduation. : Not necessarily a contract, but there's a residency program available this summer. There's no guarantee this will be the case every summer. The way the job market is right now, I can't imagine there are any guarantees anywhere.

And if you have graduated recently, were you successful in finding a job in the area? : I am graduating next month, and I have a job offer where I'm precepting (the first in my class with an offer!).

If you have any other questions about SSU, I'm happy to answer. :)