SFSU vs SMU absn

[caitymarieg]

I got accepted to both SFSU nursing school and to the Samuel Merritt ABSN program. I am having a hard time making the decision on which school to attend! I have heard such great things about Samuel Merritt and that the clinicals and preceptorship are awesome. But its so expensive! I do like the fact that i would be able to finish school in just one year instead of the 2 years it would take at SFSU. Does anyone out there have any advice for me? Is SMU worth all that money?

Or if anyone has gone through SFSU's program, what was it like? Were the professors adn clinical leaders good?

[MyAimIsTrue, BSN]

I can only share my experience...Last year I was accepted into SMU ABSN, paid my deposit, and then said,"Oh my gosh, no way am I spending $70K on another Bachelor's degree!" So I didn't do it. I will be starting at CSUEB in the fall. Yes, it will take longer, but it will be less than a third the cost of SMU. I also applied to SFSU but withdrew my application once I was accepted at CSUEB. The NCLEX passing rates of the three schools are very similar, so for me, it came down to $$.

Sorry no advice per se, but that's how I made my decision (although sometimes I do think to myself that I would have graduated by now and would be studying for the NCLEX had I gone with SMU).

[ChrisHayes]

A company called FitBUX can actually help you "run the numbers" and get feedback on how much debt you can take without putting yourself in a bad financial position. They have all the salary data for the different programs so you can see the trade-off you're making when you go to a higher ranking school that costs more. They work with a lot of PT's but their analysis works for nurses and other medical professionals too. Go to the FitBUX website and request and invite to their pilot program.

[NewMurse1014]

My opinion might be biased because I've only applied to and graduated from SMU ABSN. The 1 year program is the main reason I went there because I want to get it done asap and get my license. I'm lucky enough to not have to take student loans (many of my classmates had to) and even luckier to get into a new grad position 4 months after graduation and NCLEX. Now I've earned back the tuition 6 months into my job. Many of my classmates got a job within 2-3 months of getting their license. If you can afford it I think it's worth it, and new grads from SMU have a good reputation in the Bay Area.