The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Private For-Profit Schools

Prospective students are often faced with the decision of which school to attend. Many of these students are considering attending private for-profit institutions of higher learning. The purpose of this article is to explore the benefits and drawbacks of private for-profit schools. Students General Students Article

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Stephalump

2,723 Posts

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Where do you live that there are waitlists? I have to say, I've never heard of anything like that in Texas. Not that I'm saying it doesn't exist, just curious where.

33762FL

376 Posts

No wait list or pre-requisites are not benefits. Those things mean they admit anybody with a pulse and don't academically prepare you in the same way that your public school or private non-profit would. These schools are extremely expensive, play dirty tricks on consumers, have a poor reputation, and have far higher rates of student loan default, drop outs, and unemployment. Stay away from them - as my mother always said, there are no short cuts in life.

justin.j

41 Posts

Stephalump: I found that most of the schools in the SF bay area and many in the Boston Metro area tend to have extensive wait-lists. You can bust your hump getting A's in all of your pre-reqs and still get wait-listed or placed in a lottery for a year or two. No fun.

And as for TX, a friend of mine lives in Austin and got wait-listed for the ACC program. : / Not sure where you are, but maybe it has something to do with living near a larger metro area? In any case, I'm glad you don't/didn't have to suffer through the wait. :specs:

Stephalump

2,723 Posts

Specializes in Forensic Psych.
Stephalump: I found that most of the schools in the SF bay area and many in the Boston Metro area tend to have extensive wait-lists. You can bust your hump getting A's in all of your pre-reqs and still get wait-listed or placed in a lottery for a year or two. No fun.

And as for TX, a friend of mine lives in Austin and got wait-listed for the ACC program. : / Not sure where you are, but maybe it has something to do with living near a larger metro area? In any case, I'm glad you don't/didn't have to suffer through the wait. :specs:

Thanks for the response! Interesting...

How does the waiting list work? Is there no competitive selection, just first come, first serve? Or are you put in order of GPA and the top gets in?

I suppose my school has a "list" based on a pints system. The top students get spots and everyone else is denied and had to reapply next cycle if they wish. No waiting.

Oh, and I'm from Houston - not a size issue!

Specializes in CV/CT SICU.

I'm from Houston also.. There are waitlists (I was put on one) except instead of being put on 2-3 years long lists you have to shell out $50-$100 a semester to reapply if you don't get in that current semester. I'll be attending a for-profit school because like the OP I'm not getting any younger and I have a child to think about. However I did all my research and the school is accredited by the CCNE (i personally called the CCNE 3 times) just like all the other major universities and is actually a few thousand dollars cheaper than the big private non profit university (HBU). I also work at major hospital in the medical center and have asked many nurses and nurse managers what they think about my decision and have gotten no discouragement.. Basically as long as the school is approved by the TX BON and CCNE accredited it's not a problem. I've even spoken to a Navy Corp recruiter and the school being a for-profit is not a problem becasue it is CCNE accredited.

As far as the original poster's statements about poor clinical sites and no pre-reqs/requirements to be accepted, we have the same sites as the big schools in Houston and take the same HESI and have the same G.P.A requirements as every other school. However because the school has only been in Houston about a year it's not as well-known and the masses haven't flocked. Besides they only accept 40 students a semester so they can't accept everyone anyway. And only have 3 start dates (Spring, Summer, and Fall).

Yes the school is expensive however it's not impossible especially if you have taken most if not all of your pre-reqs elsewhere like I have done.

In the end we'll all sit for the same NCLEX.

Just my :twocents:.

justin.j

41 Posts

Oh, yeah, definitely not a size issue. I went to Galveston last year and spent some time in Houston. I couldn't believe how big it was!

I suppose that's one of the more frustrating things. Each school tends to have its own approach to wait listing students. Some rank qualified students on a points system based on a variety of things: gpa, TEAS score, how many times you've been on their wait list, how many credits you have at that school, etc. So, even if you have a 4.0 and a great test score, you might not get into a particular school if you took your pre-reqs elsewhere or haven't been on their wait list before.

My personal favorite is the lottery system. Everyone who satisfies the minimum requirements is entered into the lottery. If you've been in the lotto before without getting picked, your name gets dropped in more times, but no guarantee that you'll be picked that year, and there is no emphasis on gpa or test scores. :bugeyes:

So, with that said, I can certainly see the allure of a for profit school with direct entry! No fuss, no muss. I ended up in the middle: A non profit private school that admitted students based on merit. Not quite as cheap as a public school, but no wait and not as expensive as a for profit school. I'm happy with my choice. Hope your journey is going well too. :specs:

Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

I suppose my school has a "list" based on a pints system.

A pints system eh? Well I'll drink to that. :cheers:

Stephalump

2,723 Posts

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

A pints system eh? Well I'll drink to that. :cheers:

I had no problems getting to the top of the list

Stephalump

2,723 Posts

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I had no problems getting to the top of the list

That's not at all what that was supposed to say lol. No more posting while grocery shopping.

Point being...if it's based on competitive drinking, I've got it in the bag ;)

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I really appreciate all the different viewpoints that are being expressed on this thread. Obviously, this is a really complex issue.

One area that has not surfaced is the affect of the school's status upon the quantity & quality of faculty. Basically, faculty at commercial schools (investor owned) are academic sharecroppers. They are provided with a standard curriculum and told what and when to deliver it. Instructor salaries are based on a traditional 'piecework' basis used for most adjunct faculty... with no consideration for the 'extras' required to effectively teach, such as providing individual guidance, or conducting additional research and development of instructional content. This is not an environment that supports a professional model for faculty. Instead, it usually attracts people who want to earn some extra money with very little commitment on either side (employer or employee).

So, if you're wondering why the faculty may seem less polished or more frazzled, look at their development, support & reward system.

Sticky!!! :yeah: Sticky this.

SE_BSN_RN, BSN

805 Posts

Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
Omigod. . .I came across a post from a student who is attending an LPN/LVN program at a private for-profit trade schoolwith a whopping tuition of $40,000.

Yikes!!! My BSN at a private for profit is less than that, almost 1/2 less!!