Shepherd University in Los Angeles?

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Aug 31, 2010

@tothepointeLVN: i've heard of excelsior but never considered it because of the licensing issue in california. after reading the ad, it does soun appealing but is that legit? and with the job shortage in nursing in california, would that really be a good idea?

No I would NOT suggest doing excelsior at all. I guess my point was made right in your post ( not your fault so not an insult). Desperate nurse to be's will read that ad and see what they want to see.

The real truth behind that ad is excelsior is NOT approved in California and suggest that you get a license in TX and then try to work for the VA in california is very risky. For one the ad doesn't mention you have to be a citizen to work at the VA. Also the hiring process at the VA is time consuming. And what if the VA doesn't want you at the end?

Even ISU which is legit in CA I would not endorse since I have yet to hear of anyone graduating and getting a job in CA.

When I was looking for RN schools in LA I found at least 25 within driving distance. If I hadn't gotten into my first choice I would have applied to them all. You luck gets better the more lottery tickets you have right?

caffeineaddict · Sep 6, 2010

Guys,

For those of u living nearby Los Angeles, check out LA Harbor College. I have my lvn license, majority of my pre-reqs done and a 3.0 gpa. I got in- in 1 semester. All u need to do is take a few lvn-rn transition courses and tease test. PLease dont bother with these private schools until u check them out.

They place u in 2nd semester or u can challenge and if successful, ull be placed in 3rd semester. Awesome school with excellent Nclex pass rate,+95%.

email me if u have any further questions.

ps, not discouraging peeps to do the private school thing but y pay thousands when harbor is so economical? gltua

caffeine:twocents:

Studionurse · Sep 11, 2010

I totally agree with you Caffeine. Although the school is about 30 miles from where I reside, I will be checking them out as soon as I finish my prerequisites.

2629jjang · Sep 15, 2010

I went to there, LA Harbor College too, I have a lvn license and they said they only accept 10+ students for lvn to rn program and there would be a waiting list. Because I have been in waiting for 2 years I could not want to enroll that program. So I enrolled Shepherd University lvn to rn program and I believe I will finish next winter.

The school accepts most credits that you've taken from other colleges and I am not sure if that transfer policy applies to only this semester, so you might contact them.

caffeineaddict · Sep 17, 2010

I went to there, LA Harbor College too, I have a lvn license and they said they only accept 10+ students for lvn to rn program and there would be a waiting list. Because I have been in waiting for 2 years I could not want to enroll that program. So I enrolled Shepherd University lvn to rn program and I believe I will finish next winter.
The school accepts most credits that you've taken from other colleges and I am not sure if that transfer policy applies to only this semester, so you might contact them.

Sorry that was your experience but it definetly was not mine. There were much more than 10 lvns last semester. More like 20 or so. I dont know who u spoke with but I got in easy and my gpa is not that good. :uhoh3:

I was very fortunate. I suggest all lvns in the LA area check out Harbor College stat before things change. :up:

Much love to us lvns who want to be rns someday soon:redbeathe

caffeine

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2010

At this rate, I should be finished with the Nursing Associate's degree in Spring 2003.

I hope that you meant to say spring of 2013!?

Studionurse · Nov 30, 2010

This is not very encouraging. Anyway I am taking my prerequisites at the local community colleges, and will be trying to get into their RN program next year. GOOD LUCK!!

X-tra Stinky · Nov 30, 2010

I hope that you meant to say spring of 2013!?

Oops, thanks for the correction.

X-tra Stinky · Nov 30, 2010

This is not very encouraging. Anyway I am taking my prerequisites at the local community colleges, and will be trying to get into their RN program next year. GOOD LUCK!!

In this economic environment, its best to be weary of strange/strict requirements of any institution/school. You should keep multiple options open.

For me, if this doesn't work out, I might have to go overseas and teach English... :crying2:

droop · Nov 30, 2010

I'm in shepherd's LVN to RN course and its not as bad as x-tra stinky says. The online courses are by far the easiest courses i have ever taken. You watch the lectures which are about 1 - 2 hours long and take 4 tests for the subject which are each worth 25%. So i guess it is easy to mess up but everything on the test are covered in the lecture (again these are the online courses). The professor does respond as long as you are persistent. At any school, it is the students job to get whatever is needed. Don't expect to be catered to all your life. And as far as books go, i purchased all my books used online and paid less than wat i paid for my anatomy book at SMC. Also, the staff does not harass you if you have everything taken care of (documents, payments, etc). I made a contract BEFORE i started paying with the school to pay by month. They have never harassed me about anything except the extra documents that they needed afterwards. The teachers i have are all Korean so far with pretty strong accents but are understandable. They are also very qualified and give you very good insight about their experiences in the field. So don't be discouraged to look into this place. I have had pretty much all positive experiences so far.

X-tra Stinky · Nov 30, 2010

droop, like I said in my previous post this was "my experience".

I'm not looking to be waited on, but I expect to be taught the material (my instructor specifically states that the exams are based on the chapters. Does he say any specific areas? No.). Remember, the materials that we are learning in these courses are on the nursing exams...Not everyone is skillful enough to self-teach...

Prior to making any payments, I did sign a contract. The fact that the RN director was so concern with money was extremely puzzling and frightening to me. Maybe its the fact that I'm not Korean or I'm a guy?... :confused:

Maybe its just me, but transitioning from a public school to a private one, takes a bit of getting used too...

Btw, I'm not telling anyone to be discouraged about this school. I'm saying that its not your typical school. You're asked to do more than other schools. Its more of a vocational institution than anything else.

droop · Dec 5, 2010

i totally understand you xtrastinky. Sorry if what i said came out a little aggressive. I do agree they come off as very money hungry as they do ask for the money before anything else. I am also a guy, but it is easier for me to communicate with them because i do speak korean so that might make it a little easier for me. Also i realize that you are in the generic program and not the lvn to rn program. I already went through a lvn program so i guess i am used to the "learn on your own" method. I dont really think this school asks you to do more than other schools as this school doesnt even assign you homework (my classes at least), and let me tell you that this schools pre-req courses are ALOT easier than my classes i took at SMC. Also, these pre-reqs are to prepare you for the nursing program so not many questions about philosophy, music, etc., will come out on the nclex-rn if thats your concern. Just focus on all your science courses if anything. And keep in mind that our school has a nclex-rn prep course at the end with a 98% passing rate. The teacher of that course is my health assessment teacher right now and she is a really good teacher. So keep your head up and try your hardest =].