Any Accelerated BSN at IUPUI Fall applicants?

Hi there! I will be going to IUPUI in the Fall to start the accelerated BSN program and am SO EXCITED! Will you be in the same class?? I was hoping the school had some type of forum to connect newly accepted students, but they said that at this time they do not have that resource.

Hopefully you got your acceptance letter and maybe I will see you in the Fall. Are you from Indiana? I am moving there from Oregon in a few weeks, and am going there this weekend to find an apartment.

My name is Anna Winfrey by the way. Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Hey can I ask you ladies a question? For the accelerated IUPUI BSN program, I've looked at the pre-reqs and they have some pretty specific classes listed. Do you know if they give some leeway on some of the humanities/cultural diversity type cluster courses? For example in my prior degree I took a class called Social Anthropology, and I wonder if that could count as a Cultural Diversity cluster course even though they don't have one listed exactly like that. Or, a history course called Western Civilization. I'm currently planning on applying to Ivy Tech but keep thinking about looking further into IUPUI's accel. BSN. But, if they only take exact match courses, then I'd have so many to take before I'd finish all IUPUI's pre-reqs.

Did either of you find anything out about Clarian paying for some of nursing school in exchange for agreeing to work for them? A while back on this website, someone in the program said that Clarian will "front you some money because they know you will come work for them" and they like accel. BSN students because they have a reliable track record with already having a bachelor's degree in something else. I have a hard time getting past the cost difference between Ivy Tech and IUPUI, and getting an ASN from Ivy and then getting a job and having the hospital help pay for RN to BSN transition seems so much cheaper. I would not be eligible for need-based financial aid and don't want loans.

Thanks for your reply Jenni! Yes I certainly would like to hear more after you go through your orientation. So who do I call to meet with to go over previous transcripts? Do you call just a general admissions advisor, or is there someone specifically from the nursing school and/or accel. BSN program to contact? Did you take statistics from Ivy or IUPUI? I was looking at Ivy's statistics class and it says there is a pre-req of math 120-or 130-something, but I've only taken math 118, although I did 'test into' math 136 on the Compass test.

I think I want to be an L&D nurse, so I don't know if would even need a BSN for that. I mean, I know they don't require it, but in this economy, it seems like a BSN would have a better shot potentially than an ASN, although I've heard that there is no pay difference. My thing is that I just don't know if I would need or want to go beyond ASN level, since both ASN and BSN can take the RN exam. What area of nursing are you interested in, if you know you want to get an MSN?

Hey there. I had the same experience as Jenni. They seemed to really work with your transcripts and what courses you've taken to try to help you out as much as they can. I was doing my eval over the phone and dealt with Michelle Piercy, who was really nice. She is an advisor in the School of Nursing.

I know how confusing it can be to decide what path to take in regards to nursing programs....so many choices and so many factors to consider. I was like you in the beginning, wanting to do an ADN program due to finances and the fact that you can still get your RN. I came to my decision to do an accelerated BSN because like Jenni said, it's a higher degree in a shorter amount of time. From my conversations with nurse recruiters, with the nursing shortage it does't make a huge difference in what type of degree you have, but with the economy and hospitals on hiring freezes, if they are going to hire, they might interview BSN applicants first. This could all change when the economy gets better, hopefully soon! Another reason why I decided to go for a BSN was because there are so many opportunities to enroll in programs that help you pay off your loans when you get hired (like the Clarian), or many state nursing facilites offere reimbursement programs, and most hospitals have sign on bonuses for nurses.

At the end of the day you have to do what feels right for you and what you see yourself doing long term. If you know what area you want to do and you know where you will be living, I would call the major hospitals and talk to nurse recruiters to find out what they require and if it would make a difference.

I wish you lots of luck!

Thanks for your response also Anna. I wish you and Jenni the best of luck! If I decided to apply to IUPUI, I think the earliest I could start their program is May 2010. That would still get me done about the same time as doing Ivy's ASN program starting in Jan. 2010.

Hi everyone!

I'm currently in the ABSN program at IUPUI (graduating August '10), so feel free to ask any questions about the program! Good luck getting your acceptance letters!!

I highly recommend getting a BSN over an associate's degree if you can.

Hi BNE103! Congrats on being in the program! Are you in your second semester of it? What is your previous degree in?

So can you shed some light on the story that Clarian/other hospitals are at orientation to tell about what they can do for ABSN students? I'm very curious to know what kinds of monetary help an ABSN student can get from the hospitals. The cost difference is the biggest reason by far that I have trouble forgoing CHEAP Ivy Tech's ASN and then having a hospital pay for a lot of going on for a BSN afterwards. I would not be eligible for any need-based financial aid, and have always thought I wouldn't do loans, but if the hospital will upfront say they will cover loans for ABSNs then that would change things. It just sounds too good to be true that they would do stuff like that before you even are through the program. Please give any and all info you can, I'd appreciate it!

Also, do you know if they will take your application even if you still have a few classes to get through? I would be able to have all the pre-reqs done by the end of the Spring 2010 term, and would want to then start the ABSN right away in their summer (May 2010) term, but that would mean that to apply by Jan. 15th, I'd still be in progress with probably 3 classes.

Also, so what makes you say that you recommend getting a BSN over an ASN? I've always heard that they make the same money starting out and as long as you pass NCLEX-RN you're good to go. . . but if you have some inside knowledge I'm all ears! I just have such a tough time getting past the program cost part. How do you like the program? Are the professors helpful and want to help you succeed, or do they make your life miserable? You know how you hear the gamut of things about nursing school professors and instructors so it would be great to hear some input from someone actually in the program like yourself.

Thanks for any info you can give.