SBCC or SMU? A dilemma. Help me out.

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Hi. a little bit about myself. I am 26, already have a BA in psychology. I got into Samuel Merritt University's ELMSN- case management back in February. Recently, I learned that I got in Santa banta Barbara City College's ADN program. SMU's program is extremely expensive, tuition will cost around 120k. My parents will pay for my first year's tuition and I can live at home, but I will have to get loans and financial aid.

SBCC's ADN costs $6000 in total tuition, but I have to pay for room and car, so about another 15k a year for two years. I won't have to be in debt. I am thinking about getting the ADN from SBCC and applying the ADN-BSN track at CSU Channel Island, or maybe an online MSN from CSU dominguez Hills after i received my ADN. Both options will be cheaper than SMU.

I am having a hard time deciding. On one hand It's great to be given the opportunity to get an MSN, on the other hand I will get in enormous debt. What do you guys think? Thanks!

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Specializes in Pulmonary & Cardiothoracic Critical Care.

I think your best bet is to attend an institution with either an ADN or BSN directly. Depending on where you want to work, some acute care hospitals want BSN prepared nurses. For example all the university hospitals want BSN prepared nurses to enhance their Magnet applications. If you could get a job as an ADN and have an employer pay for your RN-BSN that would be ideal. I live here in the Bay Area and am considering SMU for a post-masters but the cost factor is significant. So I completely understand. I would also say that I don't think too much weight should be placed on where you go for undergraduate training. I'd focus my financial resources on graduate level and a good grad school. When looking at a academic pedigree, little weight is given to where you went for undergrad - if that matters to you. Just my take, so you can see what other people say.

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I would also say that I don't think too much weight should be placed on where you go for undergraduate training. I'd focus my financial resources on graduate level and a good grad school.

Thanks for the response! The program I got into at SMU is actually a Master's Program. This is my dilemma. Affordable ADN vs Expensive MSN.

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Congrat! It is such a difficult decision to make! I totally understand your concern about the financial part of the education. SMU is costly and I know because I graduated from there. However, I want to put in my 2 cents. My question is that what you see yourself in the future? Do you want to become a RN Case Manager? Do you want to have a nursing degree (ADN, BSN, or MSN) and focus on bedside nursing? I think this is a very valid question that you really need to consider before making your final decision. Another thing is connection! It is the reality of current nursing field. You do not have a connection. You will have the most difficult time to land your first nursing job, especially in Bay Area. I experience this myself when I was looking for a job and I have a MSN with 1-2 years of nursing experiences. Are you looking to move back to Bay Area? If you are, I will strongly suggest you to go to the school at local because it is how you build your connections. I will just add one more thing. RN CM is a super hot market right now. A lot of openings and many hospitals want to hire RN CM. More than 90% of my classmates who graduated from CM track got jobs before they graduated. All of them got jobs within 2 months of graduation. I would say that connections were a huge factor that they all successfully landed their nursing jobs. I hope my 2 cents will give you some more insights.

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