Advice needed - Which school should I go to?

Joyfull77 · Mar 25, 2010

I still have yet to apply to schools, but since there are different starting times, you may want to narrow it down that way...do you want to start this summer or next year? What attracts you to each school? I think OHSU is on the top of everyone's list, but I have heard excellent things about Linfield too!

apdxstudent · Mar 25, 2010

I don't have an answer to your question. Although I am wondering the same thing, however, I have not heard from any of the schools that I have applied to. Did you hear from Linfield today? I guess they are getting responses out earlier than their April 1st date.

luclmarie · Mar 25, 2010

Yes, I just heard today. I got the package in the mail about an hour ago. I have a friend that got her accetance a few days ago. I was worried that I hadn't heard yet, but then it was there in the mail today. Seems like they're not sending them all out at once.

OregonBSN · Mar 26, 2010

Last year, I applied to OHSU's accelerated program and did not get in. This year, I decided to be safe and apply to every program in the area. Also this past year, I finished my prerequisites and got some experience as a CNA. Well, that's just what I needed... So far, I've been accepted to University of Portland (Spring 2011), Walla Walla (Summer 2010), and Linfield accelerated program (Summer 2010). I'm still waiting to hear from OHSU. I didn't apply to Concordia because I had already been accepted to UofP before Concordia's application was due.
Anyway, now I'm faced with the dilemma of where to go. They all want responses by May 1. I plan to visit each school before then. I would appreciate any helpful advice from former or current students in any of these programs, or if you just have any good info that would help me make the decision.
Thank you!

I just graduated from Linfield's Accelerated program this past December - I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the program. (Take that endorsement with the fact that like many graduates, we only have the one school we attended to base our opinions on.) I have to say that the staff and faculty were very very supportive. I never felt like they were trying to fail me or weed people out. They love the second degree candidates for the depth and maturity they bring to the program. Linfield also offers a lot of financial aid (scholarships) that make tuition a little more bearable.

The BSN is a big plus these day for new grads, but even with that jobs are very hard to find. Maybe 10 of us have jobs out of the December graduates. I was fortunate enough to get a job offer during my senior practicum - very rare these days.... And I did get my dream job of working on the ICU.

My accelerated cohort of 46 (Dec. '09 grads) had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX. The state board website doesn't reflect this because graduates will take the exam at different times. We also had a few students (who were not accelerated) join our cohort for one reason or another. Some of them did not pass the NCLEX the first try.

So I would recommend Linfield. Great Nursing School, great neighborhood, better parking than the hill and a ton cheaper than UP. It's a small campus but the school has been there for 26+ years and the program dates back to the Good Sam era at teh turn of the century. Good luck!

luclmarie · Mar 26, 2010

Thanks so much, OregonBSN. That's definitely a good endorsement. Even though Walla Walla is steps from my house and would be very convenient, I'm leaning towards Linfield because of their great reputation and they gave me a scholarship! I couldn't believe how much UP cost. With the scholarship, Linfield is much more affordable and it starts and ends sooner.

fuzzybuddyRN · Mar 29, 2010

Having gone to Linfield as well like OregonBSN, I would also highly recommend Linfield. The teachers there are personable and seem to really care about your success. The program also puts effort in expanding your view of nursing which goes beyond just technical skills. I got the sense that they try to touch on a holistic view when it comes to care. They also encourage community involvement as well as address a lot of issues both nationally and locally in nursing. They also have a great learning resource guy in case you start to struggle and the financial guy is very helpful and will look for scholarships for you.

There's also lots of cool restaurants around if your willing to tap into your money filled student nest egg. Oh, can't forget 2 tickets for 5 dollars on movies 2x a month which should really convince you to choose Linfield also.

In all seriousness, It wasn't perfect but I would choose to go there again if I started over because of a friendly atmosphere, wonderful staff, and a good well rounded education in nursing.

Dec 09 cohort, yeah.

luclmarie · Mar 29, 2010

Thanks fuzzybuddyRN. Everything I hear about Linfield is great. I think I'm set on going there. I've already dropped the extra classes I would have needed for Walla Walla and UP :)

SD22 · Mar 30, 2010

I just got accepted into the Accelerated program at Linfield as well. I have some other options in California but I am pretty sure I am going to be sending in my acceptance to start at Linfield this summer. From all that I have heard from Linfield graduates I think it will be a great school to be a part of. Maybe I'll be seeing you this summer.

luclmarie · Mar 30, 2010

Hi SD22. Yep, I'm pretty sure I'm going to Linfield too, so I'll see you there. I'm actually just leaving for there right now. I'm taking a tour just to see the place and make sure I like it.

apdxstudent · Apr 1, 2010

luclmarie,

How was the tour? What did you think? I am leaning towards Linfield as well, but I'm not sure I can squeeze in a tour before I commit, so I'm curious about your post tour thoughts?

luclmarie · Apr 1, 2010

Apdxstudent, congratulations on getting into Linfield too. The student that was supposed to do the tour couldn't make it, so Mindy from the admissions office gave the tour herself. This was somewhat unfortunate because I didn't get a real student's perspective, but she was so nice to spend an hour and a half with me, showing me the whole place and even took me to some offices to get info on financial aid and health insurance. The whole complex is just two buildings, which are mostly full of offices and dorms. There aren't many classrooms at all, but that's okay because it's such a small program. The buildings seem old but the labs are incredibly up-to-date. They have all of the most high-tech equipment you could imagine. I couldn't get over how genuinely nice everyone was - and it wasn't just a fake nice as if they were only trying to sell their school. I got my first bachelor's at a small, intimate school and I much prefer that friendly, supportive atmosphere to a large, impersonal university.

Some things that I'm still worried about:

- The cost! Even with scholarships and loans, it's going to be difficult. I need to work at least part time for rent and food money, and I'm not sure I can fit that in with the grueling accelerated schedule.

- Clinical sites: Even though the school is right next to Good Sam Hospital, that doesn't mean that your clinicals will be there. Mindy said they have many clinical sites, some as far away as Salem. That is one possible deterrent for me: I don't want to commit myself to such a long commute for more than a year.

- The program itself: Looking at the names of the courses in their curriculum, it's hard to compare it with other programs. They don't have any traditionally-named courses like pharmacology or pathophysiology. It seems to be much more focused on how to care for and communicate with patients, which I agree is extremely important; I just worry that they might downplay the technical knowledge and skills that are also very important. ...but their accelerated program recently had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX, so I'm sure they must teach you what you need to know!

Hope that helps!

I'm meeting with Walla Walla on Monday just to compare, but I feel like I already have my heart set on Linfield.