Need help deciding which nursing school to attend!

livetoserve · Mar 21, 2010

Only you will know what choice is right for you.

How long can you wait before responding to school #1? When do you expect to hear from school #2?

It sounds like you'd prefer to go to school #2 and the only reason you feel you have to choose is because you haven't heard from them yet.

Congrats on being accepted to at least one school!

foreverLaur · Mar 21, 2010

Only you will know what choice is right for you.
How long can you wait before responding to school #1? When do you expect to hear from school #2?
It sounds like you'd prefer to go to school #2 and the only reason you feel you have to choose is because you haven't heard from them yet.
Congrats on being accepted to at least one school!

I haven't applied yet to School #2. The next application date is in July 2010 to start March 2011 or August 2011. The school lets everyone in who meets the criteria and I do so I'm not concerned about getting accepted. I will probably know in October 2010 of my official acceptance/start date.

My seat is saved at School #1 unless I tell them otherwise. I feel bad holding a seat from someone else but I'm not ready to give it up yet.

I wish I could wait until the last minute to decide, but my lease is up in May and I need to decide then to move for School #1 or sign another 1yr lease here.

I think ultimately I'll be happy either way because I'll be in nursing school and I'm a pretty easy going person. I'm just hoping to get some advice of others because everyone always thinks of things that would have never crossed my mind and a lot of people here have been in my shoes before!

shortnorthstudent · Mar 21, 2010

That's difficult.

Do you plan to live in city #2 after nursing school (regardless of which school you attend)? My expectation would be that finding a job will ultimately be easier in the city of your nursing school than in another part of the state. There are some major hospital expansions going on in your city #2 that may involve some great nursing opporunities.

Think about it from a monetary standpoint - school #1 you have to find a job and pay for. You'd finish 3-9 months earlier, so you would be able to pay off a certain amount of student loans, etc. School #2 you would not have student loans and you already have a job. So, the question is whether you would be better off financially with school 1 or 2 (and the nursing job market would also be a consideration).

Just to let you know - my acceptance letter from your school #2 was dated exactly 2 months after the close of the application period. My conversation with the secretary was that they have not yet decided what to do about the applicants who did not get in - waitlist, give priority application, etc.

foreverLaur · Mar 21, 2010

Just to let you know - my acceptance letter from your school #2 was dated exactly 2 months after the close of the application period. My conversation with the secretary was that they have not yet decided what to do about the applicants who did not get in - waitlist, give priority application, etc.

I do wonder how many students they accept each application period and how many students didn't get in for August. I was under the impression they would just automatically admit them for the March 2011 start date, but who knows. I'm meeting with an advisor April 1 so hopefully I'll get more answers there. If there is a reasonable chance I can start March 2011, my decision is made. It looks like they have 72 seats available for the first quarter nursing classes for spring quarter...

With how many people can't get into nursing schools or have to wait 2-3 years to start, it just seems so silly to turn down a guaranteed acceptance, but I'd much rather go to school #2 (minus the first quarter clinical being in LTC despite the prerequisites that already teach you all that knowlege...) :)

I honestly have no idea where I'll be after graduation. There is a greater chance of me being in the city of school #2 versus school #1, but you never know since school #1 has the PA program I want to attend. Then again, there is also pretty good odds of me leaving the state all together...

trae55 · Mar 21, 2010

If school #2 starts March 2011 you will know if you were accepted before the start of school #1. Right? I would plan on going to school #1 unless you get accepted to school #2 for March.

That's crazy you got accepted already for January 2011! I won't find out for two to three more weeks if I got in for this fall. Actually, we have a class this summer, but the official start is fall. These darn ADN programs have so many pre and pre-pre requisites that it's really a 4 year program.

foreverLaur · Mar 22, 2010

School #1 has open application periods... you can apply whenever you are ready and they will place you in the next available class. I will know if I'm accepted at School #2 before School #1 starts, but I'll already have a 1 year lease so I'd have to try to sublease if I wanted to attend School #1.

Another thing to note... School #1 is 40 minutes away from my parents house, so it would make it a lot easier to go home for a day. School #2 is 2 hours away from home and with being in school or working 7 days a week, going home to see my parents for birthdays/holidays is pretty much out of the picture.

shortnorthstudent · Mar 22, 2010

I do wonder how many students they accept each application period and how many students didn't get in for August. I was under the impression they would just automatically admit them for the March 2011 start date, but who knows. I'm meeting with an advisor April 1 so hopefully I'll get more answers there. If there is a reasonable chance I can start March 2011, my decision is made. It looks like they have 72 seats available for the first quarter nursing classes for spring quarter...
With how many people can't get into nursing schools or have to wait 2-3 years to start, it just seems so silly to turn down a guaranteed acceptance, but I'd much rather go to school #2 (minus the first quarter clinical being in LTC despite the prerequisites that already teach you all that knowlege...) :)
I honestly have no idea where I'll be after graduation. There is a greater chance of me being in the city of school #2 versus school #1, but you never know since school #1 has the PA program I want to attend. Then again, there is also pretty good odds of me leaving the state all together...

I don't know how many people applied. However, when I spoke with the office at the beginning of the application period, they had had received over 200 applications in the first couple of hours. I don't know how many people total applied, nor do I know how many met the criteria. I was told last week that then acceptance letters went out to people who applied in the first 2 minutes.

I would just wait. When do you have to tell school #1? I would probably hold my spot at school #2, even if it meant possibly losing a small deposit.

icesk8ermom · Apr 2, 2010

Are these private schools, community colleges or what? What is the cost differance?

foreverLaur · Apr 2, 2010

Are these private schools, community colleges or what? What is the cost differance?

They are community colleges, both about $80/credit hour or $2,000 a year. School #2 will be free as my job in the area offers $3,000 a year of tuition reimbursement, but has a longer waiting list. I would be paying through subsidized loans or out of pocket for School#1, but I would be graduating sooner and thus starting my RN job sooner.

icesk8ermom · Apr 2, 2010

OK stupid question...why does your work do tuition reimbursement for school #2 but not #1? If you went to school #2 would you still be able to keep your job? (it sounded like it was further away)

foreverLaur · Apr 2, 2010

OK stupid question...why does your work do tuition reimbursement for school #2 but not #1? If you went to school #2 would you still be able to keep your job? (it sounded like it was further away)

School #1 and School #2 are about 2hr15 mins apart. So if I attended School #1 I would have to pay out of pocket or through loans as I would have to quit my job and relocate and hope to find another job.

They'd give me $3,000/yr for any nursing program... I'd just have to keep working full-time to get the benefit.