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Accelerated BSN at Valparaiso

U.S.A. Indiana
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musicstar23

musicstar23

Specializes in none.

congrats, when did u apply for the program and what is ur Gpa like. I hope that I'm not being too forward by asking:-)

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smuffins

smuffins

Hey 06California and winnieander! I am also from California (the Bay Area) and got accepted into the ABSN in May.

Have you guys made the decision on whether to go to Valparaiso?

It is such a short time to May, but I am still making my decision.

I know living in Indiana will be very different from California, so I'm really thinking about this decision. Also I would like to know if the university is in line with what I want from an education.

People who are currently attending the university or graduated Valparaiso, can you please give some insight on the program? it is much appreciated! :)

All the best to you all and your journey to becoming a nurse!

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smuffins

smuffins

Sorry for the late reply musicstar23!

I applied a couple weeks ago with a GPA of 3.3.

Have you applied yet? They are still accepting applications till May 15 I think!

Best of luck!

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06CaliforniaRN

06CaliforniaRN

smuffins-

I decided not to go, I got an offer from Drexel University which starts later, is a shorter program, and lower cost, plus it is in a big metropolitan area near many other cities, so I think I will have an easier time networking and finding a job without waiting around too long.

I just didn't know anything about Valparaiso. As I'm sure you've encountered, there really aren't any threads on here with commentary from recent and previous grads of the program. That made me nervous. I'm sure the program is great, it sounds like it's a nice pace for an accelerated program, while still being challenging.

I had e-mailed one of the advisors, asking her some crucial questions like NCLEX pass rates, clinical sites, job placement, etc. But I never got an e-mail back from her. Pretty disappointing to say the least. Nursing school, especially when it is a second degree, is a HUGE investment, so its comforting when you have all the facts.

I think Valparaiso is a good option, I would be going there if I hadn't gotten into Drexel. I'm not sure what you're looking for in your nursing education, but it is my belief that it is about 90% what you make of it.

Did you get in anywhere else? If you decide to go you should definitely post what your thoughts on the program on here, I'm sure it would help future applicants who will have to make the same decision as you.

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musicstar23

musicstar23

Specializes in none.

Hey, do u have Valparaiso on your facebook? I do and I think it's cool! On that note, my heart was broken because my Religion and Human nutrition credits did not transfer over causing me to miss out on the accelerated program. I have been accepted for the Fall traditional Nursing program & let me tell you, "I was not a happy camper"! But what can you do?:mad: I was told that I met All the requirements for the accelerated program back in December, however it seems that I was terribly misinformed.:confused:

The primary reason why I decided to apply to Valpo is for the accelerated program offered. I live in Illinois and there is only 1 school that offers an accelerated program without a bachelors degree. Many Universities offer the accelerated option only for individuals seeking a second Bachelors. This really sucks for me because I only have an Associates degree in science.

P.S :nurse:I live 45 minutes away from Valpo so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions!!!

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smuffins

smuffins

Hey 06California,

Congrats on getting into Drexel Uni! I looked at your profile, and I'm from San Jose too!

The problem is, I just found out that the school accepted me to go into the accelerated program and I only have this week to decide on whether to go.

I was planning to go to school in the Fall 2010 and apply to other schools during that time period, but since this offer, I am torn. This is the only ABSN I am applying to because I am a sophomore at college. The other schools I am applying to will be two years since I do not have my BSN. So, I am having trouble deciding what to do. To go to a one year or two year school?

Do you know how much exactly Valparaiso University will be? Is it the same tuition as a regular year would be? Or is the ABSN tuition more expensive? I was not able to find it on the website. I also emailed the dean and my counselor, but they have not replied back.

Like you, I don't know much about Valparaiso...so I'm very scared if going there will be the best decision.

Musicstar23 - Congrats on getting into Valparaiso University! I am so very sorry about what happened! That is also the main reason I applied to Valparaiso University because of the ABSN. How is Valparaiso, IN? I might visit next week if time allows. I have been attempting to find listings for apartments, but I have read that most people just put signs up around town instead of listing it on web? I'm very afraid of going to Indiana because I don't know how the atmosphere/environment (friendly? close-knit community?) will be. I guess my most important concern is, is it a safe community? What areas should I stray away from when looking for apartments?

All the best at Drexel 06California, and I hope (if I decide to go) to see you at Valpo, musicstar23!

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06CaliforniaRN

06CaliforniaRN

Smuffins-

I think it's regular tuition (4 semesters worth), which I think when I added it up came out to about $42,000 or more, but that was purely my calculations. It could just be a flat cost, I have no idea. They had sent me an award letter for financial aid, and it was just the basic stafford loan, around $7k I wanna say, maybe less.

I think cost of living in Valparaiso is pretty decent though. You'd be about an hour train ride from Chicago too which is awesome.

It's ultimately your decision, can you picture yourself starting nursing school in a month? Are you excited about the idea of it? Do you mind going far from San Jose? Valparaiso has a really easy application process compared to other schools, I'm sure you noticed, other schools probably aren't going to be the simple. And applying to them while you are still in school can be a real pain. That's something I would urge you to consider, as someone who has gone through that whole process.

I'm pretty sure Valparaiso is one of the only, if not THE only school that offers an accelerated BSN program for students without a previous bachelor's degree, which I think is great. I'm sure it will be pretty tight nit. But also know that Valparaiso is more on the conservative side, being a small, private, lutheran university in a not-so-big town.

All things to consider, make a pros and cons list of your options (Valparaiso or delaying nursing school a year), that's what I did.

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winnieander

winnieander

Hi Smuffins!!

I'm from San Jose too. Have you decided whether you're going to Valpo this month? I haven't checked allnurses forum for a while and I'm surprised to see some new people inquiring about Valpo. I actually visited the school a few weeks ago.. the school's not bad. It's very different from CA, but I'm thinking of it as only going there for 15 months; can't be that bad... right? I believe the tuition with fees and whatnot will end up being around $50,000 for the ABSN program.

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smuffins

smuffins

Hi winnieander!

Oh, how wonderful! I decided not to attend Valpo this month because it was such short notice. I am applying to other schools to have more options.

How did you like Valpo? Did you like the environment and people in the community/school? Are you doing the ABSN program?

I contacted the university for more information about the school and everyone was extremely nice and helpful. I also like how there is a small teacher to student ratio. I will let you know if I attend Valpo this fall! :)

All the best!

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Nascar nurse

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN

Specializes in LTC & Hospice. Has 34 years experience.

I'm very afraid of going to Indiana because I don't know how the atmosphere/environment (friendly? close-knit community?) will be. I guess my most important concern is, is it a safe community? What areas should I stray away from when looking for apartments?

I have lived in Valpo my entire life. Valpo is a small, clean conservative town. Could almost describe it as "old fashion". To read the local paper with our "quickly" complaint section the biggest concern would seem to be the new round-about roadway near the campus. Most of the old-timers HATE the dang thing & it's all the mayors fault...blah, blah, blah. There are only one small section could even remotely be considered "scary"/unsafe".

Good luck with your decisions.

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smuffins

smuffins

Thank you so much for telling me how Valparaiso is like, Nascar Nurse!

Musicstar23, have you decided to go to the university this coming fall?

And winnieander, how do you like the ABSN so far? Do you like the school? Community? How are the clinicals?

I am having a very difficult time deciding what to do with nursing school, so I'm going to visit Valparaiso this month/July.

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valpo_absn_program

valpo_absn_program

I'm currently in the ABSN program, and I thought about writing a review on Valpo since the beginning of the fall semester but lacked the time. I browsed through allnurses for any relevant info from its users before I decided to come here but there weren't many responses regarding the program.

I'm officially halfway done with the program and I just want anyone who's considering attending Valpo's ABSN program to look at your other options before coming here. I was accepted to the program within 3 months and yeah, the school is very easy to get in when compared to other more competitive schools.... now I can understand why. The program is horrible and I thought a small private school would have a small classroom ratio, but NO! They combine accelerate students with the traditional junior or senior students so some classes can consist of over 100 people. You will not be able to get to know your professor on a more personal basis unless you make the attempt to do so.

Tuition is incredibly high for the quality of education and you will have to guess the cost of your tuition because they do not list the amount on their website, nor will they tell you upfront. The reason being "there's a 5% tuition increase every year, and you will have to ask the nursing dept to tell you" That's what the financial aid office and student accounts told me.. When I heard that, I was like "are you **** serious?" every school's student account or financial aid services will be able to tell you how much it is to attend the school... but nope, NOT VALPO. I have talked to many fellow ABSN students and many of them have the same frustration as me.

Another thing that seriously disgusts me is that the summer tuition per unit for the nursing program is $230 more compared to other undergrad summer courses. So basically, an ABSN student had to pay $3000 more for the same amount of units for the 2 summer sessions when compared to a non-nursing major, and this is completely absurd! What is it about the summer nursing classes that it cost $230 more than other courses??? I plan to email the financial aid dept over the winter break and find out...

I emailed and requested the student accounts/financial aid a few months ago to list the actual amount of the cost for the ABSN program for future students, but I doubt they will do it.

I'm glad I've finally been able to write this post, I hope this will help those of you who are trying to decide whether or not you should attend Valpo for its ABSN program. I could go on and on and talk about what else is horrible about this school, but perhaps I'll save that for next time.

Edited by sirI

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