Advice for where to apply for nursing school

[rainamelon]

Hello everyone! I have a few concerns as I am going forward with my nursing career. I am currently enrolled in California State University, Sacramento as a pre-nursing student. I am currently a sophomore and am close to finishing all the prereqs for the program. The thing is, is that my university's nursing program is HIGHLY competitive and I am sitting at a 3.8 gpa which is really bad my school goes by a point system so with my gpa I have 37/50 points, I still have to take my teas and my extra points for doing community service but I have a strong feeling it wont be enough. I really want to go my university's nursing program, its considered one of the best in the state but I know i'll be placed on a waitlist and I don't really want to wait around to get into it. I am considering transferring to a different csu because all the prereqs match up at other csus but the problem is I will be applying as a transfer student and I can only apply for fall, that means 400+ applicants will also be applying making my chances of getting in very small.I am even considering out of state (to texas because I have family there) but transferring out of state is a lot of work especially since some prereqs do not match up. Should I just get on my school's waitlist for 1-3 years and stay or transfer out? I am also considering private school such as usf, biola, st marys but it is way too expensive! I could really use advice, my chances into getting into nursing school are very discouraging and it is making me want to change my major

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Nursing right now is very competitive almost wherever you go. Many places do not accept transfer credits or they accept only a few.....Why? Well, because they want the money for themselves. You will have to do your homework about which schools accept what and how much it costs. Also be aware that out of state tuition is also high at many schools. Be aware of the for profit svhools that have very high tuition and be sure your school is accredited by the AACN or NLAC

California happens to be one of the most competitive for schools and jobs. Right now there is an almost 47% unemployment of nurses most of which are new grads. If you plan on returning to california, after graduation, know that CA has the most stringent education requirements to be granted licensure by test or endorsement. So be sure the school you choose out of state meets these requirements. I would consider only BSN programs as that has begun to be the minimum requirement for hiring new grads in many areas.

Whatever you choose be cautious of too much debt. Many students find themselves jobless after graduation and have high loan payments that are difficult to pay. There is no nursing shortage right now and it can be difficult to find a position.