Advice needed on choice of schools...please???

Published

I live in California where all the schools are impacted. I have only a few options for starting a nursing career. I will outline them below.

1) Go to our City College where ALL pre-reqs must be done prior to application to the program. A grade of only 2.5 is needed to apply and it is a lottery system. There is NO preferential treatment to those of us with high grades. Also, they do not have a residency requirement and there is no preferential treatment to those that live in the area. They continually have over 600 people apply for 50 seats. They keep putting you into the pool until you've been rejected 4 times (2 years). Then you go into a "special pool" where it doubles your chance of being drawn. Still, there is no guarantee. This means that I can be at City college for 5 plus years just trying to get an AS.

2) Take my prereqs at City College and transfer to CSUF. They have a 5 year BSN program. They are impacted as well, but strictly admit on a GPA basis. This means I'd have to achieve a 3.6 or better on my prereqs. I believe that this might be a struggle, but I am an "A" student by nature.

3) Just go straight to CSUF and apply as a Pre-nursing student. This might be difficult because I left there right out of high school on probation. I went through a brief partying phase. However, it may be nice just to go through their program from the beginning.

4) Take all my Program prereqs at City and apply to that program while completing the remainder of my AS degree. If I do not get in by the time I have my AS I can begin applying at both colleges.

I really, really need some advice. What would you do? This is a lot more frustrating than I imagined. I was prepared for a City College wait of a year or so, but I'm not sure that indeffinitely is possible as I am already 34 years old.

Thanks a bunch,

Shaun

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I say meet with a counselor at CSUF. What would it take for you to get yourself off/out of probation? It would might be easier to start there and get into the program. Plus, you would end up with a BSN. While you're waiting to see if you can get in, I would take some prereqs at City College. Apply at both, but shoot for the path that will take less time. That 5 year wait is a bit ridiculous. Have you considered moving to another area while you're going through nursing school?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I say meet with a counselor at CSUF. What would it take for you to get yourself off/out of probation? It would might be easier to start there and get into the program. Plus, you would end up with a BSN. While you're waiting to see if you can get in, I would take some prereqs at City College. Apply at both, but shoot for the path that will take less time. That 5 year wait is a bit ridiculous. Have you considered moving to another area while you're going through nursing school?

I think I'll see if I can meet with a Counselor at CSUF tomorrow. It would probably be easier to start at at CSUF if possible. I thought about traveling to another city to go to school but those students have all turned to my City College because they have a better chance here than in their own area. As for moving, I have four kids and they've been moved around a lot. I really don't want to do that to them again. I knew Nursing School would be difficult and I was prepared to go the distance but I cannot believe how stressful just finding a program is! Thanks for your advice.

Shaun

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have a question, what city college are you referring to? I can't think of one city college in Orange County that accepts only based off of Lottery. Is the city college in LA? if so, I would try Orange County community colleges. Also, whatever information you receive, make sure you receive it directly from the school's nursing website or the nursing department directly; sometimes students give out wrong information.. heck sometimes the counseling office gives wrong information.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have a question, what city college are you referring to? I can't think of one city college in Orange County that accepts only based off of Lottery. Is the city college in LA? if so, I would try Orange County community colleges. Also, whatever information you receive, make sure you receive it directly from the school's nursing website or the nursing department directly; sometimes students give out wrong information.. heck sometimes the counseling office gives wrong information.

Fresno City College is my local CC. I went to the Orientation hosted by the Health Services/Nursing department. I knew the waiting list was long but jeez! I thought we had this nursing shortage...I know what you mean about the counseling offices. I've heard so many different stories just trying to get in to see a counselor. It's ridiculous.

Shaun

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ahhh.. I thought you might have been referring to Cal State Fullerton (CSUF as well)

have you looked at the california nursing website to make sure that you have looked at all nursing schools in your area? are there any private schools in your area?

http://www.rn.ca.gov/schools/rnprgms.htm

good luck to you!

Fresno City College is my local CC. I went to the Orientation hosted by the Health Services/Nursing department. I knew the waiting list was long but jeez! I thought we had this nursing shortage...I know what you mean about the counseling offices. I've heard so many different stories just trying to get in to see a counselor. It's ridiculous.

Shaun

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Ahhh.. I thought you might have been referring to Cal State Fullerton (CSUF as well)

have you looked at the california nursing website to make sure that you have looked at all nursing schools in your area? are there any private schools in your area?

http://www.rn.ca.gov/schools/rnprgms.htm

good luck to you!

Sorry about that, Cal. State Univ. Fresno. I've looked and looked but none of the private schools offer anything other than an RN to BSN. It really sucks.

Shaun

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

This is what I am doing. I have narrowed it down to 5 nursing schools that I want to attend...I drew a matrix outlining the requirements for each one. I selected the school that had the fewest requirements that I still needed to accomplish, and I'm applying to that one first as soon as I complete the semester I need to finish the one pre-req that they require.

So, while I'm waiting for acceptance, I'm working on the pre-reqs for the other schools and going to continue to apply and will go to the first place I am accepted.

Not sure if that makes sense or not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I live in California where all the schools are impacted. I have only a few options for starting a nursing career. I will outline them below.

1) Go to our City College where ALL pre-reqs must be done prior to application to the program. A grade of only 2.5 is needed to apply and it is a lottery system. There is NO preferential treatment to those of us with high grades. Also, they do not have a residency requirement and there is no preferential treatment to those that live in the area. They continually have over 600 people apply for 50 seats. They keep putting you into the pool until you've been rejected 4 times (2 years). Then you go into a "special pool" where it doubles your chance of being drawn. Still, there is no guarantee. This means that I can be at City college for 5 plus years just trying to get an AS.

2) Take my prereqs at City College and transfer to CSUF. They have a 5 year BSN program. They are impacted as well, but strictly admit on a GPA basis. This means I'd have to achieve a 3.6 or better on my prereqs. I believe that this might be a struggle, but I am an "A" student by nature.

3) Just go straight to CSUF and apply as a Pre-nursing student. This might be difficult because I left there right out of high school on probation. I went through a brief partying phase. However, it may be nice just to go through their program from the beginning.

4) Take all my Program prereqs at City and apply to that program while completing the remainder of my AS degree. If I do not get in by the time I have my AS I can begin applying at both colleges.

I really, really need some advice. What would you do? This is a lot more frustrating than I imagined. I was prepared for a City College wait of a year or so, but I'm not sure that indeffinitely is possible as I am already 34 years old.

Thanks a bunch,

Shaun

I live in Ca too and have limited choice for schools long waits or high GPA's also my location dictates extremely limited choice, I am going to have a far commute for clinicals etc... So I am doing my pre reqs and maily focusing on one CC they take only highest GPA 12 spots and out of 12 2 lottery spots. So Even with a 4.0 I might not get in, I am trying to be realistic and not think about any of it I am just putting my head to the grind stone and finishing my pre reqs to the best of my ability and start applying next fall and hope for something to turn up. A lot can happen in the time it takes to do all your pre reqs new classes could open there is talk of night evening classes at my school and the next CC closest to me just started that so it opens up more spots for all of us even if I can't attend there it takes some applicants away from my program that might want that option.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion