bridgeport vs gateway

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2015

All programs lose students. Even programs with very high NCLEX pass rates can have high numbers of people who withdraw/fail out. I'd be more worried about the NCLEX pass rates than how many people started the program but didn't finish.

You can check the latest NCLEX pass rates for first time testers here ---> http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/phho/nursing_board/nclex_rn,_lpn_pass_rates_2014.mht

People start programs and don't finish for many reasons, that don't necessarily indicate a bad program. Some people move, some decide nursing isn't for them, some can't get financial aid, some fail out..there are so many reasons. My LPN program started with 66 people, we ended up with less than 1/2 of that. In the very first week we lost 15. They realized it wasn't for them, finanical aid fell through etc. My program had 100% pass rate for years at that time.

The State BON keeps an eye on how many start/finish. If they noticed something out of the norm, they'd be looking into it.

lorenti99 · Mar 3, 2015

thanks for the link, it was helpful. I applied to both schools, bridgeport being my back up. I just recieved an acceptance letter from Bridgeport which I'm super excited about, still waiting to hear from Gateway. I don't even know if I got in but I'm just trying to gather as much information now. Gateway was my first choice because of the shorter commute but I feel that just that reason alone is not a valid one. I've heard both schools are good but Bridgeport is slightly better. I've heard more clinical experience

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2015

All programs lose students. Even programs with very high NCLEX pass rates can have high numbers of people who withdraw/fail out. I'd be more worried about the NCLEX pass rates than how many people started the program but didn't finish.
You can check the latest NCLEX pass rates for first time testers here ---> http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/phho/nursing_board/nclex_rn,_lpn_pass_rates_2014.mht
People start programs and don't finish for many reasons, that don't necessarily indicate a bad program. Some people move, some decide nursing isn't for them, some can't get financial aid, some fail out..there are so many reasons. My LPN program started with 66 people, we ended up with less than 1/2 of that. In the very first week we lost 15. They realized it wasn't for them, financial aid fell through etc. My program had 100% pass rate for years at that time.
The State BON keeps an eye on how many start/finish. If they noticed something out of the norm, they'd be looking into it.

Ughh, that just sounds so grammatically incorrect! It should have read like this...there are many reasons that people don't finish. those reasons don't necessarily indicate a bad program.

SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP · Mar 18, 2015

I graduated from Gateway in 2013. 49 lost? I was not aware of that. There are other reason besides academic for students to leave. We had more students that year because we started the fall only start with extra LPNs we had 250+ students. Those that failed were never going to pass any program and most graduated the next semester. It's a great program the lab is the best I got a lot out of the program and realized I had opportunities some BSN new grads did not. I think either program would be a good one.

turtlesRcool · Mar 22, 2015

What are the options for continuing to BSN from Bridgeport? I know the Community Colleges have good relationships with universities to make the transition to BSN pretty easy. Honestly, the market is much better for new RNs with BSNs at the moment. I was with a group talking to a recruiter from a hospital, and she suggested that the ADN grads immediately register to start BSN classes, and include their university letter of acceptance with their applications when applying for hospital jobs. More and more, RNs are being expected to get their BSNs, so my advice would be to think about what will be the best strategy for the long-term when making your choice.