community college "lottery"?

Well, the same thing happens in a lot of JC's..... in RCC (Riverside Community College) I know a friend that went through that process... basically, if you qualify, you're put on a list... it took her year to get called. Sometimes if heard it taking up to 3 years...

I go to GCC and got in the first semester I applied. I also got into 5 other schools, just don't put all of your eggs into 1 basket. Best of luck to you!!!!

I applied for 4 semesters at 4 different schools each semester and was finally accepted this May for the Fal 08 semester. It took 2 years but it was totally worth it! I would have to say that I hope to never go through the waiting and application denial ever again. It was very painful.

My advice is apply everywhere!!! If it is a viable option, apply!

Vivasmom,

Is there a waitinlist for GCC?

they don't use a waitlist system. Feel free to PM me for other questions

oh yeah i almost went to PCC (pasadena city college)

and i read that whole "randomly selects from a computer"

that was just so ridiculous.

anyway even MT SAC (mount san antonio college) is in a lottery too

and everyone is complaining about it.

and i am not condoning that, i dont blame anyone, because it is ridiculous

because the profession is so in need, and everyone knows that

so they are becoming one, just to fill the need, so that means nursing school admission skyrockets so its hard to get in.

ugg

that is why i went with a private school (and its one of the best too)

so i mean the lotteries are mostly in CC's so i would try cal state or UC...

The reason "why" community colleges have a lottery system is complex. CC's provide the cheapest training, per unit. California State University follows at approximately six times the cost. Then you have private schools that are MUCH more expensive. The RN you receive after you pass the NCLEX is the same no matter which option you choose, so most people try to get into the cheapest school possible.

People who did lower division work, including high school, at so-called "great schools" (read: white suburban kids) had a distinct advantage in the selection process for JC's over non-white urban students from less-advantaged schools. If junior college nursing program selections were based solely on grades, the classes would skew towards younger, white, upper-middle-class, suburban ... you get the picture. Somewhere along the line, somebody correctly decided that racial, cultural, and economic diversity would be important in the modern nursing workforce and the California JC's instituted the "lottery" system to allow minorities a better chance for admission, provided that the student met a certain minimum standard for the nursing program.

If you do not wish to wait for your number to come up in the JC lottery, please consider applying to the CSU Nursing programs statewide. There is no tuition if you are a resident of California and the quarterly fees are about $1200.00 this year, plus room and board and so forth. The selections at my CSU program, CSU East Bay, were entirely based on academic standing and test scores. There is the added benefit of receiving the BSN at the end of your program instead of the two-year ADN degree (not that this is a "better" degree in any way, just that you wouldn't later have to take two years of RN-to-BSN classes if you wanted to advance into management).

The previous posters are correct: apply to every school in your area and any school in the state where you think you can manage your monthly expenses. If you are economically disadvantaged, apply to your local community college EOPS program. EOPS students can apply to all CSU's for free, saving the $50.00 application fee!

Good luck!

The reason "why" community colleges have a lottery system is complex. CC's provide the cheapest training, per unit. California State University follows at approximately six times the cost. Then you have private schools that are MUCH more expensive. The RN you receive after you pass the NCLEX is the same no matter which option you choose, so most people try to get into the cheapest school possible.

People who did lower division work, including high school, at so-called "great schools" (read: white suburban kids) had a distinct advantage in the selection process for JC's over non-white urban students from less-advantaged schools. If junior college nursing program selections were based solely on grades, the classes would skew towards younger, white, upper-middle-class, suburban ... you get the picture. Somewhere along the line, somebody correctly decided that racial, cultural, and economic diversity would be important in the modern nursing workforce and the California JC's instituted the "lottery" system to allow minorities a better chance for admission, provided that the student met a certain minimum standard for the nursing program.

If you do not wish to wait for your number to come up in the JC lottery, please consider applying to the CSU Nursing programs statewide. There is no tuition if you are a resident of California and the quarterly fees are about $1200.00 this year, plus room and board and so forth. The selections at my CSU program, CSU East Bay, were entirely based on academic standing and test scores. There is the added benefit of receiving the BSN at the end of your program instead of the two-year ADN degree (not that this is a "better" degree in any way, just that you wouldn't later have to take two years of RN-to-BSN classes if you wanted to advance into management).

The previous posters are correct: apply to every school in your area and any school in the state where you think you can manage your monthly expenses. If you are economically disadvantaged, apply to your local community college EOPS program. EOPS students can apply to all CSU's for free, saving the $50.00 application fee!

Good luck!

i didnt understand why you had to racially induce this message because i am a white suburban person (not kid) and i am poorer than poor, i am hoping to get the gov to pitch in a little since i have no father and i am supporting my mom financially...or student loans...[an education is better than no education]

your race does not matter when it comes down to being selected for a school.

you try hard, you get in

its as simple as that, doesnt matter if your purple or brown. black or white.

i do have to agree about apply everywhere

people dont know when they could get it

i would do a CSU system because UC are expensive and there isnt many nursing programs like the CSU system

CC's are good but are on lotteries and you might not start the program for a couple of years anyway.

a CSU or private is the way to go

i didnt understand why you had to racially induce this message because i am a white suburban person (not kid) and i am poorer than poor, i am hoping to get the gov to pitch in a little since i have no father and i am supporting my mom financially...or student loans...[an education is better than no education]

I am deeply sorry if I caused any offense. :redpinkhe There is much of the history that I felt I needed to collapse to get it all into a single brief post.

As you say, everyone is different and many people do not conform to an ethnic, social, or economic "profile." But I believe that most readers will understand that I was attempting to be sympathetic while communicating the actual history of how the community college lotteries came to be.

Again, I apologize to you (and any others) if what I said created offense. Racial and ethnic matters are perhaps too sensitive a matter for my clumsy fingers to type about. :typing