Community College Selection Process-What A Joke!

U.S.A. California

Published

I am one of those middle-aged students who just applied for the Nursing Program at my local college. I was very careful to pick a college that based their selection process on merit. However, the local college I attend was forced by the Chancellor of the California Community College system to change the selection criteria for the Nursing program. Some of you know this new process as the lottery system. This happened well into the process of working on my Prereqs. Due to money considerations, it was immpossible for me to change colleges. I feared at the time that this new process would hurt me, because I have never been one of those who has benefited from chance drawings. My name was not picked during this so-called lottery. You see, under the old guidelines the top 7% went straight into the program. I made the the top 5%, however my academic achievement under the new system means nothing. I was forced to compete for a spot with all applicants who scored above 70%.

Now please understand that I am well aware that some have many responsibilities outside of school. I am no different. I have someone who I care about very much who is an epileptic. She has never been under control. I have had many nights that I have spent in the ER rather than sleeping or studying. I have paid the price many times over to be where I am now. But I am getting close to fifty. And at this point, I am very emotionally tired. I really do fear that if I do not get in by the next semester, that I will not be able to finish my dream. I am very angry and dissapointed that this has happened to me. In fact, my longtime study partner was accepted and I cannot even talk to her because it upsets me knowing that she will be moving on without me. I do wish her the best but it is just too painful. But the thing that bothers me the most is that I am being told by this new process that my academic achievement means nothing.

I have to admit, that even though I am a man I broke down and cried.

I believe there is room for all types of selection processes in our state. But this new model is nothing but socialism. It rewards the many but penalizes those who achieve the most and some of us pay the ultimate cost. Please be aware that the Chancellor is trying to force this program on every single community college in the state.

I just do not know where I am going to go from here.

I went through the exact same thing at my local community college. I was placed on an alternate list. There were some applicants who I knew were not as up to snuff as I was as far as GPA, the time the app was submitted etc. etc. etc. the exact same day that I recieved my letter informing me that I was placed on the alternate list, I cried, cried, cried and cried again to make sure that I was finished crying before I went to the local University and applied for their school of nursing. By the end of the sememster I was informed by the University that I had been accepted into their program. I agree, the community colleges are alot smaller and the slots are limited. So therefore instead of the selection process being as fair as they claim it is, I beleive that they pick and choose. How can you do everything that is expected from you, and excel and still get bypassed in the selection process???

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I definitely agree in theory that GPA should be the major consideration for acceptance, however, it does hurt me. Not because I am lacking intelligence, and I definitely would be great as a nurse, but because I am going into this as a second career. All the classes I have taken for my gen ed, science classes, etc. have all been easily above the 3.0 category. However, I am held back by my grades from almost 20 YEARS ago. Back then I wasn't mature enough to go to nursing school (not that I wanted to!) but it is a shame that I am going to have such trouble getting in now from my immaturity from so long ago. I understand that it's one of life's lessons- too bad it's too late to learn from it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I definitely agree in theory that GPA should be the major consideration for acceptance, however, it does hurt me. Not because I am lacking intelligence, and I definitely would be great as a nurse, but because I am going into this as a second career. All the classes I have taken for my gen ed, science classes, etc. have all been easily above the 3.0 category. However, I am held back by my grades from almost 20 YEARS ago. Back then I wasn't mature enough to go to nursing school (not that I wanted to!) but it is a shame that I am going to have such trouble getting in now from my immaturity from so long ago. I understand that it's one of life's lessons- too bad it's too late to learn from it!

This is why it should be manditory in every college that they inform freshmen that you grades will be held against you for the rest of your life, because they can be.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I understand what you are saying. What I was trying to imply is that all the A students I know are well rounded people and their critical thinking is top notch. This ability they have trancends pure book knowledge. They are able to adapt and infer what the correct answer will be, even if its not in a book or tought in lecture.

And you know this how? From your posts, it doesn't sound like you guys have even started nursing school yet.

:typing

Up Vote Up Vote ×
And you know this how? From your posts, it doesn't sound like you guys have even started nursing school yet.

:typing

Friends that have passed the nursing program. I personaly just started today.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Friends that have passed the nursing program. I personaly just started today.

Maybe you should check out the new grad forum ... a lot of them are shell shocked by the realities of the job. You'll often see comments like .... "this is nothing like nursing school."

There's a big difference between what you experience in school and actually being an RN on your own.

My point being: maybe you should hold off on making brash statements like "A students are the cream of the crop" until you actually hit the floor and get into it.

I worked as much as I could during school as an extern and, by the time I got to preceptorship I was taking a full load of patients. I would NEVER in a million years think that I was the "cream of the crop" just because I was a good student.

It's a very tough job and it can be very humbling ... no matter what kind of grades you make.

:typing

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Maybe you should check out the new grad forum ... a lot of them are shell shocked by the realities of the job. You'll often see comments like .... "this is nothing like nursing school."

There's a big difference between what you experience in school and actually being an RN on your own.

My point being: maybe you should hold off on making brash statements like "A students are the cream of the crop" until you actually hit the floor and get into it.

I worked as much as I could during school as an extern and, by the time I got to preceptorship I was taking a full load of patients. I would NEVER in a million years think that I was the "cream of the crop" just because I was a good student.

It's a very tough job and it can be very humbling ... no matter what kind of grades you make.

:typing

I'm cocky. I passed our colleges hardest A&P, Micro and Chemestry classes highest grade in the class and some them told me I achieved the highest grade in their class in 20 years. Yes nursing will be hard but these teachers have had nurses come back and tell them that none the nursing classes were as hard as their class. So I'm pretty confident.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm cocky. I passed our colleges hardest A&P, Micro and Chemestry classes highest grade in the class and some them told me I achieved the highest grade in their class in 20 years. Yes nursing will be hard but these teachers have had nurses come back and tell them that none the nursing classes were as hard as their class. So I'm pretty confident.

It is a good sign that you did well in the prerequisites. Nursing school has a much greater mix of subjective information than any of the prereqs. I love the more concrete concepts with the heavy A&P focus and drug/chemical info. The problem comes in when you have one week to read 400 pages and every small detail better be remembered because the test is 20 questions. On top of this reading, you have careplans and other nursing classes where there are assignments, reading, and tests and clinical preparation. The time crunch is what gets you, and questions about "priority". You get questions where all of the answers are correct, but you have to pick the "most" correct. Seems simple right? Nope, because unless it is question involving airway,breathing and circulation, it can be very subjective. Etc... I am not saying it isn't doable, or even that it is more academically difficult, but a lot of factors make it "harder" for most. A solid foundation in A&P really comes in handy because I can just skim the extra reading that is A&P or chem/micro review (saves time!).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It is a good sign that you did well in the prerequisites. Nursing school has a much greater mix of subjective information than any of the prereqs. I love the more concrete concepts with the heavy A&P focus and drug/chemical info. The problem comes in when you have one week to read 400 pages and every small detail better be remembered because the test is 20 questions. On top of this reading, you have careplans and other nursing classes where there are assignments, reading, and tests and clinical preparation. The time crunch is what gets you, and questions about "priority". You get questions where all of the answers are correct, but you have to pick the "most" correct. Seems simple right? Nope, because unless it is question involving airway,breathing and circulation, it can be very subjective. Etc... I am not saying it isn't doable, or even that it is more academically difficult, but a lot of factors make it "harder" for most. A solid foundation in A&P really comes in handy because I can just skim the extra reading that is A&P or chem/micro review (saves time!).

Aye!

This is where me taking 20 units a semester and reading 1500 pages a week or so will come in handy. I'm already used to this as my A&P, Chem teacher required U.C. level work, included formal prelabs, formal labs which take 5-6 hours a piece, 20 hours homework a week, remembering fine detial and critical thinking on hundreds of chem/A&P reading. Doctors had a hard time passing some there classes in their pre-med work. As I said before my Chem teacher said only 2 of my nursing classes where as hard as her class, but they wernt harder. She knows this by several former students coming back after they graduated and telling her. She was the hardest teacher I ever had and I'm glad I had her, I'm confidant that she is right and Nursing classes will be much easyer than her class in which I got the highest grade in the class.

My former A&P and Micro teacher also had pick all that apply, and pick the best answer, so I'm fully capable of passing these questions. It was hard but I was able to pull serveral perfect scores which my teacher said she has never had a student do.

I'm a little puffed up, but I blame my teachers for the wonderfull instruction they gave me. Also thanks to God for giving me the mind he has blessed me with, for truely I can doing nothing without him.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment