Concorde vs. Keiser vs. Sanford Brown (Jacksonville)

[patientlywaitinagain]

I went and interviewed with reps from all 3 schools.

Concorde: 12 month RN accelerated program which includes gen ed classes (pre-reqs). They will not accept any pre-reqs taken from other schools. Before you are interviewed for financial aid, you first must pass Wonderlic with a score of 17, and then afterwards must pass TEAS test. Tuition is around $40K which is inclusive of everything except your shoes (yes, that is sarcasm you detect...). NCLEX-RN pass rate is 80-85% (first try). Schedule is M-F from 8-5 with some clinical days falling on varied schedules (depending on the clinical sites). Clinicals are done throughout the program. The institution is accredited, but the program is approved.

Keiser: 16-24 month RN program which may or may not include pre-reqs. If I remember it correctly, I believe your gpa (for pre-reqs subject only) should be at least 3.0 to be transferrable. The interview was intense (well, compared to the other 2 schools). Must pass Wonderlic with a score of 20 (I got a 28, but I still have to retake this at Concorde should I decide I want to go there). Must also $7K/term for 6 terms, plus books, plus uniform, plus all tests that were invented. The institution is accredited regionally, but once again it looks like the Nursing program is just in the status of approved.

Sanford Brown: For now, this is in the bottom of my list. I really liked the program structure, but the counselor definitely needs more training with their nursing program. This counselor did not tell me I need to take the Wonderlic, just the TEAS. Tuition is $36K which is inclusive of all costs. Program is 18 months long with 12 months onsite, and 6 months externship. I believe that a lot of the things this person said are either fabricated, misleading, or purely just ignorant. the institution is also accredited but the program is just approved.

Biggest dilemma: I will be in great debt should I decide to go to any of the schools above. Maybe around $30K after I'm lucky enough to get my Pell and Worksource grants. My only consolation is thinking (and conditioning my mind) that I will be taking a paycut of $12K/yr or more, should I find a similar job I used to have. So question is, am I willing to take a paycut of $12K/yr for the next 20 years, or should I just pay off my $30K loan for 10 years?

[RNin10]

I graduated in the first SBI class, passed NCLEX on 10/22 and started working Friday night as an RN. I have seen a couple posts on here about the admissions people. I agree with the comments made and I think it is really unfortunate that these people are messing up info and eliminating a great program from people's options. I just thought some of you might be interested in knowing that I heard some higher ups were recently fired from the school and one of them was the director of admissions in Jax. Maybe some positive changes will come from this. I hope so!

[gwlarson]

Am in the second SBI RN class...the information you get from the recruiters is often not quite accurate. Best thing is to talk to some of the current students..look for the white scrubs...

Yes, there was a removal of some of the 'higher ups' at SBI. Not really clear as to why this happened, but, best guess, is the news stories in print about For-Profit schools. Interestingly enough, the stories seem to stem from actions made by a Not-For-Profit school here in Jax..i.e. FSCJ.

I will say this about a couple of the other schools here in Jax..

Concorde...well...apparently the State of Georgia does not recognize the accreditation Concorde has...so could create some problems with Georgia students..

FSCJ...while the program may be cheaper..just TRY to get anyone, ANYONE...at that program to return a phone call...and the catch 22 with that is..if you can't get in touch with someone on the phone, showing up 'without an appointment' won't get you very far either...lol

Bottom line is simply this...all of the RN programs here in Jax are recognized by the Florida Board of Nursing....so regardless of where you go, as of right now, you get to sit for NCLEX....and that is pretty much the most important part of it all....

One school may say it's program is better...but in the end, all the GN's from all the schools all sit the SAME NCLEX..

[caryrey02]

Keiser is a strong school and NCLEX pass rate is high... i'd go with them (actually i am a keiser grad)

good luck

[KateRN1]

If you are wanting to pursue higher education, such as a BSN, MSN, or beyond, please inquire as to whether the transcripts from these schools will transfer into a university. You may find that you are stuck with a mountain of debt and unable to further your education.

[Kaleighmw]

Keiser!!!

Not that I have anything against the other two institutes but I attend Keiser and I love it. It's a tough program but all the students that I know who graduated from Keiser with their ADN were offered jobs instantly. Actually, almost all of the students I know who went to Keiser for Medical Assisting (lower level program that most everyone is accepted to) were offered jobs at the externship sites. Heck, my friend went to her first externship at the beginning of the month and by the end of her first week she was offered a job.

Good luck!

[FLmomof5]

I went to FSCJ. They have information sessions and you can get that scheduled to get all your information. Much of what you need to know is on the website, but you will have to complete your pre-reqs before attending the NS.

Worksource paid for the entire program so if money is an issue, FSCJ might be a better option.

I agree with another previous poster.....the only place you might be able to further your education (get your BSN/MSN) will most likely be another horrifically expensive for-profit school (Like UoP).

Good Luck!

[RNin10]

Worksource pays for SBI but only the amount that they pay toward fscj or sjrcc, so it doesn't cover the whole cost. Now that I have been working on the floor for a month I am happy to say that I dont feel slighted in my education.