Denver area community college for pre-reqs wanted

Welcome and congrats on your decision to start a journey into nursing! I can't help with your local info, but there is a forum specifically for Colorado that may be of some use to you. :)

I don't think working during prereqs would be all that difficult. You can take classes at your own pace and most people seem to take the hard sciences one at a time.

I am currently taking classes at Front Range in Westminster. The school has been working very hard to "up" the level of their programs and have some really wonderful teachers. My classes are anything but easy (most people think that because it is a CC that my classes are not difficult). I am learning a lot and know I will be prepared for nursing school.

I've taken most of mine at ACC, and the experience has been fantastic. They even have a cadaver lab!

Colorado Mountain College

I'm in my second semester of prerequisites at Community College of Denver and so far it's been fine. I have a BA in English too ...whoo. Somewhere I've heard or read that CCD is slightly better for prerequisites than some others, like CCAurora or Arapahoe, but it's probably not by too much. I don't know where I heard or read that. It might have been on here even, or from my CCD adviser (bias warning). But the science building and some of the teachers are shared between CCD and at least Metro. The campus/library is all a part of UCD, Metro, and CCD, which may contribute to CCD's being "better".

As for working...I worked all through undergrad, with no problem, and not surprisingly. Getting all A's would have been slightly difficult in the spring for pre-reqs with the 12 credit hours I was taking and working the 20-25 hours a week that I wanted. Through almost March, though, they were giving me 30+ hours a week, which I fought against constantly and should not have had to work after being there so long (blah, blah, blah). I was somehow lucky enough to be able to quit (become spoiled-student I never dreamed to be) and just focus on school, after 5 years at that job. Still got the 4.0 even with all of those 30-40 hour weeks.

I was crazy, however, thinking I would take 3 pre-reqs in the 10 week summer semester, work the 20-25 hours I wanted, and get the grades I needed.

Also, before I forget, UCD and CCD have an Integrated Nursing Pathway, and maybe their connectedness also somehow contributes to the CCD pre-reqs supposed superiority.

I just read above from Tebus about ACC having a cadaver lab.. well, I'm about to go continue some cat dissection, which is the creature of choice at CCD and Metro, if that at all adds to the consideration.

Also, if you do register at CCD, pay attention to hybrid vs. in-class. It's not very distinct while registering and a lot of people miss it and whine. Although, only having to go to in-class lab and studying on your own might help you be able to work more easily. I registered for two 5 credit bio classes in spring I had no clue were hybrid, and the teachers suggested 13-15 hours outside of class, not including studying for exams, just for working on the material. The time was convenient, but I probably would have preferred lecture, because teachers can't help but point out what they want you to focus more on or even strongly hint at things you'll be tested on.

Congrats on your decision to pursue nursing and move back to beautiful Colorado! I went to CCD for my prereques and was very pleased. I worked as a server about 30 hours a week and took 1-2 classes at a time over 5 semesters, and was very busy. Since you are planning on working, I wouldn't suggest loading yourself with more than a couple classes since you need a very high GPA to compete and it took me a minimum of 20 hours/week per class. Look at the # of applicants and the program sizes for the accelerated programs: Regis, CU, and Metro accept less than 20% of applicants (probably closer to 10%). There are a lot of applicants with straight A's, health care experience, and high test scores. I too have a non nursing bachelors but after I had a lot of friends get wait listed/ denied admittance with high GPA's etc. I lost my faith in my chances. With a 3.6 GPA and no health care experience I opted to take the community college route and get an ADN then work as an RN while I complete my BSN online. I applied at CCD for their RN program then got a letter stating that they had canceled the program so mid summer I found a program in rural Colorado that had openings in Lamar, Co (3.5 hours SE of Denver). I think my class reflects this current trend in Denver school acceptance since about half my class has prior bachelors or higher, heath care experience, and GPA's in the 3.6-4.0 range yet were denied to all Denver schools. We have some students from other states that had straight A's, prior bachelors, etc and couldn't get in anywhere so perhaps it is happening nationally with the surge of students switching to nursing and the nursing educator shortage. Not trying to discourage trying to get into an accelerated program but thought it might help to know what you are up against. I further recommend becoming a CNA to get health care experience (Emily Griffith has a good cheap program), get A's, and roll the dice. Good luck, and if Denver schools are as impossible to get into as they were a year ago, I highly recommend the Lamar Community College ADN: one of the highest pass rates in the state and I only pay like $1,500 a semester. I miss the snowboarding and city life but you don't have time for anything in nursing school anyways, right!? One more year to RN!!

I can speak positively of Arapahoe for pre-reqs as well as the nursing program (which stresses you to the max intentionally, but they do turn out good nurses). Most of my classmates worked through the prereqs. I knew a few people who pulled A&P 1 and 2 concurrently, but it was a struggle and they did not maintain their A. The science courses used to go in order A&P 1, 2, Microbiology and finally Pathophysiology, each in a different semester. If they have changed that, I would think you could mix A&P 2 and Micro in the same semester. I highly recommend not taking Patho in the summer. Maybe 25% of the group I worked with finished the class. Most dropped out and had to retake it in the fall.

FWIW, I do not believe that going to school in Denver will give you much/any clinical contact advantage when it comes to being hired after graduation. If I were flexible and it sounds like you are, I would finish prereqs quickly and jump right into a CC program a few hours out of Denver, like Lamar, Sterling or Trinidad.