Empire State, Medgar Evers, Suny Downstate

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Here is my current plan: Finish a bachelor's online through Empire State College, take the science pre-reqs at Medgar Evers, and then apply to SUNY Downstate's accelearated BSN program. My main motivation is convenience--I have kids and a job and the less I need to leave the house, the more classes I can take at a time and the faster I can finish the degree. Also Empire will take some of my previous credits that are useless as far as nursing goes but will help me get the necessary bachelor's.

I have heard so-so comments about Medgar Evers--I understand it isn't the most highly regarded school. Its main attraction for me is that it's close to my house. The less traveling I have to do, the more flexibility I have in scheduling the classes.

Does anyone have any comments? Will I be at a disadvantage if I go through Empire and Medgar Evers? I am a very successful student academically--I have a 4.0--but I am not able to take care of my family, work and go to school unless I plan my schooling around location and convenience.

Specializes in Med/ Surg and Orthopedics.

I feel that some schools have better reputations than others, but a degree is a degree, period. You do what works for you and your family. I just don't understand why you are completing the bachelors at Empire if you plan to get a BSN from SUNY downstate?

By finishing a Bachelors in another subject, you qualify for accelrated BSN programs. It makes a lot of sense for people with a lot of college credits.

Downstate is a very good school that is difficult to get into. I'm not sure a degree from an online program is going to help much.

Chaya, I'd look at doing a health science degree online via www.excelsior.edu. Part of SUNY, and you can get science credits that will be accepted towards your BSN. I did Empire - wanted to be a biology teacher - and I could NOT get the science classes I needed through them. I'd have had to cross-register at the local CUNY schools and, as you know, getting a seat in them even if attending there was nigh unto impossible.

You can also take pre-reqs online (see distance learning and pre-nursing student forums). Are you near Brooklyn College? It has a better rep than Medgar Evers and lots of night/weekend classes.

Just to clarify: Excelsior isn't a SUNY school: University of the State of New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
You can also take pre-reqs online (see distance learning and pre-nursing student forums). Are you near Brooklyn College? It has a better rep than Medgar Evers and lots of night/weekend classes.

Actually I'm in Brooklyn College now, but it doesn't serve my needs very well. It does not have a nursing program and the courses that they do have don't correlate well to the classes I need for nursing. They're also not as flexible with letting me sign up for just the classes I need for nursing. Last semester I ended up taking 3 classes that really had little to do with nursing, because they were required by the school.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Downstate is a very good school that is difficult to get into. I'm not sure a degree from an online program is going to help much.

I was worried about that.:o Which bachelor's are more likely to be respected by Downstate? I guess my best bet would be to call Downstate directly and find out how best to prepare for their program.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
Chaya, I'd look at doing a health science degree online via www.excelsior.edu. Part of SUNY, and you can get science credits that will be accepted towards your BSN. I did Empire - wanted to be a biology teacher - and I could NOT get the science classes I needed through them. I'd have had to cross-register at the local CUNY schools and, as you know, getting a seat in them even if attending there was nigh unto impossible.

Medgar Evers is a CUNY school. What do you mean about getting a seat in them? For their nursing program? I really want a BSN rather than an ADN, and except for Hunter, no CUNY school even offers a BSN. But, Medgar Evers can help me get the science credits that I need. I really don't want to do the science credits online -- I would rather go to a school with a lab available.

I feel that some schools have better reputations than others, but a degree is a degree, period. You do what works for you and your family. I just don't understand why you are completing the bachelors at Empire if you plan to get a BSN from SUNY downstate?

To comment on Olivia's question, when i myself was gunhoe to attend downstate, their program options were the the BSN accelerated program in which you HAD to have a completed bacchalors degree along with all the required pre-reqs OR the other option was RN-BSN option. Hence the OP has to complete her Bacchalors at another school before applying to downstate for BSN. I mean i could be wrong but this is how i understood it from their website and when i attended their open house this year.

Undergraduate Nursing Program

Hope this helps

~M

Medgar Evers is a CUNY school. What do you mean about getting a seat in them? For their nursing program? I really want a BSN rather than an ADN, and except for Hunter, no CUNY school even offers a BSN. But, Medgar Evers can help me get the science credits that I need. I really don't want to do the science credits online -- I would rather go to a school with a lab available.

No, I mean say the chemistry class at Brooklyn College. There are 30 seats in that class available. 40 Brooklyn College students want in. They pre-register. You're an Empire State student. You're going to have a hard time getting a seat in the class.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I won't have a problem because I'm already enrolled in Brooklyn College and I have a 4.0 average there. They are not going to turn me down from Chem. Maybe I will end up doing chem at Brooklyn College. However, they don't really have A&P classes that are geared for nursing students. They have a physiology class offered by their exercise and fitness department and a comparative anatomy class... BC doesn't have a nursing program so their sciences aren't really nursing friendly. Hunter won't accept A&P credits from Brooklyn College towards a nursing degree, but they will accept from Medgar Evers. That tells me something.

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