Everest Institute (fka Olympia Institute) help!

Delilah_21 · Sep 17, 2007

I am currently attending Everest Institute in Grand Rapids, and will be done in December! What questions do you have?

studentsistah · Sep 17, 2007

Hi Delilah,

Thanks for posting! How long is the program? How many days a week do you attend school? How soon did you start clinicals? What is the coast of the program? I tried to pm you, but for some reason I can not. Please feel free to pm or email me. Thanks sooooo much for your help.

faithful1 · Oct 4, 2007

I'm also a student at Everest, I graduate in Dec. with Delilah The program is approx. 25k. Clinicals started the second week. The program is Mon.-Fri. 8-5 is what your scheduled but is does get better. We do get out early some days they wont tell you that. pm me if you have any other question.

studentsistah · Oct 4, 2007

Hi Faithful1,

I am so happy for you and Delilah. Thanks for your reply. I sent you a pm. Hope to hear from you soon. Again Thanks!

bigjim · Nov 27, 2007

I am currently attending Everest Institute in Grand Rapids, and will be done in December! What questions do you have?

Do you feel like you got a good education? Do most/many of your classmates feel that they will have jobs lined up on graduation? How is the NCLEX pass rate?

Would you do it again knowing what you know now?

faithful1 · Nov 28, 2007

I am currently a student at Everest. Delilah is in my class as well so you can get each of our views. We both have two different situations. Would I do it again? absolutely. I am from metro Detroit and we have very long wait list for our nursing programs. I was tired of waiting. I recently spoke to several cc's and was told that once I pass my boards and complete prereqs. I can enter the rn portion without a wait. Olympia has a good pass rate with boards. Last level had a class of about 30 grads 2 failed the NCLEX. I believe that the program improves with every class. As far as jobs I hear that the students are finding jobs but the pay is lower than expected. I'm from metro Detroit so the pay will be higher. I have spoken to a DON at a LTC facility who said that LPN's start at $22.00 regardless of experience or school. The license is what matters. A couple of students who live in the Lansing area was told the same thing, these student's are CNA's so they will stay at their current facility. In the Grand Rapids area I have heard of students being offered as little as $15.75 and as much as $18.00. I am in my last clinical rotation and two of the recent Olympia grads are employed there. One of them was hired as the DON on the night shift and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing but they gave her the position. PM me if I can answer anymore questions.

Whats4me · Dec 5, 2007

I have a couple of questions if someone could possibly answer them for me. I was considering attending Everest but I was wondering....

1.) How is the cost tooken care of ( Financial aid, loans(what kind), monthly payments etc.)

2.) With a schedule from 9-5, even if you get out early and with studying how could I work, or make money, I still have bills.

( :idea: Any suggestions for that)

3.) And when you finish, if they don't get a bridge program, what would you do next, I don't want to stop at LPN

(oh and what is ADN)

I'm just really kind of inpatient, I'm at OCC (Oakland Community College) and there waiting list is long as (well u get the point) I just really don't want to waste anymore time but I want someone to help me make things more clear. I was thinking about going to Ohio for class but the drive, traffic, blah blah. HEEEELLPPP! I'm just unsure.

bigjim · Dec 5, 2007

I have a couple of questions if someone could possibly answer them for me. I was considering attending Everest but I was wondering....
1.) How is the cost tooken care of ( Financial aid, loans(what kind), monthly payments etc.)
2.) With a schedule from 9-5, even if you get out early and with studying how could I work, or make money, I still have bills.
( Any suggestions for that)
3.) And when you finish, if they don't get a bridge program, what would you do next, I don't want to stop at LPN
(oh and what is ADN)
I'm just really kind of inpatient, I'm at OCC (Oakland Community College) and there waiting list is long as (well u get the point) I just really don't want to waste anymore time but I want someone to help me make things more clear. I was thinking about going to Ohio for class but the drive, traffic, blah blah. HEEEELLPPP! I'm just unsure.

.

Hi there. I'm currently also at OCC (finishing up the EMT program) and most of the way through getting admitted to Everest for January, so I have had a lot of these same questions. I also taught there (Everest, not OCC) in another program for several years, so I have some familiarity with how they do things.

Everest has the same Federal financial options as other schools as far as Pell grants, subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans, Sallie Mae private loans, other private loans, etc, as well as some specific state and local agency funding, if you qualify. They also have various payment plans if you need to pay some/all of it in cash. If you are willing to cough up that much dough, they will find a way for you to pay. Some of the payment plans are deferrable until you finish school, just like the federal loans are.

Work is definitely tough. It would be nearly impossible to work a standard full-time job while doing this. I do medical transcription at home and will work some weekend shifts as an EMT while I go through, but even that will be a stretch.

There are lots of LPN-RN bridge programs (and even a few LPN-BSN). Occ lets LPNs take the second year of their nursing school once prerequisites are done, and I don't think there is even a wait. Other schools do this as well, or you could always do Excelsior (see the Distance Learning Forum for all kinds of info). I have no plans to stay an LPN for very long, not that it is not an important job but I want the flexibility and higher pay of an RN, and also plan to finish my BSN and do graduate school. If I cannot get into OCC or another CC LPN bridge for 2009, I will do Excelsior.

Good luck!

teeniebert, LPN · Dec 29, 2007

The program is approx. 25k.

25k? Twenty-five thousand dollars? I just went and talked to the admissions specialist today and I was very excited about this program, but if it costs this much there is no way I can do it. Does anyone know what kinds of scholarships/grants are available?

faithful1 · Dec 30, 2007

Pell grants and loans

mia'smom · Aug 22, 2009

faithful1 did you live in det?? and move to fl?? is this marcy?