How did you pick your school?

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2003

I picked my program because it was a second degree BSN program and it was only twelve months! Oh yeah, and it was close to where I live. The other accelerated BSN programs I looked at were all over a year and a half in length and I just wanted to get it done! Probably not the best reason to pick a school, but hey it worked for me! I really wish I had looked at COST though!

Rena RN 2003, RN · Jun 15, 2003

i picked mine because the tuition was the lowest and the school was the closest to me. pass rates for nclex have been a steady 95%-98% each year since the program has been open. it's a small community college and i feel that we got more individual attention versus attending a large university.

JudithL_in_NH · Jun 15, 2003

There are three schools in my area I could consider:

#1 ADN program, state college, 98% NCLEX pass rate, small classes and a sense of community among the students and faculty (I visited), reasonable tuition, 1/2 hour commute, very competitive admissions--400+ applicants for 48 spaces. Two year program.

#2 BSN program; private college; 82% NCLEX pass rate; slightly larger classes and the students seemed highly competitive among themselves; slightly less clinical time; high tuition; 1/2 hour commute; provided minimum requirements were met, if you applied by a certain date you got in--this program still has space available for the fall. Since I already have a bachelor's, I'd get the BSN in 2.5 years.

#3 Very similar to #1, but an hour+ commute and many late afternoon-evening classes (I have kids, so I want a day program while they are in school).

The above order was my preference for attending them (I got into #1 & 2 and was wait-listed for #3). I will be going to #1 in the fall.

The NCLEX pass rate meant a lot to me, as did increased clinical time and more competitive admissions coupled with a sense of community. I'd rather be with peers who are strong, well-prepared students willing to work together as a team and support one another. The lower tutition was a plus, too, as I have a son who'll be a college freshman and the $ can only go so far! I will likely pursue a BSN later, but I'll let my first employer pay for that!

All three are good programs. I probably could have been happy at any one of the three, and I was prepared to attend either of the other two if I hadn't been accepted at my top choice.

Good luck making your choice!

LeesieBug · Jun 15, 2003

I chose mine mostly because of location. The hardest part for me was deciding whether I wanted to do an ADN or BSN program. I could see advantages to both. I finally decided on BSN, which narrowed things down to 2 private Universities that have a HORRIBLE commute (due to traffic), or a public University that is less of a problem to get to. An advantage of the public U is that there is a branch campus right here (in the middle of all these cow pastures), five minutes down the road, where I can take all my general education requirements!

The NCLEX results were not a big concern to me. The private schools had slightly higher pass rates, but I feel that that difference can be attributed to the fact that they are MUCH more selective with admissions, acedemically. When you start off with a group of students who have no less than 3.8 gpa's, you will probably have a more successful pass rate than schools that accept students wiht varying levels of acedmemic ability. I was more concerned with the fact that the public U had a pass rate higher than the state average, and that it showed improvement over the last several years.

Good luck with your education!

Bevi · Jun 15, 2003

I based my choice on proximity (5 minutes from home) and cost (very reasonable)........

not very complex..... but there it is..

i happened to luck out though, because its one of the very best ranked programs in our state!

camkib · Jun 15, 2003

I chose by location as well. I originally looked for BSN programs, but there are none in my immediate area---only RN to BSN. Once I figured that out, I looked for the closest community college. I looked at the NCLEX pass rate for the cc's in this area and they are all right around the same...so that wasn't as much of a factor as location.

Jen2 · Jun 15, 2003

I chose my school for several reasons:

1. I knew I wanted to do the ADN first, becasue the hospital where I work at pays for your BSN after you get your ADN. Why pay for 4 full years when I can only pay for two? One of the other programs in my area only offer a BSN.

2. The other ADN program in my area is a community college, where it seems as if everyone who applies gets in they accept 85 students into their program, and I don;t feel that is a sufficient # of students due to instructors. Their NCLEX pass rate is very low. The price is good but seems to be more hasstle than anything.

3. I chose the University route. Much more expensive, but it is a top 10 school. I was told that in 5 years when there is no longer a shortage that it will be the degree from this university that can make the difference, as far as even getting an interview. There is not always going to be a shortage and I felt that this would look best on my resume. They also only accepted 40 out of over 200 applicants. I also looked at the quality. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

B.T.H · Jun 15, 2003

I don't know about other states, but here in CO there is a big waiting list at all the colleges for the nursing programs(ADN and BSN). The best bet for getting in fast ,I think, is if your able and willing is to go to one of the rural area colleges because it will be easier for you to get in right away. They get a smaller number of applicants so the chances of getting in is easier. This is what my wife did since all the programs in Denver has a waiting list right now. She applied to 2 colleges out of town and got accepted to both. Good luck, B.T.H

renerian, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2003

What I could afford

renerian

sbic56, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2003

Location, location, location.:)

twarlik · Jun 15, 2003

I decided to just enroll in the university that I received my first bachelors degree from. The nursing program has a good reputation and the pass rates on the NCLEX were pretty good. Plus, since I was previously enrolled there, it was really easy getting back in.

There is a local ADN program, but the only difference between the BSN and ADN was going to be cost. Wasn't going to save me any time if I went the ADN route. Also, I plan on going back for my masters at some point, so I thought that it made more sense for me to just get my BSN now.