Glendale versus Valley - Nursing Programs

bookwormjoy · Nov 21, 2009

Wow!! Sounds like you were accepted to both!! Congrats! I was accepted into Glendale, but I am a Valley student hoping to get accepted there. If I were to get accpeted into Valley too, I would have a hard time choosing. I love Valley and I love Valley Presbyterian Hospital (which is one of the hospitals that they use for their clinicals), but Glendale has a higher passing rate for the NCLEX, which could mean that the school is VERY good but also very tough. (I also take distance and traffic into consideration, that is why to many of my friends dismay I did not apply to more schools in L.A. with the exception of CSLA. I will cope with traffic and distance to get a BSN.)

risa1191013 · Nov 22, 2009

Bookwormjoy:

Thanks for your input! Yes, I got accepted into both and also am and alternate at College of the Canyons. It's a tough decision to pick between Valley and Glendale while putting aside all of the personal reasons, like how far they are from my house, how far they are from my work, weekend/evening versus day program, etc. Did you accept Glendale's offer yet?

bookwormjoy · Nov 22, 2009

WOW!!! You are quite fortunate!! There are about 400 applicants and only 40 seats (standard/evening) for GCC alone!! I was denied at COC, and I am awaiting to hear from Valley yet. Do you mind if I inquire as to what your GPA is and what you recieved for your score on the TEAS? The schools say that it is random selection, but I wonder if it is really true...I think that they give you a better chance in the lottery if you grades are good..but I am only guessing. Did you get selected for evening/weekends at GCC?

risa1191013 · Nov 23, 2009

Bookwormjoy:

I did get into the evening/weekend program at GCC so I guess I'll be seeing you there! What day are yout going to the orientation; 12/2 or 12/4? I see that you're 34 and I'm 32 so it's good that I'll have someone else around my age in school! :) I'm not sure if your theory on whether they give those with good grades a better chance in the lottery or not because I can tell you that from your other post, your GPA and TEAS test result are slightly better than mine. I would call Valley, too because they called me stating that they hadn't heard from me yet regarding the acceptance letter they had sent...and I still haven't received it!

vivasmom · Nov 23, 2009

I'm 4th semester at GCC and have been very happy there. The facilities and campus are much nicer than Valley. We also have a brand new nursing building and lab. Very good reputation. Valley campus is run down and depressing to me. Just my 2 cents.

risa1191013 · Nov 23, 2009

Vivasmom:

Thanks for your 2-cents! I've just had a good feeling about GCC since I received my acceptance letter so I'm excited about accepting their offer. I'm a little nervous to start for numerous reasons, but I've also worked hard to get here and so I feel that I deserve this opportunity. Has it been hard to get through the program?

bookwormjoy · Nov 23, 2009

I will be going to orientation on December 2...I cannot wait to meet you!!

vivasmom · Nov 23, 2009

Everyone will try to scare you about nursing school, including the director at Glendale. Is it hard, yes, but it should be. clearly it is not impossible, as there will be about 50 of us finishing in 3 weeks. Contrary to what you might hear from others and on these boards.....I've been on vacations, gone to the movies, still volunteered in my daughter's classroom, seen my husband, been to parties etc etc AND I have straight A's. You still have a life. With that said, i have never been late to or missed a class and have never been late to or missed clinical. Have never missed an assignment etc. The teachers at Glendale are EXCELLENT, no freaky mean unfair clinical instructors like those you read about on these boards. They are there to help you succeed and want you to do your best. I have cried from the stress about school, but i've cried about work and being a parent too. nursing school is very grown up stuff, but you can do it! There is tutoring to help you, a mentoring program and lots of other support. Make sure all of your other non-nursing coursework is out of the way.

risa1191013 · Nov 23, 2009

Vivasmom:

Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for what you said! This is what I keep telling myself but then you start to freak yourself out by all that you read on here. I went back to school in Fall 2007 to complete my 2 year degree and complete my prereqs for nursing school. I did it, getting my AS in Biological and Physical Sciences with honors, all the while working full-time for Disney, being a single mother of two and having a child with a chronic illness that's on chemotherapy medication. I'm not saying that I think nursing school will be a piece of cake, but rather that I'll still be able to have a life and go to school, too; I've been doing it so far! :) Thank you for all of the tips and advice. All of my non-nursing coursework is done so that's good! I'm glad to hear that the teachers are fantastic; that helps so much! Congrats to you for being 3 weeks away from finishing! Good luck with your NCLEX!

five10fevr, ASN, RN · Oct 11, 2010

Risa1191013,

I am sure you have already been in nursing school for almost a year now but I was wondering if you ever heard anything from COC as an alternate.

I was choosen as an alternate for Spring 2012 but cant get any other information from the school. I was just wondering did you ever get accepted.

Thanks for answering such an old post.

risa1191013 · Oct 13, 2010

Hi:

Congrats on getting accepted as an alternate! I never did hear anything back from them when I was accepted as an alternate. They basically told me that if seats became available, they would contact the alternates in the order that they were picked to see if they wanted to take the vacant seat. COC was the first school that I had been accepted to, so once I was accepted into other schools, I wasn't too worried about COC. Good luck to you and I hope you hear something soon!