where to go? Emory or a community college

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Could someone give me some suggestions on where to go: starting a Nursing Program at a community college this year or applying for the Nursing Program at Emory next year?

I was accepted by the Nursing Program at a community college, but I am still hesitating whether to apply for the Nursing program at Emory.

My hesitantion is complex, and mainly caused by five factors.

One is I have already had an acceptance letter from this college, but I have not applied for Emory yet.

The second is that my GPA is good enough to apply for Emory.

The third is that I cannot afford $16,700 per semester at Emory.

The forth is that graduating from Emory may have more job opportunity, higher salary...

The fifth is that if graduate from a college, I still need to spend another one year with a bacholar degree.

Any suggestion would be GREATLY appreciated.

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First, congrats on your acceptance to nursing school! If you want to be done quickly, then taking your current CC acceptance is probably the way to go.

If you decide you want to go straight for your BSN, there are several universities in the area that offer great BSN programs that don't come with the high Emory price tag. The ones that I researched were Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University. You likely have most of the pre-requisites completed for both traditional programs. You'll have to take the TEAS exam if you haven't already.

KSU's traditional program is 5 consecutive semesters and the earliest semester you can apply for right now is Summer 2011. The deadline is August 31st. GSU's traditional program is 6 semesters (3 years) and I believe the application deadline for Spring 2011 is October 1st. GSU also has an accelerated program that is 4 consecutive semesters, and does not require a previous degree, just completing a few more classes, some taken specifically at GSU.

Best of luck with your decision!

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I agree with BDanders, if you are already accepted at a Community College jump on it. Emory is highly competitive, which means there is no guarantee you will be accepted. You can always transfer to a traditional college after completing the ADN program at the Community College.

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Thank you so much, bdanders and rojahs3!

I should face the reality.

This CC is much much cheaper.

Hopefully I can graduate successfully in 2 years.

Thanks again, bdanders and rojahs3.

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I agree with the others. If you've already been accepted in the nursing program at the CC, I would go with it since there is no guarantee you will get accepted at Emory. Plus, if you have your heart set on attending Emory and depending on your goals for the future, Emory has an RN-MSN program that you can do after getting your ADN and you may be able to find an employer willing to pay at least some of your tuition at Emory to complete the MSN. Just a thought. Good luck and congratulations on your acceptance! :)

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Thank you very much, Paeonia.

I appreciate your suggestion.

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Specializes in Psych, Pediatrics, GI, Diabetes.

I agree with the others for all the reasons mentioned (and I WENT to Emory) - if for no other reason than this: Do you want to be stuck with that huge price tag and not have a job afterwards to pay it off (assuming you'd be taking loans out) - because I know of several people who are now stuck in that situation, and let's just say it's not pretty...I'd stick with the CC...and good luck - really, it is not all about the name, as long as you put all you've got into it, you'll be a great nurse in the end, regardless of where the degree came from...good luck!! :)

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I will say go for CC, its cheaper. Emory is good if you r interested in research and a name, and it would only make a differecence after several years of practice, not when you r starting out as a new grad.

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Thank you very much, cocoon2butterfly and TickyRN!

I appreciate your suggestions.

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Go for the community college. You can always go to Emory to get a BSN or MSN part time while you work.

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If you want a BSN and your scores are good and you live in state, you can go to MCG on Hope. I know the main campus is in Augusta, and I think satellite campuses in Athens and Columbus.

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