Got accepted to TWO RN Programs...what to do????

:yeah:Congratulation!!

I need help. For the past few years I have been dying to be accepted in to the nursing program at my school (ACCC). Last year I applied to ACCC and an LPN program. I was accepted into the LPN program but could not pay for it (tech school no pell grants) s. o I had to drop it. An outside agency was going to help but two days before the class dropped my funding because I "had too many college credits and potential to study harder and get into the RN program the next year." So I was a bit sad for a while and took some more courses to finish up and then more in the Spring to graduate with honors and general associates in science.

This year, I had a different strategy to multiply my chances of being accepted , I applied to two schools. Honestly, I did not think that I had a chance of being accepted in my school. They only go by the score on the NET and then break it down to other grades. Last year I think that they took about 40 students out of 200+ applicants. I was absolutely thrilled when I got the acceptance letter a few weeks back from my second program of choice, CCCC. I went to the orientation program on Monday and scheduled my classes. I have lecture/ lab on the same day, an online Intro to nursing class, and clinical on Thursday. That's just 2 days of traveling about 40 something miles each way. I even know where 2 of my clinical sites are....sweet! Yesterday, I got my schedule so I was going to take it to my school to get a county charge-back slip. So what is underneath that piece of mail.....an acceptance letter from ACCC! I wasn't excited.

I don't know how to compare the programs. I want to make an informed decision in a timely matter, not just for myself but so that someone else can have my seat. I am trying to find students from both schools to get some input. I have no choices in ACCC from what I understand, Lectures are in the AM and can be at the Main Campus(over 40 miles away) or distance learning at the local campus two times a week. Clinicals/labs are two days a week, all day at the Main Campus AND anywhere that they send me between Cape May County and Atlantic County. I don't think that I have a choice. If I need extra practice , some lab supplies -but not all- are at the local campus and all the nursing software is there too. For CCCC it's there or nothing. I'm not sure what else I should look for.

I hope I don't sound like a spoiled brat. Not everyone gets to choose between two schools. I just knew I had to plan accordingly and not get stuck behind another year. I'm an older college student who is divorced with kids.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Thanks!

Noel

First of all Congratulations. Last year I was in the same position. My mother graduated from a Nursing school about an hour away. I was first accepted to her school. Then 2 months later I get an acceptance letter to a school 2 miles away. You would think it would be an easy choice but it wasn't because the local one is on probation for NCLEX scores. What I finally had to do was talk to some of the graduates from the local school. And make a list of pros and cons about each. Now that gas is so expensive I am glad I chose the closer one. But do some research, look at their NCLEX pass rates and try to find some graduates to talk with. Good Luck

Thanks. It's so hard to for me because I love the school that I graduated from . Although part of it will be there, the other half is about the same distance to the other school. I also know all of the staff and most of the faculty on campus because I've worked there for the past few years (it is a branch so it is small). There is an extra clinical and lecture day in one program. IS that good or bad? I heard that one is harder than the other, but that's heresay.

If you can not find enough input from students or through your research to make an informed decision, I would choose to go to the program that is closer to your home and involves the least amount of travel.

I can only find students from the campus nearby. The campus further away requires me to be there for only two scheduled days. That does not include computer lab/ extra lab time if needed. The school nearby is actually further in the long run because it is two days local for 2 hours then 2 days at the main campus- an hour away and clinicals either nearby or near the main campus. I hear that they try to send the local students to a local hospital. It also seems as though the one school sends you to clinicals much sooner. I'm not sure if this is good or bad.

Thanks for your reply