Has anyone gone to Excelsior College?

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Hello fellow nurses,

I was wondering if anyone has gone & successfully graduated from Excelsior online college? I'm in the process of applying there but I'm a little nervous because it's an online school. I would have much rather gone to a physical nursing school, but everything where I live would have required me quitting my job to go to school full time. That wasn't an option for me because I have 3 kids to support. I know a lot of people have their opinions about online schools, but I would really like to hear from someone who has experience doing their nursing course online. Thank you :-)

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

From the FAQs in the EC forum: https://allnurses.com/excelsior-college-online/excelsior-grads-where-217472.html

There are many EC grads around. :)

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Moved to our Excelssior College forum.... Pixie is a grad enrolled now in a MSN program to further her career! Over 100 AN members have posted about their careers after completing this program in the above thread

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Thank you guys! I feel so much more confident about Excelsior now :-) I also noticed that many of the nurses that graduated from Excelsior were LPNs/LVNs. I'm currently an LPN and sometimes feel like there's not many of us around lol.

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Hi there!!

I love All Nurses website because I can find posts on just about any class I am taking at Excelsior. I am an LPN as week, attending Excelsior for my RN. I am testing Micro tomorrow. :roflmao: I have passed all four previous tests, but this Micro has been a rough ride. I too, was nervous, because I am a hands on person as well. But don't disregard your previous experience. Its seems as though, if you really are determined with this program, it works well. Lots of post grad forums :cat:

Good Luck and hang in there!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

I did the LPN-ASN/RN with Excelsior from 2009-2010....loved it!!!! Completing my BSN with them in 12 weeks!:DLove it still!!!

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@BSNINTHEWORKS, What are your thoughts on the BSN?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

Hi MedicKibbles!

The BSN was a personal goal for me. Doing it with EC is easier than I originally though it would be. I allowed life to interfere with the process, believing I would not be able to handle the courses AND life at the same time. Otherwise, I would have been done with this degree at the end of 2012. You have to be proficient with APA format, though, which the writing requirement will teach you if you need it. This requirement is not optional. There is so much that nurses do as second nature without really knowing why it's being done. The BSN brings the 'why' and the 'proof' (aka evidence) to the forefront.

I've posted on this website that I had extra credits leftover from the ASN and I saw the move to BSN-preferred begin to take off, so this is why I casually began my pursuit of the BSN. I started out by just going through the motions 'just because'. It just so happens that, on my job as a hospital float nurse, I was put in the position to have to defend my actions versus other nurses who chose to provide care differently. What a glorious moment and an exciting feeling it was when I was able to say, "well, I can't say why another nurse does what he or she chooses, but I did this because according to the (ANA, NIH, CDC, or what have you [as an example]) etc, etc, etc......". To prove my point and to be able to support it in writing by providing articles as literature for patient education was definitely a career highlight....and I haven't even finished the BSN yet! My responses now are totally different than 'that's the policy of this hospital'.

I know there are those who are against the BSN. To each his/her own. I made the BSN my personal choice before the get-it-or-get-out outbreak made it to my area. My patient care, skill-wise, has not changed. But my explanation, the 'why', goes over quite nicely with my patients and their families. They are actually more receptive to learning and participating. Of course, there will still be those drug seekers that the only thing they are receptive to is the 2mg of Dilaudid IV, flushed with 1mg of IV Ativan, hold the normal saline :), but we still try...

I could go on and on. But I think the above is proof enough that I have no regrets in my decision!

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We're here. I'm a LPN of 10 years and just met with reps about EC and was wondering the same thing you asked about. Thanks

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
We're here. I'm a LPN of 10 years and just met with reps about EC and was wondering the same thing you asked about. Thanks

EC doesn't send out reps. Are you sure you didn't meet with "The College Network" reps? Despite what these salespeople will tell you EC is neither affiliated with nor do they recommend/endorse TCN. TCN is nothing more than a publishing company that produces expensive study guides. TCN is not a school they cannot appropriately advise you on admission to EC nor do they have any influence as to whether you would be accepted and what of your previous credits would be applied. All TCN charges ($10,000+) are in addition to the tuition & fees assessed by EC. There is no guarantee that the material from TCN is adequate to prepare for EC courses or exams.

Plus although implied otherwise, the financing from TCN is from a third party private loan (like a car loan) not an education loan or financial aid (as TCN is not a school they cannot offer federal or state financial aid) and once you sign the contract and the cancellation period has passed (3 days) you are legally obligated to pay back the loan plus high interest regardless if you go forward with EC or graduate.

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As an Excelsior ASN grad who is now continuing on to the BSN through them I have to say it is overall pretty good. Just prepare yourself for the CPNE. I thought I was prepared and I got to a point where I almost quit in the middle of it. I was the only one in my group who ended up passing and one woman was on her third, and final, attempt. I thought some of the exams were too easy but the CPNE is a beast that will gobble you up if you do not handle stress well.

Read about it. Watch some videos on YouTube about what it entails. Download the CPNE study guide (it's about 400 pages) and make sure it is something you are willing to tackle. It's expensive...about $2k plus travel expenses. It's easy to fail (I think EC says the pass rate is like 60%). And if you fail it 3 times you are kicked out of the program. I posted details about my CPNE experience.

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Specializes in Pre-hospital, ER, ICU and PACU.

I'm a EC grad and LOVED it!

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