Herzing or Keiser? - Orlando

U.S.A. Florida

Published

Hi,

I'm trying to decide between the RN programs at Keiser or Herzing in Orlando. I believe both programs are fairly new here, and I've had somewhat of a difficult time trying to get the opinions of students who went the Orlando campus of either of these programs. I've spoken with an admissions counselor at Keiser and I already know most of the intricate details of that program. I'm scheduled to attend an information session for Herzing in a couple of weeks. My biggest concerns are the following:

1). How confident the graduates feel in their ability to pass the NCLEX

2). How graduates from these schools are perceived by the local hospitals as far as employment (Orlando/Central Florida area specifically)

I think I could get out quicker at Herzing, but I'm unsure if they are regionally accredited, which is a deal-breaker for me since I plan to apply to the RN-BSN program at Florida Hospital (they give preference to their alumni for admissions into the anesthesia program). Keiser has both SACS and NLNAC accreditation so that's perfect. I've read plenty of mixed reviews about these schools but none were specific to the Orlando campuses. Quality varies from campus to campus and I just want to be confident in my decision... ESPECIALLY since that decision comes with a 20-30K price tag :).

Hi Littlemissgator,

I'm really sorry to hear that you had a bad experience at Herzing, however I had the opposite experience. I though that the admissions coordinator was very nice and answered all of my questions over the phone. At the information session, I thought they provided great info and I really liked the director. She had a lot of experience and really pushes her students to do their best. She had a good sense of humor as well. I liked their nursing lab.

I think your situation is similar to mine, I already have a bachelors degree and am looking to change careers and eventually want to be an NP.

I still need to take Micro, but I was hoping to take it over the summer and start the nursing core in September. Unfortunately they are already full so I have to wait until January.

I literally just got a call from Keiser when I was typing this message and set up an appointment for tomorrow. I like that they are already NLNAC accredited, so hopefully everything works out and I can start sooner rather than later.

I agree with you in that if I was just starting out I would go the community college/university route.

Hi,

I went to Keiser today and I really liked it, but it looks like I'm looking at a January start date. In a way this is a good thing because I can apply to Keiser, Remington, and Herzing for January and make my decision later. Like I said before, I really liked the nursing director at Herzing. Keiser has better facilities and nursing lab. Keiser Orlando is new so they don't have any NCLEX pass rates or placement rates yet so it's hard to tell how good their program is. Not all Keiser locations are equal, but Orlando seems like it's on the right track.

I still don't know which school I'm going to go to yet, it's a hard decision.

laurdra,

I'm glad your experience at Herzing was a great one. Now you'll be able to see which program fits you best. I was at Keiser today as well for my interview. It went well, and they said I should know something by the end of this week. Let me know how your visit went. Also, since you said you have a degree already, had you looked into an accelerated BSN program like the one at UCF or Remington?

almostthereMHM,

Wow, I didn't realize the wait would be THAT long. YIKES is right! In that case, I probably would explore my other options because yes, private schools have a greater cost upfront, but if you started a program in January you'll most likely be working (and making decent money) before you would even start your classes at Valencia... something to think about. Actually, I'm so over the school thing, and the timeline is EXACTLY why I decided to go the private school route. The cost means nothing to me because I initially planned to go to med school which costs anywhere from 150K-300K, so I still feel like finishing with less than 100K of debt (even after anesthesia school) is a deal.

Oh ok, I was writing my previous response while you were posting so I ended up asking questions that you had just answered. I met the director at Keiser today, and she's pretty nice. She was the main person I spoke with during the interview, so I'll let you know what I really think once I hear back from them lol j/k. The inconsistency in pass rates for the different Keiser campuses and the lack of available pass rates for the Orlando campus made me nervous about applying there, but the pass rates for the other campuses are low only when the class is a large size. The director told me today that the largest class that she would want would be about 28 or so. And yes, it does seem like the Orlando campus is on the right track. I think you're doing the best thing and I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

Keiser Student here... they prepare us really good!!! Just took my nclex predictor and it says that i have 97% of chances of passing the test on the first time!!!

so... will let you all know after I take the Nclex.... I certainly would recommend this school to anyone...

They certanly do not make it easy for you, but they are always available to help you and give you the tools you need to be successful!

like always... it really comes down to YOUR effort, wherever you decide to go!

Congratulations!!! That's wonderful news!!!:yeah: You're absolutely right about your success being reflective of your own efforts. I sincerely believe my experience at Keiser will be a good one... provided I get in :D LOL.

That's terrific news! All of your hard work is about to pay off.

Littlemissgator,

I'm sure you will get in, and when you do please check back and let me know what you think about the program. :)

Good Luck!

I got a call from Keiser yesterday, and I got in! YAY! I start my core on May 3rd. Can't wait! :o)

Hooray! Congratulations, I know you will do great. Keep us posted on how it goes. I'll be 8 months behind you.

Also, how was the TEAS? I'm reviewing the ATI study guide. I took the practice test and did ok on all of the sections except science.

Congrats littlemissgator,

I knew you would make it in! On top of that you start your core in May that's great! You have to definitely keep us up to date with your journey with Keiser (financial aid, teachers, and the school as a whole) Any hoo! Congrats again and continue to keep us posted.:yeah:

Thanks again! One thing I can already say that I absolutely LOVE about this school is that they try their best not to waste your time. If you look at the time from when I started this thread to the time I was accepted and registered... exactly one month. I applied a few weeks ago, took my TEAS last week, had my interview on Tuesday, and was accepted on Thursday. I have my appt with financial aid on Tuesday so I'll see how that goes. The only thing left for me to do is get any vaccines and check-ups that I may not have, attend orientation, and buy my scrubs!

laurdra,

The TEAS is definitely doable. The only thing that I could see as being "difficult" about it is getting over the intimidation factor if you hadn't been in school for a while. It's a general overview of what you get out of high school, and I would say a thorough assessment of the 9th/10th grade. Extremely basic and no where near college material. In no way am I saying not to study for it, but I didn't study and I scored in the 99th percentile in several sections and only had to take the test once. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who taught 9th grade science for a couple of years and has always been strong in every subject except for history. Most of my science questions were earth science questions... A&P, Bio, Chem, and Physics questions were only sprinkled in... which didn't make sense to me. Either way, difficult or not, you can't go wrong with studying hard because they only allow you to take it twice. Try to get it out of the way on the first attempt. You'll avoid a lot of unnecessary stress. If you do a search on this site about the TEAS you should come across a thread that has a link for you to download the McGraw-Hill study guide for nursing school entrance exams. You should see it after reading through a few pages in the thread. From what I saw, it was more difficult than my actual test. BTW, when are you scheduled to take it? Let me know how it goes. Happy studying!! Be blessed!!

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