How'd you pick your college?

[SwimmerGrrl]

I've known I want to be a nurse all my life, and now it's time to apply to the colleges to get me there. I don't have to nor do I want to stay in my home state to go to college. I can move in with family in any of five different states: CA, MN, OH, NC, and WI, establish residency and then pay in-state tuition if I go to a public school, or just go to a private school. I'm a good student, but not great, so I won't get into highly selective schools. That still leaves hundreds if not thousands of options.

There are so many BSN programs in the US, how'd you pick one?

[Katsmeow]

NCLEX pass rate & reputation in the community!!! Both are important.

[EteRNalTranquility]

I knew I was going to go for ADN first because it was less time in school and the pay wasn't drastically less than an RN-BSN. The school I attended has relatively good NCLEX pass rates (I did pass on the first try), their nurses get hired quickly (my class graduated in December and several are already employed; I was hired just last week) and it's only about ten minutes from my house, so I could still live at home. Also, the BSN program in my local university (different school from where I attended) has a dismal reputation and their NCLEX scores are in the toilet.

[HammockBound]

I also looked at NCLEX passing rates, length and cost of the program. There is a school down the street from me that has a med-low passing rates and is about double the cost of the program an hour up the road which much higher passing rates and what I feel a much stronger program. Im not even looking into the closer one. I know it will be a bit harder but it is only a short time.

[zoe92]

I live in a small state & applied to multiple BSN programs based on their NCLEX pass are & reputation at hospitals. I also only applied to schools I could imagine myself actually going to.