ITT TECH RN Program Portland-Accepted Student Info!

[jthom1977]

Hi! I have LOTS of info that people seem to be searching for.....After reading ALL of the posts in regard to ITT Portland RN program AND doing a TON of research via calls and internet, I too decided to try to get into one of the top 30 spots. I am posting here because in doing my reasearch to make the best possible educated decision for myself, I needed LOTS of information. Now I want to share my experience.

This was THE EASIEST process ever! The hard part was waiting to get the letter. I literally called the school for seminar info in August 2010, took the HESI on 09/01/10 and got the acceptance letter 10/29/10. I start the course the week of 12/06/10.

ACCREDITATION and RN-BSN:After taking the HESI, I did A LOT of research. I spoke with a rep @ Linfield as well as the previous ITT program chair Justina and the current program chair Ilene. BOTH chair's were MORE than helpful and extremely informative. I CONFIRMED that there are articulation agreements in place w/ Walla Walla University as well as Linfield for BSN studies. Many BSN programs want you to have graduated from an NLN accredited school. ITT is in candidacy status as per the NLN website. You will find this on the NLN website under ITT in INDIANA. ITT's corporate headquarters are based there. Hence, candidacy there. I did verify that students who attend during candidacy status are grandfathered in as grads of the NLN accredidation once ITT is OFFICIALLY accredited.

HESI A2 Testing:This test was EASY!! Only math/english grammar/reading comprehesion/vocabulary are on this test. Not the science/physics/chemistry portions. The main math study points are: ratio/proportions; metric mesurements; ALL facets of fractions (add, subtract, mult., divide), and EXTREMELY BASIC algebra. Calculator is not necessary for this test (unless you don't know your multiplication facts.) Calculator and scrap paper materials ARE PROVIDED. You cannot bring anything to the test.

COST OF ATTENDENCE:EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE for an associates degree!!! $518/credit hour. If you have your basic general ed pre-reqs completed through PCC or MHCC or other; you will save upwards of $17k. So do the pre-reqs prior IF YOU CAN...ITT does 3 cycles of financial aid while you are in attendance. So IF YOU QUALIFY>>> 3 Pell FULLGrants ($16650 FREE $$); $32500 of FEDERALLY BACKED LOAN MONEY. All together that totals $49150.00... AS OF TODAY 11/17/10, the cost of attendence is $54687 (included kit fee, ONE TIME admin fee, etc). So... you see! The difference is $5537! You are thinking where I am going to get that money?! ITT has a GREAT $3000 Scholarship available to INDEPENDANT students. If you have a 0 EFC on your financial aid/FAFSA, DO THIS! It is a matter of completing an application and turning it in. And there are MANY scholarships available. You can reasearch ITT's scholarship info on their website (as I did). The other thing ITT does that makes it easy for you to get signed up and started is a credit program with the school. They can help you with pushing off your balance until yuou graduate. You OF COURSE want to apply as much money as you can to the bill, but they made it possible for me to start with NO UPFRONT/OUT-OF-POCKET costs. I have a carry over... I will get the scholarship as well as apply my employers tution-reimbursement plan toward that balance to knock it out before the next financial aid cyle. ITT gave me credit so I don't have to borrow more than I need for the cost of attendence.

With the cost of this attendence, you have to think about what is best for your family and yourself... Do you want to pay more now and get school done? OR do you want to wait and try to get into one of the Portland area schools?Also, with nursing tuition, there are TONS of programs that will pay your tuition back once you are done with schoo. For example, HRSA Grant... If you work in a critical need area (NOT THE PDX METRO AREA) and you are a full time staff member, this federal loan forgiveness is available.

SCHEDULE:At this point, school is 2 days a week. Very convenient if you have a flexible employer. I currently work for Legacy Health Systems and my boss was able to work around my schedule temporarily and through the first term. I am happy with that.

FUTURE EMPLOYMENT: Most companies want an RN from an NLN accredited school (which INCLUDES ITT). The state of Oregon is extremely rigid in its accreditation and licensing requirements Nursing programs. I am sure the education will the very good as per Oregon standards. I know Legacy has a NEW GRAD internship program for new RN grads... The requirements are 3.5 GPA as well as obtaining your BSN within 5 yrs of date of hire. Now in working for Legacy for the last several years, this company is EXCELLENT!! There are a couple of hundred applicants (new grads) who applied to the last RN internship. They are having a new grad intership application currently. It is NOT ALWAYS OPEN.... You can go to legacyhealth.org for more info.

So... I hope all of this helps and if there are any questions, feel free to comment of message me!

[webgrl]

I am NOT saying that you are not good enough to be a nurse, not at all! But I am saying that the market may be trying to tell you something about your competitiveness in the current economic climate. It's always about you versus other prospects when it comes to employment.

If ITT is the school that takes the people who couldn't get in anywhere else... surely employers know it. If new grads from top programs are going months or years without a job... where will that leave you as an ITT graduate?

It seems like a risk you must balance with your dream and family... I am sure you have given it much thought over the years. But isn't the risk analysis pretty harsh when you consider chances for ITT grads coupled with having crippling amounts of student debt? Risk is not fate. I wish you good luck!

SummitAP,

Like lovejen I have also done a ton of research on the ITT Nursing program, nationwide and in Portland, OR. I have spent since July researching, after frustrating, getting nowhere years at Clark College of Vancouver. Also like Lovejen, I am also a single parent that believes time is of essence and after seeing the professionalism, the strict guidance and rules that ITT PDX provides I have no doubt in my mind that they will come out of Candidacy status and become approved by the time I graduate March '13. Yes, I was accepted (on my second try) and started today! They can offer the same program, degree and opportunity as any public college. More and more employers will see this.

However, rather than wasting years, using up all the fin-aid money/resources I decided time is of essence and to get my Clark college credits transferred and move on. So if people want to spend more time trying to get into a public community college for the same degree as ITT, then I respect that. However, SummitAP your last post was insulting to those who feel that this is their best road in becoming an RN. You stated, "If ITT is the school that takes the people who couldn't get in anywhere else" LOL LOL. Actually, it's more like for people who are motivated and get what they want, instead of wasting time. I laughed at your quote rather than becoming insulted..but I wouldn't recommend making a statement you know nothing about for future reference. What do you care?

As for risking our dreams and family, again that falls on putting your life on hold.. while you beg, and wait in line and literally have to earn "points" just to try and get into a nursing program. I choose NOT to do this and just get on with my life and NOT risk my dreams and family. Like Lovejen and my other classmates, we will become fine RN's with the one-on-one instructions, tutoring, and 6 days a week open campus. We will do this now... NOT later! So in 2.5 years, rather than 4-8 years, we will be able to work anywhere in this country as RN.

So congrats to all my fellow class mates who got into ITT, a private school and will become some of the finest nurses known! It's not where you get your education, it's how much effort you put into it and how much you learn.

Yours Truly,

webgrl

[anon695]

$54K for an associates degree? Are you also buying a 2-bedroom house in Las Vegas for 800,000 on an adjustable rate mortgage and working with a Nigerian prince to claim inheritance money from a long-lost uncle? This is a total rip-off and you'll be sinking in loan debt faster than Greece & Ireland, stay away from this for-profit school.

[mikvegas123]

anon695 you seem like a math wizard!! Here is one problem for you to figure out. 3 to 5 years to even get into a nursing program or if you ever do. Then 4 years to graduate. So in those 9 miserable years you are still working for $8 an hour or you are broke as hell living at your parents house these graduates will be long making well over 60,000 a year. They will have their RN license and will be nurses and you will still be hoping that your 3.8 gpa will get you into a program along with the other 300 students with the same gpa or higher applying for 23 seats at your community college. OOOOOpssss did i do that!!!!! ha ha ha lmao!!!

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

mikevegas, you don't seem like a math wizard... it shouldn't take 3-5 years to get into RN school. It should take 1-3 depending on the person regardless of whether they are after a BSN or ADN. Further, if you think that most ITT grads are able to get hired to a 60K/yr job right after graduation, you might be dreaming the dream that the for profits want to sell you on. The people from the top-tier schools are having trouble getting any job. How will ITT students pay that debt with no job for 1-2 years (around here the average job search time for a new ADN is 12-18 months, 4-10 months for a BSN).

[mikvegas123]

Ha ha ha!!! SummitAP you are too easy!! First off let me break you down slowly. Yes you are right if you are good you can get your prerequisites done in 1 and 1/2 years. But most people it take about 2-3 yrs. People who are working full time might take longer. But if you read the whole thing you would see where I stated that you will be competing with about 300 hundred or more applicants with about only 23-30 seats. It might take you years or you might never get in. I have seen people on this forums who have been trying for over 3 years with a gpa over 3.5 and high test results and still have not been accepted. Oh and where do you get your figures on how long or average it takes for certain nurses to find a job. Everybody's work ethic at finding jobs are different. Some people try harder and look longer than others. Some fill out more apps or look further. Some people go out only once a month. So you cant really get an accurate number on those figures. Please I have seen hospitals overtaken with foreign nurses who can barely speak english and got their education at a nursing school in the phillipines which I know dont have nlnac accreditation. And you are worried about Itt tech!!!!! I think you are bored and looking for people to attack so you can make yourself feel better. P.S. I didn't know ADD was also a reading problem!!!! Next time read the whole reply. Never claimed to be a math wizard I just have common sense!!!!!! I dont like haters and I will break every one of you down......No Im not part of the school nor am I affiliated. I just dont like when people come on here and try to put people down who are trying to do something. Some of those people dont have any other choice. You might be jabbing away at their last hope and dream. What do you want them to do. Stop going after their dreams and go on welfare. Its people like you that got me worried for the future of this country......Thank god canada is not that far away........

[Kmolss01]

Look ITT tech is an awesome school and i have already been promised a job at gradguation:)......I gradguate march 2013 not that far away.

[abree0323]

kmolss01

Glad to hear the good news on ITT. I am looking to start in september. I have yet to go to a seminar and everything so I can find out more info. But that's awesome that you are promised a job already.

This is making me breathe a little easier!

[NurseToBe3]

How long does it take to get official accredidation (sp?) from OSBN? And what does candidacy status mean? Does that mean you are automatically accepted to Walla Walla or Linfield for the the RN to BSN program after graduating here? I was recently accepted into MHCC's nursing program, (it took me three years to do my clsses) but my huband is also going for nursing and he has a lower GPA than I do. We are both really worried about him getting accepted somewhere so this seems like it might be an option. I don't think either of us would be comfortable until it is acreddited (we have a friend that went through one of those types of scools and right before he would have graduated they lost their acreddidation and he wasted all that time and money). I do remember looking into ITT last summer and they were in the initial stages then too. How long does it take?

[JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN]

Kmolss01 - The word is graduate not gradguate. What kind of job were you offered if I may ask.

[MariaCMA]

I have been waiting and waiting and hoping to get into one of the Portland Area Community College nursing programs. Last year was a no, and this year I am on an alternate list. I have a family getting older as am I, and I have determined I can not keep waiting and hoping forever. I am giving some serious thought to ITT as I would like to accomplish my goal of getting my RN.

Thanks for offering up some info about ITT nursing program....

I have noticed some obvious down speech toward ITT having a nursing program as I have been reading along, but I know I can't be alone in this quest to get into a nursing program and achieve my RN. From what I have read, there are a lot of people with all of the pre-requisites completed and no RN program available for them. This seems like the perfect option for anyone out there who can't get directly into a program. I know I am doing some research and seriously considering this option.

Once again, just wanted to thank you for posting the info.