From a current student, I tell you this:
You want a school to go to without a waiting list, without worries of jobs conflicting with school, or that living in a exotic place will be worth the expense?? You think you've found your fantasy island??? WAKE UP
First: Do not go.
Secondly: Don't go
Thirdly: Please, don't go....
The school was constructed after Ross sold his successful Med and Vet schools to DeVery. With that being said....the time of "growing pains" has passed and all that is left is a dismal failure of prepping students for the nursing career.
1) You are in a country that is 2-3rd world standards, beautiful, but freakishly expensive and woefully struggling in all areas.
2) Most private loan companies will not give loans out w/o a co-signer, and in todays failing bank climate, the prospect of getting a loan in almost nil. (Last I was on Kitts, SallieMae, Chase and Citibank refused to loan money to students, due to Kitts being a foreign country) So, most students can't afford to live there.
3) When its all said and done, you'll be 100k+ in debt (housing, car, airline tickets, fun-n-the-sun, food, school supplies, random testings, partner school expenses, etc..all add up).
Now, on to the acadamia:
As a student, we understand that somethings we just have to swallow and do. Though when it comes to the amount of money you are putting out, and the fact that you are being promised a shorter time to graduation than stateside, you ask questions, and a lot of them.
Which led us to realize that we as students were second on the list to admin/professor politics, and before all was the al'mighty dollar.
So, yes our education was below standard. Some teachers were amazing, most were using the job as a retirement gig. Again, some teachers were amazingly phenominal...and they are the ones that even questioned why (we students) stayed.
Now, after your stint in Kitts, you spend your last semesters in a partner school stateside. This is key, because it allows you to sit for the NCLEX. And every group that went to a partner school, every last one was deemed inadequately trained, and had to take another semester of "refresher" course. So, your nifty little timetable has just been screwed with again and your debt just increased again.
Some states don't recognize IUON credits, so dropping out and transferring your credits isn't a solution. Also, you want to know partner schools? There are 4 ADN, and current 1BSN. BUT, some of the ADN are putting a hold on ADN students from IUON, citing a state validation and not wanting to lower their chances to pass it. The BSN, well....thats another story, currently it is in Puerto Rico.
Yes, some students passed and will say that had a blast and was well worth it. Most will not though. If you're set on going, know to get the best, THE VERY BEST out of iuon...you'll need to self learn all the material and that there will be non-nursing courses you will be required to take.
So, how to get into a accredited school and avoid a waiting list and getting the best dar-n education you can? Well...look beyond your backyard.
Look on the opposite coast, look in the states that you'd never imagine yourself being at. Also, get loans, the cost for a state school is way cheaper than 1 semester at Kitts.
Now, also look into US territories...you want sun and beach's? Look into PR, yes Puerto Rico. Its NOT bilingual, its spanish at mac10. BUT there is a nursing school that is taught all in English, you're partnered w/a bilingual nurse in clinicals...and its inexpensive. (The name? Thats your homework to find out, you didn't think I'd give all the answers? hint? hmm, ok...part of the name has the fourth word of my country.)
If I could have done it all over again....
