I signed up for this LPN school in NYC called Mildred Elley. I haven't started classes or anything like that yet, I just went today to fill out my application, signed a few papers, and meet with an admissions rep, I haven't put money down or anything. All they did was sign me up for the TEAS exam next month. Classes don't start until late March.
The main thing that attracted me to this school was the schedule flexibility which is extremely important because I work 4-12 and my supervisor doesn't care about being flexible even though he used to be a nursing student himself. Anyways, after I got home, I did some further reading about this place and learned that it has a low passing rate for the NCLEX-PN exam. In 2015, their rate was 59.3%. 2014 was 50%.
I would leave that school because of the price and the fact that it's for-profit, but not for low pass rates.
As long as the school stays above the minimum pass rate to maintain its accreditation, I don't really care whether the pass rate is 75% or 100%. I know I'll pass regardless of the pass rates. Do I wish that my program would weed out the students who are constantly on the edge of failing? Sure. But in the end it doesn't affect me a whole lot.
What's the name of the school JSS? Is it Veeb? I get mix reviews about this school.
As for the schools passing rate, don't worry about it. I am also from the boroughs and had to travel to NJ in order to attend LPN school. My school also didn't have a good passing rate and I even had second thoughts about attending, but I sucked it up and attended anyway. The hours were great and I had a small child to attend to. I did well and passed the NCLEX PN with 85 questions on my first shot! Guess what, that was 4 years ago and some of my classmates didn't pass the NCLEX yet! Can't believe I've been working as a LPN for 4 years and some didn't even pass boards yet. As Someone else said, NCLEX is a solo effort. There's plenty of review courses you could take in order to help you for the NCLEX. I didn't take any review course, just did questions. Since then I've completed RN school and now waiting to test. For the NCLEX RN I am taking a few review courses and doing tons of questions. Don't let the passing rate stop you, that has nothing to do with you, just the other students who aren't learning/applying the information as they need to!
Good luck, feel free to PM me, I was once in your shoes and know the feeling.
What's the name of the school JSS? Is it Veeb? I get mix reviews about this school.
As for the schools passing rate, don't worry about it. I am also from the boroughs and had to travel to NJ in order to attend LPN school. My school also didn't have a good passing rate and I even had second thoughts about attending, but I sucked it up and attended anyway. The hours were great and I had a small child to attend to. I did well and passed the NCLEX PN with 85 questions on my first shot! Guess what, that was 4 years ago and some of my classmates didn't pass the NCLEX yet! Can't believe I've been working as a LPN for 4 years and some didn't even pass boards yet. As Someone else said, NCLEX is a solo effort. There's plenty of review courses you could take in order to help you for the NCLEX. I didn't take any review course, just did questions. Since then I've completed RN school and now waiting to test. For the NCLEX RN I am taking a few review courses and doing tons of questions. Don't let the passing rate stop you, that has nothing to do with you, just the other students who aren't learning/applying the information as they need to!
Good luck, feel free to PM me, I was once in your shoes and know the feeling.
Hi. I cant seem to find the pm option sorry. Maybe cuz im on mobile right now?
But what school did you attend for lpn? The one im considering is mildred elley. Not sure if this makes any difference but they are not ACEN/NLN they are ACICS.
To answer your question, yes its veeb and i decided no lol. I would spend more time traveling/ tired than studying.
Hi. I cant seem to find the pm option sorry. Maybe cuz im on mobile right now?
PM only becomes available after you have accrued 15+ posts.
A 2 hour commute sounds awful! However, it's a relatively short term, and saves you quite a bit of money. If you think you could manage reading and/or typing on a laptop during that train ride, you could actually get most of your studying and homework done during your commute. That would mean that your time at home could be spent with your family. Whether it's realistic to get up so early and commute to class after working long hours, though, is a significant consideration.
PM only becomes available after you have accrued 15+ posts.
A 2 hour commute sounds awful! However, it's a relatively short term, and saves you quite a bit of money. If you think you could manage reading and/or typing on a laptop during that train ride, you could actually get most of your studying and homework done during your commute. That would mean that your time at home could be spent with your family. Whether it's realistic to get up so early and commute to class after working long hours, though, is a significant consideration.
Yes i was thinking that initially. But i would be getting up 5am. Attend class 8am to 1pm. Then work 3pm to 11:30pm. Arrive home by 12:20am. Then wake up at 5am. Rinse and repeat. Not sure about that lol. Of course, although i dont work 5 days straight, its still 5 days a week but broken up like 3 days on 1 day off 4 days on 2 days off.
You will spend more than 2 hours studying per day anyway, why not do it on the train? That said, I could never function on such a small amount of sleep. My schedule while in school was up around 4:30a, study for a few hours before class, in class till 1 or 2, then library or home to make dinner and relax, (depending on the day,) bed by 9p. 6 hours a day in the library on weekends. Yeah, I had no life for a few years. (But, I got all my prereqs done before I graduated from ADN and got my BSN in just a few months... worth the sacrifice for me.) I would NEVER invest in a for profit school again (been there, done that - look what happened to ITT tech students) but each person has their priorities. Mine was not going back into debt.
I went to an LVN school with a high passing rate. A private school. They wouldn't let anyone take the NCLEX until the school felt that the student was ready. Theyd enforce this by not sending in your transcripts. That's how they get such high passing rates, like Brooklyn College. Otherwise you'd get 50-70% passing rate if you just let everyone take it on their own.
Currently, I'm an RN with my BSN working med surg. What mattered most was the effort of a few good teachers. In my LVN program, we had some amazing teachers-- better than in my RN program. For profit or otherwise, who are the teachers? Have the clinical instructors had recent floor experience or have they been in a classroom or clinic for a long time?
Specializes in Crit Care; EOL; Pain/Symptom; Gero.
A couple things to think about: A low NCLEX pass rate may reflect the quality of instruction as well as the caliber of student. Students may be failing NCLEX because they are not being taught everything they need to know, the exams may not be sufficiently rigorous, or the clinical experiences poorly structured.
When pass rates consistently are low, the program is at risk for losing its accreditation, and/or closing, with its students finding themselves literally out on the sidewalk. This really does happen.
You noted that the program to which you're applying is not ACEN accredited, but rather, accredited by ACICS.
Being unfamiliar with ACICS, I googled it, and found that their website notes that they have been denied a temporary restraining order to halt a Department of Education decision to withdraw ACICS' recognition as a nationally-recognized accrediting body. This action is prominently described on their website.
If you still are planning to attend the for-profit school you've mentioned, it would be a good idea to follow up on this accrediting-agency situation before proceeding.
This program may seek ACEN accreditation to replace their ACICS accreditation, but you may want to determine why they had not earned ACEN status in the first place.
I went to an LVN school with a high passing rate. A private school. They wouldn't let anyone take the NCLEX until the school felt that the student was ready. Theyd enforce this by not sending in your transcripts. That's how they get such high passing rates, like Brooklyn College. Otherwise you'd get 50-70% passing rate if you just let everyone take it on their own.
My BSN program has a 98% pass rate for last year and they didn't hold anyones transcripts. Some programs just really prepare you.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
This program may seek ACEN accreditation to replace their ACICS accreditation, but you may want to determine why they had not earned ACEN status in the first place.
Perhaps it is because the overwhelming majority of LPN/LVN programs in the U.S. are not, and have never been, accredited by ACEN or the former NLNAC.
Whether we like it or not, nursing programmatic accreditation is not as important of a factor for LPN/LVN programs as it is for RN programs (ASN, BSN, etc.).
umbdude, MSN, APRN
1,228 Posts
I would leave that school because of the price and the fact that it's for-profit, but not for low pass rates.
As long as the school stays above the minimum pass rate to maintain its accreditation, I don't really care whether the pass rate is 75% or 100%. I know I'll pass regardless of the pass rates. Do I wish that my program would weed out the students who are constantly on the edge of failing? Sure. But in the end it doesn't affect me a whole lot.