Mt. San Antonio College vs Pasadena City College

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:heartbeatI have heard many good things about theses schools. Any feedback would be appreciated on the nursing programs. Wait time to get accepted? :bowingpur

I applied to Mt. Sac's program Nov. 2007. I got accepted into the Sept. 08 class but I was already in an LVN program. So, that makes it a 2 semester wait time. Now I'm graduating from the LVN program and they contacted me again last week. I am in again for the Feb 09 class, but starting fresh. So it took me 3 semesters to get in. As an LVN, it would take me 3-4 years to get into the Bridge program and then start in 2nd semester (that's what the Nursing Dept. told me). So I opted to just do the 1st semester of their program (even though I don't have to) because it's the only way I can finish faster. Besides, I already have 11 1/2 months of LVN training under my belt, so it should be a piece of cake...!!! :yeah:

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I've just received my acceptance letter last week for Spring 2009. I put in my application in April of this year (2008). So, I guess that is like a semester wait? The orientation is crazy. It's a whole week and two or three days out of the 5 are full-day events. Also, they use HESI as an assessment test (I took the TEAS last month but they do not use that, sucks). Now, I have to study again. I've heard the A/P part is difficult, so I'm pretty nervous about that. Rio Hondo and PCC both use TEAS, by the way.

Mt. SAC is really my first choice. I've been accepted to PCC and Rio Hondo but I don't really know a lot about these two schools. I know PCC has a good reputation but it's kind of far from where I live. I don't know. Hopefully, I'll do well on the HESI exam.

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Congrats on getting in!! You got in pretty quickly. You probably had to wait to apply though when you finished your pre-reqs at either Mt. Sac or another school, right? So, technically, you had a 2 semester wait.

I only applied to Mt. Sac when I finished my pre-reqs back in June 2007. It's the only school I want to go to finish off my nursing degree, so luckily, even though I deferred to start in Sept 08., I got in for February 09.

I have classes all next week and had to ask 2 of my instructors to let me off 2 lectures and 2 clinicals. I'm kinda bummed about it because I have never missed any classes and I have to make up the (2) 8-hour clinicals. It's only child care, but I have no time to make it up because we're graduating Dec 17th. Oh well, I'll find a way.

I bet I'll see you there next week. Do they pick the final candidates based on the HESI exam we take on Tuesday?

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Congrats on getting in!! You got in pretty quickly. You probably had to wait to apply though when you finished your pre-reqs at either Mt. Sac or another school, right? So, technically, you had a 2 semester wait.

I only applied to Mt. Sac when I finished my pre-reqs back in June 2007. It's the only school I want to go to finish off my nursing degree, so luckily, even though I deferred to start in Sept 08., I got in for February 09.

I have classes all next week and had to ask 2 of my instructors to let me off 2 lectures and 2 clinicals. I'm kinda bummed about it because I have never missed any classes and I have to make up the (2) 8-hour clinicals. It's only child care, but I have no time to make it up because we're graduating Dec 17th. Oh well, I'll find a way.

I bet I'll see you there next week. Do they pick the final candidates based on the HESI exam we take on Tuesday?

Yeah, the acceptance letter came sooner than I'd thought. I'd finished the pre-reqs long long time ago (like two years back). That time I didn't want to go into nursing so I went ahead and got a Bio degree. Now, I'm kicking myself for not applying when I was at Mt SAC. Had I applied then, I wouldn't have to take this HESI exam thing. So basically when I went to see an ed advisor, I already had everything completed. Maybe, I got lucky and had a good number (from their lottery system). That's why I didn't have to wait too long? I don't know. Though, I'm very glad I got called for Spring 09 for sure.

To answer your question, yes I believe you have to pass the HESI exam to enter the Spring 09 class. I got a letter from them a couple months back saying something along the line of -- "please study for the assessment test cause if you don't pass, you will be spending up to a year taking remedy classes" -- something like that. So, I guess that's why they have a 5-day orientation. So, they'll take care of students who pass the test and those who do not.

Sigh, I hope I pass the test and get to start in Spring 09 semester. I don't want to wait anymore.

I'll see you next week. Hopefully, we'll both pass the exam and be in the same class. Good luck!!

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I took prereq classes at both PCC and MTSAC back in 2002-2007, and I did some observations and research about the quality of the teachers and staffs, quality of the curriculum, the skills lab and other resources including the networks. Then when the time came, I applied at both schools and was also accepted in both...... and I chose MTSAC :heartbeat at the end.

The orientation took 5 days in MTSAC, compare to 2 hours in Pasadena City college. And even it looked "crazy", it showed that they are well ORGANIZED, detail oriented, and thorough; most staffs and teachers are verrryyy helpful (not ignorant nor arrogant nor ridiculous). The skills lab have many valuable human simulators (adults, babies, childrens, pregnant women) who breathe, blink, even deliver a baby :yeah:. They have their own nursing library with lots and lottssss of books, dvds, videos, softwares, nclex books, etc. The entrance test was TEAS before, but since fall 2008 they changed to HESI which is much cheaper. The parking fee is only $35 compare to $65 :p...I know this is not that important though. Each clinical group has 10-12 students, compare to 6 students in PCC (I heard).

I don't say that MTSAC is necessarily better. If you are lazy, not well prepared, don't have a heart to be a real nurse (yes..patients can tell which one work because they care or because it's a job), then good school doesn't matter anymore. FYI, all community colleges have a similar standard, so I chose one that closer to my home.

I think that's it for now. Good luck and congratulation for all of you.

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For those of you who have to study for the Hesi.....where are you getting your study materials and what is the minimum to pass the exam? Per section?

Thanks :typing

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