NAU/MCCD or ASU/MCCD CEP program

ahsile · Jan 2, 2012

I am trying to find out which is a better program and which one is cheaper. I already have a BS in Family & Human Development so I have most of the pre-req's completed for the program. Since this second degree I will be paying for out of my own pocket I need to know which one is cheaper. Also I only have HS chem, does anyone suggest taking the college level Chem for the nursing program? Finally has anyone taken SOC 390 (Stats) at ASU? I am trying to find out if that will count for my Statistics class or will I have to retake a stats.

I am going for the ASU/MCCD CEP program and I was told that even if you took Chem in HS you have to take the college level course for the CEP. SOC 390 IS the statistics class you need for ASU - I think it's different if you go with NAU. To answer your last question, I think both cost about the same. Also, I chose ASU because I was already about done with most of the pre-reqs and if I chose NAU I would have at least another year of classes because they require more pre-reqs to apply. But with the programs being so new I can't tell you which one would be better, per say.

Have you downloaded the CEP information packets from the MCCD nursing website? They are LOADED with information. It would help answer a lot of your questions.

I have this Spring semester to finish before I will have all my pre-reqs done for the ASU CEP program but I still have to go to the information sessions, etc. so I'm hoping I can apply in the Fall for the Spring semester of 2013 if they program hasn't changed at all. It's just all so new. We'll see. Honestly I'm sick of school and I haven't even gotten into the nursing program yet. Been at this since '09. Ugh.

lovebug4002 · Jan 2, 2012

Hi Ahsile!

I have looked at both of the information sheets. I didn't realize that the ASU program hasn't even started yet. I wanted to become a Ob/GYN back in 09 but then my husband decided he anted to join the Navy. So I decided I wanted to go into marriage & family therapy therefore I got my degree in family & human development. My grandfather got really sick and had to have a triple bypass and almost died. Being in the hospital reminded me of growing up around the hospital since my stepdad had leukemia, I realized I wanted to become a Nurse. So I have been looking at all my options since 10. I finished up my degree that I was only a year away from finishing rather than switching since I switched SOOO many times (started in Accounting). My husband joined the Navy in 2010 and it has been really hard for me figure out what I am doing with nursing school. Before we got stationed in San Diego I attended the info session on Mesa Community College ADN program and I have been working on my pre-req's since. I've compared the two programs (NAU/ASU) and from what I've researched I have heard that ASU is thousands more than the NAU program. I have no financial aid remaining, so I will be paying out of my own pocket for this nursing degree.

For NAU I only have BIO 202, BIO 205, FON 241, HCR 240, and Statistics (if they won't accept my SOC 390)----And for ASU I need Chem since they won't accept the HS chem, BIO 202, BIO 205, HCR 240.

I guess for me it all comes down to cost.

I will be on Maricopa waitlist as of this month. I just finished my BIO 201, and I drove to Chandler from San Diego to get my HESI A2 completed. I have a while to wait as it is due to the military but I want to be able to have ALL my pre-req's done for any option I may have.

CinDRnyc · Jan 5, 2012

The ASU CEP costs wayyyy more, its ridiculous actually. I decided to take classes to apply for both programs to keep my options open but really I don't want to pay so much for ASU. Especially when I want to go to Graduate school after Yikes!!! I am schedule to go to the info session, January 14th or something, anyone else going?

lovebug4002 · Jan 5, 2012

I emailed the advisors at ASU and MCCD regarding the cost but no one will respond to my emails! I talked to NAU and the cost is not bad at all there. I am currently waiting on my HS transcript to arrive at MCC so I can submit my application for the waitlist. It was sent back in December but I think it is laying on someones desk due to the holidays. I'm kinda stuck, I can't do ANYTHING until I get on the waitlist. Let me know how the session goes! =)

Any idea on how hard it is to get accepted for the program?

ahsile · Jan 5, 2012

I didn't realize that ASU costs so much more! I looked into it - I guess ASU CEP is like $24,000 and NAU CEP is like $12,000 so DOUBLE! Yikes! It is such a new program but I swear I read somewhere the costs and it didn't look all that bad but I might have been reading something else. You are right it is really hard to get any information. I called one of the advisors at MCC regarding the ASU CEP and she just told me that if I wanted any information I had to come to an information session. Ugh. So on the waiting list I go. Just like you I'm on it as of this month for the regular ADN. I just finished BIO 201 as well. I will be paying for most of my BSN myself too. Maybe I should keep NAU options open. The list of pre-reqs for NAU is just daunting for me though. I still need BIO 205, HCR 240, Statistics, and 12 hours of AHI and CU classes whatever those are. For ASU I just needed the BIO 205 and HCR 240 in order to apply. So frustrating!

One person posted on AN that they applied in the Spring for the NAU CEP and started in the Fall and it wasn't that hard to get in, just had to meet the minimums but of course as time goes on it will get more competitive I'm sure. I think still easier to get in then competing for a spot in the ASU upper division nursing program though.

CinDRnyc, let us know what you find out at the information session! I won't be able to go until the next one they have.

CinDRnyc · Jan 5, 2012

ahsile,

Yeah ASU CEP is almost double! I met with an advisor at ASU regarding the cost and basically the:

Traditional 4 year

RN-BSN Online

CEP

At ASU all cost about the same :bugeyes:

The advisor told me something about the "rank" of ASU as a Nursing school and that was part of the reason it costs so much. She may have a good point but if we are doing the nursing portion at a Maricopa CC and the online courses at the University does "rank" really matter?

If this helps, I took all the AHI and CU classes through rio salado because they have shorter sessions so you can get them all done faster. I turned in my app for Maricopa waitlist a few weeks ago and from what the advisor told me at Mesa CC there are A LOT of people wanting to do the CEP so girls get your apps in ASAP.

Competing for a spot at ASU is like trying to win the lottery, they give students that have taken more credits at the college a better shot anyway, WHATEVER.

After all this I still don't know if I want to do ASU or NAU CEP but i just decided to take courses for both in case my gpa isn't high enough for ASU. I'd like to find out how the online bsn classes are at ASU versus NAU. Anyone know this?

I'll let you guys know how the info session goes....

Lovebug4002, you need to go to the school and talk to someone asap. My transcript was in the "clouds" at Gateway and when I went there to talk to them it miraculously appeared lol :mad:

ahsile · Jan 5, 2012

CinDRnyc your suggestion of Rio Salado for those random classes was brilliant! Why hadn't I thought of that myself?? I looked into it and yes, those are like 8 week long classes. Awesome! Thank you! Do you mind me asking which classes you took exactly?

When I started in 09 I was just working on getting on the ADN waitlist. But now we have all these options and dang I wish I would have known about them before because I could have been working on these other pre-reqs too. Now I feel like I'm rushing to get all these classes in and done and I hate that.

CinDRnyc · Jan 5, 2012

I feel your pain. After a break from school for two years because I was working and saving up I started back in June of 2010 and have been taking a "overload" of classes ever since. Spring will be my last semester taking a crapload of courses and then I'll have the summer off before hopefully starting nursing school Fall 12' or Spring 13' at the latest with the CEP. I'm exhausted lol I can't wait to take a vacation, but in the meantime, gotta hunker down and get this thing done!

Absolutely ahsile!

I took,

COM 263

HUM 201

HCR 210

PHI 101 (through Chandler Gilbert online)

I already had Spanish 101 and 102 so I didn't need as many. Beware of REL 243 @ Rio I originally was gong to take it but found out throught "live chat" with a tech person that it is "intensive Writing" which means tonnnns of writing. Rio is a lot of essay writing as it is I don't want to have more than necessary so I dropped it immediately! I used the transferaz.com website to find other equivalents. Make sure you check to make sure the courses match "CU" and "AHI" for NAU or you can also email the advisor there

lovebug4002 · Jan 6, 2012

Ashlie,

I wish I could just go up there and talk to someone. But unfortunately I am in San Diego! So it's not really something I can just do which totally sucks. I want to get on the waitlist this application period!

lovebug4002 · Jan 6, 2012

Wow, I don't know what I am going to do about it all. It seems like getting into a nursing program anywhere is just ridiculous anymore. I have a bachelors degree already so I have "most" of the classes completed. However, my science classes are not completed. I just finished BIO 201 and still have BIO 202, 205, HCR 240, and Chem 130 for ASU and FON 241 for NAU. So either way about 4 classes. I don't know why ASU is so expensive! I graduated from there and they are NOT worth that much!

My husband is in the Navy and I had to move home to Ohio in 2011, I applied for the Nursing program there and I actually got accepted and was due to start in August. Well after not being with my husband for a year and a half, I couldn't bear being away from him for another two years to finish the program. So I never started the program. I was considered an out of state student but the school didn't charge different rates, so the program would have been about $16,000 for the ADN. If it comes to it I may just go home and go to school there. It's not much of a tuition difference from NAU and there's no wait.

I check the nursing pool everyday and there are just more and more people who get on it. It seems nearly impossible to even start a nursing program. You wait 3 years and then still have another 2 before you even finish it. That's 5 years to do a 2 year program! Talk about crazy!! :uhoh3:

CinDRnyc · Jan 6, 2012

What is with this site, I just wrote you a whole post and it froze on me! :confused:

Lovebug,

I originally was going to do the ADN but have since changed my mind after talking to current nurses. They tell me it is very hard to find work with only an ADN and also I want to go to Graduate school so I need a BSN. ANYWAY, getting into a nursing school anywhere is hard and long so figure out where you REALLY want to live and then go for it. The way I see it almost any degree in the Healthcare field is hard to get because not everyone is cut out for it and I think they always want to weed out the people that aren't "cut out for it."

Why not take BIO 202 Chem 130, and FON 241 now (spring) and then do BIO 205 and HCR 240 in the summer plus whatever CU or AHi classes you need.

This way you can apply for the CEP in October or September. Is your hubby still in Arizona? If you want to stay here I know you can do it. It won't be easy but you can pull it off!