Need Advice From Any Nurses!- Help choosing which program to attend!!

[lsinger95]

Hi, everyone! I need some help because I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to choose between two nursing programs. I'm a transfer student from California and I got into a 2-year city college ADN program, that also has the possibility to do your RN-BSN while in the ADN program. Which is an additional semester after I'm done with my ADN because I will be completing my BSN while in my ADN program(this is a special program the city colleges offers to speed up your BSN). The city college is extremely cost effective and cost about $6,000 for the ADN program + books and insurance that comes with the program. I could live at home and live only 10 minutes from the school. In total this program is two and a half years. I also got accepted into Thomas Jefferson University 2 year bachelors program in Philly. Their graduate school is number four in the country and really well know hospital in the East Coast. They have their own hospital where most of the clinicals take place as well as other surrounding hospitals. It is a private school and cost $34,000 a year + moving across the country, rent($850/month), books, and insurance. Both schools have high NCLEX passing rates and are both hard programs to get into. I'm in my early twenties and have the opportunity to experience another city, but also have this opportunity to save a lot of money and stay local. I also plan on going to graduate school to become a Nurse Practitioner. Basically, is there any advantage to getting my BSN directly verse going to a city college and getting my ADN and pursing my BSN while doing my ADN plus an one additional semester. I'm really torn because I was planning on going to Philly and then this opportunity to go to a city college came up. I'm open to stay home, but will move to Philly if there is more of an advantage to getting my BSN from a University. I need any advice I can get!!

[RNKPCE]

Huge difference in cost when all is complete. You'll end up with a BSN both ways. Will you be taking out student loans to pay for school? I'd say the California opportunity would be less stressful though less adventuresome. You can and may have to move out of state to get a job. I stay in California for the education part.

And Congrats !

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Don't saddle yourself with that kind of debt at such a young age. The city college seems like a dream come true for about 90% of the posters on the student side of AllNurses. And that #4 in the nation crap- ignore. Those rankings are manufactured, and employers really, truly don't care. There are hundreds of nursing programs in this country that turn out excellent grads and have great NCLEX pass rates. Don't let the hype keep you from making the obvious choice.