New to Excelsior College...confused...need advise please

Published

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I am an LPN (6 years, LTC) I filled out the application to Excelsior College last week. They have received my transcripts. I was all set to study for and test out of Health Safety, because I noticed that as of Oct. 1 that test will not be able to be taken prior to enrolling, so I thought I would get it out of the way.

I called Excelsior College this morning and talked to the Admissions office....I told her my plan of getting Health Safety out of the way, she said that because I still needed A&P, Micro and Life Span that I should not do Health Safety first. I then asked her if Straigtherline A&P with Lab would be transferrable. She said that she could not gaurantee anything because things change all the time, and that until I was an enrolled student that no one at Excelsior could answer that question for me. She did say that she thought it was accepted in the past. I have been reading the All Nurses Posts for awhile and I know that I saw that one student said that they were told it was accepted, then I saw another post where that person was told is was not accepted.

I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. I really wanted to get the gen eds and the two nursing classes out of the way prior to enrolling to save money. She suggested that I start with Sociology. I'm now frustrated and confused about what to do. I have been looking at Excelsior for a few years and every time I try to get started I run into this.

Please help. Has anyone used Straighterline A&P with Lab recently and been able to transfer to Excelsior? Is it a good idea to not do Health Safety first? Also, has anyone used the video series from "RN Bridge.com"? If so, how did you like it? Thank you

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MED SURG.

Go ahead and take health safety while you can. You can clep out on Sociology I believe. Excelsior doesn't give much advice unless you are an enrolled student. Google this site and you can learn how others have passed A and P through Excelsior. Don't get discouraged. Check and see if you could actually speak a nursing advisor, I took my core classes at a community college so I don't have much advice. I would go ahead and take health safety.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi dont get discouraged they told me the same thing two months ago,i took their advice did life span and sociology in 6 weeks.Now i'm working on A&P getting ready to test next week,look at it on the brighter side A&P is time consuming so do it now and be done with it.Feel free to email me if u would like a study partner [email protected]

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED.

I would do as advised and Clep sociology and do the other applicable classes first but do it all prior to September so you can enroll by October as changes usually (everything thus far aside from the new computer based FCCA) usually changes as if each October 1st. Then enroll and do the remaining classes then. Sociology Clep is super easy. I also did straighterline A&P in two weeks for both. Also Straighterline gen Ed's are super cheap and super easy!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

Thanks. So, what A&P through Straighterline do I need for the LPN to RN? They have A&P 1 with and without lab and A&P 2 with and without lab?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

I was thinking of taking the Gerentology in place of Sociology.....any thoughts or advise?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

Annieranks.....I tried emailing you but it came back to me. I would like to chat. My email is [email protected]

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Surgery/Trauma.

Take Health Safety first if you want to. It really doesn't have anything on it that you wouldn't know from being an LPN from an anatomy/micro standpoint. You could probably take all your general ed classes in addition to Health Safety and Transition to RN Role before ever even enrolling without any problems.

Once you are enrolled you can just take the remaining core nursing classes which do use prior learning from the re-reqs that you've already taken.

Excelsior is very strange about giving advice before you are enrolled. But I do believe that once you are enrolled, every year you have to pay general fees even if you are still taking the tests.

Also. I would recommend taking Sociology. You'll learn a lot of terminology and concepts that will keep popping up in all the psych and nursing classes you have to take.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My only advice is , if you take A&P through Excelsior, make sure the credits match other schools if you decide to get a higher ducation when done ( ex. BSN, MSN, PHD ). My friend didi this and was told she had to do A&P over because they wanted 8 credits and EC only rewarded 6.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics.

Thank you for that info. I'm not sure if I want to go on or not, but that is something to consider.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I would do as advised and Clep sociology and do the other applicable classes first but do it all prior to September so you can enroll by October as changes usually (everything thus far aside from the new computer based FCCA) usually changes as if each October 1st. Then enroll and do the remaining classes then. Sociology Clep is super easy. I also did straighterline A&P in two weeks for both. Also Straighterline gen Ed's are super cheap and super easy!!!

What books did you study with? I just signed up for A&p 2 through straighterline and received the recommended book (Seeley's Anatomy and Physiology) today! Did you use sg101? What else?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

UPDATE 12/16/14**************

Just called straighterline. I spoke to a rep and he said that if you are going into their NURSING program, they want you to take it at their school instead of straighterline.

I have to believe it because straighterline is in the business of selling courses and memberships, he simply said any other program at excelsior I could do it, but nursing, he shut me right down and said nope, take at excelsior......

I know I could and others could take it at a local community college (I already took A&P 1 & 2--8 years ago--needs to be less than 5), so I am screwed. I am not putting in 3-4 months, I will test out at excelsior......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion