PA Buyers Beware...it's not Harcum!

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Specializes in on the fence about nursing.

Please do not enroll into the La Salle University ACHIEVE program. My experience has been nothing short of horrible. Upon my initial application, I had to contact Admissions four times to correct them as to the semester I was enrolling in. To their credit, they did take a lot of my credits from Florida Institute of Technology and Georgian Court College. When you enroll in La Salle, you are placed automatically in a mass email list. I started getting emails from other students who were scheduled to take a National League for Nursing test in which the proctors never showed up for the students. I had to contact coordinator for the Nursing Department several times to confirm their receipt of my transcript. The coordinator responded via email: "My child is sick." and "I don't have enough help." I was finally able to confirm the receipt of my transcripts. I had to attend a prospective student meeting after my transcripts were reviewed. I had to send an email to complain to the Dean of the School of Nursing in order to obtain complete instructions for a mandatory prospective student meeting. The coordinator encouraged applicants who did not receive official acceptance to start working on their criminal background checks. Please be aware that the cost for a student to set up an account with American DataBank is $134.00. The cost of titers would be about $90-$150 without prescription...for me, at least. I asked the status of my acceptance and was refused response. The response from the Office of the President at La Salle University was: "We don't solve that type of problem here." Of the Dean of the School of Nursing response, this was it: "You must abide by the policies and procedures of the University." If this is how La Salle University is setting the example for its nursing students as far as problem solving skills are concerned, this is scary stuff for nursing. I made sure that when I was addressing the situation I was refering to not just myself, but for all of the prospective students who attended that meeting. La Salle University still has not provided me with closure on the situation. I don't like to blink.

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:ohey that's a sad one. staff at universities are problematic its like they like seeing student suffering

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Specializes in on the fence about nursing.

Glad I didn't drop $4580 in their pockets. Hey, only thing can do is drop and move on. Can't go wrong with a 3.14 from Mercer County Community College. For a moment there considered leaving nursing completely. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger.

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Specializes in Tele.

Glad I didn't consider them either. I attend Mount Aloysius which is expensive but they are very giving with their grants and scholarships. It averages it out pretty well.

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I'm at La Salle in the same program this person's applying to and I experienced NONE of the problems she listed above. I enrolled for fall 2011. I'm sorry your experience was so bad, but I didn't have any problems.

I wasn't encouraged to do the background clearance checks, immunizations, etc. until I had received confirmation that I was accepted. They told me to hol off and NOT do them till I was officially accepted.

Also, the program coordinator was super fast about emailing me and answering my questions. I had zero problems with her in August 2011 when I was doing all of the same paperwork.

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I am in the LaSalle Achieve program: last semester. Im sorry for all your troubles. I did not encounter any of the problems you mentioned. As a matter of fact, I know personally people were told to NOT get their clearances until they were informed of their acceptance. If your still interested in LaSalle's Achieve program, have you spoken directly with Kristen Delay. She is very helpful, and will get you answers.

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I am an applicant to the La Salle program, and my experience with them so far has been great, When I send an email I get a response either that same day or the next. They sent me a postcard telling me when all my transcripts were in and confirmed it in an email. Not sure why you had such a bad experience, but my experiences with La Salle has been great so far. Maybe you didn't have the correct contact information for those in charge of transfer admissions. Their names are posted on the site on who transfer applicants should contact. Contact them directly, and you should have no problem.

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Specializes in on the fence about nursing.

I have to say I have to stand by my experience with La Salle. I did not receive any postcards indicative that all my transcripts were in. I had to send several emails to confirm receipt of transcripts...some of which were not professionally responded to. When I sent a letter from my previous nursing school to show that I left that program in good academic standing and voluntarily, to La Salle, I sent it via UPS because I wanted a signature receipt due to my previous experience with the transcripts. The fact also remains that La Salle is not negotiating with me nor the other students who attended the prospective student meeting last month in good faith. Why would you request to have students attend a meeting relating to background checks if they have not been officially accepted? As a future nursing professional, I find it a bit odd and troubling that a nursing school at a very well established university, would advocate the problem solving technique of ignoring a problem until it disappears. Please understand: I don't know what the acceptance decision is at this point with La Salle. I can wait or I can move on. I think the whole gang here knows what my decision is.

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That's fine that your sticking by what you said, and I am doing the same. The only thing that I am trying to convey is that YOUR experience isn't, nor will it be, the experience of everyone. In fact, you are the first person that I have come across that has run into problems like this at La Salle. (and I know MANY who have either applied or attended)

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, but considering the thousands of applications that they receive a year, and transcripts, messing up on one out of thousands doesn't convey to me that people shouldn't attend the school. Sorry you were that one.

You shouldn't be telling people not to enroll there based on your experience alone. I could understand if everyone who applied had this problem, but that's not the case.

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Specializes in on the fence about nursing.

I only said buyer beware. It is up to the individual to decide whether or not to attend a college where there is very little decision making and problem solving going on up top. It was inappropriate and unethical for the coordinator of this program to suggest to a group of prospective students to start their background checks prior to official acceptance. It's an opinion, and I am glad you had a wonderful experience, jtboog, and I hope La Salle University straightens out this issue with itself so that future applicants have same.

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Sorry you had a bad experience but like the other posters have said, most applicants make out okay. It is frustrating sometimes and you really have to keep up with things but for the most part LaSalle is not bad in my opinion. They have really went above and beyond what they had to for me and that's all I can say. They have been more than fair and flexible and that's one thing I will always appreciate about LaSalle.

I do agree they should have a bigger staff for the amount of students/applicants, but it is what it is. The American Data bank stuff sucks and it's a rip off but from what I understand a lot of nursing/med schools use it.

Good luck hopefully everything works out for you in the future.

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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Moved to PA Nursing Programs forum.

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