2lroberts

Meri07, I'm not sure on the exact cost for the whole program, but your tuition estimate sounds about right. Be prepared to spend a LOT of money on books. I spent around $800 for first semester and bought most of mine individually from Barnes and Noble because it ended up being cheaper than the package they put together for you. Good luck to all of you that applied!

Malefocker- My prereq grades were all As and my gpa is a 3.7. Not sure how this compares to the rest of my classmates- it might be worth calling the department to see if they will tell you the average stats for the incoming cohort. I was at orientation a few days ago and some instructors were mentioning that the admission criteria is going to change. I'm pretty sure they said it would kick in for Spring 2011 but I'm not 100% positive so you might want to check with the department to see if this will affect you. In the future they will be looking not just at grades, but also at work/volunteer/life experiences, etc. Good luck, I hope you get in!

Jolen, Wow, congrats on doing so well! I've heard mixed reviews from people too- some say it's super easy and some think it's really tough. I'm glad to hear you thought it was pretty basic. I can't believe there wasn't any anatomy! Darn, that was one of the subjects I actually felt ok about. Thanks for the info!

AAnderson, Thanks so much! SUPER exciting that you're starting at the hospital this week- I'm dying to hear how it goes when you've got time! I totally don't mind the nosy-ness. You're so nice for being interested! At the moment I have no idea when I will move down or where I will live....scary! Do you have any good suggestions for apartment/condo complexes that are affordable but nice and near the campus? I'd like to live in Mission Viejo because it seems a bit more affordable than most of the surrounding areas. What do you think? For the TEAS I ended up buying the ATI guide plus another Kaplan one since I've heard ATI doesn't cover the science portion very well. Probably overkill but it'd be horrible to fail and not be able to start the program! So far I feel ok about the material, I just need to review chemistry and physics since it's been a loooong time since I've thought about any of that stuff. Any tips you have would be great! I really appreciate all the help everyone has given on this forum- it was definitely the determining factor in my decision to go to Saddleback. You guys are the best!

Thanks you guys!!! AAnderson- Yup, I'm totally sold on Saddleback and I can't wait to start! Paperwork/TEAS is Oct 12th and orientation is Dec 11th.

Whoohoo, got my acceptance letter in the mail yesterday! I'm so excited!!! Jessie88, did you hear back yet? I hope we'll be classmates!

Jessie88, thanks for updating me! I called the counselor back and explained my situation and she told me the new class I signed up for would "probably" transfer. I'm still not really sure what happened the first time I talked to her, but I have a feeling you're right- she must have thought I was talking about pharmacology instead. Sorry I scared you! Thanks SO much for mentioning this whole thing to me- I'm really glad that I can knock this class out in advance. I owe you!

Sorry about that. Jessie88, I sent you a message with the contact info.

Hi Jessie88, I tried emailing her but never heard back so I think calling her directly is your best bet. Good luck, let me know what happens!

Jessie88- I emailed the counseling dept and they referred me to to the counselor for the nursing program. I spoke to her on the phone and she told me that the woman who teaches the lifecycle courses, Someone else, has the final say on what can transfer. They said she is very strict and in the past has only accepted courses taken either at Saddleback or one of the two other neighboring ccs (can't remember the names, sorry). I was signed up for a 3 unit dev. psych course but dropped it yesterday based on what I was told. Do you remember which counselor you talked to? Thanks for the heads up- I hope I can re-enroll and get it taken care of in advance!

AAnderson, thanks for the info! I know it's impossible not to be nervous about starting, but from what you've shared about your background I bet you'll have a bit of a head start compared to many people in your class. I'm sure you will do great! Yikes, 12 hour clincials must be exhausting...

Cool, thanks Soon2BNurse3! Luckily, I took pharm a few semesters ago so I won't have to worry about it (man, I'm happy that class is over!). Glad to hear the rest is pretty manageable. I appreciate all the help!

Hey everyone! For some reason I stopped getting the email alerts about this thread so I thought it had died again....it was a nice surprise to see all your new posts! Thank you SO much for sharing all the helpful info (and also the encouragment, AAnderson- it was much appreciated :)). You guys are getting me way too excited about Saddleback's program- it's really nice to hear that the faculty is supportive and focused on creating great nurses, not just pumping a bunch of people through the program. Now I'm going to be totally bummed if I don't get in! AAnderson, if you don't mind sharing, how much are you planning to work during the program? I'd like to work too but I don't want to compromise my grades/sanity. Soon2BNurse3, before starting the program had you finished every possible nursing curriculum course that they allow you to take in advance (like pharmacology, the two lifecycle classes, psychology, etc.)? All I have left are the two lifecycles classes but I just found out that you can't take them anywhere but Saddleback. Unfortunately I live 8 hours away so it's just not going to happen. Will I go totally insane if I take these first semester with the nursing core? Thanks so much you guys and good luck!

AAnderson: To be totally honest I'm applying to Saddleback because at this point I'm desperate. I'm on a ton of waitlists but they're all at least 2 years long and I'm anxious to get started. I also really like that Saddleback takes into account how well you do in classes instead of just putting you at the back of the line as soon as you finish your prereqs. I looked into ABSN programs but I really want to have a soild foundation so I'm totally okay with putting in an extra year of school. How about you? Are you considering an ABSN at all? If you don't mind sharing, what kind of medical background do you have?

Yup, fall and spring: http://www.saddleback.edu/hs/rn/

AAnderson, Congrats on getting in to the program! I can't wait to hear how it goes! It's nice to know that experienced nurses think it's a great school. I've tried calling to ask them about having someone drop off the application for me but I still haven't heard back- I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I totally feel your pain with pharmacology. It was WAY harder than any of the classes I had to take for my B.S. which definitely surprised me. Yikes, I hope I don't have to take it again if they start only accepting Saddleback's course. Thanks for the info and good luck!

Thanks for the quick and helpful response! Good luck in June! Please help us out Saddleback students, I'm curious too! : )

I'm also curious to hear what people think of Saddleback's program. They've got a great NCLEX pass rate. Jessie88, when you applied did you have to submit the application in person? I live in northern California so this would mean 12+ hours in the car for me and I'm not really sure what the point is. Do they talk to you about your application when you turn it in? Thanks!

StarBelly, I'm in the same boat so I totally feel your pain. Apparently the psych class I took doesn't count but somehow it took them 4 months to let me know...arrg! The good news is Lizzie sent out and email saying the Fall application due date was extended until April 1st so you can still apply. Good luck!

Hey everyone, Congrats to all that were accepted! I just got a letter saying my application was incomplete- needless to say I'm a little shocked and upset. I've tried calling ALL the counselors and none have picked up. I took a psychology course at UCSC with a course description emphasizes that it is both life-span and focused on development yet they still did not accept it. Anyone mind sharing what psych course they took so I can compare? Thanks!

Although I'm not yet a nurse I can completely relate to the anxiety you're feeling. The whole pre-nursing process and knowing that I have SO much to learn still has given me some serious anxiety that I'm still grappling with. This may be irrelevant to you b/c we're in such different places in a nursing career but here are some things that have helped me so far- - Constantly remind yourself that no one knows everything, especially those new grads (even if they pretend to)! This is one of the awesome things about nursing: you are constantly learning new things, adapting, keeping your brain young. Embrace it and try not be be scared of it. Don't be afraid to admit when you don't know/remember something and need help. Many people will appreciate that you have the guts to do this. - Spend at least half an hour before you go to work doing something you absolutely love be it reading, exercising, cooking, etc to get yourself in a more relaxed state. - Echoing Rabbitgirrl, know that you come from a place of good intentions. You are only one person. The best thing you can do is act in a genuine way that you can feel good about when you get home. - This one is probably going to seem weird but it's helped me a lot. Go on Amazon or to your local library and get some kind of guided meditation CD to listen to before you go to bed. I really like "Dynamic Intuition" by Laura Day. Sounds odd but it's really relaxing and helps you think through problems in a peaceful way instead of tearing your hair out. Hope this helps!

Awesome thanks! For some reason I thought you had to already be accepted to be eligible.

Anyone else concerned about not making the March 2nd deadline for the California FAFSA? Tried calling and emailing both Lizzie and the counseling office to ask them whether they expect us to get our letters in time but no one has responded. I will probably apply even if I haven't heard yet but I'm not sure how the government verifies our enrollment and what will happen if I wasn't accepted. Anyone know how this works?

Thanks Rianna1 and iluvmusak! I'm so relieved to hear your perspectives- it's definitely encouraging. Good luck with the rest of the program!

Hey Mayrye, I'm right there with you- this waiting sucks! Did everyone get the email today about how they're not sending out letters until the first week of March? Acck! There are 48 seats available at each location (according to one of Lizzie's Q&A emails). I've been reading posts from previous years and it looks like the first 8 people or so on the waitlist usually get in. Since the economy is so bad right now the odds might be even better for our cohort so don't get too freaked out! Not sure how location priority fits into the ranking but I'm sure they'd let you know if you send them an email. Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone....:)