Hi There! :-) I am a current student at ME in their LPN program. I just started actually. I was a student at KBCC and the competition is tough, 1 out of every 5 students there want to be nurses....and they really don't care for you as an individual, it's more like herding a bunch of sheep in and out of programs. I left KBCC because I received a B- in A&P and knew there was no way I was getting into the RN program with that grade. I tried Medgar Evars but they told me I was better off starting as an LPN and transitioning into an RN, mind you, this would all take 3 years...just to get a little 2 year AAS in Nursing. I then decided to do the NYC LPN program which is only 9 months and $2000, but I was too late to register to take the test and had to wait an entire year, which would be a waste of time just to save some money. I chose to go to Mildred Elley because they are an accredited LPN nationwide, and they also have an articulation with Helene Fuld RN nursing school, who is affiliated with so many hospitals throughout NYC that I would basically be guaranteed a job for life. Also, the ME program takes a year, and the RN at Helene Fuld is another year, so that's 2 short years, with no waste of my time. I would advise you that if you get full PELL and PLUS loans, like I do, then ME would be a great choice, because PELL and PLUS covers everything for the entire duration of ME and Helene Fuld. You would be paying back a lot in loans, but you would also be guaranteed a job for life if you get great grades in ME and your NCLEX and get into Helene Fuld and graduate from there. CUNY is great because it's cheap, but they also don't guarantee jobs and most are not affiliated with hospitals (just because clinicals are in certain hospitals does not mean they are affiliated) As far as I know Medgar Evars is affiliated with a few, but the entire Nursing process just for RN will take 3 years. Ultimately it is up to you, do you want to save time or money? In my opinion time is money, so the less time the better. Mildred Elley classes are also really small and you get a lot of one on one with the Professors, also your course load is pretty low because they have 8 week semesters, so your basically only focusing on 2 classes per 8 weeks, which is really easy. The cost is high, but you don't have to eat your young just to get a good grade like in CUNY. There is minimum competition because once your in the program they're expecting you to graduate anyways, and get all A's and then go onto RN. Since you want to start this fall I would say private is the way to go, if you have time to wait then try the NYC LPN it's only 9 months, only $2000, and your also guaranteed a job with the city, and once your an LPN you'r basically guaranteed a spot in an RN program at most CUNY's. Good Luck with you decision! I wish you all the best in your nursing endeavors. :-)