Dressed2Empress

Hi all, I am a current SPSON student in my second semester. I think most of you have figured out the order for applying is to take the wonderlic, then prep for the HESI and bring your completed application the day that you are sitting for the exam. When I applied, I was taking two prereqs that I wanted to transfer in, so I had to wait until my grades and transcripts were available before submitting to the school (which delayed my application from being reviewed and pushed back my admission determination). Honestly, so far so good! I really enjoy the classes, professors and am a part of an amazing class/cohort. I started clinicals two weeks ago and am loving the experience. Fair warning, I began the program while working a demanding full-time job, luckily I started saving money as soon as I found out I was accepted to the program. Please believe I had to make the decision to leave my job the day that I saw my schedule for the second semester. Currently, many of my classmates are faced with similar decisions. The program is doable while working, most of us made it through the first semester while holding on to a job... but when you hit the second semester and are taking 5 classes (2 with labs) PLUS clinicals, things start to get REAL. My life consist of more studying than anything else- you have to make the decision and mentally prepare to make nursing school your #1 priority. My advice is to prepare yourselves for the ride of a lifetime, warn your family and friends from now that you will not be available for weeks at a time, SAVE from the moment you pass your HESI, and work with your fellow classmates to stay afloat - the competition is over once you get accepted, you have to work together to actually make it to graduation! Good luck!

Hi nurseboogie00 Here is a link to the catalog that is on the school's website. It will have all of the information that you are looking for. http://www.stpaulsnursingedu.info/Portals/0/ComplianceFiles/St_Paul_Queens_Catalog.pdf

I didn't find anything on the site - most of the information I have gathered is from this site and google. Please do let me know some of the schools your friends have attended! Thank you nymedjosh

Congratulations nycstudent22, see you in the Fall!

I wish you the best of luck! Keep the faith and stay positive! In regards to the GPA requirements, it is a shame. A high GPA does not mean nursing school will not chew a student up and spit you out - I've witnessed it with former classmates of mine. Meanwhile, those with a slightly lower GPA may have the determination and drive to push through and make great nurses, but aren't always given that chance. A little more on topic for this thread, have you started future planning and researching which schools you would consider for your BSN should you be admitted? If so, were you able to confirm if the schools accept the credits from St. Paul's? I have been trying to compile a list since I submitted my application and have about 5 schools so far.

Yea, I started the application process really early. I could have been considered for the May 2016 group if I wanted, but I was taking classes that I wanted to transfer in during the Spring 2016 semester. My processing got delayed due to me only getting my final grades in around the first week of June. In regards to the HESI score, I don't remember how they said they work it out. I automatically thought it was just the percentage since that is the english and math percentages averaged out.

Hi nymedjosh, I don't mind sharing. I interviewed back in March and was contacted about 3 weeks ago. My HESI score was an overall 91%.

Anytime! I was interested once you mentioned it so I reached out to admissions to find out what requirements there might be in order to transfer. I'm with you on finding a program with the lowest tuition and quickest graduation - so far, like you've said, online seems like the way to go.

Hi everyone, I have recently been accepted to St. Paul's School of Nursing (SPSON) and have been looking into possible schools where I can attend a RN-BSN program upon graduation. Yes, I am doing so very early, but I want to know what options I have available to me sooner than later. I do know a few schools that accept SPSON credits, but wanted to hear from any St. Paul's graduates to see what school's you have transferred your credits into to complete your BSN. If you could also give any insight into the program it would be greatly appreciated! :)Anything like tips on gaining admission, how many credits were granted, how long it took to complete the program,any potential tuition discounts, etc. etc. Thank you!!

\ Hey Jason, I just wanted to let you know that i spoke to an admissions representative at CUNY SPS and they do not accept SPSON credits, I'm not sure if that is where you were planning to apply upon graduation. I still haven't heard back from Molloy or SUNY Farmingdale, but I will keep you updated. If you come across any other schools please keep me posted!

Thank you Jtwe87! I will be an evening student, what about you?

Thank you nycstudent22 ! I just gave the diploma and my college transcripts. I think your high school grades may come into play if you have never attended college.

@Jtwe87 I got in! I got the call today =) And I spoke with admissions at Downstate, they do not accept the credits, c'est la vie!

I may have to spend a lot more time looking into online RN-BSN programs! I haven't given them much consideration because I automatically assumed they could not cost less than a SUNY/CUNY program. I was also a little worried that they weren't as recognized as the brick and mortar schools - I was mistaken give the things I have found in a quick google search since reading your post CPRNnyc. I just took a quick look into Chamberlain and their program looks impressive. They also have an agreement with the hospital system that I currently work for for their nurses to further their education, which is amazing. I have a lot more research to do lol

Please see below

Hi Jason, my name is Mercedes. I have found that Adelphi (with stipulations), Excelsior, Chamberlain, SUNY Delhi, Grand Canyon University, and Hunter College (with stipulations) accept either all or the majority of credits from St. Paul's. I am currently waiting for responses from admissions at SUNY Downstate, Molloy and SUNY Farmingdale. I haven't really looked into any other RN-BSN programs. So far, I have to say I'm mainly interested in Downstate, Hunter and Farmingdale (in that order) - as I would be able to pay out of pocket. Adelphi is a good school too, so if I can figure out a way to pay for it I plan on applying there too. Molloy is a more modest price than Adelphi and are known for their nursing program, so if they are willing to accept the credits I will be applying with them as well. I did not realize that CUNY SPS even had a RN-BSN program, I will definitely check them out too. I am always on the lookout for any programs that peak my interest, so the list may grow, but for now I hope this helps paint a brighter picture of prospects.

@nyc-BSN A huge part of the issue is the fact that more often than not I see posts, articles, and blogs regarding non-accredited program as a complete waste of time and money as progression - both with further education and employment, is difficult or not possible at all. Things may have changed more recently, but I heard horror stories years ago about students who have attended non-accredited programs and have had no opportunity for progression and barely any for employment (based on their job market) - this is especially true outside of New York where a lot of non-accredited programs pop up and charge high tuition rates for degrees or diplomas that have little value. School, no matter the intended program of study, is an investment. If an investor, prospective student, is not wary of factors such as accreditation, reputation, graduation and retention rates, and does not operate with caution - they are a fool. It's that simple. We are operating as wise investors and prospective students - none of us are fools. From what I can tell, each person who has the same concerns wants to progress in the field and requires a steady foundation, via a degree whose credits can be transferred for further education, to do so. Nobody is bashing the school, we are all prospective students. After doing my due diligence and massive amounts of research I managed to find enough stories of graduates who successfully and seamlessly progressed in a similar fashion to how I intend to and I contacted schools that I am interested in pursuing my BSN at to make sure that there would not be an issue transferring credits. Please believe there are some schools that I contacted that still do not accept any of the credits from the program based off of accreditation and some that only accept the nursing and general education classed but require lab sciences be completed elsewhere, but a decent number that do accept all or most credits, the list is impressive and has increased a lot over the past few years. Perhaps if successful alumni of the school had more of a presence than those that have had negative experiences, there wouldn't be as much anxiety in regards to the school's accreditation. I have to agree, the tuition is steep so I would be insane not to proceed with caution given the amount of warnings about non-accredited schools that I have come across. However, the proof is in the pudding... if other's have transferred credits to great schools and landed dream jobs, it can be done, so thank you for sharing your successes!

Okay, I got my documents in about a month or two after my interview, so I think I still have a couple more weeks before I hear anything. Thanks for the info!

How were you contacted about your acceptance and how soon after you turned in all of you documents? I was only able to get my official transcript from last semester to the school about two/three weeks ago, so I just want an idea.

Thanks for sharing CPRNnyc! The issue with the school seems to be people making it through the program, not the progression after completion. I am confident that upon completing the program, if I am admitted, the professional progression opportunities will be the exact same as graduating from another ASN program. As far as the cost, I see it as my income will increase by at least 20/25k at entry level without a BSN and it will happen a lot soon with St. Paul's than being wait-listed at another school. I plan on paying what I can while I am in school and, as previously mentioned, have a decent amount of credits that are eligible to transfer in to lower the cost. How was it taking Microbiology and A&P II at St. Paul's CPRNnyc?

Hi Jtwe87, I just finished the Spring semester at NCC and was fully interested in their RN program (completely affordable and perfect location), but the waitlist is SUCH a turn off. I can't say I'm trying to rush, but I certainly don't want to spend an additional year gaining the rest of the co/pre reqs to possibly not even get into a program. I have good grades, but I only pushed myself to apply to nursing school in February/ March of this year, so I ended up missing out on a lot of deadlines for other ASN schools that offer evening classes. I'm hoping I get in in order to get the ball rolling. I do have some minor concerns, but I have done a lot of research and found graduates of St. Paul's earning their BSN and MSN at some great schools. I am far more concerned about where I earn my BSN and have reached out to a few to find out if they accept the credits before possibly attending. I have not received a decision yet, so I will see what happens.. I may see you in the Fall!

Yes, I completely agree that a lot of the ranks about the school seemed to come from students who either were not doing well or were dismissed from the program for not keeping up. Regardless of a waiting list, nursing programs are no joke and being able to get it does not mean being able to stay in - regardless of the tuition paid! I have a friend who goes there, she did express some frustrations in regards to the organization of the clinical sites for this semester, but as long as my graduation isn't delayed due to any issues, I am fine. And yes, the president was a pleasure to meet with! I was so nervous, but he definitely made the experience a breeze! I wish you the best of luck, we may be classmates in the Fall

Hi nycstudent22, I have applied to St. Paul's SON for the Fall '16 semester. I passed the entrance exam with a score of 26, passed the HESI with a cumulative 91 and had my interview with the school president. I, too, was wary of the accreditation status of the school, but found solstace in the fact that there are a decent amount of schools out there that do accept the credits from St. Paul's for RN-BSN programs (some only the nursing classes, so be careful!). I also happen to know a few people who were employed out of St. Paul's and work for a great hospital in my area, they are also pursuing their BSN. I plan on continuing on to graduate studies right out of my BSN, so I had to ensure that the graduate programs I was interested in would accept credits from St. Paul's, but from what I understand of bridge programs - my BSN is going to be through the school that I choose to complete it from so that should not be an issue. I will be completing my BSN at one of the NLN-accredited schools that accept all or the majority of credits from St. Paul's. Like you, I had completed a decent amount of classes at another school, so I will be transferring in credits to lower the cost of attendance. I have completed english I, general psych, developmental psych, A&P I, sociology and plan on taking a CLEP for english II. My decision to apply to St. Paul's was largely due to the fact that there is no waiting list and that they offer night classes. Nursing would be my second career and I want to get started as soon as possible since I have a long way to go before I am completely finished. I have heard the mixed reviews, but I am not deterred. I feel like I am a strong enough student that I will be able to stay afloat in the program regardless of any potential disorganization. I see this as more of an opportunity than anything, so I am willing to accept the bad with the good as long as I graduate as a competent nurse. I hope this helps!

You are welcome! Oh wow, I am not familiar with that test at all. I took the SLE back in February and it was followed by the HESI about a month later. At this point I have already had my interview and given in all of my transcripts so I don't anticipate any others tests - it must be new! I wish I could help out more!

Hi Hopeful! If you are referring to the open house/ information session at St.Paul's SON then I think you mean the SLE test that has a required minimum score of 16. If I am correct, the test is a basic IQ test that measures your ability in the foundations of college math and english. I took it a week after the information session at the Queens campus (it does't seem like they offer it on the same day anymore) and got 26 out of the 33 questions that I answered in the 12 minutes given... There are 50 questions in total, but once I got to 26 I was confident that I got at least 16 correct and slowed my pace a little. There is no way to really study for it, I googled 'Wonderlic SLE exam' and found a mock exam that I used to practice my speed - the mock was more difficult than the SPSON exam and I never got through more than 15 questions on the mock (out of which I would only get 10-12 correct). When I took the exam at St Paul's I was able to speed through the questions because of my preparation - I was already somewhat familiar with the style of questions and exam so I wasn't as nervous. Don't spend too long on a question - chances are if you don't know the answer within 30 seconds, you aren't going to figure it out so make an educated guess and move on! Right after the test your admission counsellor gives you your results. I hope this helps! Good luck