Question about Going Out of State as a California resident

delrionurse · May 17, 2023

rougewitch said:

Hello,

I should start off by saying I don't know where to put this, so I just put it in pre-nursing as I only have ever posted here.

Anyway, it's pretty well known that California is competitive and chances of getting into a CSU, let alone a UC, is like getting into Harvard. Because of this, many students choose to go out of state. I've considered this myself, but how do people afford it? Out of state tuition and finding a place to live is expensive. Taking out loans? Parents' money? A LOT of scholarships?

I was never very well off and that would mean my only option is taking out thousands of loans and that will certainly take a hit to my finances. That is tuition alone and I didn't add the cost of living which I need to worry about too because I don't have any family outside California. Are people from California just desperate to get into a school that they will take out as much loans as they can if it means they can finally get their degree?

Your options seem to be either wait for a couple of years to see if you can get into a CSU/UC, or pay the private college tuition. Have you considered a community college in CA? If you moved, you would have to calculate the cost of getting a state I.D., getting a place to stay and a job. In some areas, it is very easy to get a job. The catch is having a place to stay while obtaining a state driver's license/I.D. card, transferring records/transcripts, addresses.

If your in a situation where you can't move then maybe consider relocating within your state, not sure where you live, but the least populated areas seem to be where there will be openings.

rougewitch · May 23, 2023

delrionurse said:

Your options seem to be either wait for a couple of years to see if you can get into a CSU/UC, or pay the private college tuition. Have you considered a community college in CA? If you moved, you would have to calculate the cost of getting a state I.D., getting a place to stay and a job. In some areas, it is very easy to get a job. The catch is having a place to stay while obtaining a state driver's license/I.D. card, transferring records/transcripts, addresses.

If your in a situation where you can't move then maybe consider relocating within your state, not sure where you live, but the least populated areas seem to be where there will be openings.

Yeah I am considering the community college I am currently attending, but the CCs are just as competitive. I live in a pretty populated area of SoCal and a CC that's driving distance from where I am is entirely lottery. My CC is still point-based. I don't want to wait a couple of years just to get in a CSU or a CC especially as credits eventually expire and that would be wasting my time. You mention UCs in your thread, but trying to get into a UC is worse than trying to get into a CSU: they only accept 10 students out of 1,000 and they ask for way too many subjects, like general and organic chemistry (which CSUs don't need at all).

I'm aware out of state students go through all of that, it's not a walk in the park moving states in general, but that isn't stopping California residents from moving to a different state anyway because they just can't get accepted at all and got lucky out of state. I've read a lot of threads both here and a nursing subreddit, and in the nursing subreddit I've seen a bunch of California residents mention they had to leave California to get their degree.

Technically, I can move if I really must, but like I said, that's a lot of financial burden on me as I would have to take out hundreds of thousands of loans and like you said, takes a lot of work, and it's not guaranteed if credits will transfer. If I were in the nursing subreddit, they would all advise me to go out of state in a heartbeat. But I just don't want to because it's cheaper to be here. I also don't want to wait 5+ years to get into a nursing school, and some CSUs have a set maximum of times you can apply. I know CSULA only allows you to apply once and that's it.

Sorry if this came out as a rant, but all this talk competitiveness in California nursing is just bringing my hopes down and seriously makes me reconsider majoring in another subject just so I can finish college already.

delrionurse · May 24, 2023

Out of state is actually easier to get into than CA. Maybe not all but they are more accepting of some errors (such as a trip up with A&P, pharmacology, etc, retakes) and the directors are easier to talk to, you can schedule a meeting, they'll call you back, email you, they're willing to work with you (in CA, no one calls you back or contacts you, I believe).

Some CC's and universities out of state have 7 year limits on sciences or prereq's and a few have no limits, you just have to search.

Becoming an LVN first would be less prerequisites and give you experience and you would have a license. As I've said, out of state CC's are more accepting.

It's hard to move if your family lives in CA, but it doesn't mean your move would be permanent. Going to Iowa from CA seems to be a big difference (just an example) but moving to a big city & going to a CC on the outskirts is very common. People drive1-2 hours just to get to jobs or schools. But it works and you would have your degree.

You mention in another post that you're interested in job security, if you get your nursing license you will always have options. At least you will have something to fall back on, say if you chose another field AND have you're nursing license.

rougewitch · May 26, 2023

delrionurse said:

Out of state is actually easier to get into than CA. Maybe not all but they are more accepting of some errors (such as a trip up with A&P, pharmacology, etc, retakes) and the directors are easier to talk to, you can schedule a meeting, they'll call you back, email you, they're willing to work with you (in CA, no one calls you back or contacts you, I believe).

Some CC's and universities out of state have 7 year limits on sciences or prereq's and a few have no limits, you just have to search.

Becoming an LVN first would be less prerequisites and give you experience and you would have a license. As I've said, out of state CC's are more accepting.

It's hard to move if your family lives in CA, but it doesn't mean your move would be permanent. Going to Iowa from CA seems to be a big difference (just an example) but moving to a big city & going to a CC on the outskirts is very common. People drive1-2 hours just to get to jobs or schools. But it works and you would have your degree.

You mention in another post that you're interested in job security, if you get your nursing license you will always have options. At least you will have something to fall back on, say if you chose another field AND have you're nursing license.

I did get that same advice to just stay in nursing and pull through because of the job opportunities from a friend who's also a nursing major. Also, not to sound rude, but driving an hour to work/school in what's most likely the same state and going out of state are two different things entirely. At least workers don't pay to go to work and students that commute for hours still have in state tuition. Anyway, I can entirely believe no one in CA contacts you, there's too many people applying it's all they can focus on.

Is the fact that I'm not willing to enroll in an LVN program a sign that I shouldn't be a nurse in the first place? In another post (which I believe is the same post you refer to) it was suggested I should become a patient care tech so I can get a gist of what nursing is like. I'm already worrying about my current classes and trying to get a driver's license when no one can teach you because they never have time and are too busy with work and lessons aren't something we can't easily afford, that becoming an LVN is just not in my mind.

HappyCoffee, MSN, CNA, RN · May 26, 2023

Check schools that accept WUE students (Western Undergraduate Exchange). That can save you some $ in tuition.

JB17 · May 30, 2023

I say go for it! I was in the same boat and decided to move to Phoenix for ASU. Not going to lie, the out-of-state tuition is expensive, but in my experience, worth every cent.

The program was phenomenal, and I felt fully prepared for the trasition from student nurse to bedside. They have great clinical experience opportunities at Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Childrens.

My only advice is get your prereqs done at a CC before moving. Also, consider the city you'll be living in and look into the hospitals in the surrounding areas.

My only regret is not moving back to California postgrad, the pay is unmatched there, and the cost of living is about the same now in Arizona.

rougewitch · May 30, 2023

JB17 said:

I say go for it! I was in the same boat and decided to move to Phoenix for ASU. Not going to lie, the out-of-state tuition is expensive, but in my experience, worth every cent.

The program was phenomenal, and I felt fully prepared for the trasition from student nurse to bedside. They have great clinical experience opportunities at Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Childrens.

My only advice is get your prereqs done at a CC before moving. Also, consider the city you'll be living in and look into the hospitals in the surrounding areas.

My only regret is not moving back to California postgrad, the pay is unmatched there, and the cost of living is about the same now in Arizona.

ASU was actually one of the schools I'm considering. The main school I'm looking at is in the east coast, not that I'm not disregarding Arizona though honestly I don't care where I end up (just not the South LOL). And I'm at a CC right now doing my gen eds and starting science prereqs in the Fall, so if there's one thing I did right, it's not going to a CSU to do pre-nursing because only Fullerton and SDSU are direct entry (and I was not a great student in high school, no way would those two and UCI/UCLA take me) and if I did go to a 4 year first I would be in debt already due to dorm expenses.

Thank you for your input though, I will keep that in mind ? Out of state tuition is outrageous but we gotta do what we gotta do. I'm sorry to hear CoL is rising in Arizona, though I can't say this is the first I've heard about it, I remember a few years back I came across articles talking about how rent in Phoenix kept going up. Anyway, is it okay if I ask what your stats were at the time of acceptance? Just so I have an idea what ASU needs.

JB17 · May 30, 2023

rougewitch said:

ASU was actually one of the schools I'm considering. The main school I'm looking at is in the east coast, not that I'm not disregarding Arizona though honestly I don't care where I end up (just not the South LOL). And I'm at a CC right now doing my gen eds and starting science prereqs in the Fall, so if there's one thing I did right, it's not going to a CSU to do pre-nursing because only Fullerton and SDSU are direct entry (and I was not a great student in high school, no way would those two and UCI/UCLA take me) and if I did go to a 4 year first I would be in debt already due to dorm expenses.

Thank you for your input though, I will keep that in mind ? Out of state tuition is outrageous but we gotta do what we gotta do. I'm sorry to hear CoL is rising in Arizona, though I can't say this is the first I've heard about it, I remember a few years back I came across articles talking about how rent in Phoenix kept going up. Anyway, is it okay if I ask what your stats were at the time of acceptance? Just so I have an idea what ASU needs.

ASU has a select GPA system, so you get to pick some of the classes factored into the advancement score with your TEAS score. My select GPA was 3.87 and TEAS I think was 84? I don't remember my exact score ah. I did have to commit to ASU before knowing if I got in though. Some of the classes are their health prereqs, so I took a risk in applying. They do offer several cohorts throughout the year. You can do an accelerated pathway as an undergrad, which is 1.5 years.

rougewitch · May 30, 2023

JB17 said:

ASU has a select GPA system, so you get to pick some of the classes factored into the advancement score with your TEAS score. My select GPA was 3.87 and TEAS I think was 84? I don't remember my exact score ah. I did have to commit to ASU before knowing if I got in though. Some of the classes are their health prereqs, so I took a risk in applying. They do offer several cohorts throughout the year. You can do an accelerated pathway as an undergrad, which is 1.5 years.

Yeah I was wondering how I was going to get around the health prereqs ASU needs seeing my CC does not have any classes that I could take. One of them was pathophysiology which my CC doesn't even have, only for students already admitted into the nursing program. Shame, because everything else I took and plan to take do transfer to ASU, I just checked their requirements and the transfer credit guide.