Sacramento Areas Nursing Schools

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 23, 2011

Sacramento City College now uses a points system starting this Fall, for the Spring 2012 class. Here's their system: http://www.scc.losrios.edu/Documents/Nursing/forms/EnrollmentCriteriaSCC6-22%283%29.pdf

American River College may still use the system that they've used for a while: http://www.arc.losrios.edu/Documents/Academics/Nursing_Dept/Nursing%20General%20Info.pdf

Both now (or will very shortly) require the TEAS V exam and the minimum score is 62. The TEAS IV score required was 67.

Both ARC and SCC are ADN programs.

Sacramento State University, for their BSN program has these requirements:

http://www.csus.edu/HHS/NRS/undergraduate/traditional/docs/prereq_req_9-1-10.pdf

There are a couple of private colleges and their program generally takes you from lay person to RN in a couple years, and you progress through LVN, take some general education and some science coursework and then do another 8 months of RN education. From what I can tell, the big thing they look for is willingness and ability to take on about 80k of debt...

As to the prerequisite question, look at the prerequisite courses to take the prerequisite courses that the programs require. Chemistry is required by SCC, ARC, and CSUS at some point. Where they used to differ is in the requirement for either Micro OR O-chem, now CSUS requires both while SCC/ARC do not require O-chem.

For the extra stuff, you'll have to look at each individual school. Until this year, ARC/SCC only looked at your academics for initial eligibility. Then your TEAS score was used to effectively confirm your spot. I'm not certain how CSUS does their program, but I do know that they evaluate you on a set of criteria. Probably the top points-getters are offered spots. Given that the criteria is basically GPA and TEAS, you can get a range of TEAS and GPA scores for those top getters. Also, for the past few years, CSUS was not allowing 2nd Bachelor's students. They're allowing 2nd Bachelor's students again. Until this year, I would not have been allowed to get into that program, even if I was well qualified otherwise.

The links that I've provides should give you a good idea what the schools require.

dia1010usa · Jun 29, 2011

Thanks Akulahawk. I'm just wondering I haven't seen much feedback/posts for Northern California.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 3, 2011

Just to add a little clarification about American River College's RN program. Their website has stated that they are NOT going to switch to the merit based selection program that Sacramento City College has gone to. In applying my score to the "new" process, I still would have been placed in the eligibility pool. IMHO, the only thing that the new process really does is require that the TEAS be taken prior to application to the program instead of during it, thus the only major criteria for being dropped from the program after initial selection and before starting is an applicant's background check and drug screen. This should ease some of the load on the program/division staff.

American River? Nothing new... they're going ahead as usual. I was eligible for entry with them too... Actually, I was selected... but I went with SCC.

RNpatrol · Jul 23, 2011

Hi Akulahawk, is there a reason in particular that you chose SCC over ARC? I'm from Tahoe and applying to both schools with no real grasp on the pros and cons of one over the other. ARC would be closer to my in-laws house which made that seem like a better school for me. Do you know something about their programs that could help me decide if I was lucky enough to get accepted into both programs? Thanks for any insight you have!

cjr2619 · Jun 6, 2012

Hey Akulahawk,You seem to have a lot of info about ARC and SCC programs. I am applying for the first time this fall. How many times did it take you before you got accepted? I took some prereqs at a different school, which have all been approved by the ARC and SCC counselors. However for the application process, will it be easy to convey that in the online app? I am afraid I am going to mess up my application and it will get thrown out. Any info you have would be great!

Lyricalluna · Jun 7, 2012

You'll be fine the application process is pretty easy. Just follow directions and make sure to get all your transcripts from those other schools ahead of time. I still have yet to be accepted to SCC or ARC, sadly. I've applied to ARC 3 times, this fall will be 4 times. Sac city I applied to twice since last year I didn't qualify, but this spring semester I did but still haven't gotten picked.