**Samuel Merritt ABSN Summer 2011**

[thebread]

So, who applied?

[tiss]

When l spoke with someone from the F Aid, accoring to the quote he gave me, we are not getting much from the subsidized/unsubsidized loans?. You guys can call and they take the time to talk with you. The person spoke l with was very honest with me.

[student1320]

this site has been extremely helpful! i am currently living in sacramento and will be applying for the smu absn in spring 2012. if i get accepted into smu absn, i will definitely attend. tuition is about $55 k, and the health / dental / vision is $4,000. tuition increases 5% a year, and the health increases 20% annually. tuition and health care will increase next year. there are assumption loan programs for nurses - http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=1220

although the economy is bad, most new nurses work as travelers or for blood banks for a few months before getting a full time job. definitely get a job at kaiser in northern california. kaiser pays the highest salary because of the california nurse association union. in january 2014, a nurse with 1 year of experience will be making $60 an hour. a nurse with 5 years of experience will make $70 an hour. you will be able to pay off the smu in a few months while working at kaiser. if i do not get into smu, then i will get an adn and then get obtain a bsn, which will take about 3 years.

[Blue22]

And for those of us that don't have the luxury of being a traveling blood bank nurse. What do we do then about the whopping private student loans that they expect us to take out? Has anyone heard when we will actually be getting our financial aid packets? How much did they tell you we will get in sub/unsub loans?

[tiss]

Because we already have a degree, the estimate is 17 to 18k

[OakRN2B]

Regardless of the cost of the school - the reality is that it is a private school, and private schools are more expensive than state schools. Private schools and public schools do not adjust their costs to the job market - it is what it is. You can choose to either accept the costs and move forward, or not. Continuing to complain about the cost of SMU isn't going to help anyone, it's actually going to make you feel worse. Why not choose to focus on the positive? SMU is a highly competitive program, and being accepted is quite an accomplishment. When you've started the program, having a positive "can do" attitude is a must. You simply have to get over it, it is what it is.

[Blue22]

I agree that it is what it is, but I understand about needing to vent our concerns. Yes SMU is a crapload of money, but for those that can afford it it is a great choice. I am going to wait and see what happens with the other schools I have applied to.

[ilnurse15]

Blue, what other schools did you apply to? I applied to several others, Rush, GWU, WesternU and they all have tuition rates similar to SMU

[Blue22]

I applied to csueb and a few community colleges. If to get my adn I will immediately complete the rn to bsn bridge.

[ilnurse15]

Did you look into Azuza or other ABSN programs at all?

[Blue22]

Yes I looked at Azusa accelerated RN to BSN program (if this is the one you are referring to), but there are other options out there that are not quite as expensive.

[pterodactyl.RN]

heeeeello all! I just got accepted to the San Mateo cohort today :) I applied in late August, but didn't find out on the day everyone else found out. After a string of emails and calls, I found out that my application never made it to San Mateo! Everything worked out after contacting the very helpful director of admissions, but I would have LOVED to know earlier.

Now, for planning! :)

[MalRey729]

Has anyone been put onto the wait list for the Summer program? I was just curious if anyone has been called off the wait list I am trying to weigh my decision to either wait around to hear from SM or move on to other options. I was told by _____ that last year they exhausted the entire wait list... sadly this is what I am holding onto! Any suggestions ??