San Diego City College- Any info on the new requirements and no waitlist?

U.S.A. California

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Hello everyone,

I've been keeping an eye on San Diego City College during my time that I was completing my pre-reqs. I've also heard the horror stories of the length of their waitlists- come have waited 2-3 years!

I just looked on their site, and I guess they just changed everything! There is no longer a wait list! And now they're going by a point system! Has anyone noticed this?

After looking on their website, I tried calling the nursing office for some answers, but I couldn't get an answer- been calling for the past few days. Maybe someone here can help me???

- The application deadline is confusing. It says the last day is Apr. 30...BUT it also says that after March 2010, they will still be accepting applications for fall until May 1, 2010.

- Do you think it's still hard to get into?

Thanks so much for your help! =) I'll be making a move to San Diego from San Francisco...

Hi thanks for all the info guys!! I am a LVN from San Francisco looking into schools around San Diego as well but seems like they all have long wait list and more than usual pre-reqs..i am wondering if I can challenge the course by taking just the exams or do i have to take the classes in a regular school?

rosebud123: did you turn in your application to SDCC yet and did u hear anything from any school so far?? what pre-reqs have u done?

I want to go back to school for my RN so bad and am very disappointed when I came across to all these problems. anyways, thank you so much!!!

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.
Hi thanks for all the info guys!! I am a LVN from San Francisco looking into schools around San Diego as well but seems like they all have long wait list and more than usual pre-reqs..i am wondering if I can challenge the course by taking just the exams or do i have to take the classes in a regular school?

rosebud123: did you turn in your application to SDCC yet and did u hear anything from any school so far?? what pre-reqs have u done?

I want to go back to school for my RN so bad and am very disappointed when I came across to all these problems. anyways, thank you so much!!!

Don't give up hope angib! I am an LVN too and got in much sooner than the generic RN students who had to wait 3 years to get in. If you are an LVN you need to take your pre-reqs at a community college and then you can apply. A school like Grossmont College has a separate LVN-RN program but with City College you just join in with the 2nd year students. It is a great program. Just check out the programs on the web. There is also Southwestern College and Palomar college. Cal State San Marcos has an LVN-BSN. I would skip the pricey private schools because as an LVN you will get into a community college LVN-RN program quicker than you think! ;)

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thank you for ur encouragement Faeriewand!! I am not sure how long i have to wait to get into SDCC and do u know if they require a TEAS to be taken on campus cos i live in san francisco and its such a hassle to fly down there just for a test and not get on the wait list. Are you almost done with the program and How long does it take to finish? How much did you pay for the whole thing? Also do you know if they only count the pre req taken at a regular school or I can test them out? sorry I have lots of questions. Thanks for all your help!!! I am grateful.

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just posting to hit 15 posts so i can PM, but i'm glad that the cc's in sd did this. it makes it so much easier!

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my last one..sorry

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rosebud123: did you turn in your application to SDCC yet and did u hear anything from any school so far?? what pre-reqs have u done?

I haven't turned in my application to SDCC yet because they require that you do it person. But I'm making a trip out there next month. I'm also applying to Grossmont, and they also require that you turn your application in in-person. So, I'm planning to go to both schools during my trip out there.

As far as my pre-reqs, I've basically done them all! :)

Congrats on being an LVN! You're going to have an easier time than me getting into an RN-program. I'm also applying to Southwestern. I looked into National, but the tuition fee almost gave me a heart attack! LOL! I know the tuition is worth it in the end, but I just don't have the means to pay so much. If I did, I'd totally look into private schools too. I don't know if I could qualify for a private loan, and I just did my fafsa and I don't qualify for a Pell Grant. :crying2:

Does anyone know what other private schools there are in San Diego besides National?

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just posting to hit 15 posts so i can PM, but i'm glad that the cc's in sd did this. it makes it so much easier!

Yup, it sure does. Now, I'm just hoping SD nursing schools' new policy SPREAD all over California state nursing schools like wildfire. This change isn't going fast enough for me. Once they completely get rid of all waitlist/lottery BS, then California just change the game for ALL their neighboring states. Smart move.

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do u know if they require a TEAS to be taken on campus cos i live in san francisco and its such a hassle to fly down there just for a test and not get on the wait list.

The community colleges in San Diego don't require that you take the TEAS on campus. I also live in San Francisco, and I took the test at CSU East Bay and they're all taking my TEAS. (This is for the schools that I called which is SDCC, Grossmont, and Southwestern)

Also, there isn't a wait list anymore. they're going by a point system.

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I think u can try Point Loma Nazarene University it has a gorgeous view on campus but they accept until fall 2011 if u want to wait. I'm trying to apply to all of the CCs first cos they r much cheap n I heard the program is good. I'm trying to see if I can get credit by examination cos I have to take sociology n nursing 110.

By the way aren't u an LVN already??! Or r u going thru generic RN program? Well goof luck to u hopefully same for myself. I went there last week n I didn't think of applying until I came back here. Wat a waste!! Let me know how it goes!!

Best,

Angi

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I have read with interest the postings about nursing admission, waitlists, etc. All community colleges in San Diego County have decided to use the same application and the same point system as admission criteria. Yes, we all got together and hammered out the current process you see on the City College website. The other community colleges will begin to use it for Spring and Fall 2011 admissions. We are hopeful that this process will encourage students to apply to the school they want to attend, rather than apply to all schools.

Our waitlists now are full of prospective students who are already attending another program but have not bothered to let us know. Last year, when I tried to admit 60 students for fall, I went thru the first 200 on the list, sent over 100 admission letters, oriented 80 students and still only started with 58 on the first day of class. What this means is that of the first 200 on the waitlist there were 142 people who were unprepared to enter the program in August.

The directors are all hoping that we will only get applications from prospective students who are prepared and anxious to begin a rigorous nursing education program when they are notified of their admission. We realize it is going to take a couple years before students trust that they only have to apply to the school they WANT TO ATTEND because the points will be the same no matter where they apply. We are hoping that this process will make the admission procedure easier and and the attrition from all of our programs decrease to almost zero! Which is the reason we have gone to assigning points to the admission criteria. Of the eventually 60 who started in the fall, 14 have already left the program for a variety of reasons (academic, financial ...). Again, we want students who are prepared for the rigors of a full time nursing education program.

Thank you all ... for your interest in our profession of Nursing and in San Diego City College. I hope to see you in the program one day soon. By the way, the application period is March 15th to April 30th because the admissions office is not open on Saturday, May 1st.

Debbie Berg, MSN, RN

Associate Dean/Director, Nursing Education

San Diego City College

I appreciate your post detailing the rationale for the new criteria. However, for those of us on the now-closed waitlist, it means an even longer wait than we would have otherwise had. Per your website, half of the students admitted this fall 2010 will be from the new applicant pool, and half from the existing waitlist. Instead of closing out the waitlist before implementing the new application critera, the people on the waitlist, who have already been waiting a year or two for their opportunity to start, will see new first time applicants begin ahead of them as they continue to wait even longer.

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San Diego's new nursing policy makes sense. It is not unfair to those people who have been waiting on the wait lists. Half of them will still be getting an offer for admission. SD nursing schools know that most or half of those people who are currently on the wait lists fall into four categories. They are: not done with pre-reqs, not pursuing nursing anymore or currently in another nursing program, OR moved out-of-state.

By the way, If I were to place a bet, those people that are currently on the wait lists will get first dibbs anyway -- the ones who are left and are presumably still interested to go to nursing school.

I'm surprised that it took California this long to implement the needed change. It's a smart move for the state, because in the long run, they need new applicants to major in nursing. Let's face it, because of the job market, nursing's 'sizzling appeal' has been steadily cooling down. No one knows if it will 'sizzle' back up again, we just hope it will.

Change needs to happen, better sooner than later. Nursing schools should take a closer look at the 'product' they're trying to sell, it's not as HOT as it once was. So, California, kudos to your many fully accredited nursing schools. It's a definite plus for your state.

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I'll be applying at SDCC over the summer. It's hard to get into now, given the points system and how many highly qualified people are applying. With a little luck I'll rock the TEAS and be selected, but I really don't know what my competition looks like. I'm extremely nervous.

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