Sanford Brown College of St. Peters, MO LPN to ADN RN

RJ---RN · Apr 27, 2009

kUDOS TO WDWpixie. I support what you say. People get VERY defensive. They will find out in time that they will be repeating MOST of their credits to get that BSN. I, and many others stand side by side with you nurse friend!

dbacon0328 · Apr 27, 2009

I think before you choose to quote ME on MY blessings, you may want to re-read my posts carefully.
I never, not once, made a reference to the quality of the program or the grads. I honestly don't know enough of them to do so.
I AM, however, aware of their high tuition fees (having looked in SBC before I went the route I did) AND the very public fact that their NCLEX pass rate has been inferior to the other schools located here for several years. I can also read very well, and have seen numerous posts on this site that attest to the fact that others have paid very high tuitions, and spent several years of time to get their degree, only to find out later that they have to REPEAT and REPAY to REDO much of that if they choose to pursue a higher degree.
I also went to school with someone who went to SBC for their LVN and they were EXTREMELY unhappy that they did so for many reasons -- financial, transferability, and others.
I'd suggest before you choose to make ME the target of your displaced anger, that you look around and read other posts. SBC has been the subject of many posts for many years; there are many others you can spend time pointing fingers at.
It's a good thing your education is "priceless" 'cause I guarantee you paid a heck of lot more for yours than I paid for my BS in Business from a local private university and my ASN combined.

I definitely have no displaced anger. I am very happy with my decision. Since you are the only one responding, I am simply defending my decision. I just wish that people would be more open minded and non judgmental. That's what's wrong with society today. People are so quick to judge. Chamberlain students also pay very high tuition as well as SLU. I have several friends that went to each. Community colleges are probably the cheapest way to go. I only had a problem with the wait lists. I was to attend Southwestern Illinois College but was denied entrance to the program because I was missing one class and would have to wait another year to apply. I had already spent 3 years obtaining most of the needed classes and my LPN. Also if a person chooses to pay more for something, they have to be degraded for it? That doesn't make any sense. You darn skippy education is priceless. The feeling I had when I looked at the SBN website with my name on it was a feeling I will never forget. Maybe you need to read your posts cause I do recall something about some hospitals are wary to hire SBC grads or something to that effect. If you got your BS from a local private university I'm sure you paid a whole lot more than me. My sister has her BS from SIUC and is pursuing her Masters from Lindenwood and I have seen her bills. Let's not forget nursing is always overcharged per credit hour anyway. In regards to the SBC posts in the past, I can only speak for right here and now and my experience. Not the experience of the disgruntled and unhappy students of the past.

dbacon0328 · Apr 27, 2009

priaj1980:
this has been discussed several times that i know of in this forum, but i can't find the threads right off the bat....there area a number of concerns about going to sanford brown:
*cost
*reputation in the working community for grads; not saying you won't find a job, but i understand they're not the most desirable graduates
*classes taken there are most often not transferable should you one day decide to pursue a bsn or msn. this is the biggest concern you should have besides the one above. if there's any possibility you will one day want to continue your education, you would most likely be required to retake a majority of your classes over at the college/university you would be attending.
to verify this, you should start by calling local colleges/universities in your area and asking about the transferability of sb's courses. that might give you your answer immediately!
it might also help you decide whether the money investment with them is worth it vs. the time factor in pursuing a more traditional degree. do not depend on their 'salesperson' for this information at sb. they will tell you anything to get your money.
think carefully and do your homework!
best wishes!

i read your post over again and this is what you said.........

STL-RN Student · Apr 27, 2009

not worth the $...reputation is KING

WDWpixieRN, RN · Apr 27, 2009

dbacon0328:

i am only willing to banter about this subject for so long. there are plenty of other threads and responses from others even on this post regarding sbc.

the op, in november, asked about the school; the majority of my first responses refer to what i have read on previous posts to inquiries about sbc (questions and answers).

i can't find the threads right off the bat....there area a number of concerns about going to sanford brown:
*cost
*reputation in the working community for grads; not saying you won't find a job, but i understand they're not the most desirable graduates

my more recent references do not personally attack you nor the students of sbc. i find it interesting as someone mentions above how defensive you feel you need to be over some pretty innocuous responses. i find i don't feel the need to do so for my education.

normally as a rule i am very encouraging to others on these boards. however i will not encourage others in an sbc endeavor when there are other options -- for all the reasons that have been beat to death above.

good luck; i hope you will always feel you made the best choice. i also hope you don't ever feel the need at your young age to continue on for a higher degree and have to realize your limitations -- the biggest concern that most people express on these boards.

dbacon0328 · Apr 28, 2009

dbacon0328:
i am only willing to banter about this subject for so long. there are plenty of other threads and responses from others even on this post regarding sbc.
the op, in november, asked about the school; the majority of my first responses refer to what i have read on previous posts to inquiries about sbc (questions and answers).
my more recent references do not personally attack you nor the students of sbc. i find it interesting as someone mentions above how defensive you feel you need to be over some pretty innocuous responses. i find i don't feel the need to do so for my education.
normally as a rule i am very encouraging to others on these boards. however i will not encourage others in an sbc endeavor when there are other options -- for all the reasons that have been beat to death above.
good luck; i hope you will always feel you made the best choice. i also hope you don't ever feel the need at your young age to continue on for a higher degree and have to realize your limitations -- the biggest concern that most people express on these boards.

i think that's great that you encourage others! that's very sweet of you! maybe i should have came to these postings a long time ago. as a young minority nurse working in south county, it has become apparent to me that some minds are just closed and made up. pursing my msn has been a life long dream for me and i am currently working on my bsn as we speak. so i guess it's too late for me to realize my limitations. thank you for the much needed encouragement and support, i will carry it with me always. some info for those regarding tuition:

sbc: $24,000 lpn-rn (all inclusive)

chamberlain: $21,420 lpn-rn (not incl fees, uniforms, etc)

$64,260 3yr bsn (not incl fees, uniforms, etc)

slu: $31,000 bsn (not incl fees, uniforms, etc)

swic(comm college) $7500 3yr rn (not incl fees, uniforms, etc)

umsl $31,000 bsn (not incl fees, uniforms, etc)

hope this helps anyone out there!

tyandgil · Aug 31, 2009

So if I'm already in the LPN program at SBC, and I have only 2 more quarters to go, what do I do if I want to get my ADN somewhere else?

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 1, 2009

So if I'm already in the LPN program at SBC, and I have only 2 more quarters to go, what do I do if I want to get my ADN somewhere else?

I believe you can look in to "bridge" programs locally. I know the St. Louis Community Colleges had a bridge program. Possibly Jefferson Community and St. Charles might also. Unfortunately, you write that you're in an LPN program. It's possible that until you obtain the LPN that you don't qualify to bridge in to an RN program.

If a bridge program won't work, then start making phone calls to all the local colleges' nursing programs to see what options you have.

At the worst, if you have the prereqs, you can always see about applying to the RN programs in town and start from scratch and leave SBC before you incur much more debt with them. Whatever you do, don't give up on your dream and just be aware that you have time to make the RIGHT decision regardless...

ITALY123 · Mar 7, 2010

EHH....I work with several women at the hospital that went to SB and not only did they not like the professors, but also hardly anybody looks at a sb grad over a Chamberlain of UMSL or Lutheran or even a Commun College. This is just what hiring charge nurses tell us and not to mention the opinions of some of the women who regret it and are now at mermac redoing 75 percent of it.

HopefulRN2011 · Mar 12, 2010

Sorry, but I feel like that 7000 for nursing program is BS. I went to Jeffco, one semester was over $3000. And it took 5 semesters to get ur RN, not to mention the year of pre-reqs I had to do before hand. Now I'm in a dilemma, I got kicked out due to missing too much time, due to illness. Now to get back in at jeffco i have to wait a year and a half. I'm 35, and I don't wanna wait!! LOL. I have an appt at St Louis College of Health Careers tomorrow to talk to them about their LPN program. A friend sent me an email asking me to PLEASE do research first. She told me that the For-profit colleges normally don't transfer, so basically I can get my LPN but it isn't going to , for example, transfer back to Jeffco for the RN program. I want to get done before I'm grayer, anyone have any suggestions?

dazeyc · Aug 18, 2010

I don't know much about Sanford Brown's nursing programs in St Louis, but I can give my experience with the school in general here in Kansas City. Sanford Brown here is now known as Colorado Technical University due to the horrid reputation they gained over time here. I went there nearly 10 years ago. I walked in to inquire about their LPN program and as soon as they found out about my past experience as a PC tech in high school they latched on to that and talked me out of nursing. I ended up in the Network technology associates degree. They promised me I would have my MCSE when I graduated and they would help me find a job and that I would be making so much more money than a nurse(I know I shouldn't have fell for it but I had just graduated high school and was the first in my family to go to college). The only thing they taught us was how to pass an MCSE exam. A couple of my classes were literally spent just doing the exam cram practice tests the entire quarter. I looked in to transferring my classes for a bachelors but they would only transfer to NAU and Ottawa U(both even more expensive than SB). My last straw with this possible career was when I went for my 18th interview in my job seach and overheard myself being referred to as a paper MCSE. I knew then I probably wouldn't be able to get a job with my degree. Some of the friends I made at school who did go through the LPN program had the same problem and couldn't find jobs. I have still tried applying for those jobs over the years but have never been able to get one. Here I am now 8 years later still with $25,000 in student loan debt (that was on top of the full pell grants I received) and trying to find the cheapest way to go to school to be a nurse. I am currently enrolled in the community college working on my pre-reqs (what I should have done in the first place). I wouldn't waste my money on a school like that again.

mmm1 · Aug 25, 2010

Hi, I am new to this site. I am definately considering SBC for my LPN to RN. I was in SCC bridge program in 2001 and it was a good program, but because of an injury and surgery I had to withdraw. All of my prerequisites were finished and I was in the last semester:crying2: If I would have returned in 2 years I could have started in the semester that I lasted attended. Well, I didn't make it on time and my science prereqs expired, and I would have needed to retake them all again. I had a 3.8 in their bridge, so that was not the concern. I went to SBC for LPN and have not regretted it. I am making $$ more than most RN in a management position. Anyway, I am starting at SBC for the ADN in Oct. Maryville, UMSL, and SLU will take all the nursing credits from SBC and since I have completed the general education from community college, they will accept all credits, including science (no expiration date for any classes once you have an associates degree)with an active RN license. (All colleges have stated that the active RN license is the most deciding factor). So, to any future SBC bridge students: if you have taken all gen ed. at a community college, etc. you will transfer easily, I am not sure about the transferrability of the SBC gen ed. since it doesn't apply to me. SBC is being reviewed by the state board and their program is getting revamped. The entrance exam is harder and most of the people taking it, aren't passing. Past students have stated that they feel SBC just let any "dummy" in and that is why the pass rate was so low. I think it will improve, especially since the state board is telling them how to run their program!