So. Californians please help: Having a meltdown trying find a school!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2008

i've heard that many of the schools have gone to a lottery system and done away with the waiting lists. i went to a desert school years ago--no waiting list.

here is the link to the official lists of ca nursing schools.

http://www.rn.ca.gov/schools/programs.shtml

catzy5 · Sep 18, 2008

Hello all, :loveya:
This is my first post and I am excited to become a part of the allnurses.com community. After soul searching for almost a year, I have decided (ta da) that I absolutely want to change fields and be an RN. What I am finding is that the educational path is not so simple. My background is that I already have my Bachelor's degree in Communications at a 3.0 average. I called the vocational schools so that I can do LVN to a a bridge (to get into the field quickly), but they are about $30k and I was told that since I have my B.A. that I was not likely to get any aid even though I am a single mom. I then looked into community colleges and other universities and there are waiting lists or no guantees that you will be chosen (some allow 50 out of 300 applicants.) Is there any hope for me? What affordable schools are in the San Berdo, LA, Riverside, and OC areas that may be a fit for me (more affordable and likely to get in)? The level I wish to get to eventually is the Master's degree, but will take steps throught the LVN and BSN programs to get there. The only suggestion that a friend of mine had was to find schools that are far away (like San Jacinto) hat do not have a wait list, but that's a tough commute. I am in San Berdo county. Thanks!

just apply to as many schools as you can you will find a way! There are also many accelerated BSN programs for people like you who already hold a bachelors in another field, also direct entry MSN. Just keep looking.

Your friend is right MSJC has no weight list if you have a 4.0 in pre reqs you have an excellent chance of getting in, however their numbers are low 12 in the fall and 24 in the spring. Also there are some schools like Mount Sac that have lotteries, just keep applying!

Asherah, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2008

Saddleback College (Mission Viejo) admits half of their students on a merit-based points system. Finish your pre-reqs with a 4.0 GPA, take some (or all) of them at Saddleback or Irvine Valley College (you can earn more points attending pre-reqs within the school district), and you'll be almost guaranteed to get in on your first try.

Other than that, there is no quick and easy way to get into an affordable nursing school (e.g. community college) in SoCal without some patience and effort. Apply to as many quality CC or BSN programs as you can after you've completed your core science pre-reqs.

2jen · Sep 18, 2008

Saddleback College (Mission Viejo) admits half of their students on a merit-based points system. Finish your pre-reqs with a 4.0 GPA, take some (or all) of them at Saddleback or Irvine Valley College (you can earn more points attending pre-reqs within the school district), and you'll be almost guaranteed to get in on your first try.
Other than that, there is no quick and easy way to get into an affordable nursing school (e.g. community college) in SoCal without some patience and effort. Apply to as many quality CC or BSN programs as you can after you've completed your core science pre-reqs.

Yeah, with Saddleback as long as you get an A in physiology, microbiology, anatomy and english 1A you should be guaranteed a spot. As Asherah said, you get more points for taking the classes at saddleback and for having a higher GPA. If I remember correctly, they only look at the most recent 12 units completed for your GPA so it would be really easy to get that 4.0

Good luck!

prern06 · Oct 14, 2008

CSU San Marcos has an accelerated BSN program that I am looking into, too. They don't have a waiting list, as of now, for the Spring 2010 program. It isn't impacted, according to the advisor. I believe they have two campuses. One is in San Marcos and the other is in Temecula. http://www2.csusm.edu/el/acceleratedbsn/index.php

Good luck!!

bananabubbletea · Dec 28, 2008

you can get financial aid in the form of federal student loans a max of 57,500 undergraduate

vivasmom · Dec 29, 2008

Long Beach CC and LA County college of nursing are both merit based. So if your grades are excellent, then you are in. If you have not taken your science pre-reqs w/in the last 5 years you may have limitations of the schools you are eligible for. BTW, I had the same panic as you and I got into 6 schools, so if your grades are excellent you will get in. I applied to 9 schools. Also the U of Oklahoma has a secondary bachelor's through Glendale Adventist Hospital in Glendale

CaPsychLVN, LPN, LVN · Dec 29, 2008

Do not always believe what you are told by other would be students. I start my LVN-to-RN bridge in three weeks at Cerritos College in So Calif. If I had listened to the want-to-be students I wouldn't have even tried to get in the program I'm about to start. According to the most vocal student there were many more hoops to jump through, instead I simply talked with a school counselor, applied, and got approved. Actually they had MANY more spots available than they had applicants - hard to believe but true. Remember to ask those who are paid to know.

One other tip, don't always believe the first negative answer you get. If my friend had believed her first counselor she wouldn't be starting class with me in three weeks.

Best of luck.

ange26s · Dec 29, 2008

I do not live in California, but I am in NS in NC.Over here it takes longer to get your RN if you start with your LPN(LVN in Ca).It is always recommended if you want your RN to go for it first. When getting your LPN first, you end up taking more classes because you have to take a transition course, so for an ADN program it ends up being 6 semesters instead of 5.I have some friends that chose to get their LPN first so that they can work while in school, and it is extremely difficult b/c they are working 3 day 12 hr. shifts, attending school, taking care of their family, and going to clinicals. I have a friend that will end up doing 6 day 12 hr. shifts when we start precepting.3 days for work and 3 days for precepting (thankfully this will only go on for a month!). Before applying, I would really dig deep into the specifics of the school's schedule(including how precepting works),etc. If I could do it all over I would have gone into a BSN program from the get go.I am going to be in school much longer b/c I took a longer route.My long term goal is to get my MSN, so it would have made more sense to bypass the associates and get my BSN first. I started school in CA, and when I found out how hard it was in my area, we moved back to NC where I grew up. My husband was in the Army and got out and here we are!The schools here are not hard to get into.I guess b/c there aren't as many people and they can accept 100 students. I found school very cheap in CA. I would get the BOGG waiver which paid for my classes, financial aid covered my books and more, and I would get the CA community college grant as well. They also had a program that paid for child care.I was going to apply to Chaffey Community College, but said forget when the counsler said 400 people apply and they only accept so many! but, I know someone that just graduated from NS in CA, and she had no problems.I have heard good things about the programs there.Good Luck with everything! As long as your motivated you will make it happen!:nuke:

dorkiexcici · Jul 24, 2011

im a lvn just like you so when i read your post, i definitely got worried. i live by cerritos and cypress and whittier. so i thought cerritos would be a great school for me to try for the lvn-rn bridge program. how is going so far?

dorkiexcici · Jul 24, 2011

Do not always believe what you are told by other would be students. I start my LVN-to-RN bridge in three weeks at Cerritos College in So Calif. If I had listened to the want-to-be students I wouldn't have even tried to get in the program I'm about to start. According to the most vocal student there were many more hoops to jump through, instead I simply talked with a school counselor, applied, and got approved. Actually they had MANY more spots available than they had applicants - hard to believe but true. Remember to ask those who are paid to know.
One other tip, don't always believe the first negative answer you get. If my friend had believed her first counselor she wouldn't be starting class with me in three weeks.
Best of luck.

thanks for that post! I'M a lvn trying to get into a college not too far from my house. i was wondering did you apply in march? i'm so scared to take my last two classes together (micro and physio) this fall. my bf and family r telling me i can do it. but i think this will be much harder than my 13 month program at NOCROP in anaheim. i just graduated there dec of 2010. i'm stressing too much. :eek: