St Charles Community College- reapply?

Ziggie06 · Sep 5, 2009

Well when i was trying to get in there in 2008, you had to retake the test every year you didn't get into it. What they did when i applied was everyone was given a random number and with that number able to sign up to that the dosage test. If you were NOT on of the first 80 to pass, you didn't get any type of special treatment when it came to take the test again the next year. Where did you read that info? I talked to a nursing advisor about this in 2008 and told me it was all a random selection on the number you got to sign up for the test. There was no type of waiting list before or after the test. hope that helps!

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

Have you considered St. Louis Community College (any of the campuses)? They work strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you've applied (after finishing a few prereqs, and taking and passing the dosage test), your name goes on a list and then you wait until your number is up. No reapplying, no wondering "what's next?".

I think any type of "lottery" system positively stinks as it is purely luck that determines your educational fate.

You might wait a few semesters to get in to STLCC, but that gives you time to complete the remainder of your prereqs and coreqs, so that all you need to concentrate on while you're in the program IS the nursing classes. And in the meantime, you KNOW you've got a place in the program coming up.

Jillybean1988 · Sep 6, 2009

SCCC is definately NOT a lottery! Lol. You get a number on the wait list and according to that number they assign you a dosage calculation sign up time. The higher on the list you are, the earlier your time to sign up, the earlier you take the dosage test, the more times you can take it if you dont pass (up to 3 times), and the better chance you get in that top 80. They take the first 120 to sign up and assign times according to who signed up first. Anyone after that 120 has to wait until the next year. Anyone who doesnt make the top 80, pass or fail, is on the top of the list next year. This is SCCC's system. They seem to have a habit of misinforming students on a regular basis, but the above info comes straight from the nursing director.

I didn't get in last year just by dumb luck. I signed up late because like you, I was misinformed of the system and thought not matter when I took the test, if I passed, I was in. I found out after I missed sign up day that this wasnt the case, so I didn't bother to study for the test (why bother if I am just going to have to take it next year? They'll just change the book!)

However, I found out that they started a "rule" in 2008 that if you applied, regardless of pass or fail on the dosage test, regardless of being on the wait list, you have to REAPPLY EVERY academic year. (So they know who is still interested and who is not?) I applied in 2007 and had no idea of any of this. They said I "should" have been informed by letter. Clearly, I wasn't. And of course they don't make any exceptions even if they make the mistake! So if I want to go to SCCC (which is ridiculous considering their sketchy policies and ethics) I have to wait until 2011 to MAYBE get in!

I already did my bachelor prereqs while waiting the first "set-back" year. So I am probably just going to (grudgingly) cough up the extra 30k and go to a real school and get the bachelors degree in one shot instead of ASN at SCCC and BSN somewhere else. I think maybe this was just God's way of telling me SCCC wasn't for me!

At least I got to the bottom of it, and maybe this forum can help someone else have more success in SCCC's program. I am not belittling their school. They have an excellent reputation. I think, however, that they should work on having more informed faculty so that they aren't passing out gross misinformation all the time. This can seriously affect peoples lives! This didn't derail my plans, because I planned on a BSN being my bottom line. But for someone who only wanted an ASN that would have to apply at other schools and be delayed two whole years because the faculty is incompetent? That would be outrageous.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 6, 2009

So once again I'll add -- have you looked in to St. Louis Community Colleges? You get a chem and a bio101 class out of the way, take the dosage test, submit your application, and get on a list where you will wait a semester (or two) until your name's called up.

Gee, that took all of one sentence to explain. You're right, SCCC isn't a lottery (although many schools across the nation have those), but, it shouldn't be that complicated to explain, never mind have to do!!

Jillybean1988 · Sep 7, 2009

Oh, I thought my reply answered your question! Ha. No, I have not considered STLCC. Only because I have all of my prereqs done, even the ones for my bachelors degree. I plan to get a Masters in the field. Going on a wait list for STLCC would set me back another year or more, whereas if I apply to a 4yr transfer I will be finished with a bachelors by 2012. If I were to apply at STLCC I would almost certainly not get in for 2010 and have to wait til 2011 to start and by then I could be half way through a BSN at an (more expensive no doubt) other school. So for me, that is not practical, considering I would be going on to a Bachelors program anyway. This is faster, and I hear the tutition reimbursements at hospitals are pretty decent. I want to get this done asap.

I agree with you about the level of complication at SCCC. They should have a program like STLCC. Thats definately no hassle. I should have applied around after the first "mistake" they made but I figured there was no way I'd get in sooner at STLCC, so why pay the application fee and take their placement tests and what not for nothing. Obviously next time it will be a "better safe than sorry" story to remember.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 7, 2009

I thought it was someone else who started the thread. Sorry for the confusion.

Best of luck in your nursing school travels!

Ziggie06 · Sep 7, 2009

well i suppose it has changed since i went tried to get in but that was spring of 2007 that i was told this and it was the first year they did it.

Ziggie06 · Sep 7, 2009

oh yeah i agree that they have shaky ethics. I started the LPN program there and ended up being failed out over something really stupid. They do not teach you in labs, but expect you to teach yourself and pass the test on the first or second try. In my practical lab, i was asked a question about the lab before and because of that ended up using my one third try you get. This was because she gave me the answer the first week and then the next time told me it wasn't the right answer. After that when doing meds tests i didn't say miniscus for the line you read oral medication from. Because of this i was failed out of the program. When i was told this the nursing coordinator said if i had had a higher grade in lecture they would have let me stay. Obviously they fail you out over little things if they think you will hurt their passing rate.

Jillybean1988 · Sep 7, 2009

Yeah, I have heard terrible things. I agree that they protect their pass rate. Another thing I look at when I choose a school is their graduation rate. Because if 60% is all they have left of their class, then it shows that they aren't worried about your personal success. Losing more than 20% is extremely unreasonable for a diploma program like this. I am sorry that this happened.

They also change their program rules every year. Which is very confusing for students who came into the program one way, and how they expect you to just know that they changed the rules.

This is ridiculous.

TeleNurse2010 · Sep 7, 2009

I am sorry that some of you have had a difficult time with SCCC. I am in my second year of the RN program. I applied to SCCC, along with STLCC, in August 2007 and got in to both systems on my first try. I guess I lucked up, because the counselor I spoke to was very informative and let me know of important dates. However, I also do not wait for people to tell me what I need to do. I do a lot of research on my own. They have a student handbook and admission policies online, so if I am told something different all I have to do is refer to what's written to prove my point if the need ever arose. However, that has not been the case. They are very upfront about their rule changes and inform us and give us an updated handbook when they occur. Anyway, so far I am enjoying the program and learning alot. I wish you all luck in your future endeavors.

Ziggie06 · Sep 8, 2009

I don't think it has to much to do with the changes once you are in the program. They tend to change the way you apply is what we are saying. Some people love the program, others hate it. When i spoke to an advisor it wasn't that they didn't want to help. They let me know what I needed to do and when it was needed to be done by. I don't think it has as much to do with the advisors as it does with the school. The school is constantly trying to change the way they do admissions which i was told was because there have been years when it is very chaotic and dangerous when they tried the first people to sign up got in. But as for the code book, the one that applies to normal students is not given out to students. I was told by the academic advisor that deals with problems that you only get one if you are in trouble. How does that make sense? I got in trouble when a friend and i were caught smoking on campus. The officer that talked to us yelled at me because i didn't have an id on me, only my passport. I was told i could not show him a USA issued id, it needed to be a missouri issued ID. When I asked him what he wanted me to do, he rolled his eyes and laughed at me. After this he filed a complaint and told the comanding officer we were rude and disrespectful. So my friend and I got in trouble for something we didn't do. She bluntly told us she didn't believe us and that even though we didn't get a student handbook, that is should be something we should just know. Seriously?! I've never had any time of problems with grades or disipline. This is just an example of the rediculous antics that go on at this school. The reason I don't know about their admission policy is because after that and the disaster during my lpn stint, I don't want to ever be associated with this school again!