The College Network vs direct enrollment with Excelsior

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 22, 2006

:balloons: Welcome!!

Many posts on subject in

Distance Learning / Independent Study

Jan.Gammage · Jun 22, 2006

Dear Karen,

Thanks for the assistance in thread placement, but the gist of the enquiry is to solicit responses from “AllNurses.com” membership who might have real-world experience with Excelsior College either independently, or in concert with one of the publishing firms like “The College Network.” As you may not know, The College Network is actively making a “full-court-press,” at least in my geographical area. The marketing strategy from my perspective seems to involve from my perspective, the presentation of an incomplete picture from a total-cost point of view.

The gist of my posting is solicit user reflection, buyers remorse or a sense of euphoria over the users choice and why. While I am initially persuaded that the preferred scenario for the LVN to ADN-RN bridge, at least for myself, will involve direct admission to Excelsior College and purchasing aftermarket the seemingly highly regarded College Network Nursing Concepts study materials.

However, even with my predisposition to this mixed approach to moving forward, I still have anxieties regarding general nursing population experiences, the degree to which the publication dates on College Network study materials is a factor, and lastly, the horror stories that seem to accompany the clinical testing segment.

I believe that within my own community, there is confusion about the choices, and the true cost consequences as well as the goodness of the materials and training being made available to RN wanna-be’s. I believe that membership comments regarding this “specific” issue departs from the more general comments that you have referred me to and will serve to raise the bar regarding new nursing candidates struggling with this same issue.

Thanks again and regards, Jan Gammage

PsychNP-BC · Jun 22, 2006

You could buy a CN study guide on ebay, take the test and see what you think. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy another. Once you join CN it is a done deal.

I like CN and have been on track as far as where I want to be for the most part. About a week behind and am hoping to make that up with the next test.

Money wise I think that the price is about the same if you buy all the suggested books from Excelsior for each test or if you joined a publishing company.

akvarmit · Jun 24, 2006

Hi There - I am a ADN grad of Excelsior after 11 years as an LPN.

I made the mistake of "signing on" with a private publishing company for study materials. Thankfully, I also reviewed textbooks and not only the workbook they provided. I was "paying" $350 per course for their stuff, and I found it to be substandard and full of typos, misspellings and wrong answers to practice questions.

I made out a lot better by buying the textbooks I needed for each course used off amazon or half.com, etc. At most I paid about $70 for books, used them, took the test then quickly sold them and bought what I needed next.

That was 3 years ago and I'm still arguing with the company that I'm not paying a whole loan for only 3 courses of books shipped to me. I wish I had understood things better when I started. The course outline clearly tells you the objectives and recommended texts to study the material.

Good Luck!

Dawn

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 24, 2006

Hi Jan,

I am also in Texas and live (somewhat) around your area. I can only tell you what I did to complete my studies with EC. I took 2 prereqs and the first 2 NC courses before enrolling in Excelsior. This saved some money. I did not sign with a publisher because I wasn't familiar with their texts or study guides and did not want to be locked into any contracts. I did purchase a used College Network guide for A&P and did not like it. I found multiple Chancellor's guides which I used to give me a brief overview of the subject material. I read and used the actual texts (most of them) that EC lists for each NC course because I wanted to study the subjects in depth. I do not believe the guides were too detailed. My plan was to study each NC course thoroughly, so I would only have to review briefly for the NCLEX. That plan worked very well for me. This is my opinion: enroll directly, do not sign with a publisher, and if you find a study guide that you like - buy it off of e-bay or the yahoo groups. Texts can be bought from various online engines or from students who have completed the course. Everyone learns differently and some people may love the publishing companies ~ do what is best for you.

PM me if you have any questions.

Best of luck to you!

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jun 24, 2006

Another vote for direct enrollment with EC (and also a vote for using the site's Search function to browse the extensive discussion of the subject on the Distance Learning/Independent Study Forum.)

carisun · Jun 27, 2006

Hello, everyone I am a new user and I am trying to find information. Some of this information is notes on study guides for chancellors for Microbiogy and Life Spand and Development. Right now I am serving in Afghanistan and two of my soldiers are going through Excelsior to complete our ADN.

carisun · Jun 27, 2006

I forgot I have extensive notes and practice questions on NC1 to NC7 if you want to trade, and I am using Chancellor's study guides. I am not getting rid of NC yet though!!

susyn153 · Jun 29, 2006

for what it is worth, I am enrolled with TCN, I have not gotten as far as the Nursing concepts guide yet. The guided learning packages from Excelsior seem to work for me a whole lot better. I got the ISBN #'s from the list for recommended textbooks, got them cheap on e-bay, amazon, half.com or e-campus (there are more) and re-sold them when done. The study guides from excelsior seem better if you really follow them than the TCN. I guess I have a case of buyers remorse. Like I said, I have not gotten to the NC 1-7 yet, that is where they are supposed to be great, I also got the NCLEX Rx for Success, we will see??

They are very helpfull with questions that you have though, and there are extra's that they will send you if you are having a hard time, if you fail 3x then they hire a tutor for you at their expense, course you have to keep paying for the test.

I would get one of the guides from e-bay and give it a test drive. See if you like it better than the guided learning packages. Excelsiour also has a whole bunch of warm up tests you can take as well, for both the nursing concepts and many of the humanities. Best of luck

susyn153

carisun · Jun 30, 2006

Actually I am not seeking to enroll with a study guide service I am just looking for study notes not study guides I alrady have the study guides and I am very happy with them. The only thing is that I have done and received study note from other previous students of Excelsior and they are very good and helpful, but I am also getting ready for Micro and Life Span and Development and I figure if there are so many people studying for the same thing I can exchange notes to make things easier for everybody. More of a study partnet in the long run. I am in the Military and I don't have to pay for the test/exams but if we fail we have to wait six months before we can take the test again, and time is one thing I don't have I must complete the ADN with Excelsior by next June. Not because the college requires it so but because i have applied to an Army program which they will send you to school and pay for it. The only catch is that you must have a ADN by the time you start school and you must finish in 24 consecutive months. I am a medic in the Army and right now I am in the clinical setting in charge of it all in Afghanistan, and the soldiers in my clinic are also looking to complete their BSN in the near future.

Thanks;

Semper Fi !! :angryfire

susyn153 · Jun 30, 2006

all The College Network has to offer is study guides, if you have them already, then you have almost all they have to offer. That is the whole point of them.

You enroll with excelsior if you buy the guides or not. They are two seperate things. TCN, Rue etc are just offering guided learning packages, nothing more, the tests are administered by excelsior which is also the degree granting institution. In other words, you get the diploma from Excelsior.

TCN is about 5,000 dollars on top of the roughly 5,000 for Excelsior.

If you buy the books and packages from excelsior its all togheter about $10,000. It is just a matter of preferences. I picked option 3 (most expensive) buy the guides, and the packages from excelsior, LOL. Well, live and learn. I have alot of material to learn with at least.

susyn153