University of Arizona Accelerated BSN

chinook · Oct 24, 2008

Relentlessrunner,

I noticed that they have changed their website on several things. Do you know if it's a three year contract now instead of two? Do you live in Tucson-- any suggestions on where to live with young children? U of Arizona is also my top choice of schools-- fast bsn, free tuition! Have you heard anything about the interview process? I'd like to talk to people who have been through or are going through the program. If you know anything, I'd love to learn what you know.

On a side note, a good friend of mine got into Creighton's scholarship program (free tuition for a 4 year work agreement) and I know that VA hospitals in certain areas will offer up to $40k tuition reimbursement to nurses who work for them after graduation. You have to come up with the money up front, though, which makes it challenging to those of us who already have a pile of loan debt from previous bachelor's degrees. I have done a lot of research and I learned that there are tuition-free programs in North Carolina, Nebraska, Louisiana, Illinois, Florida, Colorado, and Connecticut and one being developed in Virginia. I'd love to live in Tucson, though, with all that sun! :cool:

Make sure to check UA's web site every couple of months to see if they have made any changes to their requirements. A few months ago, they changed it so the math and English courses are not part of the prerequisites. Also, it now says 2-3 years in the contract for working with your sponsor - but on one page on the web site, it says 3 years. So just keep checking. I'm applying for summer 2010 - I can't wait! :) I also want this more than anything and am not sure about applying anywhere else!

relentlessrunner · Oct 24, 2008

Chinook, do you have e-mail? I would love to send you an e-mail and tell you a couple things I know.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

i'm new to these forums and i haven't found the option to send you a private message. i don't want to display my email to the world.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

15 times, eh?

Chinook, do you have e-mail? I would love to send you an e-mail and tell you a couple things I know.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

so i can't pm until i've posted more. so here's what i know about n. carolina. winston-salem has a tuition free partnership program with a regional hosp for in state residents only.

quote=relentlessrunner;3199338]Chinook, do you have e-mail? I would love to send you an e-mail and tell you a couple things I know.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

also, duke university medical centers will reimburse $33k of a $40k tuition with a four year work contract. unc, chapel hill will also reimburse tuition for their graduates.

Chinook, do you have e-mail? I would love to send you an e-mail and tell you a couple things I know.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

i don't have enough time to take my gres, but i think duke is a great deal. when i talked to the school, they told me that if you sign the contract at the beginning of the accelerated program, they will pay for your tuition and you won't have to put any $$ out front.

Chinook, do you have e-mail? I would love to send you an e-mail and tell you a couple things I know.

relentlessrunner · Oct 25, 2008

Hi Chinook! Instead of waiting to find the time to write a super lengthy message, I will post about one question you had.

The interview at UA is a group panel interview - a few people interview a few applicants at a time. That is about it for the interview! You apply by January 15 and usually get notice about about the interview by January 31. Then, usually, around February 15, you interview, and by the end of February, you find out. So it's a really quick turnaround. These are just approximate dates though. In 2010, the program starts June 7, and it's usually the first week of June of when the program starts. You have some tests the first few weeks, so it's a very intensive program!

How prestigious are the programs in NC?

relentlessrunner · Oct 25, 2008

I was looking at doing Georgia State's accelerated program, but I honestly believe that there are benefits of studying at a nursing school that has a research hospital adjoined to it (usually a medical school too). I know that some nursing schools are focused primarily on women's health, but I love how University of Arizona's classes seem to be into acute care (which I am excited about) plus you have the underserved population training.

relentlessrunner · Oct 25, 2008

Chinook, here's about Tucson...

Okay, about Tucson. It's a great place for young children. There are some nice places to live, especially in Northwest Tucson and even near campus. The further south you go, the more people see it as being an older area. If you live really far in Southeast Tucson, it may take you over a half an hour just to get to school. I think there are too many condos and nice places near school for you to want to live in SE Tucson right now anyway. There are a lot of nicer, new places even with a mile north of the University Medical Center. It seems like there are a lot of small children in Tucson - always something to do. See, Tucson is kind of like a "bowl" - or at least I view it as that. I cannot see myself living there the rest of my life - maybe a maximum of ten years or something. But it is great to live there when you are in school or if you want great medical facilities. Tucson has the Arizona Cancer Center, a medical school, etc. If you like the outdoors, Tucson is a great place to live. Some of my friends think that Tucson is too small and prefer Phoenix, but metro Phoenix is sort of mostly an area that goes west to east, and if you live way east or way west, it's hard to get to everything. Tucson has pretty much everything you need. You can drive up to Flagstaff or the Tonto National Forest or Havasupai Falls or the Grand Canyon or Snowflake to go ski within a day. You can drive to New Mexico if you want. You can drive to San Diego or Mexico within a day. I don't see how you could get bored. I have lived in Arizona, and I feel like you can always find what you want in Tucson. They had an international festival a couple weeks ago. They have so many nice trails and parks. There aren't many bodies of water - they have "canals" which are like washes lol. Sometimes it's weird how some of Tucson doesn't have street lights lit at night - which can be really weird. I guess there's not really a nightlife, but you know you're not moving to a big city anyway, and you can always go to Las Vegas within a day if you really wish haha. They are still working on a lot of I-10 highway construction, but that is not a big deal if you are going to school. Tucson is pretty affordable - they have normal grocery store prices, etc. It usually is five degrees cooler in Tucson than Phoenix, and you can tell the difference. It rains a little bit more than Phoenix. It is nice to have warm weather! So that's my Tucson speech.

So do you live in NC? Are you applying for next summer?

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

the programs in nc are good ones, from what i've gathered. duke's asbsn curriculum includes 15 graduates credits (hence, the gre requirement) and i've heard even better things about unc chapel hill. i think that north carolina is a great place to live and so it's pretty competitive. if i were a resident i would only apply to nc schools. but alas, paying out of state tuition is not an option for me.

chinook · Oct 25, 2008

i'm not concerned with prestige in an undergrad education. most the graduate schools i have talked to do not care where you get your bsn from. many encouraged me to get a bsn through a local community college and still i would be competitive. a bsn is a bsn.