Walden University BEWARE

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BEWARE of WALDEN UNIVERSITY! They call you constantly. You do everything they ask... then...BOOM! The infamous goal statement! Due to poor grades 20 years ago out of high school (a lot of us have been there) and an ADN, 2 bachelor degrees and 5 graduate classes (with a 4.0 GPA) taken at another university, later, I have to explain my whole entire life story of why my grades 20 years ago are not up to "their" standards and what happened along the way. I wrote a 2 page letter with an overall general explanation. I had it proof read prior to sending it. The editor stated it was very well written and this was coming from a professional PhD educator. The "advisor" from Walden stated they wanted more. They wanted a detailed explanation done for review by December 27th and this was December 24th, Christmas Eve. Not a time to hash up my life but I did.

Out of spite, I wrote 7 pages. It was very difficult to write and brought back a lot of things that I did not want to deal with, especially, over the holiday season. I was very angry and very frustrated. I decided this university is not for me. In my opinion, this is not showing a supportive attitude for potential students. I felt it was very intrusive. I have applied to several universities and received acceptance. I have never had to explain the deep darkness of my life. I feel it was none of their business. From the reviews that I have read and my experience, I WILL NOT be attending this school. Any school that does not support the positive things that you can bring to their university and focuses on the negative aspects of one's lifetime is NOT a school I want to attend. I am a professional nurse saving lives everyday and would like them to try it. I bet they couldn't do it like we do everyday. DO NOT GO TO WALDEN UNIVERSITY!

Specializes in Home health was tops, 2nd was L&D.
I don't know. I have not had any problems with them. They even transferred in courses I took 20 years ago for credit toward my MSN in informatics. The advisory and financial aid staff have been very helpful and couteous.

Do you mean WGU or walden? WGU accepted all my credits from back even to 1974, they are very nice and helpful.

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Specializes in FNP.

I went to a world class Uni for MSN-FNP, and when applying I had to explain a "C" I got 25 years ago. I don't think it was unreasonable. Sorry it was traumatic for you.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
BEWARE of WALDEN UNIVERSITY! They call you constantly. You do everything they ask… then…BOOM! The infamous goal statement! Due to poor grades 20 years ago out of high school (a lot of us have been there) and an ADN, 2 bachelor degrees and 5 graduate classes (with a 4.0 GPA) taken at another university, later, I have to explain my whole entire life story of why my grades 20 years ago are not up to “their” standards and what happened along the way. I wrote a 2 page letter with an overall general explanation. I had it proof read prior to sending it. The editor stated it was very well written and this was coming from a professional PhD educator. The “advisor” from Walden stated they wanted more. They wanted a detailed explanation done for review by December 27th and this was December 24th, Christmas Eve. Not a time to hash up my life but I did. Out of spite, I wrote 7 pages. It was very difficult to write and brought back a lot of things that I did not want to deal with, especially, over the holiday season. I was very angry and very frustrated. I decided this university is not for me. In my opinion, this is not showing a supportive attitude for potential students. I felt it was very intrusive. I have applied to several universities and received acceptance. I have never had to explain the deep darkness of my life. I feel it was none of their business. From the reviews that I have read and my experience, I WILL NOT be attending this school. Any school that does not support the positive things that you can bring to their university and focuses on the negative aspects of one’s lifetime is NOT a school I want to attend. I am a professional nurse saving lives everyday and would like them to try it. I bet they couldn't do it like we do everyday. DO NOT GO TO WALDEN UNIVERSITY!

I agree with you...but I would go one step further.

I would make copies of all of the communication of what they required and send it to the President of the College, CEO, however they are set up...and tell them WHY.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
When a college accepts 20 year old credits....for a degree in informatics? That's a symptom of a problem. I'd be leery of any school so desperate for students. Please be careful that this degree will mean anything to an employer.

The credits weren't for informatics courses, there was no such thing as informatics back then. They were for nursing related courses from my ADN.

Walden in a nationally accredited university and I've had nothing but good interaction with them. I have attended three different facilities in three states and each one required a goal statement, so I see no problem with that. As for a university wanting to make certain that an applicant has a good GPA, I see no harm in that either. After all, if they took just about any GPA, they wouldn't be very discerning and they would have people on the internet complaining about the quality of thir educational offerings.

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The credits weren't for informatics courses, there was no such thing as informatics back then. They were for nursing related courses from my ADN.

Walden in a nationally accredited university and I've had nothing but good interaction with them. I have attended three different facilities in three states and each one required a goal statement, so I see no problem with that. As for a university wanting to make certain that an applicant has a good GPA, I see no harm in that either. After all, if they took just about any GPA, they wouldn't be very discerning and they would have people on the internet complaining about the quality of thir educational offerings.

I understand they want people with a good GPA. But, when you have a 3.8 that is current in all or most of your course work that pertains to the degree and classes that were not so good several years ago, that's a different story. I understand that a little explanation is needed but when you are asked for a detail by detail story...THAT is a bit much. Things happen to people, it doesn't mean that you have air your dirty laundry to the entire world. Really, it is nobody's business. It is enough to say that something happened in your life such as bad or abusive marriage, divorce, death, etc. but to explain the details of them is really too much to share.

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About WGU's BSN proram..I just had a friend call the NP school she was going to apply too and they said they would not accept WGU's. Yes they are accredited but their being competancy based is just too new a concept for the rest of the colleges. Now I think they are going in the right direction with their concept but one should check with the next institution if they think there is any chance they might want to go on..Just make sure, that's all. Would hate to waste time and money and not get the correct end result.

Oh man! I totally forgot that was the sales pitch for WGU. It makes total sense that a university might deny a degree from WGU. I retract what I said before about it being okay :p

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Specializes in NICU, Mental Health, Psych.

I investigated Walden, Regis, and Univ of Pheonix, as well as about 5 campus based programs when I decided to get my MSN. I was looking for a program that went from ADN to MSN and was accredited. I haven't had any issues with Walden the entire time I have been with them. I have about 1 year left and then I'll be done. I chose an online university so that I could work anywhere and still go to school- and it has been great. They accepted most of my ADN credits from my community college, but I did need to take a few foundational courses (math, humanities, english) which wasn't a big deal at all. During the time I have been with them, I have called enrollment, financial aid, and advising like 20 - 30 times and each time, my questions are answered and I get what I need.

I can honestly say I have worked my @$$ off in this program with the research, the applications, and the course work. I thought it was going to be easier than brick and mortar classrooms...boy was I wrong! I even switched from the education specialization to the leadership/management one without any hitches. I moved my family about 600 miles across the country and never saw a hiccup in school work. I haven't had any issues with the university like the OP and some other posters have, but thats just my experience. I have a year left and am getting calls and emails and letters from headhunters and recruiters who want to place me into jobs in case management, NICU (my previous experience) leadership positions, unit leadership/management positions and so forth. My "online" (soon to be) degree hasnt been a stumbling block at all...in fact, far from it!

I won't say Walden is the best out there, but I will say that it works for me, is accredited by the CCNE, and has quite a bit of work to put into it. If you think that going to online school is just about diploma mills and stuff...thats a poor assumtion. I will tell anyone interested in going back to any school be it online or campus based- do your homework. Call admissions offices, chat with academic advisors, speak to former students, and even preform some of your own P.I. work in checking them out. There are quite a few viable options out there for advanced degrees, but it is not a "one size fits all" marketplace.

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I went to a world class Uni for MSN-FNP, and when applying I had to explain a "C" I got 25 years ago. I don't think it was unreasonable. Sorry it was traumatic for you.

I also went to a top-tier uni for my MSN, with a 4.0 in my BSN completion program, and was asked, face to face in my interview, to explain how (why) I failed a phys ed course in my first college experience 20 years earlier.

Y'know, when all those adults told us, when we were in high school, that our grades were going to follow us for the rest of our lives, and we laughed at them -- turns out they knew what they were talking about ... :lol2:

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Specializes in FNP.

Lol elk. If the OP didn't want to explain it, she should have just withdrawn her application and moved on. It is completely reasonable for the schools to request such information. If you don't want to give it, don't. But don't give it and then complain about how intrusive it is. That's just lame. My rule of thumb has always been to attend the very best school you can get into, no matter what it takes. I sent one child to Swathmore and another to Yale, the next has his sights set on Harvard just to annoy the Yalie. ;) They have had to jump through a lot of hoops beginning in about 7th grade. You get what you play and pay for, IMO.

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Specializes in Psych, Chem Dependency, Occ. Health.
I also went to a top-tier uni for my MSN, with a 4.0 in my BSN completion program, and was asked, face to face in my interview, to explain how (why) I failed a phys ed course in my first college experience 20 years earlier.

Y'know, when all those adults told us, when we were in high school, that our grades were going to follow us for the rest of our lives, and we laughed at them -- turns out they knew what they were talking about ... :lol2:

You are not kidding. I tell my 12 year-old all the time that your GPA is perhaps more important than your credit score. It is much harder to fix too. It matters. You never know what is going to happen down the road.

Sue

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SassieRN,

Have you thought of American Sentinel University?

It was discussed in a previous thread:

https://allnurses.com/co-nursing-programs/american-sentinel-university-533194.html

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Specializes in emergency, neuroscience and neurosurg..
You get what you play and pay for, IMO.

How true!!!! And unfortunately I was determined to play in my younger years.... LOL I am working at correcting those sad, misguided adventures now. I just have to work a little harder.

Your post also reminded me of my mother's saying, "hard heads make for soft behinds (lol or other descriptive words for the buttocks)..

Lord knows she and everyone else who knows me is aware of how hardheaded I can be:uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3::uhoh3::D:D:D

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