I got a 75% on my TEAS V test. I know I needed to get at least 85% on my Teas V score to be competitive on most BSN programs.
I found out that West Coast University is now accepting Teas V scores with a minimum score of 58%. So with a 75% score on the Teas V, I was a qualified applicant and I didn't have to take their HESI exam.
Once you're qualified based on taking their HESI or Teas V, the biggest qualifying factor you have is getting approved for Financial Aid or Private Student Loans. If you have all your finances straight, then that's when they secure your spot in their Nursing Program.
However, my biggest gripe right now and most of the students that I have spoken with is that they have a weird system of transferring credits. Each student I spoke to had different experiences on what classes transferred to that school and what didn't.
For example, WCU transfered all of my science classes that I took at Los Angeles Valley College:
Anatomy
Physiology
Microbiology
Psychology - Intro
Psychology - LifeSpan
BUT, they didn't transfer my General Chemistry.
They transfered my CAL STATE LA:
English 101/102 but they said that both my English 101/102 class that I took only transfers over to their English 140 Written Communication I, but not to their English 140 Written Communication II.
They also didn't transfer the following G.E. classes that I took in CAL STATE LA:
Philosophy
College Mathematics
Public Speaking
Their reason is that CAL STATE LA is a Quarter system and WCU is a Semester system. This is how they calculate it: 1 quarter unit = 0.67 semester unit
In addition, if they don't think your class is equivalent to their class they won't accept it as transfer credit.
My biggest advice is to go to their transfer credit website: 4
Thank you so much for your awesome review on the school and your experience thus far!!!
How soon after you applied did you receive feedback about your acceptance??
Thank you :)
Very fast probably within days or a week. Since there is no waiting list, they just need to verify that you have the financial capacity to pay for your tuition.
i was wondering what are the class schedule? is It mon - fri? and how much you had to pay?
Classes for the core nursing classes are usually once a week per subject. The lecture core nursing classes (fundamentals, med surg, mental health, public health) have labs (clinical) once a week as well. The core classes are usually paired with other core nursing classes (e.g. leadership, intro to professional nursing, physical assessment, etc.) which means you will most likely have 3 classes per week. This can be any day of the week (MON-SUN). There are also Simulation Labs which can be once or twice a term (a term is about 9 weeks).
So you basically have two classes per 9 weeks (doesn't include the clinical or sim lab). I do know LVN's who have flexible schedules at their work, so they were able to continue working while going to school.
I am on the last semester of my community college ADN program and really wanted a BSN. Anyone know if WCU would transfer the classes from my ADN program and I would just continue ?
I'm not sure, but I think you can get your BSN online if you already have an ADN.
It's been 2 years since I 1st started this blog. I'm in my Advanced Med Surg rotation now and will be graduating in January 2016. It's been a long journey filled with stressful and happy times. I think this term will be my hardest term trying to learn critical care in my medical surgical class. There's no turning back now, I just have to hold the fort and power through. Wish me luck.
If anyone has any questions feel free to contact me on this site.
-Good luck to all future and current nurses everywhere. There is a place for all of us in this world who want to help others.
Very fast probably within days or a week. Since there is no waiting list, they just need to verify that you have the financial capacity to pay for your tuition.
Thanks for your reply! I am actually an official WCU student now!!! :) I cannot wait to start nursing courses starting in Jan!! Thanks again and congratulations on graduating in Jan!!!!!
Idk if I can message personally yet, but I'll try.
I had completed all but 1 pre req prior (I have my bachelors degree in bio/psych); however, my chemistry had expired so during the first term (the 1st 8 weeks -- August to October) I took chemistry and cultural pluralism (a course that is mandatory for/at WCU). For term 2 I'm in Patho (the pre req I had never taken) and medical terminology (I had taken this but it's mandatory to be taken at WCU. May nursing programs require particular courses to be taken at their university, so it's ok). I will start "upstairs", aka in the full blown nursing program starting in the spring semester :).
I will tell you that my tuition total was WAY below the estimated amount provided online. I believe my total is $70K, which is comparable to a private university.
I actually LOVE this school and all of the people affiliated!!
What at other questions do you have, because I'd love to answer them!!
Im still new to the website so I guess I can't private message yet? Are you going to the Ontario campus? Do you work as you go to school?/possible? I heard that school has been working on getting credited, as in going to another school with your bsn and working towards your masters in nursing?
WCU is WASC accredited which generally means that credits will transfer to other WASC accredited institutions. BUT - they do not have to accept the credits. That goes for any school though.
Many of my classmates there worked full time. Some more successfully than others.
I went to this program from late 2014 to early 2015. Luckily I was able to transfer all of my sciences from the JC that I had previously attended. They say that there is no waitlist to the program but this is a bit of a misnomer. On average you can anticipate taking at least 1 semester (20 Weeks) of general education. Each semester is broken at into two separate terms comprised of 9 weeks with a 1 week break between terms. Most of the courses can be taken at a local JC at a significantly reduced price. The requirements to get into the actual nursing program is pretty much the same that all of the other nursing programs require such as A&P, Micro, Chem, Psych, LifeSpan Psych. There are some courses that you may run into a snag when trying to find a course equivalents such as Cultural Pluralism and Pathophysiology. I must admit those were my more favorite courses while in attendance, but it would be hard justifying paying such an exceedingly high cost.
Luckily, I had the VA covering my cost. On average each term costs about $32,000. If you enter the program with no college experience you can anticipate paying in upward of $160,000 in student loans. The overall program is comprised of 8 semesters being 20 weeks in duration. There are very limited breaks so, be prepared.
The program in general is legitimate.It is WASC accredited and it is accredited by the BRN I can't say that I didn't have any poor instructors or that the program is looking to gauge you at every corner. With the University being under the American Career College (ACC) umbrella, it did leave me feeling a bit apprehensive while I was in attendance due to a neighboring Nursing program that had shut down abruptly without any advanced warning was also under the ACC network.
Know that when you enter this program know that you are paying to complete the program at an extremely accelerated pace. In general you can guarantee about 3 to 5 days a week at the campus 8 to 12 hour days. Just because you are willing to pay this price, it does not mean that the degree will be automatically handed to you. I happened to be dismissed after suffering two bad finals due to the death of my mother a couple of weeks prior to the end of my final term. When I to petitioned for reinstatement, I was not allowed to return due to my overall GPA of less than a 2.99 being the deciding factor. Unfortunately several of my classmates were dismissed from the program due to the repackaging phase portion of their loan. This sent a lot of my classmates in a sudden scramble to obtain a private loan which caused a bit of stress for the student. This seemed to be the major hurdle for most of my classmates. Even if the students were able to finance the loan elsewhere, it did delay their anticipated graduation date.
While you are in the actual†nursing portion, you are only allowed 2 classes with a 75.5 or less. If you obtain less than that at any point in time you will be dismissed and will have to petition for reinstatement. There is limited space at the local hospitals, largely due to neighboring community colleges receive priority when providing clinical space. Since the school can send you to a clinical space within a 60 mile radius of the campus it can create a significant amount of driving. If you can send out a class email and request an individual that is willing to trade with you will make things a bit less stressful. With the demographic of students commuting from all over, you are bound to find someone that is willing to trade.
I would not discourage anyone from attending this program, as stated earlier the campus does have all of the major credentials when selecting a program. I would only hope that by writing about my experience at this school assist you on making a more informed decision.
I would agree with what people have said above. West Coast can be a great program if you're looking to get your degree fast and don't mind putting your head down and getting the hard work done. I recently graduated not too long ago and agree you should definitely do your pre-reqs somewhere else first to save money.
160,000 loan with piling interest..... cup of noodles while living with mom and dad for the next 30 years....financial burden does not outweigh getting a degree 2 years more soon.
Anonymous83
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Very fast probably within days or a week. Since there is no waiting list, they just need to verify that you have the financial capacity to pay for your tuition.