Which program should I go into?? Need opinions please!

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Hey everyone! I'm currently trying to decide on which nursing program would be better for me. There are two that I'm in between. I'll just layout the differences here:

School 1:

The Pro's

*The location is close to me

*4 semesters long

*Entrance is based on first come first serve--about a semester long waiting list (not too bad)

The Con's

*The school is known for being very tough and very unorganized, I've heard many bad things and not so many good things. I even had a teacher at this school suggest the other schools program over this one.

*The entrance requirements (testing) is tougher

*Have to pass the HESI with a min. score to graduate program and be eligible for NCLEX even if you passed all the classes

School 2:

The Pro's

*Have heard great things about the program. I haven't heard any negatives about it yet but it is a small school.

*Don't have to pass the HESI to graduate.

*The only pre-entrance testing was a reading test that I already took. Very easy.

*Class meet's less days per week than the other school

The Con's

*It's more than an hours drive away from where I live.

*5 semesters instead of four (but this might be better in the long run)

*Entrance is based on a point system--grades in certain classes, gpa, etc. I'm pretty good in this area, my grades are good, GPA is about 3.5, but I'm not sure how competetive it is.

*Did I mention it's a LONG drive??? :-)

Based on these differences, do any of you have any opinions? I'm definitely leaning towards the second school and if it wasn't so far away, it would be a no brainer. But it is a very long drive for me when I have two kids to get to school and daycare. I guess I'm just looking for any input to push me to my final decision on this.

Thanks to anybody that can help!

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Also, I forgot to mention, the first school JUST got NLNAC accredited and the second school has had their accredidation all along.

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Can you move to be closer to the other school, get a cheap apartment or something?

I couldn't drive 5 hours a day for class but then I hate my 50 minute drive and driving in general.

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Specializes in Emergency.

are you just applying to these schools or have you been accepted to both. id apply to both and then see where i got accepted before i limited myself to one school. and from there. id choose the first one because of the time length, 4 vs 5 semesters and having small children that you have to get to school is probably added stress in the morning trying to drop them off and then get to school. but that is just my personal opinion, from what you have stated your mind is made up because you said it would be a no brainer. but obviously you are stuck in a little problem, but that is what i'd do if i were in your situation. about how long is the drive. an 1 1/2 or what? i'd drive up to an hour to get to school, but just keep in mind that you have school to get to school, and for that matter, how will you get them to school by what 8? and go to school which roughly starts around the same time. maybe if you had some extra help, then the 2nd choice would be good, if you didn't mind the drive, if it wasnt an excess amount of hours =)

-prettyladie

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Can you move to be closer to the other school, get a cheap apartment or something?

I couldn't drive 5 hours a day for class but then I hate my 50 minute drive and driving in general.

It's not 5 hours, it's about an hour and 15 min. But with kids in school and daycare in town, it makes it harder to get the kids to school etc. It can be done, but it just takes a little more wiggling around schedules and such.

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Ahhh, where did I get 5?

That's more reasonable.

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Specializes in ICU.

Do you know what the schedule will be like for all 5 semesters of school #2? Wouldn't want to go through a semester or two, only to find out three, four and five are incompatible with daycares and such.

I can relate to your situation, I'm trying to figure out daycare for my 2 kids for when I am in nursing school. I would see what more you can find out about the first school. If it's the kind of school that starts with 50 students, but only gradutates 10 by the end, I wouldn't even consider it. But if graduation ratios are pretty high and their NCLEX pass rates are 85%+, then i would think that the program is still "do-able" and will work better with the kiddies' schedule too.

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Yeah, I've looked at the schedules for the different sections of the program. It looks to me like there's about 3 semesters of 2 class days per week and then 2 semesters of only one day of class per week. Which is really great. We have 3 hospitals in my town and clinicals are primarily done at those hospitals with the exception of a few that are a longer drive.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Any school that is "unorganized" is not worth your time or tuition money. The teacher there who recommended that you consider other schools was giving you very good advice.

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Thanks! I've been thinking the same thing...the distance is the only thing that's making me even consider the 1st school.

Well, thanks everyone again for the input. :)

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