Why NOT private??

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I've been on this forum for sometime now and read a lot of threads about how competitive nursing programs are and people are staying on a waitlists and are willing to travel miles and miles from home to any college they get in. I have a question, why is that? Are you only considering public schools that have huge wait lists? Why not go into private school? They have so many scholarships available that you might end up paying about 4-5 thousand difference per year. Yes, in 3 years of nursing school (if you take pre-reqs in CC), it will be 12-15 thousand difference. But don't you think it is worth it? You will have to pay around 100$ more per month for student loan, but you can be directly admitted into the program without a waitlist and possibly get a better education. Now, I am not saying that all private schools are better than public, but they do have smaller class sizes and usually better clinical placement. Student who are applying to public or private schools, what were the most influential factors that helped you make your decision?

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Private Schools have a lot of AID for the most part to give out to their students.. A lot of people are against them on this forum for some reason, but you touched on a great point. The different you end up paying after all the grants, and scholarships is about 5-10K difference. Very minuscule compared to you waiting around to get off a waitlist and a public school. If you can get into a Private School, I'd go for it, because you'd sit there wasting money in a public school waiting around for spots in the program to open up. Just my 2c.

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$15k more debt to get a degree that isn't worth any more is not worth it in my opinion. They aren't necessarily a better education, and we all take the same NCLEX.

That, and I don't live anywhere near a private school with a nursing program.

That said, I wouldn't wait around that long on a waitlist either-that is a huge opportunity cost. I would find a different program and possibly move, or do some sort of bridge program. My school is not that competitive though- if I get mostly As, I will get in and it's as simple as that.

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Specializes in ED, trauma.

Some human resource personnel disregard applicants who went to these types of schools. In Florida, grads from these types of schools often find themselves snowballed into a position they didn't want with no way out in sight. Also, occasionally these schools are approved by that state BON but are not accredited so you can't move forward in education without retaking classes.

What is 5-10K now may end up 20-30K more later.

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$15k more debt to get a degree that isn't worth any more is not worth it in my opinion. They aren't necessarily a better education, and we all take the same NCLEX.

Why do you think nursing degree isn't worth it? It is one of the highest paid BS degrees (along with engineering). Yes, we do take the same exam, but I am now volunteering in the hospital and all the nurses in my unit agreed that private school students came to work more prepared than those who finished public school (again, it all depends on the school, I am just talking about public school in my area), so they integrate into work environment much faster and don't have to learn as much "on the spot". The reason for that is a better clinical placement, since public school is more focused on community care.

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Please do not confuse "private" schools with "for-profit" ones. While there are certainly some good for-profit schools, there are a number that have just sprung up in the wake of the "nursing shortage" (ha, ha) and offer expensive courses that may not transfer to accredited colleges and universities.

public institution = The Ohio State University

private institution = Case Western Reserve University (Frances Payne Bolton)

for-profit institution = Hondros

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Some human resource personnel disregard applicants who went to these types of schools. In Florida, grads from these types of schools often find themselves snowballed into a position they didn't want with no way out in sight. Also, occasionally these schools are approved by that state BON but are not accredited so you can't move forward in education without retaking classes.

What is 5-10K now may end up 20-30K more later.

What do you mean by "those type of schools"? Private schools? Every student should do their research regarding accreditation of the school, that is a must. I am talking about schools that are already accredited and don't have a wait list (because of the much higher costs, I assume).

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Specializes in ED, trauma.

What do you mean by "those type of schools"? Private schools? Every student should do their research regarding accreditation of the school, that is a must. I am talking about schools that are already accredited and don't have a wait list (because of the much higher costs, I assume).

And people do attend those accredited private schools. Every day.

But the fact remains there are beliefs about these schools and they have a reputation among human resources regardless.

Also many people blur the lines between private and for profit schools.

As for wait lists, that shows the demand for the program, competitive nursing programs are not bad. Paying for a program you can get into is great but not everyone can do that.

Many people who cannot wait to get in go to private scoops everyday. But second degree seeking students often can't get enough loan money because they are seeking a second undergraduate degree. There is a federal cap for undergraduate loans and not everyone can qualify for private loans instead.

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Specializes in NICU.

For a lot of people, it is the cost. I have a niece who started an ABSN program the same time I started my ABSN program. She attends a private university and I attend a state university. It costs me $5k per semester and costs her $15k per semester. That is an extra $40k in debt. I don't think that scholarships or grants would come close to covering that cost. Which means she is taking out a large student loan with a repayment of 10-30 yrs (don't know anything about her loan amounts or terms). Which is an extra 5-10k in interest for a federal loan (3.86%) and $10-25k for private loan (6.86%). So I graduate with no debt and she graduates with $30-50k in debt ($25k loan estimate) for the same degree (BSN).

There are private schools and for-profit schools. I think that people have a problem with some for-profit schools. They offer non-competitive enrollment for a steep price, only to result in a graduate that can't pass NCLEX after numerous tries. Now you have a huge student loan and no job to pay for it.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

There are private schools and for-profit schools. I think that people have a problem with some for-profit schools. They offer non-competitive enrollment for a steep price, only to result in a graduate that can't pass NCLEX after numerous tries. Now you have a huge student loan and no job to pay for it.

^^ this^^

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ok, thank you guys for the comments. I was talking about private non-profit school. I see that the main reason for many people is the cost of attendance. Let me crunch some numbers for you: public school I am considering is around 10,000$/year minus Pell grant; private non-profit school is 25,000$ minus 11,500 in scholarships minus Pell grant minus possible small scholarships. In that case, the difference for me will be 3,500$/year (x 3 years=11,500$) at most. School is accredited (CCNE) and approved (BON). My dilemma: the private school will offer BSN starting this Fall, so if I go there, I will be in the first batch of graduates. Could it possibly be a negative thing? Although that school has been offering RN-BSN, ADN and MSN for many years. On the other hand, public school has a wait list and around 3 students per spot. I have a 4.0 gpa, so my chances with public school are good, but I feel like private school will give me a better education. I am in the CC right now and I love small class sizes and possibility of personal interaction with my professors. Because many student on this forum were focusing more on public schools, I wanted to hear your reasons. If it is because of the financial side of it, then I completely understand. This will be my first degree and I am qualified for grants and scholarships, but if it was my 2nd or 3rd degree and I would have to pay the whole amount out of pocket, I would definitely go to public school only because of the cost.

Just for a minute, lets pretend you are in my situation and have a choice between private or public school. What would you choose considering that the difference in tuition is 3,500$/year or less and WHY would you make that choice?

I just need someone to help me look at the situation from a different perspective; I don't have friends/family in the medical field and want to make an informed decision. Thanks everyone))

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Specializes in ICU.

We have a private, christian college in our town that is about $35,000 a year to go there. No thanks. I am not paying that much when the college I go to is just as good. Yes they had a 100% NCLEX pass rate last year but they graduated 11. My school has a 98% pass rate with a lot more students. ADN and BSN RN's take the same NCLEX right now, so the money is not worth it to me. My school does have more applicants but I have gotten all A's in the classes I need and did ok on the Teas so I am not worried about being waitlisted. I worked very hard for this and I guess my hard work vs. paying extra money is going to save me tons of cash in the end. At my school, I can pay out of pocket. I couldn't do that at a private university.

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