Hi everyone! I was admitted to biology at PSU main campus. However, I recently decided I wanted to switch my major to nursing which meant that I would have to choose another campus. I chose the Scranton campus. If I end up being admitted, I was wondering how plausible it would be for me to commute. I currently live about an hour and a half away and would prefer to commute for financial and personal reasons. Is this possible? What kind of coursework is freshman year based on? Are they clinicals? How many days would I have to go to class or clinicals? Thanks everyone!
Check the PSU Worthington Scranton website for information about the recommended academic plan. Call or email the nursing department with specific questions. In my opinion, a commute of 1 1/2 hours one way is way too long, especially in the winter. You will need that time to study. It is probably impossible once clinicals start.
If you have to make the drive 5 days a week, a 3 hour commute per day is too far. It will also result in a great deal of wear and tear on your car, which will increase repair costs, in addition to fuel costs.
If you can schedule your classes so that you only need to make the trip 3 or 4 days a week, it may be possible. Many students are able to avoid classes on Friday at other colleges. You might take a look at an online schedule of classes from this year and see whether the classes you would take typically can be done 3 or 4 days a week.
Many science classes have labs, which reduces the flexibility in scheduling. Also, that is one of the smallest Penn State campuses, so there probably would not be many times to choose from for classes.
I assume you cannot get a BSN at Scranton? Would you have to transfer to Altoona or another campus in your junior year???
In a perfect world, you might rent a bed from a student who lives nearby, where you could crash for a couple days a week.
The science classes for nursing are very intensive and time consuming. You will not only have free time left after driving, but you will arrive at class tired.
Worthington Scranton is one of the PSU branch campuses with 4-year BSN programs. There are student apartments at reasonable prices across the street from campus (The Commons at University Drive). Renting an apartment seems to me to be much more practical than trying to commute.
Okay thanks guys! I chose Scranton over Altoona purely because of distance. I just didn’t want to have to quit my 2 jobs here
So you are planning on commuting 3 hours a day plus going to college full time plus holding 2 jobs?
Housing is relatively cheap in Scranton. You might think about renting a room in a house so you can crash as needed. In most towns, there are many people advertising furnished rooms for rent on craigslist.
Alright thanks! Do you know how well regarded the nursing programs at satellite campuses are? Like is it okay to go there?
Altoona has a 4 year nursing program. It is near a large hospital. There is some on-campus housing, and private housing that is affordable nearby. It also is close enough that you can occasionally go to State College for events.
The BSN programs at branch campuses are rather new. The branch campuses that now have BSN programs used to have 2-year associates degree programs, but these were phased out within the past 2 years. Students who entered the brand new BSN programs at the branch campuses in 2015 would now be juniors. I’m sure Penn State is closely monitoring these programs to make sure they are of high quality.
The Altoona program has been around for many years, unlike some of the new ones.
According to PSU Altoona’s website, Fall 2014 was the first time the 4-year BSN was offered at Altoona and the other 4 branch campuses (I thought it was 2015, but that was incorrect).
Okay, I’m just worried because I know some people consider the satellite campuses to be like community colleges. I have a fairly high SAT score and GPA so I’m worried I won’t be able to reach my full potential there. Thoughts?
Latest nursing exam results for institutions in PA.
I was wrong about the history of the Penn State Altoona program.
I can’t find any pass rates for the satellite campuses.
^That’s because the first cohort of BSN students at branch campuses are now juniors in college and haven’t taken the NCLEX, so there’s no data to report yet.
Didn’t even think about that, thanks! I’m considering just waiting a year and then applying to Bloomsburg’s nursing program since it’s only about 15 minutes from me. I did ask to switch to the nursing major there, but since I missed the deadline they could only offer me a spot on the waitlist. I have a 1310 SAT and a 4.0 GPA with honors and AP courses taken so I’m fairly sure I’d get in.
That sounds like a good plan if you don’t get off the waitlist.
Thanks! I hope so. Bloom tuition is relatively cheap and I could keep at least one of my jobs. Thanks for all of your help!
Bloomsburg’s nursing program has a very good reputation. It is not far from the main Geissinger complex for clinicals. It is necessary to apply early in the fall for nursing at Bloomsburg.
One option is to take some part-time classes at a cheap college while you wait to get into another nursing program. I would just check in advance with Bloomsburg admissions and make sure having some classes under your belt would not hurt your admissions. Some nursing programs only accept students coming out of high school and do not accept “transfers.”
A nursing curriculum is very time-consuming, so it is helpful to have some courses completed in order to reduce the workload during the regular school year.
One of the nice things about Bloomsburg is that they charge a flat tuition fee for anywhere between 12 and 18 credits per semester. At some other state-owned universities, they are being deceitful with students. They are listing full-time tuition, but it only applies for 12 credits. If you take more than 12 (including the standard of 15 per semester that most people need to graduate on time), they charge you much more money.
One of the reasons why Bloomsburg is competitive in admissions is because they attract many students from NJ.