Mount St. Mary's Accelerated BSN Fall 2008

GOOD NEWS... I WAS ACCEPTED!!

Everything you need to know is in this thread... Well... apparently this is not a searchable topic... feel free to contact me with any questions...
It was a blind process in which I would have appreciated more insight. That being said I'd like to share some my experience in order to guide any prospective students.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure they have your updated email address. This is how they invite you for an interview. I was resigned to the fact that I was not accepted until for some reason I decided to check my old email address and there was the invitation 200 emails deep. Thank goodness I saw it... that was the last week for interviews!! They hold interviews the first 2 weeks of June and sent the interview invitation May 20th. This happened to another student. She called worried in July and they squeezed her in.

Our cohort is 30 women, 10 men. Apparently they try accept less men given that it's traditionally a women's institution.

This is what my application looked like:

3.4 cumulative gpa
Chemistry "C"
Anatomy "C"
Physiology "C"
Microbiology "B"

BA Spanish Literature, Theology from
Loyola Marymount Univeristy, Los Angeles

Lot's of community volunteerism and professional work with homeless and less fortunate people.

Volunteered at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA for 6 months in Med-Surg Unit

I was worried even one "C" would hurt me, but they do look at the application overall including letters of reccomendation and the oral interview. They asked for an academic and one other reccomendation. It happened that my boss at the time was an alumna and retired healthcare professional. One of my old Spanish professors sent a letter and so did a colleague who works at the college. They later asked for a letter from a science professor. I sat in on a lecture for the 2007 cohort and that professor put in a good word for me. It also allowed me to pick the brains of current students whom were extremely helpful. Basically, I prayed alot and many people connected to the school put in a good word for me. I felt my essay was strong... I talked about working for homeless services and volunteering in the hospital.

The oral interview was about 30 minutes. They asked the following questions:

Q: Nursing is a self-sacrificing profession. How will you take care of your personal needs as a nurse?

A: Working out. Buddhist chanting. Spending time with friends and family. I understand that no one is there to hold my hand. Nursing is my responsibility.

Q: What would you do if one of your partners in a group assignment is not completing his/ her tasks?

A: I would take responsiblity and try to complete that person's tasks with the help of other members in the group. I understood this to represent a medical emergency where a medical professional is slacking off and the patient requires attention and decision making.

Q: What are your methods for studying?

A: Reading before lecture. Videos. Notes. Flashcards.

Q: What is a moral conflict that you've experienced as a hospital volunteer?

A: An elderly patient was given shots without notice by the RN. She was rough with him and barely said a word to him. This was in direct comparison with the Physical Therapist who was in the room at the same time and was addressing the patient by name, rubbing his chest, speaking slowly and clearly while looking him in the eyes. She was gentle and comforting... I want to give that kind of care when I'm an RN.

Q: How are you at test taking?

A: Totally comfortable (Lie if you have to).

The interviewer really liked that I chant to overcome obstacles in my life. However, she was concerned about my grades and academic competency. She told me I would most likely be put on the waitlist and possibly deferred until May 2009 because she wanted me to retake Anatomy. After talking to other students, apparently they point out your weaknesses so that you begin working on them right away... It's really important that you know how to take care of your personal needs. Apparently there are enough nursing students to fill the gap in the US, but there is high turn over rate due to burn out and career incompatibilities. The average RN lasts 2 years! They want to know you're a trooper.

Some questions vary, but a 2007 student relayed a couple of these to me, so they didn't change much.

Tuition is about $45,000 this year. Take bio-ethics pre-req online through Taylor Fort Wayne University. It's only $850 versus The Mount's $3,000. You can knock it out of the way before you start. It's self-paced and must be completed in 6 months. Luckily bio-ethics was part of my under grad program. It's offered at several universities, though. These costs are in addition to the $45,000. I would budget $47-$50,000. This does not include housing. Best bet is to live in a local apartment. Books are an additional cost of $2000 new. Used about $800 on amazon. I am purchasing the required texts and NCLEX books from a 2007 student for $660. Don't waste your money at the book store. They've been the same books for a while, so contact me and I'll sell them to you at a highly discounted rate.

There's a big packet of info that is mailed to you after acceptance. My acceptance letter came a week after the interviews were concluded. Web Advisor posted "Accepted" the day before the letter arrived. You have a uniform fitting at school before the semester starts. Everyone has the same uniform. You are responsible for finding shoes ($75) and stethoscope($100).

Nothing much else to report at this time. I hope this helps whoever reads it. Peace out and good luck! I'm hear if you have any questions or worries.

"Still, I'm so nervous and feel like any nursing school out there only wants the "perfect" student..... I'm seriously terrified of getting rejected!!!"

I shared your sentiments. So much weight was lifted off my shoulders when I was accepted. I was rejected from CSUN, but they did not accept anyone with C's. They had a very competative pool. 700 applicants for 18 spots, whereas Mount St Mary's had 150 applicants for 40 spots... much better odds. Good thing The Mount was my first choice. Your experience will compensate for that C, but really try to get A' s and B's to be as competative as possible. It was frustrating for me since all of my C's were 79's! It really didn't matter in the long run because The Mount weighs the entire application evenly and their pass rates for the NCLEX are just as competative as any other quality program.

Hi Chris7
> I just wanted to let you know that your post made a big impact on me. I didn't have the best grades in college, and my major was psychology, therefore, many of the classes I took had nothing to do with science. Years went by before I decided to go back to school to give it another shot. Of course, Nursing was my choice, and I've spent a year and half taking the prereqs and trying to make my transcript look as good as possible.
> From your post, you are basically telling me that I should show my transcript from previous college, no matter how many withdrawl I have or Fs?
> I had set back for 2 semesters, one was the death of a loved one, the other one was a car accident that left me in rehab for six months. Because I failed to submit proper documents, professors had no choice but to give me a "W" which really means F.
> I know you said personal stmt and the interview are more important, but I am just too embarrassed to show them my grades from so long ago. I was also told that some science classes need to have five years of recency, none of it from previous college was within five year frame, that is also one of the reasons I am retaking some classes.
> I hope you can give me some feedback and suggestion.
> Do you mind telling me what kind of stuff I should put on my personal stmt?
>
> Good luck with school in Fall.
>
> Kokenbon

Kokenbon,

Anything is possible as long as you commit yourself and honesty is the best policy. You wouldn't want to get into the program to be kicked out if they discover your old grades...

The F is not helpful, but it's not the end of the world either. What I was trying to convey in the posting is that you can compensate by having other positive aspects in your application. I believe I made up for my C's in their eyes with hospital volunteer experience, a solid personal statement and interview. I also sat in on a lecture which I not only mentioned in the interview, but other students gave me a lot of encouragement and insight into the program.

They bluntly told me in the interview that they would waitlist me for a year until I fixed my grades. I told them I was commited to becoming a nurse and would do whatever it would take. I believe this showed them I was disciplined enough to go through the program. The 5 year statute for science courses is a given--I had to retake chemistry. Took me 3 semesters to get the pre-reqs done. I took micro and physio the same semester.

I'm a father and husband... this is a career change for me. I figure I should go after it while I'm young and have the energy versus waiting and going through the motions of not enjoying work. My mom earned her RN when she was 50 and had 5 of 9 kids at home. I always tell people about her, b/c if she can do it anyone can. She was the top student in her class and employee of the year her first year nursing.

As far as the personal statement goes: talk about your work experience and transferable skills for nursing. I told them I wait tables and worked with homeless people. Managing tables and rooms are similiar and caring for needy people is also comparable. They both require a lot of client satisfaction. Tell them why you want to be a nurse. do you feel a calling? Is there a certain experience that led you to nursing? I was encouraged by family and friends who are nurses. I wanted to connect the satisfaction I felt by helping others to a solid paying career with upward and lateral mobility. I told them I want to be a nurse instructor, earn a Masters in Nursing and talked about where I envision myself in the next 5 to 10 years. As far as finances, that depends on your situation. I emphasized that my family was in full support of my goals and that they clearly understood that I will not be able to work as ALL of my time will be consumed in school.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask any other questions. If you want, I can look over your personal statement when you have a draft ready.

Best Regards,

Chris7

Awesome, Tokido! definitely let me know if you have any questions along the way... I'm more than happy to help.

MisterSimba: sounds like you have a highly competative academc record. The B might bite you for UCLA... can't say for sure though. The most important thing you can do is to find every angle to meet people related to the programs (ie faculty & students). I had several people affiliated with the school who wrote letters on my behalf. Every little bit helps. BUT letters of rec are not everything, you want to have a balanced application. Good luck, dont hesitate to shoot questions my way. You sound like a shoe-in at MSMC... we talked a lot about that in the oral interview.

As far as fear goes... Sounds like you're on the right track. A lot of people I've talked to go through fear and anxiety during the "waiting" process... although it's normal it sucks. I went through ups and downs myself, but the key is to keep going. I adopted the attitude that if a school didn't accept me then either that was not going to be the right place for me or I needed to work harder. During the interview, I was of the mindset that the school needed me and not the other way around. This attitude helped me to stay calm and confident. Instead of blaming the schools you must take responsibility for your goals. If you do everything in your power to get into school then you'll get in... it's just a matter of time.