Applying to a Canadian Nursing School

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I'm currently registered to do two pre-req courses in order to qualify for admission into a two-year RN program at my local university. It's a program that requires an existing degree (I have two, a business degree and an arts degree) and a 3.0 GPA for consideration (I have a 3.41). Before I spend eight months of my life doing the courses I wanted to find out the exact criteria for admission. The admissions office has been pretty evasive, telling me that the only thing that really matters is having a 3.0 GPA, the pre-req courses and an academic reference. I have all of these.

I've not really been able to find a lot of information on who gets in. They can't/won't tell me the average GPA of the last batch of admitted students and the only person I could find who has done the program is a math major who go accepted on a full scholarship and a 3.9 GPA so not a good gauge of an average applicant.

The program is the BSn Fast Track Option at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Given that I have above the minimum GPA and an academic reference, what would be my chances given that I do not have a science background?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Welcome to the site

I have moved this to the Canadian Nursing Program discussion forum :)

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Thanks, the search didn't reveal a Canadian-specific forum I had to track it down through the tabs.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

All you can do is apply and see if you get in. No one can tell you if you will.

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All you can do is apply and see if you get in. No one can tell you if you will.

Would my qualifications seem competitive? Unfortunately there is not a lot of information about the criteria and qualifications of candidates at Memorial, and as I have noted the admissions office is rather evasive when asked.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Wwell they aren\t going to make any promises or tell you what your chances are. they really can't say.

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Admission requirements are constantly changing. There are no guarantees when it comes to nursing school admissions. What the course outlines state as requirements are the bare minimums.

It all depends on the batch of applicants and then the admissions office creams off the top layer and has a nursing class.

The UofA sets out their requirements and the marks required but I've never met a student nurse (bar two) who made it in with the stated marks. The successful applicants had far higher marks. Basically, it reads something like 65-70% in grade 12 subjects. I haven't heard of anyone getting in with less than 85+%.

You pay your money for admission and hope for the best.

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Anticipate that there will be more applicants to the program than available seats and that most will have GPAs above the minimum, one possible way to have a competitive edge, is to have outstanding GPAs in the pre req courses.

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Thank you for your input. Admission requirements vary for a lot of schools. I had hoped to find out what percentile or probability ranking I fell into, unfortunately there is no a lot of information about the requirements of my local nursing school beyond the minimum grade. Obviously to be competitive you have to beyond the mere minimum, and I feel that I am. Just a better idea of what specific bracket I'm in would be comforting. Your point about having an outstanding GPA in the two pre req courses is well taken.

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Most universities admissions offices do not tell the average GPA of previous admissions, it is known that admission GPAs for nursing programs have been steadily increasing across the country for the past few years. To get a rough idea of the rate of increase in GPAs, look at Manitoba's, Brandon University admission to BN program as they have listed the minimum GPAs for their program from 2009-2014.

(I realize the example is only an N of 1 and not generalizable but it might give you a slightly better idea)

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None of the nursing programs that for degree holders that I have looked at have a requirement for the type of degree required, only that a certain type/selection of pre reqs be completed upon application. As my degree is in business and not science, will that be something that could make me less competitive?

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We have no way of knowing that. It's up to the admissions panel.

I've worked with RNs who had degrees in Computer Sciences, Biochemical Engineering, Literature and Commerce. We have no way of knowing.

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