DSN competitive?

U.S.A. Colorado

Published

Hi,

Does anyone know if Denver School of Nursing is competitive, like the other schools in the area (CU, Regis..)? I am starting my second round of applications (denied and alternate the first round) and decided to apply to DSN. I would like to go to this school, but my only reservations revolve around the accreditation, which I've researched quite a bit. Thanks for any info you all have!

Specializes in FNP- Urgent Care.

What? If you don't pass that exit exam you can't take the nclex?! Then what? You can't go through nursing school for nothing...

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
What? If you don't pass that exit exam you can't take the nclex?! Then what? You can't go through nursing school for nothing...

Yes... you can.

They do give students 2 or 3 tries at the exit.

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I'm not sure where SummitAP is getting her info but DSN like all Nursing schools cannot keep a graduate from taking the NCLEX exam. Everyone that graduates from DSN takes the NECLEX exam. If you don't pass your courses and all of your tests at any school you won't graduate.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
I'm not sure where SummitAP is getting her info but DSN like all Nursing schools cannot keep a graduate from taking the NCLEX exam. Everyone that graduates from DSN takes the NECLEX exam. If you don't pass your courses and all of your tests at any school you won't graduate.

Are you claiming that DSN "graduation" after all courses are otherwise passed is not dependent on the HESI Exit?

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I just called my friend that is still at DSN and she said the HESI test is part of the final quarter Capstone course along with your with the Capstone Clinical and everything else that's part of that course. Like any college course, if you don't pass the course, you won't graduate and the HESI is one part of that. I'm sure if you don't pass your final courses at CU or wherever, you won't graduate and you can't take the NCLEX until you do. That's all I'm saying.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Semantics. It is an external standardized exit exam from HESI. It predicts whether you'll pass NCLEX on the first try. If your chances of passing NCLEX on your first try aren't high enough, you don't get a chance. No prep classes. No review. No dice. Saying that requirement is "just part of the curriculum" is BS. It is a tactic to keep DSN pass rates high at the cost of students who otherwise did well enough to get through DSN's program. You don't see competitive schools doing that to their students. It is not "a part of their curriculum." They don't have to.

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I don't want to get in an argument with you. But before I graduated we took HESI tests every quarter to help us prepare to pass the NCLEX. I passed the first time no problem and I think a lot of that was due to the confidence I got from taking the HESI tests. Obviously the way the pass rates are trending so high it must work. If you check DSN's retention rates , you'll find that they are higher than most of the state schools so I'm not sure why you're knocking what DSN is doing. I think if anyone has any questions about how or why DSN does something, they should just call the school. I'm really happy with the education I received and the way I was treated at DSN by the faculty and staff. It was like a big family that was cheering for you all the way.

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

I did as you said and found an 81% completion rate on DSN's website (% who completed within 150% of regular program time). http://www.denverschoolofnursing.edu/cig/Denver%20SON%20-%20Completion%20Rate.pdf

I don't know all the other schools but, I've been told CU and Regis have 99% completion rates.

Back to the OP's original question of competitiveness: DSN has a 75% acceptance rate according to here: College Results Online

Google said 70% for 2010 when using the search terms: Denver School of Nursing acceptance rate

For comparison: CU ~5%, Regis ~5%, Colorado Mountain College ~25% (Community College with merit-entry)

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I'm not sure where those Google search sites get their information so I'm not sure how valid it is. As far as the DSN information link is concerned, don't forget that DSN has around 500 students in their various nursing programs. They offer a BSN Completion program as well as an ADN Completion and LPN to ADN programs. I was reffering to the graduation rate for the program I graduated from, the BSN Completion program which I was told was around 95%. Some of the Nurses that I work with that graduated from Regis told me that there is no way they have a 99% completion rate because they had several people they started with drop out of their program. I couldn't find completion rates listed on either the CU or Regis sites. I think we've strayed way off the original topic so I'm going to let the readers do their own research. All I know is that I loved attending DSN and I know a ton of grads that feel the same way.

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Specializes in FNP- Urgent Care.

Just for the record, I was at an interview yesterday at Regis and the Director said pass rates for the past 3 years were 100%, 100%, and 99%. But I don't know about DSN's. The point of the thread was just seeing if anyone has actually been turned down by them, I figure they may become more competitive with their new accreditation status. That's all :) Thanks for the replies.

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I haven't been able to find any recent information on the acceptance rates for DSN. I live in Alaska and am already planning on moving to Denver in June to begin the program on July 1st. I've read that as long as you have your prerequisites completed, you'll be accepted. However, for obvious reasons, I don't want to have my heart set on this school only to find out 6 weeks after I send in my application that I was not accepted.

I will have all my pre-requisites completed by the start date with "C"s or better as the website states. However, my worry is my somewhat low GPA. I currently have a 2.89... what do you guys honestly believe my chances are? (I may be able to pull a 3.0 with my last semester of grades rolling in, which are composed of A's and B's) I do have volunteer experience working with people, but nothing that is from a hospital setting. I am confident that I will not have any issues with the entrance exam and I am determined to push myself through the BSN program with flying colors. I am only worried about being accepted in the first place! What do you guys think?

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Ok, so I had my interview yesterday with DSoN. The facilities and staff seem great, it is small and everyone knows everyone. They are hoping to expand into a MSN and a DNP program eventually. They don't offer a research course, which is a bummer bc I do want to continue onto a DNP program and need that class.

Jeff showed me the school's 97.3% pass rate for the NCLEX. He also said that it would actually be around 99% if they could count for their out of state nurses. The school seems to have a pretty good reputation from all the accreditors. And, they should be regionally accredited this spring.

About getting accepted, he said there has been a 57% increase in admissions for April. The admissions board will accept applicants with lower GPA's if they have experience. He said, "They would rather have someone with C's that knows how to do the job than a person with a 4.0 in their sciences and has never touched a patient."

After visiting the campus, I am really excited about attending. I have my HESI entrance next month and as long as I pass that I will start in April. :D

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