I've been reading through these forums and while I was originally convinced that I was too old to attempt a nursing program, I realize now that I'm not. Its something that I have always wanted to do and I do not want to keep regretting not going for it. With that being said, I am finally at a point in my life, where I can actually try to do it and if I do not seize this opportunity, I may never.

I created a Plan of Action and would like to attend MVCC for both pre-reqs, CNA and the program itself. Am I fooling myself to think that I would actually be able to get into the program? I am going the 'use only MVCC college credit' and so I will have a clean slate. I will try my best to get top grades but will it be enough?

With so many applicants, do I even have a shot? Does anyone know, for example, if there is a point where the MVCC nursing program IS out of reach for some? I am just starting out but I'm afraid of failing at this lifelong goal.

Thank you for reading.

HI there willIeverbeanurse,

I graduated from MVCC, it is possible to get in.

Have you completed your prerequisites? And if you did well in the classes there should be no problem getting in.

When I applied to the nursing program I heard it was 200 that applied and only 50 got selected. I say keep on trying. Finish all the prereques. And you are right top grades will be enough!

Good luck

croat

Thanks for the reply croat. I am just starting out, so I have a long ways to go for all the pre-reqs to be completed, etc. Should I aim for all As? If so, I may have to take less classes so I can devote the time to them because I do work and have children. Will my best chance to get into the program be to get the max points I can get? Will a 3.5 GPA not be good enough? I'm probably getting ahead of myself but I want this so bad, that I want to do it right. Thanks again.

I'm sorry what is MVCC? I don't know the acronym. Thanks.

Moraine Valley Community College, located in Palos Hills, IL

They just COMPLETELY changed the program. Now all you need is a TEAS test score & Bio180 to get in. If you are a good standardized test taker, go for it. I am planning to apply for Spring 2010. I took the TEAS for another school and got an 89%. It was pretty easy, science, english, math, etc. The info is on their website, you can go to the first information session in April to get the test card and application.

That's awesome news. I'm just starting out anyway, so I would have to do all the pre-req bio's but maybe by next summer I can apply! Great. Thanks for the info.

when I went to moraine you had to be a CNA to apply and a whole bunch of other classes so they could try to lower the number of people applying...do they still have a waiting list or did they change that to?

You still have to be a CNA, but the four prereqs are not required...its only one, BIO180. They still take the same # of applicants, but its ranked by TEAS test score, not GPA + the four classes. This starts in the Spring. Fall of this year is still the same.

I am currently in the MVCC program. I think it took me three years to get in, but I had a history of bad grades to make up for.

They used to also rank students by number of credit hours. I don't know how many you'll need, but if you're on the border like I was then you may need almost two years worth of college (I think I had 60 hours) to get in! That may have changed, however.

On the other hand no one I know (and I mean no one) is going by their curriculum - that is, no one is taking nursing classes and general education classes side by side. No one is still taking anatomy or English or any of that. I think it would be unimaginably difficult to do. However, I think we HAD to take these ahead of time just to have enough credit hours to be admitted. This might change now with the revamped program.

Chris

And you're only 29??! That's not old! I'm 28! And there are plenty of people in the program older than we are.

Chris

Chris,

I'm glad to come across an MVCC student! I am planning to take all of the pre-reqs and get those out of the way but with the new requirements, I am going to begin to apply as soon as I am able. I am thinking long term. I want to go to MVCC because it is my community college and it would be cheaper but I need to cover all my bases so I am going to plan as if I will have to transfer to another school at some point. I just signed up for a CNA course!

How do you like the program? What is the age range of the program? Thank you again.

There are high school grads in our program, but I'd say the majority are early to mid-20's, with LOTS of students above 30 and a few above 40.

I like the program a lot. I think it is very thorough and tough, but I don't feel I'm wasting my time. There are a few clinical instructors with a bad reputation, but mine have been stellar - letting you do lots of things, taking care of several patients, trying to make sure you're not just standing around wasting your time. Most of the didactic/lecture instructors are interesting and listenable. Most of them work as nurses in the real world, which is nice. Of course, they're restructuring the program, but they'll have the same instructors.

If you find yourself reapplying semester after semester, start looking at the entry requirements for other schools (such as St Xavier) or the requirements for other health science programs. For instance, I took medical terminology, and was accepted into the radiology program much more quickly than nursing. (However, that ended up being the same semester, so I never entered it).

Chris