advice on getting into an accelerated program??

Hello! I'm sure that working while you complete your prerequisites would put you in a better FINANCIAL situation to do an accelerated nursing program (you might already know this, but your financial aid options for a second bachelor's degree are far fewer than for a first degree). It will also show that you're a hard worker with good time management skills and a desire to succeed. Plus, the things you learn in "the real world" of business will help you in any field. Learning to deal with difficult people is one of the hardest parts of any profession, and you'll have ample opportunity to develop that skill regardless of the job you hold!

I'm also applying to an accelerated program, and I recently attended an info session... the moderator acknowledged the competitiveness of the program, and that it's difficult to predict what the admission decision will be since some applicants are already in the medical field and some are not, some are straight out of undergrad and some have 20 years of work experience under their belts... etc., etc., etc. The program I am applying to had over 100 applicants this term for 30 positions, and they only accepted 27!!! The only concrete information that was given about those who were actually accepted is that the average undergrad GPA was 3.0 and the average prerequisite GPA was 3.2. This doesn't seem that high to me and it makes me nervous that only 27 applicants made it in!

As one of those people with a lot of experience in another field (with a history of layoffs - one of the reasons I'm switching careers), I'm a bit nervous about my chances, but I just have to see how it goes!

I'm looking forward to reading the other replies to this post, especially if there's anyne out there who's actually involved in admissions first-hand.

Best of luck to you in your decision!

OH - I almost forgot. In my opinion, if you managed to get through your accounting degree with a good GPA in spite of not enjoying the upper level classes, I'm sure you'll have no problem holding a job - even a demanding one - and taking the prerequisites at the same time.

Just take it easy at first - I have a bachelor's and almost a master's degree in business, and I am surprised at how much work the science classes are - SO much memorization and analysis. This was different from the business classes I was used to, which were mostly based on interpretation of theory and application to practice.

To me, the classes are not easier or harder than business classes - they're just different. I had to learn how to study all over again! So don't overdo it your first semester. Managing work and school is tough, but you can do it!!!

Good luck!

I can't believe I haven't said it all yet, but I have one more thing to add.

I think you should TAKE THE JOB with the big accounting firm, and not with the attitude that it's just something to pass the time until you get through your prerequisites. A career position with a big corporation is SO MUCH DIFFERENT that the classes you took in school, or even what you may have experienced as part of your externship. You may actually decide that you like it after all, and then you won't have to spend another tens of thousands on a completely different degree.

Taking the job may also confirm that you're making the right decision (switching careers), but at least you'll be making some good money while you're at it.

Just a thought!!! OK, I'm done now. :-)

Hi! I just got accepted to an accelerated second-degree MSN program that starts in the fall and I thought I would share my opinion with you..

My bachelor's degree was in Criminal Justice and after my internship, I was in the same boat as you--I knew I would not enjoy being a lawyer. So, I decided to pursue my first love of nursing, now that I'm older and wiser and more dedicated. Having several years experience working in accounting is NOT going to help you get into a program. It might help you financially, or to realize even further that you don't want to pursue it, but my advice would be to focus all your time and energy into these pre-requisites. You can no longer change your undergrad GPA, but you do control the outcome of these pre-requisite grades...

Almost all of the accelerated second-degree programs weigh the pre-reqs the most (Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Chem., etc.). I took a year and a half to complete all of them, taking one each semester. I wanted to take my time and do well, and I succeeded doing that (4.0 pre-reqs). Working full time and taking classes is hard. Because of the competitiveness of applying to these programs, you almost can't afford to get a "B" in any one of them.

You are the only one who knows what you are capable of.. I worked part-time as a cocktail waitress and focused on the pre-reqs and it worked. It did not matter where I worked before because in reality, everyone will be "starting over." Others in my classes who tried to work full time, ended up not doing as well, and ultimately they didn't get into the program

My advice, take your time. Accept a position that will allow you to study hard, learn the material, and get a good grade.

Before starting all over again, are there perhaps other areas of work where you could use your education, directly or indirectly? You can always go on and pursue the nursing degree but why not spend the next few years working full-time and finding out more about your skills in a non-academic setting before spending another several years pursuing something else that may or may not be what you imagine it to be now? You don't have to work as an accountant just because you have an accounting degree. Just look for any work that you're qualified for and interested in.

Maybe you could also flesh out what about nursing appeals to you and what professional role you're aiming for and get more facts and real world info about it so you don't end up at the end of the nursing program feeling the same way you do about accouting. If you're willing to forego the higher pay you could probably earn in accounting, maybe you could get a job as a hospital unit secretary where you'd get to work closely with nurses.

There are many graduates of nursing programs who also realized at some point that it's not what they expected. There are also many others who are glad they made the leap to nursing - and that may be you, too.

You've got to look into your own heart on this. Just food for thought!

The accelerated program I am in accepted students using the gpa as pretty much the major deciding factor. We also had an interview which helped eliminate those students who had high gpas but seemed to lack passion or strong will. Previous careers didn't seem to have much to do wih their admission decisions. Of those accepted, there is a pretty fair mix of students straight out of undergrad, students with a few years of work experience (both medical and not medical), and students with many years of work experience. When is comes down to it, none of us had ever been nurses before, or accelerated nursing students before, so we were pretty much all on the same playing field. A few of the CNAs, Med-Techs, etc seemed to have our fundamentals classes a bit easier b/c they had previously learned the material before, but then again some of the CNAs, Med-Tech, etc had a harder time b/c they struggled to unlearn their bad habits and relearn skills the nursing way.

All of this is to say that for acceptance purposes, you will want to have the highest gpa you can possibly achieve. Only you will know what will work best for you with that goal in mind. However, like other posters have said, you may try to work for the accounting company for at least a litle while so that you can truly cement in your mind that you gave accounting in the real-world a true shot before jumping ship.

Best of Luck!!

I am attending WSSU in Winston Salem, so far I think that it is a pretty good school. They seem to have a genuine desire for each and every nursing student to graduate and pass NCLEX. I will say however that sometimes the administration is a bear to deal with and can be very frustrating at times. Others times though, they are right on and get you taken care of right away. I suppose that like all things they have their good and not so good moments. Thus far, I am happy with my decision to attend there.

The admission GPA for our program was 3.6 (for prerequisites.) My advice is to finish prereq's, apply and meet with the coordinator. I am surprised that they did not completely fill the training class.