Any nurses from Samuel Merritt College?

GoldenGateNurse · Mar 24, 2005

Hi,
I'm new to the nursing forum and enjoy it very much. I wounder if any nurses here are formally or currently students or RN from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, CA? I would like to ask for your opinion on the nursing program there, especially if you know anything about their acc BSN program, the challenge you have faced, do you like the school? the professor? clinical sites? how was your interview process like? How to make yourself competitive for the school? I know it's a lot of questions I asked, but if anyone can provide me with any info that would be awsome. Looking forward to hear from you all and have a great day. :)

Hi hello_nurse,

Did anyone ever answer you from Samuel Merritt? I might be attending their acc. MSN program this fall and am anxious to meet some fellow students!

hello_nurse · Mar 25, 2005

Hi hello_nurse,
Did anyone ever answer you from Samuel Merritt? I might be attending their acc. MSN program this fall and am anxious to meet some fellow students!

Hi GoldenGateNurse,

whooo--hoo! :yelclap: finally someone response! (okay that answer your first question) no, one has respond to me until now. I think because I requested for so specific things. I'm glad to meet you. What MSN program did you apply to? FNP or CM? is there an accelerated MSN? or accelerated BSN? or both? I've heard of the ELMSN program (entry level MSN) and wonder if you applied to that program. I'd like to keep in touch or perhaps you can help me w/ some questions I have about the school or the application process. I promise to keep my questions to the minimum Wish you the best of luck for Fall. :)

Take care

GoldenGateNurse · Mar 25, 2005

Hi GoldenGateNurse,
whooo--hoo! :yelclap: finally someone response! (okay that answer your first question) no, one has respond to me until now. I think because I requested for so specific things. I'm glad to meet you. What MSN program did you apply to? FNP or CM? is there an accelerated MSN? or accelerated BSN? or both? I've heard of the ELMSN program (entry level MSN) and wonder if you applied to that program. I'd like to keep in touch or perhaps you can help me w/ some questions I have about the school or the application process. I promise to keep my questions to the minimum Wish you the best of luck for Fall. :)
Take care

I'm headed for the accelerated FNP program - yahoooo! THey also just started an accelerated BSN program for this year (and I think at both the Oakland and Sacramento campuses). I'd be happy to help with any questions you might have about the programs/applying. I really wish I could have found someone to give me some school-specific tips - would have made the stress-level a heck of a lot lower for me, I think!

iwannabefnp · May 18, 2005

I'm headed for the accelerated FNP program - yahoooo! THey also just started an accelerated BSN program for this year (and I think at both the Oakland and Sacramento campuses). I'd be happy to help with any questions you might have about the programs/applying. I really wish I could have found someone to give me some school-specific tips - would have made the stress-level a heck of a lot lower for me, I think!

hello, i am really interested in applying to the entry level fnp program at merritt and would appreciate any advice from anyone attending merritt or any program for that matter, that would help me get in. i have a ba in molecular and cell bio from cal and have 2.5 years medical research experience. i'm currently teaching hs chem and need to take the soc, anthro, and soc sci prereqs. i'm worried that my lack of hospital experience and my low gpa will hinder my chances of getting in. would taking the gre's (and getting a good score) help with padding my low gpa? also, would the grades from the prereqs i'd be taking be added to my overall gpa so that it could possibly go up?

i really, really want to be a fnp, but how do my chances look?

i thank you in advance for any advice or help.

iwannabefnp · May 18, 2005

ok...i'm reading through the forum and i'm getting a sense that i'm going in a bit blindly. it seems like getting in is a long shot and it might be a better idea to take the gre's and get a job at a hospital....but since i dont' have an RN, what could i do?

would it be better to work on a bsn first and then apply to a separte ms degree rather thatn the rn/ms combo?

GoldenGateNurse · May 18, 2005

ok...i'm reading through the forum and i'm getting a sense that i'm going in a bit blindly. it seems like getting in is a long shot and it might be a better idea to take the gre's and get a job at a hospital....but since i dont' have an RN, what could i do?
would it be better to work on a bsn first and then apply to a separte ms degree rather thatn the rn/ms combo?

Hi there,

You are right that the programs are really competitive, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions about your chances of getting in. You say your GPA is low, so I would definitely work really hard in your prereq classes and maybe even take the GRE. It's not required for the application but if you score really high it might offset any concerns about your academic ability based on your GPA. I had to take it for some other schools that I applied for so I included my score in my Samuel Merritt application. But really, I think the biggest thing they want to know at samuel merritt is that you really know WHY you want to be an FNP. That doesn't mean that you have to work at a hospital, but it does probably mean that you need to at least volunteer some time working with patients. And the sooner you start doing that the better. Take a lot of time with your essay - it's your chance to really sell yourself to the admissions committee. Be as specific as possible about what experiences/people led you to taking on this career path. If you are not sure, it might be a sign that you need to take a little more time exploring the profession before applying.

Good luck!

dream2nurse · May 18, 2005

Hey guys... I did not respond to this post because I did not think I have that much to offer but since there is not much else, here is the info I do have.

My friend from school applied to the FNP ELMSM program this year and was denied. She had very good grades, almost all A's so I was surprised to hear she got turned down. I know that she is still working on Micro and Physio so I think that is why she got turned down.

When I was looking at nursing schools in the area, I talked with a friend of mine who is trying to become a firefighter. He was working as an EMT and so was in and out of many hospitals in the East Bay. I asked him to talk to nurses and see what they had to say. Here is what he found out about SM:

-They have an excellent program and the nurses that come out of there are really well trained. Their facilities are state of the art and you will leave there a very competent RN.

-A lot of the nurses that went there to get their BSN did regret the amount of $$ they paid for the program. They work with nurses with the same degree and same pay that have less student loans.

-There was some talk that even though you will leave there as an NP, because you have little experience, it is harder to find a job than if you go the more traditional route.

You may also want to check out the CRNA section of the website or do a search in Samuel Merritt. I tried to do a search on Merritt Junior College and all that came up was SM.

I had also considered SM but decided that it was just too much money. Basically I was looking at taking out private loans to supplement any fed loans I would get and the interest reates are ridiculous. I say if you have the $$ and/or are willing to deal with the loans, go for it! lol Otherwise I would also suggest applying to SFSU and UCSF ELMSN programs which are cheaper.

$$ was a big issue for me so I decided to do the AND route and then do an RN-MSN bridge after that.

Good luck and I hope you find out more info!!

iwannabefnp · May 19, 2005

Hi there,
You are right that the programs are really competitive, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions about your chances of getting in. You say your GPA is low, so I would definitely work really hard in your prereq classes and maybe even take the GRE. It's not required for the application but if you score really high it might offset any concerns about your academic ability based on your GPA. I had to take it for some other schools that I applied for so I included my score in my Samuel Merritt application. But really, I think the biggest thing they want to know at samuel merritt is that you really know WHY you want to be an FNP. That doesn't mean that you have to work at a hospital, but it does probably mean that you need to at least volunteer some time working with patients. And the sooner you start doing that the better. Take a lot of time with your essay - it's your chance to really sell yourself to the admissions committee. Be as specific as possible about what experiences/people led you to taking on this career path. If you are not sure, it might be a sign that you need to take a little more time exploring the profession before applying.
Good luck!

hello,

thank you for your input. it is very helpful and encouraging. i will be taking the humanities pre-reqs this summer and will start volunteering. i am a bit scared tho of the prospect of taking a year off working to go to school full time while facing the chance that i might not even get into a program....

i don't doubt my desire and why i want to be an fnp, but i worry that wanting it may not be enough.

GoldenGateNurse · May 19, 2005

hello,
thank you for your input. it is very helpful and encouraging. i will be taking the humanities pre-reqs this summer and will start volunteering. i am a bit scared tho of the prospect of taking a year off working to go to school full time while facing the chance that i might not even get into a program....
i don't doubt my desire and why i want to be an fnp, but i worry that wanting it may not be enough.

You are not alone!!! Seriously, have a look around these message boards and you will see that just about everybody panics and stresses about getting into school (myself included). It's a big step to commit to a brand new career - if you know it's the right one for you though, you just have to muster up as much courage and confidence as you can and know that YOU CAN DO IT. Ask lots and lots of questions of everyone you can find - students, nurses, doctors...everybody. The more perspectives and personal stories you hear, the better you will be able to articulate your own passion in the application/interview. Also, ask your friends and loved ones what they percieve as your strengths and weaknesses - take ownership of both, shout the strengths from the rooftops, and work toward improving your weak areas (we all have 'em!). Applying to school is tough and stressful, but don't psych yourself out. No applicant has a flawless record - anyone who implies they do is fooling themselves!

iwannabefnp · May 19, 2005

Hey guys... I did not respond to this post because I did not think I have that much to offer but since there is not much else, here is the info I do have.
My friend from school applied to the FNP ELMSM program this year and was denied. She had very good grades, almost all A's so I was surprised to hear she got turned down. I know that she is still working on Micro and Physio so I think that is why she got turned down.
When I was looking at nursing schools in the area, I talked with a friend of mine who is trying to become a firefighter. He was working as an EMT and so was in and out of many hospitals in the East Bay. I asked him to talk to nurses and see what they had to say. Here is what he found out about SM:
-They have an excellent program and the nurses that come out of there are really well trained. Their facilities are state of the art and you will leave there a very competent RN.
-A lot of the nurses that went there to get their BSN did regret the amount of $$ they paid for the program. They work with nurses with the same degree and same pay that have less student loans.
-There was some talk that even though you will leave there as an NP, because you have little experience, it is harder to find a job than if you go the more traditional route.
You may also want to check out the CRNA section of the website or do a search in Samuel Merritt. I tried to do a search on Merritt Junior College and all that came up was SM.
I had also considered SM but decided that it was just too much money. Basically I was looking at taking out private loans to supplement any fed loans I would get and the interest reates are ridiculous. I say if you have the $$ and/or are willing to deal with the loans, go for it! lol Otherwise I would also suggest applying to SFSU and UCSF ELMSN programs which are cheaper.
$$ was a big issue for me so I decided to do the AND route and then do an RN-MSN bridge after that.
Good luck and I hope you find out more info!!

thank you for the info. i appreciate anything i can get to help me become a fnp.

my biggest concern is getting into the program. i know it's a big financial investment, but the 3 year fnp program is better suited to my needs vs. going the more traditional route or other schools and ucsf is very far, though i will be applying there as well.

i'm just going to have to work my butt off and get in.

dream2nurse · May 19, 2005

I have no doubt you can do it! Trust me, if you really want it, that is all you need. You will do whatever it takes to reach your goals. It may be a long and often frustrating road, but you will reach your goals. :)

Best wishes and good luck!