Newsday Article about applicant surge

Williamsl88 · Feb 9, 2009

thank God I already got in, must be tough right now. I wish all these people applied for medical school instead.

ifoundnemo · Feb 10, 2009

thank God I already got in, must be tough right now. I wish all these people applied for medical school instead.

Thank god I got in too, I read this and I felt a surge of relief and sadness for those who are applying because I know how hard it is!

Williamsl88 · Feb 10, 2009

the page is down =(.

ifoundnemo · Feb 10, 2009

Noopa Kurian already had a degree in travel management and a job in her field when she applied to the nursing program at Stony Brook University. What she says she didn't have was job security.

"I wanted to know that wherever I go, I'll be able to find a job," said Kurian, 28, of Lake Grove, who expects to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing this May.

While enrollment in nursing programs nationwide has increased every year for nearly a decade, the deepening economic crisis is making such programs even more popular - and competitive - than ever.

Nassau Community College, for example, is nearly doubling the size of this spring's new nursing class: 92 students compared with the 54 it usually takes in January. The school gets more than 1,000 applications for the 225 slots it has in the nursing program each year.

At Stony Brook, officials say the number of people requesting fall 2009 applications for two of the school's undergraduate nursing programs more than doubled compared to last year. Combined, about 800 people eventually applied for a total of about 120 slots in both registered nursing programs by the Jan. 10 deadline, up by more than a third from 2008.

Meanwhile, interest in Farmingdale State College's nursing programs is so intense that the admissions office often dedicates three of its 10 counselors to handling inquiries about them, although nursing students are just 400 students out of the total enrollment of 7,000.

"As much as any profession is recession-proof, this one is and will be," said Lucia Cepriano, Farmingdale's vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. The nursing application deadline was Jan. 15, and a few years ago the school might have accepted students through August. By early January, the school had received 1,200 applications, up 13 percent.

Nursing educators say the impact of the economy on the profession poses some challenges. On the one hand, the demand for more nurses is real. On the other, it is a challenging job that requires unflagging dedication.

"Yes, it's a route to some form of job security, but you really have to want to be a nurse," said Frances LaFauci, associate dean of nursing for Suffolk County Community College, which runs the largest nursing program in the state, with 900 students enrolled in three associate degree tracks. "You have to be tough, physically and mentally."

U.S. Labor Department analysts project that 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created nationwide between 2006 and 2016, an increase of 23.5 percent.

Nursing educators say their graduates can easily score jobs with starting salaries ranging from $50,000 to $60,000.

"Students are really starting to re-evaluate - all the business majors and computer science majors are saying, 'When I get out, I want a job with a guaranteed salary in a profession I can grow in,'" said Craig Lehman, interim executive dean for health sciences at Stony Brook.

Greater life expectancy and aging baby boomers are driving the demand for health professionals. At the same time, nursing's portability, flexible schedule and competitive starting salaries have fueled growing interest. "We've got all this interest - now how are we going to accommodate it?" said Kathleen Bratby, assistant dean for students at Stony Brook's School of Nursing.

Increasing interest has not been met with a corresponding increase in spots. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing in December reported that annual enrollment growth - after hitting a high of 16.6 percent in 2003 - has been tapering off. In 2008, enrollment in bachelor's degree nursing programs nationwide went up just 2 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of applicants more than doubled between 2003 and 2007 nationwide, as acceptance rates dropped below 50 percent, according to the association. In New York State, applications rose by 31.8 percent between 2005 and 2007 while acceptance rates fell below 40 percent.

Nicole Reyes, 22, a senior nursing student at Stony Brook, recalls the advice she was given when she applied to the program as a sophomore: "The first thing they tell you is that it's highly competitive and to have a backup plan."

A shortage of hospital clinical placements for students and a lack of faculty due to retirements - some estimates put the average age of nursing faculty at 55 - are the key reasons that schools cannot add seats faster, officials said.

"Resources are a big problem," said Carol Mottola, head of the Nassau Community College nursing program. "Between budget and physical resources, and faculty resources, it's almost impossible to expand beyond what we currently have."

Muttlover · Feb 16, 2009

would you mind telling me what your gpa was when you were accepted? It's not to be nosy, but I'm applying to NCC this march. I'd like to know where I stand. Thanks.

ifoundnemo · Feb 16, 2009

would you mind telling me what your gpa was when you were accepted? It's not to be nosy, but I'm applying to NCC this march. I'd like to know where I stand. Thanks.

I was accepted into Stony Brook with a 3.6 from Suffolk and a 3.4 from Stony Brook... Stony Brook looks at your references, your essay, and your GPA though.... I think nassau only bases the decision on your GPA.

Good luck.

Muttlover · Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for your reply and for sharing your gpa info. My gpa based on classes I took at Nassau is a 3.8, but I'm transfering in 3 classes I took back in 1986 (yep, I'm an "adult" student -- 45). See, now I gave you some "personal" info:)! The 3 classes I'll transfer in bring my gpa to a 3.7. I'm still worried (crazy worried) that this gpa might not be competitive enough. I was so happy with a 3.8 -- I didn't know that the past grades would be transferred in -- I don't know why I hadn't figured that out. I received some conflicting info on that one. Anyway, thanks for your quick response and help. Lots of luck to you!!

ifoundnemo · Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for your reply and for sharing your gpa info. My gpa based on classes I took at Nassau is a 3.8, but I'm transfering in 3 classes I took back in 1986 (yep, I'm an "adult" student -- 45). See, now I gave you some "personal" info:)! The 3 classes I'll transfer in bring my gpa to a 3.7. I'm still worried (crazy worried) that this gpa might not be competitive enough. I was so happy with a 3.8 -- I didn't know that the past grades would be transferred in -- I don't know why I hadn't figured that out. I received some conflicting info on that one. Anyway, thanks for your quick response and help. Lots of luck to you!!

good luck to you! A 3.7 is still great! Take my word, a .1 isn't going to matter much!!

Muttlover · Feb 16, 2009

Thanks!