Samuel Merritt ABSN Summer 2015

[redandgold]

Hi Everyone,

I couldn't find any threads on Summer 2015 cohorts for the ABSN program at Samuel Merritt (San Mateo campus is my #1 choice), so I thought I'd start one! I was just curious to know anyone's opinion on how heavily they weigh each category of the application process. I have strong references, a solid work history including *some* health care (working with autistic adults for 3 years, except it isn't my most recent experience), and decent stats, although they could be stronger:

Sciences: 4.0 (so far, still in progress)

Overall: 3.6

TEAS: 89.3 (first try, but plan on taking again if needed)

I was really surprised to learn that they mostly look at Reading and Math scores from the TEAS, and not science (which was my highest score). Does anyone know if they rely on the classification? I was "advanced", but obviously would like to be "exceptional".

I am currently finishing up my writing samples, which I am finding the most challenging since it is hard to fit in all I want to say in 250-300 words. (CRAZY)

I am working on my application due September 1st, but am nervous since I still have classes in progress this Fall. Does anyone know if they really frown upon this? I know they say that it is suggested they are all finalized, but its okay if they are in progress. I am so anxious to get started in the program and learn!!!

Any advice is much appreciated!

[redandgold]

What, no way!!! I just saw the page you are talking about. You're right, I'm assuming that all the 2014 typos are supposed to say 2015. On their FAQ page it still says 4 months after the submission deadline, which would have been Jan 1st, and I have been banking on that date (roughly) this entire time! So discouraging to think that we have to wait another four months... That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense considering the application for the next cohort is due March 1st which I have every intention of applying to if I don't get in for Summer 2015. I'll update this if I find out anything new

[msshawnamarie]

don't get in this time around I would also want to apply for Fall entry. Also worried about financial aid as the window between admission decisions and when class starts. Fingers crossed we find out sooner!

[lillyambers]

Still haven't heard that my application has been accepted for review! Maybe I should email them? I'm getting anxious as well because I've been accepted into another nursing school (second choice, though) that starts in late January! I just hope they could tell us sooner, somehow

[banandas]

Hello, all. I am not sure which campus this thread is supposed to address. I would suggest starting different threads for each campus. I am in the ABSN program at Oakland that graduates in May of 2015. I just wanted to let you know our timeline for acceptance since I found it so annoying when I was waiting to hear back.

We did not get our first round of acceptance letters until March and our program started May 27th. They were not helpful at all in letting us know how long we would be waiting (our applications were due September 1st, so we waited over 6 months to hear back). There were many students that were put on a waiting list and at least 10 students from the wait list got placed in the program. Our total cohort is 48 students. So, my end message is that you will be waiting a long time without any correspondence from the school. The cohort before us had exactly the same timeline. Again - this is only for the Oakland campus. I do not know anything about San Mateo, SF, or Sacramento.

[Pondmud]

I graduated 12/2011 from San Mateo, and can tell you I got my acceptance phonecall on Halloween for a January 3 start date. If that timeline is their baseline, then I guess you'll hear at the beginning of March for a May start date. Stressful, but banks like to give student loans to nursing students, and SMU's financial aid office is very responsive, so with any luck you'll be OK.

As for the emphasis on math/english sections of the TEAS: this makes sense to me. Your success in passing the NCLEX hinges on that much more than your knowledge of science, because the content isn't what will kill you, it's your ability to read the question and catch those nuances. Also, the whole nursing thing demands that you write well and succinctly, and that you can do the arithmetic to give your patient the right doses. :)

Good luck, you guys. I hope your experience in nursing school will be as good as mine!!

[titatremblay]

Hi. I applied 9/1 for the San Mateo ABSN with SF clinicals. The program starts end of April and I was told by my advisor at SMU, Eugenia Berdali that we would hear back "around February."

[AAAZ]

It's February 3rd... Anyone heard yet?!

[snarindray]

Hi All! I also applied for the san mateo summer 15 cohort! I applied with one science prereq in progress and when I went to send my final transcripts I was told that they cannot be added to my application because its online, which is not what I was told when I was planning to apply (otherwise I would have waited.) Did anyone else have this problem? I'm worried its going to affect my application and make it incomplete I am wondering if I should just apply for Fall 2015!

[dressigl]

Does anyone know when we are supposed to hear back from admissions?

[dmalk1229]

Hey snarindray,

I'm not sure when you submitted your final transcripts, but I was in the same situation with two prerequisites left, and I believe got my classes added to the application. I submitted them at the end of the December though. If you haven't done so already I would go the counseling office, and for me they scanned it, and added it to my application file. I was a little paranoid that it did not go through, so I had a brief meeting with Eugenia Berdali, and was reassured they did. Good Luck, If you go down there they will try there best to accommodate you!

[vera16]

Hi everyone! I received an email this morning saying I was admitted to the San Mateo (apr) cohort. However I didn't receive my log in information just yet... Kind of anxious now!

[lillyambers]

I was admitted too! I just wish it wasn't so late that they notified us. The thing is, I still have prerequisites to complete! Is it possible to even finish that by the end of April at this point? Also, does anybody know if we would need a car to get to clinicals? Sadly I do not have my driver's license