PSU Altoona Second Degree Program

U.S.A. Pennsylvania

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Hi all! I applied to Penn State Altoona for their second degree program and received a letter that says I won't hear from them until possibly March. Is this common for them? Does anyone know what GPA they are looking for? I'm still taking a few courses (3 this semester and one in the spring.) Would that effect it? Thanks!

Sure- you can send me a private message, and then I can give you my email address through there....I tried to PM you, but it says I can't....I guess I don't have enough posts yet?

I'll send you a message as soon as I am able to. (Need to have 15 posts first. :-) )

Awww, shoot...I didn't realize it was 15 posts! Let me look around and see where else I can add some input around here, lol!

Can I ask how much books & supplies run for the first semester? What all did you have to purchase other than books? What do you wear for uniforms and how many sets did you have to purchase?

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you! Let's see- books for the first semester ran about $600 (I think- I can't remember anymore!) I ordered all of my books through Barnes and Noble and saved a good bit by doing that- I bought them online, and went through Ebates, so I got like 8% back for that too. I figured any bit helps! :rolleyes:

We also had a charge the first semester for ATI, which is required. It is an online program that we use to do practice modules and tests on- it is supposedly great practice for the NCLEX. That charge was $388, but I believe it is good until the end of our program.

We did also have to purchase uniforms- you are only required to buy one, but I think most of us bought more than one just because sometimes we have to wear them on consecutive days, and it's easier on the laundry! For the uniform, we have to have a white shirt, navy pants, white nursing shoes, a lab coat and a stethoscope. You will also buy a clinical bag (it is part of the book requirements for one of your classes) that has other supplies. We had an orientation session in July that explained all of this for us, and the uniform company brought all of the choices in for us to try on before we bought uniforms- if you can make it to this orientation, I would definitely recommend it!

I feel like I am forgetting something here, but I think that was all I had to get! :)

Hopefully you will hear something soon!

Good evening all!

I'm trying to get into the Penn State Altoona for their second degree program as well, and I was just wondering if you could give me a rough GPA estimate for the program. I have a 3.6 within my major, and I'm honestly worried that I'm not quite going to cut it. By the time I'll be applying, I'll have 3 years of EMS experience under my belt as an EMT-Basic. Can you maybe give me any pointers to help me stand out during the application process? Is there anything you did that you think gave you an edge? I'd appreciate any help you can give me!

jam5701 - you are applying for Fall 2012? Make sure you have good grades in all their prerequisites. I haven't heard a GPA or exactly how they select the class, so I can't help you there. Make sure you send transcripts from ALL campuses you attended - there was an issue with my application because of two classes that were attributed to a different university than the one I was attending. Save lots of money - you won't be able to work during the year!

Yes, I will be applying for the class starting the Fall '12. I've done decently well in my prereq classes. On average, I have a 3.6 GPA amongst those classes specifically. I'm hoping that will be enough combined with my EMS experience to land me a seat.

Received my admissions offer today - anybody else going next fall?

Congratz! If you don't mind my asking, did you have any type of medical experience before applying? Also, what were your grades like?

jam5701 - I did not have medical experience; I am currently a high school math teacher. I did have good undergrad grades. I think my average for my BS was ~3.7 or 3.8, plus I've taken some other courses PSU requires. To my understanding, I think they look at information other than just your grades, though. You could call them to confirm if that's an issue. Did you already apply or are you looking to apply? Best wishes either way!

tscharf- I'm looking to apply this coming December. My grades are decent for sure. I have a 3.6 so I'm not exactly rock starring it by any means, but I feel that my involvement with EMS might score me some brownie points. How did the process work exactly? Did you have an interview or did you just submit an application?

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