2013 UPenn BSN/MSN Applicants

atomicgirl · Dec 8, 2012

@atomic girl - It was great meeting you today! Lets hope for the best with this whole process :) I didn't get to ask but where else did you apply?

cjacobs2, I applied to Boston College, USM, Yale, Seattle U, am gonna apply to Rochester as well. How about you? Now we play the waiting game...I wish we could know the very next day haha! I'll PM you my cell # if you wanna chat more.

nafeiniar · Dec 8, 2012

hi guys! i've been reading these threads for a while now, but i also submitted my app for UPENN (their ABSN Summer '13 program though) and was wondering if any ABSN applicants received emails for interviews. It seems like most of the interviewees so far are for the BSN/MSN program...good luck to all those who will be/were interviewed! :up:

EEK i'm so nervous!

kdiem · Dec 8, 2012

I'm so excited to hear about everyone's positive experience at Penn! I'm pretty nervous about the interview, but feeling a bit more confident after hearing all of your stories. Any advice or tips for in-person interviewees on Monday? :)

hopefulnurse24 · Dec 9, 2012

Just be yourself! There really is no way to predict what kinds of questions they are going to ask you. I heard that someone was asked "what do your parents think of you going into nursing?"... I know it was common for them to ask why nursing, why your specialty, what do you to relieve stress, and about relevant experiences. I was asked to give my interviewer three words that my supervisor would use to describe me, which I'm not sure if anyone else was asked. They also asked me where I see myself 10 years from now, and what my goals were. But please don't be nervous, everyone is so nice and they do a really good job of making you feel at home. It's totally laid back and while you are waiting, instructors and administration are wandering around and introducing themselves. They really want to get to know you!

Other tips... Bring comfortable shoes to change into for after your interview, because there's actually a good amount of walking and standing to be done once that portion of the day over with (up and down stairs, sim lab tour, campus tour, etc). Around 11 or so they'll take everyone to tour the labs (we went in two groups, you guys will probably go in three since there's apparently a lot more of you). The sim labs and dummies are AMAZING! Then you have lunch with a student, just like the email says. They provided sandwich rings, salad, drinks and cookies. After this they have the info session in the same classroom as before, and it is pretty informative (some things you'll already know from the chat and from doing research on the program, but other things they discuss are very helpful... such as acceptance rates, financial aid, etc). Then they take you on a very brief campus tour. They will also store your luggage in a secure place if you need it to be stored!

If you have any specific questions that I can answer, please let me know! Also, if anyone is staying at the Westin, or near it, I actually took a train to campus, and it was only $2 and SO quick and easy. If you ask the people working at the front desk they'll give you directions. Just make sure you're in the right place to catch the right train... I would tell you the name, but I can't remember. I just know it's the blue line. I think a taxi is about $8-10. PS - the hotel does put a $100 hold on your card for "incidentals" that's removed at checkout. No big deal, but I didn't know beforehand and some of you who are staying there may want to use a credit card for that, just in case :)

bardone, I didn't know they were interviewing that many people on Monday! What else did you hear? How many were there yesterday? Somebody said that 80 people were present, but I really didn't think it seemed like that many.

nafeiniar, I do know some applicants for the BSN have been interviewed, but I don't think they interview all BSN applicants.

bardone · Dec 9, 2012

Hopeful, I was also asked to name some adjectives that someone might use to describe me... I was additionally asked if I had any NP role models.

The male admissions associate (forget his name) who facilitated the tour with Filomena was the one who said there'd be ~100 people on Monday. I'm surprised that there were 80 of us on Friday... perhaps a number of people split after their interview.

kdiem, the only other advice I have to add would be to take advantage of the current students you'll meet with some questions at the ready. It was my understanding that all the students we spoke with were in the BSN section, which is the same track for everyone -- meaning that their insights into their particular specialty were limited at best.

Hopeful's suggestion to bring a pair of comfortable shoes for the post-interview events is also good advice!

hopefulnurse24 · Dec 9, 2012

Ahh, thanks bardone! How are you feeling about the whole paying for the program thing now? LOL!

KoKe · Dec 9, 2012

I was told that ~50 people were present on Friday, ~10 have phone interviews, and ~2 skype interviews & ~100 people will be there on Monday. During my interview (for psych), I was asked: Tell me about yourself. What leadership roles have you been involved in? What's your understanding of the difference between a nurse practitioner, psychiatrist, and physician assistant? And then it was just casual conversation after that.

My favorite part of the interview day was chatting with the current students and taking a tour of their simulation lab. Penn doesn't have to sell their school because they have so many resources and opportunities for students with various interests.

I wonder how many people applied for psych and how many seats are available. I tried to ask on the day of but I was getting different answers from a bunch of Penn staff.

hopefulnurse24 · Dec 9, 2012

Thanks KoKe for the clarification! 50 seems about right. Wow, that's awesome to see that so many people went in person! And you're right, they totally don't have to sell their school, everything speaks for itself... but they totally did anyways and did an amazing job, which also says a lot about the quality of the faculty and staff!

kdiem · Dec 9, 2012

Is it really okay to bring a change of shoes? My feet will be dying after the first few hours in heels and would love to wear flats. And thank you soooo much for the advice Bardone, Koke, and Hopeful! I just got into Philly :)

hopefulnurse24 · Dec 9, 2012

Yes, it's definitely okay to bring a change of shoes! Trust me, some people won't be wearing heels period, not even for their interview!

dee73 · Dec 10, 2012

Thanks for all the useful information hopeful, bardone, koke, etc. I feel better prepared now! Just packed a pair of flats in my purse :) I'll be interviewing tomorrow. Feeling both nervous and excited! Good luck on your interviews everyone!!!!!

atomicgirl · Dec 10, 2012

I just wanted to wish all those interviewing tomorrow the BEST OF LUCK! I was like a 10/10 stress-wise going into it but now looking back, I realized I didn't have to be nervous at all. They are so nice and just want to know more about you.