Seattle University APNI 2016 Applicants

Sewells09 · Dec 18, 2015

Hi! I applied to the Nurse midwifery specialty, but the FNP specialty at other schools.

Thanks for starting the thread! I really like the application tracker the school has. I haven't had any communication from the school since submitting.

Excited but not holding my breath.

My only concern is--I only scored a 3.5 on my analytical writing :/

-Sarah

No_LiesJustLove, MSN, RN · Dec 19, 2015

Hello everyone!

I'm so happy to have found this thread, as I've been reading over old APNI threads the past couple of weeks. I recently applied to the PMHNP track at SU on a whim and am super nervous (of course). I completed my BA in Public Health at UW last Winter and my cumulative GPA may not be as competitive as others (3.47). I also did terribly on my GRE due to personal/health issues and I didn't have enough time before the application deadline to retake it. I am finishing my last 3 prerequisites at Seattle Central (A&P I and II and Micro) this Winter and Spring quarter, so I'm not sure if that negatively impacts my application as well. However, I had two stellar letters of recommendation from two professors at UW and I think my letter of intent was strong. I also have a lot of volunteer experience both abroad and locally. I'm curious about other 2016 applicants (undergrad majors, volunteer experience, GRE scores, etc.).

Best of luck to everyone who has applied - the wait has definitely been grueling.

No_LiesJustLove, MSN, RN · Dec 19, 2015

Sarah,

I recently applied to the PMHNP track at SU. I also scored 3.5 on the analytical writing section and did poorly in the quant/verbal section as well (I was so off that day! :-/). If I had had the time to retake the GRE before the application deadline, I definitely would have. When I emailed Anne Hirsch regarding GRE scores, she replied "Try to score at least 300 and do well on the Analytical Writing component.

We take all factors into consideration and try to get a picture of the entire person as an applicant. A poor score will not keep you out of the applicant pool." This was definitely encouraging, but I still feel quite defeated.

Oregonian89 · Dec 28, 2015

Hey everyone!

I was extremely excited to find this post and made and account just to post here. I also applied to the PMHNP track. I'm happy with my undergrad GPA (3.91), and am happy to say I got an A in all of my program pre-reqs, but like you guys I'm not too pleased with my GRE scores. I got a 4.0 on the writing and did pretty poorly on the quantitative and only slightly better than average on the verbal.

I'm so nervous about how competitive my app is. I have to assume there are several people applying to each specialization that have 160/160 with a 5.0 in writing that automatically take spots. Bleh....Any idea when we'll hear back about possible interviews?

Wishing all of us luck :)

-Brett

No_LiesJustLove, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2015

It sounds like you're a strong applicant, so I wouldn't worry too much! And I've heard being a male helps, as they're trying to get more men interested in the program (I have a friend who just finished the PMHNP program last June). A few years ago, it sounds like most of the applicants heard back mid January about interviews. Then, the interviews were typically held in February... But some also went into March. Hope that helps!

No_LiesJustLove, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2015

Also, Seattle U (from what I understand) does a good job at looking at the whole person. You can have a perfect GRE score and a 4.0 GPA, yet have no experience volunteering or working. They look for a mixture of things!

Oregonian89 · Dec 29, 2015

I never thought being a male would come in handy. Seems a bit irrelevant but I'll take whatever I can get. I guess it'll feel pretty normal if I do get in though (fingers crossed) as there were very few men in my undergrad classes pursuing a bachelors in psychology. January? that's not bad at all. The idea of hearing back in as soon as a two or three weeks is awesome.

Yeah, my volunteer/work experience isn't super strong, to be honest. I worked in a mental health home for about 6 months (luckily received employee of the quarter so that looks good) and then I have volunteer experience in a community living shelter and have been volunteering in an Emergency Room for about six months now. Do people typically apply several years in a row before finally getting accepted into this program?

Thanks for responding so quickly JustLove. I wonder what we need to do to get more applicants in this forum. The 2015 thread was blowing up at this point...

No_LiesJustLove, MSN, RN · Dec 29, 2015

I honestly wouldn't worry too much if I were you! Your grades paired with what experience you have sounds ideal. Just be sure to do well on the interview and you'll be set! I, on the other hand, am a bit more worried since a lot of the prerequsites I took were from 5 years ago when I was way less disciplined as a student. And then my GRE was sort of a mess! Haha. I volunteer now with homeless youth and young adults, and focused my senior capstone research on mental health issues among this population. I've also done a health education internship abroad. I have no clue if those experiences will redeem me. I sure hope so! Hoping we hear back soon! My application recently changed to "pending faculty review."

PallasAthene · Dec 29, 2015

Hello, Everyone!

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm applying for the 2016 cohort as well (PMHNP track). It's my first time applying to this program. My BS is in Biology, with a minor in Mathematics, and my graduate work was in behavioral neuroendocrinology and ecophysiology (just a fancy way of saying I studied the physiology of behavior and how ecology affects biological mechanisms). I'd been considering this program for a while, since returning to Seattle a few years ago, really (I took time off following the birth of my twins). My girls will be entering school fulltime next year, so it seemed like the right time to take the plunge. I'm just now finishing up my pre-reqs at Bellevue College (should have them done after this upcoming term).

My undergradate GPA was decent, but based off of what I've seen in previous threads it's not as great as a lot of the people I've seen apply in previous years (I can't recall my exact GPA off the top of my head, but my cummulative was somewhere in the 3.7 range, maybe a bit higher), though my pre-req's have all been 4.0, as was all of my previous graduate coursework. My GRE scores were actually pretty good. So, I'm hoping all of that sufficiently demonstrates my ability to succeed in a graduate program. I also volunteer at a hospital, but it's fairly recent, so it's not as if I have years of volunteer experience like others. I do, however, feel I submitted a well-written personal essay, and I know my recommendations were glowing.

When I sat in at one of the information sessions last Spring, it was mentioned that high scores on the GRE analytical writing gains "bonus points" on the application. Does anyone know just how much of an edge that can give? I know the program is super competitive, so I'm pretty nervous, and just like everyone else, I am really hoping that I have something in my application package that gives me a boost. So if anyone has an idea of how helpful high GRE analytical writing scores are, I'd love to hear.

Anyway, it's great to "meet" all of you! I look forward to anxiously awaiting news on the program with the rest of you.

Cheers!

rose29 · Dec 30, 2015

Hello!

I applied to the FNP specialty, and I'm doing my best to be patient while we all wait to hear back! I graduated in May with a BS in medical microbiology and immunology and a minor in global health. I'm happy with my grades and GRE scores, but it seems like there are plenty of qualified applicants so its definitely going to be competitive. What are people's thoughts on the fact that SU doesn't offer a BSN after the first part of the program? I've been doing some research on whether this would be a disadvantage in the long run (I've seen some NP job postings require a BSN) but I can't find a definitive answer either way.

Good luck to everyone!

Sewells09 · Jan 2, 2016

About SU not offering a BSN after the first year--It is my understanding that when applying to jobs that require "at least a BSN", the Master's degree would fulfill that requirement and then some.