Direct Entry Programs- How hard to get in?

[GoodyNurse2b]

Thanks for all of your responses to all of my previous posts. As you probably assume, I'm evaluating all of my options including ADN, BSN, and Direct-Entry MSN. The direct entry programs look extremely appealing, but seeing that they are at the best of colleges, I don't know how easy they are to get in.

Does anyone know what the typical GPA, scores, acceptance rates of these programs are? Anyone have any experience applying?

I'm in MD, so I'd consider Hopkins, but Columbia, MGHI in Mass, Case Western, Vanderbilt, Pace, and Yale also look appealing.

Seeing as nursing traditionally isn't an "ivy league" profession, are the credentials required for these programs less than what a typical "ivy" student would need?

I'd love to hear experiences with any programs.........

[Jess RN]

Speaking of welcoming staff, MGH, Northeastern and Simmons were all very inviting. I went to UMass Worcester though, and they handed me a packet of info and walked away. Pacific Lutheran in WA state was equally uncaring...but they are ranked really high in the Northwest so it's probably the same as BC- they can be rude because they are highly ranked!

By the way, someone else mentioned Northeastern. Are you concerned at all that they are only in their 2nd year of operation? Has anyone else heard about anything about their program? They seem sincere and well put together, but it worries me a little....

Okay, I'm trying to ignore the Oscars and get my studying done. Hope you all get the letters you've been waiting for in the next week or so... :)

Diana

I'm really wondering about this now. It seems to me at least in the case of Northeastern , MGH and BC that they all get around the same number of applicants for a similar number of seats. So, really ranking isn't doing much to increase or decrease the raw number of applicants, you know? So I wonder if this coolness that we are detecting at some schools is more of an indication of the culture of the school than of their ranking/competitiveness? It is hard to get a read on a school's culture as an outsider- but I do tend to trust my gut. In my past life I was an HR person and did a lot of recruiting- so you get a sense of "fit" between candiadtes and company culture that has very little to do with skill sets, etc.

Hmmm... lots of stuff to think about...

-Jess

[CAG12345]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the "coolness vs warmness" posts and I think the coolness comes from all the schools knowing that they have the upper hand and the warmness comes from the wise ones knowing that even though they have more applicants than they need, if they want to attract the best applicants, they have to be warm to all of the applicants to some extent since they don't know who they are yet, and the best applicants may get more than one offer. Of course when I say "best," I assume you all understand I think we're all incredibly valuable, but according to whatever the school thinks is best. Then I agree, the rest is probably the culture of the organization or the personality of the people involved. If the people involved aren't that warm, then they're not likely to be warm, or if they tend to feel overwhelmed or panicked by the thought of being overwhelmed by so many eager applicants' contacting them all the time, they might be aloof. But I think the warmer approach tends to lead to providing a better exchange of information which is the point of these infosessions and any other contacts with the school.

About Vanderbilt, I just read on another thread that someone (Big

Ranger) in Kentucky got his acceptance letter yesterday. Smile123 was there on that thread, too. So the mail from TN to KY is much faster than from TN to CA. I've written him to see when he applied also.

I've got to go back to studying muscles, bones, and the integumentary system for my exam today!

Good luck everyone who's still waiting at the mailbox today. Keep enjoying those celebrations for all who've gotten in.

[westcoastgirl]

I couldn't have said it better re warmness/coolness. Are any others going to Seattle University (WA)? From my experiences as an applicant I'd say they fall into the "wise" category - the funny thing is, if you go purely by the "numbers" of slots versus applicants they are actually the most competitive BSN (I don't know about MEPN) program in this region, yet not once did the advisors/faculty exude the uncaring aloof vibes......

If anyone else is looking at Northwest, take a serious look at them. PM me if you're going there maybe we can meet up before school starts :)

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the "coolness vs warmness" posts and I think the coolness comes from all the schools knowing that they have the upper hand and the warmness comes from the wise ones knowing that even though they have more applicants than they need, if they want to attract the best applicants, they have to be warm to all of the applicants to some extent since they don't know who they are yet, and the best applicants may get more than one offer. Of course when I say "best," I assume you all understand I think we're all incredibly valuable, but according to whatever the school thinks is best. Then I agree, the rest is probably the culture of the organization or the personality of the people involved. If the people involved aren't that warm, then they're not likely to be warm, or if they tend to feel overwhelmed or panicked by the thought of being overwhelmed by so many eager applicants' contacting them all the time, they might be aloof. But I think the warmer approach tends to lead to providing a better exchange of information which is the point of these infosessions and any other contacts with the school.

[Raymond CA]

Deleted.

[pancake]

I just got my letter from UCSF and I am #1 alternate for the Gerontological NP program. I feel so bad. I dread telling my family and friends . . .

[NP-to-be]

I just got my letter from UCSF and I am #1 alternate for the Gerontological NP program. I feel so bad. I dread telling my family and friends . . .

Oh Seahorse ... I'm so sorry to hear that. You are at least number 1 on the list ... there is still a very high probability that space will open up.

Keep your head up ... good luck !!

[Jess RN]

I just got my letter from UCSF and I am #1 alternate for the Gerontological NP program. I feel so bad. I dread telling my family and friends . . .

Oh Seahorse- I'm so sorry

The good thing is that you are the #1 alternate. You have a good chance of getting in yet. Can you ask the admissions staff what the chances are of getting in off the waitlist based on previous years?

Try to keep your head up but that is so frustrating- I'm really for you.

Jess

[ChrisA]

I just got my letter from UCSF and I am #1 alternate for the Gerontological NP program. I feel so bad. I dread telling my family and friends . . .

I'm sorry, seahorse. Still, stiff upper lip. You've come a long way, done a lot, and there's still hope! Your family and friends better be supportive of you or we'll all give them a talking to.

[pancake]

Oh Seahorse- I'm so sorry

The good thing is that you are the #1 alternate. You have a good chance of getting in yet. Can you ask the admissions staff what the chances are of getting in off the waitlist based on previous years?

Try to keep your head up but that is so frustrating- I'm really for you.

Jess

Thanks so much Jess. I took your advice and called. I found out that typically 7 of the alternates are brought in each year, so maybe there still is hope. I found out that the Gerontological NP specialty only got three people this year. I don't know how many were interviewed, but I did meet at least 5 others on my interview day.

If anyone has any suggestions or knows anything about the process please let me know. I wish I had asked more about how this altnerate business works, but I was too upset to think straight. With only 3 in Gerontological NP, it's hard to imagine any of them declining.

I'm also on the wait list at SF State. sigh.

[pancake]

I'm sorry, seahorse. Still, stiff upper lip. You've come a long way, done a lot, and there's still hope! Your family and friends better be supportive of you or we'll all give them a talking to.

Thanks Chris.

You're right there still is hope Good luck to you!

[smile123]

I just got my letter from UCSF and I am #1 alternate for the Gerontological NP program. I feel so bad. I dread telling my family and friends . . .

Seahorse,

You are #1 on the waitlist, so that's a good sign! Think about the others who applied for your gerontological program; perhaps they are from back east and want to go to school closer to home. There's still hope! I am sending positive vibes your way! Big hugs to you!

Do you have any others outstanding besides UCSF and SFSU?

Smile123

[pancake]

Seahorse,

You are #1 on the waitlist, so that's a good sign! Think about the others who applied for your gerontological program; perhaps they are from back east and want to go to school closer to home. There's still hope! I am sending positive vibes your way! Big hugs to you!

Do you have any others outstanding besides UCSF and SFSU?

Smile123

Hi Smile,

I am also applying to College of San Mateo. Thanks for the support.