Getting into a nursing program? Please Help!

Students Pre-Nursing

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I am a second semester freshman at my state's university and I have a 4.0 GPA. My university's nursing program is extremely competitive. There are over 600 applicants a semester and they only accept 30 people a semester. Even though I have straight A's I know I will not be able to get into the nursing program because not only do you have to maintain a 4.0 GPA you have to get a near perfect on your entrance exam and have a ton of hospital hours. First off I'm a really bad test takers so I know right off the bat I wont do well on the entrance exam. Also I can't obtain any hospital hours because I'm too busy trying to maintain my GPA. I want to transfer to a different school after this semester is over because I don't want to continue wasting my time trying to achieve something I know is damn near impossible. Is there anyone out there who can help me out? I know every university has a competitive nursing program but are there any that are less competitive than others (preferably ones that don't require chemistry as a prerequisite)? Basically are there any universities with nursing programs I'd have a realistic chance of getting into? If not are there any accredited private institutions that are not that expensive or at least offer financial aid where I can go to get my BSN? I know this is asking the impossible but is there any chance in the world I'd be able to get a BSN within a 4 year time span from an inexpensive ACCREDITED school that wont require me to take chemistry? If so which school? All suggestions are appreciated!!!!!!!!

Just an observation -- but once you've defeated yourself it's even harder to succeed. Don't look for why you can't do it, figure out how to get it done.

There are a lot of colleges around the country that you would have no trouble getting into... all depends on where you are willing to move to :)

Stay positive and best of luck

Hmarie12

30 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac.

I agree with 203bravo. If you have a 4.0 you must be a better test taker than you think ;) Stop defeating yourself! If nursing is your goal, then go for it. Apply to your current program if you want to, and others as well. Who knows! Most people do apply to more than one program anyway. I have never heard of not taking chemistry, but it's actually not as hard as you might think. Also, if you want to save money you could attend a 2-year ADN program at a community college and then take a shorter RN-BSN program (some schools have "bridge" programs that will allow an RN to earn a bachelor's in just one year). Do some research and believe in yourself. As for getting in some experience, even volunteering a few hours on a Saturday morning would be a great resume builder, and you may find that doing other things besides studying will help you manage your time and be more efficient when you are hitting the books :) Good luck to you!

Specializes in ICU.

You have a 4.0 and you think you are a terrible test taker? I wouldn't think so. Yeah, you have defeated yourself with that attitude. I have an 8 year old who competes in judo and when he thinks he can't beat someone I tell him, You won't with that attitude. I tell him he has already lost before he goes on the mat.

So if you think you can't do it, then you won't. But if you study and go in with a positive attitude maybe you'll be one of the lucky 30.

Specializes in ER.

I received an associate degree and managed to knock out my pre-reqs for my RN to BSN while in nursing school. It's a partner school so all of my credits transferred and I knew what classes to take. It'll be less than 6,000 to get my RN to BSN through Ohio University. If you do this route, look for community colleges that have established partnerships with universities for an RN to BSN completion program. Get from the university what classes will transfer to fulfill the RN to BSN general education requirements. Ohio University provided me with an exact list due to the partnership for which classes would transfer and what requirements they would fulfill. I took Dance History because it fulfilled the fine arts requirement.

I would pick about five nursing schools you would like to go to and look at their requirements. In my schooling, we needed to have high school chemistry within in the past 5 years or take a 090 chemistry in order to get in. If you don't have a desire to go there, then I would pass over the school.

CDEWannaBe

456 Posts

You might be a better applicant than you think, at least GPA wise. I am a little concerned that you seem to have a lot of excuses for why you can't meet the other requirements.

That's great that you have a 4.0. How many credit hours are you taking? How many hours are you working? Do you have family and other life responsibilities? You may be underestimating what you are capable of. I'm guessing you probably have 4 hours a week of time you spend online, watching tv, or sleeping that you could instead spend getting hospital hours.

If you want to apply to the nursing program, then do what you have to do to make it happen. That might mean finding out what's on the entrance exam and studying or taking the exam multiple times if they'll let you.

The truth is every nursing program is looking for applicants who want to be there and who are willing to work hard. That often entails sacrifice. Most things worth having require sacrifice. Don't sell yourself short, you can do it and will be glad you did rather than taking the easy way out.

I do know that Delta State University in Mississippi has dropped their chem requirement.

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