Hello everyone, I have been avid follower of this site for a long time and decided make it official and join. I am not sure if someone has posted something like this already, but I decided to do it anyway. I want to tell my story about how I got into my nursing program.
I got my acceptance letter for the ADN program of my local community college for this coming fall and it was one of the happiest moments I have ever had. I am grateful for this opportunity given to me, but I also wanted to reach out to those who were not accepted into any programs. My intention is to give you all hope and encouragement.
This journey has not been an easy one for me. Throughout school, I got mostly A's and only a few B's to get my AA/prerequisites done for nursing. My biggest mistake I made though were that I slacked off in a few prerequisite classes. I ended up getting the only C's I ever got in my college career in A&P1, A&P2, and statistics. Needless to say, these were the classes I should have gotten A's in to make me a more competitive nursing prospect.
Once I had finished my AA and completed my prerequisites, I took my TEAS test and applied to my local colleges nursing program. As a side note, my TEAS test scores were not even close to good because I did not study too hard for the test (had a 78% overall score with my overall 3.2 gpa.) This ADN program is based on a point system and my points were not too high because of my C's. So I applied and a few months later got my rejection letter.
Discouraged and depressed, I did not let this deter me and bring me down.There were many mistakes I made towards my becoming a future nurse: lower uncompetitive gpa, low TEAS score, only a moderately good application essay, no letters of recommendation, turning in my application very close to the deadline. I decided to do a 180 and fix myself to become a better applicant.
I took all "recommended" courses they had available to raise my gpa and started working in the hospital. I worked hard to get high A's in the courses I took and learn all I could while I was working. I brought my gpa to almost a 3.5 and took my TEAS test as soon as I could. I bought a TEAS study guide book and focused on what I did bad on when I took the test before. I studied for at least 2 months before the test.
Going into the TEAS test, I was fairly confident in how hard I studied and prepared I felt even if I was very nervous. Well, as soon as I sat down to take the test, my mind blanked. I couldn't really remember anything I studied because of my nerves. I ended up getting a 73% overall score which didn't even make the minimum 78% overall score requirement of my college to apply.
I went home and cried feeling that everything I had worked to do was just gone because I blanked and did even worse on my TEAS than I had done before. I called my boyfriend crying asking him what I should do now because I blew it. He encouraged me to stay on track and keep doing what I was doing. He told me apply as early as I could and see what happens because you just never know.
So, I stayed on track. A year later, I wrote an amazing essay on why I felt nursing was the right career choice for me (required 1 page essay for my program I was applying to). I took it to the writing lab at least 4 times to fix whatever they recommended I fix until they told me paper was pretty much perfect and they had no other recommendations. I got 3 amazing recommendation letters from the nursing management that I worked with. I turned in a work experience form for additional points and I sent in my application as soon as you could apply for the program.
I was on the ball with everything I had set my goals for, but I still felt extremely discouraged because of my horrible TEAS score. I mean I did not even make the minimum score and my gpa was almost a 3.5 at best! I figured they would see that my TEAS score did not even make minimum so they would just pass over my file without even looking. Besides the fact that I felt I was competitive, but not competitive enough. I honestly was 99% sure I was not going to get in, so I tried not thinking of it after I applied.
Well 4 months later, acceptance/rejection letters came out. To my utter and complete shock, I checked the mail and got my acceptance letter! For at least a full minute I just stood there unmoving as I read and reread my acceptance letter. I felt there had to be a mistake or I was misreading it with false hope!
Needless to say, it was not a mistake and I am starting the nursing program this coming August!
I guess the whole point of this post is to give you all hope and that it is possible if you work your hardest for it. I want you all to know that even though you may not feel like your competitive enough, you really are! I know each nursing program has different requirements to get into their program, but the concept is still the same. If they see how much you really want it and how hard you've worked for it, you will get in. It may not be the first time you apply, or even the second time, but you will get in if you stay positive and keep your head up. Stay on track and things will happen for you.
My new mantra is 'Good things come to those who wait.' :)
Please no hateful comments or anything. This post was written solely to give other prenursing students a true underdog story for encouragement.
