Accelerated program eligibility

[yesitsme]

Hello, I'll graduate college next year and I want to apply for nursing school after that. I heard about accelerated programs but don't know if I'm eligible to apply. Do you need work experience? What are some nursing schools with good accelerated program and easy to get into?

[cturtle234]

Most programs do not require experience, although some require a CNA license. (Texas Tech springs to mind). Most programs, with a few exceptions, require a bachelor’s degree and prerequisites. Some only require 60 CH. Others, like Union in TN, will let admit you without a bachelor’s if you’re over a certain age. There are dozens of not hundreds of accelerated programs in the country. Search “accelerated bsn” in the states you’re interested in.

[verene, MSN]

As you research nursing school you will come to find that every program seems to have slightly different admission criteria from every other program which is annoying!

In general though applying to an accelerated BSN program requires:

1) A bachelor's degree in another field (some school require by time of application, others by time of admission).

2) A minimum GPA - usually 3.0+ though again this varies by school.

3) Completion of a number of pre-req courses - this again varies from program to program but is often a mix of basic English, basic psychology, basic math, and a handful of science courses.

4) Potentially other requirements such as specific exam scores, letters of reference, sample scholarly work etc.

Because ABSN programs can be expensive, and typically do not offer financial aid (or at least students typically don't qualify for federal aid even if they have a grant/scholarships for partial tuition) would recommend looking at in-state public schools first as they tend to offer a balance of quality education with slightly more affordable price-tag.