admission to accelerated bsn programs and direct entry programs - will I get in?

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Hi!

I am a senior about to graduate from college and I decided last year that I wanted to pursue a career in nursing. I am applying to both direct entry programs (hoping to specialize in NP - pediatrics) and accelerated BSN programs. I am finding so much conflicting information on the internet and was hoping to get some help.

First, which is more competitive?

Second, will I get in?

Regarding the second question... I know that this is what I want to do. However, I bounced around with majors so much throughout undergrad I didn't achieve the highest gpa. Exploring other majors and career tracks was stressful, hurt my gpa, BUT it led me to ultimately decide upon nursing and I feel really good about it. I am excited to get started and am hoping to do so as quickly as possible, but I'm afraid I don't stand a chance. So... let me know what you guys think

I am majoring in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

I have a 3.3 :(

I am still finishing the science prereqs but so far I have

an a B- in microbio, an A in nutrition, an A- in anatomy, an A in pharmacology, and will probably get an A or A- in physio. (these are the prereqs for most direct entry schools)

I am PCS/STNA certified

I am working this summer as a PCA in a children's hospital

I am going to try to volunteer abroad within the next year.

Please let me know, it's so hard to find acceptance rates and even when you do, you just don't ever know.

Thank you so much!!!

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Acceptance rates will vary depending on school, location, and the caliber of students competing with you for a seat at that time. There is a finite number of seats but an overabundance of applicants, so one of the most important variables is the GPA and competitiveness of the other people applying for the same program(s). A 3.3 isn't bad. Assuming you have other things that can beef up your application you may be a competitive applicant. Accelerated BSN programs are very competitive, as are traditional ASN and BSN programs. I did an accelerated BSN program and most of my cohort had close to a 4.0 GPA coming in. But that's not to say that you won't be a competitive applicant for an accelerated BSN program, like I said it just depends on the timing and the other applicants. If you can't improve your GPA from where you are, try to make sure there are other things on your application which make you stand out, like volunteer experience, EMT experience, etc...

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To gauge how competitive NS is in your state, it would be good to also check out the Ohio board on this site and get a feel for it by asking, or from the threads started by current applicants for the programs that you're interested in.

I'm in southern California, which is a very competitive area, and I know some people who have left another state where the applicant pool is less saturated. The great thing about applying is that (in my experience), there's a certain degree of forgiveness with regards to your previous degree GPA. Many schools value your prerequisite grades over your BA/BS degree GPA.

I was just admitted into an accelerated BSN program in Los Angeles, and I had a 3.2 with a BA at the University of Southern California. However, in my prereq classes, I earned a B in chemistry and A's in the rest of the classes. I also volunteered at a UCLA hospital for 1 year. Best of luck to you!

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I actually had very similar stats as you! In my case, I think my experiences and recommenders were what really helped me. I didn't think I had a great chance of getting in, but I ended up getting into all of the direct entry programs I applied to and will start classes this summer. You can't do much about your gpa (which isn't horrible), but you can continue to try to build your experience, get great recommendation letters, and write an awesome personal statement while you wait for your application cycle. Good luck!!!

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That makes me feel a lot better, thank you! If you don't mind me asking, what schools did you apply to? or you can just name a couple if you want. I'm nervous about asking my teachers for recommendations. I go to a huge school (OSU so.. literally the biggest) and it's hard to develop a relationship

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Thanks you guys for answering! so are accelerated one year programs harder to get into than direct entry programs then?

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I actually didn't apply to many because I had to stay semi local due to my husband starting grad school this year. Anyways, I got into Depaul University, Elmhurst College, and Marquette University. I also had an interview at UIC that I canceled. I plan on attending Marquette University this May. I attended a large state university for undergrad, but OSU is much larger!! I was also a psych major and had large lecture classes, so I got involved in research on campus as a way to develop relationships with professors. As a result, my recommenders knew me well, so they could really write personalized letters. If you have time before you finish school, I'd really suggest trying to find a way to get to know a couple of professors a bit more. My husband was in a large anatomy class, so he made an effort to talk to his professor everyday and to visit office hours. As a result, he stood out and received a pretty strong letter. Could be worth a try as you finish up your prerequisites :)

I really have no idea which is more competitive. For me, a MSN program made more sense and aligned more with my career goals, so I didn't research many accelerated BSN programs. Also, keep in mind that when they say something like "we receive an average of 200 applicants and admit a cohort of 50," it's likely that more than 50 had an offer of admission given that not everyone will accept the offer! So your chances could be higher than you think.

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Thanks SO much! You have been so helpful and I really appreciate it!! ☺️

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