Admissions vent

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Ok...I just have to vent a bit!

I'm so frustrated right now. I have applied for nursing program taught in a different town than the main school (it's a small satellite program). I am having to all the application stuff by phone.

Rewind 19 years... I went to this school for less than a semester and am sure I officially withdrew from classes. Once I discovered (in May) that withdrawals were never issued and that I had F's, I freaked then called the nursing school and spoke with an advisor. He told me to write a letter asking for an exception to policy and ask to have the F's changed to W's. Well..that was denied but he told me not to worry, that the transcript that mattered was my most current (from another school..I have a 3.88). Wheww.. I continued my application and have it completed...

...I thought...

Yesterday, I called the nursing school just to double check that everything was in order because the deadline is July 1st. The secretary didn't answer so I left a msg and proceeded to speak with a local advisor for this program to register for fall classes. The program doesn't actually start till the spring. While I was meeting with the advisor, the secretary left a msg on my home phone. My application was completed but she took another moment to look up my transcripts and said that the one from 19 years ago was going to make me ineligible to rank for admission :uhoh3: Thank heavens the secretary took that moment or I would have been eagerly awaiting results that were never going to come!

I was sooo upset and frustrated!!! I was given wrong info by one of the school's advisors!! After a phone conference today, with no real results, I have written another letter to the admissions committee asking them to please disregard that transcript for admissions purposes.

I won't know what will happen with my request until late August/early September! It's going to be such a long summer as I have an excellent chance of getting into the school based on my points (I got a 9.9 on the NET even!!).

me --> :trout:

Ok...I feel better after venting!

Angelica

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I would listen to an advisor before I listened to the secretary. Many times advisors are also on the admissions committees.

Instead of calling, you need to set an appointment with the Director of the Nursing Program and drive down there for a face-to-face meeting so you can get the story straight.

The first thing that you need to find out, is if you are even in the applicant pool...THAT is your #1 priority right now, and the secretary isn't going to be able to tell you that.

Priority #2, is to ask the Director if the F's on your transcript will be disregarded for admission purposes. This is where these questions get sticky...b/c I will wager you won't get a straight answer on that, but you might.

Grades on transcripts, unless you can DOCUMENT an error, are never removed from college transcripts. I have never heard of or seen a situation where it was done.

With that said, you need to re-take every class you have an F in, whether you need it or not for the nursing program. This will affect your overall GPA even if they do choose to disregard it for admission purposes...b/c if you ever plan to get an advanced degree, the school you are applying to will most likely not disregard the grades.

Lots of people start school, mess up and go back...colleges see that all the time. However, it doesn't mean it's consequence free.

Typically (not always), only the largest schools go by GPA alone...many other factors are considered when applying to nursing school.

Good luck.

PS: Here is a Tip...get a copy of the nursing school handbook as well as the college catalog...this is technically a legal contract between you and the school. It's ultimately your responsibility, not the advisor's (and the handboook will tell you this) to make sure your course of study is on track and that includes applying to programs. All of us have had incorrect information given to us by advisors...I was almost denied admission to nursing school because of it. Remember the cardinal rule of documentation: If you didn't get it in writing, it didn't happen.

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.

I totally agree with Hopefull on this one. If you have a strong admissions submission and that transcript was from 19 years ago, you have a good case to have that removed. Good luck and keep us posted!

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Thanks for your replies!

I agree that meeting face to face is best but that is not an option in this case, unfortunately. I am in Alaska so at best, it's about a 1.5 hour jet ride away to get to Anchorage.

As for secretary, I don't know if that is really her title or not but she is the one who always answers the telephone when I call. Everybody I have spoken with refers me to her for information.

I have been trying to see if I will actually be able to be considered, and as you pointed out, Hopeful, I can't get a straight answer. The best answer I have been able to get, now that the letter I wrote is tucked in my file, is wait. The committee doesn't even meet until early August, it sounds like, so I don't know any other way to figure how if I will actually be considered.

I understand about the documenting part and that's some of my frustration. It was so long ago that I honestly cannot recall the exact events clearly. I have no absolute proof that I DID submit withdrawal paperwork and they have no absolute proof that I didn't, only that there is no record of it.

I already came to terms earlier with not getting into nursing school for this cohort (it starts every 2 years) and have an education plan in place, including trying again when the next group begins. It's just frustrating to have such a setback when, to the best of my knowledge, there should be NO setback, and especially at this late game.

The local advisor I spoke with yesterday just called and she is writing a letter of support for my file as well as the nursing advisor who gave me the wrong info anyway.

The upside is that wrong info aside, it wouldn't change the situation. I would have just been better prepared and perhaps wouldn't have shelled out so much money to get everything set to go so quickly.

It's just frustrating to potentially be knocked out of the running of something so important to me because of a few weeks of classes almost 20 years ago.

Thanks again for both of your posts :)

Angelica

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I totally agree with Hopefull on this one. If you have a strong admissions submission and that transcript was from 19 years ago, you have a good case to have that removed. Good luck and keep us posted!

Ditto

Kare

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