Advice for those applying to Accelerated Second Degree BSN Programs

I wanted to write a post to help people who are applying to accelerated second degree nursing programs. I apologize for the novel I am about to write but I know how desperate I was for information and tips while I was applying and there just really was not a lot out there. Specifically, I wanted advice on what to do if you have a lower GPA compared to many other applicants. As most of you know, these programs are extremely competitive and most require a min 3.0 gpa.

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Advice for those applying to Accelerated Second Degree BSN Programs

So after being rejected from five schools I was finally accepted into my number one choice. I was amazed they accepted me after learning that they only offered spots to eight people! You may be wondering why you should take advice from someone who was only accepted into one school. I'm in no way shape or form the expert on getting into accelerated BSN programs but I have done a lot of research from the time of my first interview to my last. So even though I don't have all the answers I want to just share how I ended up getting accepted into a very competitive accelerated second degree BSN program with a lower GPA.

Here's some of my background. I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry with a 2.87 GPA. I always planned on working in the medical field but after graduating I just wanted to get a job and start paying off loans. I was "over" school at that point if you know what I mean. Without any lab experience or really any experience in the field at all, a biology degree doesn't give you many options so I found myself slightly lost as of what to do for over a year after receiving my degree. I strongly considered PA school but was told over and over that I was not a competitive candidate because of my lower GPA. That was disappointing but looking back I realize I was destined for nursing so it all worked out! Anyways, I discovered accelerated BSN programs and I immediately knew that was what I wanted to do. I had thought about nursing during undergrad but the large university I went to did not offer any nursing programs once so ever (crazy I know). I started applying to programs about two years after receiving my degree. I did a ton of research and chose six all together, mostly based on location, price and of course, reputation. I immediately got an interview at one school so I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. WRONG. I bombed that interview and then got four rejection letters in a row from the other schools, not even offering me a chance to interview! I was beyond discouraged but as I waited to hear from the last school, I was already reapplying for the Jan 2016 cohorts of the same programs that had just rejected me.

Like I mentioned before, I had a lower GPA than desirable and I already had all of the pre-requisites from my first degree so there was not a lot I could do to improve it. Thankfully the one I was accepted to was my first choice and probably the best program out of all the schools I applied to. I believe I was accepted to this school for a few different reasons that I will share with you all.

First, and I think this may be the most important, I visited the school I was accepted to multiple times throughout the year to attend open houses, information sessions and to meet with members of the admissions committee to look over my transcripts and supporting materials. I made myself known to the department so when they saw my application they remembered me and knew I was clearly very interested in their program. I did not do this with any of the other schools I applied to and eventually got rejected from.

Second, since I had a lower GPA, I made sure every other portion of my application was strong. For my letters of recommendation, I thought of all the faculty and supervisors I had worked closely with and asked those who I knew could truly say that I demonstrated all the qualities that would make a great nurse. I worked as a senior caregiver throughout most of college and I think that also helped a lot because I was able to talk a lot about the experience I gained from that in my interview and personal statement. I volunteered with the Red Cross, American Cancer Society and other organizations related to the medical field. Also, I job shadowed at an orthopedic surgery center.

I found that many of the applications were very basic and did not ask very much about work experience, community service or other activities that showed my experience. I included a very well written resume in my application for both the schools I got interviews for even though they did not ask for them. I only had to write personal statements for two of the schools. Here's some advice on that. If your school asks for a personal statement, don't wait till the last minute. Start early and just work on it little by little. You'll find yourself randomly coming up with great ideas or little things you want to add in or change. Give examples and tell stories from your personal experience. Have multiple people read over it for you and make suggestions. I know its kind of intimidating having people close to you read those kinds of things but they can really really help especially with wording. After all my rejections, I decided to email the first school I interviewed with. I thanked them for the opportunity to interview for their program and asked them how I could strengthen my application and improve my interviewing skills. I'll share more on what they said but I will tell you that they did say my personal statement was excellent so please take my advice and start as soon as possible.

I've been told over an over that the interview is the most important part. In my first interview I made the mistake of not preparing enough. They asked me flat out why I wanted to be a nurse and why they should choose me. Even though I knew why and could give them a thousand reasons, I was extremely nervous and had not prepared a well thought-out answer to these simple questions. I ended up giving a broad and cliché answer because for some reason I was caught off guard. So when I asked them in the email what I could do to improve, they told me that from my interview it did not seem like I really knew what the role of a nurse was and therefore I could not articulate why I wanted to be one. Hearing that stung because I knew exactly why I wanted to be a nurse, I knew what it took and I knew why I would make a great nurse but at that moment I could not express all those reasons because I was so nervous and unprepared. I kicked myself when I realized that I failed to provide a good answer to the most important question of the entire interview! The same thing happened when they asked me why I wanted to be a part of their particular program. I'd only skimmed the surface of the information that was out there on the program and that was definitely not enough. I made sure to have well-researched answers to these same questions for my next interview. I mean I REALLY did my research for the second interview. I read article after article about what makes a great nurse and came up with examples of how I demonstrated each quality. Nursing has a very unique philosophy and role in the medical field if you don't already know. Know all you can about this!

In addition, I found out everything I could about the program. I looked over the curriculum and asked about specific classes. I extensively researched the clinical sights. I memorized statistics about the program and the clinical sights. I made sure I typed out about 30 questions to ask the interviewers and even though I didn't ask them all, I know they liked that I showed so much interest. Honestly, if at the end of the interview they ask you if you have any questions for them (and they will, trust me) and you don't have any then you might as well forget about that program and move on to the next because chances are they will not take you as a serious candidate.

In both interviews I was asked about my lower GPA. It's extremely hard to respond to questions pertaining to a lower GPA because often times (I'm not saying all the time) a lower GPA is due to not putting in enough effort, goofing off, skipping class, putting social time before study time, etc and its not easy to admit that to yourself let alone strangers!! This was definitely the case for me and I regret it immensely. So in my first interview I tried to make excuses for myself... "I'm a bad test taker" or "My course load was more difficult than the average student, which is why I struggled". While both may be the case for many people, accelerated programs don't want to hear this at all, HUGE red flag! They make it very clear that these types of programs are intense and the course load is very difficult. In my second interview I decided to approach the question in a different way. Instead I briefly mentioned that I unfortunately did not always make studying my priority and also realized that what I thought were good study habits were actually doing me no favors and that I have since improved. I told them that I can clearly identify these mistakes from my past and have grown and learned from them. I think they appreciated that I took personal responsibility for my lower GPA rather than try to make excuses. I made sure to say that now I know exactly what my weaknesses were as a student during undergrad and will not make the same mistakes again. I also made sure to mention that I am a very different person than I was in undergrad and I am much more mature, focused, and I know without a doubt the career path I want to pursue.

I personally feel like you can never be 100%prepared for an interview but the more you prepare the more you improve your chances. As much as I did prepare for my second interview, there were a few questions that threw me off completely and I definitely paused and said "um" a little more than I would have liked. One thing I read on a different post that helped me keep things in perspective was that if they offered you an interview, they already believe you are a good candidate for the program. Remember that they don't just hand out interviews to anyone. Just show them that they are right by highlighting all your strengths. Smile and be confident in your accomplishments. You've earned a bachelors degree and completed the very challenging pre-requisites they require, you should be proud! Please wear a suit or something close to a suit and be professional but keep in mind that it's okay to laugh, its okay to pause here and there and it's okay to admit you're a little nervous. I was very discouraged after all my rejections but trust me the admission personal realize that nursing is much more than just a number on a transcript. Show them that it's what you really want and I truly believe you'll get accepted to a great program.

I hope I was able to help somewhat and I will try my best to answer any other questions you might have!

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Kellinm7

About Kellinm7

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Thank you so much for your help and great advice. I really appreciate this post I'm thinking about applying to my local accelerated program. I'm currently taking classes to get a 3.0 hopefully I get accepted if not I will just continue taking classes and boosting my gpa as much as possible.

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Hey Kelli,

Thank you for your useful advice, I swear I felt like I was reading about myself whIle reading your post. I read your other thread on Bloomsburg University 18 month class of 2017, I plan on applying in a year and half once my prerequisites are complete . I come from a non science background ; my BA degree is in International Studies with a concentration in development, I plan on using nursing to accomplish my goals to work in International Health.

Starting from scratch from bio to anatomy and bichemistry is rough but I'm determined ! Thank you for your inspirational post. I wouldn't mind keeping in touch about the program and your progress in it. I can't message on here yet but please reach out to me !!??? Lol

Best wishes to you all.

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