Anyone aplying to UW Oshkosh Accel. BS to BSN?

U.S.A. Wisconsin

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I just applied to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Online Accelerated BS to BSN program. The next cohort will start May 2009. I am excited and curious if any one else is out there applying or if any one else is in the program now. If so how is it?

I got in too! I just decided to check this thread and it has kept on going. I bought the first two workbooks, but I need the rest! Thanks again!

Congratulations! You'll do great :)

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Congratulations to all you that just got into the program!! :yeah: Exciting!

I am planning on applying for the October 2010 Cohert. I know it's not for a while, but I have a lot of work to do in the meantime. I'm VERY excited to start the program. I'm pretty concerned about getting accepted, because I have 4 pre-reqs left to complete, and I still have to get my CNA license and experience working as a CNA. How did all of you manage working as a CNA, taking pre-reqs, and working at your other jobs (if you still have to work)? I have a great paying job and cannot quit (Although I wish I could)! Sue told me that there was an instance where an applicant only had a 3.0, but had experience working as a CNA. I'm having a hard time believing that this person got accepted! ;) I currently only have a 3.0 from my previous degree.

I would love to hear from anyone who remembers taking the pre-reqs and working as a CNA-- while managing their current job and career. I'm really nervous to begin this process and I just need someone to push me!

Thank you guys and good luck to those who begin the program! :redpinkhe

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Good luck! I worked as a CNA while taking a full course load to do my prereqs but i worked at an agency so that i could have a very flexiable schedule and worked mostly overnights i usually worked between 16-40 hours a week but would cut down if i had big test coming up. i don't recommend working at an agency without experience, it doubled the stress of going into new places because i really did not have a good foundation as a cna and while I do think i developed that area, I think 3 or even 1 week of orientation with a full load would have made my transition a more successful one, compared to the 30 minutes i got my first night of work before having 8 pts that I had to put on a pm shift my very first night :) , but perhaps getting a job as a per diem at one place would be a good solution? honestly i think it will be really hard to get in with a 3.0 especially now that the number of applicants keep increasing but the good news is your old gpa is not considered,they are going to only look at the pre-reqs on the list. and for the english and elective and such they took my best grade possible. So i think its completely possible to get a respectable gpa if you really apply yourself. :)

I had an aquaintance in a class that was planning on applying and she had a gpa similar to yours but she also had worked as a medical assistant for 10 years and she was also told that her experience could help override the gpa as long as she got good grades in the pre-reqs. (i don't know if she actually applied)

Im not exactly sure how they select people but our group seems to be very diverse in our experiences. Good luck !!!

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Thanks for the quick response! :)

I am hoping to raise my GPA (for the pre-reqs) to at least a 3.5. Where did you take your pre-reqs and did you have a hard time transferring them? And, UW just takes the highest elective grade you have recieved in your previous degree? That will help I think! If I have to wait until 2011 to begin the program, I don't mind.. I just really want to be a nurse. I hope it's not too long however, because I want to start a family at some point too! :D

When you suggested "getting a job as a per diem at one place would be a good solution", what do you mean? I'm hoping to get a CNA job (very part time) at a near by hospital. (I'm still going to be working full-time and hope to work as a CNA on the weekends) I'm not sure they'd hire me with the little experience I have.

Thanks again SO much for your imput.. You are a great resource for me! ;)

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I took my pre-reqs at matc milwaukee and matc madison and moraine park (i drove to milwaukee and moraine because they had a better schedule for me and it was the only way to get done so that i would be ready to apply) A little hint for the non-sciences is that moraine technical college has accelrated courses over christmas break. i took intro to psych over 8 days. I had to write a 6 papers and do a 45 minute presentation all within that 8 days but it was so nice to get it out of the way so quickly and probably a good 'trial' run of intensity of an accelerated program ;).

I think getting a job at a hospital is a GREAT idea if you can. In Madison , My experience is that its very hard to get hired at a hospital without a year experience, .... in other areas of wi the competiton doesn't seem as fierce so that may be a great possibility. I have applied a handful of times at two ofthe hospitals here , the last time i did get a phone interview for one hospital but she let it slip that they were overloaded with qualified applicants . per diem just means that you are on their staff but you pick up extra shifts they have available, that way you can choose not to work a saturday if you have a big test ect...... THe other thing that i did was put myself on the techncial college waiting list as a back up. You can do it !! good luck.

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Specializes in ICU, Alzheimer's care.

I'm sure the program has great aspects, but the last stats I heard are that the NCLEX pass rates are TERRIBLE because you are on your own as far as learning, setting up clinicals, etc.

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I'm sure the program has great aspects, but the last stats I heard are that the NCLEX pass rates are TERRIBLE because you are on your own as far as learning, setting up clinicals, etc.

I'm not sure where you got your stats, but they simply aren't true. I'm just finishing up the program, and I have found it to be fantastic. The NCLEX pass rates are about average for any NS, and you are NOT setting up your clinicals on your own. They have two people who work to find your clinical sites and preceptors. All you have to do is give them a list of hospitals near your house, and they do the rest. As for being on your own for learning, it is true that you need to be motivated - but this is true with any type of distance learning and is not specific to this program. However, there are discussions and content questions that focus on developing critical thinking. Do your research before you talk about things you don't know about.

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Oh, and we also do ATI testing throughout the program and take a NCLEX prep course. So if we aren't meeting the standards it will be clearly evident, just the same as any NS.

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I'm sure the program has great aspects, but the last stats I heard are that the NCLEX pass rates are TERRIBLE because you are on your own as far as learning, setting up clinicals, etc.

If you go back and look at other post you have posted you clearly have a vendetta against the uw oshkosh accel. program. i had done a search and read all the post when i was choosing a program and i thought i recognized your sign on so i looked again. YOu said that about their pass rates before and the person that you posted it to you corrected you because she had already looked up the offical pass rate and it is the same as the traditional program .

In other post you criticize their clinicals saying they are shorter when in fact the traditional program requires more clinical hours than most schools in the state and the accelerated program requires and additional 80 hours more than their traditional program and also uses a 1 on 1 preceptor model which is hands down a more indepth clinical experience and one of the reasons i chose the program

further more you can do searches on here and find nurses who have worked with a handful of graduates of the program and she had found all of them to be well trained and prepared . Uw Osh kosh has an exceptional traditional and accelerated program. I talked to a LOT of nurses before i made a decision and most of them had nothing but positive things to say..

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Thanks rn2b.. and I agree, I'm embarassed of likatutata's ignorance.

I'm from Minnesota so unless moraine technical college has on-line courses, it may not work for me. :) Thanks again though. I'll be taking my pre-reqs at a community college (North Hennipen CC), but I need to make sure they'll transfer before I begin them. Also, where did you take your Growth, Development across Lifespan course? Sue also recommended me taking that through OshKosh, but I'm not sure it's worth the $$ (I think it's around $700).

I'm really looking forward to beginning this process. Thanks again for your support and I'll let you know if I have more questions. :):heartbeat

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Thanks rn2b.. and I agree, I'm embarassed of likatutata's ignorance.

I'm from Minnesota so unless moraine technical college has on-line courses, it may not work for me. :) Thanks again though. I'll be taking my pre-reqs at a community college (North Hennipen CC), but I need to make sure they'll transfer before I begin them. Also, where did you take your Growth, Development across Lifespan course? Sue also recommended me taking that through OshKosh, but I'm not sure it's worth the $$ (I think it's around $700).

I'm really looking forward to beginning this process. Thanks again for your support and I'll let you know if I have more questions. :):heartbeat

I would recommend buying a development book (I got a used one for about $15 on Amazon) and then taking the CLEP test for the Growth, Development across the Lifespan course. I was also working while taking my pre-reqs and working per diem as a nurse's aide too, so I know how busy it is trying to get everything all in and still have some kind of life. CLEP was awesome though because its so cheap and doesn't take much time and it transfers as long as it is not a science with a lab piece (so no chem or A&P, etc). Good luck whatever you decide to do :)

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That is a great idea to clep. the only reason you personally may not want to as your trying to raise your gpa and i think that is included in figuring it out and that make your other grades count more kwim? but i have no clue how they adust for clepped classes. i took human growth and development for my first degree. i know most of the wi community colleges offer it online so you might want to check yours too for that option.

lol, btw i got curious about the pass rate so i called and its in the mid to upper 90s

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