Applying to UC - Denver for Spring 2014 UCAN Program

elliot237 · Jul 8, 2013

Reese1982 . They should still consider you. I am taking an anatomy class in the fall as well. don't withdraw.

Jenbun02 . Sorry to hear you didn't get an interview You'll get one next time. I am not 100% sure what my prereq GPA is. I am missing the anatomy class but of the rest of the prereqs, I have a non-weighted GPA of 3.75. Hopefully I'll do well in Anatomy as well.

I went to school in another state and my undergrad GPA was 3.65 but I took some credits during high school at a community college and my GPA there was more like 3.2 so I am not sure if they combine those since the community college credit transferred to the university but was on a separate transcript.

lolads85 · Jul 9, 2013

JenBun02 - keep applying! You will get it next time!

My Undergrad was a 3.13 and my pre req GPA was a 3.6. It would have been a lot higher if I had not gotten a C+ in Statistics. I think what helped is that I was upfront about my weaknesses academically and said what I would do to overcome them in the program in my essay. I believe I am probably on the lower end of the GPA scale for invited candidates.

Cheezits5744 · Jul 9, 2013

JenBun02, definitely keep applying and give the traditional (2 year) program some consideration. A lot of applicants automatically go for accelerated route because they want to finish school as soon as possible, I was the same when I applied, which isn't always the best choice. Our accelerated program was 16 months when I went to school there and my accelerated classmates told me that it was quite demanding. From what I've been told about this new 12 month program, it's going to be even worse; expect classes from lasting from 8-5. Everyone who is considering the accelerated program need to ask themselves if they absolutely have to finish the program in a shorter time frame. If you don't, try to go for the traditional program. The traditional program have it's perks; you have more downtime and time to volunteer. More importantly, you are eligible to apply for the Advance Care Partner program at University of Colorado Hospital if you want healthcare experience and you can apply to two application cycles at University of Colorado Hospital for the new graduate residency program when you finish (I think accelerated students can still only apply to one application cycle, but don't quote me on that). Two years go by a lot faster than you would expect. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose the traditional program again but I'm also biased.

In terms of my GPA, my overall was around 3.1 and my prerequisite GPA was around 3.7-3.8; while some of my classmates had amazing GPAs, the majority of my classmates had fairly average GPAs around 3.3-3.5 so don't count yourself out. Definitely spend some more time on your essay.

elliot237, I don't think they will count that against you. In fact, UC Denver has a program in place with one of the community colleges in Aurora where the students take all their prerequisites at the community college and then go into the nursing program.

Jenbun02 · Jul 9, 2013

Thanks everyone. I think it comes down to my chemistry class that I got a C in and is 5 credits worth. It was almost ten years ago when I took it, when I had no intentions of getting another degree. I'll just keep my head up, see what happens next round and try again if I don't make it and have to retake chemistry. Good luck everyone!!

Colorado Hopeful · Jul 10, 2013

Yep, JenBun2, keep trying! It also may be worth it to take a few more classes to apply to other schools (I took Pathophysiology, Nutrition, and Developmental Psychology to apply to Metro State and CSU Pueblo). Regis also seems to have a highly desirable program. This is my third time applying to CU Denver, but others have made it in after applying multiple times. My prerequisite GPA including the ones not required for CU is 4.0, but I have a 3.9 overall including the prerequisites though I am not a science major. I think CU heavily considers the interview and essay when considering applicants. I just visited CSU - Pueblo over the long weekend and it seems like a great program with a 50% acceptance rate (much better than CU Denver's at 10%!). It is also much less expensive if you are willing to live in Pueblo for 16 months. Good luck and keep trying!

elliot237 · Jul 10, 2013

With a 4.0 and 3.9 you should be a easy interview and acceptance for them. Not to mention most of the people who get in seem to be in the 3.3-3.7 range. There must be something else wrong with your application. What is the focus of your essay? What was your major?

Also with a GPA like that, you'd be a shoo-in for most medical schools which are notoriously much more competitive. There has to be something weird that they don't like, or maybe they think you're not likely to go there because you have such good scores.

Colorado Hopeful · Jul 10, 2013

I apologize to everyone in advance for the rant I am about to embark upon :) In my essay, I focused on my experiences volunteering at a local emergency department (well over a year with about 250 hours so far) and how my personality characteristics would make me a good nurse. For the diversity section, I focused on lessons learned from my multicultural family (my husband is a South Asian immigrant). I have interviewed twice, call listed (alternate) for the first cycle and rejected for the second cycle. I'm thinking that maybe my problem is one of the following reasons or a combination of the following reasons:

1. First Degree (History)

2. Outward lack of diversity/unique life experiences (white female Colorado resident, probably the majority of applications received)

3. Lack of paid healthcare experience/certifications (I'm no CNA or EMT; I hold an office job)

4. The interviewers did not like the way I presented myself during the interview (I came off as too nervous, boring, arrogant, scripted, or insincere in some way)

When completing my prerequisites, I met another person with a near perfect GPA who also had trouble getting in, but she did get in through the call list. I understand the CU is probably trying to select for well rounded individuals and a diverse student body, but I wish they would consider previous academic performance a little more heavily. I will try for two more cycles and hope for the best, because CU is definitely still my top choice as arguably the best program in Colorado. Otherwise, I'm moving to Pueblo!

elliot237 · Jul 11, 2013

Well that isn't encouraging. haha! makes me wonder what the people who actually get in are like. They're all people who have college degrees and 4.0s but have been working as a CNA for 5 years.

Well I'm sure we'll all do great this time.

Colorado Hopeful, what kind of questions have they asked you in the past? were any tailored to your essay at all?

I'm a white male. So I'm not diverse at all. My wife is Asian but I didn't talk about that in my essay, I talked about my diversity as a student and my experiences while volunteering working with under-served communities

jkw33 · Jul 11, 2013

Has anyone heard from Regis?

PaytonJane · Jul 11, 2013

I would not worry as much about experience. I had a 3.84 GPA and worked in business for many years with no professional healthcare experience. I do have previous research experience, am very passionate about nursing (which came through in my essay and interview) and have overcome some obstacles to get where I am today, which I think helped in terms of my admission. Diversity doesn't have to be ethnic. It can be financial, it can be healthwise, it can be experience-wise in terms of your previous career experience - maybe your career had nothing to do with healthcare, but you developed unique skills that might be enriching to the rest of the campus community. Whatever you do, if you get an interview, don't be shy about telling them how much you want to go to CU and why. I very strongly laid out that I wanted to go to CU and nowhere else and for x, y, z reasons.

elliot237 · Jul 11, 2013

Yikes this sounds so crazily competitive. More competitive than even how I have heard law school and medical school are.

I want to only go to CU because they are an amazing school with great facilities, connection to healthcare providers like UCH, and great faculty. I am going to be prepping for this interview for the next two weeks straight.

It seems silly that they would combine all your past GPAs. Judging me on classes I took over 11 years ago when I was 17.

I think having a science degree helps a lot because I am nowhere near as good on paper as many people say I need to be for this program.

Colorado Hopeful · Jul 12, 2013

Both times I interviewed, all applicants were asked the same rather general questions. The first time I interviewed there were 2 faculty members and 1 student serving as interviewers, the second time there was 1 faculty member and 1 student. The first time there were 4 applicants, the second time there were 5 applicants. Each time the interviewers would ask a question, the applicants would answer down the line/around the table in order. I remember the last time they started at different ends of the table to try to make the process a little fairer. Each interview session lasted 1-1.5 hours so each applicant only spoke for about 10-15 minutes. Some of the questions I remember:

1. Tell us something unique about yourself

2. What does integrated (or maybe collaborative) learning mean to you?

3. How do you prioritize your day/life? How do you deal with stress?

4. Why are you considering this program?

5. Do you have any questions for us?

My gripe with interviews (especially group interviews) is that they are very subjective. Different interviewers will have different personality traits they value. If you are naturally a very calm and reserved person and another individual you are interviewing with is bubbling with enthusiasm, you may look like a less desirable candidate in comparison. The interviewer may also unconsciously judge you on your outward appearance or attractiveness even if you are wearing appropriate clothing and appear clean and neat. Giving everyone the same test and considering the scores (as with the MCAT or GRE) seems a more fair way to evaluate candidates.

I also would be very curious to know how the evaluators “score” applicants. I think that perhaps if you get the interview, everything rides on the interview because it is heavily weighted. Personally, I would think a fair weighting would be 70% previous academic record (GPA, classes taken), and 15% on essay and 15% on interview. Of course, maybe it is like that and I just really suck at interviewing.

In the nursing profession, being a male does give you diversity status. According to The Registered Nurse Population: Findings from the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, only 9.6% of registered nurses were male. I hope that the gender gap is closing, but I’m pretty sure it is still a very wide gap today. An EMT at the hospital where I volunteer was accepted to CU, and he believes his maleness may have set him apart from the other applicants.