Applying to UCLA MECN to start Fall 2015?

U.S.A. California

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Hi! Is anyone applying to UCLA's MECN program? Last year I applied and wasn't accepted. I believe they accepted around 12%. They had 70 spaces down from 90 the previous year.

Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

I applied to UCLA for the fall 2014 cohort, and while I was accepted, I declined my spot to go to another school: CSULA (because it's a direct entry NP program for the same cost as UCLA. In fact, in my cohort at CSULA four people declined UCLA for CSULA. Just mentioning that there are other options--name isn't everything. ;) ).

I can't give any advice for what the actual program is like, but going in, I had a fairly good idea of what UCLA wanted. I thought I'd share my insight from last year.

The two things that are most important are the statement of purpose (#1 most important) and your letters of recommendation (#2 most important). For the latter, select people who will do nothing but sing praises of you. Even better if you've got a medical professional writing for you (I did not). Give recommendation writers your completed essay, so they can support your essay's claims. I pretty much wrote out exactly what I wanted each of my letter writers to cover/say in my email to them. If I did a presentation for them, I said "make sure to write about my public speaking skills, ability to plan, organize," etc.

For the essay:

--UCLA looks at grades, but it's not a deciding factor because nearly everyone who applies has good grades. Don't stress about getting all A's--those are a dime a dozen. That being said, A's and B's are fine. C's not so much. For comparison, I had a 3.6 GPA, just barely. I even had a few B- on my undergrad transcripts from 2006, but my more recent pre-req grades were much higher and more consistent. Anyway, don't bother mentioning your good grades in the essay. They have your transcripts. Writing about your grades just sends the message that you don't have anything else to write about.

--Pay attention to the school's mission statement. UCLA wants to be an internationally recognized school. Their stated goal is one of "diversity." That doesn't mean you have to be "ethnic"; rather, they are looking to see that you are willing to put yourself "out there," working with people outside of your own community and background. If you have international experience, specifically in third-world countries, use that to your advantage. If you don't have "diversity" in your background, go and start volunteering with the homeless, do some missionary work abroad, tutor ESL or people with illiteracy, work with support groups for people with illnesses or addictions, etc, etc...

--Do you speak a second language? UCLA will love that.

--If you have the time, get a CNA cert, EMT cert, etc., or do clinical care extenders, but the first two are better, especially if you start working. You can then write about a personal experience you've had with a patient. Specifically, write about a problem a patient had, and how you used your critical thinking skills to resolve the situation. When I went to the info session in 2013, UCLA said they were sick and tired of the sick relative story. They want to know how well you can care for a sick/injured person as a medical professional, not as a family member.

--Leadership. You're applying to a program where you will be a clinical nurse LEADER after all. In general, I'd say that UCLA selects students they feel will thrive independly. They want to see examples of your leadership skills. Did you lead a table top discussion? Were you president of your undergrad student union? Did you organize a group of people to provide humanitarian aid during a disaster? Leadership comes in many forms. UCLA is looking to shape its applicants into future unit managers, and the like, not just bedside nurses. They want to know that you're the type who can lead, and be respected in that role.

--Glorify UCLA. They believe they're the best, and they want to read that you know it. It is your top choice, even if it is not.

--Lastly, make sure to write about why you want to be a nurse, and make sure the story is unique. They're going to be reading upwards to 600-700 essays. Make sure your essay stands out among the giant stack.

Final note: I had two courses in progress when I applied: microbiology and statistics, so trust me when I say the statement of purpose is #1 MOST IMPORTANT, followed by letters of rec, then grades last.

Good luck. The day I received my acceptance letter to UCLA MECN program was an awesome day indeed. Were the program a direct-entry NP program, I would have accepted.

I hope you all receive similar letters soon!

@ Get2theChoppa . I did attend the information session last year... I've read an accepted applicant's essay. She did write about her family member getting sick in her essay. Thanks for the advice there.

@ Get2theChoppa. is it possible that I PM you? Never done that on this site.

Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

That's fine.

@Get2theChoppa thanks for the great information! I won't be applying this year because I still have 4 pre-reqs to complete but your information is very helpful. I want to start either the Clinical Care Extender program at Ucla or a volunteer program at a different hospital but I have yet to officially decide. Ucla isn't super close to me. But from what I have been reading they seem to really want to that specific program. What's your take on that? It would be a lot easier for me to just volunteer at a nearby hospital since I work full time and I'm taking classes.

Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
@Get2theChoppa thanks for the great information! I won't be applying this year because I still have 4 pre-reqs to complete but your information is very helpful. I want to start either the Clinical Care Extender program at Ucla or a volunteer program at a different hospital but I have yet to officially decide. Ucla isn't super close to me. But from what I have been reading they seem to really want to that specific program. What's your take on that? It would be a lot easier for me to just volunteer at a nearby hospital since I work full time and I'm taking classes.

Staff at schools always speak highly of clinical care extenders, but participants I've talked to didn't think the experience was all that great--plus, the day-to-day runnings of the program are run by high school kids--which is a big turn off. Apparently they let the managerial "power" go to their heads. Like I said, I didn't do it, so this is all hearsay.

Personally, I think CNA or EMT job is more impressive because that means you worked in the real world without anyone to hold your hand. I did volunteer on the side at a local hospital, but all of my hands-on experience came from my CNA job. Volunteering is okay, but if it's like my volunteer experience, you don't get your hands dirty, and that's what nursing schools want to see. Basically, you need to put yourself in a position where you are dealing with blood, vomit, and feces. Even better if you're working with populations with altered mental statuses.

Nursing is stressful; schools want to know that you've got what it takes. How better to know than read that you changed a woman's diaper while she flung excrement around the room and spat at you? LOL. Seriously though, no joke. :(

Hey there! I'm working on my personal statement for MECN - the website says 2-3 double spaced pages which is ONLY 1.5 pages but I know someone who sent in 2.5 single spaced pages last year and they got in.

Thoughts?

Hi there. The MECN website says the personal statement should be 2-3 double spaced pages which is only 1.5 pages! I know someone who got in and wrote 2.5 single spaced pages. Thoughts?

Its SO hard to get everything into 1.5 pages!!! Would really appreciate your advice!

Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

Why don't you call, and ask the supervisors of the program? They were helpful when I applied. For the record, I followed the directions on the website, so my essay was exactly 3 pages double spaced. I'm sure, in addition to seeing how well you write, UCLA wants to see how concisely you write.

@lagirl_1989 - I thought my SOP was really good actually! I am a decent writer and had plenty of qualified people (PhD in Avian Ecology, Princeton admissions counselor and a scientific magazine editor!) read it and make comments. My undergrad GPA is not great - 3.2 but they didn't mention that as a factor. My pre-reqs were all A's and 2 B's. I am also a Care Extender (free labor for UCLA). I was a new CE at the time of the application - now I am into my second year. So that might have been a reason but they didn't mention that. I think the weakness of my SOP might have been that I didn't know enough about what a Clinical Nurse Leader was. Also, I thought we were not supposed to write a sob story about getting into nursing after watching our mom die of cancer etc etc. So I didn't add any personal stories despite the fact that my mom DID die of cancer over 3 short months AND at the time of the application my father in law was dying slowly at various hospitals all over LA. In other words, I was having TONS of firsthand exposure to nursing but I was advised not to write, "I want to be a nurse b/c I was moved by the hard work and caring of the nurses observed during my mother's illness and death." Sorry I am rambling! I am so much better in real interviews that I am in written SOPs b/c I like to entertain in person!

@melodyraz last year I ran into the same problem and called -------------- who advised me to keep it to 2-3 pages double spaced. He said they had so many to read that it might work against me to make it longer.

@Get2theChoppa Even though I'm currently in the CE program, I think overall you are correct. It's better to get CNA or EMT experience as you can get your hands dirty AND get paid a little. But is not run by high school kids - they are all either in college or recent grads so very young and they really don't know what they're doing but act VERY serious about it. That said, if you get in the ED you can do more - I have done 12-lead EKGs and chest compressions as well as gotten poop and pee & puke (the 3 P's) on me at various times. I have done more there than any other dept as a Care Extender. But I am also always where the action is and I always let the Techs know where I am in case they need me. Still - it gets a little old working for free and I think Get2theChoppa has a great point.

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