Aspiring nurse, current high school student

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2008

I thought you could get a bachelor's of science in nursing right from the start..

You can. Not all schools offer direct entry in to nursing programs, and a lot of us are working on second degrees so want to minimize time and cost.

But as a high schooler, you'll want to take a college preparatory schedule. Definitely biology, chemistry and math, but also English. The schools you end up applying to might have more specific recommendations, but since you're starting straight from high school you should focus on schools where you apply directly to the nursing program, rather than schools where you complete 2 years of general education and THEN apply to the nursing program within the school.

smellyacres, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2008

Before you apply to the nursing school program at the school of your choice, you need to take certain prerequistes that are required before you are allowed to enter the nursing program, and it is very competetive.

For example, lets say to you go to a university directly after high school. At that university, you need to take certain classes in order to apply to their nursing program. These courses often include Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, English, Statistics, and others depending on where you live and what school you go to.

Most, but not all, nursing schools require prerequisites such as these. Once you have completed these prerequisites, you can then submit and additional application to the nursing program, and depending on how well you did on those prereqs, and if they take anything else into consideration when you apply (ex: volunteer work, healthcare experience, foreign language) they will either accept or deny you into the program. Like I said, it is very competetive. Most (if not all) nursing programs are impacted, meaning more eligible applicant apply each year than can be accepted.

Some students choose to do their prerequisites at a junior college or community college instead. This way you have more options to where you can apply. For example, instead of just applying to the university you already attend, you might be able to many more programs in your area or wherever you choose to go. Many students choose to apply to more than one school given how competetive it is to be accepted.

There are some schools that let you in to their nursing program direcly as a freshman, but it is still very competetive, and they are usually private schools (meaning expensive) and it might be tough to get in given your high school grades.

If you apply once you have done all of the prerequistes, schools usually only look at the prerequistes grades and general education grades/GPA, and your high school GPA does not matter.

It can take people 1,2,3 or more years to do prerequisite courses, depending on how many classes you take a semester/quarter, if you take summer school, or if you are only going part time.

I hope this answers most of your questions, if you have any others, let us know.

Good Luck! :nuke:

mouschi · Nov 10, 2008

Does it matter what I declare my major to be when I start college?

smellyacres, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2008

Not really. Some students go as "undeclared" and some schools have the "pre-nursing" option.