Cant apply to other nursing schools because of different pre req requirements!

[angel1312]

Hello everyone, I am in a dilemma. I attend CUNY Medgar Evers in Brooklyn, NY. The pre reqs are Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2, Chem, Math, Psychology, sociology and micro (im not 100% sure though). I know nursing is competitive so I want to apply to other schools. However other schools want additional pre reqs like human development (at qcc) and fundamentals of speech (bmcc). These are just examples but many school want those pre reqs which I did not take. Even if I took them here, financial aid wouldnt cover it (im poor). My gpa is 2.5 because I failed math and am now retaking it. I am panicking and need help. How can I apply to other schools when they all have different pre reqs? Am I stuck with applying to just my current school!?

[DesertRosee]

Why wouldn't you're financial aid cover it? Is it federal/state aid or is it just financial aid from the school itself?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

You are correct in believing that you can only apply to nursing schools when you have completed their specific pre-requisites.

Well, technically, you CAN apply to any schools you want but it's worthless to do so if you have not taken the appropriate pre-reqs.

[angel1312]

If the class isnt part of the curriculum or towards the degree in the school financial aid doesnt cover it 😥? I dont want extra classes just to fulfill another schools requirement. So does that mean I cant apply to other schools because of their additional pre reqs?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

If the class isnt part of the curriculum or towards the degree in the school financial aid doesnt cover it ������? I dont want extra classes just to fulfill another schools requirement. So does that mean I cant apply to other schools because of their additional pre reqs?

Again, you can apply all you want. Your application will not be accepted if you do not complete the pre-requisites.

[vanilla bean]

You need to make a choice. Either put all your eggs in one basket and only complete prerequisites and apply for one program OR cast a wider net and complete pre reqs for multiple programs and apply to those too.

Does it stink that different programs have different pre reqs? It sure does, but it's the nature of the beast. Only you can know which strategy works best for you.

[Jules A, MSN]

I'd be more concerned the failed math and retake might interfere with admission? I'm not sure but I thought some schools were cracking down on people who repeated classes to improve their grades. In any event the gen ed classes you listed are often required for BSN if you decide to pursue that down the road so not a total loss. If you test decent you could look into CLEPs that might be suitable. I applied to several schools and made sure I had the pre-reqs they listed and most all my gen-ed courses were required at some point anyway.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I dont want extra classes just to fulfill another schools requirement.

If you do not want to do what it takes to fulfill other nursing programs' requirements (read: complete the extra prerequisite coursework), you will not be accepted to these other nursing programs.

You are probably completing against several hundred people who earned 'A' grades in the full prerequisite sequence. If you do not wish to take the extra classes that would fulfill these other nursing programs' various requirements, who do you think will be accepted? It will not be you.

[ItsThatJenGirl, CNA]

Have you done your FAFSA?

[FutureNurseInfo]

I know exactly how you feel. Originally I planned on applying to 7 schools, both public and private. However, after I found out all about each school's pre-reqs, I figured I would only apply to 2 schools. I felt like it was too absurd and unreasonable for me to take on so many extra pre-reqs (like religion, ethics, calculations for medical math etc) that I decided not to apply to those schools at all. I know I am limiting my chances but I would hate to spend extra couple of thousands of dollars on the courses that may not even help me get accepted. I would rather spend that much money on the actual program. I do have a good chance of getting accepted at my first choice school. With your GPA, however, your best bet is to apply to as many schools as possible. Btw, which programs are you applying: ASN, BSN or ABSN? I would say apply to all!!!! But then again, decide if it is reasonable for you to take so many extra courses. Look at the big picture!

[Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN]

It was suggested in another thread that you take some additional classes in order to improve your GPA and to "dilute" the math grade, so why not take these additional classes (the ones you mention in your post) to do just that? Best of both worlds then - improved GPA (hopefully) and widen your opportunity for admission to other colleges.

Also, unless you already have a degree, financial aid is pretty good about covering classes. Most colleges have a minimum number of credits you need to be taking in order to get F/A, but if you're going to take these few additional pre-reqs, then that automatically increases your workload to an acceptable level to trigger financial aid (from my understanding of it, anyway).

Check out the FAFSA website and apply, you might be surprised. Also, consider getting additional math help or a tutor (many campuses offer help free of charge to enrolled students)...math is going to be an essential skill as a nurse.

[WCSU1987]

The only uniform pretty reqs in my State is for the ADN programs. Outside of that AP1 and AP2 are standard, but after that pre-reqs start to vary at the BSN programs. That's why I applied to 2 ADN programs this year. Them back up is 2 BSN programs next year. Then back to the 2 ADN programs and a BSN program for the 3rd try.