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Discussion

Chances for ABSN program

Hey guys,

I just registered on here, but have been following the board for a while. I just recently graduated with a BA in Psych and Gerontology. Early on this past year I discovered that nursing was actually an option for me and that I just needed to complete a few remaining prereq's. I quickly decided not to go into Clinical Psych (discovering that it just wasn't for me), and that I would take the science courses I need. I am currently taking Microbio (really interesting) and Gen Chem (which is pretty awful). Most importantly, I wanted to get some input from people on here who maybe have more experience with the application process and could possibly tell me what they think my chances so far are of getting into a school. As of right now I plan on applying next fall to UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, Curry College, University of Southern Maine, NYU, University of Rochester, College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Johns Hopkins, and University of Virginia. In my previous degree I graduated with a 3.82 and with honors. I volunteered and did research for almost two years with a group of elderly individuals at an assisted living facility, and also volunteered as a peer counselor on my university campus for a year. I am also a male applicant, who has had to deal with difficult life circumstances for most of my life (losing my mother to breast cancer at the age of 9, and coming to terms with and embracing my sexuality). As far as my prereq's go, I have an A for Statistics and an A for Life Span Development. Still working on the science courses, but they seem to be going okay. Based on what I have under my belt so far, what do you all think my chances are? I know these kind of posts end up on here all the time, but any encouragement is really helpful in easing the mind when you're spending hours of your time and energy, and thousands of dollars on classes. Thank you for your input!

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    Honestly, feel proud (but not arrogant) and apply with confidence. I think you are a very strong applicant based on the information you provided to us. As for your life challenges, I may or may not discuss them in a personal statement and only in the context of what I gained from living through them makes you a better nursing student, and ultimately, a better future nurse (i.e. empathy, sensitivity).

    For some of the programs you mentioned, you will likely have to take the GRE. The exam recently changed recently and I do not know anything about the new format.

    What type of program are you interested in? ABSN, Master's Entry or Combined Degree? Be mindful of tuition costs. I bet you will be surprised what some programs cost. And, finally, look very carefully into scholarships for male students. They are abundant and the award amounts are NOT insignificant.

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    I'm applying to mostly Accelerated Second Bachelor's programs, and a couple direct entry master's programs. I took the GRE over the summer (the older one) and did not do as well as I had hoped. After, I decided the BSN was the more ideal choice for me since I'm not entirely sure what area I'd like to specialize in yet. The couple masters programs are for CNL and only require the GRE if your previous GPA is lower than set gpa. Do you know of any of these scholarships in particular? Thank you very much for your comments!

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    You probably did better on the GRE than you think! Most programs I spoke with said they prefer candidates with a 500 on both sections with a 4 on the writing. I also took the GRE over the summer for the second time in ten years. I am a career switcher. I took the GRE originally in late 2000 and earned a PhD in Molecular Genetics in late 2008. I am about to begin an ABSN program in January.

    I also thought about Direct Entry Programs. I am not entirely sure how far I want to pursue nursing or specialize in a particular area. I do know if I graduate with a generalist masters I will have to return to get another masters in a specialty area (so it becomes BA, BSN, PhD or BA, MSN, PhD). And I did not have a preference. ABSN programs are cheaper because they are undergraduate tuition and not graduate tuition.

    I only applied to a few schools. Both mentioned special scholarships for male students. The orientation I just went to last week is offering 10K for students of the male gender through the school. I'd call the school and ask.

    If you can get into a state school in your state of residence the tuition will obviously be less of a burden. Some schools you are interested in have a pretty steep price tag.

    Are you only interested in nursing? Are there other areas you may be interested in pursuing? Some schools have double degrees (Hopkins) that may be appealing.

    Are you applying for this cycle?

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    • Author

    I did pretty horrible actually.. must have been a bad day or something because I thought I scored better. I'm considering taking the new one, but I don't think it'll be worth it anyways. Yeah I'm pretty much solely interested in nursing with areas of interest in long term care (I think I'm one of the few heh) and oncology. I'll be applying next fall, so I can complete all my remaining prereq's this year.

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