Competitive applicant for WSSU ABSN?

[Moki1984]

Good afternoon.

At this point I know I need to redo some of my prereqs, they are past the timeframe of 7 years (wow I feel old now lol my science classes are expired)

I plan to knock those out spring and summer semester at forsyth tech then apply for next year's cycle at WSSU ABSN program. I live in WS so for me this is local.

I was wondering what do you think makes a competitive applicant? Providing I perform well on these my GPA is high, 3.8 right now without these courses. I will have 7 years of experience in direct patient care , my previous bachelor degree is in Psychology which I plan to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I am also a military veteran.

Can you think of anything I can add that would make me more competitive or not really? I cannot relocate so if I don't get in with WSSU...well... all of my eggs in one basket.

Anyone who has been admitted, what did they seem to look for the most?

Appreciate any thoughts, thanks

[ravenclaw08]

Hi Moki1984,

I'm hoping to apply for Spring 2020 too!

After speaking with admissions, they look at three things:

1.) If your Critical Thinking/Reading SAT score was 470 or higher.

This is a pass/fail thing, apparently. It doesn't matter if you got a 471 or an 800, this requirement is met. (I'm assuming if this wasn't met, you can pay to take the SAT again, and it will be fine.) My lowest score was a 500, and that was in Math, so I think most people are probably good here.

2.) How high your first Bachelor's degree overall GPA was upon graduation.

I've seen some people mention that they only look at pre-requisites while taken in college, but from what I understand from the conversation I had with the associate director of admissions for the program, they look at your overall GPA.

3.) What your prerequisite grades look like.

A's and B's are best. They only accept about 45 students for each cohort, so if you've got any C's, I'd retake the course.

I've been told that clinical experience makes you more competitive, and I've been told it doesn't. Either way, they have two twelve-hour clinical days each week on top of classes, so it probably wouldn't hurt to get a part-time job as a nurse aide in a clinical environment prior to entering the program, just so your stamina is already built. Volunteering is good, but people typically can only volunteer four hours at a time. I'm working full-time (three twelve-hour shifts) at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center as a Nurse Aide I + 4, which is wonderful, since my stamina is getting better and I've already learned essential skills, such as inserting/removing Foley catheters, removing IV catheters, flushing IV tubing, and prepping tube feedings. If you work as a Nurse Aide in a hospital, and go ahead and take the class for it, you'll be a little ahead of the game. It may not increase your competitive edge, but it will increase your chances of doing well in the program.

My eggs are all up in this basket too, so I hope we both get in!