Could any former or current US Marines help me out?

brownbook · May 13, 2013

Hi, I can not imagine why your service to our country as a Marine would have any bearing on being a nurse or getting into college? I am not a Marine, I married one....he served, returned to college on the GI bill....became a social worker.

If anything his military service helped him. What college or employer would not accept or even give extra credit or "points" to someone with military service?

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · May 13, 2013

I would think that if your grades are up to par and you pass the requirements to get into nursing school, you won't have an issue.

The only way I can see the service having any bearing on your education is if you have experience as a medic, etc. In that case, it could quite possibly make the learning process easier because of prior exposure, but otherwise, you'll have to compete for entry just like everyone else.

chare · May 13, 2013

You should not have any difficulty. I applied the year before I retired, was accepted. I retired in June and started school in August. Here are some things you might want to consider.

If tuition assistance has been reinstated use it. I can not stress this enough. There are several non-nursing classes that you should try and take. While specific courses might vary you can get a general idea by reviewing the syllabus from a few nursing programs. While you might not take an exact duplicate course, the chances are good that you might be able to substitute some of these.

Take any and all CLEP examinations that you can. At a minimum take the basics. While you might not be able to use them all, any credit you receive will help.

If you have an idea of which school(s) you might want to attend see which test is used for admission. You might be able to take these while on active duty through your education office.

Good luck, and Semper Fi!.

PalmHarborMom · May 14, 2013

I am a current nursing student and a veteran. We have 9 veterans in our class and they are all outstanding! Every branch, with the exception of having a Coastie, is represented. We also have quite a few professors that are veterans as well. Colleges and Universities see military experience as a plus, even if it was not in the medical field. Sacrifice and dedication are the start of a great nurse. If the school you are applying for requires an essay, work your military experience into it somehow.

May your transition from soldier to student be smooth!

EllTee2B · May 14, 2013

I'm in the Marine Corps and I was wondering was it hard to get into a college nursing program after you had finished your military service?[/quote']
Which state are you in?

0402 · May 18, 2013

If you are applying to a school that takes all qualified candidates and uses a waiting list, your service isn't going to help or hurt you- it's somewhat irrelevant at that point. However, many schools are going to point based admissions, and many schools give point(s) for military service. For the program I did, it was more "traditional" admissions, where they look at everything (grades, prior work/ experience, volunteering, test scores, etc). Having been a Marine was definitely a plus for my application (I did 8 yrs AD, working in logistics). Serving in the Marine Corps also helped me get my first RN job. Having real work experience on my resume helped it to stand out, and I had help in "translating" my military experience into civilian terminology, really emphasizing what was applicable to being an RN, even though they were 2 totally different job fields.

Definitely look into taking care of prereqs while you still have TA and free CLEP testing to take advantage of. While prereqs do vary from school to school, there are many that you will see at any school, as well as gen ed that will apply to whatever degree you are seeking to get (ADN, BSN). If you know where you are planning on settling when you get out, look at all of the schools in that area and what their prereqs are, in order to get a good idea of what is expected in that area.