CSULA's ABSN program Summer 2019

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Hello there!

I would love to start a thread of those applying for CSULA's ABSN program for summer 2019. I was hoping we could give each other some support and hopefully get to know each other a bit before starting school! I'm a little worried as I hear that the program is super competitive and I don't have many volunteer hours or experience. Is this a deciding factor in the decision process?

@E.R Silverlake, pretty sure CSULB doesn't have an accelerated program. From past students' posts, I read somewhere that the entire process took 1-1.5 hours from the beginning of the interview (which allegedly consisted of about 10-15 questions) through the writing sample.

I'll see if I can find and link the post.

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To E.R. Silverlake and jleegato, you are both correct in that CSULB does NOT have an ABSN program- rather they have a "transfer" BSN program. It still seems to skip a few years of undergrad and is designed for second degree seekers, but takes about two years. Thanks to jleegato for providing some info about the interview- it's all in line with what I've read on these boards for prior years- and there is some kind of communication exercise? I may be getting wires crossed, as both CSULA and LB have interviews that seem similarly structured.

In any case, best of luck to everyone!

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Thanks @jleegto and @RNtober26 for the responses and providing your stats.

Has anyone gotten invited to interview yet? Based on threads from prior years, I think they could start sending invites out as soon as next week (start Monday Jan. 28th) right? Let us know when you hear from the school!

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Got an invitation this morning for an interview from Dr. Hinoki. I set it for next weekend. Come on birthday month! Whoo - the excitement (stress?)!

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@jleegato you seem very well qualified both academically and experience wise. Congrats. I am sure you'll kill it on the interview. What are the options she gave you for interview dates?

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On 1/22/2019 at 4:56 PM, E.R Silverlake said:

Hi All,

I submitted shortly before deadline and got confirmation today that my application is complete.

@Smiles_34, CNA, my TEAs overall score was 96% correct, 99th percentile (national). My undergrad GPA was 3.25. Science pre-reqs 4.0. I have no professional experience in healthcare, just about 200hrs bedside volunteering (hospice.) What about you?

@RNtobe26, you mentioned CSULB. Do they have an ABSN? I thought they did not.

Regarding CSULA, does anyone know how the interview is structured? I heard about a writing sample. How long is that? 30 minutes? Is there a group interview or just individual? Any info/thoughts would be hugely appreciated!

Wow, great TEAS scores! Congratulations. Have you heard back yet?

My TEAS score was 90.7% raw, which translated to the 99th percentile nationally. I went through a tough period during my undergrad, but managed a 3.36 GPA. I did much better with my prereqs and got a 3.88 GPA.

I have been a CNA for almost 2 and a half years, working first at a SNF, then assisted living, and now a hospital. I also am just becoming a Unit Secretary at my hospital, which will help me learn the more administrative side of things.

I think experience is very important to them, especially since my undergrad GPA wasn't the highest. Another factor that may have played a role was that I took Micro and Physio together last semester and got an A in both while working. That is just a guess, however!

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On 1/24/2019 at 11:09 AM, jleegato said:

Got an invitation this morning for an interview from Dr. Hinoki. I set it for next weekend. Come on birthday month! Whoo - the excitement (stress?)!

Congratulations! What day is your interview? I got an invitation last week and have mine set for next Tuesday. Looking at last year's thread, it seems like there will be two writing prompts to answer within 25 minutes. Who knows though, they may switch it up year by year. I am also excited and nervous!

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5 hours ago, Smiles_34 said:

Wow, great TEAS scores! Congratulations. Have you heard back yet?

My TEAS score was 90.7% raw, which translated to the 99th percentile nationally. I went through a tough period during my undergrad, but managed a 3.36 GPA. I did much better with my prereqs and got a 3.88 GPA.

I have been a CNA for almost 2 and a half years, working first at a SNF, then assisted living, and now a hospital. I also am just becoming a Unit Secretary at my hospital, which will help me learn the more administrative side of things.

I think experience is very important to them, especially since my undergrad GPA wasn't the highest. Another factor that may have played a role was that I took Micro and Physio together last semester and got an A in both while working. That is just a guess, however!

Hey Smiles_34, I'm glad you got an interview. You deserve it! Congrats and good luck! I agree your experience probably makes you very competitive. She cares about that a lot. I also read that she prefers to see at least "90th percentile" in EACH section of the TEAs. I did not get an invite for the interview yet. I told her from the start that I was out of the country all of February and can only interview after March 2nd. She said she made note of it in my file, so I am hoping I will get an invite later!? She did tell me to make sure I can intercept an email from their extended education division (PaGE) system while I am away (to apply to the University.) This is something applicants are asked to do whether or not they are invited to interview, however, from what I understand based on last year's forum. Good luck with the interview! Let us know how the interview goes. I read that the face to face part consists of 10 to 15 questions. Can you confirm this once you've gone? It seems like a lot...I wander how long this meeting is?

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I just got the interview invitation email this morning- very excited! I was offered three dates, the latest of which is February 16. I guess now I start to freak out about what to wear, how to get there, how to prepare for the questions and writing prompts... whew! Good luck to everyone. I wonder what their applicant pool looked like this year...

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Yay, guys congrats on your invitations! Mine's this Saturday. The more I let it sit, I realize there isn't more I want to say than whatever comes to my mind. Figure that it's best to just be myself - strengths, insecurities, and all - this weekend.

Best wishes to you guys ? - and good luck to everyone else still waiting for an invite. I'll fill you in (minus the prompt + interview questions, obviously) on how it goes in the coming weeks.

-J

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Best of luck on your interview, jleegato! Thanks for sharing whatever is kosher. Maybe it's best to just get it done rather than put off my interview to the last date. I feel the same- you can prepare so much, but better to go in and put yourself out there- either you're a good fit or you're not. If you are, great- you're meant to be there! And if not, you're better off somewhere else anyway. I hope we all find our places this application round.

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I JUST GOT AN EMAIL OFFERING ME AN INTERVIEW!!! :D

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