Direct Entry Programs- How hard to get in?

Hi CAG12345,

It's always good to have a Plan B - BSN, ADN, etc. Unfortunately, the ADN programs are also very competitive. For several of the ADN programs here, all you need is 3.0 for the pre-reqs; then they put everyone's name into a hat and draw 25 names via lottery. (The last time they had 117 people in the hat! That includes some people who didn't get in the first time; they got 2 lottery chances this time. Even 2nd time, some of they didn't get in.) It seems crazy that there is such a nursing shortage, but there aren't enough slots to train future nurses like us! :-(

Smile123

That is the point of the first paragraph of my response to Gen's post exactly! It shouldn't be this hard for any of us, although I understand what Gen is saying, and I have heard it before, having to do with the shortage of faculty, and at least in CA, also the shortage of funding for the community college system. Ironically, this lack of any guarantee I would get in at the junior college level combined with my definite interest in being an NP to start my looking into direct entry programs.

OK, I just popped home to check the mail. There was a letter from UCSF! But it was a No, so it looks like I start working on other plans for the next year and apply again in the fall. *shrug*

I reckon I'll start this evening off with a :beercuphe

Hi Chris. I'm sorry to hear the disappointing news.

I applied to UCSF last year and didn't even get an interview. This year I'm in. So don't give up hope, the second time can be a charm :)

Take care and enjoy San Francisco if you come here. It's awesome!!

Hi Chris. I'm sorry to hear the disappointing news.

I applied to UCSF last year and didn't even get an interview. This year I'm in. So don't give up hope, the second time can be a charm :)

Take care and enjoy San Francisco if you come here. It's awesome!!

Congratulations to you! Just wondering what you did differently this time that helped you get in.

Congratulations to you! Just wondering what you did differently this time that helped you get in.

Thanks!! I'm very excited and relieved :)

There were 4 major changes/additions to my application the second time around:

1. I changed choice of specialties. Last year I applied for nurse-midwifery (most popular!). This year I changed my focus within the childbearing population to Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist.

2. I did another year of volunteer work at a different hospital. I got as involved as I could there.

3. The supervisor at my volunteer position wrote me a kick-butt letter of rec (which totaled 5 in my file. whew!)

4. I wrote a new essay that detailed all the new changes over the last year and how I'm even more prepared to matriculate this year.

Hope this helps! What programs are you intersted in? What specialties are you applying to?

-emily

Congratulations!

To everyone waiting, I hope this week is a little less stressful:rolleyes:

Thanks!! I'm very excited and relieved :)

There were 4 major changes/additions to my application the second time around:

1. I changed choice of specialties. Last year I applied for nurse-midwifery (most popular!). This year I changed my focus within the childbearing population to Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist.

2. I did another year of volunteer work at a different hospital. I got as involved as I could there.

3. The supervisor at my volunteer position wrote me a kick-butt letter of rec (which totaled 5 in my file. whew!)

4. I wrote a new essay that detailed all the new changes over the last year and how I'm even more prepared to matriculate this year.

Hope this helps! What programs are you intersted in? What specialties are you applying to?

-emily

Thanks!! I'm very excited and relieved :)

There were 4 major changes/additions to my application the second time around:

1. I changed choice of specialties. Last year I applied for nurse-midwifery (most popular!). This year I changed my focus within the childbearing population to Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist.

2. I did another year of volunteer work at a different hospital. I got as involved as I could there.

3. The supervisor at my volunteer position wrote me a kick-butt letter of rec (which totaled 5 in my file. whew!)

4. I wrote a new essay that detailed all the new changes over the last year and how I'm even more prepared to matriculate this year.

Hope this helps! What programs are you intersted in? What specialties are you applying to?

-emily

Thanks Emily for sharing! I think the focus area is particularly important; the more popular ones like mid-wiferery, FNP and ANP are the hardest to get into. For the 5 recommendations, did you only add 1 new one or did you resubmit 5 new ones? Congratulations again!

Smile123

Thanks Emily for sharing! I think the focus area is particularly important; the more popular ones like mid-wiferery, FNP and ANP are the hardest to get into. For the 5 recommendations, did you only add 1 new one or did you resubmit 5 new ones? Congratulations again!

Smile123

Did UCSF allow an unlimited # of recs? I only ask because MGH stated in the application specifically to only include 3 recs- no more thn three would be read. So, I just kind of assumed that was the deal at BC too and only submitted three (which is what they requested) there too.

Should I have submitted more I wonder?

-Jess

Thanks Emily for sharing! I think the focus area is particularly important; the more popular ones like mid-wiferery, FNP and ANP are the hardest to get into. For the 5 recommendations, did you only add 1 new one or did you resubmit 5 new ones? Congratulations again!

Smile123

You know speaking of specialties- it was very interesting when we broke into specialty groups at the MGH infosession, more than half of the people in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner group expressed an interest in midwifery- which MGH doesn't offer. I thought it was really strange that all these people showed up for a program that wouldn't train them for labor and delivery- which is what they said they want to do. So, they would do all the work for a WHNP and then have to go through another midwifery program on top of that once they finish. That just doesn't make sense to me- and if it had been one or two people I would have thought they were uninformed of the scope of practice of WHNPs (no L&D) but it was like 6 people in a group of 12. Weird...

-Jess

I doubt you did yourself any harm by following the instructions. I would imagine if you submitted more, they would have ignored them.

Did UCSF allow an unlimited # of recs? I only ask because MGH stated in the application specifically to only include 3 recs- no more thn three would be read. So, I just kind of assumed that was the deal at BC too and only submitted three (which is what they requested) there too.

Should I have submitted more I wonder?

-Jess

Good moring everyone- welcome to another week of waiting!!! LOL

I wonder if today will be the day for some of us!

-Jess

Morning MGH-waiters,

They supposedly made their decisions last Friday, right FutureNurseJess, according to the e-mail they sent you? Isn't today the first day they mightsend out the letters ?

Morning MGH-waiters,

They supposedly made their decisions last Friday, right FutureNurseJess, according to the e-mail they sent you? Isn't today the first day they mightsend out the letters ?

That's the story as I know it. :) I'm betting that the earliest we'll hear from MGH is Wed.

-Jess