Do I have a chance at UIC's Graduate Entry Program?

[racataca]

I am a recent graduate of Loyola Chicago (well...in 2007), and after having been out in the "real world" for 2.5 years, I realize that my degree (International Relations) isn't what I should have studied, and nursing is. So I'm really REALLY REALLY interested in UIC's GEP program, but I'm wondering if I'm competitive, and how competitive the program is to enter. Here is a rundown of my stats:

--International Relations major, poli-sci and photography minor -- 3.4 undergrad GPA. My freshman year was horrrrrible (2.9 average), so I transferred to Columbia College with intents of studying photography. I got about a 3.5 there, but realized that I like academics better than art, so then I transferred back to Loyola and got a 3.8 pretty much every semester except my last one, where I got a 3.1 because I was carrying 19 credit hours plus full time work.

--After graduation, I joined the Peace Corps, where I went to Panama and worked as part of the Environmental Health sector. That's basically health promotion; teaching a lot of HIV/AIDS seminars, teaching handwashing and sex-ed, first aid, etc.

--Since the Peace Corps, I've stayed in Panama and volunteered with the Ministry of Health in their health promotion at their Centros de Salud (Health Centers) across the country.

--In college, I worked for 3 years as admin in an ER.

--I am planning on taking my prereqs down here in Panama (bio, chem, a&p) at an accredited university, but I haven't taken them yet. I'll take my GRE sometime around feb/march, but I'm not really worried about that one.

--My goals are to get my MSN/MPH and really focusing my work on at-risk population, and the latin american immigrant population. I want to do a lot of preventative work, though working in a hospital is also very attractive to me.

So basically I have no clinical experience, but a long history of health-related experience. What do I need to do to make myself a more competitive candidate, or do I have a chance now?

[prinsessa]

It sounds like you have a shot! I don't know what the average GPA is for people accepted to the GEP program but it is around 3.7 for the BSN program. That being said there were quite a few people there with GPAs much lower than that. I think it looks good that you have some kind of experience (especially in another country). UIC is big on global health. I'm not sure what the requirements are for the GEP program. If an essay is part of it I would talk about your experience in the Peace Corps. Call UIC CON to see if they have an info sessions coming up. Good luck!

[lvaliav]

heck yea u have a shot!

[racataca]

Haha, why that enthusiastically, lvaliav? That makes me feel good about myself!

So I got a little stalker-y, and saw that you're in Illinois. Are you in school, or working? If you're in school, where do you study? Give me some insight!

[romie]

You have the breadth of worldly experience that UIC's GEP is looking for and your GPA is good. Be aware of the GRE, I understand that they have revamped it and and it is a lot harder than the earlier versions.

Your essay and interview will make or break your admission. They want to accept students who have demonstrated that they know the role of the advance practice RN and know which specialty and exactly why you are choosing that specialty. You have to be able to tell them exactly where you see yourself in 5 or so years. Angle of mercy and "it's a calling" or my mother was a nurse or "When I was in the hospital when I was five I had a good nurse" stories are not going to impress them. Find the national associations of Public Health, read a few position papers, look at the author of the position papers--many of these position papers in various specialty areas are written by UIC faculty. I know in my interview I stated that I read a position paper written by one of the faculty members who was interviewing me. That shows them you do your homework. It also depends on the specialty, some are more competitive than others. I think in my cohort there was only person who was working on the dual MSN/MHP. FNP, Peds, Midwifery are extremely competitive specialties. Shadow or at least talk to an NP in your specialty. Your Peace Corp and ER admin experience will serve you extremely well.

There were many liberal arts majors without a lick of science coursework in their original degrees who got in. You have a better chance than a bio major who lacks your worldly perspective that UIC values in their GEPpers! Good luck!