Does Your School Give Priority Registration to Certain People?

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I have become really frustrated with the fact that my nursing school gives priority registration to people in the military (even though they are most likely not active since they are in nursing school) and to people in the spirit club which is a 50% scholarship program that is only available to people who went to the local high schools of the area, which is somewhat odd because this is a BSN program. I qualify for neither of these categories. I am a second degree student who has 200+ credits yet I can never get the professors/clinical sites/schedule I want because people in the spirit club and military get to register two weeks before anyone else and take all of the good professors. Does anyone else's school have policies like this? I'm thinking of asking my school more about this and fighting it. I don't want to make waves but there is a mountain of difference between regular faculty and adjunct faculty at my school and I am so afraid of getting a subpar nursing education because so many people are getting an advantage ahead of me. Advice/Insight?

Bo, the way my school works everyone is in a level and your level can only register on your day. So if someone is about to graduate they are only registering with everyone else who is about to graduate so you're scenario wouldn't happen at my school.

What would happen though is that there are 120 students in my level and let's say 60 spots in classes where the professors are excellent regular, non adjunct professors. The rest of the spots you could end up in a nighmarish schedule and with what at times has proven to be really awful sub-par instructors. Two weeks before registration anyone on the spirit squad in my level can go in at their leisure meet with an advisor and register for their courses. So when registration day comes all of those good spots are taken and everyone else is left with whatever is leftover at regular registration time. It just sucks.

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At my school we don't even get to register ourselves. The advisor registers all of us. She picks an arbitrary day and on that day at a certain time we can email her our prefrences of classes, times, days, and locations. If you email here a min early you go to the end of the list, its based on first come first served. However she can schedule us however she wants or sees fit. So yea it sucks but thats the way it is, and has been. I came into the program knowing their policy, so I deal with it. I hope you looked into your program before you got in and realized this was the way it worked, or is it something new that just happened?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Well, clearly, the discussion is rather academic and we should agree to disagree on some levels. Preferencial selection is being employed and always has been in many schools. The fact is, schools can in some ways, very arbitrarily set selection criteria and whether we agree or not, this is how it is. The best we can do is find out what the selection criteria, for a fact, first. This means finding a written list of such criteria, or asking during interviews what the process really is.

Then, it is logical to set ourselves up to be the best candidates and work hard to gain entry, and above all, be patient. It is sad that there are so many more students than slots in some places, frustrating, to say the least. I have been there and I understand.

I understand the OP is in school already now. I thought she was discussing selection criteria; so I am sorry for that. There may be a reason military sign up first. Perhaps because they are in a tight scheduling situation, this may be. I don't know for sure. Many schools offer absolutely no scheduling alternatives and you go when classes and clinicals are, no matter how inconvenient they are. That is how my school was. Also, I would sure ask my advisor these questions to clarify what the situation is and question the truly unfair practices. I wish you the best in nursing school.

I also wish Good luck to all aspiring nursing students. I hope you get in there and find the careers you so want.

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FYI, ACTIVE millitary members ARE allowed to go college. I know a girl (E-5) in the Navy who is FULL time NS student. She was accepted to a bsn program to become an officer. My husband is also active duty, but because he isnt in the officers program he has to schedule his classes in his off time which is proving to be quite difficult since he doesnt have the luxury of rearranging his schedule, or going to part-time work like civilians. I understand that you are fustrated, but I think you may do better to think of the entire situation instead of just your personal inconvenince. Those military people are fighting to protect YOU and your family. Is it really such a problem to let them get a "Thank you" by picking classes first???

Just a Thought,

Chancie

I do agree however that spots in ANY program should be baised on merrit not who you know or what you do- but I dont see the problem with scheduling

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Specializes in HCA, Physch, WC, Management.

The only people who get priority registration are students who are already enrolled and they get priority over those who are new incoming. It gives regular students an opportunity to set up their schedules and have a better chance at getting the classes they need. For us nursing students, it gives us a continued "guaranteed" spot in our classes before allowing in people who exited out. No other priority is given to anyone. No other pre-registration is allowed.

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My school is set up in sections. I am a first semester student and there are 3 total sections. Each section has a set schedule, so by picking your section you are basically picking your schedule. And the schedule if for the entire program. On the first day of orientation into the program, we had a sign in sheet. And they went by the order on the sheet in letting us pick our section/schedule. So it was first come, first served. But they did not tell us that it was going to be this way. I was about 20 minutes early, but if I had known they were doing this, I would have been there much earlier. I was lucky and still got the section I wanted.

Anyway, I don't think it's fair to give certain students (besides disabled) an advantage. It sould be a first come, first served.

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I can be called to go die overseas tomorrow, and I shouldn't be able to register early as a nice perk? My school doesn't offer this, and it doesnt matter because i'm already in nursing school, but it's the prinicpal of it. I may not be around next semester to compete for your slot in 'Ethics 101' because i'm laying in a casket instead, so is it really that big of a deal? You know in my school of thousands i've met one other person in the military of any form - so I can't imagine your competing against battalions of military personnel for slots.

So sorry for interrupting your freedom lol

-SSgt USAF

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I have no problem with people with special needs and disabilities registering before me. And as a reponse to SmilingBlu Eyes I really respect and appreciate everything that people in the military have done for this country. I am so thankful and so grateful for their hard work and what they're going through in Iraq. I'm thinking about joining up once I graduate but I still believe that if you're in nursing school than nursing school should come first. If you don't have military service that conflicts with nursing school classes than why should you get priority over other people? Where does it stop? Should someone who has served in the Peace Corps wait in line behind someone in the military?

I am in the middle of my nursing education so I'm not about to go find another school. My school, like most nursing schools, has some really frustrating policies. Sometimes they don't like it when students make issues out of things and sometimes they welcome constructive criticism if you have a way to change things for the better. Call me crazy but I think when it comes to nursing school everyone, no matter what your background, should have an equal playing field. We have all worked our behinds off getting here, we've all gotten in, we should all be able to register at the same time and then whatever happens at least it was an equal shot for all.

Peace Corps is bunk.

If you serve your country one of the benefits is that MANY MANY MANY employers and schools give you priority. As they should.

Don't like it? Join the military.

Nursing school is hard no doubt but the military is harder. You worked your butt off? You really haven't a clue as to what hard work really means. Compared to the military nursing school is a breeze.

Service gets you benefits. Always been that way, always will.

They treat you different because you are different. Vets and families of vets sacrifice more than you'll ever know.

Don't thank us and try to take our benefits in the same sentence...

People willing to give their lives for you get to go before you.

You might as well get used to it. If we both apply for a job, all else being equal or close, you can bet that the Vet will get the job. :)

It's quite nice. We sacrificed, now you get to as well. ;)

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My school does not have any type of preference over registration.. But in order to get into the program, they do take into account if you are a county student or not since it's a county community college.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Okay - lets stay to the topic of if anyone should get priority registration at nursing school. Thanks...

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At my school, "continuing students" register first. They are followed by: 1. Those who have sat out for one or more semesters. 2. Those who have withdrawn from their previous nursing course. 3. Those with a D or F in their previous nursing course. 4. Those continuing students who failed to register when they were suppose to. I always kinda feel sorry for all those that have to wait until after the "continuing students" register because they are really lucky to even get a spot, never mind a schedule that they like.

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For registration it does not matter but when it comes to who gets in the program and who does not, first it goes by science GPA. my school takes your science GPA and averages it, then the school decides on a "cutoff." My science GPA last year averaged to a 3.7 and the cutoff was a 3.4, so everyone with a 3.4 got in and everyone below was placed on the waiting list. Honors kids were ALWAYS given a seat in the major first, then direct admits (which is what I was) - you had to have a certain HS GPA and a certain ACT/SAT score to get direct admit status. After that they looked at students who were neither honors or direct admits.

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