Thought it might be nice to have a general thread where everyone can share their journey without needing to create a specific thread for their school! I would love to hear from others going through this same process.... and if anyone has any other questions to add, let me know and I'll add them to the OP. That said.... share away!
Tell us about the school you're applying to.
I'm currently applying to a college of nursing through a hospital in my area. It's got a great NCLEX pass rate and a good retention rate as well.
What pre-reqs are you completing?
Working to complete A&P 1 and 2 prior to submitting my application.
What's the application deadline? When will you hear if you've been accepted or not?
Mine is January 1st. I'll know my status with the program by March.
Where are you in life right now - high school, college, going back to school? Working? Kids?
I'm 5 years post-A.D. and am working full time. I have a child in grade school.
How are you feeling about it all?
I'm feeling pretty confident. The school I'm looking at says a competitive candidate will have at least a B (3.0) average and I have a 3.8. Hoping to bring it up as I'm working to get A's on A&P. It's a wee bit overwhelming, though - it's hard to work 9-5, come home, study for 2 hours, stop for an hour to see my kid and put her to bed, and then head right back to it till 11 at night. Rinse and repeat. I know that's what school will be like, though, so I'm trying to get used to it!
Are you doing anything to get ready aside from taking courses (such as volunteering or shadowing a nurse)? How do you like it?
I'm going to be volunteering at a rehabilitation facility - my first day should be this Saturday. I'm nervous but looking forward to it and I'll probably pop in here afterwards to share my thoughts!
I'm attending a public university. Their main campus is about an hour or so away, but they have to regional campuses close by. I only knew of the one that only has a BSN program. I recently learned of the location that has an ADN program, which I've applied to.
My past college history from 8-12 years ago is not impressive. While it was taken into account to get into the university, the nursing program only takes the cumulative GPA from the university, not from anywhere else. It feels like a fresh start!
Last fall and first part of spring I was in a nursing program at a school that was not accredited, but had BON approval. I withdrew due to lack of continuing education opportunities due to lack of proper accreditation as well hearing about former grads being unable to find employment (even though admissions told me their placement rate was great) where as new grads from other schools were finding employment and poor graduation/NCLEX pass rates.
What pre-reqs are you completing?
I have to complete everything this year:
A&P I and II, Micro, Chem, Human Growth & Development, Nutrition, Sociology, Statistics (but only after I complete Algebra II and III), English II, and Fine Arts/Humanity Elective.
I'll finish my last two Summer 2016.
What's the application deadline? When will you hear if you've been accepted or not?
The application deadline is February 1st, though late applications are accepted if there are spots available. Acceptance letters go out, I believe, March - May. If you are still taking pre-reqs or any other courses, acceptance is probationary to make sure you maintain the proper GPA. GPA to get in is 2.7 (they prefer better). There are 60 spots available and a points system is used.
Where are you in life right now - high school, college, going back to school? Working? Kids?
I'm 30, almost 31, going back to school and married. I have a daughter who will be 2 at the end of August and a little boy that's due a week and a half after the semester starts. I quit my job last summer to start my former nursing school so I can focus on school and my family.
How are you feeling about it all?
Terrified. This feels like the "real deal" compared to what I came from. Also to know that I could be doing all of this and not get into the program. Also it's a little scary taking on such a full load and juggling a newborn. I'm also worried about the timing of his arrival, mostly about him deciding to do so the first week of class.
Are you doing anything to get ready aside from taking courses (such as volunteering or shadowing a nurse)? How do you like it?
Not currently. Our lives don't really allow for it at the time.
Welcome everyone!!! It was so fun to come on and see that so many folks joined this thread who I hadn't seen in here before. And welcome to little Miss Spring 2016 as well, lucky you for at least having the "Will I Be Accepted????" already out of the way :)
I'm having a moment where I'm worrying that nursing school might be too hard. I started out last month doing a review of chemistry and algebra, along with starting A&P 1 online on top of working 8 hours per day. Honestly, I've stopped doing my chem/algebra review so I can focus exclusively on getting through A&P quickly while getting the best possible grades. I'm going to start it up again once I finish my A&P 1 and 2 but I'm just concerned that I won't be able to juggle the demands of 4 courses per semester plus clinical and class time if I can't even handle three courses all at once plus my job.
I'm also slightly panicking because I have had zero time to hit the gym and I'm afraid once school starts for real I'm going to lose my fitness
I'm in nursing school right now and that panic has hit me not just a few times. You will have these days. Once you get into nursing school, however, you have to start recognizing the adjustments you will be making will be far greater than you realize. Nursing school is not just a sacrifice of time, for some of us, there are things (like our beloved workouts) that will fall by the wayside every so often. Don't beat yourself up about it. You will figure out how to manage your time as the program goes and you will find yourself squeezing in workouts and making time for other things as you can. YOU WILL MAKE IT WORK IF YOU WANT IT TO.
Keep it pushin. You'll get there and the sacrifices will be so worth it.
I would love to hear any helpful tips on the application process. What program are you at? Are you happy with it?
Hi Adrien! I can give you a few tips that impacted mine and my friends who applied to CSUS SON.
1st - Don't ignore the spring acceptance! Very few schools enroll students twice a year so if you can apply to start in the spring. The sooner you start the sooner you're done!
2nd - Know and take advantage of the IP rules for SON but do some research if you aren't currently a CSUS student because what can be in progress may be different for the university. I missed this little tid bit and had to wait an additional semester to apply. The current rules for IP require that the student provide proof of passing that class. However, that will be changing soon and your GPA will be recalculated based on the grade earned.
3rd - If you have multiple attempts for the same area (either pre reqs or co reqs) you will lose 5 points from your overall score. The only way around this is if one of the attempts was during your time as a student with a different major. If this applies to you, make sure you write a letter of explanation and include it with your supplemental application. The points are getting higher and higher and 5 points can have a huge impact!
I haven't started yet - I'm about two months away from first semester. I have several friends in semesters ahead of me who absolutely love the program. They talk about how helpful everyone involved in the program is, the sense of community among the students - even through different cohorts.
Depending on your financial situation I would start saving money now. Without books or tuition I've spent just under $1,000. It's a lot of little expenses that add up; uniforms, immunizations, mandatory orientation, lab supplies, shoes... for the first month I was bleeding money.
I hope there is some information in there that will be helpful. If you have a specific question let me know!
Hi!!! I applied at my local community college for this fall semester. I should be getting a letter sometime this week letting me know if I am accepted or not! I am so anxious to know and have been waiting 8 week for this letter to come! I started college Fall 2013 and would have applied for the nursing program Spring 2015 semester but took one of my classes too late to apply. So I had an extra semester (spring 2015) to take extra pre-reqs for when i transfer for my BSN in the future.
I have been lucky to not have to work while attending school; my fiancee works and provides for us..us being myself and two kids. This year will be a little easier in that both will be in school.
I sat outside today waiting for the mailman and i will do that everyday this week until i get my letter :) I have always wanted to be a nurse since i was younger and i want to now even more. I have been looking all over the internet for groups in similar spots in life :)
I'm probably in the minority here regarding programs, but I'm applying to a few Acc BSN programs, and a few entry level MSN programs. I just finished a B.S. at University of Oregon, so all my prereqs are out of the way (phew)! I already took the GRE, and I'm debating whether or not I should take the TEAS. Only a few schools require it, but they're not schools I want to pass on (Samuel Merritt and CSU LA are the only two on my list I know of). Of course, application deadlines are all over the place! I just submitted the ELMN application for Johns Hopkins, and I'm working on UCSF at the moment, which is due Sept 1. Everything else is in the future, and I'm not gonna worry about those until they get here!
For now, I have a full time job in a medical office, but I won't be doing much medical stuff (I'm an admin). I hope it'll at least give me a good look into the field, because the office employs both NPs and MDs. If I don't get in to a school on the first round, I'll look into getting a certification, either CNA or phlebotomy.
I'm a bit nervous for all the applications. Most schools I'm applying to are very competitive, and I only have a 3.49 GPA (cumulative, but I think my science and prereq GPA is higher). I'm also fresh out of undergrad, so I don't have much experience. I did work as a pharmacy tech for a while, and I volunteered as triage for a free clinic. I figure I should try for a bunch now (since my goal is to eventually work as an NP) because the programs are there. If I don't get in the first round, I'll rake up more experience and try again.
Got my CNA license and now looking for work. October is coming up so that means general admissions are gonna open soon! Some schools, the nursing applications are gonna open at the same time too. I'm so excited but scared. It's like I've been working towards this for two years now, thinking about it for three years and now it's finally happening.
Wheeeeeeee I just finished A&P 1 with a 96%!!!! Now to scramble together the funds to start A&P 2! Really pleased about my high grade in the first course and feeling determined to get an even higher grade on the next one :)
Hi everyone! I just joined the group. I plan to apply in the spring to start fall 2016. I got an 88 on the teas and As in prereqs. I retook anatomy to get a higher grade, which of course equals more points. My advisor tells me I should be a strong candidate with the points I have. Good luck everyone!
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mildprap
11 Posts
yes it is. except 2 pre-req cause I haven't take it yet