FSCJ Fall 2014 hopefuls

Mercutio76 · Apr 21, 2014

Does the packet need to be on campus June 1st or just postmarked by then since it's on a weekend I think. Also, what are the max amount of points one can earn on the NAT and when will we know what the point cutoff is?

nolelove · Apr 21, 2014

I remember seeing somewhere that the most points you can get for the NAT is 120 same as GPA. I'm not sure for the date of postmark. You won't know the point cutoff until they have completed the admission process and start sending out the denial letters.

bautmj · Apr 26, 2014

Hello all. I've been following this forum since Summer 2014. I finally decided to make an account. :) I applied for FSCJ Nursing Summer 2014. It was my first try. I was still taking Micro at the time (this past Spring 2014). Other than that, I had straight A's in all the prerequisites save for one B in DEP2004. I only took the NAT once and applied with a score of 180. To be honest, I thought my score was 201. I guess I calculated my score incorrectly. Anyhow, the cuttoff for Summer was 185. So I was 5 points off and about 15 students away since only 94 students were accepted for Summer Term. I completed Microbiology with an A. My score should now be 196. I'm trying to heighten my score to at least 210 to secure my application. I'm retaking the NAT in two weeks.

I would be really devasted if I wasn't accepted on the second try. I was an EKG Monitor Technician on a cardiac unit for 2 and half years. Actually, I taught students from FSCJ during clinicals. They were always brought to me to help read strips and rhythms. Now I work as a Unit Clerk at a different hospital. But, I've always worked side-by-side with RN's. My previous major was Biomedical Science. I was accepted to UNF for it but at the same time, I realized by passion for healthcare laid with nursing. Anyways, hello all. :) Advice for me is welcomed.

Manny92 · Apr 27, 2014

Hello all. I've been following this forum since Summer 2014. I finally decided to make an account. :) I applied for FSCJ Nursing Summer 2014. It was my first try. I was still taking Micro at the time (this past Spring 2014). Other than that, I had straight A's in all the prerequisites save for one B in DEP2004. I only took the NAT once and applied with a score of 180. To be honest, I thought my score was 201. I guess I calculated my score incorrectly. Anyhow, the cuttoff for Summer was 185. So I was 5 points off and about 15 students away since only 94 students were accepted for Summer Term. I completed Microbiology with an A. My score should now be 196. I'm trying to heighten my score to at least 210 to secure my application. I'm retaking the NAT in two weeks.
I would be really devasted if I wasn't accepted on the second try. I was an EKG Monitor Technician on a cardiac unit for 2 and half years. Actually, I taught students from FSCJ during clinicals. They were always brought to me to help read strips and rhythms. Now I work as a Unit Clerk at a different hospital. But, I've always worked side-by-side with RN's. My previous major was Biomedical Science. I was accepted to UNF for it but at the same time, I realized by passion for healthcare laid with nursing. Anyways, hello all. :) Advice for me is welcomed.

Hello, bautmj. To be honest, I think you're well on your way to getting accepted next term. You have the grades, motivation, and experience to excel in the program. The only thing you need to work on is the NAT test. Do you get test anxiety? What score did you get on the NAT the first time?

Preparing for NAT is tricky because there really isn't one way to study for it. What helped me was reading a lot, reviewing/practicing 8th grade math, Anatomy and Physiology, and a little bit of basic chemistry. Read over the concept sections in the A&P and chemistry textbooks; use context clues to identify unknown words; use critical thinking strategies; try to answer ALL the problems no matter what; learn to become a quick reader.

I hope this helps! I wish you the best!

Phoenix_Fire · Apr 29, 2014

Out app deadline date was on a weekend as well, and they extended the date to that Monday. Since June 1st falls on a Sunday, they will probably accept through June 2nd. The postmark date should be by the application deadline. If you are local though, walk that baby in there! I stood in line with other people dropping off our applications because we were all nervous about just dropping it in the mail. You hear horror stories and such.

burgjp · Apr 29, 2014

Im an EMT and I got accepted for the summer but I work on an ambulance, id suggest you ask your supervisor if in the letter they'd write you are an EMT and not an ER tech. Goodluck

Yea. Cheryl James basically said I had to been an EMT on an ambulance to receive the experience points. I'm pretty much done trying to fight for the experience points, so my only hope is to do better on the NAT. I got 176 for summer so I was off by 9 points. I can't remember if the cutoff is higher or lower for fall term. How different is the NAT vs. TEAS. I'm studying for both. Good luck to all of us!

Jaturner1994 · May 6, 2014

Hi there,

my total score is 181.68, what do you think my chances are for getting into the Fall program?

Jaturner1994 · May 6, 2014

Also that is without Microbiology and SYG 2000! But I won't have time to get them completed before June 1st!

anestesia21 · May 7, 2014

Does anyone know what the cut off was for last term? And what sections on the NAT do they take in account?

I did horrible the first time I took the NAT :-/

nolelove · May 7, 2014

I read in the post for summer hopefuls that the cut off was 185.5. For the NAT they take into account your academic aptitude(which consists of verbal, arithmetic, and the non-verbal sub-tests), natural sciences, and reading comprehension. To get your points for your application you add those three numbers together and multiply them by .64.

SweetSouthernLove, ASN, BSN · May 9, 2014

Hello One & All!

So I just finished taking the NAT today as I had to reschedule my previous date (May 13th) due to a work conflict. These are my RAW scores:

VE (Verbal) - 23

AR (Arithmetic) - 13

NE (Nonverbal) - 20

AA (Academic Aptitude) - 56 (This is the total for the previous three sections [VE, AR, NE] as they are subtests in to this section as a whole.)

SP (Spelling) - 26

RC (Reading Comprehension) - 31

INS (Information in the Natural Sciences) - 59

VAI (Vocational Adjustment Index) - 86

Please note that this is my ENTIRE list of RAW scores taken directly from my NAT results sheet. I wanted to post these so you will see how things add up. Only three sections are used to calculate points (Academic Aptitude, Reading Comp., and Natural Sciences).

So my personal calculation was this: 56 + 31 + 59 = 146 * .64 =93.44

My prerequisite total points is 99 points.

99 + 93.44 = 192.44.

I am happy with this score. I am not going to sit here and say I spent ample amounts of time studying random facts from the sciences, or vocabulary sections of ARCO books because the truth is that I didn't. I really wanted to see what my score would be WITHOUT studying excessively for this exam, despite the fact that I would have had to wait 90+ days to retake it again. I am GLAD I did it this way. I wasn't obsessing over one question because I didn't have a scrambled egg for a brain full of useless information to try and pull from. If I DID NOT know the answer, I picked an answer within 5 to 10 seconds and completely moved on from that question.

The timing of this test is the most frustrating aspect you have to deal with. I made up my mind before I took this exam that I would answer every single question, leaving nothing unanswered or blank. This immensely helped me to push myself to move forward as quickly as I could to digest each and every question and then GO BACK to them if I was hesitant. More than likely I used educated guesses, I did not Christmas Tree the thing but I did my best with what my prerequisite courses had taught me.

I do not think this exam is designed for the amount of knowledge you have acquired but more so how adaptable you are to produce something of value under pressure. Don't try and answer everything perfectly, you will lose precious minutes. I honestly looked at my clock MORE than my questions. The reading comprehension is an absolute MUST SKIM. I had 4 different passages, which would have taken 3-5 minutes to read if I had chose to do so. Read your QUESTION first, then go look for your answer. If you are educated on the English language at all you will more than likely be able to guess what they are asking.

I think the majority of students who are taking this exam are feeling pressure to excel in academia rather than focusing on one thing, and that's finishing the material in it's entirety and making something decent out of it.

I wanted to share this experience because I too was EXTREMELY nervous about this exam, much like the TEAS for UNF as well. I would speak endlessly to my husband about it, who eventually wished I would hurry up and take the stupid thing just to have a different topic of conversation. As nursing students, we obsess because we are competing, when you take this test, whether it is a retake or for the first time, whatever your financial or personal situation may currently be, PLEASE relax and show that you know how to take an exam and that you ARE competent in areas that you have been taking 2 or 3 semesters of prerequisites for this career path.

This is what worked for me.

Jvileangel · May 10, 2014

Hello everyone. I would like to verify that the application deadline date is in fact June 1, 2014 for the Fall 2014 semester. Is that correct? I read April 1 on the 2014-2015 catalog and that is concerning.

Thank you very much...