College requirements?

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

You are a graduating high school senior? I'm assuming so. Most nursing programs you cannot go right into after high school. You need to take prereqs at college then apply to the nursing program itself. If a BSN program is what you are looking at, then you will need to do about two years at college taking prereqs and general ed, then you apply to the actual nursing program.

So apply to the college you want, they'll probably let you in. That doesn't mean they are letting you into the nursing program.

TeeGuneys23 · Dec 1, 2009

You are a graduating high school senior? I'm assuming so. Most nursing programs you cannot go right into after high school. You need to take prereqs at college then apply to the nursing program itself. If a BSN program is what you are looking at, then you will need to do about two years at college taking prereqs and general ed, then you apply to the actual nursing program.
So apply to the college you want, they'll probably let you in. That doesn't mean they are letting you into the nursing program.

Yes Im a senior in HS. and for the nursing program.. you can go in as a freshman and I figured it just tells you the classes to take and alongside you can do your nursing program. Its all confusing to me. I want to get my BSN and these colleges have their BSN programs..

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

Ah, OK. So pick the one you want. Your acceptance to the college and declared major of nursing doesn't guarantee you entry into the BSN program. You apply to that during your second year of school (and can apply to other schools simultaneously). :)

Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

Ah, OK. So pick the one you want. Your acceptance to the college and declared major of nursing doesn't guarantee you entry into the BSN program. You apply to that during your second year of school (and can apply to other schools simultaneously). :)

Not everywhere. I only know about my alma mater, but I could have gone as a freshman directly into the school of nursing (I was originally in arts and sciences and transferred into nursing after two years of college).

GOMER42 · Dec 1, 2009

Not everywhere. I only know about my alma mater, but I could have gone as a freshman directly into the school of nursing (I was originally in arts and sciences and transferred into nursing after two years of college).

I've never heard of direct entry nursing program. You can declare yourself as a nursing major, but a program that let's you into the program without fulfilling any pre-requsites sounds sketchy.

SteffersRN87, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

Don't assume everything is the same! I went to a hospital-based diploma program (graduated 3 years ago) and the school accepted new high school graduated into the two year program. I know a few BSN program in my area require nursing students to meet certain requirements before entrance into the "sophomore year of nursing". There are a few other BSN programs that admit freshman as nursing majors and as long as they maintain a certain GPA they can remain in the program. It just depends!

As for the original poster...

Apply! Apply! Apply! If you do not think that your GPA and SAT scores alone will get you into where you want, then you need to use other approaches to the admissions process - 1) letter of reference/reccomendation, 2) personal interview, or 3) personal essay including why you want nursing as a career and goals. As long as you meet the minimum requirements, you are fair game for the admissions committee. If you think that you might be on the borderline, do some of the above to make your application stand out.

elkpark · Dec 1, 2009

Different colleges and universities set up their nursing programs different ways. Some accept people as "pre-nursing" majors or some other term and you apply to the nursing program itself after you've completed two years of pre-reqs and general education courses, and other programs are set up so you enter directly into the nursing program as a freshman and the pre-reqs are built in to the overall curriculum. Heck, there are probably other possibilities out there, as well! :)

To the OP -- if you don't try, you'll never know how it might have turned out. Go ahead and apply, and good luck!

thatsthekeyRNC · Dec 1, 2009

Definitely apply to all of the schools, you never know! Isn't there SAT's in december? You should at least try to take them again. Rutgers also accepts freshman into the nursing program, but I'm not sure of their freshman requirements. They don't have any pre reqs though. I just transferred into the school of arts and sciences and I'm applying to the nursing program for next fall. I did two years at community college so I have completed what would be "pre reqs" already, but like I said, they do accept freshman :-)

Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

I've never heard of direct entry nursing program. You can declare yourself as a nursing major, but a program that let's you into the program without fulfilling any pre-requsites sounds sketchy.

Well, I went to Boston College, which I'd hardly call sketchy. Everyone takes the standard "prerequisite" courses (A&P x 2, chemistry, microbio, etc.), but as elkpark suggested, they're not considered prereqs, they're part of the nursing curriculum, taken alongside the freshman nursing fundamentals courses. There's no subsequent need to apply to the school of nursing, as I said.

tokyoROSE, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2009

I was sort of in the same situation as you were, but instead of using the SAT score, they had a specific test (English and Math) that you had to take. I took it twice and the scores were not good enough. I then turned to the nursing department and most told me that the spots were normally filled with PERFECT scores! I totally freaked out. But then as I got more information, they told me that they were discontinuing that admission process. The new one actually went in place the same semester I started college. Now if that hadn't happened, I would have looked at different colleges. They changed it to the standard -- doing prereqs (normally 2 years) and then applying based on GPA.

My advice to you is to keep asking questions. Don't give up. Your SAT score's not enough, then look at other options and colleges. If nursing is really what you want, there will be a way.

TeeGuneys23 · Dec 1, 2009

yeah so i sent an email to Caldwell College in NJ and this is what they told me. To be able to be accepted into the Nursing program, you would need to have the minimum SAT score of 1050 combined reading and math. So my 860 is definetely not going to get me into the program. I have taken the SAT's twice and got 1260 both times. I have the SAT collegeboard book but idk if that book will do drastic changes to my SAT score. I feel like it might be a waste of time because each SAT test is different then the next. I dont have a big vocabulary and im terrible at math. Do you think its worth taking the SAT's for a 3rd time and actually attempting to study? Anyone that has used the SAT book, did you see drastic changes?

I really need help because I really want to make it into these colleges. I just can never even seem to break into 500's for any of the sections. Getting all 420's the first time and then getting a 440 in VR, 400 in math, and a 420 in CR the second time.

HELPPP!