George Mason University ABSN Fall 2021

zns23 · Mar 28, 2021

Hey Everyone! I’m accepted as well. I would love to get to know people in my group. We’re gonna be stuck together for a year haha.

did anyone create a fb group yet?

Kim Pekin · Mar 28, 2021

Count me in on a facebook group!

nik531 · Apr 1, 2021

Congratulations to all of you who got accepted! That's awesome!

Any advice for those that weren't accepted or waitlisted?

I really like mason's ABSN program. I heard good things about the program itself and it seems to be the best in the DMV area. I've spent the last year retaking expired pre reqs. Perhaps I should consider graduate level science courses? Any advice is appreciated.

Congrats to all of you again!

sophie2021 · Apr 7, 2021

Has anyone heard anything about when we register for classes?

Bethany2134 · Apr 9, 2021

I was accepted into the ABSN program, but after talking with a friend I have in the traditional BSN program and hearing more about her thoughts on the nursing department as a whole, I'm thinking it may go to another program to earn my accelerated degree. She told me about how the program overall isn't coordinated very well and that if she could do it again, she'd have gone somewhere else for her nursing degree. Apparently some of the faculty are a nightmare to deal with. I'm just worried about being prepared enough after the program to take the NCLEX exams, so I'm not sure the learning quality is worth it for me. Thinking I may go to either Shenandoah or VCU instead.

Kim Pekin · Apr 9, 2021

That's interesting Bethany. I'm looking forward to doing the Accelerated BSN at GMU, although I'm a little worried about it. I own two birth centers and I'm trying to delegate many of my administrative responsibilities to accommodate my time needs for this program. I'm worried still that I will have a lot of difficulty juggling all of the responsibilities involved in school and work. Is there something specific about how the "program isn't coordinated very well" that your friend feels was particularly bad? Faculty, is always a challenge, but that part doesn't worry me as much as the program coordination.

I considered Shenandoah's program, but it is so much more expensive. I'm going to have to pay 2 years of tuition for my MSN there, so I thought going to GMU for the BSN would be a way to save some money overall.

nik531 · Apr 9, 2021

@bethany2134 oh wow that interesting to hear. At least you have someone to offer insight and hopefully she will do well on her NCLEX despite this challenge. I am interested to know about the program's coordination. Thank you for this insight and best wishes on your journey!

Bethany2134 · Apr 12, 2021

When I mentioned how I was looking forward to the program with my friend and asked her more about it, she said right away, "there are better schools, believe me". She had talked more specifically about just how unprofessional the teachers were. She said compared to her other general education courses at the college, that the Nursing professors were the least knowledgeable and the least interested in helping students. One of her professors had gone on Twitter at some point to rant and complain about her students. Just very unprofessional and immature behavior that I wouldn't want expect from a serious Nursing program. But you kind of get what you pay for. I guess when they have a program that's cheaper than most other programs, they have to cut costs somewhere, so you get a small teaching staff that just didn't seem to care or want to help you succeed in any way. I also remember her saying that the administration there is a huge pain to work with. I'm thinking to be well-prepared for the NCLEX exam, I at least need reliable teachers who I can really learn from. It's still a lot of money to invest if I'm not getting a solid education. I honestly was put off by Shenandoah's price too, but I talked to my advisor on the phone and she mentioned how they have a lot of automatic grants and aid for Nursing students specifically. If you've got good grades too it will bring the cost down around 10,000. and that's what you get. I'm not trying to slander GMU or anything, but this is the information I got from my friend in the Nursing program there and thought it would be good to share as it has been very eye-opening for me.

Kim Pekin · Apr 12, 2021

Super helpful information. Definitely gives me some things to think about. Thank you for sharing.

K U · Apr 13, 2021

Hi! Current GMU ABSN student graduating this year here. I got into multiple ABSN programs and PA programs and ultimately went to GMU for the price, short length, convenience, and because I believed it was the best fit for what I needed. I think any school will have bad, average, and fantastic teachers regardless of how much it is. I obtained my first degree at the University of Richmond, the most expensive college in VA (I got a full-ride scholarship). I had absolutely excellent teachers there, but I also had a few god-awful professors, completely HORRIBLE, as in I still have nightmare stories about them. I've also taken classes at NOVA community college for prereqs and have been taught by some professors that were 10x better than some of my UofR professors. It's the same here at the GMU ABSN; there are bad, average, and excellent professors. For instance, our pathophysiology and pharmacology professors went above and beyond of what is required. Even though those have been our heaviest classes, our professors made things so much more palatable. I'm sorry to hear about that traditional student and that unprofessional teacher! Personally, I have not met any professors like that though. Even my worst professors so far have seemed very invested in both nursing and teaching. As for the NCLEX, there is no doubt in my mind that if you do well in this program and study, you will be beyond prepared for the NCLEX. From my own practice exams and from the required HESI section exams the program makes you take at the end of the semesters, my scores have always been well above the national average/recommended safe score. The more I learn about the NCLEX, the more I realize it is very much a 'study the test' type test. Again and again the advice I've been given from nurses, professors, and past students is to do practice exams and questions. The questions are weird, but once you're used to them, it's not too bad. Now, I'm in no way being sponsored to endorse GMU haha. There are definitely some things that could get better here such as some organizational things like class schedules, but I just wanted to throw my own two cents in.

Bethany2134 · Apr 15, 2021

That's great that you haven't had too bad of an experience. Yes, I know it takes lots of preparation for the exam and that it really is a specific thing all on it's own that needs to be studied for directly in relation to the formatting and types of questions presented. I've still heard that it's not something that you can practice for just by reading the book and doing practice exams. There's still a lot of instruction and learning that needs to be imparted from teachers. Just because of all the things I've heard from my own friend completing the program right now, I think I'm still wary about doing the program at GMU. It just seems a bit fishy to me. But if works for you, then that's great. I had another person I knew from high school that my mom was telling me about and how she attended the Radford accelerated program. I didn't even know they had an accelerated program, but apparently her mother told mine that she had been raving about it and said she was really happy with the training she recieved there. Kind of kicking myself now for not looking into that option and applying there. But good luck to everyone making the best decision with their options!

syd99 · Apr 18, 2021

On 4/13/2021 at 11:15 AM, K U said:

Hi! Wondering if anyone is still waiting to hear back on their transfer application for GMU. I submitted it in December, however in March one of my transcripts was still missing, but got it figured out. Really hoping that doesn't effect anything, but I still haven't heard from them and its freaking me out!