Getting into nursing school in NJ

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Nov 23, 2005

Unfortunately this is a common problem everywhere with the long waitlists. I would wait and see what happens AFTER you talk to the academic advisor.

Make sure to ask where exactly you stand and ask as many questions as you need to. Also, apply to as many programs as you can.

Don't be too worried. I am sure you are an excellent candidate and just do what they ask you to do and apply.

Best wishes to you.

antsypantsy · Nov 23, 2005

I would wait and see what happens AFTER you talk to the academic advisor.
Make sure to ask where exactly you stand and ask as many questions as you need to.

Excellent advice, thank you! I probably wouldn't have thought to ask that.

DD-RN · Nov 24, 2005

I am one of the MCC applicants for the fall of '06 too. At the "health info seminar" in Sept., I was told that last year, they had 700 applicants for 40 spots. I also have a prior BA, but that really does not make a difference for entrance acceptance. They go by the grade on your nursing entrance test (which you take after you apply) and your current GPA (not from old BA) and nursing pre-req GPA. No letters of reference needed for MCC. Also at MCC, if you do not get in for the year that you apply, you do not get on a wait list. There is no wait list. Just a new bunch (of hundreds of applicants) each year.

I also spoke to someone at Muhlenberg's accelerated program. She said the program was "fast-paced and intense" so if you havecommitments (job or kids) it might not be a good idea. The generic program is 5 semesters, but they have about 4 extra college classes that MCC does not require, so it would take 6 semesters. Their program is about $27,000.

Have you applied anywhere else?

jenn_rn_nj · Nov 24, 2005

I'm in central jersey, too...in monmouth but right on the mercer line. my original plan was mccc. unfortunately, i bought a house and it is just over the monmouth line so i am no longer eligible to attend mccc nursing program (they made it county residents only due to the huge wait list).

i also already have a bs, i still had to take a few pre-reqs since i was out of college >5 years. i will be attending the capital health system nursing school starting next fall. maybe look for hospital based programs...there are no wait lists for them (though they are slightly more competitive). if i didn't have to work full-time i could have started sooner, but with my workload, i needed to finish the pre-reqs instead of taking them along with the nursing program.

are you in middlesex county? i'm not sure of any hospital programs there, but depending on where in the county you live, st francis hosp in trenton or capital health might be viable options. i know mercer, monmouth and middlesex counties are all fairly close at points.

goodluck :)

antsypantsy · Nov 24, 2005

I'm in Middlesex county, and I haven't applied to anywhere else--yet. I work in Newark right now, but I really don't want to "live" there with work and school.

It's really odd that to get into MCCs program, you have to leave it up to chance, basically. I only need to take 2 pre-reqs that are basically 100 level courses, so that makes it easier on what, 600 out of the 700 people?? :rotfl:

I really want to go to MCC because it's cheaper in-county, and it's just an area I'm familiar with. What nursing exam do they use?? I should start studying now...

antsypantsy · Nov 24, 2005

are you in middlesex county? i'm not sure of any hospital programs there, but depending on where in the county you live, st francis hosp in trenton or capital health might be viable options. i know mercer, monmouth and middlesex counties are all fairly close at points.
goodluck :)

Thanks!

I'm right in Middlesex county, but right on the line of Somerset county. I was looking into RVCCs program. That's where I plan on taking the 10-wk Pharm Tech course.

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Nov 24, 2005

I live in Burlington County, 2 towns south of the Mercer County Border and I'm currently at Mercer County College's program, graduating in May. I was very fortunate that when I started my pre-req's that I had declared myself a nursing major, so I was grandfathered in before they cut it off for out of county residents. I could go to BCC, but it's like a 35 minute drive for me and MCCC is like 20 minutes.

For MCCC they will accept anyone as a nursing major there who applies there, but you have to have your prereq's finished (especially the science and math classes) where you have to petition to start the nursing portion of school. It took me 2 years to finish my prereq's and then the clinical portion is another 2 years. Last fall we had 120 people petition for Nursing I which had 60 seats. Almost 3 semesters later, my class has 31 students. 29 people either failed, withdrew because they were on the verge of failing or withdrew because of personal reasons (health or financial - one girl had a nervous breakdown because of school). And it's not even an accelerated program. I'm sure many of your classes from your BA will transfer, so you won't have to repeat as many classes and you can always Klep out of classes (if the school allows it). For those who dont' know, Klepping is basically stating to the school you've had ample experience in a class and they give you a test to prove your knowlege and if you pass the class, you don't have to take that class and you get the credits for it. Some of my classmates Klepped out of English, nutrition and those who already have degrees - math and psych 101. But I digress...

They way they pick the students to start clinicals is that they look at who has the most classes completed by the time of petition. Then they look at your cumulative GPA of the classes you've taken there and that was it. When I petitioned, I was taking Anatomy/Physiology, Chemistry and Microbiology together because I didn't know beforehand that they look at the sciences and maths, so I made sure that I was taking them at the time of petition and I got in. My GPA at the time was 3.2 MCCC also gets the students from Capital Health and St. Francis Hospitals Schools of nursing to take their prereqs at our school, but they do clinicals and labs in the hospital. They've got waiting lists too and they don't even graduate with a degree - but with a diploma in Nursing. We've heard rumors that they're harder to transfer for Bachelors degrees and some of them have had to retake classes because they weren't accepted by the college of transfer. At MCCC for those who don't get into the fall day program, they can re-petition for the spring evening program or wait a full year again for the next fall day program.

My best suggestion for you is to just apply to the colleges you'd like. You'll never know if you get in unless you try and more than likely they'll accept you as a student and you can be working on your pre-reqs before getting into the actual nursing classes. Or don't declare a major at first or do 'liberal arts' but find out what classes they need for the nursing program and take those. But you'll still never find out if you don't apply - and apply early. Find out their earliest apply-by date and have it there on that day. Keep your options open and apply to several places. And I'd stay away from an accelerated program unless you aren't married, have no kids and work part time or less because with those you're basically married to school for 3 years. I'm married with a 4 year old and I haven't worked in 3 years because school is THAT intensive and that's without an accelerated program.

I hope this helps some and wasn't too confusing?

cherylnj81 · Nov 25, 2005

OMG! You could be me!! I live in South River, NJ (Middlesex County if you haven't heard of it). Its right next to East Brunswick. I also got my BA from Rutgers in New Brunswick, in Psychology. I've been a little lost since i graduated, which was about 2 years ago, and have jumped into a couple different fields. First I was going to Columbia University for my masters in Social Work, then I dropped out and became a real estate agent. Now for the past 6 weeks or so I have been very interested in nursing. It has never crossed my mind before this, though my grandmother for years now has been trying to convince me to become a nurse (she was a head nurse at a nursing home for a long time and just retired a few years ago). I am just starting to think it is very similar to social work and psychology, but you provide more concrete, structured help to people which is more appealing to me.

I applied to Middlesex and Rutgers, but since then I have been hearing more and more about waitlists. There was even an article in the Home News the other day that my mother showed me about how long the waitlist is at Middlesex! I am thinking maybe I should apply to other programs too. Where is Muhlenberg? I am thinking of applying to Kean University. I was thinking of Brookdale, but I couldn't find any info about any nursing programs they had. I haven't ever taken any lab courses in college, only non-science major classes. I took a bunch in high school though. I am a bit confused as to whether you have to take A & P and Biochem before you can even get into these programs. Middlesex told me I didn't, but I am gonna have to go to one of those health field orientations they have every week to make sure. Are you gonna take the NLN Pre-Nursing Entrance Exam? We sign up on December 1st for Middlesex. I don't even know if its something you're supposed to study for.

You will definetly have to keep in touch with me. My AIM is "sheryl81", I'd love it if we could keep in touch and give each other support during the application and acceptance process!!

DD-RN · Nov 25, 2005

Thanks!
I'm right in Middlesex county, but right on the line of Somerset county. I was looking into RVCCs program. That's where I plan on taking the 10-wk Pharm Tech course.

Raritan Valley Community College only takes Somerset/Hunterton county residents. So if you live in Middlesex County, then Raritan Valley won't even let you apply. That's what I was told when I called and I believe it is on their website.

Middlesex County Comm. College does take students from other counties for their nursing program. So if you live in Middlesex County, you are up against more students that the other local community colleges for that reason.

The accelerated Muhlenberg program would be a good option for you. Best of luck in applying to all of your programs.

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Nov 25, 2005

I guess a lot of schools because of the influx of students are really closing to out of county students. If your local community college can't take you, try some of the others like The College of NJ, Thomas Edison, UMDNJ, Farleigh Dickenson, etc. Or try the hospitals near you that have nursing programs.

Down the road, though, my worry is that there's going to be an influx of nurses and then the jobs are going to start to wither away. But we're talking 5+ years from now.

rhp123 · Nov 28, 2005

I guess a lot of schools because of the influx of students are really closing to out of county students. If your local community college can't take you, try some of the others like The College of NJ, Thomas Edison, UMDNJ, Farleigh Dickenson, etc. Or try the hospitals near you that have nursing programs.
Down the road, though, my worry is that there's going to be an influx of nurses and then the jobs are going to start to wither away. But we're talking 5+ years from now.

I believe Thomas Edison only has RN-BSN programs.

As far as I know, Senton Hall is the most expensive nursing school in NJ, seems admission is easier since the lady told me they accept students before they finish pre-reqs.