How many of you got into nursing school with the first try?

liberty_bell · Jan 22, 2010

No time at all. But I am going to Kaplan College in Vista for LPN, NO pre reqs were required at all either. So you could literally start within a month (if your able to get backroud check, shots, CPR card etc) before the class starts.

2bnurseforce1 · Jan 22, 2010

I got in on the first try. My school doesn't go by GPA, they go more by a point system based from what you made in your pre-reqs

Andrew12 · Jan 23, 2010

I wish i would have gotten in first try. Although my pre-reqs and GPS are exceptional, I have been pass on ever time for about a year now. Round 3 of applying on it's way, 3 times a charm :saint:

heartbeats · Jan 23, 2010

Where are you applying? I'm taking Anatomy I and II online now and will do micro online this summer. I should be ready to apply this fall for next spring. I'm not even going to apply to schools in San Diego because of the wait lists. I'm only going to apply to schools that require applicants to reapply every semester. Any idea of which schools in OC do this? I'd be willing to commute up to an hour and a half each way.

comanda_d · Jan 24, 2010

I applied to SJSU school of nursing last october and got in on my first try. They use your gpa, teas score and 5 core classes (micro, anat, physio, stats, engli). My GPA was 3.79 in my five classes and 4.0 in all other classes. I only scored 84% on my teas test. It took me 3 years to complete my pre reqs because I had to take alot of beginner algebra classes and I only took 3 classes a semester in order to focus on my grades...

SJSU applications are due a year in advance and then once you're in to the university, then you apply to the deadline for the school of nursing. I did not get accepted into Evergreen Community college even though i met their requirements, they randomly select from those people who meet the requir. A university is more work to get in but look online and see when there are informational workshops at the campuses, instructors prefer to talk to people right when they start their pre reqs. Also talk to your counselor at the school you're taking you pre reqs, they will help guide you in the right direction.

Good luck!

comanda_d · Jan 24, 2010

Alot of CSU nursing programs do not have waitlists, it is purely a rumor. I would check by calling the nursing offices. I thought my school had one (SJSU) for the longest time until I went in and asked, turns out they dont and for three yrs i was worried about a rumor! haha

Sniper RN · Jan 24, 2010

First try

they go off the point system. I also had to take an entrance test. Was going to go to one school but changed my mind the last minute after hearing horror stories. Called the other school and was told it was the last day they were accepting apps. Found out what I needed got it all together and ran it up there. I took the test and waited 2 months to find out I got it. I just knew I forgot something in my rush to get everything together but no.

Jasmijn · Jan 29, 2010

I applied to two rather unusual programs and got into both on the first try this year. One has a point system based on the grades you earned in the core classes ONLY (so your grade in Anatomy counts; your overall GPA or your grade in geometry don't), plus your score on their math and English assessment tests. The other is an ABSN so they have a killer list of prereqs (42 units, I believe) and also weigh the entrance essay heavily, b/c they get so many straight-A applicants.

All my grades for both programs' prereqs were straight As. My GPA for earlier classes wasn't 4.0, so overall I wasn't 4.0, but neither of the programs was too concerned about that. I decided not to apply for most of the nursing schools around here, because they have lotteries or wait lists, and most also require stats, which I don't have.

What really helped me prepare was making a single spreadsheet with the prereqs and other highlights of all the programs I was considering applying to. This way I could see which ones I was already ready to apply to and which ones still needed more classes that I could take while I was waiting to hear back from the first lot. Also some programs had options for certain classes that overlapped with others: for instance, one program wanted chem. OR physics, and since chem. was a prereq for some other classes, I took that. If I'd taken physics, I'd still need one more class.

heartbeats · Jan 29, 2010

Which programs did you apply to?

Jasmijn · Jan 30, 2010

I live in Los Angeles, not OC, so these may be inconveniently far for you. The 2 I applied to were the LA County College of Nursing and Mount St Mary's College Accelerated BSN. Here are their web sites:

http://www.ladhs.org/wps/portal/CollegeOfNursing

http://www.msmc.la.edu/admission/nursing-transfer-students/accelerated-bachelor-of-science-in-nursing.asp

ashleyrosesf · May 11, 2010

I changed my major last year to Nursing and applied to about 8 different schools and got into 3 of them (Holy Names, Mills College, and Hawaii Pacific University) on the first try.

Granted, the former two are pre-nursing programs with the clinical classes at Samuel Merritt. :)

You'll do great! I had some health problems earlier on in my college career and my grades slipped. But they look at improvement and extra curricular activities more so than the "cookie-cutter" student. (ie if you have a 3.0, but wrote a stellar essay and have lots of volunteer experience, you have a great chance of getting in!)

MiahMSN, MSN, RN · May 11, 2010

I got in on my first try. I only applied to one school. CSUDH MEPN program. I already have a bachelors and masters in another field, and my masters gpa was 3.8 and have As & Bs in my prereqs. I start the program in August. Just do extremely well in your prereqs. Not sure what other factors the schools you are looking into consider, but if it's community service, volunteering, some type of health-related experience, DO IT! And have really strong letters of rec.