Looking for current info on BSU application process and experience

NewSN13 · May 26, 2011

BSU, compared to a lot of schools I've read about here on allnurses, has a really straightforward application process - no entrance exams, no letters of recommendation, no interviews - basically you need a transcript and, going forward, an essay.

One mistake I think a lot of students make is not having the appropriate classes taken in the correct order. On the nursing website, there is a class matrix to follow if one wishes to graduate in 4 years, however, there are very few (I have yet to meet any!) that follow it exactly. The most important thing to pay attention to is what needs to be completed BEFORE the semester you apply and which classes you can take during the semester you apply and plan accordingly.

I can't stress enough the importance of great grades in A&P, math and chem! The other pre-reqs are important but getting an A in nutrition will in no way offset a C in chemistry. Some students mistakenly think that it will make a difference - it won't. The essay is the new application variable that I can't speak to personally but if I had to guess, I would say that the A&P/chem/math GPA is going to continue to carry nearly all of the admissions weight.

Lastly, I'll speak to patho specifically - I just finished it even though I don't start until fall. I know of many people who took it during their first semester in the program and had great success with it but my personal preference was to get it out of the way. It wasn't particularly difficult but it was relatively labor intensive and I figured I am going to be overwhelmed enough with all that goes into nursing school so clearing my plate as much as possible made sense!

tokyoROSE, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2011

Like NewSN said, it is pretty straight forward. Focus on your grades, aim for at least a 3.5 or higher. If you are not there yet, retake the class. I do recommend taking patho, stats, etc prior to entering nursing because it made my life a lot easier. All I had to do was focus on nursing- and that was still a challenge!

IrishMama · Aug 29, 2011

Thankfully, I have a 4.0 in all the required classes, so I'm hoping that makes me a shoe-in. I've never taken patho and since I will hopefully be starting in the spring, I was considering just sucking it up and doing it with everything else the first semester. I know it has to be completed before the 5th semester. Is the patho hard or is it just one more thing to do? I don't really want to take summer school (and pay for it), but would do it if it will make my life easier.

NewSN13 · Aug 30, 2011

I didn't think that patho was that bad. It's a hybrid class so there is an optional on-campus lecture component (it's recorded so you can watch at home, also) and the rest is online, including tests. The assignments and study guides were a bit time consuming.

One thing that might be useful to consider - the way our schedule is set up the first semester, we have 2 classes that are the full 15 weeks, 3 classes that are completed in the first 10 weeks and then clinicals during the last 5 weeks. Because 3 of the classes are in an abbreviated time frame, there is a heavy tests/quizzes/assignment load during that time. Most weeks (including this week, the second week of school), I have 3-4 quizzes/tests as well as case studies, health assessments and just general pre-class preparations. From my perspective, the biggest downside to adding another class right now would be balancing my study and family time.