MGH BSN Summer 2015

ellisboys4 · Jan 19, 2015

Hi Everyone...I was born and raised in MA...on the south shore. I am a CNA for visiting nurses and do home care...love Hospice!

dcwang · Jan 19, 2015

also, if anyone else is considering applying to MGH and wondering about my stats here's a little about my stats and background:

academically i graduated with a degree in music, cumulative GPA 3.5. For MGH my prerequisite GPA was 4.0; however, I'm finishing developmental psych atm. It's very difficult to get accepted with a course in progress, my grades have always had an upward trend since graduation, and I've completed coursework in general psych and other related areas as well.

essay- this is crucial, especially if the school's admission isn't based on just grades. i wrote 4 drafts and it took me months to complete my essay. it's important to never submit on the day it's due, but it's better to put in the time (unless it's rolling admissions) and submit a little closer to the deadline. someone said that admissions officers are tired of hearing sob stories of family members get sick. have someone read and critique your essay.

recommendation- you want the admissions committee to know about your character. I chose to have my volunteering supervisor, one science instructor, and my former music professor write. you might ask, why music professor? because of all my references, I've known him longest.

volunteering- work as closely as possible with nurses. i wished i had the time to get a CNA license. or work as an EMT, clinic assistant. i've also had lots of shadowing experience. ask yourself, what does a nurse do?

i grew up in a foreign country and diversity is a huge part of my life. i'm trilingual and conversational/pretty fluent in another 2 languages.

SKay226 · Jan 19, 2015

I don't really know of anyone who shares a car with another...but some people do share a ZipCar membership, especially if they have the same clinical sites. I'm under the impression that most clinicals are at MGH but I could be wrong. Maybe someone else can clarify?

I had a 3.6 in undergrad and 3.8 in grad with a 3.9 in prereqs. I haven't done any volunteering recently due to the fact that I've been taking classes and working 40+ hours. I also worked throughout all of grad school and graduated in 2013. Not sure if perhaps that is why I did not get a scholarship but I have an interesting background due to the fact I'm adopted and my mom died when I was 7.

If I could do it all again I'd take back my masters and go straight for the accel BSN. Both my degrees are related and I work in the field already in some capacity but just budget wise it is not the greatest thing. It's going to be difficult making this decision.

SKay226 · Jan 19, 2015

yeah, it should be easy for you to shop in chinatown if you live on the Orange Line...its right when you get off the chinatown stop and is very walkable. Not sure about a koreantown but others might have more insight.

LaurenH38 · Jan 19, 2015

Hi Everyone! I'm a current student at MGHIHP, and because some people have mentioned it-- you do not get to pick where you go for your clinicals. However- the great thing about the Institute is that it works with the Partners network of hospitals, which means your med/surg clinicals will be either at Mass General, Brigham and Womens or Spaulding Hospital-- all amazing hospitals, really. Also- someone mentioned this earlier on the thread, so I just want to reiterate- while you get amazing clinical experiences here, being a student at the MGH Institute does not put you on any special track to get a job at MGH. It's just like someone mentioned earlier-- you make your connections and try to get as much experience as possible-- but don't assume that because you're a student at the institute that it gives you any special advantage to getting a hospital job in Boston.

dcwang · Jan 19, 2015

@ SKay226. I see what you mean by going straight through an ABSN program. I'm 25 too; right after graduation I was accepted to some graduate programs but chose not to attend because I knew I'd have more loans without finding a well-paying job. I started taking prereqs then and volunteering, picked up violin gigs here and there.

dcwang · Jan 19, 2015

@LaurenH38. I'd like to go back to California after school; how can I arrange to take NCLEX there, and how soon after graduation?

LaurenH38 · Jan 19, 2015

I was told by a faculty member during orientation that it takes a few weeks following graduation for your status to be updated with the NCLEX people so you are eligible to sit for the exam. So I would not expect to take the test immediately following graduation. I'm sorry, but I can't give you a specific time frame. I know there were people who took the exam maybe 2 months after graduating, and that's the earliest that I heard-- but that doesn't mean there may have been people who may have taken it a little sooner than that.

ainyang6087 · Jan 19, 2015

I'm probably going to fly out to Boston in early March.. To try and find a place to live. I have a friend that lives out there to help me out. So i'm lucky enough to have a place to stay while i'm doing my search and have a local person assist.

ainyang6087 · Jan 19, 2015

well, since everyone else is posting their background, I should go ahead and post mine as well...

I graduated in 2011 with a bachelors in science of health.. Cumm 2. 96 gpa (organic chem killled my life)

After that, I took total of 10 classes (35 Credits) from Jan 2013- dec 2014 which raised my cumm to 3.04.. but with the 10 courses maintained 3.7gpa... 7As 3Bs... which i think may have played a good factor with my admission... My pre-reqs GPA were 3.7

As for my essay, I started writing a rough draft in July. Wrote a few rough drafts, and had my sister in law (who's a law student) help to read it over etc. She also used to help work for admissions office at Berkley. So her input and editing was very helpful in completing my essay.

I have worked as an Ophthalmic Assistant from Jan 2012-Nov 2012.. and been working as an Orthopedic Tech March 2012- present which is a lot of health care experience. Plus I've done some volunteering, most notably spending a week in Costa Rica performing child care at a rehab center.

My recommendations were from a biology professor, a physician i worked with and is very cool with and my nurse manager.

SKay226 · Jan 20, 2015

Has anyone made a Facebook page?

dcwang · Jan 20, 2015

nope! but i'm not sure whether or not i'm attending...