My chances of getting into a nursing program in California?

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Nov 13, 2018

The thing about almost every nursing school... If you're accepted or rejected, you get the same exact letter as everyone else. Most people have no idea what it was that got them accepted or denied.

Realistically, no matter where you are in the country, if you only apply to one school, you better have incredible grades and exam scores. If you're applying to 12 schools within a realistic driving distance, you have a better chance that one will accept you.

The thing is, most schools don't just go by your grades alone. A lot use entrance exams. Lots of them do interviews with every applicant.

It's not just about getting straight As. They don't just need someone who's going to pass every class, they need someone who's going to pass the NCLEX and get licensed.

Forget everybody else. They mean nothing. That person that got rejected with a 3.8 GPA might have taken an entrance exam and showed absolutely no critical thinking skill.

jaidon84 · Nov 13, 2018

Oh yeah most definitely. California has about 70-100 non-private RN programs that I have to apply from. Since day one it was always apart of my game plan to apply to as many schools as I can. Moving is not an issue, any school that'll take me is where i'll go. But will definitely heed your advice and focus on prepping for those interviews and entrance exams. Thanks a lot!

Etak, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2018

Where in CA are you? There are options with a B.

I'm in the Sacramento area. Basically, you absolutely have to have 4.0 to get into sac state. However, CCs and city colleges in the area accept students on multi criteria/lottery system and there is room to wiggle with a B.

You can not get anything less than a B in the core sciences though, just to have your application accepted to be put in the lottery you must have a minimum 3.0 in core prereqs (this earns you points, you need so many points to apply. A higher gpa earns more points, but there are other ways to earn points as well like work/military experience, TEAS score, etc and therefore you can still earn enough points to have a chance. If you meet the minimum points required, your application has the exact same chance of being drawn as a 4.0 student's application).

There is no guarantee though, cause even if you get your application accepted, well, it's a lottery. Some people who have an LVN-RN bridge as a back up plan if they don't get picked in a lottery.

All of this information will vary by region, I'm only personally familiar with the Sacramento area's programs.

If you can move to anywhere in CA, is moving out of state not also an option?

jaidon84 · Nov 14, 2018

Thanks for response. Congrats for getting into Sac thats awesome!! Yeah if thats how state schools run for the most part (absolutely having a 4.0....) then I won't even bother applying and i'll just stick to community colleges lol. I am closer to SF bay area and just 1 hour away from Sacramento. I will definitely not get a C, my grade is at an upper B as of now for microbiology. But then again I still have a chance to Ace the anat/physio in following semesters. I'd definitely would consider going out-of-state especially Nevada, Arizona, or NM. Thats probably as far as i'll go. I did not really consider getting an LVN, just because its one year and a half of separate schooling on its own.

jaidon84 · Nov 14, 2018

But yeah thanks for the suggestions regardless and all the info!

jaidon84 · Nov 14, 2018

However I am wondering about this whole lottery. If you applied once to a CC that has a lottery is that it? Meaning do you just have to wait until your name gets pulled or can you reapply to that CC every semester. So.... like if I applied to 30 schools with lottery then that means I can theoretically be waitlisted for years on end if none of those 30 schools pull my name......

Etak, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2018

However I am wondering about this whole lottery. If you applied once to a CC that has a lottery is that it? Meaning do you just have to wait until your name gets pulled or can you reapply to that CC every semester. So.... like if I applied to 30 schools with lottery then that means I can theoretically be waitlisted for years on end if none of those 30 schools pull my name......

The lotteries where I am at, wipe clean each year/semester so you need to reapply if you don't get picked. There's no waitlist, but there is "alternate." So, they pick 40 names and offer them a spot, 10 alternates in case anyone passes up those spots. However the next round, those 10 alternate if they didn't end up in, are guaranteed the first ten seats in the draw.

If you apply to 30 lottery systems, I'm sure you'd make it in as long as you meet the criteria. Last time I crunched the numbers at my top pick program, there's approximately a 40% chance of landing a spot if you include getting a spot as an alternate. (They said they receive 300-500 applications, only about 125 are eligible for drawing, so 50/125 or 2/5 shot)

Apply to a few schools and the odds should be in your favor one will draw you.

**also I'm not yet accepted anywhere. I have two classes left before I can apply.

jaidon84 · Nov 14, 2018

Ok cool, thanks a lot. All of this really helps me alleviate the anxieties I been having about getting in. In fact 300-500 is not all that bad for number of applicants to be applying. Usually what I keep hearing is that like most California RN programs have thousands of applicants.... which freaked the heck out of me lol.

karlaa · Nov 15, 2018

Hello! I recently got accepted into the BSN program at Cal State East Bay and these were my stats:

Anatomy+ Physio: A

Microbiology: B

Chem w/ Lab: B+

English: B-

Public Speaking: A

Statistics: A

Critical Thinking: A

TEAS:85%

All the B's I got were very early in my college career when I hadn't even thought about becoming a nurse yet. I did receive extra points by being fluent in a second language (Spanish) and also having caregiver experience.

I know Cal State East Bay, Hayward and Concord campus, look at applications hollistically. They've said in their info sessions before that having straight A's and a high TEAS score is not enough to get accepted. All students recieve extra points with either knowing another language or healthcare experience. I would definitely look into it and go to an info session. They've also said to have a realistic chance of getting in one should have a minimum 3.5 GPA in their prereq courses and an 80% on the TEAS. From what I remember my GPA was a bit below that so don't lose hope! There is a realistic chance of getting into a nursing school in California!

Also I would look into the RN program at Los Medanos College. It's an ADN program though there is an ADN to BSN program you can apply for to Cal State East Bay. I'm pretty sure the application for their program opens in January.

Good luck with everything! If you're dedicated to becoming a nurse a door will open for you at the right time!

Luchador, CNA, EMT-B · Nov 15, 2018

. Moving is not an issue, any school that'll take me is where i'll go.

This is key. I'm not in California but I didn't get into the local school. I did get into my back up, which is a long drive. I'm not the only one driving there, of course, and a lot of students from my area that got in there temporarily moved to that town.

jaidon84 · Nov 15, 2018

@ Karlaa

Woah no wayy! Congratulations, hope its all going smoothly for you. This is literally so cool, if you got in with those grades then I have a lot more hope now then before to get into a local program. TBH this is so encouraging, I was getting desperate over here with my B in micro and you telling me this is like...... lifting a huge boulder off my back f'realz. LMC is totally up there on my list. And I have before thought-out that whole getting your ADN first then ADN-BSN bridge program.

However I just feel really uplifted since our grades and profiles correspond very similarly which just gives me motivation to keep going. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck to you as well.