Need Advice on Where to Start

[industriousant]

Ok, so i'm posting this because I thought I knew where to start, and now that I've researched a bunch of things, I think I'm lost!

I'm 33 years old, and I want to apply for a BScN to be an RN or maybe eventually an NP.

I've been out of high school since 1996. As it was a Quebec high school I never had grade 12 Math/Bio or Chem.

I did 3 years of CEGEP in Montreal in communications...unfortunately no science classes

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson, so I have a bunch of psychologies, humanities, histories, sociology etc. I graduated in 2004.

So, now I'm looking at all sorts of university admissions requirements and find them a bit confusing. U of T doesn't seem to ask for grade 12 English or Math, but Trent does, and then some uni's ask specificially for Chem and Bio, but U of T gives you the choice. Here is their admissions page, which I find very informative and precise, unlike Trents: http://bloomberg.nursing.utoronto.ca/admissions-financial-aid/how-to-apply/bachelor-program#content2

If I was in the country, I would immediately seek out some academic advisor to help me, but currently I'm working in Japan, and won't be back until July. I would really like to get a head start as soon as possible, maybe do a class or two online this spring, then get the rest of my prerequisites taken care of in the fall winter. Any advice or insight would really be appreciated. I want to do whatever best increases my chances to getting into a program. Thanks!

Martine

[loriangel14, RN]

Completing the prerequisites and getting the best marks you can will help you get into a program.Completing the 10 courses needed for U of T will take you longer.You just need to decide which program you are going to aim for.

[toronto_nurse]

The BScN at the University of Toronto is a second-entry program so they don't need to look at your high school marks. Second-entry meaning the duration of the BScN is 2 years so you will need to have at least 10 full-year courses that makes up to 2 years worth of university credits to be considered eligible. Within those courses they outline the specific pre-requisites that you will need:

- One full-course equivalent in Human Physiology

- One Full-Course equivalent in Life Sciences or Physical Sciences

- One Full-Course Equivalent in Social Sciences

- One Full-Course Equivalent in Humanities

- One Half-Course in Statistics

- Personal Statement, Letters of Reference & Personal Interview

[industriousant]

Thanks Toronto_Nurse, that makes a bit more sense to me.

I suppose if I am applying to other 2nd entry programs the criteria might be similar, but I'll look into it.

I also figured out today that my CEGEP courses are only good if they were accepted as part of my credits for my previous University

degree.

Here's one more question for you.

If I never took grade 12 biology/chemistry/physics, obviously I should be taking those as part of my Life Science pre-req's, right?

Will I have any trouble doing well on them if I haven't taken grade 12 level courses? Should I be doing some grade 12 level courses to bring myself up to speed?

I really wish I could speak to an advisor directly, but being out of the country makes it frickin' difficult.

Can't wait to get back home and take care of all this stuff in person, but I'm worried that I could be doing some online stuff right now to speed things up.

Arg.

[toronto_nurse]

If you think you need to take a high school bio course you may consider taking it distance via ILC:

Independent Learning | Distance Education | ILC.org

For some of your missing university credits you may consider taking it at:

Athabasca University : Canada's Leader in Online & Distance Education

Be sure to check out which courses the university requires to ensure they are equivalent. Second-entry programs are condensed and are fast pace so if you don't have much committments than you should be fine. But if you have small children or have work committments it may get challenging. Second entry programs tend to take students with degrees already or those with decent GPA. Their cutoffs are usually in the B range but I know people who have been rejected with high GPAs so contact the school and ask them what their cutoff.