Nursing school advice - help!

U.S.A. New York

Published

hello,

I am also applying to nursing schools in NYC. I am most interested in all of the CUNY schools. I have a BS already for Design from a very competative program. I'm worried because in design most of the rigor was in our studio classes and our portfolios, and the grading system was very very tough, so I only have a 3.0 but beleive it or not I was one of the top graduates! And it was very a rigorous 5 year program.

I'm hearing soooo much about how important the grade points are but you would think there would be so many other factors considered as well?

I don't have many science pre-reqs from my BS so I am looking to take those this Fall, do you think I have a good chance of getting into one of the CUNY schools just for my pre-reqs, and then applying to go on to the clinical phase of the program? [as i know this is the very competative phase]

I'm just feeling so discouraged. Right now I don't care what kind of a program I can get into just as long as I can START the process this fall!

These are some specific questions.

1. Can you apply to more than 4 CUNY shools? I'm looking at Laguardia, BMCC, Kingsborough, medgar evers. The application only allows up to 4?

2. Do you think meeting with the nursing programs would help your chances of getting in? I am meeting with Laguardia but not the others. Also, has anyone ever submitted an essay or recommendation letters when they ARE NOT asked to do so, such as with the CUNY application?

2. I'm also applying to Beth Israel, Mount St. Vincent's, and Pace. Do you have any other recommendations?

3. Would it be wise to go for my LPN degree first, and then try to get my RN, since it seems so hard to jump into the RN degrees?

4. does ANYONE get into these programs on their first try, who already have a BS degree? I have always been under the impression that if you already have a good BS than it's much easier to get into the programs? At least the first phase of the program?

I guess right now I am most concerned about just doing all of the pre-reqs at one of the CUNY schools and hopefully getting the highest GPA possible so I can get into the nursing program. Do you think I have a good chance of getting into CUNY for the pre-reqs?

Please any advice or personal stories would help me so much right now!

Thank you,

Deanna

Hi Deanna-

I also have my bachelor's in an artistic field (theatre) and had to take all of the science pre-req's before applying. First of all, you don't need to apply to take the pre-req's, you only need to apply for the clinical phase. I took all my pre-req's at LaGuardia and all you have to do is fill out a one page thing and voila, you are in! As for getting in for the clinical phase, since I already had my BFA I decided to go for one of the second bachelor's accelerated programs. I have applied to SUNY Downstate, Stonybrook and NYU. These schools all have programs for people who already have their bachelor's. CUNY schools are much harder to get into that the private schools. SUNY schools seem hard to get into but not quite as hard as the CUNY. I think if you get your GPA up from you science classes they aren't going to care too much about what you got in classes in design. Good luck!!!

Hi Deanna-

I also have my bachelor's in an artistic field (theatre) and had to take all of the science pre-req's before applying. First of all, you don't need to apply to take the pre-req's, you only need to apply for the clinical phase. I took all my pre-req's at LaGuardia and all you have to do is fill out a one page thing and voila, you are in! As for getting in for the clinical phase, since I already had my BFA I decided to go for one of the second bachelor's accelerated programs. I have applied to SUNY Downstate, Stonybrook and NYU. These schools all have programs for people who already have their bachelor's. CUNY schools are much harder to get into that the private schools. SUNY schools seem hard to get into but not quite as hard as the CUNY. I think if you get your GPA up from you science classes they aren't going to care too much about what you got in classes in design. Good luck!!!

thanks so much for your advice! I'm starting to learn that i will need to take almost all of the pre-reqs before applying to any of the nursing schools. So when i apply to CUNY i should just apply for regular admission and not specify anything about the nursing program?

so i also have some questions about the pre-reqs:

I'm looking into taking all the pre0reqs at a CUNY school. Does anyone have any advice on good or bad places to take your pre-reqs? I assume many of the classes vary in difficulty and since it's best to get the highest GPA possible I would imagine there are classes that are a bit easier than others to take? Any schools to stay away from? Is the GPA the most important thing rather than where you took the courses and how difficult they were?

My other question is for those who are not particulary that good at math and science, how hard did you find the pre-reqs at the CUNY schools? I'm prepaired to work as hard as humanly possible in these courses but I'm also pretty intimidated by the thought of getting all A's in chemistry and microbiology.

Also, my goal is to get into an accelerated BSN program at NYU, Pace etc. have any of you had a hard time transfering your pre-reqs from community colleges?

Thanks!

Hi Deanna-

So, when you "apply" to Cuny (i put that in brackets because you don't really apply you just fill out a form and you're in, they'll take anyone) you can just take classes as a non-degree student. Then you won't have to worry about taking classes in order or anything. You can take any classes you want anytime.

As for the pre-req's at LaGuardia. I have taken A&P1 and 2, Micro, Chemistry, Anthro, Psych, Stats and English at the school and it's really a mixed bag on how good the Prof is and how easy the classes are. As I said I hadn't taken a science or math class since high school so I was worried as well (although I did very well in these classes in high school). I have gotten all A's in all my pre-req's at LaGuardia. As someone who already has a BFA I felt way ahead of all the other students in my classes even though my first degree had basically no academics. The level of students at LaGuardia isn't very high. As long as you work hard you should have no problem getting A's.

Also, it doesn't matter where you take your pre-req's as long as you do well in them. The colleges you are applying to won't care whether you took them at LaGuardia or at a different Cuny school. Just work hard and get the A's.

You won't have any problem transferring your pre-reqs from a community college, that's where most people going back to do this take them.

Good Luck!

Hi Deanna-

So, when you "apply" to Cuny (i put that in brackets because you don't really apply you just fill out a form and you're in, they'll take anyone) you can just take classes as a non-degree student. Then you won't have to worry about taking classes in order or anything. You can take any classes you want anytime.

As for the pre-req's at LaGuardia. I have taken A&P1 and 2, Micro, Chemistry, Anthro, Psych, Stats and English at the school and it's really a mixed bag on how good the Prof is and how easy the classes are. As I said I hadn't taken a science or math class since high school so I was worried as well (although I did very well in these classes in high school). I have gotten all A's in all my pre-req's at LaGuardia. As someone who already has a BFA I felt way ahead of all the other students in my classes even though my first degree had basically no academics. The level of students at LaGuardia isn't very high. As long as you work hard you should have no problem getting A's.

Also, it doesn't matter where you take your pre-req's as long as you do well in them. The colleges you are applying to won't care whether you took them at LaGuardia or at a different Cuny school. Just work hard and get the A's.

You won't have any problem transferring your pre-reqs from a community college, that's where most people going back to do this take them.

Good Luck!

Thanks so much for all of your advice! i have a question about financial aid. if i want to go to CUNY full time in the fall/winter (and maybe summer) to take all of the required pre-reqs, will i be able to qualify for financial aid? I know if you are a non-degree student you can't get financial aid.

should i apply as a general student to take all my pre-reqs and be able to qualify for financial aid? obviously i need to ask them but i figured a lot of people on here have probably gone through all of this as well.

Thanks!

Yes, you cannot get financial aid as a non-degree you would have to go as a general student. Good luck!

Hi Deanna-

So, when you "apply" to Cuny (i put that in brackets because you don't really apply you just fill out a form and you're in, they'll take anyone) you can just take classes as a non-degree student. Then you won't have to worry about taking classes in order or anything. You can take any classes you want anytime.

As for the pre-req's at LaGuardia. I have taken A&P1 and 2, Micro, Chemistry, Anthro, Psych, Stats and English at the school and it's really a mixed bag on how good the Prof is and how easy the classes are. As I said I hadn't taken a science or math class since high school so I was worried as well (although I did very well in these classes in high school). I have gotten all A's in all my pre-req's at LaGuardia. As someone who already has a BFA I felt way ahead of all the other students in my classes even though my first degree had basically no academics. The level of students at LaGuardia isn't very high. As long as you work hard you should have no problem getting A's.

Also, it doesn't matter where you take your pre-req's as long as you do well in them. The colleges you are applying to won't care whether you took them at LaGuardia or at a different Cuny school. Just work hard and get the A's.

You won't have any problem transferring your pre-reqs from a community college, that's where most people going back to do this take them.

Good Luck!

dear all, if i want to take all my science courses in CUNY, which school is earsier ?? i really want to get excellent grade on the A&P classes. thanks for your advice.

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