OHSU BSN 2016 Applicants

Smiller204 · Oct 7, 2015

Hello everyone! I am applying to OHSU's 3 year BSN program for Fall 2016. I have a 3.8 GPA, all my prerequisites done, microbiology, an associates of applied science, and have worked as a CMA for about 15 months now. I really hope this helps me at least get an interview! I'm also applying to CCC, Linfield, and PCC. I don't want to wait another whole year before I can start becoming a nurse.

Does anyone know if the supplemental application questions are required or optional? I thought I read it was optional, but I don't want to not fill it out and get dinged.

Thanks! Wishing everyone good luck!

gere7404, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2015

It says optional in the application, but I don't think I'd want to limit myself by forgoing a chance to get the admit board to get to know a little about me. You want your application to sell you as a valuable, unique candidate for their cohort as a whole beyond just submitting GPA and previous work experience.

James75 · Oct 25, 2015

Hey everyone. I just decided to apply this year for the ABSN 2016 (instead of waiting an extra year and applying to the ABSN-MSN) at OHSU. So I'm a little late to the application game, but I think I have time to get things in before the deadline.

I'm definitely going to write the supplemental essays, since they ask for those, but I'm very confused about references. I remember at the admissions event I attended they said there's no point at all submitting extra things because they won't look at them, but I can't tell from the directions or NursingCAS whether or not references are something OHSU would like for the ABSN. Has anyone talked to them? I'll certainly be emailing about it.

I'm also wondering about entering courses into my transcript - I have a lot of courses taken at a school which didn't provide grades, and also two from which I withdrew. All my courses which didn't provide grades are still something I passed, but obviously I didn't get credit from my two withdrawn courses. Ideas on how to differentiate between them? I may enter the two Ws as being taken for no credit, since no credit was awarded.

Anyways, good luck to all. I'm quite excited, though not sure how much I should get my hopes up. I do have a 3.84 GPA and my science GPA is similar, but it sounds like there're no guarantees in that admissions process.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2015

So for anybody who is close to applying, there still has not been a fix to upload the documents required to show proof of employment as a CNA or LPN; however, if you email [email protected] the scanned documents they can attach it to your application.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2015

Well, Fall semester is done meaning my last prereq is complete; looks like I'll be applying with a 3.93 GPA according to the OHSU prereq coursework form. I wish I was able to take classes at SOU this past semester, but I was having difficulty registering with them; I'm completing an AAOT degree this upcoming quarter, so hopefully that streamlines the process a little better so I can start working towards the non-nursing requirements for the BSN and get that out of the way.

Oregon2424 · Dec 16, 2015

Hi,

Does anyone know if there has been a thread started for applicants to the Accelerated Bachelor's program, 2016?

Thanks!

gere7404, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2015

I've seen people asking about the accelerated BSN program in this thread, but I don't think anybody has made a specific topic for applicants.

In regards to the 3 year OCNE BSN program, I just finalized and paid for my application for the Ashland campus. Recalculating my GPA, I was a little disappointed to see it was actually a 3.91 vs a 3.93 as some of my courses are from a semester school, including the one course I have a B in, so it was weighted more heavily. Oh well. I still need to email OHSU my supporting documents as the option to do so through NursingCAS was still unavailable when I finished my application.

No more playing with my essays and rereading and rewriting them over and over! The wait begins.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2015

Something odd I noticed about the application... when you are writing answers to the questions, you have a 1,500, 350 word limit to your responses to the first group of essay questions. After submission, the program shows a 3,000 character limit. I sure wish I had 3,000 characters, because I had to chop a whole bunch of words down to get under 1,500 characters!

MotoMonkey, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2015

Mine still gives the 1500 limit, I am having to shorten mine as well.

Pdxstudent · Dec 28, 2015

Hello everyone! I wanted to introduce myself and I have a quick question as well regarding the transcript entry. I just completed my last pre-req at PCC this month and will be applying to programs for the first time! I'm going into applications with a 4.0 but I have zero medical experience except for 7 months I spent volunteering at the VA. I know that lack of experience hurts me but I'm hoping I still have a shot! I'm so anxious to get everything in and completed but I'm also nervous I'm going to screw something up, haha.

In regards to the transcript entry for OHSU, are they asking for just the pre-req's required for the program?? I have gone to a total of 3 colleges in my life so far and already have a bachelors degree but PCC is the only school that I have courses at that I can use for pre-req's. I'm just wondering if I have to enter in all the classes I took 10 years ago! Thanks!

gere7404, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2015

You've got to submit official transcripts from each college you've gone to, which means you have to either manually enter all of them in NursingCAS or pay their fee to have them entered for you.

Depending on your volunteer experience with the VA, you might be able to still put it as health care experience;

From the OHSU Experience Documentation Form, "applicants can count health care experience for both work and volunteer activities as long as theactivities are associated with a specific healthcare organization and were supervised by an official atthat organization. EMT, CNA, LPN experience will be considered. Babysitting, caring for sick lovedones, or unsupervised volunteer or work hours will not count."

ie, your experience can still count even if it wasn't as a CNA or paid work as long as it dealt with patient care. At the very least, you can incorporate it with your application in the experience section or as part of the supplemental essays -- veterans are a population at increased risk and vulnerability to mental health, addiction, homelessness and other problems at rates much higher than the general public.

gere7404, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2015

Anybody else complete their application? Just got notification that mine's been verified and good to go. I'm really glad OHSU uses just the prerequisite GPA; early on (back in 2004) I didn't do so well in college and had a semester where I just left without dropping and ended up with a couple of F's.... my overall GPA is only 3.23 because of it but my prereq GPA is 3.91 with a 3.96 GPA from when I returned to school.