How long is average wait to get into nursing school?

U.S.A. Oregon

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I am new to this forum. I have made the decision at age 53 to pursue the nursing degree I wanted before I got married and had children so many years ago. For awhile I have been telling myself that I am too old and the programs are so competitive that I would never get accepted. I've decided that those are lies & I'm determined to make this work. I have many of the prereqs finished and I am enrolled in a CNA school to get some experience and earn a couple more points for application purposes. My questions are: What has been the average wait to be accepted into either Clark or PCC? Would LCC be a good alternative? Are there any other schools nearby? I live in Vancouver. Any advice or wisdom out there?

Thanks,

Gail

Specializes in Orthopedics.

I'm not sure there is an average "wait" per se, it all depends on your GPA, the number of points you can accumulate, the number of schools you apply to and what kind of competition you get from other applicants. Some students have to apply for a few years before they get accepted, some maybe only one year and others get accepted on the first try. I applied to two schools and got accepted on the first try, but I also had a lot of points. My advice is to get as many points as possible and apply to as many schools as possible. Don't worry about being "too old" there are a few students in my class who are your age and older.....you're never too old!

Next year PCC is a part of OCNE, so all of the prerequisites are the same as MHCC, Clackamas, and OHSU. Each school has a few discretionary points that it awards for different things like having a CNA. All of them spell out their application process on their websites. One thing that I found helpful was a thread about what to expect in the interview-

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/interview-questions-88629.html

I got in on the first try. I'll be 53 when I graduate from OHSU. I'd say if you have wanted to do this for the last 30 years just like me - go for it. Get as many points as you can and be prepared for the interview and you'll ace it.:up:

Clark just recently changed their application way, but it's still based on points. I think almost all the CCs are based on a "point" system now - no waiting lists.

Best of luck!

Specializes in Pediatrics.

It took me 3 years to get into a program

First year I applied to Linfield, Mt Hood and CCC, Second year I applied to those plus PCC. The third year I was a little discouraged and applied only to CCC and PCC. Thankfully I got into PCC.

Depending on your GPA and how much of the pre-reqs you have done and how well you do on interviews you can get in on your first try.

I have a firend who got in on her first try to Clark, she really likes her program. There is also Walla Walla by Adventist, OHSU and a couple other universites to check out.

The more schools you apply to the better your chances of getting in!

Dont worry about the age there are at least 10-15 students in my cohort that are over the age of 45

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