ABSN/Direct Entry 2014 Applicants

hopefulnurse24 · Mar 6, 2013

Hi there! I am currently in the process of applying/hearing back from some of these programs, and I would love to share some wisdom (accepted to Johns Hopkins and Marquette, waitlisted at Penn, waiting to hear back from Duke after my interview a few weeks ago, and also waiting to hear back from NYU). I've learned so much throughout this crazy process and I know that there's not a lot of information out there about these kinds of programs, so I would love to help out in any way that I can.

- When making your list of schools to apply to, pick only schools that have your specialty and that you'd actually want to go to! If you only got into 1 school, you'd want it to be a school you'd actually want to go to so choose wisely.

- Make sure the program offers a BSN. This is VERY important when trying to find a job to work as an RN, even if the school tells you otherwise (I've spoken to a lot of students at some of these programs who tell me it is important and that they have had difficulty finding jobs because they didn't have a BSN)

- Visting the school is really important to get an idea of not only how well you'll fit in the program, but also, the surrounding town... it's a lot different than being an undergrad because you'll be living off campus most likely, so this is very important

- Look into cost of living and apartment/rental situation in each town. Even if you aren't planning on it now, you will have to work as an RN for 1-3 years (especially if your specialty is acute/critical care of any sorts) so make sure you like the school, the town, the hospitals, apartments in the area, etc. Working as an RN is very important!

I'm sure I'll think of more, but here is my advice for now. I look forward to seeing where you will end up!

misssummer7 · Mar 7, 2013

Hi hopefulnurse24!

Thank you for all the advice! Congrats on your acceptances! I applied to NYU for this cycle too, just to get a feel of how applications work and to see what improvements I can make for this upcoming cycle (I don't think I'll get accepted lol). Do you have any advice for extracurriculars or post-bac classes to take? My GPA from my B.S. is low (above a 3.0 but from a well-known state school, not sure if that helps in decision making) so I'm looking to improve other areas of my resume. My prereq gpa is around a 3.5, scored above a 157 on both sections of the GRE, and scored in the 99 percentile on the TEASV. Any advice would be appreciated! :)

hopefulnurse24 · Mar 8, 2013

Hey there! Thanks on the congratulations, I appreciate it! I am still waiting to hear back from some schools so I'm not sure where I will end up. It's hard to recommend specific extracurriculars, but since many applications will be due soon for next year, it is too late to obtain a CNA license and work, but I really think that this is great experience. I would recommend getting research experience and some type of volunteer experience in a hospital in your hopeful specialty - make sure it is significant experience, and not just helping with paperwork (something you could write a personal statement about!). Does your GPA include your prerequisites? What exactly is your GPA? I can't think of any post-bac classes that would be beneficial to you, but your GRE and TEAS score are great. What specialty are you thinking about, and what schools are you thinking about?

legal->nurse2b · Mar 8, 2013

Hopeful, can you explain NYU's program? I looked at it, and if I'm understanding it correctly, you first apply for an accelerated BSN and then can apply for a MSN? Are you pretty much guaranteed a MSN spot as long as you do well in BSN? It scares me to apply to one but not have the insurance of the MSN program!

Narrowing down school choices based on your recommendations- harder than it seems! Right now I am looking at Yale, MGH, Columbia, UPenn, JHU, and maybe Vandy and USD. I don't think I am a shoe-in anywhere, though, so this makes things hard! I like the idea of earning a BS and an MSN, but think I better apply to a diverse range of schools so I hopefully get in somewhere!

bbcc · Mar 8, 2013

From talking with some people in different programs I've run into, I think the BSN "requirement" really depends on your program and your specialty. UIC, for instance, encourages students to do their masters portion part-time so they can work as an RN and get experience while they study - but because they don't offer a BSN, it can be incredibly difficult to get that job (which is part of the reason I decided not to go with UIC as my first choice, even though people have told me that for CNMs it's the only specialty where this really isn't a problem). Vanderbilt, on the other hand, has you go full time through the whole process, so you really don't have a chance to work as an RN before becoming an NP - once you have your masters, I would think not having your BSN isn't going to hurt you. I've heard it can change by specialty as well - I think the acute specialties are more encouraged to get RN experience than the primary care specialties, before continuing on to the masters. It all depends on what you're looking for!

misssummer7 · Mar 8, 2013

my gpa is 3.1 for my B.S. and 3.8 post-bac. I wasn't focused/barely studied in college and my major had a built-in pre-med/pharmacy track so my science gpa hovers around a 3.0. I re-took some prereqs and I'm hoping to get into some nursing classes (pathophysio and pharm) for the summer. I am doing my best to bring up my overall gpa (3.2) but I am still really worried my gpas are too low to get accepted anywhere. :/

Do you really think it will be too late to get a license? I plan on enrolling in either a CNA, EMT or phlebotomy course soon. I know these courses are around 12-16 weeks so if I get into one in April, I will be done by September. I've been calling hopsitals around my area for volunteering but everyone says they are full. who knew volunteering would be so hard?! lol.

I'm looking into FNP and then getting another license in Mental Health. I haven't finalized my list yet but plan on applying to some schools in-state (FL), NYU, Jefferson, GWU, Emory, Samuel Merritt, and Drexel. I've given myself a limit of applying to 15 schools. Do you have any suggestions?

misssummer7 · Mar 8, 2013

hey legal!

you apply to start the MSN portion during the third semester of your ABSN portion. From post from previous years, it seems like as long as you have a 3.0 in the ABSN program, you should be able to get into the MSN portion. :)

legal->nurse2b · Mar 8, 2013

awesome! NYU can stay on my list! This is so helpful- I feel like its so hard to get solid information from the schools, it is so nice to have other people out there who have gone through it/want to share.

hopefulnurse24 · Mar 8, 2013

Misssummer, I'm from Florida as well. What school are you currently attending? I want to caution you, the Florida schools are not holistic at all - some of them don't accept essays, letters of rec, or resumes. Just test scores and transcripts. So it can be incredibly limiting, and I felt like even though my GPA was high (around a 3.75 overall, and a 3.89 in my last 60 credit hours), I wanted a school that looked at more than just numbers.

Legalnurse, it is considered a dual entry program... You obtain your BSN first and then you apply to the masters specialty of your choice. It's not hard to get in, as long as your BSN GPA is high enough! What specialty are you thinking about?

hopefulnurse24 · Mar 8, 2013

Also, something else I want to add - some job listings for NPs say that you must have a BSN AND MSN (Duke Hospital is one of these places that have that in their job qualifications in the listing). Unless if your specialty is midwifery, where having a BSN and work experience as an RN isn't necessarily as important as other specialties, I wouldn't mess around with not having a BSN. It's incredibly important to get that bedside nursing experience before working as an NP, and without the BSN you may really struggle when it is time to find a job... especially in academic hospitals/magnet hospitals.

misssummer7 · Mar 9, 2013

hopeful,

I went to UF for my undergrad and currently taking post-bac classes as a pre-nursing major at FAU. Even though some schools like UF require rec letters and an essay, I do realize how number oriented state schools are so I'm looking more into private/out of state universities. I'm still going to apply to UF since it's my alma mater! :)