Direct entry and graduate entry programs II

kessler · Apr 23, 2005

Wow!

Thank you so much, all of you! I did not expect to get so much detailed information on how to approach taking the gre test. This forum is extremely helpful and a very welcoming place.

Do you think that taking the test a month before the application due date is cutting it too short?

Thanks again.

Y'all are awesome.

rachel

Jess RN · Apr 23, 2005

Wow!
Thank you so much, all of you! I did not expect to get so much detailed information on how to approach taking the gre test. This forum is extremely helpful and a very welcoming place.
Do you think that taking the test a month before the application due date is cutting it too short?
Thanks again.
Y'all are awesome.
rachel

This forum is so cool!! :) It was my lifeline to sanity during the long wait to hear from schools. I think if you only plan to take the test once then 1 mo is fine. It takes about 2-3 weeks for the scores to get to the schools.

I took the GRE in Dec and one of my schools had a Jan 2 deadline- but I just emailed them and they accepted my "unofficial" scores that you get at the end of the test and noted them in my file till my real scores arrived. They just wanted all applicants to have taken the test before the deadline.

Good luck studying- I still remember the feeling of relief walking from the test to my car and knowing it was over! :chuckle

What schools are you thinking of applying to?

-Jess

smile123 · Apr 23, 2005

Wow!
Thank you so much, all of you! I did not expect to get so much detailed information on how to approach taking the gre test. This forum is extremely helpful and a very welcoming place.
Do you think that taking the test a month before the application due date is cutting it too short?
Thanks again.
Y'all are awesome.
rachel

I agree with Jess. 1 month is fine. I had an Oct 1st deadline for one school, so I took the GRE right after Labor Day. The official scores reach your schools 2 to 3 weeks after you take it. It felt good to get the unofficial scores for the Verbal and the Quant right after the test! (You still don't know the essay portion, but I have a feeling the schools don't really look at that score as much as the V and Q.)

Good luck! We are all rooting for you Rachel! (We root for everyone here at this forum!) P.S. If you tell us the schools you are considering, we can chime in with our collective knowledge! :-D

Smile123

Gennaver, MSN · Apr 25, 2005

Hi,

Goodness am I ever glad that I contacted my specialty area. Apparently the interviews are this Thursday and my email notice was sent to the slightly wrong email addy!!

OY! Two days until interview!

Thank goodness too that I don't have class that morning!!

Gen

p.s. sweating now!

p.p.s. were any waitlisters interested in the infor I posted the other day?

kessler · Apr 25, 2005

If you tell us the schools you are considering, we can chime in with our collective knowledge! :-D

Smile123

Smile and Jess,

I haven't decided on the complete and final list of schools to apply to, but I am currently considering Simmons, NEU, USM, Columbia, and UCSF. I want to make sure to apply to a broad enough range so that I will get an acceptance letter from at least one school. Looking at the stats for Simmons, I believe fit their profile. Do you have any suggestions for rounding-out my list? I know that my list is pretty much comprised of the most difficult schools to get accepted to. I am beginning to think that there are no "shoe-in" schools that offer this type of program, though. Am I right?

Which schools did y'all apply to?

Here's to reaching high and taking risks!

rachel

NP-to-be · Apr 25, 2005

If you tell us the schools you are considering, we can chime in with our collective knowledge! :-D
Smile123

Smile and Jess,

I haven't decided on the complete and final list of schools to apply to, but I am currently considering Simmons, NEU, USM, Columbia, and UCSF. I want to make sure to apply to a broad enough range so that I will get an acceptance letter from at least one school. Looking at the stats for Simmons, I believe fit their profile. Do you have any suggestions for rounding-out my list? I know that my list is pretty much comprised of the most difficult schools to get accepted to. I am beginning to think that there are no "shoe-in" schools that offer this type of program, though. Am I right?

Which schools did y'all apply to?

Here's to reaching high and taking risks!

rachel

Sounds like a good list !! I am starting at Simmons this summer - glad to see it on your list! I think you're right though, there are no "shoe-in's" ... that I have found at least. I was lucky enough to get accepted at BC and MGH as well ... are you considering either? They are both Boston schools w/ excellent reputations. There are others on this board planning to go to both programs that I'm sure can answer any questions for you.

Good luck w/ the application process ... I know it can be stressful but take it one step at a time and you'll do great. If you don't already, try to get some healthcare volunteer experience before applying. I think that goes along way w/ the admissions committees.

-Jen

Jess RN · Apr 25, 2005

Hi Rachel-

Yes those are all really competitive schools! From what I know I would say that UCSF and Coumbia would be most competitive in terms of the # of applicants to seats in the program. Simmons and NEU I think are of a piece in terms of competitiveness, maybe slightly less competitive than the first two. One note about Simmons though- even though it isn't ranked super high in the US News rankings it is extremely competitive to get into and we saw on this list people get rejected by Simmons and then get accepted into higher ranked programs. The word on the street in Boston about Simmons' programs from nurses I've talked to is that it is a great program and very well respected clinically. Is SMU the University of Southern Maine? I'm just guessing- I have no info on thier program.

I applied to Boston College, MGH Institute and Regis College. I live in MA and have two kids and a husband with a job- so moving away for school wasn't an option so that kind of limited my search. I got into all my schools and am going to BC in the fall. I didn't consider NEU because I felt the program was too new and too long with the built-in internship year. In retrospect I should have applied to Simmons, but it just wasn't on my radar screen when I was applying for some reason. Regis was my "safety" school and I would have loved to go there if I didn't get into my other two. It is a great little school with a well-established Direct Entry program (I thinkit's 10 yrs old)

Hope that helps!~

-Jess

smile123 · Apr 25, 2005

If you tell us the schools you are considering, we can chime in with our collective knowledge! :-D
Smile123

Smile and Jess,
I haven't decided on the complete and final list of schools to apply to, but I am currently considering Simmons, NEU, USM, Columbia, and UCSF. I want to make sure to apply to a broad enough range so that I will get an acceptance letter from at least one school. Looking at the stats for Simmons, I believe fit their profile. Do you have any suggestions for rounding-out my list? I know that my list is pretty much comprised of the most difficult schools to get accepted to. I am beginning to think that there are no "shoe-in" schools that offer this type of program, though. Am I right?
Which schools did y'all apply to?
Here's to reaching high and taking risks!
rachel

Of your list, I know that Columbia and UCSF are in the top tier for nursing schools. UCSF is one of the toughest to get into, being #2 in the nation. U. of Washington (Seattle) is #1. I've known people who were rejected by UCSF, but got into Columbia.

It sounds like you are willing to relocate which is good. What focal area are you interested in? That will help guide you on top schools in your desired specialty. (I assume you are looking for direct entry to RN/MSN programs right?) For example, U. Penna has a great Gerontology program; my friend is there in her first year and loves it there. Let us know a little about your background and your interests. Then it will be easier to recommend schools.

Smile123

Jess RN · Apr 25, 2005

Good luck w/ the application process ... I know it can be stressful but take it one step at a time and you'll do great. If you don't already, try to get some healthcare volunteer experience before applying. I think that goes along way w/ the admissions committees.
-Jen

Jen makes a great point about volunteer experience. I think it really does make a difference in showing how serious your are about nursing. I think the quality of your volunteer experience matters too. Try to do something in your desired specialty area and something that is more involved than just delivering flowers to patients, you know? Someone on the old list gave the example of a Women's Health applicant who vounteered on the board of a hospital's breastfeeding committee. She was involved in writing the breastfeeding guidelines for the hospital. That would be pretty interesting to an admissions committee, I'd think. Where are you located, btw? The Boston area has a wealth of volunteer opportunities at the many hospitals in the area.

-Jess

Jess RN · Apr 25, 2005

You guys - I'm kind of freaking out.
They made us buy Henke's Med-Math book and told us we were going to be tested on "the material" the first week. What????? No seriously, WHAT???
So I get through the first couple of chapters, and I'm like, okay, basic arithmetic skills, cool, learning the abbreviations for nothing by mouth, etc., no problem, and then bam - justifications for using different types of syringes for different formulations of insulin!!!!! I - I - what the hell??? Are they screwing with me? Am I totally about to fail out of school before I even start? I have a full time job and I'm trying to pack and get ready and get all my titers done and figure out my loans and oh my god!!!!!!!
Please just tell me it's going to be okay.

Take a deep breath! You will be fine!!!! I know it's overwhelming- and maybe they make it that way just to scare you a little!! :chuckle I've read on these boards that ADN programs have periodic math tests that are used as weed out measures for the programs. So, in your first year you would have say, 3 math tests and if you don't get a minimum score (usually in the 70s from what I've heard) on each of them you are out of the program! Yipes! I've heard from real nurses though that nursing math is very do-able. It may seem strange and foreign to you now, but you are certainly intellectually capable of it and it will probably become rote to you within a few months of starting your program. Good luck!!!

-Jess

smile123 · Apr 25, 2005

Hi,
Goodness am I ever glad that I contacted my specialty area. Apparently the interviews are this Thursday and my email notice was sent to the slightly wrong email addy!!
OY! Two days until interview!
Thank goodness too that I don't have class that morning!!
Gen
p.s. sweating now!
p.p.s. were any waitlisters interested in the infor I posted the other day?

Good luck on your interview Gen!!! We're rooting for you!

Smile123

smile123 · Apr 25, 2005

Jen makes a great point about volunteer experience. I think it really does make a difference in showing how serious your are about nursing. I think the quality of your volunteer experience matters too. Try to do something in your desired specialty area and something that is more involved than just delivering flowers to patients, you know? Someone on the old list gave the example of a Women's Health applicant who vounteered on the board of a hospital's breastfeeding committee. She was involved in writing the breastfeeding guidelines for the hospital. That would be pretty interesting to an admissions committee, I'd think. Where are you located, btw? The Boston area has a wealth of volunteer opportunities at the many hospitals in the area.
-Jess

I know that volunteer experience or direct health care experience can be one of the deciding factors for these schools; generally, all the applicants already have stellar grades and GREs, so it's their health care experience that can make an admissions committee take notice. I remember about that same woman who was involved with the policies for the breastfeeding guidelines too; she was influential to that hospital and its patients. It was unusual enough to make people remember her. So if you are not involved in healthcare volunteer opportunities, I would do so asap. Good luck!

Smile123