Direct Entry Programs- How hard to get in?

[GoodyNurse2b]

Thanks for all of your responses to all of my previous posts. As you probably assume, I'm evaluating all of my options including ADN, BSN, and Direct-Entry MSN. The direct entry programs look extremely appealing, but seeing that they are at the best of colleges, I don't know how easy they are to get in.

Does anyone know what the typical GPA, scores, acceptance rates of these programs are? Anyone have any experience applying?

I'm in MD, so I'd consider Hopkins, but Columbia, MGHI in Mass, Case Western, Vanderbilt, Pace, and Yale also look appealing.

Seeing as nursing traditionally isn't an "ivy league" profession, are the credentials required for these programs less than what a typical "ivy" student would need?

I'd love to hear experiences with any programs.........

[starem21]

Oh Lord, why did I have to check this forum tonight? Now I know that UCSF letters have been sent out and I have to bite my nails until they arrive.

With regard to the Boston area schools, I was looking at Northeastern and BC, and when I visited the campus my mind was made up for me: BC just didn't give me a good vibe, while Northeastern seemed professional, dedicated, and accomodating.

Hi Chris,

GOOD LUCK!! Thanks again for the info you shared RE the interview day. Hopefully you'll get your ACCEPTANCE letter on Monday!

[starem21]

Hi Emily,

Thank goodness they mailed ALL notifications on Friday. As soon as I heard you got yours and realized that I didn't get mine, I thought, oh no I'm out. I swear, I have done so much second guessing since the interviews.

I interviewed on the 14th and talked to as many of the applicants as I could, but I didn't meet any Perinatal CNSs. The majority of people I met were applying for Pediatric NP, Midwifery, Psych NP and Family NP. I applied for Gerontological NP and met 5 other Gerontological NP applicants that day.

All of the applicants were incredible, so it's really an accomplishment to get in. You must be so proud, happy and ready to celebrate.

I live in Burlingame, so hopefully I'll hear something Mon or Tues. I'll definitely be chasing the mailman through the neighborhood again.

Thanks so much for giving us all the heads up on the offer letters, and I hope to see you at UCSF this summer, but if I don't make it, congratulations again and Good Luck!

Anya

Hi Anya,

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! I'll bet you'll hear on Monday.

I also analyzed my interviews like crazy and played them back in my head many times over the last month. I agree that all the finalists I met were impressive people, all smart motivated, and interesting. It will definitely be a fantastic learning environment.

Hope to see you in June

:cheers:

[olijam]

The acceptance letter was a single page and didn't say anything more than congrats, you're in, we'll give you more info in March. I would imagine that they will require a deposit by the end of March. I remember on the interview day, they said that if you haven't gotten off the wait list by early May than there isn't much hope.

Olijam, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. At least you're first on the waiting list. I'm sure there'll be at least ONE person who chooses a different program.

Hi Starem21, thanks for the info. I have to mail in a form by 3/11 stating that I want to be an alternate. Hopefully at least one of the ACNP students will choose another school. UCSF is one of the top schools though, so I'm not sure if that will happen. At least there is some hope left. Hopefully I'll be one of your classmates this summer!

[Raymond CA]

Deleted.

[Jess RN]

Actually, I can see that happening. UCSF was really aloof and knew they had the #2 spot for MEPN programs. They did not really care about catering to the students because they knew the demand would be so great. I suspect the same thing may be going on at BC! But remember, you only have a small data sample. They may have been more friendly toward others; perhaps the people you interacted with were not in the best mood... who knows? It just goes back to the "vibe". I'll keep my fingers crossed for all your guys!

Smile123

Good point- my husband said the same thing. When your program is in demand you don't have to do much of the warm fuzzies to attract applicants. I actually felt at the BC info session that the speaker was discouraging the Master's Entry people from even applying! :uhoh21:

-Jess

[Jess RN]

Just finished doing an externship as a medical assistant for a fantastic internal medicine doctor and endocrinologist. I had the greatest time working with the mostly elderly patients with a horde of complex problems. Loved it and was delighted to see how well I fit into health care after leaving engineering.

Welcome Raymond! Wow- that sounds like a cool externship! Did you have to do any training or certification to be a medical assistant? What did your job duties entail working with patients? Sounds like really great hands-on experience. Good luck in the application/interview process!

-Jess

[PdxDreamer]

Speaking of welcoming staff, MGH, Northeastern and Simmons were all very inviting. I went to UMass Worcester though, and they handed me a packet of info and walked away. Pacific Lutheran in WA state was equally uncaring...but they are ranked really high in the Northwest so it's probably the same as BC- they can be rude because they are highly ranked!

By the way, someone else mentioned Northeastern. Are you concerned at all that they are only in their 2nd year of operation? Has anyone else heard about anything about their program? They seem sincere and well put together, but it worries me a little....

Okay, I'm trying to ignore the Oscars and get my studying done. Hope you all get the letters you've been waiting for in the next week or so... :)

Diana

[Raymond CA]

Welcome Raymond! Wow- that sounds like a cool externship! Did you have to do any training or certification to be a medical assistant? What did your job duties entail working with patients? Sounds like really great hands-on experience. Good luck in the application/interview process!

-Jess

Hi Jess! By the way, I'm from Rhode Island originally. Best of luck with your Boston College application! One of my A & P classmates, a Stanford grad who was a physical therapist aide, told me she was applying to BC for the NP program.

While taking my nursing prereqs full-time, on Saturdays I took medical assistant training for 17 weeks with a Boston Reed instructor. Afterwards I was extremely lucky to do a 6 week externship with a fantastic internal medicine doctor who was not only a wonderful boss and human being, he was a great teacher who trusted me and treated me like a medical student.

Plus he just wrote me some late recommendations that he just sent to my nursing schools for extra "oomph"!

It IS fantastic experience---more like preparation to be an NP than the bedpan stuff a CNA does. In fact, we had a Family NP who worked with our office, as well as a Stanford Physician Assistant student. I got to see them all in action. I'm happy I chose to learn to be an MA rather than a CNA.

The doctor was kind enough to let me watch him do EVERYTHING---diagnosing, examining, writing medical notes and prescriptions, and even doing hospital rounds. Some of this is not part of the normal job description.

In my job I did the following:

Serve a general (mainly elderly) patient population with wide variety of complex disorders. Help take patient histories and vital signs, update charts, track patients' drugs, do EKGs, do tests like urinalyses, pulse oximetry, and glucose finger sticks, answer phones, schedule patient appointments, prepare examination rooms, and set up nebulizers. Also I started helping to set up a database to help simplify and organize patient charting.

Since I was an engineer before, I volunteered to help him computerize patient charting. His office felt a bit like a startup company I had worked for in 2000, with great teamwork and no egos. I loved it and was happy I fit into working with patients so smoothly.

[Jess RN]

Hi Jess! By the way, I'm from Rhode Island originally. ...

It IS fantastic experience---more like preparation to be an NP than the bedpan stuff a CNA does. In fact, we had a Family NP who worked with our office, as well as a Stanford Physician Assistant student. I got to see them all in action. I'm happy I chose to learn to be an MA rather than a CNA.

The doctor was kind enough to let me watch him do EVERYTHING---diagnosing, examining, writing medical notes and prescriptions, and even doing hospital rounds. Some of this is not part of the normal job description.

Hi Raymond! I went to Providence College! I lived in RI for two years after graduation- Providence is a great little city- I miss it!

That is really cool about your training and externship. I'm trying to put together a plan B for this year if I don't get into school and I've been looking at a medical assistant program at Clark here in Boston. I agree that it may be more relevent to being an NP than the work a CNA does. But any hands on patient care role is good preperation though. So if I don't get in this year I may become certified as a Med tech and finish my two or three pre reqs and re-apply next year. For me, with little kids, that may not be such a bad thing. We'll have to wait and see! :)

Take care and good luck hearing back from schools!

Jess

[NP-to-be]

Hi Raymond! I went to Providence College! I lived in RI for two years after graduation- Providence is a great little city- I miss it!

That is really cool about your training and externship. I'm trying to put together a plan B for this year if I don't get into school and I've been looking at a medical assistant program at Clark here in Boston. I agree that it may be more relevent to being an NP than the work a CNA does. But any hands on patient care role is good preperation though. So if I don't get in this year I may become certified as a Med tech and finish my two or three pre reqs and re-apply next year. For me, with little kids, that may not be such a bad thing. We'll have to wait and see! :)

Take care and good luck hearing back from schools!

Jess

Hi Jess - Thanks for the MGH update on saturday. We'll all be anxiously awaiting mail deliveries this week for sure :uhoh21:

As a backup plan, have you ever considered doing an accelorated BSN program and then a MSN program? I had considered going this route as a back-up (the Simmons Dix program offers an 18-month program which I think you've actually mentioned before). I'm not sure how competitive the program s are (ore when deadlines are), but maybe something to think about?

BUT ... I'm sure you'll be hearing soon and wont need a back-up plan.

Good luck everyone ... I think this is shaping up to be a big week

- Jen

[Jess RN]

Hi Jess - Thanks for the MGH update on saturday. We'll all be anxiously awaiting mail deliveries this week for sure :uhoh21:

As a backup plan, have you ever considered doing an accelorated BSN program and then a MSN program? I had considered going this route as a back-up (the Simmons Dix program offers an 18-month program which I think you've actually mentioned before). I'm not sure how competitive the program s are (ore when deadlines are), but maybe something to think about?

BUT ... I'm sure you'll be hearing soon and wont need a back-up plan.

Good luck everyone ... I think this is shaping up to be a big week

- Jen

Hi Jen-

I have thought about Simmon's program- and would definitely look into it as a plan B. I have heard though that you can't get student loans for another Bachelors degree- so that would be a bit of an issue for me. Plus I know I will want to go back for my masters so I thought it would be ideal to do it all in one shot. The more I think about it, the more I think with my kids so little that an extra year "off" (well, not off 'cause I would take classes, etc) might be a blessing in disguise. I can just keep working on strengthening my app with experience, more pre reqs and retake the GREs and re-apply.

I agree- this and next week will be big ones!!!

-Jess

[pancake]

Hi everyone! This is Raymond from San Jose, CA. It's about time I discovered this thread.

I applied to 3 accelerated BSN programs for this year: SFSU (Sequoia Satellite), Samuel Merritt College (Oakland), and Johns Hopkins.

Hi Raymond,

Welcome to the group!

You sound like a great candidate, I think it's just a matter of time before you get in somewhere. I've noticed a lot of ex-High Tech people get interviews for nursing school.

Where are you taking your prereqs? I'm just finishing my last two, Stats and Nutrition at Canada College. My two friends in Stats also applied to SFSU-Sequoia and are sweating it out now too.

Take care and good luck!