How competitive is it "really" to get into a Accelerated BSN?

athomas2340 · Apr 12, 2012

I recently applied to an accelerated program and did not get in with 2 C's in my sciences. My other 4 sciences were A's and B's. Guess I should've known better smh, but accelerated is extremely difficult to get into. I know people in my class with 4.0's in their science courses and very high GPA's, but they have gotten denied as well. It's best to come in with the highest GPA possible, anything below a 3.6 is kinda pushing it. Try to talk to people in the program at your school. Best of luck!

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Apr 12, 2012

It depends on the demand of nursing schools in your area. It is much easier to get into a school (accelerated or traditional) in my area. One school even guarantees entry to its BSN to students who take all prereqs there and otherwise have at least the min qualifications. The lpn programs in the area have no compitition; you can register for those classes a month or two before they start. The job market for RNs is pretty good here too, and you can expect to have a job before graduation.

jocy_anne · Apr 12, 2012

I agree with Miiki, it will probably depend on what area of the country you're in. I'm in NJ, so I think it's pretty competitive around here. Luckily, I was just accepted into an Accelerated BSN-MSN program at Jefferson in Philadelphia. I have about a 3.4 cumulative GPA (although with the specific classes they chose to transfer into their school, I will start with about a 3.6 or 3.7 in September) and a 4.0 in my sciences so far (finishing up Gen Chem II right now and still have to take Micro in the summer). During my interview I asked about the number of applicants vs. the number of spots, and was told they had about 500-600 applications for 48 spots...so from my experience, it's pretty competitive! However, it may not be that way where you are. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with programs outside this area, so I'm not sure about that.

whattodo4 · Apr 12, 2012

500 apps for 48 spots heh, sounds like most Accelerated BSN programs. Thanks all for the insight, it is much better to hear it from the students than the "offical" websites

leenak · Apr 13, 2012

I applied to one, 4.0 in my pre-reqs with a GPA of a little over 3.0 in everything total. I didn't get in. For many ABSN programs, GPA isn't the only factor though. They will say things like the average GPA is 3.7 or so though.

whattodo4 · Apr 13, 2012

aye what the website says vs who officially gets in is quite different. Tis very valuable to hear from people who got in/rejected

chiasmus100 · Apr 15, 2012

I'm in NJ also. I was accepted to one not competitive school and wait-listed at one extremely competitive school (where GPA was the only factor). My transcript is not stellar. In the prereqs I had 3.5, my cumulative was 3.4 (though some semesters I had a 3.8, others I had a 3.0). My grades from undergrad in the required science classes for my BA were Bs and Cs. If you do strongly in the prereqs I think this helps a lot. Logically speaking, even if your GPA from undergrad is 3.0 and you graduated years ago, if you do excellently currently this says a lot.

Also, I was told by an admissions rep that of those 500 applicants some ABSN programs boast, many are extremely unqualified (with a 2.2 GPA or the like).

NightOwlGirl · Apr 16, 2012

I just got accepted into an accelerated BSN program in Northern Virginia (for fall 2012) & was accepted into two ABSN programs in Ohio back in 2010, neither of which I could attend due to my surprise pregnancy.My GPA from my two undergrad institutions is 3.85/4.0, with straight A's in all my prerequisite science courses. I was worried about not having a lot of volunteer or healthcare experience, but it didn't seem to affect anything. I had strong recommendation letters/essays/interviews & a lot of other hard science experience (I taught Chemistry in grad school, was studying forensic science/applied osteology). I completed all but the clinical rotation for a phlebotomy certification & already had my BLS for healthcare providers when applying.I'm not sure what the applicants vs slots ratio was for my programs, but I'm assuming it's easier to get accepted in Ohio than DC-metro Virginia, based on population density alone. On the flip side, ABSN programs are often at private schools & not much financial aid is available for second degree students. This could drive down competition since fewer people might be able to afford the total tuition & wouldn't bother applying to somewhere they can't attend. In the DC area, tuition averages around $50,000 for most (non-public) accelerated programs.

ARickli · Apr 18, 2012

athomas2340, could you/would you tell us where you applied that rejected you and the students with the 4.0?

Thanks--- :)

samiam856 · Apr 18, 2012

It really depends on your location and the strength of the applicant pool at the time....sometimes it is not always GPA or admissions tests or letters or personal essays, it's a combination of everything. I live in South Florida...I applied to 5 ABSN programs and got rejected from ALL of them....I have a Bachelors a Masters...above a 3.5 in both my GPA an pre-req GPA....it is definitely very competitive....but if you're like me and it is something you really want to do you may have to apply a second, third, or possibly fourth time. I'm hoping a second time is enough for me!

athomas2340 · Apr 20, 2012

@Arickli I applied to Bowie State in Maryland.

How competitive is it "really" to get into a Accelerated BSN?

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