Problem or Perception in admissions?

[40startingoveragain]

i go to a private 4 year university that by the way is very expensive. i applied to their college of nursing for the spring of 2009. i received a letter of rejection this week. i was dumbfounded especially since my advisors repeatedly told me not to worry about acceptance into the program, furthermore the director of nursing also told me based on my grades i would not have a problem being accepted into the program. based on how competitive the schools here are and what the advisors told me i enrolled and started classes this fall. the school has 40 seats and only about 125 students apply which includes un-enrolled students. the school says that students are selected to the nursing program based on gpa and recommendations and they do give preference to anyone currently attending.

my gpa is a 3.8 and i have a 4.0 gpa in all of my science classes and i have excellent letters of recommendation. my age group (40-49) within the university accounts for only about 4% of 5,500 students on campus, so needless to say, the average age is around 21.

when i got my rejection letter, i first meet with two of my professors separately. both said they felt that i was rejected based on my age and my gpa and recommendations may not have been considered. each said they felt i did not fit into the mold of nurses the school may want to produce. one said he would lose his job if i ever told anyone he said this.

anyway, i went and meet with the nursing school director and asked why i was not accepted. she did not know me and at first did not ask my name. she said that the lowest gpa was a 3.6, which is why i may not have been selected. she went on to say that they looked closely at the science scores and then at the recommendations. after she was finished, i told her i still did not understand because i had a 3.8 gpa and 4.0 gpa in all of my science classes and i had excellent letters of recommendations. she looked a bit shocked and looked up my name. she finally said that they had given preference to the length of time the students had attended the university. she also said first semester transfer students, which i am, were not given preference and known were accepted. she said i was an excellent candidate and to apply again next year.

apply again next year is crap! i am completely done with all the classes i need to graduate and unless i am enrolled in this school, i can't apply next year. it would cost me $11k each semester to take classes i don't even need. every school in the area that i live is highly competitive and i don't have the option to move. this year the local public university did not take anyone with less than an overall 4.0 gpa.

i am ****** off. i don't want to believe i was not chosen because of my age but can't understand why they have changed the rules.... i know of two students that got accepted last year as first semester transfer students but unfortunately i don't know anyone else in the college of nursing nor do i know anyone who is applying this year.

i have an appointment to meet with the dean. i want to ask for the demographics of the students selected --- what is the chance they will give me that? and is it even worth my breath to try and fight a system that doesn't want me? the college of nursing should be admitting the best candidates, period, not based on the length of time the person has attended the university.

any advise?????

[beth66335, BSN, RN]

the school has 40 seats and only about 125 students apply which includes un-enrolled students.

you said you can't apply next year unless you are enrolled but in the beginning of your post you said the above. i was just wondering why you can't apply next year un-enrolled? if i were you i would take that last meeting you scheduled, they may tell you what you want to know and then i would apply to every nursing program around you at the same time. it will help your odds considerably, and you can also look into online degrees so you don't have to worry about not being able to move! i put all my eggs in one basket where i live, and it worked out okay for me, but you may not be able to do that where you are! good luck and i'm sorry this happened to you, rejection is harder on we older students!

[Jules A, MSN]

They usually do have a demographics list so you should be able to see it at some point. I would guess that the number of "older" students accepted was probably in line with the number that applied. Personally I felt that my school embraced the older students even though we weren't the majority. It does make some sense that if the gpas are the same they would take students that had been with the school longer hence spent more money there. Truthfully when they are picking 25 from 125 there will be a lot of disappointed folks. I'm really sorry you didn't get in but if you feel this school is your only option I'd keep a good attitude and find out for sure what to do to increase your chances of getting in next time. You have already done all the pre-reqs for this program so perhaps you can start doing some classes toward your BSN or MSN. Good luck.