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Yes. I was #27, I got an update I moved to #11 a month later, then #3 another week after, another week passed and I got an email that I was admitted today! I was surprised.

I'm a Rush applicant, but I did my undergrad at UIC which is a 5 minute walk from Rush. I lived in the city and I absolutely loved it. My advice is to look for apartments in University Village, Illinois Medical District, Pilsen, and anything north of campus accessible by public transit like Ukrainian Village, Lakeview, Wicker Park, etc. Anything in the Loop, River North, Lincoln park, can be pricey, but you can try your luck finding a deal in those locations. I agree with a previous reply about not living west or south of campus -- especially if you're a woman living solo. My first lease as a student I started with a 1-bed and I found it was too big, as I also had to furnish the entire place. Already paying ~$80k for Rush's program, the last thing you want to have to worry about is buying a dining table and sofa to fill the room. I ended up downsizing to a studio and it's perfect. Another mistake I made when filling out my first lease in Chicago was finding a place that was loaded with amenities that I never ended up using but still had to pay for. I found that I was out exploring the city far more often than staying home to utilize amenities. Rush also has its own fitness center available for students so no need to splurge on an apartment complex with a loaded gym if that was something you're into.

@morganf07 For waitlisted students do they notify you of your specific rank number and when it moves up?

Same! I got that email. Hopefully the technical difficulty doesn’t push the decision date.

@futuremsncnl I haven't heard back from any programs yet, but many of them said decisions would come out in March. To be honest I don't have the most competitive GPA, but I did meet the minimum. I submitted the optional addendum because I did have an extenuating life circumstance during my fresh/soph year of undergrad that caused a major hit to my grades. I held a chair for a community service org in my undergrad which enabled me to gain lots of hours. Outside of school involvement, I also volunteered regularly at a hospital, and I got my CNA certification when the pandemic first started and have been working since then. Rush is my top program as well, but one thing that makes me nervous is that many of the admitted students seem to be older, wiser, and have gained experience from years in other careers. I feel so naïve. I'm definitely at the younger end of the spectrum (21), I just graduated with my bachelor's this past December, and I was originally on a PT/OT track. I hope I get into any program really. I'm trying to move forward in starting my nursing career. Being a CNA is SO physically draining, and honestly Walmart pays better. The only reason I've been sticking to it is for the patient experience for these programs. But that's life :')

I had my interview this morning and it was wayy more relaxed than I thought it would be. I definitely stressed too much and over prepared. It really was like a casual conversation and, I feel like I came off maybe too reheorificed. They just wanted to hear more about why I was interested in nursing and attending Rush, my current background and why I'm switching careers, and some questions on qualities that make me a good candidate and future nurse. A few other questions I can't remember, but I don't recall it being anything formal or challenging. They also asked if I had any questions. I got a lot of my questions answered at First Look but I didn't want to seem uninterested so I prepared a couple questions. I've been interviewing for other programs so I was prepared to answer questions like, "List off your strengths/weaknesses, describe a time when... , one word to describe yourself, how would you deal with [certain situation]?" But there really was none of that. My interview lasted about 25 minutes, it really flew by. The person interviewing me was super nice and actually did a lot of talking and shared some stories/insight so it's not like they were grilling me the whole time. My advice is don't stress! Take a deep breath. You know yourself and you know the answers to why you want to make this transition in your life.

The message is from UIC College of Nursing. The title is "Nursing Application Interview Invitation - UIC College of Nursing" -- if you wanna keep your eye out for that in your inbox.

If you click the link to Elmhurst's site for the program https://www.elmhurst.edu/academics/departments/nursing/programs/masters-entry-nursing-practice/? they title their program with the "MENP" acronym. Sorry for the confusion! I know there's tons of title variations out there it's hard to differentiate.

I applied to Rush and Elmhurst. My interviews with them are coming up in a few days. I live in the Chicagoland area. I haven’t applied to any out of state programs because of rent and loans LOL although in some other threads I saw people apply to programs in California and elsewhere

When/how were you notified of them holding mock interview sessions? I don’t have any emails from UIC

Hi! That's exactly what I was wondering. I haven't heard a peep from UIC, but I've heard back from other programs and have been able to at least schedule some interviews. I took a look at previous cohorts' chats and they were all talking about how UIC took forever to reveal their admission decisions, so long that they've already gotten other acceptances from other programs that were soon to expire. Maybe that goes to show how many applicants they usually get. I wonder if they're still doing in-person group interviews. The two other programs I applied to in the Chicagoland area are all virtual interviews. -- Side note, just to keep us busy while we wait: how are you feeling about UIC's credentials being "MS" vs other programs being "MSN"?

Congrats on getting in! Are you going to accept it? Or are there other schools you’re shooting for? thank you for the writing portion insight! I was caught off guard by it as it’s the only program I’ve applied to that does that.

Once I replied with my desired time slot they confirmed it within 24hrs. I plan on attending first look I need as much insight as I can get LOL

I received an invitation to interview as well and sent in my desired timeslots. Haven't received any other emails. The interviews taking place on Zoom are a plus. I feel like that would definitely ease some nerves a little better. In the mean time, what other programs have you all applied to?

Hello all, I haven't seen a chat started for Elmhurst's MENP Fall 2022 applicants. Just reaching out to any of you out there, so we can lean on each other for support ? Also, I've recently been extended an invitation. The email said it would be a 30 minute Zoom call -- which is expected, but they also said that there would be a 30 minute writing portion in which I would have to provide a writing sample on the spot. That part completely caught me off guard. Does anybody know what this writing portion is all about? I've never heard of any other program doing anything like that.