awmused

I know that Chamberlain has a 3 year BSN program that does not require that you have prerequisites, but I do not know if you'll be able to get your LPN while enrolled. You can try calling them and speaking to an Admissions Advisor. GPA minimum is 2.75 + you need to score a minimum of 75% (math & English) on the HESI A2 as the minimum admissions requirements. Keep in mind, this is a private school, so it will cost $$$ to attend. Make sure you can make the commitment if you are considering this school. You can go to the AZBN website to view admissions requirements for different nursing schools: http://www.azbn.gov/Documents/education/Nursing%20Programs/Admission%20Requirements%20for%20Nursing%20Programs.10.07.10.pdf

From what I've been reading and talking to lenders and financial aid officers when applying to any Entry Level MSN program (I've been researching California and Arizona), the big difference why schools are adding this entry level degree is that the federal government has been pouring money into a new area for financial aid. This is great for students who already have a previous Bachelor degree in something other than nursing AND have tapped out on Federal Loans (Subsidized + Unsubsidized). If you were to pursue a second Bachelor's degree, the only loans available to you would be the Sub+Unsub Federal loans and Private Loans. After the credit crisis, you would be hard pressed to find a private loan that didn't require a co-signer. If you're fortunate enough to have someone who is willing to take on that massive responsibility (YOUR debt on THEIR credit record and the possibility of you not being able to pay it back and making them stuck to pay it back), then this might be the path for you. You most likely will not qualify for the Parent PLUS loans since you've already earned one bachelor degree. For students who CAN'T get (or want to avoid getting) a co-signer to make up the difference of their tuition, this is where the Entry Level MSN programs come into play. This is the OTHER federal loan called the GradPLUS (Graduate PLUS) loan for students pursuing professional degrees (meaning Masters, Law degrees, and Doctorates). This loan is guaranteed by the government (you can use it for tuition, books, room & board) and does NOT require a cosigner. They only do a "soft" credit check (meaning they check if you are on time with your bills and not delinquent on any debt which doesn't heavily affect your credit score) vs. Private Lenders doing a full credit score credit check (which will knock points off of your credit score by just running it for the loan approval process). GradPLUS loans also have a fixed interest rate versus the variable interest rate of Private Lender Loans. It's true that entry level MSN-RN's will still start at the same place as ADN-RN's. The choice is if you have time to wait on waitlists to get into the ADN programs to save money, or just want/need to start right away and hopefully find a job before the waitlisted ADN's graduate and pass boards to start getting experience and whittling away at your debt. Hope this was helpful!

I applied for early admission with Chamberlain for Spring 2011 in October of 2010 and was accepted! My GPA wasn't the greatest--combined GPA between a previous Bachelor degree where I didn't do the greatest + my GPA at a community college where I took microbio/anatomy/physio and some other GE classes to transfer to have a CGPA of ~2.8. I got a score of 97.3% on my HESI A2 (100% in math and 94.6% in English--studied my butt off for about 3-4 weeks, but also studying for TEAS for other schools, so I was well-prepared). I think there are several factors involved: GPA + HESI A2 + amount of spaces available + any additional things to consider for the application (I also had my old SAT scores sent in to "boost" my file). The admission committee meets once a month of each month (from what I've been told, the last meeting being January 17th) to review applications. Since I took my test near the end of October, I was notified by mid-November of my acceptance. I don't think 81% is bad at all, plus you have a very strong GPA. I would ask your Admissions Advisor what their opinion based on your scores & GPA. You may be able to squeeze in another test to bump up your score (if need be) before their last acceptance meeting. Positive vibes going your way!

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to be taking the TEAS 4.0. Would I you still recommend using the TEAS V study guide or the TEAS 3.0/4.0?

Wow! Congratulations on your amazing score! What would you recommend as good study materials and what was your study "plan"? (How long you gave yourself to prepare, how long you studied each day, etc.)