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When I applied, they notified people of interviews pretty quickly after the application deadline had passed. However, I'm pretty sure they will wait to have your official GRE scores (so if you take it right before the deadline, they probably won't schedule an interview until they official scores--at least that's how they did it when I applied). I don't know what the dates for Duke Days are, but you could call someone and ask--those are the interview dates.

Hi Prinkipissa, I think, based on your stats, you have a really good chance. My GRE scores were lower than yours (and I know several other people, too). My cumulative undergrad GPA was much lower (because of mistakes made 20 years ago). I only had a week to prepare for the GRE and I was sick on the day I took it. My GRE score was just above 1000--but I got an interview and no one ever mentioned it to me during the interview/application process. Here is what is important to know about Duke--they really care about bringing the right people into the program, so the interview and personal essay are key. I think they care about what your abilities are now, and if you have problems (lower GPA, etc) that are in the past, that's fine, but you should be able to articulate how you learned from them. Duke has something they call "Duke Days" where you visit the campus, meet people, have tours, and have your admissions interview. They prefer that you attend. I live in California and could not attend, so it's not mandatory--but I know of a lot of people in my class who did fly out (and again, others who did not). My interview was very informal, with one person. We just chatted for about 30 minutes. She asked me questions about myself and things I had written in my essay. I have been nothing but impressed with Duke from the moment I started speaking with them. They were great to me before I applied, and easy to work with through the application process. Since being accepted, they have continued to be organized, helpful and on top of things. I have friends in nursing school in other programs, and none of them has had such great experiences. I feel very fortunate to have been accepted into such a great program. Unfortunately, it looks like I might have to defer my start until January (family illness), so we just might be classmates. Good luck with the GRE's! You'll get through them fine. Just get your application in and wait for an interview--then the fun starts.

As other posters have already said, you are definitely not a lost cause! I was in close to the same situation. I screwed up big time 20 years ago, and had a very low GPA (probably under 2.5)--but at the time, I dropped out and never finished. When I returned to finish 10 years ago, I graduated with a 4.0 (from the classes I had to take to finish). Fast forward 10 years to nursing pre-reqs, and I completed all of my pre-reqs (including some extra classes like physics and o-chem) with all A's (again, a 4.0). So, did I get in to nursing school? Well, Hopkins turned me down--said my cumulative GPA was 2.9 and that they had far more competitive applicants. I appealed the decision, but they would not look past the mistakes that were made 20 years ago. So, I called my 2nd choice school, Duke, and spoke with their wonderful admissions rep, who explained to me that they look at the whole person, and they care about what you can bring to the table now. I applied and was accepted!! I am all set to start in their nursing program in the Fall. What did I learn? Don't give up. My advice to you: call the schools you are interested in and explain your situation. It will save you both heartache and application fees if they will not look past your earlier GPA. I think most of them will look past it, but for the few that won't, just remember there are lots of good schools out there. Good luck!

It is true that the UNC tuition program is no longer an option (at least for Duke students). ***** sent out an email about this recently.

Yes, it is expensive. I know, I just secured all my loans for the program. Still, it's not any more than a lot of other private schools, the program is only 16 months, and Duke has a great reputation. In addition, Duke Hospital is one of the country's top 10 hospitals, and all of Duke's hospitals have earned magnet status (which speaks directly to their nursing departments). Not a bad place to get an education (or so I think). I haven't yet been to the South, so I can't speak to the culture of the area. From what I've read and researched, the Triangle area seems very progressive and diverse. The humidity sounds awful, but everywhere has trade-offs (well, except San Diego, which is near perfect year round). Still, it's only a few months out of the year, and my car and apt have air conditioning. I don't think getting 1000 on the GRE is that hard. I SUCK at math, and I still managed to pull out that score. I studied flash cards from Kaplan's GRE flashcard box, and did a couple practice tests online. It might be at least worth a try. I know this would really only be a back-up school for you, right? Your professor was smart to tell you not to put all of your eggs into one basket--nursing school is competitive and if you really want it, it might be smarter to apply to your dream school and then one or two more, just in case. My number one choice was Hopkins--they said no, and Duke was 2nd choice. Looking back, I think Duke will end up being a better fit for me, so I believe things work out just how they should. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Duke has an ABSN cohort that starts in July 2010. The application deadline is either June or July (but I think it's July 1). However, they do require the GRE (although they only require 1000). Their application process is fairly smooth and painless--apply online. I believe that most people who meet the qualifications (it's okay to have pre-reqs in process) are granted an interview. The interview can be in person (which they prefer) or over the phone (which I did, and was accepted). After the interview, most people will find out their answer within about 1 week. And, typically, the interviews get scheduled fairly quickly after the application deadline. Check them out and let me know if you have any questions.

You're great. They'll love you! You'll get in!

My good friend, you are not alone. I feel the same way! All of a sudden, it's getting close and while I am very excited, I am also nervous. However, we are strong, intelligent, determined women and we WILL do fine. All the evidence thus far points that out. And if things go wrong, then we'll bake a cake and get back on track....

In my pharmacology class, we used the book Math for Meds. I liked it and found it very helpful. There were very clear examples and lots of practice problems. It's fairly cheap and you can find it on Amazon, so it might be worth ordering and doing some practice work. It never hurts to get an early start!

Duke has already filled their Fall start, but they do have an ABSN cohort that will start in January (so not much further than August). It's a 16 month program, geared specifcally towards 2nd degree students. To apply, you do have to take the GRE (and get at least 1000). Deadline for applications is July 1...they notify pretty quickly after the deadline. FYI, I was accepted for the Fall start and am totally excited! My GPA from 20 years ago was horrible, too, but I really liked that fact that Duke looked past that and considered the whole person that I am now...my pre-req grades were solid (3.9), but I had no health care experience at all. If you want more information, just let me know! I think they have a great program, the clinicals are at world-class hospitals, and they grant their students provisional acceptance into their Master's programs.

StarBelly, I don't know where you live, but there are several community colleges in the Bay Area that teach Micro in the summer (Skyline, College of San Mateo, the Peralta community colleges in Oakland, CCSF). Good luck! I would think you could get into a summer micro class without having to go out of state.

Right on!! I wish you the best of luck... I will be starting the program in August, so you can always PM me if you want information about the program once I get started. Hope to see you in January!

I think your stats look good and you definitely have a chance, especially if you can get some science pre-reqs done and rock them! Your GRE scores are good and your volunteer experience also sounds good. Duke really looks at the whole person, so in the interview process you get a chance to talk about yourself and what strengths you can bring to the table. If you have questions, you should call Melissa Ziberna in the admissions department. She is the admissions rep for the ABSN program and she is super helpful. Actually, you should probably call her just to open a dialogue between you and the school. How long until you plan on applying? How many science pre-reqs will you have completed?

I didn't take A&P through them, but I did take Micro online. Since nobody else has responded to you, I'll give you my experience with the class. Actually, I was quite impressed with the class and the instructor. However, it was a CRAZY amount of work...writing assignments every week. We were required to post to a discussion board several times per week, and also required to post a certain number of "substantive" replies or questions. We had to respond to three discussion questions weekly. We had to do a group paper (and our groups were assigned). Not my favorite because there is always one person who doesn't do their fair share. Honestly, it was one of the harder classes that I've taken, even though tests were completely online and open book, they were always difficult. I learned a lot and never felt like I simply paid for the grade or that I skated by... I think UOP normally uses e-books, but we had a real book for our class (which I prefer). The time went by quickly (7 weeks). As long as your school will accept their classes (and not having a lab won't hurt you), absolutely take it! Although I think anatomy can be more interesting and easy to understand with a lab, I don't think having a lab for physio makes a big difference. Just my opinion...

I would assume they want official. More and more schools are now requiring students to submit their transcripts at one time, in one envelope--so yes, they do come directly from the student, but they must still be official and in the sealed envelopes.