physiology85

I was recently accepted into an Entry Level MSN FNP program at Samuel Merritt University. I have been struggling to get into graduate school for the past year and was just about to start re-applying to programs when I got accepted for the Spring 2011 cohert and was so shocked I cried when the admissions councilor told me over the phone. I do not have a great GPA (NursingCAS calculated 3.0, BS in physio & neuroscience), but did very well in all other areas. I got mostly A's in pre-reqs and a few B's, volunteered a LOT during my undergraduate studies, and have a lot of paid health care work experience (2yrs in Neurology clinic, 8 months with PM&R clinic, and 5+ months as EMT-still current). My GRE score wasn't great 1070, 4.0 writing (minimums are on avg 1,000 and 4.0). I also took the TEAS and got 84%. It is a very tough process to be the applicant, especially when you have a weak point because the process is so selective. The great thing is, that the nursing schools have such a warm feeling when you interview (if you get one) that you are so inspired to join the field despite all the denials you may encounter. pdubya24- I am from the west coast and only was looking at west coast schools so I am unfamiliar with the schools you listed. Programs a limited therefore they are competitive, my cohort is only 20 students. One school I had applied to had +600 plus applicants for 60 spots. PA schools are a lot worse, 1200+ applicants for 50 spots at USC. VERY competitive, but I have found through the application process that the nursing schools care more about a well-rounded individual rather than GPA and GRE. My suggestions in your essay: Touch on topics that you would encounter as an NP like cultural sensitivities, moral dilemmas, and why you want to be an NP with what an NP is. Use your experiences to exemplify the above topics and to say why YOU will be a great student and nurse. The essays are tricky because you must tailor them to the individual schools and what they are looking for. Also highly valued is speaking a second language and preventative care. Hope this was helpful, I have been through a few interviews, PA and NP programs so if you have questions about that let me know. I feel like I was the underdog because of my grades so if I can make it through, you can too! Just don't take no for an answer, I sure didn't!

I have a BS in Physiology and Neuroscience and I too want to become an NP. There are a few select programs that offer the "Entry Level MSN" programs with the NP concentration. Be careful to not confuse the Entry level MSN programs that have other foci, a common EL-MSN program concentration is Clinical Nurse Leader which does NOT allow you to become an NP. So when you are researching make sure you pay attention to the concentration. Some programs to check out that I applied to are the following: Seattle University, Samuel Merritt University, Western University of Health Sciences, and UCSF. I was an alternate for Western University Fall 2010 but did not get accepted off the list. I think very highly of this school and was disappointed that I wasn't selected. I highly encourage you to check out this program! I was actually just recently accepted to Samuel Merritt University for Spring 2011 ELMSN FNP program! These programs are pretty small, have a very selective process, and are expensive but they have a great pay-off; a great career and to become an NP from a non-RN Bachelors degree. It has been a very tough year of denials, wait-lists, and finally an acceptance, but if you want it you can do it. I do not have a great GPA but worked hard to improve it after graduating, volunteered a ton during undergrad, and I have a lot of paid health care work experience. Know your weaknesses and work to improve them because it is a very selective process; when they have so many applicants it's easy to deny someone who has an obvious weakness in their application. I hope the best for you in the application cycle, I never thought I would be the one writing advice from this side because just a few weeks ago I was still the stressed out applicant. Good luck!

I am trying to get into Entry Level MSN programs to become an NP and I was offered an interview this week at Samuel Merritt University in their Sacramento location for Spring 2011. Does anyone have any tips on how to prepare for the interview? Their website says there are only 25 spots so this makes me very nervous. I applied last cycle to multiple NP and PA schools with no luck. I was an alternate for WesternUniversity of Health Sciences MSN-E Fall 2010 class but was not selected off the alternate list ) : My GPA isn't that great but I did very well in pre-reqs, decent on TEAS, and I have A LOT of hands-on medical work. Has anyone had an interview at SMU before? Any tips or advice on the program in general would be much appreciated. Thanks!