TLeeM

It depends on the program you apply to. Each will specify if they need to have prerequisites completed by the application date or by the semester/quarter before you start. Many ask for the sciences to be completed, with the others in progress. You have to do your research and see which programs you are eligible for. I think if you have everything done by December 2015 you should be good to apply for fall 2016. Good luck!!

I applied to a few other schools (accepted to one other), but not any other CSU programs. The main reason why I did not apply to others was because none had the direct entry option like CSULA. I am a bit older, so it was important for me to be able to push thru to the NP track and to avoid the application process again (it was brutal LOL). LB was not accepting for the ELMN type program anymore. CSULA had so many pros compared to many of the other programs it would have been crazy for me to turn it down. Cost - definite pro - once you are out of the ABSN portion it is very affordable, Degrees earned - both a BSN and MSN-NP; Program coordinator (you all love her....); Proximity to home (I did not have to move); Hospital affiliations - LAC+USC, Kaiser, Huntington, Glendale, CHLA, Keck - all great locations/facilities. And the reputation is pretty good. Rankings are good. And all CSULA nurses we have met (ELMNs especially) are pretty kick ass. I am not going to take time off between the programs (as I mentioned...I am not getting any younger), but may consider doing part time to work - but I will deal with that decision once I have actually graduated and have an RN behind my name :-).

Look into Sallie Mae loans. I have been able to take out as much as I need as long as the school certifies it within budget. Oh and I am in a second bachelors program as well.

If the schedule is the same as last year - you should be hearing very soon! If I recall correctly - we heard the Monday of spring break. Please know - this week is finals week, so the program coordinator is likely tying up her current classes and grades, then she will be all about the new cohort! So excited for you all!

Ah thanks RNNP! I agree with everything you say!!

Unfortunately I cannot give any specifics, but I can say it will relate to nursing and will probably be on a topic you are very familiar with or at least have a solid opinion about. Do not stress over it. If you know the career you are getting into, then you should be good!

Hi all. I was in your shoes this time last year and was just as anxious. I can tell you that the program coordinator is very busy, so just be a bit more patient. In addition to reviewing each and every application that comes in - she teaches classes, is working on arranging our spring quarter clinical sites and instructors, and is securing 30 preceptors for our summer quarter. Oh and she is conducting research to support her PhD candidacy. She is incredibly thoughtful and does not rush the process. The emails and interview invites will come in spurts, so if you do not get an email in the beginning, hang tight and you may get one later. I received mine on the later end, but as you can see - all worked out! Trust me - it is all worth the wait! Before you know it your life will be a whirlwind of classes and clinical rotations.

I can comment on the application to the university - you don't apply unless you are accepted to the program. They open up a special session for just the people who are committed to joining the cohort. It was in April or May I believe. Do not stress on that part.

We were just discussing this the other day. We do not know for sure, but I think it is around 250-300 applications, maybe less.

I can tell you from our experience last year - the coordinator's assistant will email you a week or two after the due date to let you know they got your application and if there is anything missing, etc. Then the interview invites will roll out slowly over a few weeks (mine came in about a month after the due date). The interviews will happen over 3-4 weeks time. The coordinator will call you to invite you to join the next cohort no sooner than the timeline says. (I think it is the week of CSULA's spring break). My understanding was that they interview about 2X the number of seats. So interview 60 for 30 seats - so your chance is ~50%!

It is a written response to a prompt, it is just not hand written. They give you a lap top to write your essay. You save it to the laptop and they evaluate from there.

I believe you get individual reports for each exam, but each report shows the # of attempts on it. I just looked at my report from last year and it says Attempt # of #. So Attempt 1 of 1 or 4 of 6, etc. But the results are just for that specific exam attempt.

Could not agree more! I remember this time last year and how stressed and anxious I was about everything. I too was checking my emails and Allnurses every hour to see if there was some clue about when I would get the email or phone call. I think I will take the stress of Nursing school over the stress of applying to Nursing school any day LOL. Just remember to be yourself, be honest and think ethically. These are all traits that are valued in the nursing profession. Good luck to everyone - I was very honored to be asked to join the Western cohort and was very impressed with both their faculty and facilities.

I went through the interview process last year and was accepted to the program, but decided to attend a different school. I can tell you the written portion was opinion based. We were randomly given a term and asked to define it, in our own words, and then provide examples to support the definition. It is done on a laptop and is timed. The interview portion was with 2 faculty members and was from predetermined questions. There were some situational questions as well as "where do you see yourself in XX years", etc. They were varied - nothing too heavy on the Nursing profession. One thing to note is the interviewers do not have your application in front of them - basically if it was good enough to get you there, then there is no reason to review it again. The day is well organized and supportive. You get to meet other prospective students. Things I would recommend - be honest in your interview - do not try to say what you think they want to hear. Dress a bit differently - still be professional, but do not be afraid to stand out a bit. EVERYONE on my interview day wore black suits. I chose a bright color to stand out, but was still very professional. Make sure you write down your interviewers' addresses - and send thank you notes quickly. I think they determine whether you are accepted based on your interview day performance. Hope this helps.

Hey guys! Just thought I would chime in. I am currently in the first year of the program and am available to try and answer questions if you need it. As far as requirements to get in - I would just make sure you put your best efforts into all aspects of the application. If there is one area that is not "perfect", then study as hard as you can to get an amazing score on the TEAS. The test is not super hard if you just pour through the ATI book and do all of the paper and online practice tests. I cannot speak for the rest of my cohort, but my TEAS score was one of the best areas of my application. I can say the program coordinator does seem to focus more on recent accomplishments, than past ones. Also, the program coordinator is very considerate, but also very busy. I know it is so very hard to remain patient, but please try to do so. She gets through the emails, phone calls, and applications as she can. Good luck!!

If I recall correctly, you can login to your account and it will show a received date when they are received and reviewed.

As an FYI they are changing the requirement for next year. Instead of cumm GPA, they will take last 60 units and prerequisite GPA.

Think of some situational/ethical questions. I had one that was about witnessing a co-worker clock in for another co-worker - what do you do? If the program is small, consider a few teamwork type questions - how do you study best? Alone or in groups? Career questions - where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, etc. Good luck!

Be sure to find the community college in your area - you will be considered within district and get an earlier date than those who do not live in the area. Start taking any classes you can - the more classes you have, the higher up the list you will be and get priority registration. Get on wait lists and show up on the first day of class. Be flexible - take classes when they are open. I was able to get all my first option classes up here in Pasadena my first semester back. Every semester will get better and easier to get the classes you need.

We just had our orientation on Saturday. One person was called the day or so before. We had 30 people attend the orientation. Unless something happens - we are a full cohort.

Excited to meet you too!

I do not think UCLA has an ABSN program. They have a Masters level program that provides all the core RN courses to sit for the NCLEX and also provides additional coursework to support sitting for Clinical Nurse Leader certification. It is referred to as the MECN program. It is very popular (600 or so applicants this year) and seats around 70 students once a year. The UCLA School of Nursing website has some great information on the program. CSULA has an ABSN option that can also lead to a direct entry into the MSN program. The cost is about $32K for the entire RN portion (15 months/5 quarters). I do hear great things about CSUF and CSULB (when it opens up again). I believe Mount St Mary's College has a program as well. The board of registered nursing (CA) has a list of programs for each level and will also call out if they have an accelerated program - link is below. Board of Registered Nursing - RN Programs

Any other members of the new cohort out there? We have a Facebook group started with lots of interesting topics - please join us by either sending me or lgripe a PM or searching for the following on Facebook: CSULA ABSN/EMSN Cohort 11 Looking forward to meeting everyone on Saturday!

Just an FYI, I stopped in the main office on Thursday to update my email address on my application. The gentleman that helped me said that emails would probably go out second week of May. So, next week may be a bit early. But hoping for everyone it is earlier than that!

For me it depended on a few things: 1. what degrees would be earned and when 2. Location (I have a family, moving out of LA was not an option) 3. How GPA is looked at. I have a really high science/prerequisite GPA, but my cumm is not stellar (got my undergrad almost 20 yrs ago) - so I focused on schools that looked at recent work more predominantly and 4. I did not want to have the pressure of taking the GRE lol. In all I applied to 4 entry level masters programs and was accepted to 2. I chose CSULA because it hit all my needs. Close to home, I get a BSN and a MSN with NP, small cohort, reasonable costs and timing. So know what you want to achieve and then pick the schools that will see you in your best light.