RN Program Competition

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Hello everyone! I'm a junior in highschool, and I'm getting my prereqs done for the RN program at a local community college, so hopefully I can start the RN program by winter 2012.

Unfortunately my gpa isn't very high, and the highest I can bring it up to is probably a 3.36, and the average gpas of those who got accepted into the RN program at my cc was a 3.8!

To help my chances I'm doing the CNA program this summer and I'm volonteering at an old people place also.

There are almost 200 students who apply for the RN program here, and there are only 30 seats available.

There are 15 other community colleges in my state that I could attend if they accept me, but they're all just as competitive, but I am planning on applying to all of them.

aaah i'm so worried i won't get in:uhoh3:

ive heard horror stories about how some people applied 5 times to RN until finally just giving up

I reallyyy hope I get accepted though, but please I'd like to hear tips or your stories and difficulties with your application to the RN program.

Do you know of any commuity colleges with RN program's that are pretty easy to get into, whatever state...

Thank you so much in advance!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

There aren't any that are easy to get in to and no way around the GPA question. Keep working hard, bring up your grades, retake classes if you need to. A 3.38 is nothing to be ashamed of, but may not be quite enough. You should still apply. An appointment with a counselor at your school of choice will help point you in the right direction. Go together with your parents and find out just what you need to do to get accepted.

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I agree with the above statements, you will just have to take classes over again to bring up your GPA. A lot of people do that at my school, its nothing to be ashamed of.

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Specializes in ICU.

LoL..."Old people place."

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If you are a high school junior, then my biggest suggestion is to apply to direct entry BSN programs over ASN programs at community colleges. You'll have a better chance of getting in, along with the fact that you'll get the normal college experience, have a BSN upon graduation and it's definitely a good thing to have, especially since you're so young. You also won't have to worry about getting the prereqs done until you go to college. They're integrated into the curriculum.

If you have any questions about applications and whatnot, I'd be more than happy to help you out.

I'm a freshman in a direct entry BSN program, so I'm not too far removed from where you are.

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singdancerunlife, thanks for your reply! well thanks everyone who did reply!

How did you go directly into the BSN Program? what school? what was your gpa?

sorry so many questions and I don't know how to message you privately.

Because where I'm from, well the schools here, require you to do the RN program, then do the transfer thing to BSN.

I think there is a 4 year program for your BSN here, at UW Seattle, but its VERY VERY competitive and not to mention expensive. But, if I get into the 4 year program(but i probably wont because my highschool gpa is so dang low) i'll do it even if i have to get a lot of student loans. Thanks in advance!

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You're from Seattle? Can you leave for college? I'm at a school that's about an hour and a half from where I live, and I applied to schools ranging from 30 minutes to 9 hours away from where I live.

If you can't leave, look at Seattle University. It has a direct entry BSN program.

What I did was go onto collegeboard.com and search for colleges that had nursing as a major and met other criteria. I also talked to my guidance counselor and asked what schools might be good for me.

There are many schools that have direct entry BSN programs. These programs are geared towards high school students who know that they want to go into nursing. As I said, the prerequisites for nursing are built into the curriculum. Often, nursing classes and clinicals start in the sophomore year for these programs.

My high school GPA was crap (sub 3.0), but I got into:

* Le Moyne College (where I am attending)

* Temple University (for pre-nursing, however, they now have a direct entry BSN program)

* SUNY Brockport (again, for pre-nursing)

* Howard University

* Drexel University

* Coppin State University

* Norfolk State University

* D'Youville College

There were other schools that I looked at as well, but didn't apply to.

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temple university sounds good.

how many colleges total did you apply to?

i have a 3.1 highschool gpa, no extra curricular, but i am going to volonteer at one of those old people homes.

i can see that a lot of those universities accepted you!

thanks for your advice and reply by the way!

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I applied to 11. I was rejected by 2 and waitlisted at 1 but accepted to the rest.

Since you have a 3.1, I would imagine that you would be able to get into some programs. As I said, my GPA was sub 3.0 (2.97) and I got into plenty. I did however have tons of extracurriculars (Girl Scouts, theater, dance, clubs ranging from Key Club to African-Latino Club, part time work and more).

If you have volunteer experience, that will definitely help you.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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Thank you!

but, I'm very confused about the direct transfer...

So, my original plan was, finish the prereqs for the RN program by the end of my senior year, then apply to the RN program at my CC, then do the BSN transfer.

How exactly does that work? You say the prereqs are built in? Including the RN program?

Thank you so much again in advance!

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Thank you!

but, I'm very confused about the direct transfer...

So, my original plan was, finish the prereqs for the RN program by the end of my senior year, then apply to the RN program at my CC, then do the BSN transfer.

How exactly does that work? You say the prereqs are built in? Including the RN program?

Thank you so much again in advance!

I'm talking about programs where you start in the BSN program right away -- not where you transfer in.

Here are some examples of the curriculum:

http://www.dyc.edu/academics/nursing/docs/nursing.pdf

http://www.temple.edu/chp/departments/nursing/documents/CurricularPlan4-yearprogram.pdf

http://www.sjhsyr.org/sjhhc/sjhcon/pdf/con_DDPN_Curriculum.pdf

Baccalaureate Curriculum Plans | University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

As you can see, they are pretty similar.

The third one is unique as it is a 1+2+1 between two schools and you graduate with your ASN after 3 years and take the NXLEX then as well then receive your BSN after the fourth year whereas in the others which are typical direct entry BSN programs and you graduate just with a BSN after 4 years and take the NCLEX then.

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Specializes in Case management, occupational health.

Please if you are going into the medical field NEVER call it and "old people place" it makes you sound so unprofessional. Especially if you were talking to anyone in a nursing admission office, no matter what your GPA is, you say old people place and you are not getting into that school

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