Seattle University

westcoastgirl · Dec 13, 2008

was this lady you talked to a counselor or admisions person there? I know UW likes a lot more than the "minimum" volunteer hours that they tell you officially, so find out what the real story is with SU.

Same with GPA requirements. what they say is acceptable is often times way lower than the actual average of people they accept, because there are so many people applying. Dont' go by the information meeting alone, go get a one on one meeting with an admissions person. Not only will you get more valuable information, but they might be on the committee reviewing those applications and now you've just stood out as more than another faceless name with the same ole helping people story.

I was accepted into both SU and UW back when I was applying for RN and both are good nursing schools, the important thing is just to get in somewhere.

seamel · Dec 13, 2008

Thanks for the help. On the GPA thing, the average (not minimum) GPA is 3.2. I have a 3.8 overall and a 3.9 on my prerequisites. I talked to a guy that is currently going there, and he told me he had a 3.2 overall and a 3.9 on prerequisites. So do you think that will be ok?

I know the volunteering thing is kind of sketchy, but they said at the meeting that they don't require it and you can write about it "if you want". And I don't have enough volunteer hours to apply to UW, which is the reason I'm not applying, but I have more than some people. So I'm hoping they don't weight it much because they literally didn't mention volunteer work until somebody asked about it.

Unfortunately I can't go meet with them one-on-one that sounds like great advice though! Did you do that when you got in? The reason why I can't is that I am on Christmas break in Spokane, where my family lives, and wont be going back to Seattle until January 4th, and the application is due Jan 5th.

Thanks again for the help!

westcoastgirl · Dec 14, 2008

I had something like a 3.8 or 3.9 on prereqs so I think you're fine there but I would find some angle in your essay to make yourself stand out.

Remember you are competing against others who often have had hundreds if not thousands of hours of healthcare experience (volunteering, working as a MA or CNA). It sounds like there is no time to increase this since the application is due in January.

So think about what extra or unique skills and life experience you can emphasize in your essay. Teamwork is good. how about customer service, conflict resolution, ethics at work? those are things that can sure come up in a RN's work life.

Good luck to you, PM me if you want.

SU Redhawk · Dec 22, 2008

I think I might be able to help, I was accepted into the Fall 2008 transfer and am now attending their nursing school!

My GPA was not the greatest, so I'm sure you'll be ok in that department. Although, I think I stood out quite a bit in my essays. When asked why you choose SU, talk about how much you admire the Jesuits and their teaching, that's what I did. I also had a lot of volunteer hours, around 150 I think. I'd like to think it was the combination of all of these things that made me stand out, but it could always be because I was male.

Best of luck!

seamel · Dec 29, 2008

Thanks for your reply!

What did you write your regular essay about? I am basically doing mine on skills I have acquired through experiences in my life that will help me in the nursing field. Is there anything you think I could add to benefit my essay?

I only have about 60 volunteer hours or something like that. I know that gives me a disadvantage since many of the applicants also apply to UW where at least 100 are required, but I'm hoping my good grades and hopefully my essay will help. I am also switching schools so that I can take anatomy this quarter instead of spring like I would have had to at my regular school, because at an info meeting they said it helps to have your pre-reqs done by at LEAST winter quarter. Did you have all of yours done when you applied?

How is the school so far?! Are you liking it?!

babyNP., APRN · Dec 30, 2008

I just graduated from SU in June.

It's a good program-there've been some changes in the sequence of nursing courses which should make it easier for the future students to not have a lot of courses front-loaded. A few of the teachers are a little crazy, but at the end of each course, people can rate the teacher and the school actually listens. We had this one teacher who was gawd-awful in clinicals AND lecture (gave 9/10 students a C in their very first clinical ever, comparing them to a professional RN, ***? edit: whoa, allnurses picks up wt you-know-what as a cuss word? lol) and later was sort of pushed out after that quarter.

For me, I like the overall emphasis on social justice themes through the program. Later on you meet nurses IRL who do nursing solely for a paycheck and it's a bit bewildering.

Pennygrneyes · Jan 9, 2009

I am a graduate of Seattle University class of Winter '07. I was put on a waiting list for a year and finally at the last minute, around July or so I was excepted. If you have good grades and you have community service you doing great. They look at more than just grades.

I had a pretty good experience there. I had some not so good professors, but I had a couple that I still stay in contact with and help me out a lot after graduation.:wink2: I will say one thing Seattle U was not so good on the finanical aid side. I am paying out my ears in Student loans. I wish the best of luck!

seamel · Jan 9, 2009

Thank you all for your responses!!!! I submitted my application on Monday and I just can't wait to hear back!

Does anybody remember when they heard back from SU? I called yesterday and they told me they are hoping to send decisions out at the beginning of March, but in the past I had always heard that it was in April. Maybe they are planning on doing it sooner this year, I just don't want to get my hopes up that I will hear in March and not hear till April!

Anyway thanks so much for your help you were all so helpful. Keep your fingers crossed for me! :)