So I got rejected from NP school...

[ChristineAdrianaRN]

It's pretty disappointing (I'm not a girl that gets rejected often!), but I figure it will give me time to really prepare to apply again next year. Applying for this fall was a last minute decision, that left me feeling rushed and only able to apply to one school before their deadline (though, really, I only wanted to apply to one school, as it was the only one I could afford).

I didn't anticipate getting rejected so I didn't worry about only applying to one school, but next year I will make sure to apply EVERYWHERE.

I'm also not entirely sure why I was rejected. Of course they give you no explanation. I'm hearing from a lot of people that NP school is incredibly competitive, so the only thing I can surmise is that they were going to pick a nurse that had more experience over me. I've got everything I needed - the grades, the recommendations, (some) floor experience as well as office experience, volunteer work, (what I thought was) a bangin' good essay re: why I wanted this...but going into the school year I will have only had one year's experience as an RN (seven months at the time I applied). I figured in a large pool of applicants where they are trying to pare down best they can, cutting me would be easy from that perspective.

How else can I prepare for next year?

I'm wondering about the essay - I guess knowing how competitive it is, I need to REALLY make sure my essay stands out (I whipped that bad boy out in about three minutes). What kind of things do I need to write about, besides why I want to be an NP? What do you think they're looking for?

Any other advice?

Thanks all!

[UVA Grad Nursing]

I am the assistant dean for admissions and financial aid at UVa. We send out a generic 'deny' letter, but I invite people to contact me for advice on ways to improve their dossier for a re-application.

We saw applications increase greatly this year (up over 20% from last year). We had approximately 250 applications for 50 spaces in our specialty MSN program, and 150 applications for 25 spaces in our Direct Entry MSN program. We also had 50 applications for 15 spaces in our post-Masters DNP program. We also had nearly 800 applications for 100 spaces in our BSN program.

The specialty MSN committees (NP, CNS, etc) this year placed a great deal of emphasis on relevant work experience, undergraduate GPA, and the quality of writing as indicated in the three required essays. They also looked to see if applicants had advanced certifications (CCRN for ACNP applicants, for example) as well as what types of leadership roles an applicant exhibited as a professional nurse (serving on practice committees, membership/officer role in specialty nursing organizations, etc).

A good applicant will have good academic background, strong recommendations, write well, and have at least two years of relevant work experience as a RN.

[llg, PhD, RN]

UVA Grad Nursing said:

A good applicant will have good academic background, strong recommendations, write well, and have at least two years of relevant work experience as a RN.

That's the way it should be.

[rprn2009]

I just received a rejection letter from Rush University.. I too graduated from nursing school with a 3.5, cum laude, have both ER and ICU experience, and even experience as a nurse case manager. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the University of South Alabama accepts me, even though after a call to the graduate office they told me that they have an "unusually large amount" of applications this year.

Amazing.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

Abe,

I have nothing to prove to you, I only share what they told me. It doesn't mean anything to me if you believe me/them and I will not discuss particulars about where I go, or have gone, to school. The world is too small and privacy is too important to me. I'm sure you understand.

Regardless, my point is only that some schools, are extremely competitive some years. I thought that your post implied otherwise. Forgive me if I inferred something incorrectly. It really is a moot point anyway. AFAIK, the OP doesn't want to go to my school or yours, so he or she needs to find out what that school is looking for!

All the best to you,

Linear.

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

rprn2009 said:

I just received a rejection letter from Rush University.. I too graduated from nursing school with a 3.5, cum laude, have both ER and ICU experience, and even experience as a nurse case manager. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the University of South Alabama accepts me, even though after a call to the graduate office they told me that they have an "unusually large amount" of applications this year.

Amazing.

That's so funny...those are the two schools that rejected me! I'm trying not to get discouraged. At least I know I'm in good company:). Good luck to you!!

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I really think it is more about the vast numbers of applicants in the past few years. All the misinformation about the DNP being "mandatory" after 2015, shrinking job pool for RNs, etc. means more people rushing to apply. Try not to get discouraged!

[rprn2009]

Its hard not to get discouraged when you know you'd make an excellent practitioner. I know I would do well in the program. CCRNdiva, that doesn't give me much hope. I applied to USA back in December and still waiting on reply. I'm hoping it comes in the mail soon, either way so I just know an answer. Its hard to believe with your experience, GPA and certifications that you wouldn't be a shoe-in.

[thbos]

If you're already a nurse, what's the big rush to become an NP? You all seem to be fairly young, only having worked a year or two, and its not like there won't be plenty of sick people to perscribe stuff to in the distant future. My advice, for what its worth, is not to be in such a big rush to reach the terminus of your education. Once you reach it, that's it, your done! Then what? So enjoy the process. I wouldn't leave RN nursing to become an NP till you've wrung every possible learning moment from it. If you're already bored/hate being an RN, then I'd just go into a completely different career. Being an NP sounds cool, but if you graduated when you were 22, and worked for one year, then did a 3 year MS, that'll make you 26 as an NP. Assuming you work till your 67, that means you'll be seeing a new patient every 15 mins for 31 years. Now if you work as a RN for 10 years before switching to NP, then you'll be an NP for 22 years. That sounds more reasonable.

Oh, and I agree, there's no way in hell the average GPA for an entering class is 4.0. Unless all thier students graduated from grade-inflation-U (school motto: where the bell curve ends, we begin, I just made that up).

[rprn2009]

thbos, I'm actually 32, started nursing as a second career. I have been an RN for three years and I'm ready for FNP school. I'm still with no kids (not for long, probably) and now is the perfect opportunity to begin the next step for me before life throws any more obstacles in my way.

[thbos]

I think the OP had 1 year experience. But then again, she might be on her second career too. Everyone's situation is different, who am I to second guess everyones desires. Yet, I can definitely imagine someone, fresh out of school, believing that reaching the pinnacle of one's career as quickly as possible is the goal. And maybe that is a great goal, reaching the pinnacle as quickly as possible. But once there, its not as though you live happily ever after, and the movie ends. You're stuck, it may be the pinnacle, but you're still stuck, for the next 30 years. Anyways, an unrelated issue, your future kid might take you out for a year or two, but that's it. There is life after kids!

[CCRNDiva, BSN, RN]

Rprn2009, all we can do is keep the faith. I had to talk to my best friend for a pick me up today because I was getting discouraged. She's in a DNP program but she started last year. I do think there is an increased number of applicants this year as Linear Thinker and others have mentioned. I don't know what I can do to make my app more competitive but take the GRE again (even though Rush waived the GRE requirement for me due to my gpa) or take some graduate classes as a non-degree student which I would really prefer not to do (mostly for financial reasons).

To answer your question, thbos, I am 33 and a divorced mother of 2. Unfortunately, in my area, wages and job growth are stagnant. Most of the nurses in leadership/management positions in this area graduated from the old diploma program and they are not going any where any time soon. Plus, I do not have the desire to work in management, working as a charge nurse is enough to teach me that. I've worked in our ICU for 7 yrs, and have achieved certification. I would like to advance in practice because I desire increased autonomy in my role and pursuing a graduate degree is the only way for me to that.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

CCRNDiva said:

Rprn2009, all we can do is keep the faith. I had to talk to my best friend for a pick me up today because I was getting discouraged. She's in a DNP program but she started last year. I do think there is an increased number of applicants this year as Linear Thinker and others have mentioned. I don't know what I can do to make my app more competitive but take the GRE again (even though Rush waived the GRE requirement for me due to my gpa) or take some graduate classes as a non-degree student which I would really prefer not to do (mostly for financial reasons).

To answer your question, thbos, I am 33 and a divorced mother of 2. Unfortunately, in my area, wages and job growth are stagnant. Most of the nurses in leadership/management positions in this area graduated from the old diploma program and they are not going any where any time soon. Plus, I do not have the desire to work in management, working as a charge nurse is enough to teach me that. I've worked in our ICU for 7 yrs, and have achieved certification. I would like to advance in practice because I desire increased autonomy in my role and pursuing a graduate degree is the only way for me to that.

I really hope you get into a program you like. I think you have what it takes just based on your posts. Things would have been different if you had been applying a few years back. When I started my ACNP program in 2002, there were only 14 students in my class and the school could definitely handle up to 30 students a year. However, I hear that there are over 100 applicants in the same program now.