MUSC ABSN Questions-Spring 2016

[susannahlee]

I know this is very, very early to be posting this, but I wanted to reach out to the community for some advice before I apply in August. I'll give my stats and then I have some questions. I hope someone can help!

I have a 3.5 cumulative gpa and a BS in Public Health from College of Charleston (graduating May 2015.) I have over 200 hours of volunteer experience, 125+ of which are in hospice where I worked very closely with patients. This summer, I am retaking Anatomy to improve my grade as well as taking Microbiology at Trident Tech. My science GPA isn't great, but I have some really good recommendations (I think!) I don't have any hospital or nurse shadowing experience, but I am going to try to squeeze some shadowing in this summer.

It was suggested to me that I take an additional science course to serve as my elective since my grades aren't great in the ones that I've taken, so I plan on taking Chemistry in the spring. I am also doing a 6 week CNA program in the late summer. I will be applying for residency soon and should be eligible to apply as an in-state student.

So here are my questions, if anyone can help, and please be brutally honest!:

1. Based on my stats, do you think it is feasible that I will get in to the program? Or should I plan on working as a CNA for a year and apply for Fall 2016?

2. Is getting your application in earlier of any importance? I would like to apply after I have finished my CNA course, so it would be cutting it closer to the deadline (late August), but I don't know if it's more important to get the app in early.

3. I want Chemistry to be counted as my science elective instead of Biology because I got a B and C in those courses. But I won't be taking Chemistry until after I apply, will they still take that into consideration?

4. Any suggestions for me to improve my stats? Any suggestions about how to go about nurse shadowing? Is there any faculty at MUSC I can reach out to for help? (I have emailed Mardi Long but she never responded.)

Thank you so much!! I'm a little lost and pretty anxious if you can't tell :)

[polly313]

I am a current BSN student about to graduate so it's been awhile since I did all the application stuff, but I'll try to answer some of these for you!

1) It's easier to get in for Spring, and your stats are in line with what most people will be applying with; def give it a shot! Can't hurt right?

2) Getting your applications in early versus the day the app is due doesn't really matter, they look at all the apps at the same time and make all the decisions at once after the deadline ends.

3) Good idea to retake a class/ take a new one for an elective. Not sure how to go about getting that one to count as your elective credit though. I know there is a form that you fill out when you apply that lets them know which classes you are enrolled in that you will have done by the time the program starts, but those obv don't get factored in to the GPA. It's just so they know you will have all the required courses if you were to start. If the course isn't done by the time they make decisions it won't affect your GPA- it will just show that you are taking that class. And you don't need chemistry last time I checked so I dunno how that will work out for you.

4) No experience with CNA program, but that would be a question for Mardi Long. She was out for awhile so that might be why you never heard from her/ she is very busy now with incoming students and graduating students. Just retry!

5) Volunteer at the children's hospital! They take new volunteers in the summer/fall/and maybe december. That's all I did- otherwise no med experience.

A few other things- the C in bio might hold you back. I would retake that. however, they don't forgive the bad grade, they just average together (still shows that you wanted to improve that grade though). Had a friend get denied bc of a C in anatomy and she retook it and got in the next time she applied.

Good luck!

[rpBSN2017]

Does anyone have recommendations as to which private lender for loans?