2020 Spring SMU ABSN program

On 7/11/2019 at 5:19 PM, kbena said:

Also - does anyone know why they extended the application deadlines? Does that mean they didn’t get enough applicants?

They extended it ??? Until when ? Yes from what I heard before it usually happens when they don’t get enough applicants but I’m not 100% on that. And I would try contacting (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME( about how they would calculate your GPA . She’s pretty good at figuring all that stuff out !

Ok, found my papers! For those of you who are first time applicants, here are my stats for all three of applications:

FIRST APPLICATION:

science GPA: 3.26

last 60 GPA: 3.2 (not sure b/c I don’t know how they calculated it)

HESI: 96

volunteer/work: loads of community volunteer hours through two organizations (I’m talking 10+ years) BUT none in the medical field

LOR’s: 1 from RN, 1 from chem Professor, 1 from previous SMU ABSN graduate

Personal essay answers were very emotionally based (I talked about my mom having cancer and being inspired by her hospice nurse and helping to care for her at the end of her life, and also about my premature twins in the NICU and wanting to help new moms the way my nurses helped me.)

**waitlisted 47 out of 52

SECOND APPLICATION:

GPA’s were all the same

LOR’s: 1 from RN, 2 from professors (chem and A&P)

volunteer experience: approx 40 hours at Shriner’s Hospital

Personal essay answers were changed based on talking with Katherine to make them more evidence based as to why I felt that my life experience could help me as an absn student and later on as a nurse. I also talked about how volunteering at Shriners, along with my personal background in a service oriented family, has made me want to work at shriners or in another capacity for medically underserved people.

**waitlisted 41 out of 57

THIRD APPLICATION:

science GPA: 3.8 (retook A&P 1 and 2 to change B’s to A’s)

overall GPA: 3.35 (again, not totally sure b/c I think they calculate pass/fail classes as a “C”)

HESI: same... 96

volunteer: same 10+ years community service and now I have about 80 hours at Shriner’s Hospital

LOR’s: 1 from an RN, 1 from Chem Professor, waiting for A&P professor to submit (can’t reach her on summer break).

personal essay answers were left the same as the second application because we found out we had to resubmit about 2 weeks before the deadline and there wasn’t time to meet with (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) or anyone else while (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) is on maternity leave.

Fingers crosses! Third time’s a charm, right?! ?????

14 minutes ago, kbena said:

Also - does anyone know why they extended the application deadlines? Does that mean they didn’t get enough applicants?

Woah! They extended it?! Ugh! That just is upsetting. They should have a very qualified applicant pool and it just feels unfair that they want to have 4 or 5 applicants for every seat. I understand why they did it the year that Fall was a brand new cohort and they just didn’t have the publicity to get the applicants they needed, but they shouldn’t do that to the rest of us.

17 minutes ago, kbena said:

My issue with the last 60 credits is that my first bachelors came from a school called WGU that grades pass/fail. They state on the transcript that all passing grades are equal to a B / 3.0. NursingCAS does not calculate these B’s into your GPA since they are pass/fail. So I am stuck with the 1.89gpa I had in community college before I started at WGU and my second Bachelors gpa of 3.4.

Kbena,

I would also contact them directly with your question, if for no other reason than to draw a little attention to the fact that your application may need to be looked at more closely than the others. How many units do you have from after your Bachelor’s degree? I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but my GPA was really low from my first degree (due to an untreated learning disability) and I have pretty much had to go back and take 60 units worth of classes to try and wipe that off my application. If you worked hard at it, and took 15 units per semester, you’d knock it out in 2 years. And you could keep applying while you were at it. Just a thought. Nobody wants to redo that many units, and it took me much longer to do it because I have small kids, but I’m glad that I did.

39 minutes ago, Lety86 said:

@MamaKat916 so true, I do think that the essays play a big part! Have you tried signing up for their nursing Seminar They have ? I heard they also give priority to students that have attended. You have to apply to that as well and submit an application ?. They do it twice a year I believe .

I have not tried to do the nursing success seminar. From what I understand, it’s designed for underprivileged students who are trying to go to school for nursing. I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think I qualify. But maybe I’ll look into it? Thank you for the suggestion.

24 minutes ago, kbena said:

Also - does anyone know why they extended the application deadlines? Does that mean they didn’t get enough applicants?

@kbena, where did you see (or hear) that it was extended? What’s the new deadline?

@MamaKat916 I got an email about them extending the application deadline, I believe on the original due date. I had submitted my application prior so it didn't concern me at the time. I wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t looking through my junk mail - for some reason that particular email went there (when I receive all other NursingCAS and Samuel Merritt communication through my regular inbox).

Also, I have written about my particular situation to (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME), however (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) (who replied) has been entirely unhelpful. It’s pretty discouraging. I am finishing up my pre-reqs - if I don’t get in this next time around I’ll just go to Chamberlain (I can finish there in two years which isn’t ideal but I don’t have the money to spend on taking more credit that isn’t leading to a degree).

On 7/11/2019 at 6:51 PM, kbena said:

Also, I have written about my particular situation to (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME), however (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) (who replied) has been entirely unhelpful. It’s pretty discouraging. I am finishing up my pre-reqs - if I don’t get in this next time around I’ll just go to Chamberlain (I can finish there in two years which isn’t ideal but I don’t have the money to spend on taking more credit that isn’t leading to a degree).

Im so sorry you have had such bad communication with the staff!!! Have you tired emailing (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME)? Also what date did they give you for the new deadline? So weird I never got that email and I’ve been checking both my spam and regular indox, wonder if it’s due to being on a waitlist or a re-applicant.

First application

Waitlisted #27 of 58

Science GPA : 3.67

60 unit GPA: 3.4

HESI overall :84.8

LOR: one from my chemistry professor, one from my internship supervisor and one from a grade school teacher.

volunteer: 200+ hrs in the surgical department as a room support.

Academic honorS: Tau Sigma and honors list.

On 7/11/2019 at 7:00 PM, Lety86 said:

Im so sorry you have had such bad communication with the staff!!! Have you tired emailing (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME)? Also what date did they give you for the new deadline? So weird I never got that email and I’ve been checking both my spam and regular indox, wonder if it’s due to being on a waitlist or a re-applicant.

I actually haven’t had an email regarding the waitlist at all, but for my first waitlist, I only heard when 10+ people moved up. So maybe they send them out in batches based on your placement?

I didn’t hear that the application deadline was extended except here from @kbena I did email (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) to ask her that and a few other questions and I hope to hear back today. I’ll let you know if she says anything.

Great stats @Lety86! I can’t figure out why they would have placed you so high on the list either. This whole process is a head scratcher sometimes!!

Ok, so (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) finally emailed me back and said that the deadline had been extended by one week. So instead of 7/1 they extended it to 7/8.

Interestingly, when I asked her about how SMU calculated a GPA (because NursingCAS hasn’t seemed to update my GPA even after new grades were submitted), she told me that SMU doesn’t do ANY GPA calculations and they take their numbers directly from NursingCAS. So maybe the SMU GPA they gave you @Lety86 was just the quick one they do during admissions counseling?

She also said pass/fails we’re not calculated AT ALL, so whoever in the BSN forum said they calculate them as B’s must have heard that from someone else?

And then I wanted to see if you guys had been told to send in-progress class transcripts to nursingCAS or to SMU after completion? I had always heard to send them directly to the school, but (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) said to send them to Nursing CAS. I kinda feel like she’s telling me things that are the opposite of what I’ve always heard? Maybe I’ll email (MODERATOR EDIT OF NAME) and use him as a tie breaker? Ugh. So confusing. Any insight you guys have would be great!