SUNY Buffalo ABS program

NickSBU · Nov 11, 2009

I myself have been a lurker for quite some time. I've been watching for a SUNY Buffalo ABS thread but its been less than fruitful. Therefore, here I am! I'm out of hiding and I'll attempt to answer some of your questions.

I applied well before the Nov. 1st deadline. I drove myself insane during the application process by including eight schools. I can't say any particular SUNY campus is my top priority. (I applied to SBU and BING as well). Its a great education and I won't be in debt for the rest of the foreseeable future.

On to the stats:

I graduated this past May from Stony Brook:

B.S. Health Science GPA 3.13 Science GPA 3.43

Naturally, I realize i'm not nearly as qualified as other applicants. Moreover, several courses are IP or to be taken during the winter and spring (currently taking Micro, Nuitrition and Socieology). What remains is A&PII, Pathophys, pharamacology... I'm thinking theres more

Anyway, I got an provisional acceptance to Drexel as a fallback option. Its a tremendous load of my shoulders knowning I didn't completely fail at the process.

I wish you, and all other SUNY Buffalo ABS hopefuls, the best of luck.

jbaggins · Nov 11, 2009

Nice to hear from you!

Did you have work/volunteer experience in the healthcare field?

My stats:

I am graduating in December and currently have a 3.54 (overall and coincidentally science as well). It is not as strong as many applicants but it could be worse. My GPA was a lot worse thanks to unfocused beginning years, and it's only in the last year or so that I managed to bring it up above a 3.0 (stacking tons of credits and getting a 4.0 over spring and summer). That average doesn't include my pre-reqs, most of which I took at a different college than my 4-year school. My pre-req GPA is a 4.0 save for a C in statistics, which is from my freshman year at my 4-year school. The only pre-reqs I have left are developmental psych and pathophysiology, both of which I am in the process of taking. I have about 14 months of full-time CNA experience.

Congrats on the Drexel acceptance. You are already 100% better off than the rest of us :) Please come back and update when you've heard back from UB or with any thoughts in general, and I'll try to do the same. In the meantime I hope to hear from others...

NickSBU · Nov 11, 2009

Nice to hear from you!
Did you have work/volunteer experience in the healthcare field?
My stats:
I am graduating in December and currently have a 3.54 (overall and coincidentally science as well). It is not as strong as many applicants but it could be worse. My GPA was a lot worse thanks to unfocused beginning years, and it's only in the last year or so that I managed to bring it up above a 3.0 (stacking tons of credits and getting a 4.0 over spring and summer). That average doesn't include my pre-reqs, most of which I took at a different college than my 4-year school. My pre-req GPA is a 4.0 save for a C in statistics, which is from my freshman year at my 4-year school. The only pre-reqs I have left are developmental psych and pathophysiology, both of which I am in the process of taking. I have about 14 months of full-time CNA experience.
Congrats on the Drexel acceptance. You are already 100% better off than the rest of us :) Please come back and update when you've heard back from UB or with any thoughts in general, and I'll try to do the same. In the meantime I hope to hear from others...

Yeah... You definitely have absolutely nothing to worry about. You have a great GPA regardless of whatever blunders you may have encounters years ago. My volunteer experience was only a few months in the department or orthopedics at SBU. I figured I should just apply and let them decided. No use in not trying and failing myself.

Like I said you will be fine

hopingforabs · Nov 13, 2009

I too have been looking into this. I have applied for the ABS program. My overall GPA is a 3.3 (due to a few years of a very bad start when I was younger) and my pre-req GPA is a 3.8. I have several years of experience working as an intern for Medical Assisting and being hired-on to some of the jobs, about 7 different placements over 3 years . I have all the necessary pre-reqs done since last semester and will be graduating next month with my Early Childhood degree. I have an overall GPA at UB of a 3.7. I am nervous about getting in but I know someone with lower GPA scores than this that got into the program.

UBhopeful · Nov 16, 2009

Hi! I am happy to see this thread, since I recently applied to UB for the ABS program and am soo nervous to hear back! I also applied to two other schools, but UB is definitely my top choice. I have my B.A. in psychology (gpa 3.56) and also almost have a Master's degree in clinical psych (gpa 3.5 but need to finish thesis to get degree). I worked two years in the mental health field in case management and did psychotherapy as an intern, and now began working in July as a CNA at a nursing home while I finish my prerequisites. The "waiting" process is almost harder than the actual application process! Good luck to everyone, hopefully soon we will be able to post about our acceptance into programs!

jbaggins · Nov 16, 2009

you guys all sound extremely qualified, i'm sure you will be just fine :) what other schools did you apply to?

Dakovich · Dec 9, 2009

Hi all, I've also applied to the 2010 ABS program. I don't have quite the medical background as some of you but here is a little about me: I'm 31, I have a family connection to nursing (mom, aunt, grandmother, cousin, grandfather was a medic in WW2) and during my senior year of HS I took a program where we spent half the day in a hospital setting exploring the medical field. That pretty much solidified my desire to be a nurse...and so I went to college and got a BA in Environmental Design (gpa 3.2), I know, completely unrelated. After that I went to flight school and long story short I've been doing the pilot thing since 2002 (lol, even MORE unrelated to nursing). Last January I was furloughed from my position as a First Officer at a regional airline and since have decided to come full circle back to my desire to be a nurse. I did all the prereqs this past Spring and Summer semesters with a gpa of 3.8. In addition to UB I also applied to a local Community College Associates RN program and was just recently notified of my acceptance there.

My volunteer work is the part I was worried about. In terms of medical related volunteering I've only recently gotten involved with the Hospice/Palliative Care department at the Buffalo WNY VA...I hope that doesn't weigh too heavily in their decision making. We'll see I guess. From what I've been told acceptance letters will be out mid Dec-mid Jan...good luck everyone!

utgrl06 · Dec 21, 2009

I, too, applied to UB's ABS program to start in May and have been wondering about other prospective and current students. I graduated from University of Texas in 2007 but took some premed prereqs. UB is my first choice and only accelerated program I'm applying to. My other choices are UB's traditional (4sem + 1 summer off), UTHSC in Houston and San Antonio (4 straight sem). My overall GPA is around 3.0 but my prereq GPA is 3.5 and I still need to take 3 additional courses next sem (patho, micro, and pharm).

I would like to hear how current nursing students like their experiences...

Dakovich · Dec 22, 2009

GOT ACCEPTED! Recieved an email this afternoon letting me know I was accepted and that official letters/packets would be sent in January...anyone else hear anything???

jbaggins · Dec 22, 2009

not yet this is making me nervous

jbaggins · Dec 22, 2009

I just checked my other email address... I GOT IN!! So excited right now I can't think!... congrats to everyone else who got in and looking forward to seeing you in May!