The University of Texas at Austin | Alternate Entry Master of Science in Nursing (AE-MSN) 2023

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Starting a thread for those applying to UT's AE-MSN program for 2023.

Is GPA really so critical for the prereqs? Also would you mind @SarahNylander sharing the full info from the email you mentioned laying out GPA rates for the two NP programs? I was looking at UT admissions info and the only GPA rates I could find were for both AE NP programs and seemed composite not pre-rec specific. It seems wild to me that so much emphasis would be placed on the GPA for 8 classes, but I have never worked in MSN admissions so what do I know. Also, does anyone have other data provided by admissions they would be willing to share? I have seen the recorded talks on the YouTube channel but was not able to make an in person info session this year. Many thanks!

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Specializes in Nursing.

Here's the information for the session I attended.

PMHNP averages - prereq. GPA 4.0, upper division GPA 3.75, GRE 315. 6-7 spots, 30-40 apply. For 2022 admissions 6 were admitted. Top 15-20 get an interview.

PCPNP averages - prereq. GPA 4.0, upper division GPA 3.65, GRE 312. 2-4 sports, 30-40 apply. For 2022 admissions 4 were admitted. Top 15-20 get an interview

Averages for all 4 programs combined - prereq. GPA 3.7, upper division GPA 3.5, GRE 305. For CNS 12-14 spots, 25-35 apply. For Leads 35-38 spots, 50-60 apply (this includes applications that are moved over from the NP's). Top 80% get an interview for Leads. 

Ex. of points - 3.7 prereq GPA is average. If you have a 3.4 or 3.5 it will bring your "score" for that section down 3 or 4 points. The NP tracks are so close it is often 1 or 2 points overall that prevents someone from getting admitted. All the points add up to 80, but how many points go to each category isn't shared, just that it is "fairly holistic". 

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On 12/3/2022 at 11:47 AM, robin101 said:

Is GPA really so critical for the prereqs? Also would you mind @SarahNylander sharing the full info from the email you mentioned laying out GPA rates for the two NP programs? I was looking at UT admissions info and the only GPA rates I could find were for both AE NP programs and seemed composite not pre-rec specific. It seems wild to me that so much emphasis would be placed on the GPA for 8 classes, but I have never worked in MSN admissions so what do I know. Also, does anyone have other data provided by admissions they would be willing to share? I have seen the recorded talks on the YouTube channel but was not able to make an in person info session this year. Many thanks!

I got an email saying they get 130-150 applications each cycle. 60 are admitted overall. It broke down the info like this:

LeaDs- 50-60 applications, 35-38 seats, 305 average GRE, 3.5 upper-division GPA, and 3.7 prereq GPA

CNS- 25-35 applications, 10-14 seats, 305 average GRE, 3.5 upper-division GPA, and 3.7 prereq GPA

PNP- 25-35 applications, 3-4 seats, 312 average GRE, 3.68 upper-division GPA, 3.89 prereq GPA

PMHNP- 25-35 applications, 6 seats, 317 average GRE, 3.75 upper-division GPA, 4.0 prereq GPA

You can look up the admissions info (average GPA, GRE, and admitted percentage) on https://gradschool.utexas.edu/admissions/where-to-begin/admissions-and-enrollment-statistics. Last year there were 74 applicants to the NP specialties, 10 were admitted, and only 8 enrolled. When you go to the GPA tab it only shows a 3.44 average GPA. I'm not sure why this info is so different from the email or info session. Maybe it's overall GPA including lower division courses? Leads shows 55 applications, 49 admitted, and 34 enrolled with an average GPA of 3.29. CNS shows 17 applications, 5 admitted, and 4 enrolled with an average GPA of 3.26. 

@AustinNative thanks for that scoring info! I'm retaking A&PI and II because they expire as of May 2023. Here's to hoping I don't blow my shot by not getting an A the second time around. 

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Does anyone have any recommendations on how to prepare for the interview?

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If nothing else, have something to say when they say “tell me about yourself.” You’ll want to know about the specialty you applied to and how your strengths set you up for success in that field. I read over the last few years of forums and people mentioned being asked things like: 

Why a MSN instead of a BSN? 
Why UT Austin? 
Tell me about a time when you challenged the rules. 
What are the ethical implications of being a MSN level nurse? 
If you could be anything other than a nurse, what would you be? 
What are your strengths and weaknesses? 
What will you contribute to the field of nursing? 
 

It can’t hurt to look up common questions and make a few talking points. I’d also have a few questions to ask at the end of your interview. 

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@SarahNylander Thank you so much!

Also, good luck to everyone who's got an interview soon!!

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Specializes in research.

Just completed my CNS interview. It was only a handful of questions, maybe 6-8 total. I'm not feeling super confident about it. It only took ~20 min out of the allotted 30 and my answers were not as detailed or long as I would have hoped because I was nervous. They said I would hear back in February. I guess we will see ?

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@cacaophony I bet you did great! At least it's over with!

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hi! I'm planning to apply next year for 2024. after reading through the discussion I noticed most people aren't straight out of college. I will be graduating from tamu with a bs in public health, do y'all think being straight out of college will deter my chances?

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@cacaophony I think it's perfectly normal to feel a little anxious about how you did. I don't know many people who walk away from interviews feeling incredibly confident. Don't sweat it! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. 

@hannahgm20 I don't necessarily think that being straight out of college is going to hurt your application. Their admissions process is holistic so they look at more than just your college experience; but, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of volunteer or work experience in healthcare. Or some sort of experience that's relevant to your chosen track. Start looking now so you have something to put on your resume next application cycle! 

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@SarahNylander Thank you! I will have worked as a clinic al secretary for 3 years when I apply but my community service is not specific to healthcare. Is that important?

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@hannahgm20 Not really! But it's a good idea to make your application as competitive as possible. They turned down quite a few applicants with some seriously impressive resumes. 

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