UAB or ADN @ Beville/Wallace

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Hi guys! I am a couple classes short or having all of the prerequisites to apply for UAB nursing program that would be starting in the spring of 2019. But I could apply and start this fall if i got accepted into any ADN program in the state. I was wondering what you guys thought I should do. I would prefer to have a BSN but I am having a baby this June so she would definitely be a little older by the time that i would be starting at UAB, but I would get done a semester sooner if i were to go for the ADN. Someone should please give me advice and what you would personally do.

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Hey! So I went to UAH but could have done my ADN at Calhoun. I, like you, wanted my BSN, but as I was going through school, I realized something. If I had done the ADN program and done the other prerequisites for my BSN during that time (since Calhoun's Program is part time if you don't have any co-classes to take along with it), I could have gotten my ADN a year before I ended up getting my BSN. Meaning I could have been a nurse for a whole year while working on my BSN too and I'd already have a year of experience vs being a new grad right now. I will say that I wish I had done it that way because Huntsville Hospital doesn't care if you have an ADN or BSN (even though they want ADN nurses to get BSNs within 3 years of hire).

Now since you'll have a child, also consider if you'd be ok with doing a nursing program with sleep loss from baby waking you up at night or if you'd rather wait until there's a more consistent sleep schedule. It all just depends on what you want/need.

One more little thing, I've heard getting into a BSN program is a little easier because everyone tries to get into the ADN program. I actually applied for both at the same time and went with my BSN because if I had applied for the ADN program before doing my BSN prereqs it would've been worth it, but I didn't want to go to school part time and lose my scholarship because I didn't have 12 credit hours/semester.

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Thank you so much for your opinion! I think I am strongly leaning towards BSN. I am slightly worried about the HESI though. It has been a couple years since I took my science classes and I am not sure I remember enough to score at least an 80 although I know the minimum to apply is a 70. If you don't mind me asking could you give me any advice for applying to UAH and what they really want from applicants.

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When I applied, they were in the process of changing things. My cohort was the first one with the new curriculum (not the new scrubs though). I've been told by friends in cohorts behind me that they now require an interview during the application process. I took the hesi A2 and made a 77.7 or so and had been told I'd need an 80 or above to get in so I retook it and got an 82 only to find out the cut off was actually 70. UAH really wants to know WHY nursing. Not that it's good pay and nice hours (if you get a 9-5 job in an office or case management, etc). If you have a decent GPA (the lowest I've heard get into UAH was like a 3.4 or 3.5), a legitimate reason to want to pursue nursing, and a decent enough HESI score, I'm sure you'd get in.

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