UCLA MECN 2021

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Hi everyone!

I am planning on applying to UCLA's MECN program for 2021 and since I did not see a thread here yet I wanted to get one going for us to share questions and concerns. Good luck to everyone!

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Following! I'm actually not sure if I'm going to apply or not, though... I was all set to start volunteering at Cedars and then COVID happened ? so I am behind the 8 ball there. But they are opening up the volunteer program again, so maybe by the time the application is due I'll at least have a few hours.

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16 hours ago, Opera2Nursing said:

Following! I'm actually not sure if I'm going to apply or not, though... I was all set to start volunteering at Cedars and then COVID happened ? so I am behind the 8 ball there. But they are opening up the volunteer program again, so maybe by the time the application is due I'll at least have a few hours.

I feel the same! This Winter was the first time my job let up enough to allow time for volunteer things and I was set to begin hospital volunteering and volunteer EMT training right as COVID took hold. That's definitely the weakest part of my application and from what I can tell it's something they weight heavily.

I am still planning on applying and hoping some of the other strengths in my application can compensate. Plus, I think a lot of people will be in similar predicaments. One thing I am kind of concerned about is that the class of 2020 is (understandably) able to defer to 2021, I wonder if that will take away admission spots and take the acceptance rate from 8% down to something even lower ?.

Either way I plan to just put together the best application I can and hope for a good outcome. This program is my first choice by miles.

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Hi y'all! I'll be applying this Fall too. However, when it comes to volunteer hours I am reversed. I graduated from my volunteer program almost 2 years ago and have only been working since ? so I hope this doesn't hurt my application. I am not a very competitive applicant in my opinion but I'm going to give it a shot! Are any of you registered for the info session in about 2 weeks?

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26 minutes ago, scribeaholic said:

Hi y'all! I'll be applying this Fall too. However, when it comes to volunteer hours I am reversed. I graduated from my volunteer program almost 2 years ago and have only been working since ? so I hope this doesn't hurt my application. I am not a very competitive applicant in my opinion but I'm going to give it a shot! Are any of you registered for the info session in about 2 weeks?

Yes! I’m registered for the one on the 18th.

Just curious, will anyone be applying to other schools? I have CSULB and CSUN on my list. CSULA’s prerequisite list is LONG, so I won’t be ready to apply there this year... maybe next year (if I don’t go somewhere else).

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Applying in fall. Like others I have no experience to show in nursing per se. I have worked in mental health field (the area of nursing practice I am pursuing) for ~12 years, so hoping that counts for something and perhaps offsets my less than perfect pre-req GPA.

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Hey y’all. I went through the nursing application cycle this year, and I am on the other side. I was mentally prepared to get into one nursing school, especially in SoCal, where the competition is very stiff. I’m on the other side, and I can report that I got into all seven schools I applied to, including UCLA, Western University, UCI and University of San Diego (also Columbia). I am matriculating into UCLA for Fall 2020, and I am excited as hell because I’ve been on this journey for two years doing my prerequisites and volunteering, and I can’t wait to start. But I want to give a warning to prospective applicants to not only UCLA, but any nursing school applicant in the 20-21 cycle.

The WORST thing you can do to yourself is compare your stats to others, and play the comparison game. There are so many great applicants across the board, with stellar GPAs, community service and accolades that would make them a standout in any application pool. But stats do not help you see if you have a good chance or not to get into a program. The only thing they do is psych you out when you see another applicant with a hypothetical 4.0 GPA, 1000 hours of community service, perfect letters of recommendation, and their awards. Stats comparisons do not positively contribute to anyone’s successful admission to any program. I solemnly swear this. What will help you, however, is to focus on your personal motivation for pursuing nursing, and coming up with ways to describe your motivation in your statements.

Why do you want to be a nurse? What lead to your decision to become a nurse? What was your journey? What kind of person are you, and how will that make you into a good nurse? What kind of nurse do you want to be? These are the questions that all nursing schools will ask you to either write about or explain in your interviews. They will use these responses to assess your character, aptitude and fit for their program and the nursing profession. While GPA is important, most hospitals would rather have a nurse with a good personality and reputation than a bookworm who can’t have a conversation.

Focus on why you specifically are a fit for nursing, and convey that. Do not focus on your stats and compare them with other applicants. Have many people read your statements several times, and keep revising until you are proud of the documents you submit. Make sure you vet your recommenders and ensure they will give you the best recommendation possible. And lastly, provide a narrative for what kind of nurse you want to be. I guarantee following these steps will make you stand out as future nursing applicants.

As for the volunteering (or lack there of), there are a lot of people in a similar position. You don’t necessarily have to volunteer at a hospital in order to look good; I know food banks in LA are looking for volunteers to distribute food and deliver them to elderly folks who are self-isolating. There are programs to tutor high school students online, as a supplement to their online high school education. It might take a little time to find something, but look for something service-related that you personally find interesting (even if it’s not explicitly related to healthcare or nursing).

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@kvt1013 - thank you SO much for this great advice!

I definitely have been fixated on what wickets I imagine they want each applicant to hit, and which of those I don't have so this was super helpful. The impression I have is that the UCLA MECN application process is pretty holistic so it makes sense that there's no one specific type of candidate that they're looking for and instead want to see a compelling answer (and evidence in whatever form it takes) to why the person wants to be a nurse/their potential.

Congratulations on getting in and thanks again!

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If anyone needs other advice, feel free to message me through here.

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@kvt1013 - Yes, thank you so much for all of this Thank you for breaking it all down for us.

All the best for this fall, and I’ll be watching for new posts! ?

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On 8/6/2020 at 5:41 PM, Opera2Nursing said:

Yes! I’m registered for the one on the 18th.

Just curious, will anyone be applying to other schools? I have CSULB and CSUN on my list. CSULA’s prerequisite list is LONG, so I won’t be ready to apply there this year... maybe next year (if I don’t go somewhere else).

I'll be applying to CSUN's program - for a second time. I applied last year and got rejected. I re-took anatomy this Summer and will be taking physiology this fall, hopefully that will make a difference! I'm hoping to get more insight about UCLA's nursing program next week though! ?

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Hi all! I am also hoping to apply to UCLA's program this year and I am searching for a course to fulfill the Communication prereq does anyone have a recommendation? poratalearning doesn't offer a similar course and I don't live in the US so I don't have a community college I can refer to. Also, straightliner offers one but I doubt UCLA would accept it since it's not on their list of the approved courses. Please let me know if anyone knows of an affordable option for this course. Thanks!

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