Is there anyone lurking who is planning to apply to the 2011 program?
I have spent the last 12 years in financial marketing/communications and am excited to try and change paths into nursing. I am currently taking my prerequisite courses at city college- stats and anatomy/physiology- and going in for the GRE Saturday. I'm volunteering at a children's hospital, which is causing me to consider the pediatric nurse practitioner track... I know UCSF is very competitive and it's a long-shot for someone like me to get in, but I feel like I have to try! If it doesn't happen next year, then I'll just keep building my volunteer experience and re-apply. Also on my mind is that if for some miracle I were to get in how I would pay for it.
But enough about me... what are some other candidates' takes on preperation, interests, anxieties, etc?
Thanks Lunulul! So the first rejection, I did get to speak with a faculty member and she basically said, well your GPA is low but you can try volunteering and maybe pick up a second language. On the second rejection letter, there was no offer to go over my application and I'm thinking its budget cuts at UC (I would know, I work here).
I have backup schools I'm applying to: Samuel Merritt and USF. My ultimate goal is to become an NP so I can be my son's transplant NP who sees him outpatient. =) I also want to teach (I subbed for special educ classrooms right out of college).
Hi all, this is my first time posting and am also applying to the UCSF MEPN program! I have been trying to get on to start my app as well and e-mailed UCSF. They said it should be up this week, so we'll see. I am scheduled to take the GRE on August 4th, so I hope I don't have any issues getting my scores in on time. I come from a pharmaceutical sales background, so my experience is much different than most coming into the program, but am hoping understanding the medical profession from a different perspective will be helpful. I am also applying to the ASBN program at Samuel Merritt, but the Adult Nurse Practitioner program at UCSF would be my first choice. Although it is competitive, I believe everyone has a chance and I wish you all the best in this process! :)
AH..man its already that time again.. I can't believe it's already been a year since I applied last year! So, as expected, there's ganna be a huge competition this year again. I think about 600 applicants applied to MEPN program last year according to the rejection letter I received from UCSF =(.
Anyways, does anyone know if we have to write 2 different essays for this year's application? I remember last year I had to write a Goal Statement and a Personal History Statement.
uclover610 - you are an inspiration in your own light. keep persisting and your path will begin where it is meant to! i hope your son is thriving! :)
@ everyone else. the gre scores worry me a bit but at the same time i know i am not the best test taker but make up for it in other areas. as many of us do..we all have our fortays. i love reading about many of you and i get excited at the thought of getting to meet some of you in this profession. still waiting...as patiently as possible for the application to be released!
I'm back as well applying to MEPN a 2nd time. Currently studying like mad before GRE this Saturday. UGH! I'm feeling better about the GRE though because as much as I didn't want to dole out the $$, I made the leap and paid for the online Kaplan course. As much as I hate to say this, it's been worth the money... points already up by 200, which I totally need because my scores last year were miserable.
Just wanted to chime in about what I heard about my app last year. Some of you sound like you have FANTASTIC and AMAZING experience. I can't say that I have the same myself, but I'm doing a crazy amount of volunteering that I keep hearing should help. In fact, I spoke to a Prof at UCSF (she made it clear to me that there was no way she could put a good word in for me, which was not what I was expecting when we talked) and she said that I sounded exactly what they are looking for in students-- Volunteering in the area that I'm interested in, a commitment to the field and she said very importantly, I was fluent in Spanish. I've been talking to a many people from the MEPN program and it sounds like having fluency in a 2nd language is critical for being considered to this program. One graduate said that she has seen very few people accepted without a command of a second language. The Prof and I talked about fluency and she said that if I've ever translated in a clinical setting, or other work environment, then I should regard myself as fluent. She said that she see's a lot of students that either discount their fluency too much or over state their fluency. She mentioned that this year's application may have something new to be able to pin point your fluency more accurately.
I felt very competitive for last years round because I kept hearing that GRE scores are only one measure of your qualification, but I am convinced that my GRE scores, plus my goal statement are what put me in the reject pile. She also said that your goal statement is your place to stand out and they want to hear your story, not just your perspective of the profession. I have a masters degree in another field and I think I ended up sounding like a policy paper, not a story about who I am and what makes me good for the profession.
Well, hope my input helps you all! Good luck and hopefully many of us will get interviews this year!
i am another ucsf mepn hopeful. i am wondering if those who will be applying for the second or third time could let us know if the length of the goal statement is strictly enforced.
i found a blog that includes an essay from a student who already went through the program, but it is about double the length listed on the instructions. according to the blog, this is the essay that got him into the program: http://oneyearnurse.blogspot.com/search?q=statement
also, do you know how long the personal statement can be?
i am also wondering how long the personal history statement should be. that is something i did not plan for during these two months of limbo, but i have everything else ready to go.
Last year I emailed one of the MEPN staff about the personal history statement, and she said it should be about a paragraph or two. You might want to email them and double check though. I think I ended up writing a little bit over 1 page double spaced, but I didn't even get an interview last year... so you might wanna consider that. I doubt that it was because of the length of my essay tho lol. Good luck on your application!
Does anyone know what GRE scores are considered "competitive". I was told by the not-so-nice receptionist at the MEPN program that they like to see people within the 500 to 700 range on both math and verbal and at least a 3 on writing. I am wondering if anyone has heard anything that is more specific on what is considered competitive, other than... just do the best you can... which is what I've been told.
I just took the GRE for the first time ever and got 570 on math and 610 on the verbal, but I'm considering re-taking it. What do you think?
I was not born in the US and this was the first time I took a standardized test. It is not a pleasant experience at all!
UCLover610
87 Posts
Thanks Lunulul! So the first rejection, I did get to speak with a faculty member and she basically said, well your GPA is low but you can try volunteering and maybe pick up a second language. On the second rejection letter, there was no offer to go over my application and I'm thinking its budget cuts at UC (I would know, I work here).
I have backup schools I'm applying to: Samuel Merritt and USF. My ultimate goal is to become an NP so I can be my son's transplant NP who sees him outpatient. =) I also want to teach (I subbed for special educ classrooms right out of college).
We'll see...I just need to get in somewhere.