University of San Francisco Summer 2014 MSN CNL for non-nurses

bsng888 · Apr 18, 2014

I got a call this afternoon during lunch! It was a huge relief =). Good luck to those still waiting. This is my third time applying, third time is the charm!

Also, Emzie25, I couldn't find the facebook group that you mentioned. Is it private? I'm actually trying to figure out how to PM you.

emzie25 · Apr 18, 2014

I am going to try to post the link... https://www.facebook.com/groups/231141237094505/

momoney · Apr 18, 2014

Emzie, I just requested to join the group =)

Phillycakes · Apr 18, 2014

I just received a snail mail today. I didn't get rejected, but have been put on the wait list :confused: This means more waiting....ahhhh. Anyone else got a wait listed notification?

pixelizedalexis · Apr 18, 2014

@Phillycakes

Ah! I wonder if I'm also waitlisted because our online portals looked similar. Does it say your number on the waitlist or does it just say you're waitlisted?

rnbound2014 · Apr 18, 2014

I got a call this afternoon during lunch! It was a huge relief =). Good luck to those still waiting. This is my third time applying, third time is the charm!
Congrats bsng888! Good stuff. I will be re-applying for next Spring and wanted to know if you'd be willing to share what you did or did not do differently on your application the 3rd time. (Did you have any classes in progress that were completed, different references, new personal statement..etc.) Any feedback (although I know it is particular to you) may still be helpful.
Good luck with the program.

emzie25 · Apr 18, 2014

It looks like the offices are closed today for Easter.

Phillycakes · Apr 18, 2014

No number. It just says I should know if I am admitted by May 1.

yoliness · Apr 18, 2014

I'm waitlisted too... Sigh.

bsng888 · Apr 19, 2014

@rnbound2014

Hi rnbound2014, I'd be glad to! I know how frustrating it is to get a rejection letter or be waitlisted. Persistence as long as you show marked improvement each time will pay off in the end. I'll share a bit of wisdom from my experience the last 3 applications I had.

During my first application, almost all my biology classes (Physio, Anatomy, Microbio, Nutrition*) were all in progress. I was almost freshly graduated with my degree so I didn't have much other official healthcare exposure/volunteer/experience under my belt or great references. Thus, I was rejected.

Second time around, my classes were done with 100+ hours of volunteer experience at a hospital, I did some modifications to my personal statement, but I looking back I don't feel it was a big enough distinction or improvement from my first application. I was wait listed for this cohort.

Third time, I had my EMT license, did a major overhaul and rewrote on my personal statement and resume, and had better/more prestigious references. One big difference was that I initially was stuck in the mentality that resumes had a one page limit because a lot of my other friends and cousins were in the business environment and that's the norm for them. My personal statement told a much better story about how I was inspired to pursue nursing as a career and how my undergraduate education and life/healthcare experiences prepare me to become a clinical nurse leader at USF.

Major points to take away:

-Don't feel constricted to a 1 page resume if you have relevant research or healthcare experience. Yes, even research.

-Personal statement is that much more important because there is no interview. Make sure to emphasize what drives you to become a nurse and how you would PERSONALLY fit with USF's CNL program. Refer back to USF's own words what they expect out of a CNL as a guiding point. Have a lot of people look at your personal statement to give you perspective. I think because USF does get a lot of applications where people are clearly academically qualified or have a lot of healthcare experience, they look to the personal statement to give an edge to certain people over others.

-Get as much healthcare experience or exposure as possible. EMT and CNA licenses are one great way to do it. You want experiences that you can talk about how they shaped your interest to become a nurse.

-If you volunteer or work in a healthcare setting, make connections. You want references who know you personally regarding your work ethic, intelligence, responsibility, enthusiasm and that they are part of the healthcare system (nurses, doctors, etc.).

jll89 · Apr 19, 2014

@phillycakes I got waitlisted too. Argh - not knowing until May 1 is kind of crazy since classes start on the 19th!! Would you for sure get in if you got admitted? Do you have a backup?

Also, does anyone how often a waitlisted student is admitted? Or how many students are put on the waitlist?

rnbound2014 · Apr 20, 2014

@bsng888: Thank you so much for your detailed reply. As good as I thought my personal statement was, looking at it now, I can see room for improvement! Lots of success to you and your new classmates!