UPENN BSN-MSN 2022

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A thread for BSN-MSN 2022 applicants ?

Specializes in Educator.

I have not.  Please let me know the email it is supposed to come from for those that did!

I didn't receive my second financial aid letter either. Did you all?

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On 1/14/2022 at 3:23 PM, B K said:

I was rejected but it was posted in my portal. 

Maybe people who are accepted/waitlisted will get acceptance posted to their portal a little bit later. 

What were your stats if you don't mind me asking? I'm really nervous about getting accepted. I applied to the ABSN program.

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6 hours ago, ariebabe1 said:

What were your stats if you don't mind me asking? I'm really nervous about getting accepted. I applied to the ABSN program.

Biochemistry Major, 6000+ hours of working in drug and alcohol treatment with direct patient contact. A couple thousand hours of community service and an award from my county for the work I did. Prereq GPA is between 3.73-3.9 depending on the school (I can't remember Penn's prereqs). My overall GPA for the past 4 years is a 3.66 (128 credit hours in that time and only 10 units were non-science), but my overall is GPA 3.08 due to some very bad grades from 11 years ago. The school that I earned those grades at won't let me retroactively change with extensive medical documentation. I do have over 270 credit hours bringing up my GPA from a 1.6 to a 3.08 .

I taught organic Chemistry seminar 2 quarters to undergrads and was technically a school employee even though I am also an undergrad.

Without getting too specific, I am from a minority group that is highly underrepresented.

My LOR's were good-great as I had good relationships received multiple A's from my LOR writers.

My interview video wasn't very good, but they said it won't hurt only help. I didn't blow it though and practiced for hours prior to filming it. It was just awkward and felt fumbled.

Honestly I was pretty surprised that I was rejected outright given how high the MSN acceptance rate is. I was waitlisted at University of Washington, accepted Hopkins , and accepted MCPHS. I'm still waiting to hear back on 7 others. Penn, Duke, and Hopkins were my top 3 and I got into one so I can't complain. 

I want to move onto a DNP/PHD program after my RN, so I can do research and work at clinic part time. Maybe teach. I wrote about that in the appropriate essay question.

If I had to guess it would be that one of my essays was a little too "provocative" for an IVY League school, although I really don't think I crossed any boundaries and was professional. I have neck tattoos that I can cover up with a turtleneck type shirt but they were somewhat visible in my interview suit. All of that combined with my lower overall GPA from 11 years ago...maybe? Maybe I'm a little too "west coast" for them? Maybe they wanted future DNPs? Maybe someone was hungry when they read my application? Who knows. I have talked to several people who sit on admission boards for post-doc programs and they've said that if you gave them the same pool of candidates multiple times, probably 25% would be different each time. 

I wouldn't compare though. I have some unique circumstances although I feel like I redeemed myself. Penn is a great school and I wish I got in, but I'm happy with how things have turned out so far. I plan on applying to either their PHD or DNP program in the future. 

1
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3 minutes ago, B K said:

Biochemistry Major, 6000+ hours of working in drug and alcohol treatment with direct patient contact. A couple thousand hours of community service and an award from my county for the work I did. Prereq GPA is between 3.73-3.9 depending on the school (I can't remember Penn's prereqs). My overall GPA for the past 4 years is a 3.66 (128 credit hours in that time and only 10 units were non-science), but my overall is GPA 3.08 due to some very bad grades from 11 years ago. The school that I earned those grades at won't let me retroactively change with extensive medical documentation. I do have over 270 credit hours bringing up my GPA from a 1.6 to a 3.08 .

I taught organic Chemistry seminar 2 quarters to undergrads and was technically a school employee even though I am also an undergrad.

Without getting too specific, I am from a minority group that is highly underrepresented.

My LOR's were good-great as I had good relationships received multiple A's from my LOR writers.

My interview video wasn't very good, but they said it won't hurt only help. I didn't blow it though and practiced for hours prior to filming it. It was just awkward and felt fumbled.

Honestly I was pretty surprised that I was rejected outright given how high the MSN acceptance rate is. I was waitlisted at University of Washington, accepted Hopkins , and accepted MCPHS. I'm still waiting to hear back on 7 others. Penn, Duke, and Hopkins were my top 3 and I got into one so I can't complain. 

I want to move onto a DNP/PHD program after my RN, so I can do research and work at clinic part time. Maybe teach. I wrote about that in the appropriate essay question.

If I had to guess it would be that one of my essays was a little too "provocative" for an IVY League school, although I really don't think I crossed any boundaries and was professional. I have neck tattoos that I can cover up with a turtleneck type shirt but they were somewhat visible in my interview suit. All of that combined with my lower overall GPA from 11 years ago...maybe? Maybe I'm a little too "west coast" for them? Maybe they wanted future DNPs? Maybe someone was hungry when they read my application? Who knows. I have talked to several people who sit on admission boards for post-doc programs and they've said that if you gave them the same pool of candidates multiple times, probably 25% would be different each time. 

I wouldn't compare though. I have some unique circumstances although I feel like I redeemed myself. Penn is a great school and I wish I got in, but I'm happy with how things have turned out so far. I plan on applying to either their PHD or DNP program in the future. 

Wow, I am so surprised! At least you brought your GPA up and continued to better your education, which I would think they would put into more consideration! I thought they looked at much more than just GPA, but it's hard guessing what exactly they consider. I'm certain you are going to be an excellent nurse and I'm happy you got into one of your top choices!

What was your essay on? I was also awkward during the video essay, but who isn't?!

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24 minutes ago, ariebabe1 said:

Wow, I am so surprised! At least you brought your GPA up and continued to better your education, which I would think they would put into more consideration! I thought they looked at much more than just GPA, but it's hard guessing what exactly they consider. I'm certain you are going to be an excellent nurse and I'm happy you got into one of your top choices!

What was your essay on? I was also awkward during the video essay, but who isn't?!

My first paragraph I tried to grab the reader's attention. I wrote about the night I found myself trying to flush a client's heroin down the toilet while they were screaming at me, discharge them from our sober living, but also trying to manage the whereabouts of our schizophrenic patient who had a tendency to wander. It was maybe 6 sentences, about 100-150 words. Concluded the sentence with a good transition into the next paragraph about  what made me want to be a nurse. 

I talked about diversity and how Penn would be a wonderful opportunity for me as someone from an underrepresented community to help people like myself. Talked about research and spent a paragraph talking about a few faculty research projects at Penn that aligned with my interests (and tied it back to nursing). 

One Summer I had nothing to do and spent it reading all of the Harry Potter books for the nth time. I used multiple note books to write down dialogue and its overall linguistic framework as well as key phrases and key physical descriptions of characters. I then spent many weeks writing few hundred pages as a sequel to what would happen right at the end of book 7. I spent a lot of time studying the overall framework so that I could get my voice to sound as similar to JKR's as possible. I also took the ACT and received a 32 on the writing section which was better than any of my other scores. I think I write well and usually get A's on my papers.

Maybe that first paragraph or so felt a little too literary for Penn?But, I spent the next 650-700 words tying it together professionally and hitting all the major points. I have a guide from UCLA about how to write grad school applications and used that to make sure I avoided some of the major mistakes people make. I had several people read it over for grammar issues. I think I am a good writer (much easier to type that then actually ever say it allowed to someone hahahah). How I talk on this forum isn't edited much or worked over so my writing style in this moment isn't reflective of how I write when I have time and purpose. Definitely not grammatically correct. 

As I said before though, there is no way to really know and I can only speculate. Maybe working in drug and alcohol treatment wasn't nurse-y enough for them? I don't think I'm a good candidate to compare against if you have an academic career that is more traditional (3.7 GPA, 21-22 years old, CNA hours, traditional community service, etc.)

 

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53 minutes ago, B K said:

Biochemistry Major, 6000+ hours of working in drug and alcohol treatment with direct patient contact. A couple thousand hours of community service and an award from my county for the work I did. Prereq GPA is between 3.73-3.9 depending on the school (I can't remember Penn's prereqs). My overall GPA for the past 4 years is a 3.66 (128 credit hours in that time and only 10 units were non-science), but my overall is GPA 3.08 due to some very bad grades from 11 years ago. The school that I earned those grades at won't let me retroactively change with extensive medical documentation. I do have over 270 credit hours bringing up my GPA from a 1.6 to a 3.08 .

I taught organic Chemistry seminar 2 quarters to undergrads and was technically a school employee even though I am also an undergrad.

Without getting too specific, I am from a minority group that is highly underrepresented.

My LOR's were good-great as I had good relationships received multiple A's from my LOR writers.

My interview video wasn't very good, but they said it won't hurt only help. I didn't blow it though and practiced for hours prior to filming it. It was just awkward and felt fumbled.

Honestly I was pretty surprised that I was rejected outright given how high the MSN acceptance rate is. I was waitlisted at University of Washington, accepted Hopkins , and accepted MCPHS. I'm still waiting to hear back on 7 others. Penn, Duke, and Hopkins were my top 3 and I got into one so I can't complain. 

I want to move onto a DNP/PHD program after my RN, so I can do research and work at clinic part time. Maybe teach. I wrote about that in the appropriate essay question.

If I had to guess it would be that one of my essays was a little too "provocative" for an IVY League school, although I really don't think I crossed any boundaries and was professional. I have neck tattoos that I can cover up with a turtleneck type shirt but they were somewhat visible in my interview suit. All of that combined with my lower overall GPA from 11 years ago...maybe? Maybe I'm a little too "west coast" for them? Maybe they wanted future DNPs? Maybe someone was hungry when they read my application? Who knows. I have talked to several people who sit on admission boards for post-doc programs and they've said that if you gave them the same pool of candidates multiple times, probably 25% would be different each time. 

I wouldn't compare though. I have some unique circumstances although I feel like I redeemed myself. Penn is a great school and I wish I got in, but I'm happy with how things have turned out so far. I plan on applying to either their PHD or DNP program in the future. 

You should ask an admissions counselor why you weren't accepted. They may give you pointers for a future application. 

1
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27 minutes ago, B K said:

My first paragraph I tried to grab the reader's attention. I wrote about the night I found myself trying to flush a client's heroin down the toilet while they were screaming at me, discharge them from our sober living, but also trying to manage the whereabouts of our schizophrenic patient who had a tendency to wander. It was maybe 6 sentences, about 100-150 words. Concluded the sentence with a good transition into the next paragraph about  what made me want to be a nurse. 

I talked about diversity and how Penn would be a wonderful opportunity for me as someone from an underrepresented community to help people like myself. Talked about research and spent a paragraph talking about a few faculty research projects at Penn that aligned with my interests (and tied it back to nursing). 

One Summer I had nothing to do and spent it reading all of the Harry Potter books for the nth time. I used multiple note books to write down dialogue and its overall linguistic framework as well as key phrases and key physical descriptions of characters. I then spent many weeks writing few hundred pages as a sequel to what would happen right at the end of book 7. I spent a lot of time studying the overall framework so that I could get my voice to sound as similar to JKR's as possible. I also took the ACT and received a 32 on the writing section which was better than any of my other scores. I think I write well and usually get A's on my papers.

Maybe that first paragraph or so felt a little too literary for Penn?But, I spent the next 650-700 words tying it together professionally and hitting all the major points. I have a guide from UCLA about how to write grad school applications and used that to make sure I avoided some of the major mistakes people make. I had several people read it over for grammar issues. I think I am a good writer (much easier to type that then actually ever say it allowed to someone hahahah). How I talk on this forum isn't edited much or worked over so my writing style in this moment isn't reflective of how I write when I have time and purpose. Definitely not grammatically correct. 

As I said before though, there is no way to really know and I can only speculate. Maybe working in drug and alcohol treatment wasn't nurse-y enough for them? I don't think I'm a good candidate to compare against if you have an academic career that is more traditional (3.7 GPA, 21-22 years old, CNA hours, traditional community service, etc.)

 

The structure of your essay sounds very similar to my essay, which ended up being successful (telling a story and then sharing how this leads to your goal is very common). I told a story related to a client I served who was suicidal. I also talked about research interests. I took two paragraphs to talk about my interest in nursing/ the nursing model as a framework. it sounds like your essay may not be the issue but who can say

 

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29 minutes ago, violet124 said:

You should ask an admissions counselor why you weren't accepted. They may give you pointers for a future application. 

I will if I get rejected at most of my other schools but of the other 3 I’ve heard back from I was accepted at 2 and waitlisted at 1. I have no hard feelings. 

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6 hours ago, B K said:

My first paragraph I tried to grab the reader's attention. I wrote about the night I found myself trying to flush a client's heroin down the toilet while they were screaming at me, discharge them from our sober living, but also trying to manage the whereabouts of our schizophrenic patient who had a tendency to wander. It was maybe 6 sentences, about 100-150 words. Concluded the sentence with a good transition into the next paragraph about  what made me want to be a nurse. 

I talked about diversity and how Penn would be a wonderful opportunity for me as someone from an underrepresented community to help people like myself. Talked about research and spent a paragraph talking about a few faculty research projects at Penn that aligned with my interests (and tied it back to nursing). 

One Summer I had nothing to do and spent it reading all of the Harry Potter books for the nth time. I used multiple note books to write down dialogue and its overall linguistic framework as well as key phrases and key physical descriptions of characters. I then spent many weeks writing few hundred pages as a sequel to what would happen right at the end of book 7. I spent a lot of time studying the overall framework so that I could get my voice to sound as similar to JKR's as possible. I also took the ACT and received a 32 on the writing section which was better than any of my other scores. I think I write well and usually get A's on my papers.

Maybe that first paragraph or so felt a little too literary for Penn?But, I spent the next 650-700 words tying it together professionally and hitting all the major points. I have a guide from UCLA about how to write grad school applications and used that to make sure I avoided some of the major mistakes people make. I had several people read it over for grammar issues. I think I am a good writer (much easier to type that then actually ever say it allowed to someone hahahah). How I talk on this forum isn't edited much or worked over so my writing style in this moment isn't reflective of how I write when I have time and purpose. Definitely not grammatically correct. 

As I said before though, there is no way to really know and I can only speculate. Maybe working in drug and alcohol treatment wasn't nurse-y enough for them? I don't think I'm a good candidate to compare against if you have an academic career that is more traditional (3.7 GPA, 21-22 years old, CNA hours, traditional community service, etc.)

oh wow

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Does anyone know when the Gutmann scholarship decisions will be made? Or have they already been and if we weren't notified about it then we didn't receive it? 

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7 minutes ago, HaleyKR said:

Does anyone know when the Gutmann scholarship decisions will be made? Or have they already been and if we weren't notified about it then we didn't receive it? 

Admissions said that they were already made --I think they only selected 3 people from early decision and one from regular 

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People who received those scholarships have already been notified 

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