Hi all, I've been lurking on the boards for about a year and a half now and finally the time has come for me to apply. I haven't found any boards about UVA MSN applicants for the 2015 cohort so I decided to start one. I'm also applying to VCU's ABSN program as well, and perhaps GMU and ODU, too.
I was hoping to get some feedback from others applying because truth be told, I'm very nervous about my stats because while I am above the minimum requirements for GPA and pre-reqs, they are still below the comparative applicant averages. I also am very interested in talking to others who are going through the process of applying!
I'm graduating this December with a BA in Philosophy from Virginia Tech. My GPA is 3.16 and I doubt it'll increase much more with this last semester I have ahead. I've completed all the pre-reqs with a 3.5 avg gpa and I'm going to take the GRE the beginning of September. I work as a care companion at a local nursing home and have experience with late-stage Alzheimer's patients and the geriatric community as a whole. I don't have a CNA license however. I also volunteered and interned at a women's shelter working with clients over the phone and in-house, as well as training new interns/volunteers. My other job is unrelated to healthcare and involves working in a research lab as a lab tech and although I have not done any formal research, I have helped grad students and the PI with small projects in addition to the typical duties of dish cleaning and lab maintenance.
UVA is definitely my top choice but my stats are so mediocre in comparison to the other applicants of previous years, I'm feeling discouraged. I'm not sure what else I can do to improve my chances other than study my butt off for the GRE and write mind-blowing statements, and hope my letters of recommendation are as glowing as my recommenders say they will be.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to chatting with others applying and going through the process and hopefully we will be classmates in the near future!
