UW Seattle ABSN 2022

Mattiebh · Dec 21, 2021

2 hours ago, Hannahkatherine said:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/460304922269819/?ref=share

here is the link for those who want to join!

Can you send the name of the group? The link isn’t working for me

Hannahkatherine · Dec 21, 2021

3 hours ago, Mattiebh said:

Can you send the name of the group? The link isn’t working for me

UW Seattle ABSN 2022

B K · Dec 21, 2021

14 hours ago, circleaye said:

Hey there. Thanks for starting this thread, and for all the comments. Wow, so many of you are doing such a variety of great work. I hope to meet you next year!

I was accepted to the waitlist ?

Does anyone know how many applications were submitted, and how many people in the waitlist there are?

My guess is that the waitlist is half of the total amount accepted, but it could be more than that.

dariajeir · Dec 22, 2021

I just requested to join the facebook group under "Jade Daria" username. I was accepted into the program for Fall.

I just want to say to anyone who didn't get in - don't be afraid to keep trying. I wasn't accepted into BSN last year and applied to ABSN this year and got in. I worked a lot on my essay and improved my letter of recc content to cite specific examples and I think that helped. Last year I was a bit rushed.

Stats: 4.0 GPA pre reqs and 3.9 overall/300-500 hours CNA experience in surgery and Psych floors at time of app but I've also had a few medical non-profit volunteer jobs working with marginalized groups including international exp and working with assualt/trauma victims. I have a 20 year background in business managing teams of staff. Psych undergad at UW and wrote about my desire to work in mental healthcare.

Congrats to you all for putting yourselves out there. This process is so hard!

Thu Huynh · Dec 22, 2021

Hey everyone! Congrats to everyone no matter their outcome. I surprising got accepted as I don’t quite have much experience as others but here are my Stats:

I was an undergrad at UW and graduated with an BA in Psychology. My cumulative GPA is 3.5 and for my GPA for the prerequisites is around 3.65. I have volunteered at a NICU center in a rural town and I also got the chance to help undocumented individuals. I also have done volunteer work in a camp where we provide a positive and accepting environment for disabled children. As for hands on medical experience, I have worked a couple hundred hours (~250 hrs) in a nursing home as a CNA. In addition to that, I also have about 1,500 hrs of hands on experience in an oncology unit as a CNA also.

I also would love to join the facebook group but the link unfortunately did not work. I tried to find the group name but what popped up was UW- Seattle ABSN Program 2021-2022, is this the right one?? I kinda got anxious about the post-bac application so I would love some advice or assurance ?

abetan · Dec 22, 2021

Hi guys,

This is my first time here in AllNurses. I'm planning to apply for 2023 cohort, but I am pretty sure I will not get in, considering how competitive the stats are from those who are accepted in this thread.

I am still working on my A&P prereqs which I will finish by the end of Spring 2022 (as of right now my undergrad GPA is around 3.7/ NW is ~3.96). I do not have any health care experience or extracurriculars, but I will be working on my CNA certification next month or two. I just realized that I have absolutely nothing compared to typical applicants. I feel hopeless because I am a recent UW Seattle Biology grad and I really want to become a nurse. I guess I need to acquire more experience.

Any tips for a strong application?

Koa23 · Dec 22, 2021

2 hours ago, abetan said:

Hi guys,

This is my first time here in AllNurses. I'm planning to apply for 2023 cohort, but I am pretty sure I will not get in, considering how competitive the stats are from those who are accepted in this thread.

I am still working on my A&P prereqs which I will finish by the end of Spring 2022 (as of right now my undergrad GPA is around 3.7/ NW is ~3.96). I do not have any health care experience or extracurriculars, but I will be working on my CNA certification next month or two. I just realized that I have absolutely nothing compared to typical applicants. I feel hopeless because I am a recent UW Seattle Biology grad and I really want to become a nurse. I guess I need to acquire more experience.

Any tips for a strong application?

Definitely work on that CNA certification and get as many hours as possible!! I only had this past Summer vacation to accumulate experience and I was able to get close to 300 hours (which isn’t a lot compared to the people who got accepted, but it’s a start!!).
With your passion and drive, you will definitely be a nurse!! I think the question is whether or not you will be a UW ABSN student. This cycle was extremely competitive and those who got accepted were super qualified. UW was the only school I got waitlisted/rejected for so the nursing dream is definitely more attainable than you think if you are willing to go to a different school/state!!

clarge0211 · Dec 22, 2021

On 12/20/2021 at 12:52 PM, Koa23 said:

Congrats to everyone who got accepted! Do you guys mind sharing your stats?

Sure. I think it's also important to remember that UW takes a more holistic approach to their application review, so there is no one size fits all stat that will determine entry into the program. This is different from a lot of other programs that seem to score applicants by points.

I have worked for the health department HIV/STD program for 4.5 years (~8000 hours). I primarily serve as a public health case manager for homeless patients living w/ HIV/AIDS (a lot of direct patient contact). Leadership experience includes starting a Hepatitis C treatment program at Max Clinic, working out of class as the program coordinator during the pandemic, and hiring and training new staff. I do a lot of field visits to hospitals, jails, homes and encampments to test people for HIV or relink people to HIV care. For volunteering, I have about 400 hours volunteering at a local needle exchange program, 75 hours serving as an academic mentor and serve on the anti-racism committee at my church. I am also a cancer survivor, so incorporated direct experience with severe illness into my essay.

My first degree was in public health from UW. Cum GPA 3.92. Natural world GPA 3.83.

B K · Dec 22, 2021

9 hours ago, abetan said:

Hi guys,

This is my first time here in AllNurses. I'm planning to apply for 2023 cohort, but I am pretty sure I will not get in, considering how competitive the stats are from those who are accepted in this thread.

I am still working on my A&P prereqs which I will finish by the end of Spring 2022 (as of right now my undergrad GPA is around 3.7/ NW is ~3.96). I do not have any health care experience or extracurriculars, but I will be working on my CNA certification next month or two. I just realized that I have absolutely nothing compared to typical applicants. I feel hopeless because I am a recent UW Seattle Biology grad and I really want to become a nurse. I guess I need to acquire more experience.

Any tips for a strong application?

I was wait listed myself. This was my first time applying.

Overall GPA 3.08. GPA over past 4 years is 3.66. 3.65 science GPA. Biochem major with 5000+ hours of experience working in drug and alcohol treatment. Letter of recommendation written by a supervisor who is an LVN at UCLA.

This was the first application that I handed in and in hindsight I could have written the essays better. I think I would have got in or been higher on the waitlist if I had written these essays similar to other schools.

Healthcare experience is important but having LOC written by a health professional I think is really important. Their questions are very specific about how you’ll do as a nurse. I have two professors that think very highly of me, but I’m not sure if their LOC would have been all that insightful for UofW.

Other thing I would have done differently is was written my essays in a more creative and narrative way. I did that for my proctored essay and I think it turned out very well, but no way to really know.

I don’t have prerequisite GPA off the top of my head but around 3.65-3.85. I think at a certain point the diff between 3.6 and 3.9 prerequisite GPA isn’t all that important compared to LOC, experience, and essays.

lastly just apply. If you don’t get in this time it’ll show the committee that you really want to be a nurse. I’m 30 and spent 4 years getting my GPA up from a 2.05 to 3.66. It’s a process. Don’t give up.

iz60123 · Dec 22, 2021

9 hours ago, abetan said:

Hi guys,

This is my first time here in AllNurses. I'm planning to apply for 2023 cohort, but I am pretty sure I will not get in, considering how competitive the stats are from those who are accepted in this thread.

I am still working on my A&P prereqs which I will finish by the end of Spring 2022 (as of right now my undergrad GPA is around 3.7/ NW is ~3.96). I do not have any health care experience or extracurriculars, but I will be working on my CNA certification next month or two. I just realized that I have absolutely nothing compared to typical applicants. I feel hopeless because I am a recent UW Seattle Biology grad and I really want to become a nurse. I guess I need to acquire more experience.

Any tips for a strong application?

As several others have already said, don't give up! I wouldn't count yourself out by any means. Getting healthcare experience is going to help enormously, which it sounds like you're working toward.

Several others have already mentioned CNA experience, which is definitely awesome and translates well into an understanding of nursing. Personally, I went the route of becoming a Medical Assistant instead of a CNA. There are two types of MAs in Washington; Certified and Registered. Certified MAs go to school for about a year and a half, and pass a licensure exam. Registered MAs do not go to school and are trained and licensed by their employers (I.e., you don't take your license with you if you quit). I found an employer that trains people to become Registered MAs, and I've been working full time as a Medical Assistant & Phlebotomist for years. Going the CNA route is definitely more standard for folks seeking medical experience for the ABSN program, but the alternative route of becoming a Registered MA worked really well for me. A lot of Planned Parenthood clinics will hire for Registered MAs, and I've even seen some hospitals advertise those positions as "apprentice MAs". I also know at least one other person who went the Registered MA route and got accepted into the UW ABSN program.

All this to say, there are a lot of ways to get medical experience! Even volunteering in a medical context can really strengthen your application, and can give you connections to medical professionals that can write a letter of rec.

Also, as an aside, my Bachelor's was a BA and had nothing to do with science or healthcare. I studied feminist political economy. So it really is holistic!

Mattiebh · Dec 22, 2021

18 minutes ago, iz60123 said:

As several others have already said, don't give up! I wouldn't count yourself out by any means. Getting healthcare experience is going to help enormously, which it sounds like you're working toward.

Several others have already mentioned CNA experience, which is definitely awesome and translates well into an understanding of nursing. Personally, I went the route of becoming a Medical Assistant instead of a CNA. There are two types of MAs in Washington; Certified and Registered. Certified MAs go to school for about a year and a half, and pass a licensure exam. Registered MAs do not go to school and are trained and licensed by their employers (I.e., you don't take your license with you if you quit). I found an employer that trains people to become Registered MAs, and I've been working full time as a Medical Assistant & Phlebotomist for years. Going the CNA route is definitely more standard for folks seeking medical experience for the ABSN program, but the alternative route of becoming a Registered MA worked really well for me. A lot of Planned Parenthood clinics will hire for Registered MAs, and I've even seen some hospitals advertise those positions as "apprentice MAs". I also know at least one other person who went the Registered MA route and got accepted into the UW ABSN program.

All this to say, there are a lot of ways to get medical experience! Even volunteering in a medical context can really strengthen your application, and can give you connections to medical professionals that can write a letter of rec.

Also, as an aside, my Bachelor's was a BA and had nothing to do with science or healthcare. I studied feminist political economy. So it really is holistic!

I definitely second this! I was a Psych and Spanish major and a Black Studies Minor. It’s incredibly holistic! I also agree that the essays are really important. They want to see what you’re passionate about and learn about you. Although GPA is a factor, I would say experience is more important. I didn’t get my clinical hours in until the Summer before apps season because I caught near deathly COVID when I tried to get health care hours the fall before (I applied with around 400). 2/4 of my essays were about my experiences as a patient. You totally have time! My letter of rec was from my co-author/advisor/professor for research studies. I could have gotten it from an MD, but I chose her because I felt that she knew me best and would be able to talk about my disposition and qualities that would make me a good nurse.

Tucker Sawin · Jan 6, 2022

Hi all,

Does anyone know if we'll automatically receive email updates on waitlist movement? I keep compulsively checking the application portal every few days, which I would love to stop doing. Figured someone on this forum might know from previous years. Thanks!