Vanderbilt Pre-Specialty Entry 2021

Nursing Students School Programs

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I noticed there was not a thread created for Vanderbilt pre-specialty nursing for 2021, so I created one. Is anyone already preparing for this upcoming application cycle?

On 5/26/2021 at 10:19 AM, lunalilith said:

Has anyone whose been accepted applied for the nurse corps scholarship?

If so can you help me out? I just submitted my application but I was confused about the section where we had to put the dates of the program. The 2nd year includes Summer but they wouldn't let me put a date that ended in august so I put an extra 3rd year. Not sure if that was the right thing to do or I should have just done the 2 years and ended it earlier?

Sorry your question didn't get answered sooner! A lot of us had this concern as well. Basically we were told the dates are because they only cover from July to June each year, so if you need extra to supplement then you should apply for a third year, but of course that means more of a commitment. If you only apply for the 2 years but then need extra funds to supplement the few months that aren't covered then students will have to find other means like coming out of pocket or other loans. From my understanding anyways. 

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Specializes in Mental Health, MPH.
4 hours ago, Resa Lucas said:

Is anyone else having sticker shock from the tuition cost and year 1 COA estimates?  I know this program is cheaper than Emory's but the total number for 2 years of education is quite high...  Is everyone banking on PSLF on the backside for repayment plans? 

Yes, absolutely! I sense a common theme. Since I am pre-specialty and don't already have an RN license I do not qualify or Nurse Corps (at least this year) since they say you must have an "unencumbered RN license." (I even called them to make sure I was not eligible and unless you already are a licensed RN, you won't qualify yet). So for the past several months I've been applying to a bunch of other scholarships (basically just searching the internet). Some scholarships related to nursing, but the vast majority have other themes and often require essays/recommendation letters. I'll do anything haha. Nothing really compares to Nurse Corps in terms of funding, but I've applied for anything from little $200-$1,000 scholarships to $25,000ish like mad. I haven't received any scholarships...yet. I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic that even something small would be helpful. Basically expecting nothing because all scholarships are competitive, but if something comes through--fantastic! 

I do intend to apply for National Health Service Corps scholarship ( https://nhsc.HRSA.gov/loan-repayment/nhsc-loan-repayment-program.html ) for next cycle. (It is slightly different than Nurse Corps and equally competitive, but funding if selected is pretty darn good even for a year with a similar post-degree service component in a health professional shortage area). It would behoove any of us pre-specialty students without an RN license to apply for next year's application cycle (since we need to be enrolled first and the deadline passed this Spring). I'll attach a screenshot of qualifying specialties. I'll admit I was confused at first which specialties qualify because they say it is intended for "primary care" specialties, but their classification of "primary care" is pretty broad :). As in, I'm going to be a Psychiatric MH NP and I would qualify to apply whereas in most contexts psych is not considered primary care.

Also, I think it's valuable to think of help with loan repayment to be a useful bargaining tool when interviewing for jobs in the future. I plan to have the conversation with future employers to at least ask if this is a possibility. Not expecting that they'd be able to offer much but I think of it as no different than a sign-on bonus which a lot of places offer. It never hurts to ask--however small! The worst they can say is I'm sorry we aren't able to offer that.

So, I would say you are in good company. I don't personally know anyone that can afford 's price tag, so I am trying to be optimistic, but do have some anxiety about my financial future. I have a previous degree that I have not fully paid off after being in the workforce for about 14 years and making diligent payments. So, it is a reality many of us face. And like you said, hopefully the public service student loan forgiveness will continue to be a possibility. Hang in there ? We got this! I think at the end of the day it will all be worth it!

image.thumb.png.9895cb93e4d111da6d029555262334ab.png

 

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On 3/17/2021 at 10:29 AM, queenrus said:

They have already been awarded....all 3 scholarships. The Dean called the students to inform them

I am applying to this year and was wondering how you knew the dean called the full scholarships and if you know when they heard the amazing news! As you can imagine, this will be great insight for those of us applying this year, and I truly hope you're enjoying the program!

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16 minutes ago, ChemGirl713 said:

I am applying to Vandy this year and was wondering how you knew the dean called the full scholarships and if you know when they heard the amazing news! As you can imagine, this will be great insight for those of us applying this year, and I truly hope you're enjoying the program!

Hi ChemGirl,

I attended one of those Zoom Admissions sessions that they had and I asked that question. I was told during that session that they were going to call the 3 selected students on a particular date. So, of course, I did not get a call.

I started the program but I requested a leave of absence. It was really hard for me to balance a lot of personal/family things.

is a great school. I would say be prepared for how accelerated it is. It's really a program that requires you to retain a lot of information in a short period of time and get tested on it often. Great instructors/professors.

Good luck with the program. 

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1 hour ago, ChemGirl713 said:

I am applying to Vandy this year and was wondering how you knew the dean called the full scholarships and if you know when they heard the amazing news! As you can imagine, this will be great insight for those of us applying this year, and I truly hope you're enjoying the program!

Hey there! 

I'm pretty sure those students found out at the very beginning of school year after orientation, or just before, if I remember correctly. They base the award off the scores you got on your essay (so make sure those are really good). There are other things they consider as well, I think its also based on need and grades? I can't remember exactly. I definitely wouldn't count on those scholarships though. 

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Specializes in Future FNP.

Hello, I was reviewing this thread as I applied for Pre-specialty for the Aug 2022 start. I was wondering, for those of you accepted into the FNP Pre-specialty for 2021, what was your GPA and were all of your prerequisites completed at the time of your application?

Also, for those that are presently in the program, how is it going so far?

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Specializes in Mental Health, MPH.
17 hours ago, Simplebeauty1 said:

Hello, I was reviewing this thread as I applied for Pre-specialty for the Aug 2022 start. I was wondering, for those of you accepted into the FNP Pre-specialty for 2021, what was your GPA and were all of your prerequisites completed at the time of your application?

Also, for those that are presently in the program, how is it going so far?

I’m in the PMHNP Specialty, but I think I can be helpful in answering. I would say by in large most of us don’t know others’ stats. It’s not something that we really discuss or other students reveal since there are so many factors that go into being admitted. Don’t count yourself out if you have closer to a 3.0 but maybe have been in the workforce 10+ years, or maybe you have a lot of extracurricular/volunteer experience that makes your application shine. Or maybe you’ve undergone some challenging life/health/family circumstances that make your application unique. I would say never discount your ability to shoe how you have overcome adversity. All students admitted are so different so I’m not sure there really is a typical ‘admitted student.’ I for example was a an undergrad about 15 years ago and had about a 3.4 GPA. I then got a masters in another field along the way (before I decided on nursing) and my GPA was a bit higher but still just under a 3.7. That said, I did have a lot of life experience working in my chosen field and really knew what I wanted out of becoming an NP. I think I was able to articulate that with confidence in my app. I think having really focused essay answers can really showcase your strengths! (I realize this answer may not be exactly what you’re looking for but most of us don’t have a strong sense of how we got admitted because it’s kept very private—which can be a positive.) No don’t there are many students admitted with 4.0s but take it from me—you are still worthy and capable of being admitted and being successful in the program without these stats ?. 

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Specializes in Mental Health, MPH.
5 minutes ago, Aspiring PMHNP said:

I’m in the PMHNP Specialty, but I think I can be helpful in answering. I would say by in large most of us don’t know others’ stats. It’s not something that we really discuss or other students reveal since there are so many factors that go into being admitted. Don’t count yourself out if you have closer to a 3.0 but maybe have been in the workforce 10+ years, or maybe you have a lot of extracurricular/volunteer experience that makes your application shine. Or maybe you’ve undergone some challenging life/health/family circumstances that make your application unique. I would say never discount your ability to show how you have overcome adversity. All students admitted are so different so I’m not sure there really is a typical ‘admitted student.’ I for example was a an undergrad about 15 years ago and had about a 3.4 GPA. I then got a masters in another field along the way (before I decided on nursing) and my GPA was a bit higher but still just under a 3.7. That said, I did have a lot of life experience working in my chosen field and really knew what I wanted out of becoming an NP. I think I was able to articulate that with confidence in my app. I think having really focused essay answers can really showcase your strengths! (I realize this answer may not be exactly what you’re looking for but most of us don’t have a strong sense of how we got admitted because it’s kept very private—which can be a positive.) No doubt there are many students admitted with 4.0s but take it from me—you are still worthy and capable of being admitted and being successful in the program without these stats ?. 

Sorry for the typos-dang autocorrect! I edited above since I couldn't figure out how to edit the original post.

And I think generally, it doesn't matter what specialty you choose- the stats to be admitted are roughly the same across the board. 

And like others have said- the program is very accelerated/challenging but also very fun/rewarding. In the beginning there is an exam roughly every week for most of the semester until Thanksgiving (not in the same class but an exam for a different class each week). Just be prepared to restructure your life to focus on school from the very beginning and you will be OK! 

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Specializes in Student.
21 hours ago, Simplebeauty1 said:

Hello, I was reviewing this thread as I applied for Pre-specialty for the Aug 2022 start. I was wondering, for those of you accepted into the FNP Pre-specialty for 2021, what was your GPA and were all of your prerequisites completed at the time of your application?

Also, for those that are presently in the program, how is it going so far?

Hi there! I am part of the FNP specialty and I was accepted with a 3.7 undergrad and a 4.0 in prerequisites. All of my prerequisites were completed at the time of application and I also made sure to apply by the priority deadline as it was strongly encouraged by the admissions staff. I know that they consider the whole application and want to see solid essays. If you feel like you are lacking in a specific area based on your stats, I believe you can make up for it in your essays. 

The program has been going great! It has been more manageable that I imagined, which was a nice surprise. I've made it my top priority, which has allowed me to stay on top of everything and truly immerse myself in the material. Even though we move fast, I have learned an immense amount of information and it has been pretty surreal to be able to apply that in the clinical setting. I am really glad I chose Vanderbilt. This program has been around for decades and they definitely know what they're doing. If you choose to come here, I do not think you'll be disappointed! 

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. ?

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Specializes in Future FNP.
5 hours ago, Aspiring PMHNP said:

Sorry for the typos-dang autocorrect! I edited above since I couldn't figure out how to edit the original post.

And I think generally, it doesn't matter what specialty you choose- the stats to be admitted are roughly the same across the board. 

And like others have said- the program is very accelerated/challenging but also very fun/rewarding. In the beginning there is an exam roughly every week for most of the semester until Thanksgiving (not in the same class but an exam for a different class each week). Just be prepared to restructure your life to focus on school from the very beginning and you will be OK! 

Thank you for your response. I applied and hope that I did a good job in the essays. I am a Medical Laboratory Technologist for over 20 years and a military spouse so I had a lot to share and the word limit was challenging for me. I had to really condense and summarize but hopefully still got the point across. I am not worried about my GPA, it's over 3.9 but all my sciences are old and I'm having to currently repeat them, the ones that I've taken my GPA is 4.0. I am wondering if having those not done at the time of application will affect whether I get in. Of course I will be done by the time the program starts. I'm probably a little older than the average applicant also. 

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Specializes in Mental Health, MPH.
6 minutes ago, Simplebeauty1 said:

Thank you for your response. I applied and hope that I did a good job in the essays. I am a Medical Laboratory Technologist for over 20 years and a military spouse so I had a lot to share and the word limit was challenging for me. I had to really condense and summarize but hopefully still got the point across. I am not worried about my GPA, it's over 3.9 but all my sciences are old and I'm having to currently repeat them, the ones that I've taken my GPA is 4.0. I am wondering if having those not done at the time of application will affect whether I get in. Of course I will be done by the time the program starts. I'm probably a little older than the average applicant also. 

No prob! Happy to help :). I'm sure your application was great! I felt the same way about the word limit haha. It's hard when you've been working for awhile. (I'm in my late 30's and definitely not the oldest in the program.) Your experience will definitely be an asset in your application. I know some individuals did not finish prereqs but were completing them during the Summer before Fall semester began. That said, I am not sure if those were more general prereqs or science prereqs. I would recommend emailing admissions and asking them directly. I emailed them a couple of times before applying to be sure a few of my older prereqs counted. They will definitely give you a straight answer on that. These are the kind of questions they are used to getting and then you will know for sure!

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Specializes in Future FNP.
2 hours ago, lrmstudent said:

Hi there! I am part of the FNP specialty and I was accepted with a 3.7 undergrad and a 4.0 in prerequisites. All of my prerequisites were completed at the time of application and I also made sure to apply by the priority deadline as it was strongly encouraged by the admissions staff. I know that they consider the whole application and want to see solid essays. If you feel like you are lacking in a specific area based on your stats, I believe you can make up for it in your essays. 

The program has been going great! It has been more manageable that I imagined, which was a nice surprise. I've made it my top priority, which has allowed me to stay on top of everything and truly immerse myself in the material. Even though we move fast, I have learned an immense amount of information and it has been pretty surreal to be able to apply that in the clinical setting. I am really glad I chose Vanderbilt. This program has been around for decades and they definitely know what they're doing. If you choose to come here, I do not think you'll be disappointed! 

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. ?

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to respond. I feel that this program is the best fit for me and I'm hopeful that they agree. I think I'm concerned because of my age and that my science prereqs needed to be repeated and therefore were not done by the time I applied. I did apply by the priority deadline. My GPA is high. I am just nervous I guess, and hoping that repeating these science courses prove to be worth it.

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