New Admissions standards for TCC RN program

2bcurious · Mar 6, 2009

O - that is sad.... I think the lottery aspect cheapens the extra work that motivates students to do well in order to increase their chances of acceptance... how upset would I be knowing it was random chance that got me in or didn't get me in after meeting their minimum threshold.

I wonder why?

Ease on admissions staff? Perhaps they feel that students with a B or better have the same outcome in their program and don't feel its worth the hassle.. but from the student perspective.. what is the advantage if you perform well? How does this translate to the job place? Meet the threshold - no winners, no losers... this is a poor decision for admission process IMHO it stinks :)

twinkletoes12 · Mar 6, 2009

I don't plan to apply to TCC's lottery unless I don't get in anywhere else, but I think it's great to switch to a lottery. Since when is getting a B in a class so terrible? Just because someone can sit in front of a book and read and read and read and take tests well doesn't mean he/she will be a good nurse. Nursing school and the real world is much more than 'I got a 4.0 GPA in my prerequisites, go me!' Just because you got a B or B+ doesn't mean you didn't work hard and it's nothing to be ashamed of! I was rather disappointed to get rejected from TCC last year and the minimum GPA accepted for last fall was a 3.95. My nursing prerequisite GPA is a 3.5 and that still qualifies for the Dean's List. Give me a break. :banghead:

2bcurious · Mar 6, 2009

Twinkle,

I don't think I said a 'B' was not a good grade.

What do we gain as a profession, or as a school program, by not selecting the applicants who have completed their pre-reqs..which are a great indicator for future success.. to the best degree?

What benefit is it to randomly pick those who meet the threshold? Is there a benefit?

I think it devalues the program... it devalues gaining acceptance. I would be much happier to be rewarded with an admission based on my hard work and efforts to compete for the slot.. as this is how the real world will work, rather then randomly being selected or not being selected.

j450n, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 6, 2009

I think I agree with twinkletoes, in the sense that some are just better test-takers than others. Coming from a liberal arts background, I feel like I've studied just as hard, if not exponentially harder than many other applicants. It's discouraging to see mediocre results after all the work you put in. Sure, with a lottery it's harder to "weed out" students of lower academic success, but at least there's more opportunity for people like myself to make it into a program without having to incessantly retake class after class after class. There's a huge difference when you're retaking a class because you got a B, versus retaking a class because you got a C. In my opinion, I think a B will suffice just fine. So many schools are focusing on the "well-rounded" applicant now and B grades are still competitive. Shoreline's threshold for points to be admitted has gone down. I have B's in my prereqs and I'll still come away with more than the average amount of points for the past few quarters there. Also, Skagit Valley CC was always a wait-list program (until starting Fall 2009, where it will switch to competitive admission - mostly due to new administration), but the entire time it was a wait-list program it had a very good reputation with good NCLEX pass rates...and I think all you had to do was have a C or better in you prereqs to get on the list. I just feel bad for all the people that waited 2 years to get into that program, and now may have very well waited for no reason. Admissions like TCC can help bridge the gap and give some breathing room to those people who are TRULY passionate about being a nurse. To me, that's a benefit. I don't know if it would really "devalue" a program. :) My inclination is that people who really want to become a nurse, will persevere and try hard, despite not achieving a 4.0 or something close to that in their prereqs.

Ebouster · Mar 8, 2009

I'm so glad that TCC is doing this. I remember wayyyy back when I applied to TCC I got a rejection letter saying the average GPA of the class was at like 3.94 (mine was 3.65). If I remember correctly, the letter also stated that I should perhaps look into other areas such as respiratory therapy. I forget exactly what it said, but I remember being TICKED off after reading it. Oh well, doesn't matter, I'm graduating from UW in a few months so everything turned out great.

But I certainly approve of them changing their admission standards. Getting straight A's is not what makes a good nurse and I'm wondering if they were having issues with some of their students. My clinical instructor told me last quarter during OB said that she hired a 3.0 student over a 4.0 student and both were applying for the same position. She basically said the 4.0 student acted as if she knew everything and expected the job to be handed to her on a silver platter; while the 3.0 student expressed a strong willingness to learn and gain important experience so that she could one day become a great nurse.

SO THIS IS FOR YOU ALL YOU 3.0 STUDENTS!! GO TCC!!! lol

2bcurious · Mar 8, 2009

Lottery time!

odria · Mar 9, 2009

IMO this is not a good thing. It is a bad situation either way(lottery or competative). Now each applicant will have about a 1 in 10 or 1 in 20 chance to get in based on the number of applications they usually get. I would expect the number of applications to increase because many 3.0 students were not applying in the past. Now there are 2 ways to become an RN. Either you have a high GPA and are able to become an RN with the minimum amount of delay or you take the slow but reliable wait list path. If the competative programs go to a lottery, then the only path is the slow one unless you happen to get lucky. On the other hand, I understand the other point of view as well. I recently got into the TCC program with a GPA on the edge. I was getting ready to move to florida to get my RN when I was pleasantly surprised by making it into the program.

Irene joy · Mar 9, 2009

Nearly all of us in my class are upset about this new process. First, we are worried about the TCC reputation in the community, second, we all worked really hard for our grades to get in, and last, what if you do get great grades and you gte a number and it doesn't get called. You have no guarantee of when or if you'lle get in. At least now, if your grades are competitive you have a vary good chance of getting in. I'd just hate to be waiting and waiting for my number to be called!

LalaJJB · Mar 9, 2009

I haven't been accepted in to nursing school yet, but what I hear is the course work is very challenging and I would be studying like crazy all the time...Am I right? I just think working extremely hard to get A's in the pre-reqs is setting me up to succeed with the actually nursing program. I'm not looking to breeze through nursing school doing the minimum amount of work necessary to pass, I want to be a great nurse and I feel that busting my rear to get a 4.0 in my pre-reqs is the best way to do so.:)

cloyola · May 23, 2009

This lottery will atleast be fair. Just because some of you do not work and have families or just plain don't have a life can get 3.9 or 4.0 doesn't mean you are going to be a good nurse. It's kind of creepy that just because you have a 4.0 you can become a nurse and take care of people. Maybe your all book smarts and have no empathy, sympathy, or common sense. They need to interview! I think they finally realize that just because you have the best grades does not make you qualifed exactly. The whole letting 20 people in a year to get in these stupid schools is ******* ridiculous! This world needs nurses, and yet there are so many people that would love to do this work can't. The whole thing makes me want to throw up in tin foil and eat it. If you can guess what movie I got that from you get a prize! The prize is the tin foil! BOO YA! :smokin:

LalaJJB · May 25, 2009

You sound angry about something cloyola. you may want to choose another path such as roller derby or mud wrestling where you can get your frustrations out. Most of my friends who have graduated from the nursing program at TCC are very well-rounded and have families and had jobs while in school and doing their pre-reqs. Its all about how much you want it and how hard you can work. Also, the reason they changed the admissions was because it cost the school a ton of money to have students re-take pre-req courses... not because the 4.0 students were lacking common sense, empathy and sympathy...:dancgrp: