Published Dec 24, 2008
ZooGurl3
77 Posts
Hi all!
I was recently accepted (on December 19th) to the WesternU MSN-E program that begins in Fall 2009. I was told in my letter that an interview was not needed--has anyone else been accepted to this program yet?
I know that this university is not well known so I have been doing a lot more research on the pros and cons of attending. Does anyone have any helpful information that they could pass along?
I know that the MSN portions are done mostly online--how do you think future employers will see this style of learning?
I'd appreciate any help that is available as I make this decision!
Livenlearn
37 Posts
I also received an email last week stating I have been accepted!
I am excited about the online portion because it allows me the freedom to study when I am at my best and I can work more hours because there is less travel time to school. I don't think employers will be concerned about whether you attended school in a classroom format or online. They are most concerned that the school is accredited and you have a degree.
Zoogurl3, will you be attending the session for direct admits?
Congratulations on your acceptance!!
And yes, as of now I do plan on attending the session (I think it's February 7th, right?). I live in northern California so it will be a loooong drive for me I have never seen the campus and am anxious to learn more about the program. I am curious to find out how WesternU graduates compare to graduates from other similar nursing programs in the area (i.e. CSULA & UCLA) and to see WesternU's facilities. The online component of the curriculum is also interesting to me, I would like to find out how prepared the graduates feel with this style vs a more traditional learning environment.
Are you planning on attending this school?
I sent you a link to some recent research on online education. I really think it depends on how you learn and if you have the organizational skills to keep up with assignments indendently. I like the idea of working while learning. This helps assimilate the information into practice. I can apply what I learn and get feedback while I am working in a clinical setting.
Yes, I plan on attending the session.
Amanda1985
340 Posts
This is what I received last week (Dec 18)
Dear Applicant:
Your file is ready for evaluation by the department.
After your file has been evaluated, you will be contacted by phone or receive a letter regarding your status.
Congrats to both of you for being accepted!!! What a great xmas gift :)
I'll just have to wait and see now.
deevee12
70 Posts
Hi,
Congratulations to those who have been accepted. Would you mind sharing your stats, experiences, and what you think helped you get a quick acceptance?
Thanks,
Deevee12
Sure,
I just graduated from UC Davis with a 3.6 (i think). My major was Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior and I also have a minor in Human Development.
Some of my health care experiences/volunteer activities:
-Interning at UC Davis medical center
-Volunteering at a children's hospital
-Shadowing
-Habitat for humanity
-Peer counseling for the psychological services program
-Working as a research assistant
I honestly don't know what helped me get a quick acceptance. If I could guess, I would probably assume that it's just that I had a lot of extracurricular activities, but I also don't know what the scores of the other applicants are.
Generally, I don't really think that there's a specific "rubric" for what type of applicant they accept. I think it just depends on the overall application, including scores, experiences, the essay, letters of rec, etc. I don't believe that I am the best applicant out there so I was pleasantly surprised to receive the early acceptance. I feel very lucky!
Congratulations! I'm so happy for you.. I know you must be excited. I do have a lot of medical experiences but not the best GPA, so I am very doubtful and don't have any confidence for an acceptance. Yet I am still hopeful because I have worked hard and am experience with many aspects in the medical field.
Where did you work as a research assistant? What kind of research was it? I work in research so I'm just curious. :)
Thank you so much!
I don't think you should beat yourself up over a GPA...I think that there are a lot of other factors that come into play when the admissions committees review an application. I think the fact that you have a lot of medical experiences will really work out in your favor. Keep your hopes up! I wish you the best of luck!!!
As for the research...it's for the UC Davis Department of Nutrition and it's a study on breastfeeding. It's a super fun position, I get to visit moms and their babies at home 3 days after birth and do observations, interviews, etc. What kind of research do you do?
I do clinical trials research mainly with schizophrenic patients. It's a lot of work but it's very interesting!
I don't have too many experiences because I worked at various places part time while I was in college. For example, pediatric office and internal medicine office as a medical assistant, at the hospital as an intern, research assistant in endocrinology, research in psychology for a couple of years at ucsd, worked at children's hospital, and now working in clinical research. i hope it's enough for them!!
so the information session is feb 7th? does that mean they will finish accepting applicants by then? did you get any other info.. fin aid, etc?
I'm not sure when they'll finish accepting people. I just know that in my e-mail acceptance packet it says that the direct admit students can attend a preview/info/tour day on February 7th. In that packet I received a handbook that gives tons information about the school, program, financial aid, clubs, etc, etc.
I haven't heard if they've started giving interviews yet, but it seems to me that February 7th would be too early for them to stop admitting. I assume that process will continue into the spring, but I'm not sure. I wonder if any other posts discuss WesternU interviews?
fionagurl
69 Posts
I am yet to hear of my acceptance status, and called the office yesterday inquiring about the interview schedule. A woman in the admissions office told me emails and letters are being sent out over the next couple of weeks, and that interviews are being held at the end of January.
Best of luck to all others whom are waiting!