What Are My Chances??

[CourtneyCRN]

So I've shadowed a CRNA a couple of times and have toyed with the idea of going back to school. I didn't go to nursing school with these intentions so I'm a little unsure if I have the qualifications to even do so. I would like people with any experience applying to see if I have decent chances of getting in. I have 2 years experience in CVICU/SICU, ADN program gpa of 3.18, bsn gpa of 3.5, however due to an engineering background my cumulative is less than 3.0. I took the revised gre and made a 151 and 149 and didn't take the writing, so obviously I plan on retaking that. I plan on taking the ccrn this spring. The programs I would like to apply to are our lady of the lake, lsu, ut-houston, and perhaps texas wesleyan and texas christian. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[missnurse01, MSN, RN]

Hi! Your experience is probably pretty good. I am not sure how they are going to look at your gpa, I do not know your schools well enough to say. hopefully someone will chime in. You can always call to talk to the program or adcom and explain your situation. Some schools only calculate your gpa based on your last 60 credits, so your gpad is probably fine. You need to call and ask how they do it at the programs you are looking at. Your gre scores are nearly at the minimum required, different schools weigh them differently as well. At some schools they are merely a check off that you completed them, at others they are more important. CCRN is always a great idea. If you need more clout you can always take some grad level phys or pharm or pathophys and ace it.

very good luck to you!

[cli632]

I also did not apply to the schools you are looking at. I just got into the same program as missnurse01 though! I looked into N. Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia schools though, however i only applied to 2 schools in the end. I called the schools though and the min GRE seems to be 300. i was told they expected the verbal to be mid-150s and the math to be mid-140s at least. This is of course the minimum, so I would try to aim for a little higher than that. Also, keep in mind that schools look at the whole package. I had a friend who got into Akron (crazy hard interview. people were actually crying!) and she said they interview everyone who meets their min requirements, so the interview plays a big role in their decision. You should call the schools to get a better idea of what they look for. I also found older posts from prior interviewees extremely helpful even if it was from other schools. You can at least get interview question samples to practice. As long as you get your CCRN, ACLS, and PALS you are on the right track! I would definitely apply if it's something you really want. Oh and about GPA, they also place more weight on your nursing and science grades. hope that helps!