What got you into school?

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I was wondering if those who were accepted to Nurse Anesthetist schools this year and the past 2 years could post your stats for which schools you applied to and got an interview, what your undergrad GPA was, GRE scores, years of clinical experience and any certifications that you hold! Thanks!

Focker, I didnt claim to know you at all. I just thought it was funny that the first few people that replied claimed they had GPAs of 4.0 and GREs of like 1300-1400. Good for you if you did.

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.
Focker, I didnt claim to know you at all. I just thought it was funny that the first few people that replied claimed they had GPAs of 4.0 and GREs of like 1300-1400. Good for you if you did.

A lot of people do have stats like that. I have read many posts on this website and am amazed how people jump on other people's posts to call them out.

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.

BSN 3.55

Overall GPA 3.65

Sciences: all A's except Chemistry. Got a C 7 yrs ago, retook it and earned an A.

GRE 960, 4.5

14 months experience at interview

PALS

ACLS

Whats got me in? I believe that my personal statement and my recommendation letters helped me get the interview and I do really well with public speaking and interviews (even if my heart is pounding).

I applied to Hamot in PA and was accepted to start this Jan. Did not apply to any other school.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

CRNA 2012,

I was just messing with you...sorry :D.

I know the internet is a bad place for such humor but I couldn't help myself.

Focker

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Hey Focker, thanks for the apology but it didnt bother me that much, I take more guff on a daily basis. Good luck with the rest of your schooling.

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Applied to U of Penn, Boson College, Columbia, U of Maryland and Northeastern

Accepted into one, have an interview at another and still in review at the rest. No rejections yet. :)

BSN GPA: 3.84 (A's in science prerequisites)

MHA GPA: 3.96

GRE: 1090 (Math 610, Verbal 460, 4.0)

12 years of RN critical care experience at several level one trauma centers/academic teaching hospitals

2 years flight nursing

22 years total of nursing experience ( I am older than most who go to CRNA school).

ACLS, PALS, CCRN, TNCC, (several others that are no longer current)

Recommendations: included 2 RN peers in ICU, a former ICU RN colleague who is now a CRNA, graduate school professor, former Director of Nursing.

My personal statement reflected why anesthesia school, why now, why I think I have what it takes, why the school and what my future plans are.

I think my GRE satisfied the requirement of admission but was not a contributing factor to getting in. It was my experience, recommendations, GPA, and personal statement.

One word of advice that came from one of these schools open house, "if we give you an interview, you are interviewing not to get in". Both my CRNA friends said the purpose of the application is to get an interview.

FYI: Columbia no longer requires an interview but goes on application ONLY! So make it a good one!

Good luck!

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Right now I have been accepted to two schools, with an application at Pitt still pending. My stats are as follows..

BSN GPA: 3.7

GRE: 1120/4.0

Experience: 1.5 Years experience CVICU, Openhearts and swans daily. Will have approx 2-2.5 years at time of enrollment (depending on which school).

ACLS, IABP trained

CCRN

Good references from coworkers, managers, nurse practioners and professors (when necessary).

I was fortunate enough to have 2 really good interviews at both schools who have given me offers. I was able to demonstrate my clinical knowledge in the interview to help supplement my application. Honestly, looking at all of the requirements was quite daunting, but there are people out there with better and worse grades, and more and less experience than me who are also getting in, so I think it is a whole picture kind of thing.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.

Hello,

I'm pretty sure it wasn't my stats that got me in but they at least justified the acceptance, (make sense?)

Here is the less than stellar stat breakdown followed by what I think got me in:

My undergrad GPA was just under 3.8 I think, (perhaps 3.6) but that was a Sociology major with a Psych minor so it doesn't help the CRNA school application a bit! My associate was in Biology but, was years away and not helpful, decent gpa. My RN was a Masters Entry to Nursing Program and was an okay GPA with one exception. All of my graduate sciences were only B's and worse than that, I took an intensive 5 week Nurse Practitioner Pharmacology immediately after graduating while dealing with some life stressors, (newly divorced...) and only got a C!

Then when I applied for the school my old GRE had aged out since it was 5 years since the Masters so I had to retake it. It was only mediocre before on a week's notice. In 2005 I was just over 1000 with a 4.5 writing. This time I had one day's notice to take it and did just okay on the verbal, 590 but, made a mistake and exited the quant with 18 questions left and got 380. I had to submit my application because of a deadline and scheduled to retake the GRE. My first packet was not picked up.

Next, I've only had my RN for 3+ years and spent 3 of those years on an ortho floor...yeah, not great stats!

My retake gre was 560 + 560 + 3.5 writing and that packet was picked up. :)@@ Yippie.

What I think was good on my application is that I am very serious about this and my life is really constructed around it. I am no longer in that nasty divorce, I am a Military nurse, I applied to a Military program and since I am Military am allowed to go to the ICU and precept since acceptance to the program. I am also taking an online graduate chemistry course to strenghten up my own study habits and skills prior to the course and the course also requires some 'post acceptance yet pre-admission coursework' that I am taking also.

Another thing on my packet I think that helped, (two part application as one was to USAGPAN and the other is to NorthEastern University who grants the degree) is that I tried to be both very simple and very honest in my application. I am 44 years old and want this so much and believe I understand the level of devotion, (I've joked that it is a program that you get married to for three years!)

Best wishes and remember that it might require a second application, even if back to back!

Jen

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I believe I got in because of my stats, and because I didn't blow the interview.

BS history 3.63

BSN/nursing prereqs 4.0

Cumulative undergrad 3.8

GRE 1510

2.5 yrs NSICU at a L1TC

ACLS, PALS, CCRN

I think my grades and test scores helped to separate me from the pack, and my interview, essay, recommendation letters, and experience all didn't hurt. You don't need a 4.0 and a 1510 to get in, but some of us do have those type of stats. They certainly help you to get an interview, and then it's up to you to make the most of that opportunity. I was offered an interview at my first choice school and was accepted a few days later. I start Monday!

Good luck to the other applicants out there!

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I completed 5 of 7 school applications

Out of 5, got 3 interview offers.

1st school declined

2nd school offered and I accepted.

3rd school, did not interview due to accepting 2nd school.

My stats. Poor GPA from first round of college out of high school. 2.8

3.49 in nursing school

3.2 overall

Sat for boards in March 2009, Interviewed in Jan. 2010. All of my experience was in a MICU as an RN.

3 years tech in ED while completing undergrad.

3 years fire/ems prior to ED.

1040 GRE

1st interview was the intimidation style at UT Chattanooga. Grilled me on clinical questions. I was very intimidated, looked nervous, and said "I'm not sure" too often. No offer.

2nd interview was at Medical College of Georgia which is changing it's name in a couple of days. They didn't ask any clinical questions. They wanted to get to know me. They did ask about my GPA. I told them the truth. Wasn't serious about college when I got out of high school. I wish I had it to do over again. We've all made choices we wish we could do over. That one just follows me around in the form of my cumulative GPA. I almost pulled off a 3.5 in undergrad while working 36 hours per week.

I think they appreciated my honesty.

Also asked why wanted to be a crna, and a couple of other get to know me type of questions. I walked out of the interview feeling good in that if they didn't choose me, it wasn't because I didn't have an opportunity to prove myself. The interview process there is very fair. They pretty much know who they want, but use the interview to finalize their list. Be honest, be yourself, be confident, not a know it all, and be personable. I can't wait to start. I'm nervous because I know it will be challenging, but excited to get started.

I am not a brainiac, not a 4.0, not a 1200 gre, just a regular, hard working, self motivated person. Good Luck

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Home Health.

Blair,

Congratulations on being accepted. My stats are close to yours. Do you mind sharing what schools did not offer you an interview. I am considering applying to several schools if I do not get accepted to my top 2 this year and your information can help narrow down my search. Thanks.

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I started out applying to Medical College of GA, UT Chattanooga, Mercer, University of Alabama Birmingham, University of North Florida Jacksonville, Gooding Institute of Nursing Anesthesia, and Medical University of South Carolina. I did not complete MUSC or UNF due to an issue with one of my references. So out of the 5 remaining, I got interview offers for UTC, MCG, and Gooding. No offer from UAB or Mercer.

Best of Luck.

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