I have been on the lookout for the 2020 thread but figured that I'll have to create one. I am sorry if there is one that I am not aware of.
I am a 2020 hopeful that is looking to make a career switch. I was at one of the information sessions where I gained further insights on the application process and the program. I took the GRE yesterday and was around the 50th percentile for both Q&V.
One of the changes to this years' requirements is that you don't need the GRE if you already have a masters degree or would complete one before the start of the 2020 session. I haven't taken the major prerequisites, but I will take and complete them in the summer of 2020.
I will start talking to my recommenders from next week, I have a tentative list that I composed with a view of having them tell different stories about my candidacy.
May I crave the indulgence of both current and past GEPNs and the benevolence of prospective class of 2020 to make this thread the best one yet. Your views and insights are welcome and appreciated!
I'm curious as to why the rankings is something to worry about? Yale College, University, and YSN specifically seems like an incredible academic program based on the info they provided at their accepted students day and its overall reputation. There is some other website that lists YSN as the #1 NP school of 2020. No judgement what-so-ever! I am genuinely curious as to whether this is influencing anyone's decision to attend the program and whether you believe it will have any affect on your success in the future. I was honored to have been accepted, something I truly never thought would happen, and the knowledge of its ranking was not very important to me personally (even as a PMHNP admit, which isn't even in the top rankings at all anymore!)
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and opinions!!
I'm curious as to why the rankings is something to worry about? Yale College, University, and YSN specifically seems like an incredible academic program based on the info they provided at their accepted students day and its overall reputation. There is some other website that lists YSN as the #1 NP school of 2020. No judgement what-so-ever! I am genuinely curious as to whether this is influencing anyone's decision to attend the program and whether you believe it will have any affect on your success in the future. I was honored to have been accepted, something I truly never thought would happen, and the knowledge of its ranking was not very important to me personally (even as a PMHNP admit, which isn't even in the top rankings at all anymore!)
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and opinions!!
I don’t think anyone said the drop in rankings was going to make them not attend the program, that’s a bit of a stretch. ?
Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe. I have a few questions. I have a PhD in Sociology and have decided that I want to leave academia for nursing. I am really interested in the Yale program and reached out to the admissions email and got a super generic email. First, are there any students or applicants that have PhDs and have gotten in? Second, is it possible to apply without taking any prereqs but take some while await admissions decisions? Has anyone taken their prereqs at the community college level? Is the new incoming class willing to share some of their stats? TIA!
Hi @Bpgl2008! I hope you are staying safe also ?such a crazy time. I will be starting Yale’s GEPN (FNP) in the fall. I don’t have a PhD but I do have a masters in nutrition. I’m sure students will be coming in with some formal educational degree post undergrad.
Yale SON does not require prerequisites, but many students end up taking them because several nursing programs do require them. Based on what was mentioned during open house, Yale does not require prerequisites because they generally don’t have a clinical emphasis. Yale has also stated that they haven’t seen a great difference in test scores or other academic measures between students who completed prerequisites and those that didn't.
In my humble opinion, I think it’s perfectly fine to take prerequisites at community colleges. This is a question I’ve asked several nursing school officials during my application process. I took some of mine at a local community college and an online course program called “portage learning”. They offer self paced/college credit courses through Geneva College. But as a reminder, Yale doesn’t require them. I only took them because I applied to other schools.
The application process was pretty rigorous, but with good reason. I believe there was about 4 essay responses (mixture of short and long responseS.) There was also a interview via zoom.
mmm as far as in stats... I am very non traditional by the way LOL. I’m a little older (28 years old)... I had a 3.3 From my undergrad (graduated 2013). Completed a post bac in prehealth studies (3.8). And completed my masters in a science field (this was pass/fail). I believe if you have a masters or a PhD you can waive out of the GRE. I was able to waive out of this requirement.
Based on my application process, Yale School of Nursing didn’t strike me as a program that solely focused on numbers. As cliche as this sounds, they really took time to assess my candidacy holistically. So to prepare, I would focus on writing essays that come from the heart and describes your interest in nursing, get great recommedations, and nail the interview.
Best wishes to you! Feel free to email me if you have like more questions. I’m still new, so I can only speak on the application process.
@Bpgl2008 It seems like Yale really appreciates people from different experiences, bc each life experience can contribute in different ways to the nursing profession. So I don't think that should hurt you for Yale (or other direct entry nursing programs). Some people enter right after college, others are career changers. I would say the biggest factor is showing you have experience (volunteering or working) in some capacity in the health field, otherwise how do you prove you are committed to the health field/nursing profession?
I think since most students apply to other nursing schools that require pre-reqs, students accepted to YSN have already taken the pre-reqs (so I do not know if they actually accept students that have not taken the pre-reqs, even though they say it's not required. If you take them and do well, it can certainly boost your application).
I was a Bio major as an undergrad. Then took it took me a year to finish the rest of the pre-reqs at a community college. The courses that required labs I took in person, other ones such as stats and nutrition I took online through the community college.
@Bpgl2008Oh and my stats, Bio undergrad major, took pre-reqs in one year while working, then finally applied 5 years post-college! I just never felt "ready" enough, and in hindsight I wish I would've applied earlier, but here we are! Most of my experience came from volunteering/working at a community clinic and working with kids. Undergrad cumulative GPA is 3.6, the community college courses: 3.9.
Good luck on your application process. As @The_Wholesome_NP mentioned it is a very rigorous process and starting now will only help you. I will be attending Yale in the fall for the FNP track. I am also nontraditional in the sense that I am older - 32. I do not have a graduate degree, but a lot of healthcare experience. I took most of my prereqs for other programs 12 years ago at my local community college for my associates in medical assisting. They since expired so I started retaking them Spring 2019 and drove to any community college that had a class offered during the time I needed. I was accepted pending completion of A&P II and no micro yet. I was also accepted to Quinnipiac's ABSN program pending micro (which I dropped when I found out I got into Yale and used the tuition reimbursement on my deposit, haha).
I too believe the GRE will be waived for you (lucky you). Although, as already mentioned they do look at you holistically and grades/scores do not matter too much (my GRE was worse than any number I've ever seen mentioned on all nurses). Your most impressionable aspect will be your essay and what you can bring to the Yale experience.
I believe working in a busy Ophthalmology practice for the last (almost) 8 years was my biggest driver in getting accepted, but my grades were also good. I shadowed for an FNP for 8 hours (which they asked me about during my interview). Showing initiative in shadowing your particular specialty will prove to be very beneficial. I had a terrible GPA straight out of high school and took a break from school. Once I went back I had a 3.2 for my associates, then a 3.9 for my BS in health science studies.I was working at my current practice when I went back to school and finished my BS.
Having your PhD brings a lot to the table for Yale, so capitalize and sell yourself on that. I would take a couple "prereqs" and shadow to show initiative. Also, if you don't currently work in healthcare I would try to find something or volunteer. They could trip you up in an interview if they ask you "why nursing/NP if you don't have any healthcare experience?"
Finally, start your essays now. I wrote about 10 drafts and waited until the last couple weeks and finished right at the deadline with my "perfect" final product. When you have the right essay you'll "just know".
Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe. I have a few questions. I have a PhD in Sociology and have decided that I want to leave academia for nursing. I am really interested in the Yale program and reached out to the admissions email and got a super generic email. First, are there any students or applicants that have PhDs and have gotten in? Second, is it possible to apply without taking any prereqs but take some while await admissions decisions? Has anyone taken their prereqs at the community college level? Is the new incoming class willing to share some of their stats? TIA!
Hi there! While it is obviously not extremely common, there are many students at YSN with various doctoral degrees. You can definitely take whatever prerequisites that you like. I would say at this point while they are not required, your application would definitely be hindered WITHOUT them. They don't require them, they will not be "impressed" that you've taken them, but you may be applying with other folks who have similar stats and HAVE taken them. You don't want to be less prepared that others with similar stats.
I believe the average age of attendance is around 25. There is definitely an age range. They like recent grads and also like people with unique experiences. I am attending in the Psych-Mental Health track that starts this fall (class of 2023). I have B.A. in Psychology with a Sociology minor and a M.S. in Education with certificates in both elementary education and mathematics. I received my M.Ed degree with a 3.95. I have not taken the GRE (it is not required for those with graduate degrees). I took Microbiology and Statistics in Fall of 2019 and was able to have my professors write a "progress report" with my midterm grades to temporarily replace the transcripts, as applications were due in the middle of that semester. I have been working as a teacher for about 5 years now and also volunteer as an EMT. Whichever track you enter, make sure you are able to heavily defend your decision! You should have some experience in that particular field and/or shadowed a NP in that field. Your essay and your life experience are your most important "stats". I drafted my essay from July to November with at least 30 drafts. I had more than 10 people read it. Your essay should be your first priority. If you can prove why this is the program for you, everything else is secondary.
Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe. I have a few questions. I have a PhD in Sociology and have decided that I want to leave academia for nursing. I am really interested in the Yale program and reached out to the admissions email and got a super generic email. First, are there any students or applicants that have PhDs and have gotten in? Second, is it possible to apply without taking any prereqs but take some while await admissions decisions? Has anyone taken their prereqs at the community college level? Is the new incoming class willing to share some of their stats? TIA!
Hi, @Bpgl2008 current student here. I echo what the others have said about the program. Being an older student with a PhD is an asset and is looked upon favorably by the school. The nursing school actually wants people who are older, have worked, and can bring some of their life experience to the school because not many of us apply. I am glad that there are a few older students in the current incoming class. They will be an asset to the program. I can think of one student off the top of my head that has her PhD, there are quite a few that have their MPH as well so while it is not common for people to have advanced degrees already there are a fair few. As @gymnasticsprincess mentioned, the average age of the current cohort is 25. For comparison when I applied, the outgoing class had an average age of 27 so expect the average age to continue to drop even lower.
Since you have your graduate degree, your GRE is waived, which was something new that was implemented in the last 2 years. It doesn't matter where you take your classes, I took all of my pre-reqs at my local community college since I applied to other programs for nursing school that required them. The important thing is that you take them. There is a half year gap between acceptance and the start of the program. Use that time to prepare. It will help provide a foundation from which to springboard into your studies. The first year is so accelerated that anything that can give you a leg up on comprehending the pathophysiology and the science around the human body will help. They definitely ask if you have taken pre-reqs, that was the first question I was asked during my interview. They also asked me to list all the pre-reqs that I took. This can vary by specialty. With that being said, as people have mentioned above, they do look at the student holistically before inviting for interview and acceptance
Other things that I should mention:
1) I wrote around 20 drafts for my essay when I applied. I also created a large excel spreadsheet with all the pros and cons and to-dos that I needed during my application process since I had to juggle applications for so many schools
2) Definitely try and get some healthcare experience and try and make sure that it is related to the specialty that you are going into. If you are going into pediatrics, try and have some experience working with children. If you are going into midwifery, have some birth experience as a doula or birthing assistant. It is important to YSN that you be able to answer why nursing, why NP or midwife.
3) Start looking into scholarships now and think about their deadlines and what you need to apply and start lining up those letters of recommendation.
4) If you are unsure what specialty you want to go into, try and shadow a provider. Volunteer at the local hospital and leverage your networks. This might be harder right now with COVID but it doesn't hurt to ask for the future.
5) Don't underestimate how prepared you will need to be for the NCLEX, there are always people every year that don't pass their first time because they think it is easy and decide to take the test before they were ready and end up failing the first time.
6) Visit the school and decide if New Haven is where you want to spend the next 3 years of your life. See if you can come and sit in on a class if you are in the neighborhood. Students have done this in the past but again do this after the restrictions are lifted due to COVID.
7) Take some in-person labs, it will help to familiarize yourself with the lab setting if it has been a while since you were in a science class. At the very least you will know your way and be able to name the components and use a microscope. I actually use a microscope a lot during my clinical rotations. This is different for each specialty.
Finally, have backup plans if you do get into the program, have backup plans if you don't get into the program, do you have other schools you are going to apply to, will you reapply if you do not get in the first time, how will you pay your tuition, will you work while in school, what will you do if you fail the program and your loans become due immediately? As an adult learner, as I am sure you already know, you have to be prepared in more than just academics if you want to succeed in this program. I have seen many students fail or do poorly due to lack of preparation or they were just not mentally or physically (your first year is your training as a RN, you have to stand a lot and help lift patients and give bed baths) ready for a rigorous and demanding masters level program. It is important to have contingency plans in place and be flexible as COVID is teaching all of us right now as students, nurses, and as future healthcare providers.
Hello everyone! Thought I’d send something that ----------------- sent to me about rankings to ease some anxiety about it
You emailed Yale University, after they accepted you (A nurse aide) into their DNP program to ask why their arbitrary rankings from US News and Report dropped? I truly hope you grow in this program.
This group has been nothing but supportive, so your negativity and your false words of encouragement for what you perceive as a positive program outcome are unfounded. First of all, Yale only accepts inquisitive minds that have the innate ability to question, which is exactly what @kelly_cavan did. Also, she has every right to question without judgement - another Yale quality. Kelly shared the response to help us, so please do not deter future dialogue by damning it.
If you are planning on applying to Yale, please do your research and see what they like in applicants, because from your 2 sentences worth of input I'm guessing you may not be it. Also, if you have researched, you'd realize you're commenting in an MSN group, not a DNP group.
Good luck with Vandy or any other endeavor you pursue. If I had any words of advice/constructive criticism, it would be to be less critical, be more welcoming, and be more understanding. All of which are foundations of care and being a trusted provider.
Guest717217
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I'm curious as to why the rankings is something to worry about? Yale College, University, and YSN specifically seems like an incredible academic program based on the info they provided at their accepted students day and its overall reputation. There is some other website that lists YSN as the #1 NP school of 2020. No judgement what-so-ever! I am genuinely curious as to whether this is influencing anyone's decision to attend the program and whether you believe it will have any affect on your success in the future. I was honored to have been accepted, something I truly never thought would happen, and the knowledge of its ranking was not very important to me personally (even as a PMHNP admit, which isn't even in the top rankings at all anymore!)
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts and opinions!!