RN programs...how difficult to get admitted?

[SMW83]

I have been looking at Registered Nursing Programs to go to, and every one of them say that it is very competative to get in. One hospital that offered RN program said "hundreds apply each year for the approx. 20 positions available in the class." My questions are

Is there some level of exaggeration of how many apply to how many get accepted?

What would increase my chances of getting in? I've been out of HS since may 2003, and my SAT scores of 920 and ACT scores of 19.

any Ideas?

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[boogita]

I have been looking at Registered Nursing Programs to go to, and every one of them say that it is very competative to get in. One hospital that offered RN program said "hundreds apply each year for the approx. 20 positions available in the class." My questions are

Is there some level of exaggeration of how many apply to how many get accepted?

What would increase my chances of getting in? I've been out of HS since may 2003, and my SAT scores of 920 and ACT scores of 19.

any Ideas?

Most schools won't even accept anyone until they are have taken their pre-reques (micro, anatomy, physiology, nutrition). Once you get into a school (even a junior college or 4 year college) and take those needed courses then you can look at applying ot get in.

 

[SMW83]

Most schools won't even accept anyone until they are have taken their pre-reques (micro, anatomy, physiology, nutrition). Once you get into a school (even a junior college or 4 year college) and take those needed courses then you can look at applying ot get in.

I understand about the taking of prereqs first...my question is after I take the prereqs, then how easy/difficult is it to get accepted into an RN prgm??

 

[BSN]

I have been looking at Registered Nursing Programs to go to, and every one of them say that it is very competative to get in. One hospital that offered RN program said "hundreds apply each year for the approx. 20 positions available in the class." My questions are

Is there some level of exaggeration of how many apply to how many get accepted?

What would increase my chances of getting in? I've been out of HS since may 2003, and my SAT scores of 920 and ACT scores of 19.

any Ideas?

Best thing to do is ask the counselors for advice at schools near your house. Each university is dif. Some have waiting lists others it’s all about the GPA regardless of how long you’ve been waiting... Good luck

 

[nev]

I have been looking at Registered Nursing Programs to go to, and every one of them say that it is very competative to get in. One hospital that offered RN program said "hundreds apply each year for the approx. 20 positions available in the class." My questions are

Is there some level of exaggeration of how many apply to how many get accepted?

What would increase my chances of getting in? I've been out of HS since may 2003, and my SAT scores of 920 and ACT scores of 19.

any Ideas?

Where are you applying to?

 

[SMW83]

Where are you applying to?

marshall university ADN program
Ohio University Southern ADN program
Kentucky Community and Technical College ADN program
St Mary's Hospital School of Registered Nursing

 

[Lab Diva]

Nursing programs have become very competitive because there is a shortage of instructors to teach at the schools. A nursing professor earns about $50K whereas he/she could be earning much more as a practicing nurse with experience.

Plus, there is a huge pool of applicants.

There are 12 pre-req courses that are required. You need at get as many A's as possible.

At Kennesaw State University in Georgia. They received over 800 applications for about 80 spots for the BSN program. The people who were accepted had close to 4.0 GPA's. KSU looks at the grades in the pre-req's primarily as the decision for accepting an applicant.

Also recently read an article that Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has a 2-year waitlist for the ADN/RN program.

Bottomline will be getting all or almost all A's.

 

[sunnyjohn]

1.Go to www.allnurses.com
You will get a good idea of what the application process and competition is like in most areas.

2. Talk to the folks at the schools you are considering. They will have the best advice and local info.

For my school there were 425 applicants for 43 slots. Go figure. 😱

 

[SMW83]

Nursing programs have become very competitive because there is a shortage of instructors to teach at the schools. A nursing professor earns about $50K whereas he/she could be earning much more as a practicing nurse with experience.

Plus, there is a huge pool of applicants.

There are 12 pre-req courses that are required. You need at get as many A's as possible.

At Kennesaw State University in Georgia. They received over 800 applications for about 80 spots for the BSN program. The people who were accepted had close to 4.0 GPA's. KSU looks at the grades in the pre-req's primarily as the decision for accepting an applicant.

Also recently read an article that Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has a 2-year waitlist for the ADN/RN program.

Bottomline will be getting all or almost all A's.

i did hear that BSN was more competative than ADN, but only at some places. I will try to get all or mostly A's in my classes. If worst comes to worst, I can apply abd be on a waitlist, because even as a waitlist, you know you will eventually get in.

 

[nonlethal]

why nursing programs are so darned competetive, when everyone is complaining about a nursing shortage? Granted, you don't want just any tom, dick or harry as a nurse, but still....
just my $.02

 

[rn29306]

At Kennesaw State University in Georgia. They received over 800 applications for about 80 spots for the BSN program. The people who were accepted had close to 4.0 GPA's. KSU looks at the grades in the pre-req's primarily as the decision for accepting an applicant.

Used to live in Kennesaw. The above statement is true. People with Bs go elsewhere. There are so many pre-nursing hopefuls and pre-nursing students on the fringes hoping to get in, its kinda like aspiring country music singers in Nashville, TN. You can't go 5 steps without bumping into one of them.
Good luck to the applicants of today.

 

[boogita]

Part of the nursing shortage that people dont' realize is the lack of teachers to teach nursing classes. One of the reasons that there are so many people wanting to go to nursing school but so few spots is becuase there are so few teachers willing to teach nursing classes.

 

[smkoepke]

why nursing programs are so darned competetive, when everyone is complaining about a nursing shortage? Granted, you don't want just any tom, dick or harry as a nurse, but still....
just my $.02

they have to pay the Nurse educators more to make it cost effective for them to teach. (they make more in a clinical setting). i was just accepted for spring 06, while the stats haven't come out yet, the last 2 years there has been about 400-500 students for 40 spots. 😱 we are GPA based with science weighted more heavily than the other prerequisites. No one under 3.5 ever gets in and usualy you need to be in the 3.7-4.0 range. last years class had people with full points on the alternate list. (i am at a community college). Most programs around (BSN/ADN) are difficult to get into and only one has a lottery selection (all 3.0 or higher applicants with completed prereqs are selected by chance, but they have about 900-1000 applicants 🙄 ). It is difficult now because of the shortage of instructors which equals a shortage of seats in the program and the amount of people hearing about the shortage and wanting a secure job. Best advice is to get straight A's and get a list of all of the required classes and application deadlines for all of the schools that you would be willing to go to. Also if you have a a dismal GPA from a previous degree or something, find out if cummulative GPA is used or if it is just nursing school pre-req gpa for the admissions process. I had a friend who will never be able to get in out here even though she has a great pre-nursing gpa, becaue of her old bachelors GPA. Just some ideas for you to ponder.

 

[albaniandoc]

I had not realized how difficult it has gotten to get into a nursing school. In 2001 when I applied I got in right away (I did have like a 3.9 GPA). I graduated in 2003 and then started the BSN program. Again, I got accepted right away (my GPA dropped to 3.3 since I was not motivated to study nursing). I had no idea that programs were competitive. What schools are these ? I know two friends of mine that have gotten accepted down here in FL with no problem at all. It must be different from state to state.

 

[smkoepke]

I had not realized how difficult it has gotten to get into a nursing school. In 2001 when I applied I got in right away (I did have like a 3.9 GPA). I graduated in 2003 and then started the BSN program. Again, I got accepted right away (my GPA dropped to 3.3 since I was not motivated to study nursing). I had no idea that programs were competitive. What schools are these ? I know two friends of mine that have gotten accepted down here in FL with no problem at all. It must be different from state to state.

This is true it varies, but judging by the general consensus from a lot of the pre-nursung and nursing student folks over at allnurses, it is getting a lot tighter everywhere. Some schools have a policy where you are just put on a wait list and the only requirements are the "minimum" gpa (usually in the 2.5-3.0 range). I am out on the west coast and the schools out in my state and the neighboring one, are a lot more competitive. i have a friend who has all A's and 1 Cfor college GPA and has to retake college algebra to get the A because she didn't get in. Only 4.0 peeps made it this time (this is in Texas at a CC). There are still some places where it may not be difficult to get accepted, but with the lack of instructors and seats and more people competing for those seats, things are getting ridiculously competitive in a lot of markets.

 

[fab4fan]

I understand about the taking of prereqs first...my question is after I take the prereqs, then how easy/difficult is it to get accepted into an RN prgm??

Depends on where you are applying (geographically). Some people are being waitlisted 2y or +. You can sometimes improve your chances by getting your pre-reqs, then if you get waitlisted, go through an LPN program. In some areas, having an LPN will "bump" you ahead, though I'm not sure why.

It's really not an exaggeration about the wait; there's a severe shortage of master's level/doctoral nursing instructors. Lots of work for very little money.

 

[fab4fan]

why nursing programs are so darned competetive, when everyone is complaining about a nursing shortage? Granted, you don't want just any tom, dick or harry as a nurse, but still....
just my $.02

Uhm, maybe because you really don't want just any Tom, Dick or Harry. Or maybe because there is a shortage of qualified instructors, as someone else previously posted.

I hope I misread your post; if not, you'd do well to adjust your attitude.

 

[albaniandoc]

I just checked with my friend in nursing school and I guess it is true, times have changed. There is a two year waiting list now at the college I attended.
I guess I never realized it.
On another note there are thousands of people that want to go to nursing school because they hear that it is a good profession or whatever, but most of them drop out on the first Algebra class. They do not realize the work involved in becoming a nurse.
I am amazed at how some people in our class kept going when they lacked the most basic human skills like common sense. I remember the first semester this girl in my class failed because she made some stupid mistake in the clinical evaluation. The professor gave her a second chance and this time she helped the patient go to the bathroom and then took the bed pan and emptied it in the sink. Hellooo
Good luck

 

[billydoc]

I smell some pretty good business opportunities for an off-shore nsg schools, much like it's being done with med schools. I think Mr. Robert Ross, the former owner/founder of ROSS University in Dominica is in the nursing business now. Sure thing 🙂 and a lot more practical, and less hussle to go through than the medical ed.
Ahh...Some ppl just know where to invest at the right time, and place.
G-d bless them 😀

 

[MedicRN]

I just checked with my friend in nursing school and I guess it is true, times have changed. There is a two year waiting list now at the college I attended.
I guess I never realized it.

I returned to school in the summer of 2000. The only pre-req class I was required to take was A&P (my last class was 12 years prior). The remaining pre-reqs were earned before that. I was admitted on my first application for the Spring 2001 class. I still had to take Micro between 1st and 2nd semester. We had 44 slots with ~200 applicants. I heard the next (and since) semester had 800+ applicants for the same 44 slots.

In the Spring of 2004, my schoool started online LPN-to-RN completion (in addition to the usual classroom RN completion group, but for only 10 slots). The class room allowed only 4 slots (or a total of 48 students if another student(s) failed out - they have since increased the total student to 56).

 

[voiddweller]

Does anyone have any ideas on how competitive it is to get into an RN to BSN program for someone who is currently an RN? I would assume it is not as competitive as the traditional BSN route for people trying to break into the nursing field.

 

[billydoc]

Does anyone have any ideas on how competitive it is to get into an RN to BSN program for someone who is currently an RN? I would assume it is not as competitive as the traditional BSN route for people trying to break into the nursing field.

I don't think it's very competitive. Check out www.allnursingschools.com. The most difficult part is to get in at the very bottom of the pyrramid 😀 as well as to find your first job as a graduate nurse. As for the BSN...Nower days you can do it easy on line at the fraction of the coast.
Also there is lots and lots of info, and sticky on www.allnurses.com. Just scroll down to the education/learning forums.
Good Luck. 🙂

 

[voiddweller]

I don't think it's very competitive. Check out www.allnursingschools.com. The most difficult part is to get in at the very bottom of the pyrramid 😀 as well as to find your first job as a graduate nurse. As for the BSN...Nower days you can do it easy on line at the fraction of the coast.
Also there is lots and lots of info, and sticky on www.allnurses.com. Just scroll down to the education/learning forums.
Good Luck. 🙂

Yeah, that would seem reasonable. Medical College of GA has a good online RN-BSN program.

Do you know if it is looked down upon when looking at resumes and seeing that an RN recieved their BSN via online classes (or maybe all they see is that you are an RN from so and so college)? Better yet, is it looked down upon when applying for a good NP or CRNA program with an ASN from a community college and a BSN from a online BSN program? I just want to keep my options open considering my education will be an ongoing process.

 

[sistermike]

I am currently in a BSN program that is rolling admissions. Basically for the first two years, you take all of your humanity classes and your pre-req's (human A&P, micro, nutrition, chem & o chem) and then if you completed your pre-req's with the required grade of B or better, you are automatically place in the RN portion of the program. There is no application cycle for the RN portion, and there really isn't a wait list.
The way they decide who is placed into the RN portion of the program is based on when the student oficially became a "pre-nursing" student. The longest wait for any student to get into the nursing program is one semester right now after they completed all of their pre-reqs and humanities.
The main way of keeping many of the students out of the RN portion so it is not so competitive is keeping the standards high, such as requiring that student keep a B in all of the pre-req's and keep a B average in the actual nursing program.
I am unsure of what other programs out there do this rolling admissions process.

 

[billydoc]

Yeah, that would seem reasonable. Medical College of GA has a good online RN-BSN program.

Do you know if it is looked down upon when looking at resumes and seeing that an RN recieved their BSN via online classes (or maybe all they see is that you are an RN from so and so college)? Better yet, is it looked down upon when applying for a good NP or CRNA program with an ASN from a community college and a BSN from a online BSN program? I just want to keep my options open considering my education will be an ongoing process.

I don't think it's a problem at all. Most colleges which offer degree on/off campus do not specify on your transcripts at all.If you sign up with University of Phoenix, or Kaplan University the would know.If anything, it prooves your ability to be disceplined and stay focused on your own. Only clinical portions are done live. Many ppl simply don't understand how it works, and make it sound like you have a degree from some diploma mill, with no supervision and real exams. But on-line ed is not any "easiser" than classroom one.It's more convinient though.
Good Luck

 

[voiddweller]

That's a very helpful answer. I just do not want to jeopordize my chances of getting into a masters level NP or CRNA in the future. 😉

I don't think it's a problem at all. Most colleges which offer degree on/off campus do not specify on your transcripts at all.If you sign up with University of Phoenix, or Kaplan University the would know.If anything, it prooves your ability to be disceplined and stay focused on your own. Only clinical portions are done live. Many ppl simply don't understand how it works, and make it sound like you have a degree from some diploma mill, with no supervision and real exams. But on-line ed is not any "easiser" than classroom one.It's more convinient though.
Good Luck

 

[nonlethal]

Uhm, maybe because you really don't want just any Tom, Dick or Harry. Or maybe because there is a shortage of qualified instructors, as someone else previously posted.

I hope I misread your post; if not, you'd do well to adjust your attitude.

I didn't want to imply that I think anyone should be able to get into nursing school. There needs to be a certain level of quality to the people that become nurses. I am also aware that there is a shortage of qualified instructors, and that you really don't want people that fit the mold of "those who can't do, teach" teaching future nurse.
There should be (read: ought to be created) some sort of grant program to supplement the income of nursing instructors, make it lucrative for them to teach, and they will. There are many highly qualified nurses who would make excellent teachers/ professors/ instuctors/ mentors, if only they could be persuaded to do so. And as much as we all love to help people for our own altruistic reasons, money remains the primary motivator in our society. I suppose it would be similar to leading the donkey with a carrot...
And although this is more outside the scope of the original post, i'll mention it here for continuity with my first post. Something needs to be done to rectify the problem now, otherwise it will only continue to get worse.

 

[fab4fan]

It's not going to get worse; it's going to get downright frightening. The average age of the current RN is 43-45y. The current rate of nurses graduating is not keeping pace with the rate of retirement/nurses leaving bedside care. Add to that the "boomers" who will be needing more care...it's going to get ugly. Personally, I plan on getting hit by a semi. (And yeah, I am in the "average RN age category.)

Thanks for clarifying your original post.

 

[billydoc]

That's a very helpful answer. I just do not want to jeopordize my chances of getting into a masters level NP or CRNA in the future. 😉

The best way is to find out directly from the sourse. Call some schools which you are considering. There are many NP programs where non-clinical stuff is done entirely online. But just like any college/school, you have to be sure that they are accredited. It applies to both campus and online programs.Some ppl think that an online programs is like having an open book exam through the whole thing. Nothing could be further from the truth. You'll have to log in at least several times per week depending on the credit load. You'll also have to do real live sessions,chats with your instructors and class/groupmates. It's not going to be any easier,just more convinient, and probably cheaper in the long run.
Good Luck 😀

 

[fab4fan]

Diagnosis: Not Enough Nurses

Don't say you weren't warned. (And notice how many prospective nursing students were turned away for lack of instructors.)

 

[voiddweller]

Diagnosis: Not Enough Nurses

Don't say you weren't warned. (And notice how many prospective nursing students were turned away for lack of instructors.)

That's frightening.