**UPDATE in first post** - College Program (nursing) Admissions question

[Liberty Belle]

UPDATE: My son was accepted into the program! Such a relief! Last I heard it was 1300 applicants for 70 slots, so I was so worried.

Thank you all for your advice. He's decided to stick to the ADN to BSN bridge program and go from there.

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So my son, finally, is applying to nursing programs (he is doing a ADN to BSN program and is applying to the ADN program now). He took the NLN on Tuesday and did well. He scored a composite of 146, which is the 99th percentile. His GPA is decent, but not stellar, at 3.75. There are only 70 (I believe) slots open in the school he most wants to attend. There are approximately 20 x more applicants.

On the school page it says the admission procedure first separates the applicants into 5 categories, 1 being the best. In category one, you must have a reading score in the 60th percentile or above (his is 98th), a science score in the 60th percentile or above (his is 93rd), a GPA greater or equal to 3.0 (his is 3.75) and a composite score of 111 or above (his is 146). So he is solidly in Category 1.

However, underneath it, it says Students will be ranked within each category by 1st Reading score; 2nd Science score; 3rd GPA; 4th Composite score. What do you understand that to mean? Does that mean if 2/10/20 reading scores are the same, they rank those that are the same by their science score and then those that are the same by their GPA? Or does it mean something entirely different? I'm just a little worried since his GPA isn't terrific.


BTW, his goal after obtaining his BSN is to get a Doctorate to become a nurse anesthetist. His second choice is nurse practitioner. I think they're both a possibility if he brings/keeps his grades up and keeps his focus. Or is it even more selective than I think?

Thank you! Also, if there are any nurses around who would like to offer any advice, it's appreciated.

 

[aprilchem]

I'm not in nursing but I do work in academia, and my guess would be that each category is given a points rating, then they add up all the points and then rank applicants based on the number of points. For example, 95-100 percentile might be awarded 5 points, 90-95 percentile might be awarded 4 points, etc. That is what we do with college admissions, except the categories are different (SAT score, class rank, unweighted GPA, etc.)

 

[Liberty Belle]

I'm not in nursing but I do work in academia, and my guess would be that each category is given a points rating, then they add up all the points and then rank applicants based on the number of points. For example, 95-100 percentile might be awarded 5 points, 90-95 percentile might be awarded 4 points, etc. That is what we do with college admissions, except the categories are different (SAT score, class rank, unweighted GPA, etc.)

So then, in that scenario, they would look at and assign points for Science score, GPA, and Composite, but possibly fewer points as they go down the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, list?

 

[RangerPooh]

Has he considered reaching out to the school and asking how the applicants are ranked? I too would assume that it would be on a points scale, where if applicants are tied they would receive the same amount of points.

Another thing to look into is if the school that he is transferring to has any direct admission agreements with the school of his choice. I work in student services for a medical school and we have a few direct admissions agreements with local colleges for a variety of our health programs; medicine and nursing in particular.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Has he considered reaching out to the school and asking how the applicants are ranked? I too would assume that it would be on a points scale, where if applicants are tied they would receive the same amount of points.

Another thing to look into is if the school that he is transferring to has any direct admission agreements with the school of his choice. I work in student services for a medical school and we have a few direct admissions agreements with local colleges for a variety of our health programs; medicine and nursing in particular.

I'm not sure what all he's talked to his advisor about. I just looked at the website and got the information in my original post. I understand the categorization, but the ranking (Students will be ranked within each category by 1st Reading score; 2nd Science score; 3rd GPA; 4th Composite score.) is what confused me. It didn't mention any points, but I don't know if that's internal and not advertised.

He's currently enrolled in this community college, it's where he completed his pre-reqs (and other classes) for the nursing program. They do have some sort of agreement with the local university regarding the ADN to BSN program and credits, etc. They're both local.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

All I can say is good luck. Getting into a nursing program can be difficult.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Our son did what your son did. Very competitive here in NY. He had to get an assoc. In liberal arts first then got accepted into the aas in nursing program. He got a full scholarship for that we also have a joint agreement with the state univ. For an online to bsn degree which he did.

Now they are even requiring an interview for the community College.

My D's has applied for the masters program for NP twice. Got an interview once. Its beyond competitive.

D's is 26 and has been working at the univ. Hosp on a med surg floor for 4 years and also subs as a school nurse for a local district.

Best of luck to your son. We need more nurses for sure. Also waiting to find out is a killer. He didn't know till May and didn't apply to other places like his friends did.

His formula was based on prereq grades only and I think they didn't even consider anyone less than a 3.75.

 

[Liberty Belle]

All I can say is good luck. Getting into a nursing program can be difficult.

Do you think his scores aren't good enough? I can't imagine scoring much higher on the NLN, if he was in the 99th percentile already. From what I read on their website (the info I posted) it seemed like the GPA wasn't considered as much as the scores (after the initial GPA being above 3.0).

But thank you for your luck! I think we're going to need it from here on out.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Our son did what your son did. Very competitive here in NY. He had to get an assoc. In liberal arts first then got accepted into the aas in nursing program. He got a full scholarship for that we also have a joint agreement with the state univ. For an online to bsn degree which he did.

Now they are even requiring an interview for the community College.

My D's has applied for the masters program for NP twice. Got an interview once. Its beyond competitive.

D's is 26 and has been working at the univ. Hosp on a med surg floor for 4 years and also subs as a school nurse for a local district.

Best of luck to your son. We need more nurses for sure. Also waiting to find out is a killer. He didn't know till May and didn't apply to other places like his friends did.

His formula was based on prereq grades only and I think they didn't even consider anyone less than a 3.75.

Gosh that sounds brutal, especially with your son's experience! My son does not have any nursing experience yet, obviously, but he does have his EMT BLS and has worked as an EMT for a little over a year.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am not sure where you live and what the options for colleges are around you. Is there a reason he wants to start out with an ADN program as opposed to going right into a BSN program? I understand the cost factor, but do you have affordable BSN programs around you? It might be worth looking into that option, as well, from the get-go, especially if he's pretty sure he wants to get into a very competitive program later on like NP or Nurse Anesthetist. I'd advise his applying to several programs if he really wants to become a nurse. It is really hard to get in (just lived it with my DD and I am a nurse as well, so I hear everyone's stories) and hedging your bets on just one program can be a set up for big disappointment if he doesn't get in. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are applying for these relatively few spots in the various programs. (My DD's school had over 4000 applicants for about 150 spots, and she had to fight her way in, which was really, really stressful for almost two years!)

The reason I ask where you live is because some hospitals, especially ones who either have Magnet designation or are trying to obtain Magnet designation, which is pretty important today to stay competitive, will primarily be hiring BSNs so with just an ADN he might have trouble finding a job. Not looking to get flamed here (it can be a hot subject matter), just sharing my experiences. Where I work they only hire nurses with BSNs; even nursing students hired as nursing assistants must be from BSN programs. I know you said he's planning to go back to get his BSN, but those years in between might be tough when he can't get the jobs he really wants and he has to work somewhere else just to stay employed. Hospital jobs can have hundreds of applicants, too, so it's helpful to have the absolute best preparation and experiences you can when competing for jobs as a Newly Licensed Nurse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/education/changing-requirements-send-nurses-back-to-school.html

 

[Liberty Belle]

I am not sure where you live and what the options for colleges are around you. Is there a reason he wants to start out with an ADN program as opposed to going right into a BSN program? I understand the cost factor, but do you have affordable BSN programs around you? It might be worth looking into that option, as well, from the get-go, especially if he's pretty sure he wants to get into a very competitive program later on like NP or Nurse Anesthetist. I'd advise his applying to several programs if he really wants to become a nurse. It is really hard to get in (just lived it with my DD and I am a nurse as well, so I hear everyone's stories) and hedging your bets on just one program can be a set up for big disappointment if he doesn't get in. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are applying for these relatively few spots in the various programs. (My DD's school had over 4000 applicants for about 150 spots, and she had to fight her way in, which was really, really stressful for almost two years!)

The reason I ask where you live is because some hospitals, especially ones who either have Magnet designation or are trying to obtain Magnet designation, which is pretty important today to stay competitive, will primarily be hiring BSNs so with just an ADN he might have trouble finding a job. Not looking to get flamed here (it can be a hot subject matter), just sharing my experiences. Where I work they only hire nurses with BSNs; even nursing students hired as nursing assistants must be from BSN programs. I know you said he's planning to go back to get his BSN, but those years in between might be tough when he can't get the jobs he really wants and he has to work somewhere else just to stay employed. Hospital jobs can have hundreds of applicants, too, so it's helpful to have the absolute best preparation and experiences you can when competing for jobs as a Newly Licensed Nurse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/education/changing-requirements-send-nurses-back-to-school.html

We live in Central Kentucky. I think he's choosing to do it this way mainly because cost is a factor, plus (and I'm not sure on the details other than it was told to him by someone at the hospital) the university hospital where we live often/sometimes/? hires RN in the ADN to BSN programs and pays for the BSN. Is ADN to BSN less desirable than a straight BSN? I do know he has told me that most hospitals will only hire RNs with a BSN.

He is applying to three nursing programs in our area. He saves money by living at home.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Do you think his scores aren't good enough? I can't imagine scoring much higher on the NLN, if he was in the 99th percentile already. From what I read on their website (the info I posted) it seemed like the GPA wasn't considered as much as the scores (after the initial GPA being above 3.0).

Who they accept, and don't accept, and why, can be a mystery. It doesn't always make sense, even to me. (And even after I had a long conversation about it with the Director of Admissions at DD's school, of which I am an Alum, which had absolutely no bearing whatsoever, lol.) It does seem to be a numbers game. Admission departments have their own criteria that isn't always transparent. Applications sometimes don't even make it to the Colleges of Nursing - Admissions weeds out who gets past the gate and who doesn't. (So essays about why someone wants to be a nurse may not matter much, unfortunately.) Furthermore, it's interesting to see that some of the people that do get in either don't like it or struggle with the classes. Some drop out. The ones who don't get in can plug along and reapply (if they're already at the school; if not, it probably makes sense to look elsewhere). As numbers in the program dwindle, they let others who've proved themselves in classes into the program, but they have to reapply, sometimes several times, and there may be standardized testing to take, and other hoops to jump through, at that point, as well eta and there are never any guarantees. (Many, many young nurses I know have told me this very story from schools all over.) To a degree, it was like this when I went, too, but it's definitely gotten much more competitive today. There is an element of perseverance necessary for many when applying to these programs.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Who they accept, and don't accept, and why, can be a mystery. It doesn't always make sense, even to me. (And even after I had a long conversation about it with the Director of Admissions at DD's school, of which I am an Alum, which had absolutely no bearing whatsoever, lol.) It does seem to be a numbers game. Admission departments have their own criteria that isn't always transparent. Applications sometimes don't even make it to the Colleges of Nursing - Admissions weeds out who gets past the gate and who doesn't. (So essays about why someone wants to be a nurse may not matter much, unfortunately.) Furthermore, it's interesting to see that some of the people that do get in either don't like it or struggle with the classes. Some drop out. The ones who don't get in can plug along and reapply (if they're already at the school; if not, it probably makes sense to look elsewhere). As numbers in the program dwindle, they let others who've proved themselves in classes into the program, but they have to reapply, sometimes several times, and there may be standardized testing to take, and other hoops to jump through, at that point, as well. (Many, many young nurses I know have told me this very story from schools all over.) To a degree, it was like this when I went, too, but it's definitely gotten much more competitive today. There is an element of perseverance necessary for many when applying to these programs.

I guess I should be thankful he didn't have to wait longer than 2 hours for his test score. Now we have to wait and see who, if anyone, wants him in their program. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the schools are so selective, but it's so stressful! Medicine is the only field that excites him other than photography (and he's actually done some professional photography), but that's even more of a crap shoot!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We live in Central Kentucky. I think he's choosing to do it this way mainly because cost is a factor, plus (and I'm not sure on the details other than it was told to him by someone at the hospital) the university hospital where we live often/sometimes/? hires RN in the ADN to BSN programs and pays for the BSN. Is ADN to BSN less desirable than a straight BSN? I do know he has told me that most hospitals will only hire RNs with a BSN.

He is applying to three nursing programs in our area. He saves money by living at home.

It is a complicated question to answer not knowing the culture where you live. It's true that hospitals offer their nurses help with getting their BSNs. But these are often nurses who've been there already. Getting in today without a BSN could be tricky, so if he can't get in, getting help with paying for a BSN is a moot point.

Here's what I think. I think it's never a bad idea to go the straight BSN route. It's nice to not have to worry or explain yourself when it comes time to apply for jobs. I recently met a very credentialed nurse who works in nursing education. She told me that she started out with an ADN and when she applied to one of the better hospitals, the interviewer looked up from looking at her resume and said, "I think you forgot something on here", alluding to BSN info. When she said no, she hadn't, she didn't have a BSN, she was told to come back when she got it. This is how it can be in a competitive market. So yes, I would advise going for the BSN right away, and I would look for an affordable program. My DD commutes, as well.

Check the hospitals where your son sees himself working and see if they are Magnet hospitals. Also check to see where the schools he is interested in send their students for clinicals (hospital teaching time). Ideally look at schools who use the best hospitals and are affordable at the same time. It can actually be harder to get into some of the state programs because they're more affordable and everyone else is trying to get in there too. But it doesn't mean don't try. Being a male might actually be in his favor as they strive to diversify.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I guess I should be thankful he didn't have to wait longer than 2 hours for his test score. Now we have to wait and see who, if anyone, wants him in their program. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the schools are so selective, but it's so stressful! Medicine is the only field that excites him other than photography (and he's actually done some professional photography), but that's even more of a crap shoot!

Then he is the type of nurse we want! Tell him to just stick with it! If he wants to be a nurse badly enough, he will find a program that's right for him. PM me if I can help.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Magnet hospitals in Kentucky: https://nurse.org/articles/best-hospitals-kentucky/

UK Healthcare: https://uknow.uky.edu/content/uk-he...us-magnet-recognition-excellence-patient-care

Patients have begun seeking out Magnet hospitals for their care because they know there are standards of excellence there. They are also the hospitals that draw nurses and tend to keep them (hence "Magnet") so they're known to be good places for nurses to work. In years past, some places have been absolutely horrible places to work, and nurse burnout contributed greatly to the nursing shortage. Those aren't places you want to work. It may sound great at first, but once you get working there, conditions are unsustainable.

 

[karmic]

I may be flamed but,in the interest of diversity, a male applicant has a better chance to be admitted to a nursing program based on their gender. Yes I am a nurse.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Good luck to your son! I’m in the same boat...Playing the waiting game. Though his program sounds much more complicated than mine. Either that or I didn’t delve that deep into the ins and outs of the criteria(but I’ve complete all of the requirements).

 

[mom2rtk]

I may be flamed but,in the interest of diversity, a male applicant has a better chance to be admitted to a nursing program based on their gender. Yes I am a nurse.

Probably the same way female applicants have an advantage applying to engineering programs.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I may be flamed but,in the interest of diversity, a male applicant has a better chance to be admitted to a nursing program based on their gender. Yes I am a nurse.

I thought it right out but did not say it.