You know you want to be a nurse and you’re ready to apply to Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing programs to get a four-year BSN! You’ve done the hard part in considering your future career thoughtfully, and now you need to find the best-fit school for your goals. There are important decisions to be made when selecting a program! See below for some common choices future nurses face in the college application process.
Direct Admit vs. Pre-Program Track
While many schools have nursing programs that allow you to sit for your certification exams at the end of them, not all schools allow you to gain admission to the university and to the nursing program simultaneously. If you are confident you want to be a nurse and you have the résumé to prove it, a direct admission program might be for you! If you apply and are accepted through a direct admit system, you are accepted to the university’s nursing program right out of high school. In this scenario, you’ll still have a rigorous predetermined set of coursework and likely a minimum GPA to maintain, but you’ll have peace of mind that you’re on the right track and will likely jump into nursing coursework earlier than at other schools. Case Western Reserve University, Clemson University, the University of Michigan, Northeastern University, and the University of Virginia all have direct entry nursing programs.
On the flip side, many larger universities do not offer direct admission to a nursing program. You’ll spend your first few semesters working through your prerequisite coursework, doing your very best academically, and then you’ll apply to the nursing program at that school through a competitive admissions process just like you’re doing now! That process often includes a review of your college transcript, more essays, and sometimes a standardized test related to your prerequisite coursework. This is a great option for people who know they want a large school and are confident in their academic ability but want to keep other healthcare-related options open for now. Schools like the University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and the University of South Carolina will require you to apply to their nursing program after at least one year of prerequisite courses.
Score Reporting or Test-Optional
Once you’ve decided whether you’d like to focus on direct admit or pre-program track schools, you should look into each school’s testing policy. Nursing is relatively unique in that even if a college states they are test optional, many nursing programs (especially direct admit ones!) still require test scores. Some schools will even post a required or recommended minimum SAT/ACT® score for direct admission to their nursing program; it’s important that you pay attention to these numbers so that you can choose to spend your valuable time completing applications that are most likely to be successful. If you’re not confident in your standardized test score, you can still find nursing programs that are truly test-optional!
Hoping to learn more about the Test-Optional Admissions process generally? Check out our blog post on applying test optional. It gives you all the information you need to understand if test optional is the right choice for you and your application.
Regular Decision vs. Priority Deadlines
Nowadays, most schools have several different application deadlines based on many factors, including your interest level (such as Early Decision), location (such as in-state or out-of-state Early Action), or major (for specific programs that might require additional reviews like art, architecture, and nursing). Once you’ve created a thoughtful, balanced college list, it’s crucial for nursing applicants to make a list of each school’s deadline for their nursing programs. Some may be the same as their Early Action or Regular Decision deadlines, but others may have deadlines well ahead of those for their future nurses. Having this information well in advance of due dates is a critical step in completing an outstanding application, because you need to plan for enough time to put together a thorough, thoughtful application without feeling rushed.
Conclusion
Early on, nursing applicants should approach the college search process in much the same way as every other student – take a rigorous high school courseload, find a way to give back to your community in a way that connects meaningfully to your future major, and prepare for standardized tests thoroughly. However, the closer you get to the application process, the more you need to tailor your process towards a major in nursing. Begin by considering the options outlined above and consider reaching out to a Marks Education Educational Advisor. Our team is familiar with the application process and ready to help you keep track of deadlines, draft essays, activity lists, and more!
Contact us today and reserve your spot!
