BSN? could you explain the process.

College Majors Nursing Major
1

My counselors do not really know the steps to earn a BSN. Could you explain them to me? also, answer my questions?

  1. Do I have to go to a community college for two years first?
  2. Do I get to pick a minor?
  3. Do I stay in a dorm?
  4. Let’s assume I get into Texas A&M’s nursing school, am I allowed to participate in main campus activities?
2

There are a few different ways to become a Registered Nurse. There is a nationwide certification test, and you need to graduate from a program accredited by your state board of nursing in order to be eligible to take the test.

  1. One is to get an Associates degree, which is often earned at a community college. There is often a waiting list to get into community college nursing programs, and they may make you do well in prereq classes before you are accepted. However, your job prospects will be better with a BSN degree.
  2. Another option is to enter a BSN program as a nursing major from high school. These are known as direct entry programs. However, these programs are not common in some states.
  3. Another option is to enter a 202 program. This involves spending 2 years taking prereqs, and then applying in a competitive manner to become a nursing major during your sophomore year. The difficulty of being admitted greatly varies from college to college.
  4. Another option is to get a bachelors degree in another field, and then get a second degree that allows you to take the RN exam. This option is often called "accelerated" for the second degree. There typically is very little federal, state or institutional financial aid for the second degree.
    . Be very suspicious of for-profit programs. Some have extremely low pass rates for the RN exam.
3

If you go to a four-year college for a BSN, you absolutely get to stay in a dorm like any other student if you wish.

What activities you participate in on campus is really up to you and the balance you want in your life. Junior and Senior years tend to get busy with mostly clinicals, which happen off campus, but there is room for some stress-relieving fun. At my daughter’s school, for example, the homecoming queen was a nursing student.

Anecdotally I have heard minors are difficult for nursing students, but not impossible. It really depends on how your program is structured, and that’s something the school can answer.

4

If you are in a competitive 2-2 program, you will probably need to put strong emphasis into earning a high GPA during your first 2 years at most colleges. If you are considering 2-2 programs, you should ask for statistical info. on how difficult it is to get into the nursing major.

My daughter attended a direct entry nursing program and had no problem playing a varsity sport during her 1st and 3rd semesters. However, clinicals often start 4th semester, and it will be harder to schedule involvement in time consuming activities…

Many 4 year colleges require that all freshmen live on campus, unless their home is within commuting distance.

5

for Texas A&M you really need to attend one of the info sessions. See https://nursing.tamhsc.edu/visit/index.html

Probably not since you are not likely to be an A&M student your 1st 2 years. They seem to have a very unusual “traditional” program; you apply as a frosh and are accepted but then you go somewhere else for the classes you need your 1st 2 years. Very strange. See https://nursing.tamhsc.edu/traditional/index.html

The othe ways at A&M to get a BSN look like they involve taking 2 years of prep classes at any school and then applying. There are slight differences depending on whether you start at a A&M campus or not.

Bottom line, the 2+2 choice should be your last option behind a direct admit school or getting a ADN degree (which allows you to get a RN license) and then going on in school to earn your BSN.

6

I’ll echo @mikemac in that direct admission is the first choice if you can do it.

My cousin’s daughter had to go through two admission cycles to get admitted to her nursing program - she had a 3.85 and still had to sit out a round because there were so many who were higher (and that’s a very good GPA in a science-heavy major).

My daughter applied to direct-admission schools only. In some parts of the country there are very few or none, but she was fortunate that in Ohio there were quite a lot.