Many colleges today have separate nursing schools that you must apply to directly. This is problematic for those that have not narrowed down a major when applying to college as freshmen. I know of several cases of students at other colleges that decided as freshman or sophomores that they wanted to go the nursing route but could not transfer into the nursing school. This practice forced them to complete a 4 year degree and spend another couple of years in nursing school. It is an incredibly expensive way to earn a BSN. Fortunately, SMC does not operate that way. They have a great program that can get you in and out in 4 years.
Could you please expand on your statement? I understand that the nursing program at SMC is not a Direct Admit program. Does SMC have a cap on the number of students it will allow in each cohort to major in nursing?
Criteria for acceptance into the nursing major include a cumulative GPA of 2.5. Additionally, the student must earn a minimum prerequisite science GPA of 2.80. Course grades for BIO 141, 142, 216, 224, CHEM 118, NUR 225 and 227 are included in this calculation. In the event that there are more than 56 qualified students petitioning for admission to the nursing major, the 56 students with the highest prerequisite science GPAs will be admitted. Cumulative GPA will be the deciding factor when prerequisite science GPAs of those competing for the final space in the major are identical.
I’m not employed by SMC, but I believe 55 students graduated with a BSN in 2017.