I’m new on this site and quite overwhelmed. My daughter is a Junior in HS and will likely receive a scholarship to play D1 or D2 soccer. She thinks she wants to get a BSN but is not 100% sure. She’s currently shadowing and volunteering at local hospitals in Los Angeles.
We’ve heard that it’s difficult to play a sport and major in Nursing. I understand a direct-admit is unlikely especially if she wants to play soccer for 4 years. She’s thinking of majoring in something like Public Health or Biology while playing soccer and then after that go on to an ABSN program. We are in California and if she doesn’t go this route, she will likely go to our local community college for transfer (and forget about soccer). She wants to stay in the Western part of the US.
Questions:
Is it unrealistic for her to think she can be “Pre-nursing” while playing soccer?
I don’t understand, is “pre-nursing” a major or they major in something else?
Is it unrealistic for her to even major in Biology or Public Health (because of the prerequisites needed and keeping the GPA high in those classes).
For BSN It is difficult but it can be done. I assume it depends on the school if they would support a student athlete. I have no experience with west coast but when we toured UNH (New Hampshire) the director of the nursing program told us that they had a football player and a gymnast and that they were fully supporting them. So some programs might be willing to work with you. It is worth have the conversation with the nursing directors of the potential schools of interest.
As far as GPA and spots that really depends on your daughter. Lots of athletes manage a high gpa. My D is not an athlete but she is involved in a lot of extracurricular/volunteering plus she has a job. She likes to be busy because this way she is more productive and keeps up better with the studying. Other students like to have more free time. Nursing is a bit of a grind, requires discipline and great study skills.
These are questions to ask the coaches who will be recruiting your D and the schools’ admissions officers. Answers will probably vary, but it will difficult to be a nursing major and play top level soccer, especially if she wants to graduate in 4 years. If she is willing to attend college for an extra year or two, it’s more doable.
While any student athlete has to have great time management and study skills, if they are frequently out of town certain classes just don’t work…like labs, and nursing rotations, etc.
I was recently at a Clemson admissions presentation for counselors, and asked what majors do not work for the athletes…nursing (direct admit there) was one they mentioned.
Bio/public health might work at some schools, and not at others…again you just have to ask. Lab science majors are ones where coaches really are not in agreement…and you have to make sure your coach ultimately supports the student and their major.
I know with D1 schools, professors do need to give some leeway with attendance for sports. However, in the last 2 years of a BSN program there are mandated clinical hours the student has to complete. The student would be assigned a clinical rotation and that clinical will meet on a certain day of the week at a certain time and Im not sure how much if any can be missed for even a D1 sport as there are accreditation requirements for the nursing school. She would need to discuss with the colleges shes offered athletic scholarships to if she could play with that major.
She would major in something else besides “prenursing”, different schools choose different degrees that qualify for a direct entry second degree program.
If she wants to do a direct entry program post bachelors graduation, she would no longer be playing sports but yes, the programs are competitive so she would need to be a good student and keep her grades up.
I think it is very hard – my one daughter that plays lacrosse has a HS teammate that is a nursing major at Dusquene (D1) and I am not sure if she is doing well academically or not. My daughter that is a nursing major at York has a HS friend who is also in the program and played softball at York (D3) and I think may be quitting because clinicals is making it very hard.
We spoke with a student at Florida Atlantic University (D1) who played softball during her undergrad. She chose to focus on athletics and get her Bachelor’s in a related career. Then go back and do the Accelerated Nursing program at FAU to finish her BSN in 18 mos. She did not think that she would be able to complete a Nursing degree as an undergrad and play softball so that’s why she chose that route.