Hi There! We are looking for some additional suggestions of direct entry programs to apply to… Concerned about acceptance and cost! We live in Maine but she would like an OOS experience if possible.
Her stats are:
GPA 3.8
SAT 1100
ACT has not taken
Captain of field hockey and softball
Lots of extracurricular activities
She is planning to apply to:
Univ of Southern Maine
Univ of Maine (Orono)
UNH
St A’s
Curry
Florida Atlantic
Florida Southern
Thanks!
@RNMOM2 How about Jacksonville University? Has rolling admissions.
https://www.ju.edu/admissions/undergraduate/overview-of-entry-points-into-the-nursing-program.php
These are less selective schools, but not sure how selective the nursing programs may be. Also, do not know your budget, but these are “less” expensive than a lot of other options. East Stroudsburg, Endicott, Hartwick, Salve Regina, Temple, UMass Dartmouth, URI, WVU, York.
Will definitely check out Jacksonville Univ, thanks!
Pennsylvania has over 50 schools with BSN programs, most of which are direct entry. Many will consider students with your daughter’s profile. Public: IUP, Clarion, Edinboro, Pitt Johnstown (the latter requires an SAT of 1130), possibly some or all of the 6 Penn State branch campuses that offer a BSN); Private: York College of PA, Wilson, Alvernia, Moravian, Robert Morris, Neumann, Widener, Holy Family, Misericordia, Marywood, Wilkes, Seton Hill, Saint Francis, Carlow, Cabrini (new program), St. Vincent, Cedar Crest, Gannon, Duquesne, many others. Many private schools offer merit scholarships. The schools’ websites often have specific information as to minimum GPA and SAT/ACT scores. The only really competitive schools are PItt main campus, Penn State main campus, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova, West Chester, and Bloomsburg.
https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Nursing/Documents/Applications%20and%20Forms/RN%20Programs.pdf
Thank you! Any recommendations of the above mentioned PA schools that may be a self-contained campus with close proximity to a city setting for a variety of clinical settings?
Duquesne and Carlow are in the heart of Pittsburgh (many excellent clinical sites); Robert Morris is in suburban Pittsburgh. Holy Family is in Philadelphia. York, Alvernia, Moravian, Cedar Crest, Gannon, Marywood, Wilkes, Widener, Wilson, Penn State Erie, Penn State Altoona, are all urban/suburban schools in smaller PA cities. I don’t know specifics as to ease of access to a variety of clinical settings for any of these schools. You may want to contact the nursing schools directly.
Great, thank you!!
You’re welcome. Good luck! I’ve been doing a lot of research for my daughter (currently a high school sophomore), who is very interested in nursing but whose stats will most likely be significantly lower than your daughter’s. Not sure at this point if an RN program is in the cards for her, and she may change her mind within the next few years, but I figure it’s good to have some idea of possibilities.
I don’t think a 3.8 puts you at “less competitive” though. My daughter has a 3.6 and I’m still holding out hope she may get into an nursing school, though it would have to be very late in the admissions cycle. It looks like a lot of prospective students apply to a dozen schools and those with excellent stats get admissions to all so am hopeful some of their safety schools might become her school…
@Finalthree I agree that 3.8 is a very acceptable GPA for many nursing programs (as is your daughter’s 3.6). I do think, though, that an SAT of 1100 is low for the very competitive nursing programs. For less competitive programs, at least here in Pennsylvania, it is probably fine. Has your daughter applied to any less selective nursing programs with rolling admission? It would probably be a good idea to have at least one early nursing acceptance rather than just hoping to get accepted after higher stats students turn down acceptances to their “safety schools”. Of course, it may be that going to certain schools is more important to her than what she majors in.
@kidzncatz she only applied to less selective ones but even those have a crazy number of kids applying. She also applied to a few where you can’t apply until Soph year in college - if it wasn’t for her freshman year she would be closer to 3.8 .+ all As in her science classes so she thinks she will be prepared to do well in college. Freshman year of high school really set her back. She’s not applying to a ton of schools - 7 as of now - but she knows there are lots of paths to becoming a nurse if she doesn’t get into nursing school right away.
As I am currently in the field I am truly amazed how competitive admissions has become. Our main focus at this point is direct entry programs only. I am confident she will get some acceptances but cost is also a huge factor as I do not want her to be saddled with tons of debt as the pay is the same after graduation regardless of what program has been attended. I can see why so many nursing students are putting in so many applications!! I do plan to look further at rolling admissions as the is also a good point. So glad to be able to share what has been learned by others, this is quite the process!!
@RNMOM2 From what I’m told is there are more nursing job opportunities than there are slots for training. I will let anyone interested know how my daughter shakes out with her average stats / applications. There are some kids who have it all – the great stats, the working and volunteering in a health care setting, etc. She doesn’t have any of that. Her school is very service-based (private school, required community service) so hoping that will give her a tiny leg up, plus the ECs she has she’s very involved with and she works part time. It’s just crazy to think that even being in National Honor Society, student athlete and B+ grades she will not be accomplished enough to get into nursing school but that’s just the way college seems to be be these days! She’s not at all worried (it’s just me!).
From my 20 yrs of experience in nursing I have never had to look for a job. Lots of security and good pay. All the same in the end. If your daughter is like mine she has learned to work hard and therefore I am confident once she gets to a nursing program she will have no difficulty.
@taverngirl has an awesome list. And salve Regina is beautiful.
I would also look at uri.
Plenty of options in New England. Driveable. Affordable. Employable. Plus the New England hospital networks and opportunities. Boston alone is a hotbed.
Yep - my daughter had a slightly lower GPA and was accepted to Edinboro, York, East Stroudsburg, Nuemann – she is now at York and she got a nice merit scholarship too
University of Stockton in NJ has a solid program and is growing.
One little school that we just loved - second to her first choice - was Walsh University in North Canton, OH. It’s small, but in a safe area and had a nice direct-entry nursing program that is rolling admissions. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea because it is a Catholic university, but she was planning to go there until Number One accepted her.
As an aside, I think nursing is a competitive major because the schools are limited by faculty:student ratio and the clinicals they can place students in. I think most schools would love to accept more students, but until they hire more faculty and have more clinical opportunities they can only take so many. So it is very geographical, and be sure to check where clinicals generally are. One school my daughter thought about but didn’t apply to made their students go to a children’s hospital two hours away for their peds rotation.