hello! i am looking for midwest direct admit nursing schools! my stats are 3.75 UW GPA and a 1280 on the sat. i will need to be able to get some money from the school also. my home state is indiana and i am considering purdue and ball state but ball state isnt direct admit. also does anyone have any advice about direct admit or non DA nursing programs or more specifically on ball states? is it extremely competitive?
im also considering university of cincinnati and illinois state? any information on those?
thanks for all the advice and help!
Your GPA is a tad low for U of Iowa’s early admission to its nursing program, though you’re close. Iowa states it wants a minimum GPA (weighted or unweighted) of 3.8, so maybe your weighted GPA is higher than 3.75? Iowa also boasts an impressive university hospital system.
But can you afford OOS tuition? If you’re from IN, why not consider in-state options? Yes, nursing has become highly competitive, so I understand the appeal of direct admission. There are even a few private LACs like Coe College (also in IA) that have undergraduate nursing programs.
If Ball State doesn’t have direct admissions, how confident are you that you can meet its criteria for admission to the nursing school once you have completed your first year or two? What are the stats for Ball State’s admissions?
What about other IN nursing options? U of Evansville and Marian U have direct admit, and you easily clear the bar for both. Nursing is a pretty common field, and programs can be found at all levels: large publics, large private universities, mid-sized schools (public and private), and small colleges. Crunch numbers. Unless your family is very comfortable financially and can afford to send you anywhere, perhaps you should be focusing on the best combination: direct admit, affordable, and practical for you to earn your BSN. You should also look at the schools’ pass rates for the NCLEX, but most reputable programs should boast pretty high pass rates (90%+).
it sounds like money is a concern for you. You ought to consider the Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) to RN path as a plan B. You get the ADN degree at a community college and qualify for the RN test. This makes you employable although a BSN is a better degree to have. So you continue on in school for the BSN. RN->BSN programs tend to be easier to get into; out here in CA some say they accept all qualified candidates. And, again if money is a concern, as a RN you can even pick up a few shifts during school and fulltime during breaks to earn money for school.
I know you are trying for the DA schools but in case that does not come thru at a price you can afford you need a second plan. The ADN path is lower risk than enrolling at a college that is not direct-admit. It comes with some downsides. You don’t get the same 4-year experience you would if you attend a DA school. You need to be pretty sure you want to be a nurse; it is easier to change majors and continue on if you are already enrolled at a 4-year. Upsides are the lower cost at a CC, the better chance to get into a BSN program than you have at a non-DA school, having a marketable degree after 2 years of college (which you won’t after 2 years of pre-nursing curriculum at a 4-year). If you go the ADN route look for schools that have a good NCLEX pass rate.