My daughter is a HS Senior who is looking to apply to Direct Admit Nursing Programs.
We live in MA
GPA uw 3.75, her school doesn’t calculate a weighted but she would be about a 4.2 wGPA
SAT: 1370 (710ela, 660m)
4APs and the remainder of her classes have always been high honors classes.
Extra-curriculars: volunteers at a hospital, volunteers at a Homeless Shelter, part-time job, clubs,
Here is my question. With the volatility of admittance into Direct Admit Nursing Programs, how many schools should she be applying to?
Ideally she would like a large school near home or in a warmer climate than MA, but here is her current list. Is this enough? Too much?
University of Tennessee (UTK)
Clemson
UConn
URI
UMass Amherst
University of Delaware
UNH
University of South Carolina (I know this isn’t direct Admit)
Quinnipiac
I would love to hear people’s thoughts and for people in the same situation, how many schools are your kids applying to?
Good luck to you and your daughter! I am new to searching this - my S23 has recently started looking at direct admit nursing programs (previously planned on applying to biology). How have you found information on admission statistics?
Similar stats: 3.9 uw GPA on transcript, 32 composite ACT but I have no idea where he should apply. We are in the midwest, but he’d love Villanova, BC, NYU, Michigan, Pitt - I suspect these are big reaches (for everyone!) but I can’t find data. Marquette, Loyola, Penn State, Fairfield might be targets?
Honestly, just googling, going to the Nursing Page on the schools website and my daughter emailing the Admissions Counselors. For example, UMass Amherst told her that they were looking for a 1410 SAT and 4.2wGPA. They had over 2000 applications last year for 67 spots!
Good luck to you and your son as well!
The good thing about nursing is school prestige doesn’t matter. Clinical experience and passing boards is key.
Look at schools with plentiful clinical opportunities that are close to campus. Driving an hour for clinical opportunities isn’t ideal for college students.
I think your list is appropriate. Nursing is a tough admit, especially direct admit schools.
WVU isn’t for everyone but they have a level 1 trauma/teaching hospital on-campus. Growing fast. Cheap tuition.
Xavier in Cincinnati could be a possibility. Nice city with plenty of clinical opportunities. There’s a Children’s Hospital in Cincy.
If money isn’t a concern I’d look at UMiami.
Pitt is a reach but the clinical opportunities on-campus are outstanding. Apply.
S21 is at FSU but not for nursing. Everyone seems happy there. Pretty campus that’s walkable.
My wife is a CRNA and we know many, many nurses including professors. She went to a middling small nursing program. Her first job was at a large trauma/teaching hospital. Phenomenal experience.
If you are looking at Marquette and Loyola, I would also suggest St Louis and Xavier. Out of the 4 schools, those are my daughters two favorites. She is also looking at Duquesne.
There is a lot of great information on the Class of 2026 thread. Yes, you have to wade through many posts, but you can use the Magnifying Glass search function top right of the page and enter in key words to filter your search.
UConn and URI really were because they are larger schools and closer to home. We went on the tours and she really liked them both, until she saw UTK.
Right now her first choice is by far University of Tennessee, but from what I have read, schools may be lowering their class sizes to accommodate the nursing shortages and the difficulties in providing clinical experiences. Everyone says to “spread a wide net”, but I just wasn’t sure how many applications that typically means.
Price point is definitely a big factor!
I don’t think she has considered USF. I will throw that out to her to look at. Thank you!!
I’m a believer in more apps as long as they are doable essay wise. Not totally sure what is direct admit vs pre admit - sometimes hard to tell. But they have to step up regardless. I know of someone who is changing to nutrition at NYU. Just couldn’t get it done.
Alabama will be $24k off or about $8k tuition if current #s hold. Drawing tons from the NE and Midwest due to merit. Not in a huge city but neither is UCONN or URI.
Pitt not cheap but in a city.
Arizona is in gorgeous Tucson. If her 3.75 is a 3.75 in the classes they look at you’d get $20k off $41k tuition. These are auto merit.
Smaller school but UAH will be dirt cheap too. Huntsville Alabama, city of 200k but feels suburban.
Nursing isn’t my thing but people on this website always say make sure you have close access to clinicals.
The two Alabama schools are easy ten minute apps with more for honors. Arizona u can do common or their 30 minute app. All 3 will get u a quick and early yes to take the pressure off the other apps (waiting and hoping). Pitt is rolling too. On common.
“The BSN curriculum plan consists of lower division core curriculum courses and upper division nursing courses. The upper division consists of five semesters of nursing courses, including theory and clinical lab components, that make up the professional component of the program.
Admission:
Students are admitted to the lower division of the Capstone College of Nursing when they meet The University of Alabama admission requirements and declare nursing as their major…Promotion to the upper division, the nursing curriculum, occurs after the sophomore year and is competitive.”
In other words you are not guaranteed access to the nursing curriculum that starts junior year.
Compare this to schools like U Delaware in which nursing classes start day 1 and placement in classes is guaranteed…
“Q: Are students admitted directly to the school of nursing?
A: The UD School of Nursing directly admits to the nursing program and nursing courses are taken in the freshmen year. In the first year, an introductory nursing course is offered in the fall semester and a basic population health and service learning course in the spring semester. Students are guaranteed a place in the nursing program and, provided students are in good standing, students progress throughout the program without reapplication. Students are also guaranteed placement in classes and in clinical rotations as they progress.“
Given your daughters credentials her current list seems well constructed and appropriately sized assuming she is comfortable attending any and all of those mentioned.
I have never visited the school. I can however confirm it is a true direct admit curriculum.
Regarding clinical hours…
Clinical Experiences
Hands-on learning is an integral part of our BSN program. All undergraduate nursing programs require clinicals, but our programs are different from the rest.
Clinicals Begin the First Semester
Our students earn more than 1,300 clinical hours. Employers representing the nation’s top health care institutions take notice of our experienced graduates.
Students Learn in Top Health Care Systems
Clinical learning takes place in more than 200 Cleveland community agencies and organizations each semester, including:
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center: The largest biomedical research center in Ohio and one of the top 20 in the country
Cleveland Clinic: The second-largest medical group practice in the world and the largest hospital in Ohio; one of five U.S. hospitals designated “The Best of the Best” by U.S. News & World Report
VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System: Recognized for more programs of clinical excellence than any other VA medical center in the United States
MetroHealth Medical Center: A regional referral hospital that is one of only 19 Level 1 trauma centers, with a burn unit and a rehabilitation facility specializing in spinal cord injuries.
Case is direct admit and the nursing program got a nice donation for scholarships. Clinical opportunities are numerous. They get a decent amount of funding from NIH.
Demonstrated interest used to be very important. Not sure if it still is. They offer merit but it’s competitive and it will still be expensive relatively speaking. Not sure if they’re a meets need school for FA but I would imagine they do.
My friend’s D chose Pitt nursing over Case and a few other schools last year. Pitt was always her first choice but was impressed with Case. WVU was her best option financially but also received nice merit from Xavier. She was probably in the 4.0/1450 SAT range.
You’ve probably seen this list but if not hope it’s helpful. I wonder the logic of school’s who have pre nursing vs those direct admit…it would seem most students would want direct admit althiugh it seems like most programs aren’t. Still a lot are.
Seems most are up North.
I see UAB on there…a city school. Someone mentioned WVU. Their ‘Clemson to South Carolina’ or Auburn to Alabama is also on here. Will be a bit warmer. A smaller school and likely more regional - but inexpensive - Marshall
Bradley not warm - Peoria Illinois - solid regional private college is priced right full pay and will give you a scholarship estimate on line.
Arizona State is warm. It will also give you a scholarship estimate and has arguably the top rated Honors College.
So that’s some inexpensive (relatively) schools on the direct admit list vs the others I mentioned earlier - still fine schools but apparently not direct although I’d look up any school of interest because these lists may not be 100%.
If you are considering Case or Xavier OH look at the University of Cincinnati, a true direct admit program. My oldest went there for nursing and had a great co-op experience (coupled with her clinicals) that led to her dream job of pediatric oncology at a leading children’s hospital. I know that Xavier’s enrollment has gone way down, but its nursing building was finished in the last couple years.
We were just told by our college counselor that Xavier is slowing increasing their enrollment so they don’t have the housing issues that Cinncinati seems to be having and that they are becoming more popular. This seems to support that statement…in 2011, Xavier had 4500 undergrads and in 2021, they had 5100. Census Enrollment Statistics - Office of Institutional Research | Xavier University
We visited Cincinnati but have heard utter horror stories of no one getting housing and freshman being placed around the city away from campus in hotels and random apartments with upperclassmen so my daughter is hesitant to apply.
Housing for freshmen is bad this year - they are a dorm down for renovations plus record enrollment. No way to sugar coat that, lol. They are putting some freshmen in surrounding hotels, which are maybe a block or two off campus and walking distance, but it is not the same as being ON campus. It’s definitely something to consider along with other factors.
My daughter is a HS Senior also applying to various nursing programs. She has included both Direct Admit and pre nursing options. We live in CO. She has very similar stats to your daughter.
GPA 3.8 UW 4.27 W
5 AP’s 1 DE and almost all other class are honors
EC’s: CNA, 4 yrs Varsity Cheer, Cheer Caption, 1 yr All Star cheer, student ambassador
Volunteer hours include working at cheer camps with developmentally disabled kids and elementary aged kids, volunteered in a clinic in Mexico providing medical care and building homes for families in a remote village
She is looking for a larger school preferably in the Southeast or TX. They also must have football.
She has applied to:
Direct Admit:
University of Tennessee
Clemson
TCU
Elon(Direct Admit PA)
Non direct admit:
University of Florida
University of North Carolina
Baylor
University of Mississippi - Accepted
I would love for her to apply to a few more, but I get push back. University of South Carolina is considered Direct Admit if you are admitted to their Honors program. I would love for her to add them to her list. Her ultimate goal right now is to get through nursing school and work for a bit then go back to school for either PA or Sports Medicine.