My D was accepted into Stony Brook last week. She was also accepted into 4 other schools direct nursing programs. I know that Stony Brook makes student apply to the nursing program their second year. What I want to know is how competitive is it to get in? If she is a Stony Brook student has a high GPA after her second year, how likely is she to get in? We really like Stony Brook but the thought of working hard for two years and then not getting in to the program is scary. Any perspective from present or past students? Or anyone with knowledge of the nursing program?
May I ask what her stats were?
She had a 95.8 unweighted GPA. Her class ranking was 13th out of 289. Almost all AP and honors courses with several of them being college courses. She played varsity soccer, is the student Senate secretary. She is in National Honors Society and Spanish National Honor Society, and many other extracurriculars. Her SAT wasn’t as strong at 1740 but she only took it twice. Her AC T was better at a 32. She had a good essay and very strong recommendations.
Yes, nursing is competitive. My general advice is for students to do as well as they can, AND make sure they find their way over to the hospital in those first two years to get some volunteer/shadowing time in, because those pieces will have a major impact in the School of Nursing’s review.
The good news/silver lining is that the prereqs for nursing are virtually identical to our other health science programs. So if she spends some time over in the hospital and says “hey, I think I want to do occupational therapy or athletic training” or whatever instead, she’s still on track. We have lots of students who come in with the intent to go into nursing and then peel off and go other directions.
Hope this helps!
Chris
Thank you for responding. I would like a little more specific information though. How many students are accepted out of how many applicants? What happens if she doesn’t get in on the first try? What is the average GPA? Why should she choose Stony Brook over a college where she has a spot in the nursing program as a freshman. She wants to be a nurse, I don’t want her forced with the decision to change programs or schools her Junior year. If you can’t answer can you direct me to who can? Thank You
Good questions, and it’s probably best if you direct those to the School of Nursing directly. The basic info is here, including a link to their information session schedule: http://nursing.stonybrookmedicine.edu/basicBaccalaureate
PM coming with more info.
Chris