<p>I am a high school senior, researching about colleges and I want to major in nursing. There are a few schools I have in mind...Northeastern, CUNY Hunter and University of Pittsburgh. In order to major in nursing, I need to apply and get accepted into the program. That's the only way to do nursing at those colleges. But what if, I get accepted into the schools but don't get accepted into the nursing program? What do I do then? I'm not going to waste another 4 years of my life by picking another major when all along I only want to do nursing. What happens in situations like this? Do I transfer? Thank you. </p>
<p>This is an important point. Locally, one of the large state schools has a nursing program that admits 2nd year students. The competition is brutal and those who aren’t chosen, are then directed to complete their degree in another major (hopefully one that their first 2 years credits easily fits into).</p>
<p>Then there is another private college who admit Freshmen into the nursing program and does its best to ensure every student succeeds and graduates with a nursing degree. Unfortunately the private one is pricier.</p>
<p>In your situation, transferring into another nursing pgm is not likely. Please seek out more advice and counsel from medical people in your area. They can tell you how they or other nurses they know, did it. Good luck to you</p>
<p>Some schools admit directly into the BSN nursing program, but at many it looks like you first enroll in the college and then as you are completing 2 years you apply for the nursing program. The competition is quite stiff, although if you are dedicated you can make it. If you are considering this path be sure to look carefully at how they decide who gets in; often it is a point system and there are ways to pick up extra points. Out in CA, for example, at the Chico grades are the most important part but you can also get extra points for proficiency in a foreign language such as Spanish, for volunteer work, and for taking coursework such as nutrition. Those dozen points probably make the difference between accept and deny.</p>
<p>If all you want to be is a nurse then be aware that a BSN is not the only path to becoming an RN. A BSN may give you better job prospects in terms of pay and promotion, but you can get an RN license thru a community college. There is a lot of info on the web; see for example <a href=“http://www.rntobsn.org/nursing-paths/”>http://www.rntobsn.org/nursing-paths/</a> And many schools offer a pathway from RN to BSN. If you choose to start at a CC then with planning you can take courses that will later qualify for use if you decide to get a BSN degree.</p>
<p>To get a complete list of BSN programs nationally take a look at <a href=“https://www.aacn.nche.edu/students/nursing-program-search”>https://www.aacn.nche.edu/students/nursing-program-search</a> There are schools that appear to admit directly to the nursing program. Pitt, for example, seems to do this. </p>
<p>My best advice, though, is to start now working at a hospital, either as a volunteer or in any paid position such as clerk you can land. This will give you hands-on exposure to the job so you can know if it is a fit for you or not (I had a Bio teacher in HS who got a nursing degree only to find out she didn’t like being around sick people). At many schools direct experience is either a requirement to get into the nursing program or gives you extra points. And you’ll be able to talk to real nurses and get their advice about how to prepare for the career.</p>
<p>There are many direct entry nursing programs in Pennsylvania. Pitt, Penn State (main campus) and of course Penn are very competitive, but there are many other schools, both public and private, that are less competitive. If you are sure you want to be a nurse, and don’t want to have to compete for entry into a 2+2 program, you will probably want to apply to a wide range of direct entry programs as soon as possible, as many of the schools have rolling admissions and places in the nursing programs fill up early. You may also want to read and post in the Nursing forum.</p>