Applying to Nursing School

Every nursing program is different and it’s really important to do research on them. I did no research at all, my bad honestly, but luckily it worked out. It all depends what you want to pursue it. Are you looking to go for your LPN, LVN, ADN, BSN, or ADN to BSN program? There are so many options to find your career path. Look at which pre-reqs are required for your program, some require more than others. Do you need to take the TEAS exam (like CSULB). Do you need to be more flexible with online, in-person, or both? Have recommendation letters ready in hand, if it’s needed. Be ready to write a strong personal statement. Some schools look at volunteering work and take that into account of your acceptance. Find what works for you, there’s no such thing as a wrong path.

CSULB is different because only look at grades and your exam scores. It’s nice because you don’t need to do extra work, but it doesn’t allow you to have “an edge” when you apply. A lot of things come into play when you decide to apply for the program. All your pre-reqs and most of your GEs should be completed, and the TEAS exam should be done with the highest score you can achieve. You decide how quickly you finish and it really comes down to when you take your pre-reqs. It’s your journey and you decide your own momentum. First off, if you have completed your pre-requisites, I would like to say congrats! You’ve come a long way. If you’re still in pre-reqs and just curious when you should apply, hello and welcome!

Doubling up on science classes is something a lot of pre-nursing students do. A friend in my study group, “William”, didn't have to double up on science classes. He took AP calculus in high school, passed the AP test which gave him credit for stats, allowing him to take chem in his first semester. He could’ve doubled up on science classes and applied earlier to the program for the spring semester, but decided not to. He wanted to take his time and not add more stress. Smart.

Another friend, “Frances,” took chem in her first semester with William. She decided to take a summer class for one of her sciences and then doubled up the following semester. This pushed her ahead and gave her the ability to apply earlier than the rest of us. She actually applied to the spring semester. Also smart. She completed the program a few semesters ahead of us and graduated college in only 3 years! She wanted to finish college as fast as possible. She visualized and executed. That’s dedication right there. 

In my case, I doubled up so that I could apply for the fall semester along with the rest of my study group. Even though William took chem earlier, the time we completed our classes aligned us up to apply at the same time, while Frances saw the opportunity to finish earlier. This just goes to show that everyone’s journey is different. 

For most programs, you apply about one or two semesters before, depending on your deadlines. For CSULB, the fall application deadline is usually around February. The spring application deadline is around September. You can only apply to CSULB twice and if you don’t make it, you can either transfer out or change majors. But you’ll get in. 

I’d like to point out that there’s a huge difference between applying to the fall cohort versus spring cohort. The applicant pool is much larger in the fall so the competition is a little more difficult. In spring it is significantly less competitive, so it can give you a better chance of getting in. During each application period, they accept around 80 students. I applied in the spring so I could do the fall cohort. If you want to be in the spring cohort, you apply during fall semester. The waiting period is a full semester. 

You can do one of two things during this waiting period. 

You can take a break if you want, nothing wrong with that! But if you have some GEs that still need to be completed, this is a great time to do it. Finish up your GEs so that you can focus on nursing classes only once you’re in the program. If you really want to get ahead, you can take a couple of the first semester nursing classes.

I took pharmacology, pathophysiology, and gerontology. Pharm and patho were nursing classes, but they were open to all students at this time. From what I heard, they were changing those two classes to be nursing students only, so check if this option is still available.

Taking pharm and patho really set me up well for my first semester. Since I took those two beforehand, I only had two classes during my first semester as an actual nursing student: foundations and nutrition. It was a great way to get my feet wet and gave me expectations on how nursing school would be. If you’re still able to take any nursing classes at this time, I would advise you to do it. 

At this time, you might be thinking about applying to other nursing programs. You totally can! I didn’t, I put all my eggs in one basket. My thinking process was that since I was applying for the fall cohort I can fall back onto the spring cohort, which gives me a better chance of getting in. if that didn’t work, I was planning on transferring out because there was no way I was going to change my major with all that work I achieved. My best friend applied to CSULB and two other programs as her backup and got into all three! She ultimately decided on CSULB because it was the best program out of all her choices and because I was there, lol jk.  

After weeks of dreadful waiting, you will hopefully get the email invite to do the communication exercise! Getting the invite is kind of like saying you got into the program without the official acceptance. It's the last step. I can’t and won’t spoil what the communication exercise is but it’s really nothing to worry about. If you made it this far, this exercise will be a piece of cake. It’s so very rare that people don’t get accepted into the program because of the exercise. All you need to do is bring your passport photo, dress for success, and show them your confidence.

Key points:

Apply when you want to. No one is rushing you and don’t worry about your friends and the peer pressure of getting into the program at the same time as them. It’s your journey to becoming an RN. Think about when you want to apply, plan it out, and execute. I know it’s not as simple as I said it is, but it takes time. Even if you don’t make it to CSULB, there are hundreds of programs out there and you’ll find the one that is right for you. 

The communication exercise is nothing compared to what you’ve endured in your pre-nursing career. Walking out of the exercise I remember thinking “Oh that was not bad at all.” Be confident. It’s okay to be nervous about it, but everyone around you will be nervous. Everyone helping with the exercise will be super supportive and friendly. You will be okay!

I wish you all the best of luck when applying for the nursing program!