I am here to tell you what it takes to be a pre-nursing student and all the things I wish I learned before starting my pre-nursing career. Being a pre-nursing student is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever embodied, but it was such an impactful journey. You will constantly question your decision if nursing is for you. The amount of studying and commitment to continue the major is insane and it increases times one hundred once you’re in nursing school, but completely worth it. You may think that everyone you meet with the same major is an enemy, but they’re not! They will literally become your support system, some even life-long friends! So I really hope to help you get into your nursing program by sharing my advice and what I experienced.

CSULB has one of the best nursing programs in the country and it produces amazing nurses. Just look at their NCLEX test scores! From when I last checked (July 2021) they are number two in the country and number one in the state. I totally see the appeal of the program, but I want to let you know what you’re getting yourself into. I don’t ever want to discourage you or push you away from pursuing it. I was a clueless pre-nursing student before, now I’m a not as clueless RN. lol. I just want to give you a heads up while leading the way to your bright future! 

You ready?

You may have been told that you need to have straight A’s to get into the program. That’s not 100% true. Straight A’s are great and give you an amazing chance of getting in! But there may be some of you that are having mental breakdowns and contemplating your life choices over a letter grade. A letter grade does not determine anything and everything. That took me a while to learn, so I’m here to engrain that into your brain. Getting a B in a class(es) does not mean you're automatically out; there are other ways to help your chances of getting into CSULB’s nursing school. Trust me, I got one B in one of my foundation classes and still got in. 

So how can you help your chances of getting in with a B? I look at everything like a balancing scale. There are a lot of factors that go into your ranking; It’s not all about your grades. You have your ATI TEAS score and your ATI reading score (If you’re curious about the TEAS, I have another blog dedicated to it. You can read it here!). Yes, they look at your ATI reading score individually. Also you get a point for being a veteran! Random right? 

Getting a little confused? Let me give you an example:

So let’s say that you have straight A’s. That’s amazing! But you have a lower TEAS score. Even though you have a lower TEAS score, you are still a great candidate and have an amazing chance of getting in. Your grades balanced out your TEAS score. In my case, I got a B in one of my GE foundation classes, so I had to score high on my TEAS and especially the reading section to increase my chances of getting in. Luckily I did. I got a 90.7% on my TEAS and 91.5% on my reading. My scores balanced out my grades and I was still able to get in even though I had a B. Does that make a little more sense? I hope so, if not, I’m sorry lol. 

I do want to disclose the fact that my university says you need to have a “C” or higher to apply, but that’s really misleading. I am afraid to tell you that a C does lower your chances. It is not because you’re dumb, incapable, or that nursing is not for you. CSULB is just so cutthroat with who gets accepted, but remember CSULB is not the only nursing school out there. You can still be a great registered nurse without CSULB. And if you graduated from a different school, it does not mean you are a bad nurse or lower than CSULB graduates. I know great nurses that have graduated from West Coast, CSULA, CSUF, and GCU. You’re just on a different path and I encourage you to embrace your path!

Did you notice that there were no volunteering aspects taken into account for the ranking? CSULB does not look at any volunteering experience when you apply, which is nice because you can focus on your grades. But if you want to think about your future, it's a great feature when applying for new grad positions. Same goes with a job. I didn’t have a job during pre-nursing, but I did during nursing school. Probably should’ve been the opposite, but I had focused on my grades during pre-nursing to get in. However, it can give you a HUGE advantage when looking for new grad positions. You can be a CNA while studying for nursing then bam you already have a job once you have your license. Some of my peers had jobs while studying pre-nursing. Shit dude, some people were full-fledged parents and adults with responsibilities outside of school. I have no idea how they did it, but I applaud them. I’d say to do it, if you can balance all of it, but grades are a priority.

Alrighty here’s the breakdown of the prerequisites required in order to apply to nursing school at CSULB (don’t forget you need to complete your GEs, which I did not include). I also specified what I took. Every university’s requirements are different and you are able to take different classes compared to your peers. So, again, everyone’s experience is different.

Another thing, taking your prerequisites at CSULB feels like an advantage. Unfortunately, you don’t get a point for going to CSULB already, but half my cohort were already pre-nursing students that I already knew. It would make sense for CSULB to want their students, but you can definitely still get in if you’re transferring from another school. Even if you don’t get in the first time, keep trying! I know lots of people that didn’t get in at the same time as me, but eventually got in. It’s their own timeline.

I hope what I wrote didn’t scare you, but help motivate you! Positive vibes and affirmations all around! That’s some insight on what to expect at CSULB so you’re not blindsided by the competitiveness. I will go into detail about my journey with pre-requisites like chemistry, doubling on science classes, and when to apply for the program. There is always hope and you are never alone. If you have any questions or need more details about the expectations, please don’t be afraid to message me!

<3 Mags

Thank you Em for editing! <3