How hard is it to get into nursing school? Though traditional nursing programs are known for being competitive, accelerated programs like ours make nursing school more accessible. We offer four yearly start dates, three to our hybrid program and one to our on-ground program, allowing us to accept more students.
Despite our nation’s nursing shortage, schools across the country continue to turn away thousands of qualified applicants every year. And it’s all because these schools simply don’t have enough openings, making the applicant landscape very competitive.
So, how hard is it to get into nursing school? Generally speaking, pretty hard. But a lot of it really depends on where you apply. See why your chances of getting into an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program might be higher at Felician University. Multiple start dates a year, along with online and on-ground coursework options, give our program the capacity to enroll a high number of students annually — so there’s no waitlist here.
In this post we’ll answer the question, why is it hard to get into nursing school? Then we’ll discuss how you can make the process a little easier by applying to Felician’s ABSN program.
Nursing School Admissions Process Overview
Before getting into the meat of why nursing school admission is challenging, let’s first review the general admission process. The first step is to speak with one of Felician’s admissions counselors. They’ll help you see whether the ABSN program is a good fit and then create an admissions plan for you. You may need to complete some prerequisite courses or fulfill other requirements before applying.
Once you’ve satisfied all of our ABSN requirements and chosen whether to apply to our hybrid or on-ground ABSN program option, you’re ready to start the application process. As part of your application, you’ll need to submit the following documents:
- A completed online application form
- All official college/university transcripts
- A professional resume
- A letter of intent
- Two academic or professional letters of recommendation
What Factors Affect How Hard It Is to Get Accepted into Nursing School?
Now that you understand how nursing school admissions works, why is it hard to get into nursing school? Here are a few factors that make most programs difficult to get into.
Enrollment Capacity
Most nursing schools have limited space and resources, creating highly competitive situations for even the most qualified applicants. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. nursing schools turned away 91,938 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2021. Among the top reasons for doing so were faculty shortages, insufficient clinical placements and classroom space, and budget constraints.
Academic History and Admissions Requirements
Your academic background plays a big role in whether you’ll be a strong nursing school applicant. However, what program you apply to can affect your chances because some programs have more stringent requirements.
For example, most accelerated nursing programs are second-degree options, which means you must have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to qualify. Whereas, at Felician, we want a greater number of qualified students to pursue the nursing profession. So, we’ll accept applications from individuals who have at least 60 college credits and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 even if they don’t have a prior degree.
Another common requirement for accelerated nursing programs is prerequisites. As such, before we can admit you into Felician’s ABSN program, you’ll need to earn a grade of C+ or higher in each of the following prerequisite courses:
- Microbiology + Lab*
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II + Lab*
- Pathophysiology*
- Principles of Chemistry*
- Statistics I
- Lifespan Development
*Must be completed within ten years of your program start date.
Overall, our ABSN prerequisites set the foundation for professional nursing study, while also being key to your nursing career preparedness.
Application Quality
Most nursing schools require applicants to supply a letter of intent, current resume, and letters of recommendation with their applications. The same rings true for the Felician ABSN program.
We use your transcripts to understand where you stand academically, and your letter of intent, resume, and recommendation letters to get a sense of who you are as a person — all of which are key to submitting the most competitive application possible. Applicants who submit high-quality, complete applications on time will have the greatest chances of success.
But even if you submit a great application, many schools still have limited spots, so you may have a hard time getting accepted.
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How Does Felician Makes the Admissions Process Easier?
So, what makes our ABSN program different from most nursing programs? We have the space, technology, faculty, and clinical partnerships to educate a high number of accelerated nursing students annually. Not to mention, we offer four start dates a year — three for the hybrid option and one for the on-ground option.
Transfer Student Eligibility
Most accelerated nursing programs require you to have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to begin the admissions process. At Felician University, we believe more students should be able to pursue the nursing profession. That’s why our ABSN program also considers individuals who have at least 60 non-nursing college credits and a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA for all undergraduate courses.
Rolling Admissions
We admit ABSN students on a rolling basis, which means we review applications as they come in rather than waiting for the submission deadline to pass. This approach allows us to give you an admissions decision with a few weeks of applying. So, the earlier you submit your application, the better your chances of getting in for your preferred start date. Plus, rolling admissions gives you the means to secure your seat for a particular term before other students have even applied.
Multiple Yearly Start Dates
Many accelerated nursing programs offer one start date per year, which heightens the competition for limited spots. However, Felician offers four start dates, three for the Hybrid ABSN program and one for the On-Ground ABSN program, meaning we can accept more students each year. Additionally, having four enrollment options each year means you won’t have to wait long to begin.
Keep in mind that if you’re looking to start your nursing education as soon as possible, the hybrid option is your best bet, with three start dates a year. Plus, its online learning component enables us to accommodate more students per cohort. After all, online courses don’t require the same amount of face time or classroom space as traditional courses.
What’s the difference between the Hybrid ABSN and On-Ground ABSN? It boils down to online based versus traditional education. Here’s an in-depth look at how to choose between the two.
Admissions Support
Most nursing school admissions teams can’t keep up with the influx of applications of people wanting to enter the nursing profession. As a result, prospective students don’t necessarily receive the high level of support that’s needed to submit the most competitive application possible.
At Felician University, our admissions team has the bandwidth to make applying to nursing school as seamless and straightforward as possible. As a prospective ABSN student, you’ll work with an assigned admissions counselor whose job is to provide you with a high level of personalized support every step of the way.
Your counselor will help you create and adhere to an academic plan that gets you started in our ABSN program as soon as possible. The plan is typically based on the number of general education and prerequisites courses you still need to complete and your preferred start date in the program.
Tips for Increasing Your Chances of Admission
As you work toward accelerated nursing school, you may still be wondering, what are my chances of getting into nursing school? Here are a few ways you can improve your chances of getting into nursing school:
- Apply as early as you can.
- Consider relocating for nursing school so you can access better programs.
- Put your best foot forward when interacting with your admissions counselor.
- Have a friend edit all your application materials, including your resume and letter of intent.
- Ensure you submit a complete application with all the supplemental documents.
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Begin Your Nursing Path at Felician!
By this point, you should have a better understanding of why accelerated nursing programs are hard to get into these days. It’s essentially an issue of supply and demand for those who are eligible to apply. So, to answer the question, how hard is it to get into nursing school, the answer is that it depends. But at Felician, your chances may be higher.
While student competition does exist at Felician University, we can enroll a higher number of ABSN students per year than many other nursing programs.
If you’re ready to learn more about nursing school at Felician, be sure to contact our admissions team today!