Your 4-Step Guide for Applying to Nursing School

Do you find yourself looking for ways to help others? A career in nursing is a great opportunity to impact the health of your community, while showing compassion and care for patients and their families. Nursing has been rated the #1 profession for honesty and ethical standards for 17 consecutive years in an annual Gallup poll.

As you begin your journey toward becoming an extraordinary nurse, it can be difficult to navigate the many steps necessary and schools available to you. Here is our four-step guide to help you when applying to nursing school.

1. Gather your transcripts.
Most nursing schools have a required minimum high school grade point average (GPA) or GED^® test score. By gathering your transcripts or test results before applying to a nursing school, you are able to verify that you meet the GPA or GED test score requirement and get a head start on paperwork you will be required to submit to the nursing school of your choice.

2. Complete entrance examinations. 
Typically, higher education institutions require an entrance exam to determine your level of knowledge and learning style. Chamberlain University requires pre-licensure students to complete the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam, which consists of seven academic exams and a personality profile. Students have the option to retake the test one time within a 12-month timeframe, retesting with a different version of the exam as not to have the same exam items twice. We recommend reviewing HESI questions before taking the examination.

3. Connect with admissions.
Admission or enrollment representatives at your preferred schools can help you identify financing options, obtain financial aid, discuss program resources and explore career opportunities within your selected degree program. It’s critical to determine what you want to gain out of your nursing program to ensure that it aligns with the program’s outcome and mission. Attending informational sessions, campus open houses and talking with an admissions representative are all great ways to see first-hand if the program is a good fit. 

4. Develop an academic plan. 
Once you have determined the program is a good fit for your needs, you can work with the admissions representative to begin developing an academic plan. Do you hope to complete your degree in a short amount of time? Do you have other obligations that will require you to have a specific course schedule or limit the credit hours you can complete? These questions will be helpful to answer when planning your academic course of study. Representatives can be extremely helpful in partnering with you to outline this plan. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to enrolling in your first course!

At Chamberlain, we’re your partner from our first phone call to graduation day and beyond. Ready to take the first step in applying for nursing school? Reach out to an admissions representative here.

By Charlene Decrease