Applying for college can be a lengthy process. That is why the sooner you get started on the application, the better. Prospective students need to understand that between the years 2002 and 2012, there has been a significant increase in 18 to 24-year-olds enrolling in colleges that ranged from 28.5 million to 31.4 million, resulting in a 10% increase according to a report from the Institute of Education Sciences. That’s quite a bit of people!
The Washington Post reported that there are over 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States. Some may argue that the number is far greater than this if you take into account all of the online universities that have been established.
At any rate, if you were to divide the number of enrollments by the number of institutions (keeping in mind the numbers may vary), that would make every admissions department quite busy! Keeping that in mind, you should make sure that you have the required documents ready to submit for enrollment.
Forgetting a single document can set the entire process back and may possibly delay your education by a semester. Toward the end of graduation, that can make all the difference!
The general application process can take some time, but depending on what type of program you are applying for, the time might be extended due to the specific requirements of each program. For those who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing, you need to assess what the application requirements are for each program.
Consider the Top Nursing Program of 2016
BestColleges.com recently named Florida National University’s (FNU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program as one of the best online curriculums of 2016. In order to have achieved this goal, FNU had to meet and even exceed Best Colleges.com’s approach of having an exceptional acceptance, retention, graduation, and enrollment rate. It out-ranked 399 online programs in the nation.
Prospective students who are interested in applying for one of FNU’s accredited nursing programs should first review which one is best for them. To get a look at the full list of FNU academic programs, visit the official website.
Here is a list of FNU’s nursing programs:
Graduate
There are two types of master’s nursing programs: Nursing (MSN) and RN to MSN:
- Nursing (MSN)– This graduate program is only 36 credits. It is designed to build on a student’s bachelor’s degree in nursing and professional experience. Students enrolled in the MSN program have the option of concentrating in the area of Nurse Educator or Nurse Leadership and Management.
- RN to MSN- The RN to MSN graduate program requires a student to complete more credit hours because it is crafted to teach students with an associate’s degree in Nursing. Here, graduation requirements are a minimum of 55 credits. This program also offers two concentrations as Nurse Educator or Nurse Leadership Management.
The Application Process
Many people don’t realize what a task it is to apply to a college program. You might think of it as applying for a job. With a job, many people are interviewed and sometimes even reviewed by a panel of administrators to determine if you are the right fit for the company. Likewise, when applying to an accredited university program, you must also undergo the scrutiny of a review board.
Colleges and universities are simply a preparatory establishment designed to train an individual to progress into his or her field of expertise having already acquired the knowledge and tools necessary to precede and excel. So once a preferred program of study and an area of concentration have been selected, it is time to start the application process.
Here’s a list of easy steps to take in order to apply to an accredited nursing program at FNU:
- Create a Checklist of Your School’s Application Requirements
Every university will provide a list of application requirements. It is the prospective student’s responsibility to obtain that list for his or her own records. This will be the most important document to have when embarking into the application process. Having a checklist will help to better determine what he or she completed as well as what needs to be done.
- Financial Aid
You must be able to afford to pay for your education. So make sure this is taken care of immediately!
- Application for Admission
The application for admission is much like a job application. This serves as an outline of the applicant. It makes it easy for the reviewers to assess who is applying to their school’s program. Be sure to fill this out completely. Do not leave any blanks. If the entry does not apply, enter a “N/A” or “ – “ to convey to the reviewer that you did not overlook the entry. Along with this, one should also include a resume.
- High School/Academic Transcript
It is recommended that a student obtains at least 3-5 official copies of his or her student transcript, depending on how many schools one chooses to apply to. It is also good to keep it with other important documents.
Do not send a copy. Colleges and universities require an original transcript. For high school transcripts, one may have to contact their official school corporation to get the document. College transcripts can be obtained from the school where that student graduated. The transcript should also have a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) on it as well. So if a school asks for a GPA, that means they require a transcript.
- Preparing the Admissions Essay
The essay can be considered the second-most important part of the application process. The essay serves as a profile of how effectively one communicates. This is how the review committee learns about who the student is, what their goals are, how they explain their career goals, and how this program will further these goals. This essay needs to be at least one page and no more than 200 words. As a result, proper grammar and correct spelling are very important.
- Letters of Recommendation
Find at least three teachers, professors, managers, or anyone who can vouch for your work and academic ethics, then kindly ask them to write a letter of recommendation. Be sure to make this a top priority, giving them plenty of time to write the letter.
FNU: Helping You Take Steps Toward Success
If you need assistance in applying for one of FNU’s nursing programs, contact us today and one of our admissions counselors will be more than happy to help you through the process.
