Parents of the High School Class of 2017/College 2021

[Pea-n-Me]

DD and I read much of the same literature when we were researching nursing this summer. Do you think the competitiveness and small class sizes at universities that have nursing programs will eventually result in a shortage of BSN nurses? My DD is in the top 22% of her class, AP and honors classes, dual enrollment program with a local CC (3.75/4.0 in her CC classes), yet she and another poster's daughter, who is even higher ranked, may not get accepted to the BSN programs they are applying to. 10% acceptance rates, classes of less than 100 students, and few state programs (many of our state universities don't have BSN programs), make the competition to get in fierce! How will schools keep up with the demand?

I do think they will be able to keep up with it, for a number of reasons. For quite a while there's been a push for nurses to get their doctorates so there will be more professors available to teach at colleges, and many have answered the call as a result of some incentive programs and desire to get into academia, etc. They are also coming up with some creative ways to add more programs, such as special permits for some two year colleges with nursing programs already in place to offer a BSN option to help meet the demand in the profession, etc. To be honest, these issues have been debated as long as I've been in nursing (30+ years), bu this is the first time I've seen actual agreement and working toward a common cause, so it's encouraging!

I do realize there is another avenue - getting the RN at a CC then doing a 2 year transition program. The 4 year university plan is more attractive for many students. Although the 2 & 2 route may be cheaper.

It is one option, and definitely worth exploring!

The issue is that they don't have the educators to teach the students. So...if anyone actually does have a BSN, they should seriously consider a Master's in Nursing Education. THAT's an in demand occupation!!!

You'd be surprised at the number of nurses who already have master's degrees! Some choose to keep jobs at the bedside because the hours are more family friendly. Some do both - teach and keep their jobs in hospitals for benefits, etc. Many higher-degreed nurses aren't actually working in nursing, they leave for a lot of reasons. The whole picture of nursing is really interesting - many current RNs are older (over 50 - not that that's old, just in relation to a working nurse) and will be retiring in the next decade or so. There will need to be replacements ready to go, so these are the people who are beginning their training now, and in the coming decade.

http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurveys/rnsurveyfinal.pdf

•  Registered nurses with graduate degrees comprised 13.2 percent of all licensed RNs in 2008, twice the proportion in 1988.
  
  
•  There has been marked growth in the numbers of RNs with a master’s degree in nursing or a related field in less than 10 years rising from 257,812 in 2000 to 375,794 in 2008, a 45.8 percent increase (Table 2-4).
  
  
•  There were an estimated 28,369 RNs with a doctorate degree in nursing or a nursing- related field in 2008, which is an increase of 64.4 percent since 2000.
  

 

[laughinplace199]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

 

[robinb]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

I feel like I live in a cave sometimes. I didn't even know that schools did interviews until a friend told me!

Good luck to your DD!

 

[Kimberle]

We were told the low number of nursing spots is due to the low number of hospital spots for clinicals.

 

[lucky978]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

I've heard some kids do this but I wasn't sure if it was necessary. Is this for her information gathering purposes or is it to increase her odds of being accepted (if she's applying to a "reach" school)?

 

[Poohforyou]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

Good luck to your daughter. My dd are going to look at one more school in early Nov. It highly recommends an interview so if she decides to apply she'll have an alumni interview.

None of her other schools either require interviews or have them available.

 

[v.t.]

SAT scores are posted! One DS went up, the other DS down.

 

[v.t.]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

I only know of a few kids who have interview. DS starts interviews on Nov. 12th. Good luck to her, I am sure she will do well.

 

[mamacatnv]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

A couple of DD's friends have gone on interviews but these are not major Universities in both cases they are small schools, one an Art school the other a Music school. DS didn't do interviews until grad school.

SAT scores are posted! One DS went up, the other DS down.

DD mentioned this last night, I'll have to bug her........oh the suspense

 

[aprilgail]

DD has interviews at two colleges tomorrow. She's pretty nervous about them. Has anyone's child done interviews? How did they go?

My daughter has done two interviews so far- she likes them and said they went well. One lady interviewing her was very interested in hearing about a club my daughter had started in her school so my daughter enjoyed telling her about that club and what they do etc.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Yep...SAT scores are in. DD scored a whopping 10 points higher in math and the exact same in Reading. So that 10 point increase cost us $57.50 per point. The 4 week SAT prep class cost $575.

Now we just need to decide if a 10 point increase is enough of a jump to pay to send expedited scores to her schools by the EA deadline.

 

[robinb]

Welp, my DD did terrible on her SAT. Even worse than her ACT scores when converted. I'm glad that we didn't send those scores anywhere.

ETA, I guess she did "average" but not what either one of us hoped for.

 

[robinb]

Yep...SAT scores are in. DD scored a whopping 10 points higher in math and the exact same in Reading. So that 10 point increase cost us $57.50 per point. The 4 week SAT prep class cost $575.

Now we just need to decide if a 10 point increase is enough of a jump to pay to send expedited scores to her schools by the EA deadline.

That really stinks! The poor kid must be crushed after she put so much work into it and increased only 10 points.

 

[Mom3girls]

My daughters only increased by 40 points too. Math grade stayed the same. Wee too spent a lot on private tutoring

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

That really stinks! The poor kid must be crushed after she put so much work into it and increased only 10 points.

Funnily enough, she was actually relieved her math score went up. She really thought she completely bombed it right after she took it!

 

[AustinTink]

Raise your hand if you're so ready for all this college application/acceptance/denial crud to be over!! DS has one more application to submit and then we begin the loooong wait until February or March to hear back from schools. Great way to ruin the holidays with worry.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Raise your hand if you're so ready for all this college application/acceptance/denial crud to be over!! DS has one more application to submit and then we begin the loooong wait until February or March to hear back from schools. Great way to ruin the holidays with worry.

ME ME ME!!!! Don't get me wrong, it's exciting times, but I'm sick of discussing the short answers and essay questions.

And I can't believe I'm paying $43 each to expedite SAT scores ELECTRONICALLY. What exactly about this process should take 1-2 WEEKS if I only pay the $12? Criminal......

Really, I'm nervous and excited for DS all the same. I'm just ready for November 1st to be over with.

 

[robinb]

Is anyone else frustrated with their kid's English teachers when it comes to their child's essays? My DD's English teacher keeps on okaying her essays and they still need a lot of work! There are whole sentences that make no sense, typos and weird constructions like "delegation of time". For goodness sakes time is not 'deligated' and I'm a freaking computer sciences major! This is on her 'dream school' app that she insists on getting done first. She refuses to listen to me. Somehow her teacher okayed a 500 letter essay for a 4,000 letter slot. WTH? What happened to the other 3500 letters? She needs every single advantage at this school because her test scores are just average. Arg!

 

[AustinTink]

Is anyone else frustrated with their kid's English teachers when it comes to their child's essays? My DD's English teacher keeps on okaying her essays and they still need a lot of work! There are whole sentences that make no sense, typos and weird constructions like "delegation of time". For goodness sakes time is not 'deligated' and I'm a freaking computer sciences major! This is on her 'dream school' app that she insists on getting done first. She refuses to listen to me. Somehow her teacher okayed a 500 letter essay for a 4,000 letter slot. WTH? What happened to the other 3500 letters? She needs every single advantage at this school because her test scores are just average. Arg!

I hear you. My kid's English teacher has had since the beginning of August to write his recommendation letter and still hasn't done it. They don't care.

 

[robinb]

I hear you. My kid's English teacher has had since the beginning of August to write his recommendation letter and still hasn't done it. They don't care.

Well crap. At least the teachers who said they would write recommendations have. She's going on a 'I work hard in HS so I'm prepared for college' theme even though some online sources recommend against it. It's the truth so I'm ok with it she's an incredibly hard worker.