School of Nursing
at
Texas State University

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program

Application for Admission

Students identified as pre-nursing majors enrolled at Texas State University (Texas State) are to receive academic advising by the University and the College of Health Professions’ (CHP) academic advisors. When Texas State students apply to the School of Nursing (SON) they are encouraged to attend a School of Nursing Information Session; see website for schedule.

Students who are not currently enrolled at Texas State and intend to apply to the School of Nursing – must receive advising from an academic advisor at the College of Health Professions.

A. To apply to the School of Nursing at Texas State University-Students:

1. Must be a current student or admitted to Texas State. Texas State application deadlines are different from the School of Nursing. Nursing applicants are encouraged to complete the Texas State application early; the website is: www.applytexas.org.

Note: You will need your Texas State student ID number when you complete the Application for Admission to the School of Nursing.

It is not necessary to forward your college transcripts to the School of Nursing – we will request them from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. If you are currently taking prerequisite courses or plan to do so – send your final grades to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Also send an email to Lynn Heimerl (lh46@txstate.edu), Nursing Admissions and Retention Coordinator giving her “heads up” that you have completed prerequisite courses. She will retrieve your transcripts from Admissions and included them with your application to the School of Nursing.

2. Must have completed the majority of Texas State’s General Education Core and nursing prerequisite coursework with all coursework to be completed before admission in August. NURS 1200 - Introduction to Nursing, should be taken during the freshman year. Students enrolled at Texas State may take this course on campus in San Marcos or online. Students not enrolled at Texas State may take NURS 1200 by correspondence and the grade will be placed on the student’s Texas State transcript when admitted.

Note: Section 10 of the School of Nursing application lists prerequisite coursework completed (with date), and if applicable, remaining prerequisite coursework (with date to be taken).

3. Must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.00 with a “C” or better in science courses taken in the past five (5) years. If overall GPA is at least 2.5 and the science courses taken in the past (five) 5 years reflect a 3.0 GPA, the School of Nursing Admission Committee (Committee) may consider the application.

Students who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree:

• With the exception of the university seminar class, the courses listed under the freshman and sophomore years of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree plan of this School of Nursing website are your degree plan.  The grades you have already earned in these prerequisite courses, and if necessary will earn, become your overall grade point average when you apply to the School of Nursing at Texas State.

4. Must take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-IV), an assessment of academic preparedness covering Reading, Math, Science, English and language usage.

Note: See Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-IV).

5. Must provide information about themselves that is not otherwise explained or addressed in the application in their personal essay. This is an important part of the application process and should be thoughtfully drafted.

Note: See Guidelines for Personal Essay and Essay Rubric.

6. Must provide references from three (3) present or past instructors and/or employers using the Reference Request Form.

Note: See Reference Request Form.

7. Have the opportunity to list (on their application):

• Extracurricular activities
• Community or volunteer services
• Talents, awards and honors
• Special health &/or military training
• Employment, internships, and summer activities

Note: The above experiences are not required for School of Nursing admission but will add to the
applicant’s score when reviewed by the Committee.

8. School of Nursing applications and completed supporting documents must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the School of Nursing at the Round Rock Higher Education Center by 5:00 PM on Friday, January 15, 2010 for the upcoming fall semester. The application is to be completed neatly and legibly, providing all requested information.

Note: The Round Rock Higher Education Center is not open for business on Saturday and Sunday, and will be closed for the winter holiday from December 19, 2009 to January 3, 2010. Hand-delivered applications can be dropped off at the School of Nursing (Suite 462) Monday – Friday either before the holiday or after.

9. Must submit an application fee: A money order for $25 made out to Texas State School of Nursing (check and cash cannot be accepted) to complete the processing of the application.

10. After the Admission Committee reviews students’ applications and supporting documentation, top scoring applicants will be invited to School of Nursing to interview. Interviews will be scheduled on either Thursday, February 18, 2010 (Texas State University - San Marcos) or Friday, February 19, 2010 (Round Rock Higher Education Center); participation is mandatory.

Note: See Interview Rubric.

B. Other Important Information:

1. A criminal background check (a Texas Law) is required prior to admission to the School of Nursing at Texas State. Upon receiving your application, we will send an email confirming that we are in receipt; this email will also include your FAST Pass. A FAST Pass is instructions to initiate your criminal background check including fingerprinting; the cost is $44.20 when paying by check or money order, and $45.69 when paying by Visa or MasterCard. Please do not contact the Board of Nursing until you have been provided a FAST Pass.

If you are aware of eligibility issues on your record, either misdemeanor or felony, apply to the School of Nursing early; it may be necessary for you to apply for a Declaratory Order through the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), and this process can take months.

Students will not be admitted to the School of Nursing if they are not eligible for licensure upon graduation. If the BON Declaratory Order is granted, it will confirm eligibility for licensure upon graduation. In other words, the Order grants permission to sit for the NCLEX - RN® (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) after graduation; it does not assure that students can be employed as a nurse. This employment issue is true for all schools of nursing in Texas.

Note: If you have a negative event and/or a felony on your record – do not go directly to the Texas Board of Nursing for a Declaratory Order – submit your application to the School of Nursing first.

2. The Committee will review applications and supporting documentation. Members rank applications based on objective ratings. Members will review:

• Current student or admitted to Texas State
• Criminal history (if any)
• Overall GPA
• Science coursework GPA
• Prerequisites (met or to be met)
• Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-IV) scores
• Personal Essay
• Three (3) references
• The following are not required but can add to your score:
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Community or volunteer services
  • Talents, awards and honors
  • Special health &/or military training
  • Employment, internships and summer activities
• Interview score sheet
• Health Certificate and Immunization Form to the School of Nursing

Note: See Grid for Evaluating Applications for Admission and Tally Form; the Committee will review and rate each submitted application using this grid. They will select 100 students for admission to the School of Nursing each fall.

C. Admission Procedures for the 2010 fall semester:

1. Applications and completed supporting documents must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the School of Nursing Suite 462 (fourth floor) at the Round Rock Higher Education Center no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, January 15, 2010 for the upcoming fall semester. The application is to be completed neatly and legibly, providing all requested information.

The Round Rock Higher Education Center is not open for business on Saturday and Sunday, and will be closed for the winter holiday from December 19, 2009 to January 3, 2010. Hand- delivered applications can be dropped off at the School of Nursing (Suite 462) Monday – Friday either before the holiday or after - no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, January 15, 2010

2. A criminal background check (a Texas Law) is required prior to admission to the School of Nursing at Texas State. Upon receiving your application, we will send an email confirming that we are in receipt; this email will also include your FAST Pass. A FAST Pass is instructions to initiate your criminal background check including fingerprinting; the cost is $44.20 when paying by check or money order, and $45.69 when paying by Visa or MasterCard. Please do not contact the Board of Nursing until you have been provided a FAST Pass.

If you are aware of eligibility issues on your record, either misdemeanor or felony, apply to the School of Nursing early; it may be necessary for you to apply for a Declaratory Order through the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), and this process can take months.

Students will not be admitted to the School of Nursing if they are not eligible for licensure upon graduation. If the BON Declaratory Order is granted, it will confirm eligibility for licensure upon graduation. In other words, the Order grants permission to sit for the NCLEX - RN® (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) after graduation; it does not assure that students can be employed as a nurse. This employment issue is true for all schools of nursing in Texas.

Note: If you have a negative event and/or a felony on your record – do not go directly to the Texas Board of Nursing for a Declaratory Order – submit your application to the School of Nursing first.

3. Top scoring student applicants will be invited to interview with SON faculty at Round Rock Higher Education Center and at Texas State University – San Marcos on either Thursday, February 18 or Friday, February 19, 2010. Participation is mandatory.

4. Students admitted (pending the successful completion of their Health Certificate and Immunizations and Tests Form) to the School of Nursing will receive communication by the first Friday in March.

If you are taking prerequisite courses during the spring or summer semesters immediately before beginning Nursing School, send your final grades to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  Also send an e-mail to Lynn Heimerl (lh46@txstate.edu), Nursing Admissions and Retention Coordinator, giving her "heads up" that you have completed these prerequisite courses.  She will retrieve your transcripts from Admissions and include them with your application to the School of Nursing.

Note:  It is an expectation of the SON Admission Committee that the grades earned in these remaining prerequisite classes will either maintain or strengthen your GPA (either overall or science courses).  If these grades lower your GPA, your admission status could be negatively affected.

Acceptance to the School is competitive and an alternate list will be generated. Students are required to confirm the offer of admission made by the School.  The deadline for this confirmation is the third Friday in March. In this offer of admission correspondence, students will be instructed to make an appointment with their healthcare provider to document that:

• All immunizations are completed including date of booster (Immunizations and Test Form)
• Student is in good physical health and free from listed diseases (Health Certificate)

Clinical affiliations may require additional immunizations and/or tests.

Completed Health Certificate and Immunizations and Tests Form must be received at the School of Nursing by 5:00PM on Monday, August 2, 2010.

5. When 100 students have been accepted and confirmed, those students who are qualified but not admitted will be placed on the alternate list. They will also be given the opportunity to reapply and be considered for the following fall semester.

6. Students who are not qualified for admission will also receive communication. They may reapply to the School of Nursing the following fall.

D. Student Applicant Checklist:

• Seek advising from the Nursing Admission and Retention Coordinator or attend a SON Information Session; see website for schedule.
• Must be a current student or admitted to Texas State.
• Complete and sign the top section of three Reference Request Forms:
  • Identify if the reference is confidential or if you wish to see a copy.
  • Send Reference Request Form to three (3) current or previous instructors or employers – not family or friends.
• If you are currently taking prerequisite courses or plan to do so – forward your final grades to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Also send an email to Lynn Heimerl (lh46@txstate.edu), Nursing Admissions and Retention Coordinator giving her “heads up” that you have completed prerequisite courses. She will retrieve your grades from Admissions and include them with your application to the School of Nursing.
• Take the pre-nursing entrance assessment: Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-IV). Do not forward your scores - the SON admission coordinator will regularly retrieve students’ scores from the TEAS website.
• Carefully completed School of Nursing application and:
  • Application fee: A money order for $25 made out to Texas State School of Nursing (check and cash cannot be accepted)
  • Personal essay
  • Three (3) completed Reference Requests Forms

must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the School of Nursing at the Round Rock Higher Education Center by 5:00 PM on Friday, January 15, 2010 for the upcoming fall semester. Students must also have taken the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS-IV) by this deadline.

Note: The Round Rock Higher Education Center is not open for business on Saturday and Sunday, and will be closed for the winter holiday from December 19, 2009 to January 3, 2010. Hand-delivered applications can be dropped off at the School of Nursing (Suite 462) Monday – Friday either before the winter holiday or after.

Nursing Admission and Retention Coordinator
School of Nursing
Texas State University
Round Rock Higher Education Center
1555 University Boulevard
Round Rock, Texas 78665-8017