Nursing School Admissions Consulting: Worth it?

How hard is it to get into nursing school?

Getting into nursing school is not easy for various reasons. The first challenge is the admissions requirements. Nursing programs understand that they are educating and training people who will literally be responsible for the lives, care, and wellbeing of others. Hence, they need to set high ethical and academic standards and only admit students who meet those standards and seem capable of handling the demands of a rigorous nursing program and the profession as a whole. Most nursing schools require a high school diploma, a high GPA, English proficiency, and specific prerequisite courses. In the US, applicants may also be required to take the SATs or Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). 

A strong GPA and a passion for helping others are not enough to get admission to most nursing programs and to stand out in a nursing school application. Due to the profession's popularity and the limited number of faculties, there is a lot of competition to get into nursing school. According to the National League of Nursing, roughly a third of qualified applicants to nursing programs in the United States get rejected. This tells us that nursing programs, especially the top schools, are looking for "the best of the best" and that meeting the minimum requirements may make you a qualified applicant, but it no longer guarantees admission. 

If you want to get into nursing school, you'll need a solid and compelling application. That is precisely what nursing school admissions consultants can help you put together. 

What exactly is nursing school admissions consulting?

Essentially, nursing school admissions consultants are college advisors who help students navigate the complex process of applying to nursing school. They help students by providing insights about different universities and programs, assisting them in figuring out which ones would be right for them and helping them create the best, most competitive applications for those schools. In other words, they guide and assist students through every aspect of the process, including college essays, interviews, and much more.

How much does nursing school admissions consulting cost?

There is no sugar-coating it; nursing school admissions consulting can cost a pretty penny. After all, the services of any valuable professional cost money and admissions consultants are no different. On average, you can expect to spend $150 per hour or anywhere between $1000 and $8000 for a comprehensive application review package. That said, most firms allow you to tweak the different packages they offer to suit your needs so that you are not paying for services you don't need. Additionally, good consulting firms will offer private pay plans, such as installments.

This cost can seem pretty high, but you need to remember that this is an investment in your future. Not only do nursing school consultants significantly improve your chances of getting admission, but they can actually help you save money, as well. 

How does nursing school admissions consulting help applicants?

Interested in a quick overview of the section below? This infographic is for you:

Consultants provide expert and informed advice

Students often rely on help from friends and family members who may have gone through a similar process in the past to guide them. Where family and friends may have filled out an application or two for academic programs in the past, consultants are not only professionally trained to do it, but they have also gone through this process hundreds or maybe even thousands of times with several other students. This means that they can provide expert advice that is personalized to your situation instead of making assumptions based on limited previous experience.  

For example, a family member who prepared and submitted a medical school application may be somewhat qualified to help you with your nursing school application. Still, because it is not their job to keep up with admissions trends and requirements, the information that they can give you is limited. Additionally, they may not be familiar with the difference between what a nursing program looks for compared to a medical program. 

Furthermore, nursing school admissions consultants can help ensure that you get into the right school. Many different schools offer nursing programs, and students tend to pick colleges and universities based on popularity or lists that they’ve found online. When you work with a consultant, they usually spend some time getting to know you. They can then look at your goals, values, and interests, strengths to determine what schools would be best for you. Let’s say for example that you’re interested in going from nurse to medical doctor in the future, a good nursing school admissions consultant can create a plan to help you reach your long-term goals.

Also, because they are familiar with the admissions criteria and process, they are better equipped to see the strengths in your background that you might not even consider. For example, you might have a hobby that you believe to be insignificant, but you might not be aware that this hobby has given you transferable skills that could impress an admissions committee. A consultant’s job is to identify those traits and help you make them shine in your application.

Consultants strengthen your application

Nursing school admissions consulting can maximize your chances of admission by helping you create a strong and well-rounded application. As mentioned earlier, meeting the minimum requirements is no longer enough to guarantee that you will get admitted to nursing school. Your common app activities section needs to show that you are a well-rounded student, and your nursing school personal statement needs to showcase the values that your chosen schools care about. If you have to write any supplemental essays, they need to be consistent with the rest of your application. There are so many other things of this nature that students rarely pay attention to, but that make a huge difference in the strength of a candidate's application. 

Furthermore, being an excellent candidate does not mean you have the skills necessary to communicate that to the admissions board. For example, it is not uncommon for students with excellent academic records to have poor interview skills. Consultants can identify the weak points in your application and work with you to improve on them or use other aspects of your application to compensate for them. Thus, significantly improving your chances of admission to your chosen schools.

Consultants teach you valuable skills

A good admissions consulting firm will not fill out your application for you. Instead, they guide you through the process and use a series of proven techniques to help you submit the best application possible. In the process of doing that, they will teach you valuable skills that will come in handy while you are studying to be a nurse and beyond. To put that into context, let's take a look at the skills that you would learn from working with a consultant on these two application components: 

Consultants save you time, money & stress

Nursing school admissions consulting can be relatively expensive, but it is well worth the cost. Not only because it maximizes your chances of attending a good nursing school, but also because it can actually save you money in the long run. Most students have to apply to multiple schools, meaning they have to pay multiple application fees. Admissions consultants make it far less likely for students to have to pay these fees a second time. Good advisors also help students find financial aid opportunities and help them apply for the scholarships they're eligible for. Thus, giving them a chance to save even more money.

Working with someone who knows the nursing school admissions process inside and out can also save you a lot of time, effort, and stress. Instead of spending valuable time researching schools, scholarships, application processes and requirements, and different application components, you'd have an expert who can answer most of your questions faster than reading half a dozen articles on the subjects. You will also benefit from knowing that the advice you are getting is specific to you and your situation instead of being a general assumption.

Last but certainly not least, working with an expert will help put your mind at ease. Applying to nursing school can easily get overwhelming and stressful because it involves a lot of different components that are difficult to get right when you do not have the right information. Working with someone who has not only gone through this exact process multiple times before but whose job it is to keep up with changes and trends in admission will save you from a lot of trial and error, and it will make you feel more secure in the application you're submitting.

Worried about your nursing school interview too? Make sure to take a look at these 10 questions during your prep!

Tips for finding the right nursing school admissions consultant

Not all nursing school admissions consulting firms have the resources or experience necessary to help you, and not every qualified advisor is right for you. We highly suggest taking the time to research and read about different consultants before choosing one. Here are five things that we recommend paying special attention to during your search: 

Conclusion

Getting into nursing school is hard! To increase your chances of admission, you will need to make sure every aspect of your application is compelling. Nursing school admissions advisors can help you achieve that goal by helping you through the entire application process and giving you additional tools that will help you throughout your academic journey and beyond. Their services may seem pricey, but they will be well worth the investment if you follow the outlined tips and find a qualified consultant.

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To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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