Nursing Admission FAQs
Q: I applied for Nursing, but received an acceptance letter for Health and Well Being. Why am I in this program when I applied for Nursing?
A: Students are placed into Health and Well Being if they do not meet our Direct Admit or Pre-Nursing requirements. You can find our Direct Admit and Pre-Nursing requirements by clicking here.
Q: I wish to apply to West Virginia University as a Test Optional student. What are my options in order to enter the Nursing program?
A: Students can apply to the University as a Test Optional student. Students will be placed into either our Pre-Nursing or Health and Well Being freshman tracks, depending on the requirements met. This allows students to take the freshmen year prerequisites to be considered for the program in the sophomore year.
Q: I was placed into Health and Well Being. Does this mean I was denied admissions into the Nursing program?
A: Students are not denied admission into the Nursing program as First Time Freshmen. All students, regardless of major at the time of admission, must still successfully complete the required prerequisite courses in order to begin nursing courses in their second year.
Students who are freshmen in Health and Well Being may request to change their major to Pre-Nursing after grades have posted for the fall semester. They may still apply to the nursing program for a fall semester start (second year) IF they have a cumulative and prerequisite GPA of a 3.0 or higher. Please note, admission selection is competitive and based on the cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, and prerequisite completion at the time of review. Meeting the minimum requirements will not guarantee admission.
Q: I have been admitted into other institutions without submitting test scores. Will West Virginia University accept me without test scores?
A: Students are able to apply into the University as Test Optional, but the School of Nursing requires an ACT, SAT, or TEAS score to be placed into our Direct Admit track. Students without a test score can be placed into Pre-Nursing or Health or Well Being if requirements are met. Test optional students will still be required to complete ALEKS testing for University math placement which affects course scheduling and progression plans.
Q: I will have completed many prerequisites prior to entering WVU in the fall. Can I begin nursing courses prior to the fall semester of my sophomore year?
A: Students are not eligible to begin courses until at least the first semester of their sophomore year regardless of the amount of credit hours earned while in high school.
Q: I’d like to accelerate the BSN program and graduate early in order to get right to work. Is that possible?
A: Our BSN program requires three years to complete coursework regardless of how many credits have been earned prior to beginning the program. This also applies to transfer students in most scenarios.
Q: I have been admitted as a Pre-Nursing student. Can I still graduate in four years?
A: Freshmen Pre-Nursing students may complete the program in four years if they begin the program during the fall semester of their sophomore year. If admitted during the following spring semester, it would add an additional semester making it a 4.5-year program. Admission into the program is based upon available spaces along with the cumulative and prerequisite GPAs and prerequisite completion at the time of review. The applicant GPAs vary from year to year. Since it is a competitive program, admission is not guaranteed for Pre-Nursing or Health and Well Being students.
Q: I was admitted with advanced status as a Direct Admit student. Does this mean I am guaranteed a seat once the program begins?
A: In order to maintain advanced admission standing as a direct admit, students are required to fulfill academic requirements in the freshman year and prior to entering sophomore nursing classes. More specifically, students must have a 3.0 overall GPA or better at the end of the first semester, have a 3.5 overall GPA or better at the end of the second semester and complete all prerequisite courses with a C or better by the end of the summer semester of the freshman year. If you are unable to meet these academic standards, you will be moved to the Pre-Nursing major and will be automatically entered into the Pre-Nursing applicant pool for consideration for re-entry to Nursing in either the fall or spring term.
Q: I saw there is a laptop program. If I already have a laptop, can I just use the one I have?
A: All Health Science Center students are required to participate in our HSC Laptop Program. Students will be assigned a one-time fee for an Apple MacBook Air when they enter the program during the sophomore year. The laptop will be used for testing and curricular instruction and students will retain the laptop after graduation.
Q: Since admission is not guaranteed for Pre-Nursing or Health and Well Being students, what happens if I am not admitted into Nursing in Morgantown?
A: Decisions for both our fall and spring semester sophomore year starts are made at the conclusion of the student’s spring semester freshmen year. If a student is not admitted into Morgantown for either start, they have the following options:
- Work with their academic advisor to determine if a course can be re-taken to enhance their GPAs during summer term or remain on alternate list for sophomore year.
- Students may remain on the alternate list for Morgantown and remain in Pre-Nursing for an additional year. This gives students the chance to re-take prerequisite courses in both the Fall and Spring terms in order to boost the prerequisite GPA when applying for the following year.
- Our WVU School of Nursing extends beyond Morgantown as there are campuses in Keyser and Beckley, West Virginia. If seats are available, students can opt to be considered for a seat on one of these branch campuses. Once a student accepts a seat in Keyser or Beckley, they must complete the Nursing program on that campus and may not transfer back to Morgantown.
- Students can shift focus to BS/BA-BSN second-degree program in nursing. This is an accelerated Nursing program for students who have earned a bachelor’s degree. More information can be found by clicking here.
- Students can work with their Advisor to find an alternate program on our WVU campus.
Please refer any further questions to College Recruitment Specialist Phillip Engelkemier. He can be reached at phillip.engelkemier@hsc.wvu.edu