Admissions
Getting into nursing school.
Prerequisites, entrance exams, application packet, personal statement, financial aid. The full path from deciding to apply to getting accepted, written for the student going through it.
Start where you're standing
Nursing program admissions are competitive at most schools. Prerequisite GPA matters more than people tell you. Programs usually require the TEAS or HESI A2. The application packet pulls together transcripts, scores, a personal statement, references, immunizations, and a background check. None of it is mysterious. Trust the work.
When you're ready to apply, the application review service is the cheapest insurance you can buy on a packet you've been building for two years.
The full library
Every admissions guide (39)
39 Scholarships for Nursing Students
Nursing is a meaningful field with a steady job outlook, but the education can take years and cost real money. Figuring out how to pay for it is its own chall…
40 Nursing School Scholarships
Scholarships fund your education without repayment. Below are 40 nursing scholarships, plus a few ways to make your application competitive. Deadlines listed …
6 Things To Know About The NCLEX Examination
Before you can practice as a registered nurse, you have to pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). It tests what you learned in school, the k…
Best Stethoscopes For Nursing Students
Your stethoscope may be the most important piece of equipment you buy. You do not need the most expensive one, but do not cheap out either. The single most im…
Compression Socks Recommended For Nurses
Nurses walk 4 to 5 miles in a 12-hour shift, which adds up to real foot and leg pain. Compression socks ease venous insufficiency, leg fatigue, and lower back…
Education to Work as a Foreign Nurse in the U.S.
If you trained and licensed as a registered nurse in another country, you can practice in the United States, but you have to clear a fixed set of hurdles firs…
How Many Times Can You Take The NCLEX?
Testing doesn't end when nursing school does. Before you can work, you have to pass the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), either the NCLEX-PN for pract…
How To Become a Nurse (6 Steps to a Nursing Career)
Nursing is one of the few fields where you can enter through several different doors and keep climbing for the rest of your career. You can start as a certifi…
How to Choose a Nursing Program
Choosing a nursing school is a big decision whether you're starting out or going back. Curriculum, cost, time commitment, and location all factor in, and the …
How to Get Into Nursing School
Nursing brings together patient care and teamwork, but it starts with the right education. Preparing before you apply leads to better decisions later. There a…
How to Make Online Learning Work for You
Online classes are now standard in nursing education, but they demand a different skill set than sitting in a lecture hall. The biggest challenge is self-regu…
How to Pay for Nursing School
Nursing school costs real money, but you have more ways to pay for it than you probably think. The federal government alone awards over $150 billion in financ…
Mastering The NCLEX The First Time: Strategy And Tips
The NCLEX-RN protects the public by testing whether you actually know how to care for patients. The questions imitate real clinical situations, so they reward…
NCLEX Exam: What Is It? (Things To Know Before Taking It)
The NCLEX, or National Council Licensure Examination, is the standardized test every state regulatory board uses to decide whether you are ready to be license…
Nurse Licensure Compact: Guide to the Multistate License
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets you hold one multistate license and practice in every participating state without applying for a separate license in ea…
Nursing Certifications Types & Requirements for Each
A specialty certification is how you prove, on paper, that your skill in an area runs deeper than your base license. Your first few years on the floor usually…
Nursing Degrees: Types, Levels & Earning Potential
The degree you choose decides which level of nursing you enter and how far you can move later. Pathways run from a CNA certificate you can finish in a few wee…
Nursing Entrance Exams
Most nursing programs want more than good grades. They want proof you can handle the academic load, so they require an entrance exam. What you take depends on…
Nursing Schools With No TEAS Or HESI Required
Standardized entrance tests stop a lot of qualified people before they ever apply. They do not have to. A growing number of accredited programs have dropped t…
Online Nursing Education (10 Important FAQs Answered)
You can earn a nursing degree online, and it often makes sense for working adults, parents, and career changers. The catch is that nursing is hands-on, so no …
Online Study Tips for Nursing Students
Going back to school is a big decision, and fitting it around work and family is the hard part. An online nursing degree gives you flexibility in where and wh…
Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam (PNLE)
You finished nursing school. The Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam is what turns a BSN graduate into a Registered Nurse. This guide covers eligibility, the appl…
Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam (PNLE): Guide on How to Apply and Take the PNLE
Applying for the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam is the step that turns a nursing graduate into a Registered Nurse in the Philippines. This guide walks throug…
Programs and Scholarships for Nursing Students of Color
African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Alaska Native students are enrolled in nursing prog…
Scholarships For LGBTQ+ College Students
High school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students in the LGBTQ+ community can pursue scholarships built for them. The awards below are open to candid…
States With The Highest NCLEX Pass Rates
You have to pass the NCLEX to get licensed. A high state pass rate signals that its nursing schools prepare graduates well. Here's how pass rates and RN salar…
Steps to Become a Nurse in Virginia
Becoming a nurse in Virginia follows the same broad path as the rest of the country, with a few state-specific wrinkles. The Virginia Board of Nursing (VBON) …
Student Loan Forgiveness for Nurses
Student debt comes with the territory in nursing, but the field also offers more paths to loan forgiveness than most. Some programs are open to students of al…
The Importance of Support Networks During Nursing School
Nursing students get stretched thin fast, juggling coursework, clinical rotations, and life. A strong support network is not a nice-to-have, it is what gets y…
The Ultimate NCLEX Study Guide
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), is the last step before a nursing li…
Tips for Creating a Perfect Nursing School Application
Pre-licensure nursing programs, especially at the bachelor's level, are competitive. One analysis from an academic consulting group puts the average nursing s…
Tips for Recovery If You Don't Pass the NCLEX on the First Try
Failing the NCLEX on the first try stings, but it does not end your nursing career. It means you wait a little longer and come back better prepared. Here is h…
Tips to Help You Ace Your Nurse Clinical Rotations
Clinical rotations are where nursing school stops being theoretical. You work real patients under a preceptor, pull your classroom knowledge onto the floor, a…
Utah Nurse Practitioners Granted Full-Practice Authority
Governor Spencer Cox signed Senate Bill 36 into law on March 14, 2023, making Utah the 27th state to grant nurse practitioners full-practice authority. The mo…
What do I Need to Earn My Nursing License?
Your degree is only part of earning the right to practice. After you finish your program, you still have to get licensed, and that process trips people up: mu…
What To Do If You Fail The NCLEX Nursing Exam
The NCLEX is the last major hurdle before licensure, and it rattles even confident students. If you did not pass, you are not done. Here is how to reset and c…
What To Know About The Nurse Corps Scholarship Program
Nursing school is expensive, but there are ways to cut the cost down or wipe it out entirely. One of them is the Nurse Corps Scholarship Program.
What You Need To Know About Changes To The NCLEX Exam
Every new nurse passes the NCLEX to earn a state license. The exam decides whether a graduate has the knowledge and judgment to practice. The National Council…
Why Nursing School Accreditation Matters
When you compare nursing schools, you probably weigh curriculum, tuition, and rankings. Add accreditation to that list. It can decide whether your credits tra…