The Foundation
Before Nursing School
The part nobody warned you about.
Getting into nursing school in the United States is often harder than getting through it. This page is for everyone who is still outside the door: the student picking up prerequisites at a community college, the career changer with a prior bachelor's degree, the parent working weekends to pay tuition, the applicant refreshing the admissions portal.
If you don't know where to start, start here.
What it actually takes to get in.
Every nursing program in the country has its own requirements, but almost all of them ask for some combination of the following three things. Understanding them is the first step to controlling them.
§1
1. Prerequisite courses
- Anatomy and Physiology I (with lab)
- Anatomy and Physiology II (with lab)
- Microbiology (with lab)
- General or Introductory Chemistry (with lab)
- Statistics
- Developmental Psychology or Lifespan Psychology
- English Composition
- Nutrition
- Sociology
Your prerequisite GPA is the single most important number on your application at most schools. Many competitive programs will not even screen an application with a prerequisite GPA below 3.5. Some won't screen below 3.8.
What this means in practice: every prerequisite grade matters. There is no such thing as "just a C in Anatomy."
Science Core Strategy
We help students plan their prerequisite sequence for maximum GPA, and tutor through the courses that most often cause grade damage - particularly A&P and Microbiology.
§2
2. The entrance exam
- TEAS 7 (ATI TEAS) - most widely required; most programs want 75-85+; competitive programs expect 85+
- HESI A2 - many BSN programs; most want 75-80+
- Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam - less common, some accelerated BSNs
A strong entrance exam score can offset a weaker GPA at some schools. A weak entrance exam score can sink a strong GPA at others.
Preparation Strategy
We offer targeted preparation for all three exams, including diagnostic testing so you know exactly which sections to prioritize.
There is no one path. Different programs make sense for different lives.
| Path | Typical Length | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 4-12 weeks | Students who want to earn while strengthening a future nursing school application. Many programs award points for healthcare work experience. | Useful clinical exposure before nursing school. |
| LPN | 12-18 months | Students who need a faster paid clinical path and may bridge to RN later. | Can bridge later into RN pathways. |
| ADN | 2 years | Students balancing cost and speed with a direct path to RN licensure. | Strong route to RN with later BSN completion. |
| BSN | 4 years | Students who want a traditional four-year route and broader post-licensure options. | Broad opportunities after graduation. |
| ABSN | 12-18 months | Career changers with a prior bachelor's degree who can handle an accelerated pace. | Accelerated and academically intense. |
| Bridge (LPN-RN / RN-BSN) | Varies | Licensed nurses advancing credentials while remaining employed. | Flexible advancement while employed. |
Not sure which one is right for you? That's one of the most common first conversations we have with new students.
A word about California
California is one of the most difficult nursing admissions environments in the country. Many programs use lottery systems, some waitlists run 2-6 years, and transfer acceptance at certain public BSN programs can fall below 10%.
Private options can be faster, but tuition can exceed $80,000. The students who succeed in California are the ones who build a strategy early and apply broadly with clear tradeoff decisions.
We've helped many California students navigate this specifically. If you are one of them, the first conversation is free.
§3
3. The application itself
Strong students routinely get rejected from programs they're qualified for. The reason is almost always strategic, not academic:
- Applied to too few programs
- Did not account for lottery versus points-based systems
- Ignored multi-criteria screening rules
- Submitted a generic personal statement
- Did not verify prior coursework transfer rules early
Months 12-9
Foundation
Finalize target schools, prerequisites, and recommendation strategy.
Months 8-5
Execution
Focused TEAS/HESI prep, transcript checks, and draft application essays.
Months 4-1
Submission
Finalize forms, complete exam attempts, and submit early where possible.
What we help with at this stage
- Prerequisite sequencing plans by target school
- One-to-one tutoring for A&P, Microbiology, Chemistry, and Statistics
- TEAS 7, HESI A2, and Kaplan diagnostic + prep plans
- Application strategy and school list building
- Personal statement review
- Waitlist strategy and backup pathways
- ABSN versus ADN versus BSN decision support
- California-specific admissions strategy
- Timeline planning for working adults and parents