Advice for Students by Students

This handbook has been designed to offer you a brief overview of Vanderbilt School of Nursing and the admission process. The following are recommendations from our past and current students for consideration as you explore your interest in the health care field:

1. Volunteer, interview, or shadow.

   Volunteering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center or Monroe Carroll Junior Children’s Hospital is a wonderful way to explore different fields of health care and immerse oneself in the patient environment. Volunteering at one of the two Vanderbilt Hospitals is a minimal time commitment, but a unique and rewarding experience. College students can volunteer in the school year and summer. Contact Volunteer services for both hospitals at volunteer.services@vumc.org or by phone (615)-322-2379, for more information and an application. You will also receive volunteer and community service opportunities through the Vanderbilt PNS organization. In addition, interviewing or shadowing a nurse, nurse practitioner, or nurse-midwife is a valuable experience. If you know a nurse in your community, request an interview to discuss their role. Contact a PNS nursing advisor for information about potential interviews with nurses or Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in the local area. A shadowing program for PNS members is available.

2. CPR certification/training is required prior to beginning the first semester of your nursing program. Contact the American Heart Association (615) 256-1818 for information. Remember to ask for the “health care provider course” when you sign up, as this is a requirement for VUSN (includes infant, child, and adult CPR).

Required Prerequisite Courses

No matter what your undergraduate major is, the following courses, found at this link https://nursing.vanderbilt.edu/programs/prenursing/, are required as prerequisites for matriculating into the MN and MN Prespecialty programs. Prerequisites must be from an accredited college or university. Completion of the prerequisites is required by the time classes begin but not required at the time you apply:

• 3 hours of Statistics
• Microbiology: BSCI 1110 (3 credits). If you have taken any higher-level Microbiology courses, you have met the Microbiology prerequisite requirement.
• **Human Anatomy & Physiology (BSCI 2101 & BSCI 3101) (4 credits each) Fall/ Spring; must take BSCI 2101 before BSCI 3101. Also, you must complete BSCI 1509 or 1510 and 1511 before enrolling in Anatomy and Physiology courses. Meet with the nursing advisor to discuss your options.
• **Nutrition: MHS 1600 Introduction to Nutrition and Health for a Changing World (3 credits). Please consult the Vanderbilt Course Catalog for course availability.
• Developmental Psychology: HOD 1250 or PSY-PC 1250.

Clinical Placement

The VUSN Clinical Placement Office works collaboratively with faculty, program directors, and students to ensure all students have productive clinical experiences. Clinical sites and preceptors are chosen to provide students with clinical experiences consistent with course and certification requirements and the school's mission. Due to regulatory requirements or a lack of available and appropriate preceptors, VUSN may not be able to accommodate clinical placements in all areas of the country. See further details at https://nursing.vanderbilt.edu/current-students/clinical-placement/.

MN and MN Prespecialty Clinical Rotations

During the MN and MN Prespecialty programs, all students are required to live within daily commuting distance of Vanderbilt campus. Students will be placed in group clinical experiences in the Middle Tennessee area (MTA). These group experiences may be in a hospital or community setting.

Application Process

Vanderbilt University School of Nursing seeks to matriculate students with an array of life experiences and the potential to provide significant contributions to the nursing profession. We believe a cross-cultural learning community fosters the development of exceptional leaders, educators, clinicians, informaticists and researchers. A holistic approach is used to evaluate each candidate based on academic performance, professional goals, personal characteristics, leadership potential, commitment to service and support of cultural connectedness.

To assist in the application process and to ensure a quality application, become familiar with the admissions process early. Before starting an application, it is strongly recommended that you attend an information session offered by the School of Nursing Admissions Office. Whether you are applying or interested in learning what the application entails, this section will explain the requirements and provide recommendations and suggestions on how to create a well-rounded application. The MN and MN Prespecialty programs admit students for a fall or spring start. The fall application process opens each year in August and the spring application cycle opens in May. The fall 2026 priority review date is October 15, 2025. The online application is available on the School of Nursing webpage at https://apply.vanderbilt.edu/apply/.

Applications are holistically reviewed based on the following factors:

• Statement of Purpose
• Responses to application questions
• Official Transcripts
• Three Letters of Recommendation

Statement of Purpose and Responses to Application Questions

All applicants should treat the Statement of Purpose and responses to application questions as seriously as an in-person interview. Assist the faculty reviewers with understanding more about you, why you want to enter the nursing profession and your plans. Respond to the questions clearly, provide examples and use your best quality writing. Communicating a comprehensive understanding of the program for which you are applying is beneficial.

For MN applicants, your Statement of Purpose and responses to application questions should address why you want to become a registered nurse. For MN Prespecialty applicants, address why you want to be a nurse-midwife or nurse-practitioner in a specific specialty. For both programs, you may want to include populations you would like to serve, the type of care you would like to provide, or how this program will help you meet your professional goals.

Statement of Purpose  

The Statement of Purpose (750 words maximum) is submitted as part of your online application and should reflect your understanding of the role of the registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse and your interest in a particular patient population.

Responses to Application Questions

Responses are submitted as part of the online application. Each question is to be answered in 100 – 250 words. Both the writing style (grammar, punctuation, spelling, word use, etc.) and the content of your responses will be reviewed as part of the overall application.

Suggestions

The application questions require you to examine yourself and your role as a future professional. It is highly recommended that you ask yourself these questions early and begin to cultivate answers. There is no set length for each response, or right or wrong answer. The key is to write concise, well-reasoned answers that demonstrate your individuality and your ability to maturely handle the demands of a rigorous graduate program.

Please consider the following points:

• Include your achievements, personal characteristics, or special talents that contribute to your academic abilities and future in nursing including experiences you have had working with underserved or at-risk populations.
• Provide a comprehensive list of your activities/experiences in the Experiences section of the application.
• This is a competitive program with limited enrollment so consider how you might differentiate yourself from other applicants.

Official Transcripts

Applicants should request electronic transcripts using the Vanderbilt YES system. Please do not have paper copies mailed. Please note: Applicants must submit official transcripts from all post high school studies. To avoid errors, start your online application at https://apply.vanderbilt.edu/apply/ before submitting transcripts.

Students admitted to this program must have earned an undergraduate grade point average of at least a “B,” or a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The average GPA is approximately 3.5.

Letters of Recommendation: Submitted Online

All applicants must provide three letters of academic or professional reference. Your letters should be submitted by faculty members, professional colleagues, or job supervisors who can evaluate your potential for success in a graduate program. It is required that at least one of your recommenders hold a master’s or higher degree. Since you are a current VU student, it is strongly recommended that at least two letters come from VU faculty familiar with your academic ability.

Make sure the people completing your references have direct knowledge of your abilities and keep in mind, more is not better; quality of the reference is more important as to their knowledge of your academic or work performance. Titles are not as important as the people who know you well. You will need to provide a valid email address of your recommenders. References from peers, family members, or friends are not appropriate recommendations. The online application system will show you how to send letters electronically.    

Seamless Transition

All MN graduates are eligible for seamless transition to a Post-Master’s Certificate program or a Doctor of Nursing Practice plus Post-Master’s Certificate. The purpose of the PMC study program is to provide an educational route to an advanced nursing practice specialization. While the PMC will meet the advanced practice specialty requirements, the stacking of credits available to those who attend the MN program makes completion of a doctorate very efficient. More information can be provided during information sessions or during your program of study. 

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program prepares leaders in advanced nursing practice to bring evidence-based knowledge into the practice arena, improve health care outcomes, and strengthen the leadership role in guiding complex care delivery and nursing education. Vanderbilt’s MN program provides an opportunity to seamlessly progress from the MN program to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program plus PMC. Seamless progression allows students to work as Registered Nurses while completing the DNP plus PMC program in five semesters (for most specialties). See DNP program details.