Admissions Overview

Holistic admissions refers to the practice of evaluating applicants holistically, as a whole person, rather than solely by their GPA or test scores. We recognize that there is a broad range of factors that predict our applicants’ academic readiness, contributions to the cohort, and potential for success in our program and in their careers. Our holistic review process accounts for each applicant’s individual attributes, life experiences, and personal character, in addition to more traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and GPA. This ensures that we are evaluating applicants equitably, with consideration of their unique qualities, backgrounds, interests, and skills.

Your transcripts provide part of the picture of your potential for success. In evaluating your transcripts, we look for indicators that you are prepared for a rigorous accelerated program, including your overall GPA and grade trends, your performance in foundational science and prerequisite courses, your history of course withdrawals or incompletes, and other academic patterns. Within the application, we also offer the opportunity to provide an additional statement to explain any challenges or extenuating circumstances that may have impacted your academic history, and to demonstrate thoughtful self-reflection on your plans for success in the accelerated program.

We require two letters of recommendation from academic or professional references. If you have graduated from your previous academic program within the last five years, one letter must be from an academic reference. If it has been longer than five years since you graduated, you may include letters of recommendation from either academic or professional references—but preferably one of each.

Your references do not need to be individuals within nursing or health care—however, they should be individuals who can comment on your maturity, academic ability, professional experience, personal character, and other qualities that make you a stand-out applicant. We are looking to assess how strongly you demonstrate desirable attributes, skills, and experiences, including:

• leadership potential
• values, goals, and motivation
• resilience and adaptability
• intellectual curiosity and initiative
• teamwork and collaboration
• self-awareness and maturity
• communication skills
• empathy and integrity

Good reference candidates include former or current professors, academic advisors, professional supervisors, academic or professional mentors, internship directors, or volunteer coordinators, for instance. If you are a recent graduate, we expect at least one academic reference. We do not consider recommendations from colleagues or coworkers, or from personal references such as friends or relatives.

We do not really transfer in specific courses from your transcript. We transfer in 79 credits regardless (with no notation of what they are specifically). You must then complete 49 credits here (residency requirement) for the total of 128 for the bachelor's in nursing. The prerequisites are not transferred in - we just need proof of completion within the correct timeline and with the correct grades.

Once we have your completed application, an admissions counselor will contact you to arrange an interview. Not all applicants are offered an interview, and those who are not interviewed will be sent a letter advising them that they will not be accepted to the program. The interview is required for admission, but does not guarantee admission. The interview can be in-person or virtual.

That is fine. You could be accepted to the program “pending successful completion of the bachelor's degree.”

Applicants will be notified of any awarded scholarships in their acceptance letter.

This includes whether they've been awarded any scholarships from the School of Nursing, including merit scholarships or full tuition coverage through the UR Nursing Scholars program. 

Separately, admitted students may also apply for financial aid by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) Learn more about financing the accelerated nurses program.