How to Apply to the School of Nursing

Official transcripts are required from all previously-attended institutions in order to evaluate your coursework. Official electronic transcripts must be sent to the University of Rochester School of Nursing by the registrar’s office at the credit-awarding institution.

When requesting transcripts from your previous institutions, please opt for electronic PDF delivery. We are enrolled in the majority of electronic transcript delivery systems, enabling us to receive transcripts directly without relying on third-party submission like email or postal services. This choice not only saves you time, but also money.

In some instances, a course syllabus may also be requested to evaluate transfer credit. International applicants for all programs must have transcripts evaluated either through WES or ECS.

If you are not able to select PDF delivery, you may opt to have your previous instritution send official electronic transcripts by email to sontranscripts@urmc.rochester.edu, or by mail to:

Official letters of recommendation may be required from references who can speak to your qualifications for admission. Specific programs may require applicants to submit a specific number of letters, or letters from specific members of their academic and/or professional communities. Please review the specific requirements for your program of interest.

Letters of recommendation are managed through the online application. Applicants submit references' names and contact information within the online application to generate a request for the letter, then references complete and submit their letter directly on behalf of the applicant. We advise applicants to connect with references prior to completing this process to confirm references can supply the letter of recommendation by the deadline.

A current resume or curriculum vitae that demonstrates your academic and professional background may be required with or after submission of your application.

Your resume or curriculum vitae should demonstrate relevant experiences in health care and leadership, academic and experiential skills, involvement in professional organizations and service activities, and achievements, and will help us assess your commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth.

Some programs require short answer and/or essay responses to prompts within the online application. Depending on the format and requirements, the purpose of these responses is to provide additional insight to your academic and professional goals, as well as to your ability to express ideas clearly and logically in a grammatically-correct format.

Prompts vary based on program, and may require you to reflect on aspects of your background and interests, pursuit of your selected degree, as well as qualities and skills essential to the profession of nursing. Your responses may also be subject to a word limit.

To allow you time to craft thoughtful responses, we provide these prompts on our website for your reference, even before you start your application. Please refer to the application requirements for your specific program of interest to review required short answer and/or essay prompts.

A writing sample is required for some programs. Depending on the format and requirements, the purpose of this sample is to provide insight to your scholarly writing ability. Samples typically consist of exemplary work, and may include an academic paper from earlier academic work, a clinical document, a publication, or another written work in APA format for which you are the first, second, senior, or corresponding author. Please review the application requirements for your program of interest for more details.

A professional goal statement is required for some programs. The purpose of this statement is for you to provide information about yourself as well as to demonstrate your ability to express ideas clearly and logically in a grammatically-correct format. To provide direction and ensure you have time to craft a thoughtful statement, the professional goal statement prompt is available on our website for your reference, before you even start your application. Please refer to the application requirements for your program of interest.

We do not require entrance examinations as part of the application to any of our degree programs. If you have taken the GRE already and wish to submit your score, we will be happy to evaluate it as part of your application. The GRE code for the University of Rochester School of Nursing is 2928.

For international applicants: We require official English proficiency exam scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores) for international applicants who are non-native English speakers. Please refer to our international applicants webpage for more information.

Some programs may require additional clinical certifications and licensures, which must accompany your application. Please review the application requirements for your program of interest.

A non-refundable application fee of $50 (USD) is required for some programs when you submit your application. This fee is waived for University of Rochester alumni and other select student populations.