Applying to an online RN to BSN nursing program is an excellent way to get a better degree and increase your lifetime earnings. Many colleges offer traditional nursing programs that let you earn a BSN in around four years, but you can get your RN in just two to three years of full-time study. Once you have some nursing experience and time in the field, you might want to go back to school and get your BSN. Online programs let you earn your degree as you keep working in the field, but you usually need to complete an online application and meet some basic requirements.

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Gather Your Documents

Before starting the application, make sure you gather all the documents that the college requires. You usually need an official transcript from the school where you earned your nursing degree. It should show the classes you took both in and out of the nursing program, the grades you received and your cumulative grade point average. You may need proof that you took the NCLEX and the score you earned on the exam. Some colleges will also ask for a copy of your nursing license that shows you are a licensed nurse in your state.

Complete the Application

While the college or university you apply to will often require paper copies of all your official documents, it may ask that you complete an online application. This may be a general application used by all prospective students or a specialized application reserved just for nursing students. It will usually consists of sections dedicated to your personal information, educational background and professional experience. There will be a section where you can include details about the hospitals and medical facilities where you worked, when you earned your license and the nursing classes you already completed.

Ace the Interview

Some nursing schools have an interview that all prospective candidates must go through. Megan Malugani, a contributing writer for Monster, recommends that you get to the interview early, dress appropriately and leave anything you do not need, including your early morning drink, at home or in the car. Consider this interview as your first and last chance to make an impression on the admissions board. The interviewer will write a letter that helps determine whether you make it into the program, land on the waiting list or get a rejection letter.

Waiting List Tips

Colleges use waiting lists as a way of identifying which prospective students weren’t their first choices for admissions. It often includes those who scored a little lower on the NCLEX, those who didn’t perform as well in their interviews and those who lack necessary real-world experience. If you wind up on the waiting list, contact the admissions board for details regarding what you can do to better your chances of winding up in nursing school. Some schools will let you submit a personal essay or letters of recommendation from professionals you work with to show that you’re ready to go back to school.

An online RN to BSN program offers nurses the chance to complete a higher degree without sacrificing time away from work or their families. When you apply to an online RN to BSN nursing program, you usually need to submit an online application, provide the school with the right documents and go through an interview.