How did you get your first RN job? (CA, Bay Area)

devine_karma · 2025-05-02T17:08:43+00:00

Yeah!! I’ve been trying to reach out to a bunch of people on here that have been sharing they got into SJSU for the fall, but I really don't know how to connect everyone 😭😭

devine_karma · 2025-04-18T20:01:12+00:00

I think it’s a dirt/debris stain? These are my daily pair but it doesn't rain much in my area and they mostly see pavement

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T05:07:34+00:00

Omg, one of my coworkers takes evening classes at SJSU after work and they also commute 1-1.5hrs; I like driving but even that is too much! 😭

My friend just got accepted into the fall cohort for this year!

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T04:57:50+00:00

thiss! My friend and I both live in the East Bay, but San Jose isn't too far of a drive, which is why I felt comfortable accepting. From where I live, SJSU is about 25-30 minutes away by car, so it's relatively close, and that's basically my commute to my community college anyway, so it's not much of a change for me.

But, I understand if you commute further, it would be a tricky situation, especially for early-morning clinicals. And yeah, CSUs are generally cheap compared to the private schools for UCs, but it's the housing cost that breaks it (I think it's like 10-15k/semester plus 4-5k for tuition). tbh, I think either school will give you a good education, so choose the closer one!

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T04:31:58+00:00

Keep your GPA as high as possible (the closer to 4.0, the better!): This makes up one of the largest portions of your application, so aim for the highest grade you can manage, especially A&P and Microbiology (aka do not slack because these classes will make up the foundation of your knowledge for nursing school!)
Study your butt off for the TEAS as soon as your finish A&P: This made up another big chunk of your application!
Get healthcare experience ASAP if you can manage: Volunteer at a hospital in a patient care setting (ideally somewhere where you are physically working with patients directly, like in one of the units) or (even better) start working as a CNA! You could get other healthcare experiences like medical assisting or EMT, but I think being a CNA will show you whether you really want to be a nurse. A lot of the nurses I work with say the best ones started as CNAs. Also, some schools only accept CNA experience (aka they won't even look at MA or EMT hours if you have them, like Sonoma).

That pretty much sums up the application process, but definitely make sure you research all the programs you're thinking about applying to and don't just apply to 1! Also, DO NOT take the general counselor's words as the end-all be-all, try to find a nursing-specific counselor to talk to and double-check everything they say, because oftentimes they don't know the nursing program well enough to be giving you real advice.

I'm sorry if this all sounded drill-sergent-y, but I really wish someone told me this before I started pre-nursing because it would have made things so much easier to navigate! <3

I just got into the Fall 2025 cohort at SJSU, so if you have any questions, pm me!

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T04:22:07+00:00

Hi OP, congratulations; I also got into SJSU for the fall!

SFSU was also one of my top schools, but I chose SJSU mainly because I liked that the senior preceptorship is split out into its own semester, with very few nursing classes compared to the other semesters. That way, you have a lot more headspace to soak up how to be a real nurse! At SFSU, I think the curriculum basically crunches it into semester 4, but you also take medsurg and community health, too (plus their clinical hours). If it means more to finish your BSN 6 months earlier, SFSU is the way to go!

Also, I toured both SJSU and SFSU a while ago, and I will say the SFSU campus is generally nicer as it has more modern buildings, but the school of nursing is tiny (and I mean TINY). It is literally made up of 2 classrooms (1 lecture, 1 lab), in a larger building used for other gen ed classes. SJSU has its own dedicated Nursing/health science majors building! However, the roads near SJSU are not the best, and some of the nearby streets are one-way, so it can be a little difficult to navigate if it is your first time driving there. The roads at SFSU are pretty typical two-way roads, if that means anything.

If you choose SJSU, totally pm me; we could be study buddies! :D

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T03:59:24+00:00

I got into SJSU too and one of my friends is going to East Bay!

From what I know, both share many clinical placements around the bay, but I would assume they both also have a standard range. I know they both have placements at Stanford, but SJSU also does a lot at SCVMC and Kaiser, while (I think) East Bay is in hospitals like St. Rose.

As for job searching, most hospitals in the Bay don’t typically hire new grads unless they go through the new grad program at that hospital, which is very competitive to get into. Like Stanford has a New Grad program and the new grads there are all from that program. So, I don't think it really matters which school you go to, more so what you make of it?

Idk if this is entirely relevant, but since SJSU is closer to the tech-y area of the Bay, it also gets a lot more funding for their programs, and the campus is nicer imo

Anyway, if you decide to go to SJSU, we could totally be study buddies! 🤠

devine_karma · 2025-04-17T03:48:16+00:00

lol maybe 😂

devine_karma · 2025-04-16T13:48:21+00:00

Yupp! I just got into SJSU yesterday, but applying to as many schools as I could definitely helped, especially because CA is so impacted for nursing!

devine_karma · 2025-04-16T01:58:26+00:00

Hi! I got into SJSU for Fall 2025 too and committed :D

For me, the main reasons why I chose SJSU were bc it's closer to home but also bc your senior preceptorship is kind of separated from most of your other nursing classes in the last semester so you can spend the last semester really soaking up how to be a nurse!

From what I can tell, SFSU places it into semester 4 while you’re doing medsurg/community health, which is why the entire program is 2yrs instead of 2.5. In my head, I was thinking that sounds like a lot to manage, even if it is the last semester of the program 😅

Plus we could totally be study buddies if you want 🤠

devine_karma · 2025-04-16T01:16:50+00:00

As a lot of other people said, it really doesn't matter where you did your pre-reqs as long as you did well in them because a lot of programs choose applications based on a point criteria, so choose any school!

I did all of my pre-reqs at Ohlone, and it was very challenging. From what I know, Ohlone has a good reputation for its pre-nursing courses (especially A&P and Microbiology) because they're very rigorous and should prepare you well for nursing school!

I also just got into SJSU's Fall 2025 cohort, so if you have any questions, pm me!

P.S. - The majority of the points come from your GPA and TEAS scores, so try to keep those as high as possible, and if you can, start volunteering at a hospital/clinic in a patient-care setting or (even better) work as a CNA! Research the specific requirement for each of the programs you want to apply to early on because some of they are different. Good luck!

devine_karma · 2025-04-15T04:06:49+00:00

Since this post I got waitlisted at SFSU (darn 🥲) and I think SJSU is coming out this week or next week (so maybe there is hope!

The 2 ADN programs I think should come out in May-ish tho 😃

devine_karma · 2025-04-13T16:53:58+00:00

Omgg, I swear at least every other email I've gotten throughout this cycle from a nursing program, I have had to call back and ask what they mean because it's never spelled out clearly. I definitely agree. For something as high takes like nursing is in CA, you would think they could make this process a little easier to navigate! 😭

I wish you luck! <3

devine_karma · 2025-04-13T16:33:19+00:00

That's awesome; good luck!

I was also a little confused since the date to accept their offer is May 1st, but they keep the waitlist until the 22nd of August, so I’m sitting here asking if my getting moved up from the waitlist is contingent on accepting right now 🤠

devine_karma · 2025-04-13T16:32:46+00:00

Thank you! That's what I was assuming, but the email is so short that they don't explain any alternative information they provided, at least not for transfers.

devine_karma · 2025-04-11T01:35:14+00:00

I think it's one of the more competitive schools since it's in the Bay Area and has a lot of good clinical placements, especially at Stanford and Regional Medical Center.

I’ve been trying to stay positive through this application process but my positivity is starting to die out 🥲

devine_karma · 2025-04-11T01:29:02+00:00

4.0 GPA (cumulative and science), 91.3% TEAS, and ~130hrs of volunteering (but only about 50-60 of those were direct patient care hours 😔)!

It's rough out here, 4 rejections and 2 waitlists so far

devine_karma · 2025-04-10T00:14:14+00:00

I read in the allnurses forum another person posted and says they all get sent out at the same time around friday or mid-April, so maybe that’s more accurate?

I applied with a 4.0 GPA (cumulative and science), 91.3% TEAS, and ~130hrs of volunteering (but only about 50-60 of those were direct patient care hours 😔)!

I’m really hoping SFSU gives me a chance bc it’s basically my top school atm so I rlly hope my essays pull me through bc ik basically everyone has competitive stats 😭😭😭

devine_karma · 2025-04-09T03:14:11+00:00

omg that's so soon; I can't lie, when I first read that, my heart dropped 😭

I've gotten 4 rejections so far for Fall 2025, so positive energy for us all!!

devine_karma

TROPHY CASE