THE most commonly asked question on my site is “What are my chances of getting accepted into CRNA School? Is there hope for me?”
Statistically? An average of 21%: 4-40% depending on where you apply.
3 recommendations to improve your chances:
2. Go the extra mile – learn what you can do to stand out
3. Learn how to ace the interview and the personal statement
Just so we’re all on the same page here, I’m not God. I’m also not on the admissions committee. What I say about your chances of getting accepted into CRNA School has absolutely no sway in the real world.
What I do have is an opinion – based on painstakingly going through 112 schools websites and requirements multiple times. This opinion is mostly based on what I’ve read on school websites about a person’s chances of getting accepted.
Now that we’re all clear, let’s proceed.
There is no magic formula for determining a person’s eligibility for CRNA School. Instead, each school makes a decision about who to accept into their program based on multiple factors.
Each of these factors has somewhat of a sliding scale.
Also, each of these factors isn’t isolated – it will be used with all of the other factors to create an overall picture of what kind of applicant you are, so you can handle a lower score in one or two areas, as long as you make it up in other areas.
I’ll go through each factor and in a pile of applications. This will help you answer the question “What are my chances?”
GPA
We’ll start here since it’s the most common area of concern.
Top: 3.75
Average: 3.5
Below Average: 3.3 or lower
Pray for a miracle: 3.0 or less
If you’re applying to a highly competitive school, such as WFUBMC or VCU, you’ll need a top score to be looked at. Their average GPA for entering SRNAs is around 3.75. If you want to go to a top school, you’ll need top scores. If you have a GPA that’s below average, it’s probably not worth your effort to apply to a top school.
If you have an average score, you’ll have fairly average chances of getting accepted.
If you have a below average GPA, do not despair! There are things you can do to make it up.
The most common scenario I see is someone who bombs their undergrad due to partying and decide to do something with their lives.
This same student goes back to school and completes their BSN with a 3.8 GPA. However, their overall GPA ends up at a 3.2 since things are averaged out for the cumulative GPA calculation.
This applicant is looked at in a much better light than the applicant who has a reverse scenario (great GPA all along until they hit the science courses when their GPA starts dipping into “C” territory).
When you do poorly in science classes or other recent coursework, it really looks bad to the admissions committee. If you are this applicant and acing them.
ICU
I’ve written a very thorough section about what schools are looking for when they want ICU experience. You can also find there a brief summary of other things schools are looking for to help you answer the question “what are my chances”.
GRE
Believe it or not, but GRE isn’t a huge factor in CRNA School acceptance. Most schools require that your scores are average or better. It’s just a way of weeding out students who would have a hard time in grad school. If the admissions committee has other reasons to believe that you’d make a good CRNA student, they’ll often overlook a low GRE score.
Resources
As posted earlier on this page, these are my recommendations:
3 recommendations to improve your chances:
2. Go the extra mile – learn what you can do to stand out
3. Learn how to ace the interview and the personal statement