Individual Admissions Policy

Applicants who do not meet select admission criteria may still be considered for admission. Learn about the eligibility criteria and required materials on this page. Please note that changes have been made to the criteria of this policy for the Spring 2024 cycle.

About the Policy

The purpose of the Individual Admissions Policy is to allow students to request admission consideration even though they do not meet the minimum admission criteria or have been unsuccessful in previous nursing coursework. To be considered for individual admissions review, an applicant must submit additional documents along with their application, official transcripts, and TEAS scores. Applicants must still apply and submit all materials, including the documents required by this policy, by the application and materials deadlines outlined on the Admissions Requirements page.

It is an applicant’s responsibility for understanding whether they must adhere to this policy prior to submitting their application. Please read this page carefully when preparing to apply to the nursing program.

Consideration before Applying

Any student who meets the minimum criteria to apply and the criteria outlined on this page may apply for individual admissions review. However, students who qualify for this policy are encouraged to consider what their recent academic record indicates about them as a scholar before proceeding with any application. The Individual Admissions Policy is meant to provide students an opportunity to account for past academic struggles, highlight evidence of their academic improvement, and attest to their capacity for success in a rigorous academic program. This policy is not meant to serve as a means for students to request that ongoing academic struggles or substandard academics be overlooked in light of their desire to become a nurse. Students experiencing current and ongoing academic struggles or who have recently been unsuccessful in another nursing program are strongly encouraged to talk with an academic advisor about alternate nursing education avenues or options for improving their academics before deciding to apply.

Individual Admissions Review Criteria

Applicants must request consideration under the individual admission policy if they meet one or more of following criteria:

  • Overall cumulative GPA between 2.50-2.99 between all schools attended
  • More than two (2) repeat attempts of nursing prerequisites due to earning a grade lower than C (2.0)
  • Math or science prerequisite coursework older than 10 years that has not been repeated*
  • Unsuccessful in another nursing program/nursing coursework

To be considered for admission under this policy, students must be in good academic standing at their current institution. Students whose cumulative GPA is below 2.50 or who are not currently in good academic standing at their current school are not eligible to apply for admission to the nursing major.

*It is recommended that students repeat a math or science prerequisite if it is older than 10 years rather than apply via the Individual Admissions Policy.

Definitions of Individual Admissions Criteria

The following definitions of the admission criteria are designed to help applicants understand the factors considered in their application review. Please use these when determining whether you are subject to the individual admission policy. 

  • Overall cumulative GPA – The grade point average of all college-level coursework taken at any colleges/universities.
    • Your cumulative GPA is based on your entire academic history, not just your GPA at TU or your most recently attended school.
    • To calculate your cumulative GPA, divide the total grade/quality points earned at all schools by the total credits/units attempted and calculated into the GPA at all schools.
  • Repeat attempts – This applies to any nursing prerequisites which you repeated due to earning a grade below C (2.0) in a previous attempt.
    • Withdrawals and audited courses do not count as repeats.
    • Any separate lecture and lab courses (e.g. CHEM 121 and CHEM 121L) are each considered an attempt. If a student repeats both a lecture and lab, that would be considered two repeats. Combined lecture and lab courses are considered one attempt.
    • Repeating courses because they are older than 10 years does not count toward the repeat limit.
  • Course age – This applies to any math or science prerequisite course that was taken more than 10 years since the time of your application.
    • This limit applies even if you have completed a bachelor’s degree.
    • This does not apply if you have successfully repeated the course within 10 years.
  • Unsuccessful in another nursing program or coursework – This applies to any withdrawal (W) or unsuccessful grade for one or more nursing courses at another institution.
    • Unsuccessful grades include letter grades below C (2.0), unsatisfactory grades (U), or any other non-passing grade within a school's grading scale.
    • If you were enrolled in a direct entry nursing program but left the program before completing any nursing courses, you do not need to apply under this policy. This criteria only applies to actual nursing courses.
  • Good academic standing – This is typically defined as having above a 2.0 GPA at most institutions. If your GPA at your current institution is below 2.0 or you have any academic standing notation on your transcript (e.g. academic warning or academic probation), then you are not in good academic standing.

Ineligibility for Individual Admissions Review

You may not request individual admission consideration if:

  • You do not meet the minimum criteria to apply
    • There are no exceptions to the minimum criteria to apply listed on the Admissions Requirements page. Those criteria must be met by the deadlines listed in order for an application to be eligible for review.
  • You have below a C (2.0) in any nursing prerequisite course and have not already repeated or registered to repeat the course
    • If you have below a C (2.0) in any nursing prerequisite course, you must repeat it for a C (2.0) or higher.
    • If repeating a course for a C or higher will cause you to have more than two repeat attempts, you must follow the Individual Admission Policy.

Required Documents for Individual Admissions Review

Applicants who wish to be considered under this policy must submit additional materials with their nursing application. Submission of these materials does not guarantee admission. However, it does allows students the opportunity to make a case for themselves as an applicant despite not meeting the admission criteria or being unsuccessful in another nursing program.

The Department of Nursing reserves the right to reject any request for individual admission review if a personal statement fails to appropriately answer the questions outlined below or letter of recommendations are not received from appropriate academic sources.

Required Materials

  • Personal Statement & Request for Consideration – This should be a 1-2 page document that includes the following two components:
    • Request for Consideration – This must be 2-3 sentences included at the beginning of the personal statement essay. An applicant must formally state that they are requesting admission consideration under the individual admissions policy and identify all admission criteria which have not been met.
    • Personal Statement – Statements should be 1-2 pages in length and address each question listed below. Applicants are encouraged to treat these questions as an essay template to ensure that they sufficiently address each point:
      • Why have you not met the minimum admission criteria?
      • Why do you deserve special consideration?
      • How have you worked to improve your academics or demonstrated the ability to be successful in a rigorous academic curriculum?
      • How do you plan to be successful if admitted to the nursing program?
      • Why is a career in nursing a life goal for you?
    • Two (2) Letters of Recommendation – These must be narrative letters of recommendation which speak to your academic strengths and provide support for special consideration. Letters of recommendation must come from academic sources.
      • Letters may come from any academic reference. Examples of academic references include but are not limited to professors, instructors, research advisors, or academic advisors.
      • Colleagues, supervisors, athletic coaches, or personal acquaintances are not considered academic references. These letters may be included as supplemental materials if provided, but they will not meet the requirements of this policy.

Document Submission Guidelines

All materials must be submitted in the correct file format and by the correct person. Materials must be submitted correctly in order to be added to an application.

All files must be submitted via email to the Nursing Admissions & Advisement Manager at . Do not mail any documentation.

Please read the following requirements carefully before submitting your personal statement or requesting your letters of recommendation:

  • Required file format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe PDF (.pdf)
  • File name format: Last Name, First Name Type of Document Term (e.g. Doc Tiger Personal Statement Fall 2023.pdf)
  • Email Subject: Last Name, First Name Individual Admission Policy Submission
  • Email Body: Must include the following:
    • Applicant's full name as listed on the nursing application
    • Applicant's TU ID number (if you have one)
    • Program start term for which you are applying

Note: Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by references. Letters sent by the student will be rejected. It is the applicant's responsibility to confirm that their reference has sent a recommendation letter. Do not assume that requesting a letter of recommendation constitutes a references's agreement to submit one. Make sure to obtain an affirmative response to your request and get confirmation from your references when letters are sent.

Re-Applying under the Individual Admissions Policy

If you have previously submitted individual admission documents for a prior admission term, they may be eligible for use with a new application depending on the age of the document and the basis for your individual admission consideration.

  • If you have applied within the past year and are applying for an exception to the same admission criteria, you may re-use the same individual admission materials.
  • If you have applied within the past year but have changes in your academic record (e.g. a change in your cumulative GPA, more repeated courses, etc), you may only re-use letters of recommendation. A new, updated personal statement & request must be submitted.
  • Individual admission materials that are older than one year will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

To request that previously submitted materials be included with your new application, you must email the Nursing Admissions & Advisement Manager at . Please provide your name, state the previous term you applied for, and specify which materials you want to be included with your new application.

The Department of Nursing is not responsible for the inclusion of previously submitted materials with a new application if an applicant does not request it.

Questions?

If you have questions about this policy, please contact the Nursing Admissions & Advisement Manager at .