WCU's BSN: Complete Application Instructions (12/14/21) WCU

WCU’s BSN: Complete Application Instructions (12/14/21)

WCU School of Nursing uses a two-step process for admissions: application and admission to

WCU in general, and application and admission to the BSN program through NursingCAS

(centralized application service). Both admission to WCU and to the BSN are required to start

the program. Detailed instructions for both applications are as follows.

1. Admission to WCU

a. If you are transferring into WCU, apply to WCU in general using the WCU

Transfer Application: Deadline is February 1 for Fall start; Sept 1 for Spring

Start

i. Pick “undeclared: interested in nursing” as your major; please note that if

you are granted admission by WCU in general it will be as an “interested-

in-nursing” student, with the intention of going into the BSN. Most

students who are transferring in will apply to WCU for at least one

semester prior to their intended BSN program start, as this will give time

to complete the pre-requisites at WCU.

ii. Transcripts

1 Upload unofficial transcripts to your WCU application

2 Though WCU itself does not require official transcripts at this

time, the School of Nursing does. Therefore, as part of the WCU

application, you must submit official transcripts from all schools

attended, and they must include final grades for all courses

taken through the end of the 2021 calendar year. They may be

sent electronically to [email protected] (quickest and preferred

method). If the school does not have the capability to send

transcripts electronically, they may mail them to:

WCU Office of Undergraduate Admissions

University Way

110 F. Robinson Building

Cullowhee, NC 28723

iii. Once WCU receives your official transcripts, the Registrar will evaluate

them for transfer equivalency

b. If you are currently a WCU student, you do not have to re-apply to

WCU. As with all students, you will be required to submit official transcripts to

WCU for any coursework that you have not already transferred in with final

grades from courses completed up through the end of 2021 (use the process

above)

c. If you graduated from WCU and want to do the BSN (not the ABSN),

submit all official transcripts for non-WCU coursework to WCU

Admissions and contact Admissions to ask how to complete the WCU

application for the BSN: [email protected]

2. Apply through NursingCAS to be admitted to WCU’s BSN program: Deadline-Feb 15

for Fall start and Sept 15 for Spring Start

WCU NursingCAS Instructions

Note: Chrome and Firefox are the preferred browsers for NCAS.

If you are applying to any other school, make sure that you complete all portions of the

application that are required for those schools as well. These instructions are just for

WCU.

1. Go to NursingCas and select the term for which you are applying:

https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/

2. Create an account in NursingCAS

3. Log in, and select Western Carolina’s BSN for the semester that you want (this will be

your intended start semester)

4. Complete each section (Note: some sections will end without a “continue” button; use the

menu on the left to continue.)

5. Special instructions for Academic History section:

a. High school attended: enter this info

b. Colleges attended

i. Enter each college you have attended

ii. A screen will appear letting you know the transcript requirements for each

of the nursing schools to which you are applying

iii. For WCU, it will ask for unofficial transcripts; these are REQUIRED-

-Upload an unofficial transcript for any school(s) you

listed/attended; this includes WCU if you have attended/are

attending here; include transcripts with final grades through the

end of 2021

iv. Note: do not request official transcripts or pay for their transcript

review inside of NursingCAS; as listed above, official transcripts

must be submitted to WCU directly (not through an NCAS request)

v. When you apply to the BSN through NCAS, your official transcripts

will be used to calculate your overall GPA for all attempted college

credits: a minimum of a 3.0 overall is required to be eligible to

apply. In addition, applicants will be screened for completion of all

required pre-reqs with required grades using official transcripts.

Lack of pre-req completion or in-progress pre-reqs will result in

disqualification from consideration.

c. Transcript entry

i. This is a spot that allows people to enter every course they have taken and

their grades

ii. This is not required for WCU and will not be reviewed

d. Standardized tests

i. ACT

1. Scroll down to ACT test

2. Enter your highest overall score and the date that you took it: this

is REQUIRED

3. You will upload a copy of your test score later

ii. TEAS (follow the same steps are ACT); this is required

iii. If you took AP tests for pre-requisites enter info on these tests

6. Special instructions for the Supporting Information section:

a. WCU does not require or review anything here

b. If WCU is your only school, indicate that you are not including anything here

7. Special instructions for the Program Materials section:

a. This section has three tabs: details, questions, and documents

b. Questions:

i. Enter the 920 student number issued to you by Western Carolina

University. After submitting your WCU application, you should have

received this by email.

ii. Carefully read and agree to the terms of the application

iii. Submit and continue

c. Documents: upload the following required documents

i. ACT test score results: [We will verify this score; if you believe that this is

on file officially with WCU, please verify this; if it not on file with WCU

officially, then you must request that official scores be sent to WCU

admissions; if we cannot verify your score, your application will be

disqualified

ii. TEAS test score results: "Test Score Results" [We will verify this

unofficial report with official reports stored with ATI or sent directly to

us]

a. If you took the TEAS at WCU or listed WCU as a recipient

of these scores when you took the test, then we will verify

your score through the ATI/TEAS website.

b. If you took the TEAS outside of WCU and did *not*

indicate that WCU was to receive your scores, then there is

one more step, which happens outside of NCAS. You must

have your official scores sent to WCU’s School of Nursing.

These must come from ATI/TEAS. Further instructions are

on the ATI/TEAS transcript page. If you need an email to

which ATI can send the scores, it should be

[email protected]; These scores should be submitted

ASAP to allow for processing time; you do not have to

wait until your NCAS app is complete!

2. Course Completion Plan: upload under “Other”

a. This is the pre-requisite completion plan. All courses that

you have not yet completed and will be taking prior to the

program start should be listed on the plan. Consult the pre-

requisite worksheet linked elsewhere on the BSN website.

b. The template can be found here. To save changes print "as

a PDF" and upload your new document.

iii. Optional documents, as they apply to your situation

1. Any AP, CLEP, DANTES, etc. test scores:

a. If you have unreported scores for the above (this will not

apply to most people), upload score reports and request

official documents to be sent to the WCU Admissions

(using the info above, under Transcripts)

2. "Catalog Course Descriptions": use this area to upload copies of

any email conversations about approved pre-reqs or any course

descriptions or syllabi for coursework that does not appear in

WCU’s LookUp tool

8. Review your application for completion

9. Submit and pay the NursingCAS processing fee

10. Check your application status:

a. If it is truly complete, it should say COMPLETE

b. If it says RECEIVED, this means that it has been submitted but is not complete;

check for common errors

i. Missing unofficial transcripts under Academic History: Colleges Attended

ii. Missing other required documents under Program Materials: Documents

iii. Missing ID number under Program Materials: Questions

If you are able to submit both applications before the deadline, you will be helping us here in

the School of Nursing. Thanks in advance, and don’t hesitate to reach out.

Questions may be directed to wcunur[email protected] or 828-227-2892. Wishing you the best!