Nursing Program for Adult Students

Thank you for your interest in our nursing program! Our Dorothea Lynde Dix Scholars program for second Bachelor's candidates or students 24 years old or older offers two ways to earn your BSN; a 16-month accelerated second Bachelor's degree, and a 2-year course sequence for students with at least 53 transfer credits. Our nursing programs are fall-start only, but we accept students in the spring and summer to complete their prerequisites at Simmons.

Accelerated BSN: Space Availability

• We are currently accepting applications for the fall 2023 cohort.
• We have seats available for students who would like to receive conditional admission for our fall 2024 cohort by taking their remaining prerequisites at Simmons starting in fall 2023.

2-year Sequence: Space Availability

• We are currently accepting applications for the fall 2023 cohort, but there is a waitlist. We anticipate we will be able to admit a few students from the waitlist by the end of July.
• Our fall 2024 2-year sequence has limited seats available exclusively for students taking prerequisites at Simmons. If you have not taken all of your prerequisites, you can apply for fall 2023 admission to nursing. If admitted, your seat will be held in our fall 2024 cohort pending successful completion of your remaining prerequisites at Simmons.

You can only apply as a Dix Scholar if you have a prior Bachelor's degree in another field, or will be over the age of 24 when you start at Simmons. If you are under the age of 24, have completed more than 17 college credits after high school graduation, and do not have a prior Bachelor's degree, you must apply as a transfer student. If you are under the age of 24 and have earned 17 or fewer college credits since high school graduation, you must apply as a first-year student.

Don't hesitate to reach out to your admission counselor  if you have any questions about your nursing options.

Nursing Program Overview

• Our nursing program is a daytime program. A small number of classes and clinicals are sometimes offered on evenings and weekends, but students must be available to take most of their coursework on weekdays.
• Students can apply with none, all or a few of their prerequisites completed. We strongly recommend that students apply with the intention of completing their prerequisites at Simmons. Admitted students cannot proceed into their nursing sequence unless each of the prerequisites has been satisfied with a C+ or higher.
• Simmons nursing students' pass rate on the (NCLEX) Registered Nurse exam is consistently above 90%. The national average for RN candidates is in the low 80% range.
• Our ratio of clinical students to instructors is 6:1.
• Simmons nursing faculty are all practicing nurses, thus assuring that students learn the most up-to-date science and techniques in patient care.

Admission Criteria

We are looking for students who can succeed within our nursing program and contribute to the Simmons community. The committee reviews applications holistically, meaning that in addition to your academics, we consider other factors such as your personal statement, recommendations, experiences outside of the classroom, and demonstrated interest in Simmons.

Typically, admitted students have a college GPA and a science GPA exceeding 3.0, with a pre-requisite GPA exceeding 3.3. Students must earn at least a C+ on prerequisites.

Simmons University is now test optional. This means you do not need to submit your test scores to be considered for admission, to be considered for scholarship, or to be considered for any special programs. If you took the ACT or SAT in high school, or the TEAS, we recommend you only submit scores if you meet one of the following

• SAT: Successful applicants typically have at least 1200 or higher on the Critical Reading and Math sections of the SAT.
• ACT: Successful applicants typically have at least a 24 or higher for their composite score and a 24 or higher on the math section.
• TEAS: Successful applicants typically have scores of at least 80% on each section.

Admission Requirements

The admission committee will review your application to learn not only what you have accomplished, but also who you are. To apply as a Dix Scholar, you need to submit the following information in addition to the application:

• Official Transcripts - Simmons requires official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities, as well as the final high school transcript or GED/HiSET. Official transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admission by the institution.
• Recommendations - One recommendation is required (academic preferred if recently enrolled in school).
• Simmons University is now test optional. This means you do not need to submit your test scores to be considered for admission, to be considered for scholarship, or to be considered for any special programs. If you are a non-native English speaker, you will also need to submit a TOEFL exam, or equivalent English proficiency exam.
• Personal Statement - Describe how your personal and professional experiences have influenced your decision to attend college as an adult student.

All students who are 24 years or older - or are applying for a second bachelor's degree - are considered Dix Scholars. Even if you have college coursework, you should not use the Simmons online application for Transfers. However, Dix Scholars can use the Common Application for Transfers or any of the Dix Scholar Online Applications through Simmons.

Admission (Nursing) Deadlines

• Students have the option to enroll at Simmons (part-time or full-time) in order to take all or some of their prerequisites in the semester(s) prior to the nursing sequence to which they have been admitted. Students interested in taking prerequisite courses at Simmons are strongly encouraged to complete their application as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed for admission to nursing on an individual, rolling, and space-available basis.
• The priority deadline for students who will not be taking prerequisites at Simmons is December 15. Students taking prerequisites elsewhere are strongly encouraged to complete their application, which includes submitting all required credentials, no later than December 15 in order to be included in the priority nursing admission committee review.
• If you are placed on the waitlist, should space become available we will re-review all students on our waitlist to be offered a spot in the class. We encourage all students on the waitlist to continue working towards completing their prerequisites, so they will be prepared if they are offered admission. We will notify all waitlisted students of their final decision by mid-August.
• If you were denied acceptance and still wish to pursue a Simmons nursing degree, contact your admission counselor to develop an application strategy.