If you have not yet applied to GRCC, you may apply for free online (select Health and Exercise Sciences as your Academic Pathway), or by contacting the Admissions Department, (616) 234-3300. Admissions is located on the first floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. If you are already a degree seeking student, you may apply to the health program of your choice online: Health Admissions Application. If you are not a degree seeking student, please contact the Admissions Department for assistance.
Questions regarding the process to get on the wait list, as well as any documentation for acceptance, should be directed to the Health Admissions Coordinator. The Health Admissions office is located on the 6th floor of the College Park Plaza Building, corner of Lyon & Division, room 600. You may also email, healthprograms@grcc.edu, fax to (616) 234-4317, or mail to: Health Admissions, GRCC, 143 Bostwick Ave, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
If you have taken courses at another college or university, you may be eligible for transfer credit. You must first apply to GRCC and then submit official transcripts for evaluation.
Students pursuing our ADN (RN) program are encouraged to focus first on completing the requirements for admission to the program. The date you complete your last admissions requirement, you are placed on the wait list and that is your ‘ready date’. Students enter the program based on their ‘ready date’. Some students may need to take a class or classes to prepare for successful completion of these admission requirements. If that is true for you, it is strongly recommended that you make those classes your first priority.
The checklist below will help you track your progress from completing the admissions requirements for placement on the waitlist, to completing the general education classes that may be taken prior to entering the Associate Degree Nursing Program.
ADS Admission Requirements
Upon successful completion of the ADS Admission Requirements, the student’s name will be placed on the waitlist.
- Possess a current, unencumbered, practical nursing license, and 2000 hours of work experience as an LPN within the past four years.
- High school GPA of 2.5 (or GED equivalent) or a College GPA of at least 2.0 for students with 12 or more college credits.
- Chemistry with Lab (1 year in high school with C or higher, or college equivalent) GRCC: CHM 110 or higher.
- All students need to demonstrate competency in math within the last five years to be eligible. Sufficient ALEKS PPL test scores can satisfy this requirement. Students with insufficient test scores must complete MA 098 (or above) with a grade of C or higher. Contact the Health Admissions Department for details at healthprograms@grcc.edu or (616) 234-4348.
- HESI Exam (scored subtests: math, reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar). There is a fee for this exam. Passing score on each subtest must be 75% or higher. Scores are valid for 8 years. For more info, visit our HESI Exam webpage.
Background Check Form and ICHAT
- Students may conduct their own ICHAT online and print off the results and bring that evidence, along with the Preliminary Background Check form, to GRCC Police or Health Admissions.
OR
Bring the Preliminary Background Check form, with $10, to GRCC Police or Health Admissions - Drug Screen: Must have a negative 7-panel urine drug screen. May be able to use a drug screen done within the past 12 months. Results should be submitted to the Health Admissions Office, 600 College Park Plaza.
Foundational Courses and Academic Probation/Suspension
- In order to be eligible for admission into the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) or Practical Nursing program, students must have successfully completed any required AFP courses with a grade of at least C and be in good academic standing
- Any student placed on Academic Suspension while on the waitlist or while enrolled in either nursing program will be withdrawn. Students wishing to pursue nursing after this may re-apply after following GRCC’s academic suspension policy and returning to good academic standing.
Wait List Placement
Upon successful completion of all the requirements, the student’s name will be placed on the wait list.
Courses that may be taken prior to entering the ADS Program
EN101, EN102, BI121, BI122, PY201, PY232, Humanities General Education Elective (select one, minimum 3 credits). These do NOT have to be completed to be placed on the wait list, however, EN101, PY201, BI121 and BI122 are pre-requisites for entry into the ADS Program.
To be eligible for graduation from the ADN program, students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. All General Education courses must be successfully completed with a grade of "C" or higher. As with all nursing courses, a grade of "B-" or higher is required in NUR 100.
NOTE: Life science courses (BI 121 & BI 122) must have been completed within eight years of graduation/completion of the Nursing Program at GRCC (This includes Life Science courses that are transferred in from other institutions regardless of the date on which they are transferred). Associate Degree Nursing students are permitted 2 attempts at both BI 121 and BI 122 to achieve a grade of C or higher. Please see Biology/Life Science Course Attempts (link on left) for more information.
Requirements for degree and certificate programs are based on the catalog year that you begin the first clinical course of the nursing program and are subject to change. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for current requirements.
Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (PELL or TIP) who have completed several classes beyond those on this list including transfer credit, or who are planning to take additional classes while waiting to enter the program, are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss how many additional classes may be taken without exceeding the eligibility limit.
BSN Degree
Students who wish to pursue their BSN (baccalaureate degree) after completion of our ADN program are encouraged to speak to their counselor/advisor about additional classes they may be able to complete at GRCC prior to transfer.