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Frequently asked questions about Linfield’s prelicensure nursing degrees

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McMinnville applicant questions

  • I am currently enrolled as a pre-nursing student on the McMinnville campus. Is the application process different for me?

    Yes! Current Linfield University students who have declared pre-nursing as their major will receive application instructions by email. Visit the academic advising office (Melrose 010) to declare your major and confirm you are on the “pre-nursing interest” email list.

  • Do I fill out a NursingCAS application if I am a McMinnville pre-nursing student?

    No, if you are a current McMinnville pre-nursing student, please do not complete an application through NursingCAS.

  • I’m a McMinnville student and have additional nursing questions. What resources are available to me?

    You can learn more here about McMinnville pre-nursing requirements and admission.

Prerequisite questions

  • Will Linfield University accept prerequisite courses completed at another college, university or community/junior college?

    Prerequisite courses may be completed at any regionally accredited college or university. Accreditation is regional depending on the location of the college. Consult your college to determine their regional accrediting body. This will usually be stated in the college catalog, reverse side of your academic transcript or the college website. We have prerequisite transfer guides for many Oregon and Washington schools, as well as others.

  • Do you accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit? Do you accept CLEP credit? 

    • AP scores of four or five and IB scores of five, six or seven will transfer to Linfield, but will not meet most nursing prerequisite or Linfield Curriculum (general education) requirements and are subject to credit limitations.
    • The AP statistics course may be used to satisfy the statistics prerequisite requirement for nursing admission. However, it will not apply to the Linfield Curriculum Quantitative Reasoning (QR) requirement.
    • No other AP or IB course may be used to satisfy prerequisite requirements for nursing admission
    • AP and IB transcripts must be official.
    • You may request these from the College Board (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB).
  • Do I take my prerequisites before or after applying to the nursing program?

    You may have one to two science prerequisite courses either in progress or planned at time of application. Students MUST have all prerequisite courses completed by the time they start on the School of Nursing campus.

  • May I complete my prerequisite courses at Linfield School of Nursing?

    The School of Nursing does not offer any prerequisite courses. All students transfer to our Portland campus School of Nursing as juniors with nursing prerequisite coursework completed. We recommend that Linfield Curriculum courses are also completed prior to transfer.

  • I have a question about a specific course. Will it apply toward my nursing prerequisites?

    The best way to determine this is to fill out a prerequisite checklist using Linfield's transfer course guides and/or transfer equivalency system (TES). At this time, we are unable to evaluate prerequisite courses not in our database.

  • Do courses expire?

    Anatomy, physiology, microbiology and nutrition must be taken within seven years of your application due date. All other prerequisite courses do not expire.

  • Can someone look at my transcripts to let me know how my credits will transfer to Linfield?

    We do not offer unofficial transcript evaluations for prelicensure nursing students. The best way to determine if you have taken the right prerequisites is to fill out a prerequisite checklist using our transfer course guides and/or transfer equivalency system (TES). At this time, we are unable to evaluate prerequisite courses not in our database.

Application requirements

  • Is testing required for admission to Linfield? 

    No. We do not require the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) or any other similar test for students pursuing a health-related field. The one exception is for international students. We do require that they meet the English proficiency requirement detailed on our admission requirements pages for the BSN and ABSN.

  • Is a recommendation required for application? 

    Linfield requires a minimum of one and a maximum of two recommendations to be included in your application. You need to request these recommendations through NursingCAS.

    Linfield does not have specific requirements for letters of recommendation. We suggest that you choose recommenders, regardless of their role in your life, that can speak to your ability to succeed in nursing school and perform academically (professor, TA, advisor, etc.) You will enter your recommenders' contact information into NursingCAS. They will be sent an email link to the recommendation form that will prompt them to answer questions as well as provide a space to upload a letter of recommendation.

  • Do I need to apply to the university AND the school of nursing?

    No. There is just one application for the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing. This application can be completed through NursingCAS.

  • How are retakes considered? 

    When assessing your prerequisite GPAs, the best grades are considered when there is more than one possibility on your academic record. Linfield only allows two repeated attempts within the anatomy or physiology sequence to be used in the calculation of the minimum GPA requirements.

    In the case where a student has more than one repeat on a single course, only the grade from the first repeated course will be used. A “W” or withdrawal from either an anatomy or physiology course will be counted as an attempt under this rule. There are no restrictions about retakes for courses other than anatomy and physiology.

  • When can I apply? 

    Current Linfield pre-nursing students

    • Fall: Apply between November 15 - January 2
    • Spring: Apply between June 1 - August 1

    Transfer students to the School of Nursing

    • Fall (BSN): Apply on NursingCAS between November 1 - February 1
    • Spring (BSN): Apply on NursingCAS between June 1 - August 1

    For the Accelerated BSN (ABSN)

    • Summer: Apply on NursingCAS between September 1 - December 1
  • I am an international applicant. What additional application items must I submit?

    International applicants seeking admission as an F-1 student must also submit to NursingCAS:

  • I have already started a nursing program and am interested in transferring to Linfield. Is this possible?

    Yes. You may apply for admission to the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing by submitting:

    • The NursingCAS application
    • All regular supplementary materials
    • A letter or email directly from the dean/director of the previous school stating you are in good standing and would be allowed to continue enrollment in the nursing program. This should be sent by the dean to admission@linfield.edu

    Admission to our prelicensure nursing programs is very competitive for a transfer student. Those who have started another Nursing program are not given an advantage in the admission process.

    Only those from an accredited baccalaureate institution with regional accreditation and national professional accreditation as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, such as the National League for Nursing (NLN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), will be evaluated for possible nursing transfer credit. Credit earned at non-accredited institutions is not transferable.

  • How will the criminal background check affect me?

    It is the policy of the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing that all admitted students are required to pass a background check before enrollment. Criminal history on a background check may:

    • Be cause to deny or revoke admission to the School of Nursing
    • Block student progression and placement in clinical sites
    • Be cause for a student to be denied nursing licensure following graduation

    Applicants are required to provide accurate and sufficient information related to their criminal history on the application and when necessary authorize additional or expanded background checks. Failure to provide this information or knowingly providing false or misleading information is grounds for denying or revoking admission or enrollment. See the School of Nursing student manual for further information.

  • How do I pay my supplemental application fee?

    Once Linfield receives your application, you'll receive an email from Linfield directing you to pay your application fee through the admission portal. You can expect to receive this email within three business days of submitting your application to NursingCAS. (Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder.) If your Linfield application fee is not received by the application deadline, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be considered for review.

  • If I apply to two programs, do I need to pay two supplemental application fees?

    Yes, you must pay a supplemental application fee for each program that you apply for. Failure to pay both fees will result in your application being marked as incomplete.

  • How many letters of reference are required for admission into the program? Who should write my letters of reference?

    Linfield does not have requirements for the type of recommender (professor, supervisor, coworker, etc.) but we do require that you list at least one reference who can speak to your ability to succeed in nursing school and perform academically (professor, advisor, TA, etc.).

    You will enter your recommenders' contact information into NursingCAS. They will be sent an email link to the recommendation form that will prompt them to answer questions as well as provide a space to upload a letter of recommendation.

  • Does Linfield conduct interviews for nursing applicants? 

    Interviews are not part of the application process for our undergraduate, prelicensure BSN and ABSN programs.

  • Where do I submit my transcripts?

    Transcripts must be sent to NursingCAS. Transcripts sent directly to Linfield will not be accepted as part of your application. Learn more about sending your transcripts to NursingCAS. All application materials must be sent directly to NursingCAS – we will not be able to accept any application materials sent to Linfield's Office of Admission.

    We strongly recommend that you request your transcripts at least six weeks before the application deadline, but as close to your last enrolled term as possible. It is fine to submit transcripts with in-progress courses on them. 

NursingCAS application questions

  • I have a foreign transcript. How do I submit it with my application?

    An official evaluation of foreign academic credentials is required. The evaluation must be provided by a NACES member organization/company and include a course-by-course listing with grades. These must be submitted directly to NursingCAS, our common application service, along with any domestic official transcripts at the time of application.

  • If I have my bachelor’s degree, what should I list in the English Composition section of the application?

    You will want to enter a course that you took related to English Composition. Do not leave this area blank. This requirement will be manually waived during the application review process.

  • How do I submit a letter of reference on NursingCAS

    How to submit a reference on NursingCAS:

    • In the References section, click Add Reference.
    • Select the reference type from the drop-down.
    • Enter the reference's full name and email address.
    • Select the date by which you would like this reference completed. This date should be before your program(s) deadline.
    • Enter a brief message or note for the reference. 
    • Select whether you want to waive your right of access to the reference.
    • Click the checkboxes to indicate your permission for NursingCAS (and programs) to contact your references. 
    • Click Save This Reference Request to submit it. Once you do so, an email is immediately sent to the reference. 
    • Confirm with your references that they received the email notification. 
    • Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your references. Completed references are marked as "Complete" and have a complete date listed.
    • Follow up with your references if their references are still marked as "Requested" or "Accepted."
    • It is your responsibility to ensure that reference requests are received and completed on time. NursingCAS will not notify applicants about missing references. 
  • I submitted my application, is there anything else I need to do? 

    After receiving your application and all required materials, NursingCAS will begin the verification process. On average, verification takes two weeks. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the status of their application, checking for notifications from NursingCAS, and following up on any required actions.

    To view your notifications, click View My Notifications on the left side of the application dashboard. Please ensure you also submit the $50 supplemental application fee to Linfield University by the application deadline. Failure to pay the $50 supplemental application fee will constitute an incomplete application. This fee is in addition to the NursingCAS fee.

    If you are applying for financial aid, please confirm that you have entered your Social Security Number under Personal Information, Other Information. Your Social Security Number is required for financial aid processing. The school code for Linfield University is 003198.

    If you have any planned or in-progress coursework that will be completed after your application is verified, you will want to use Academic Update in NursingCAS. Final transcripts must be received in NursingCAS for all Admitted and Waitlisted students by:

    • Summer (ABSN) cohort: May 10.
    • Fall cohort: July 10
    • Spring cohort: January 10

    Please also let Linfield's admission office know if you have an address or telephone number change so that we can update your record. All application communications will be sent by email; please check your junk/spam filters occasionally for our correspondence and status updates.

  • What should I be looking for when monitoring my application?

    Linfield University requires verification as a part of the application process. You should aim to have your application enter the verification process before or by the application due date.

    Please take a moment to log in to your NursingCAS portal and check the status of your application. If your NursingCAS application is not yet verified, you must monitor the status of your application, look for notifications from NursingCAS, make required corrections and re-submit. If you do not do this, your application will not be verified and may not be considered in our review.

  • If I don’t get in to the term I applied to, can you move my application to the next term? Or do I have to reapply? 

    You will need to reapply through NursingCAS if you wish to apply to another start term. You can use an existing account from a previous cycle to re-apply in the current cycle. You also keep the same CAS ID number from the previous cycle.

    To avoid processing delays and difficulties, do not create a new account. Duplicate accounts and any documents associated with those accounts are deleted. 

    • Log in to the application. A welcome screen appears; confirm you want to begin the re-application process by clicking Start Reapplication.
    • Ensure your profile information, including your contact information, is correct. 
    • Decide if you want to copy application data. Your selection cannot be changed. 

    Learn more about the NursingCAS reapplication process.

  • I can’t find the application in NursingCAS

    It is important to make sure that you are logged into the correct application portal for the term you are applying for. On the log-in page, there is a blue box next to the field in which you enter your log-in information. Make sure that you are logging into the portal for the application cycle you wish to apply under.

    For example, if your program starts in summer 2021, you will want to apply in the 2020-21 application portal, not the 2019-20 application portal. If you are logging into the 2019-20 portal, there will be a link in the blue box next to the log-in section that will direct you to the 2020-21 log-in portal. Click on this link to access the correct log-in portal.

    Once logged in through the correct portal you should be able to find the Linfield program you are interested in. If you have issues finding Linfield’s programs on NursingCAS, please email admission@linfield.edu.

  • Where do I submit my transcripts?

    Transcripts must be sent to NursingCAS. Transcripts sent directly to Linfield will not be accepted as part of your application. Learn more about sending your transcripts to NursingCAS. All application materials must be sent directly to NursingCAS – we will not be able to accept any application materials sent to Linfield's Office of Admission.

    We strongly recommend that you request your transcripts at least six weeks before to the application deadline, but as close to your last enrolled term as possible. It is fine to submit transcripts with in-progress courses on them.

  • Do I really have to enter every single class I have ever taken and report every higher education institution I have ever attended?

    Yes, applicants are responsible for entering all coursework completed at an institution of higher education accurately on the NursingCAS application. Learn more about NursingCAS transcript entry.

  • Can I pay to have my coursework entered on my behalf?

    Yes, you can pay for Professional Transcript Entry through NursingCAS. This service is only available for completed coursework from accredited schools. Coursework from unlisted schools, foreign coursework and planned/in-progress courses are ineligible for PTE and must be entered by you. 

    NursingCAS must receive all required transcripts before PTE can begin. See Sending Official Transcripts to NursingCAS for more details. Monitor your application to ensure your transcripts are received. On average, it takes up to seven business days from the date we receive your transcripts to post them to your application. Once your transcripts post, you will receive a confirmation email and you can view your transcript receipt dates on the Check Status tab.

    Before PTE, you must submit and pay for your application. Once your application is submitted and we receive your transcripts, NursingCAS will begin work on your application within ten business days. Note that applications are placed in line for PTE on a first-come, first-served basis. 

    Please be aware that you must review the coursework entry, approve it and resubmit your application before the application deadline or your application will be considered incomplete.

    Find more information on NursingCAS’s PTE service.

  • Does my NursingCAS application need to be verified by the application due date? 

    Your application does not need to be verified by NursingCAS by the application due date. However, you must complete these steps by the application due date:

    • Submit your application through NursingCAS
    • Ensure transcripts and recommendations are received by NursingCAS
    • Pay the NursingCAS application fee and the Linfield supplemental application fee
    • Ensure that all coursework completed at an institution of higher education is entered correctly in your application.
    • If you have purchased PTE, you must review the coursework entry, approve it, and go to the “Check Status” tab to resubmit your application.
    • If you do not follow these steps before the deadline, your application will be considered incomplete.

     

  • After I submitted my application, I realized that I forgot to enter an in-progress class in the Transcript Entry section. How do I add the class? 

    You cannot make changes to your NursingCAS application until it is verified. Once your application is verified, you can then go back in and add the course into the transcript entry section.

  • Can I edit my application after I have submitted it?

    You can edit only certain parts of your application after you have submitted it. The editable parts of your application can only be changed once NursingCAS has verified your application. Learn more about what portions of your application can be changed after submission.

  • I need to update the experiences section of my application, but my application is locked. How can I submit my updated information? 

    Once your application is submitted, you are only able to add new experiences to the experience tab. You are not able to edit existing experiences or delete an experience. If you need to modify the experience section of your application, you can add an additional experience to your application and only enter the hours you have completed since your previous entry.

    If you run into difficulties, please reach out to Linfield School of Nursing admission team.

Application review process

  • If I have a prior bachelor’s degree, how is this GPA accounted for in the application process?

    Your prior bachelor’s GPA is just one part of the criteria used in the admission review. If you took prerequisite courses as a part of your bachelor’s degree, those courses will hold a much higher value than your cumulative or prior degree GPA in your final application score.

  • Do current Linfield pre-nursing (McMinnville campus) students receive priority admission/placement? What does this mean for me as an external applicant?

    For Linfield’s two-year BSN program, pre-nursing students currently enrolled on the McMinnville campus (those with 30+ credits –residency) receive priority admission. Once these current Linfield student applications are reviewed, the number of spaces available for external applicants is determined. There may be some application cycles where Linfield is unable to accept external transfer students due to cohorts being filled by current Linfield pre-nursing students.

  • How are admission decisions made? 

    Admission decisions are made on a point-based system. Each component of the application is assigned a point value. Once all applications are scored, applicants are ranked from highest to lowest point value and admission decisions are made based upon an applicant’s final application score.

Strengthening your application

  • Are admission decisions based on my cumulative grade point average (GPA)?

    There are several components that contribute to how Linfield makes admission decisions, but GPA is an important component in the decision-making process. Admission decisions are based heavily on your prerequisite GPA. Your cumulative GPA is taken into consideration in the application review process but holds a lesser value in your application score than your prerequisite GPA.

  • Should I get my CNA before I apply?

    Linfield does not give any additional application points or admission priority to students who have a CNA license. The hours you work as a CNA will earn you points in the healthcare experience section of the application but the license itself will not provide you with any supplemental benefit in the admission process at Linfield.

  • Do I have an advantage if I have applied previously and wish to re-apply? 

    Linfield does not give priority to students who re-apply to the nursing program and we also do not dock students points on their application for re-application. If you wish to reapply for a different term, you will need to re-submit your NursingCAS application—it does not automatically rollover.

    NursingCAS has a re-application feature that allows you to use an existing account from a previous cycle to re-apply. You can learn more about how to reactivate your NursingCAS application here.

  • Should I retake courses to strengthen my application?

    Linfield’s nursing programs are competitive. We recommend that you consider retaking some prerequisite courses for a higher grade if you do not meet our minimum GPA requirements or are reapplying to our program. It is important to note that Linfield has a re-take policy for anatomy and physiology. Please see the application requirements section for more details.

Application timeline

  • Is it better to get my application in early?

    Linfield does not consider nursing applications on a rolling basis, but we encourage students to submit their applications early to ensure all required materials make it NursingCAS in time for the application deadline. We encourage you to give yourself plenty of time to complete your application, collect your references and ensure your transcripts arrive to NursingCAS by the application due date.

    We recommend that you request your official transcripts through NursingCAS as soon as they are updated and available for the term you are applying to. See these tips from NursingCAS to ensure a successful application.

  • I submitted my application, is there anything else I need to do?

    After receiving your application and all required materials, NursingCAS will begin the verification process. On average, verification takes two weeks. Reach out to the Office of Admission or NursingCAS customer service if you have any questions about the status of your application.

    To view your notifications, click View My Notifications on the left side of the application dashboard. Please ensure you also submit the $50 supplemental application fee to Linfield University by the application deadline. Failure to pay the $50 supplemental application fee will constitute an incomplete application. This fee is in addition to the NursingCAS fee.

    If you are applying for financial aid, please confirm that you have entered your Social Security Number under Personal Information, Other Information. Your Social Security Number is required for financial aid processing. The school code for Linfield University is 003198.

    If you have any planned or in-progress coursework that will be completed after your application is verified, you will want to use Academic Update in NursingCAS. Final transcripts must be received in NursingCAS for all admitted and waitlisted students by:

    • ABSN cohort: TBD (start term and timeline will be updated by September 2021)
    • Fall cohort: July 10
    • Spring cohort: January 10

    Please also let Linfield admission know if you have an address or telephone number change so that we can update your record. All application communications will be sent by email; please check your junk/spam filters occasionally for our correspondence and status updates.

  • If I don’t get into the term I applied to, can you move my application to the next term? Or do I have to reapply?

    You will have to reapply for a new term. Linfield does not automatically move applications from one term into another. If you wish to reapply for a different term, you will need to re-submit your NursingCAS application – it does not automatically rollover.

    NursingCAS has a re-application feature that allows you to use an existing account from a previous cycle to re-apply. Learn more about how to reactivate your NursingCAS application.

  • When will I learn about my admission decision?

    Admission decisions will be released on or before the following dates:

    • Fall BSN cohort: May 1
    • ABSN cohort: March 1
    • Spring BSN cohort: October 10

Program specific questions

  • Is housing available on the Portland campus?

    In 2021, Linfield’s School of Nursing moved to a new campus. Unfortunately, there is no student housing on this new campus at this time.

  • How many students are admitted to the nursing program?

    There are 72 students accepted into each fall and spring BSN cohort and 56 students are accepted into the summer ABSN cohort each year.

  • What is the cost of the program?

    Find out more about the program cost.

  • Is financial aid available?

  • How many clinical hours will I have?

    You will participate in almost 1,000 hours of clinical during your program here at Linfield. Here is a list of sample clinical sites.

  • Will clinical experiences only be in the Portland metro area? 

    The majority of clinical experiences occur in the tri-county area (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington). All students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from clinical sites. If you choose to drive a personal vehicle, you are responsible for operating the vehicle in compliance with local, state and federal regulations, including Oregon State laws regarding automobile insurance.

    Parking fees associated with clinical practice are also your responsibility.

  • Can I work while I’m attending nursing school?

    Linfield’s nursing program is demanding of your time and energy. While this is each student’s personal decision, most nursing students choose to focus full time on the program while enrolled. There are opportunities for campus work-study for students with financial aid eligibility.

  • What does the curriculum look like?

    Check out our current curriculum outlines. The ABSN curriculum is undergoing some changes and will be different than our BSN curriculum starting in Summer 2022.