Admission Procedures

Admission

The selection of applicants is based upon each individual’s potential to successfully complete the School of Nursing’s curriculum. Each applicant is considered based upon the completion of required steps in the application process.

Applicants should be aware that certain felony convictions will make them ineligible for licensure prior to entry or during the course of the educational program. Therefore they may be unable to work as a registered nurse. Please direct any concerns to the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing before continuing the application process.

Admission requirements

Academic requirements for admission include graduation from an accredited high school and successful completion of the following:

• Applicants should preferably rank in the top two-fifths of their high school graduating class with a preferred cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• A General Equivalency Diploma (GED) may be used in lieu of a high school diploma.
• Clarion University requires an SAT/ACT score for applicants who graduated less than 3 years ago and have not attended a college. For applicants who have attended college, Clarion University requires a cumulative QPA of 2.0 or higher

Admission procedure

Step 1: Complete an application, submit references and pay the application fee

• Apply online for admission to West Penn Hospital School of Nursing in affiliation with Clarion University Pittsburgh Campus
• Complete all elements of the application.
• Download reference forms complete a minimum of two (2) references. Recommended individuals providing references include: managers, coworkers, clergy members or teachers. References from relatives will not be accepted.
• All applications require a $50 non-refundable fee
• Completed applications for admission should be submitted to the Admissions Office. All applications and additional inquiries regarding the admission process should be directed to the West Penn School of Nursing Admissions Office.

    Admissions Office
    West Penn Hospital School of Nursing
    4900 Friendship Avenue
    Pittsburgh, PA 15224
    Toll-free: 1-877-33-NURSE
    Email: sonadmissions@ahn.org

Applications will be processed only after all requirements are complete.

Step 2: Take the Pre-entrance examination

All applicants must take the ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS). Scheduled testing is offered on the campus of West Penn School of Nursing.

• Contact the admissions office to register for the on-site examination
• All applicants are required to pay a $75.00 entrance examination fee. This fee must be paid no later than five days of your testing date.
• The preferred adjusted individual total score is 65% and above.
• All applicants are eligible to retake the examination once. The applicant must register and pay an additional test fee of $75.00 in order to retake the examination.

Checklist for applicants:

• ATI Registration and Test ID Number
• ATI-TEAS Testing Procedure
• Schedule for ATI-TEAS Testing, and Information Sessions
• Questions

ATI registration and test ID number

Before coming for your pre-admission ATI-TEAS test, you must open a free account with ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC) and obtain your personal ATI testing ID number.

You must bring a printout of your ID number to your pre-admission ATI-TEAS test. Also, if you become a student, you must use the same number each time you take an ATI exam during our program.

To create your free ATI account and testing ID number:

• Go to www.atitesting.com and click on "Create New Account."
• Follow the screen prompts.
• In the "Institutions" section, you will find our school listed as "West Penn Hospital SON"
• After you have created your ATI account, your personal ID will be displayed under "Account Information." At this screen, be sure to print your ATI ID "paper/pencil" number.
• Keep our ATI paper/pencil ID number until notified by the School of Nursing regarding acceptance. If accepted, you need to keep this ID number since you will use it throughout the two years of our nursing program.

ATI TEAS (TEAS 6th Edition) Test Preparation

To prepare to take the TEAS, you may wish - but you are not required - to purchase from ATI their TEAS Study Guide or TEAS Online Practice Test. If you are interested, please visit TEAS® Products at www.atitesting.com for more information, current pricing, and to order. All prices are subject to change by the company. If you have any problem with this process, please call us for help at (412) 578-5538.

Transfer of credit policy

It is the policy of West Penn Hospital School of Nursing to accept transfer credit for newly admitted students. Transfer of college/general education credits will only be considered prior to admission to the nursing program. Students admitted to, and currently enrolled in courses at West Penn Hospital School of Nursing are required take courses offered by Clarion University Pittsburgh Campus.

The purpose of this policy is to provide students with the ability to transfer credits at the time of admission.

In order to be eligible for transfer, students must provide an official transcript with evidence of course completion and grade from college and/or university for consideration. A course must be comparable in content, credit(s) and/or contact hours. Course descriptions and syllabi may be required to determine whether courses are acceptable for transfer. Acceptable substitutes for required courses are determined by Clarion University.

Courses for transfer must meet the following criteria:

• Courses be completed at an institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting association for colleges and universities.
• A Grade of "C" or better attained in the course.
• Anatomy and Physiology I & II must be completed at the same institution.
• Anatomy and Physiology I & II and Microbiology must have been completed within five years of prospective admission.
• Anatomy and Physiology I & II and Microbiology must have a laboratory component to be considered for transfer.
• Nursing courses from other schools of nursing are not accepted for transfer.

Transfer credit may be given for Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations for High School General Psychology. Evidence of AP Examination Score must be provided from the College Board with a minimum score of 3.

High school and college and/or university transcripts from a foreign country must be translated and evaluated for U.S. course equivalency by a translation and evaluation service acceptable to the West Penn Hospital School of Nursing. Cost for this service is the responsibility of the applicant.

Any transfer of credit granted to the student will be considered attempted and earned prior to admission. The transfer of credit will not apply to the student’s overall grade point average (GPA). The student will be notified of acceptance of credits in writing prior to the start of the program.

West Penn Hospital School of Nursing provides no guarantee that credits earned while enrolled will transfer to another educational institution.