Application Roadmap and Scoring
Application roadmap
You must apply be accepted into the University before you can apply to the nursing program. You will need a student ID number/M number, and a Missouri State email address.
Applicants are accepted into the Missouri State University School of Nursing program in the fall and spring semesters.
Applications are accepted:
- December 1 thru January 31 for a fall start.
- June 1-July 31 for a spring start.
Both applications are due by 11:59pm Eastern time on the close date, no exceptions. If you are missing documentation, your application is ineligible for consideration.
You do not have to be taking courses currently to apply to the nursing program.
If you are transferring to Missouri State, it is recommended you apply to the university by December 1 for a fall start, and by June 1 for a spring start to ensure all transcripts are received prior to the application close date.
Applications are completed in NursingCAS. The cost is approximately $60 to apply. You do not need to submit your transcripts to NursingCAS. Transcripts should be submitted to the university Office of Admissions.
Prior to submitting your application in NursingCAS, make sure you have taken the TEAS exam. This exam is available through the ATI Testing website.
The cost is $70 for Missouri State University students and $90 for non-Missouri State University students. It is highly recommended you prepare for this exam as your scores will be used when reviewing applications. The TEAS is available to take proctored online or in-person at a designated testing center. Applicants can contact the Missouri State University Testing Center to access this service.
The minimum GPA for admission into the pre-licensure BSN program is 3.0. Your cumulative GPA will be used at time of admission. We also use your grades in the following MSU courses or equivalent courses for scoring purposes:
- CHM 116 or CHM 160
- ENG 110
- COM 115
- SOC 150
- PSY 121
- MTH 134 or higher
- BMS 110 or BIO 121
With your application, you will be required to submit a resume for a more holistic review. Applicants must use the resume template (.docx) provided on the BSN Admission Requirements page.
The use of other resume templates will result in an applicant being ineligible for consideration. Do not include your GPA or grade information. All resumes are de-identified, name removed, prior to scoring to prevent bias with a number assigned instead.
After calculating scores, we will offer asynchronous interviews to the top 75% of the applicant pool.
Scoring
The four major areas to be scored in applications include:
- GPA and grades for the specific courses listed above
- TEAS scores
- Resumes
- Interviews
All areas will be scored out of 25 points.
GPA
Students are assigned points based on their grades in the following MSU course or transfer equivalent courses: COM 115, ENG 110, SOC 150, PSY 121, MTH 134 or higher, BIO 121 or BMS 110, CHM 116 or CMH 160, and the cumulative GPA.
The scoring chart is listed below to demonstrate how many points are awarded for each grade.
Point chart
| Grade | Points awarded |
|---|---|
| A | 4 |
| A- | 3.7 |
| B+ | 3.3 |
| B | 3 |
| B- | 2.7 |
| C+ | 2.3 |
| C | 2 |
| C- | 1.7 |
| D+ | 1.3 |
| D | 1 |
| F | 0 |
Please note that students who are bringing in a passing grade (P) for any course are not assigned a grade on their transcript; therefore, individuals will receive an automatic ‘C’ score of 2 points.
In addition, students who may have one of these courses in progress at the time of application will also receive an automatic ‘C’ score.
Total points in the GPA section are multiplied by 0.78125 to equal 25 total points.
TEAS
All four categories (Reading, Math, Science, English) and the cumulative score will be included in the point calculation. Applicants score a maximum of 5 points in each category.
| Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Developmental | Basic | Proficient | Advanced | Exemplary |
| Reading | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Math | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Science | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| English | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Category | Developmental | Basic | Proficient | Advanced | Exemplary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 50-71 | 71.1-79.5 | 79.6-87 | 87.1-98.5 | 98.6-100 |
| Math | 50-75.5 | 75.6-79.5 | 79.6-87 | 87.1-95 | 95.1-100 |
| Science | 50-75 | 75.1-79.5 | 79.6-87 | 87.1-93.5 | 93.6-100 |
| English | 50-73 | 73.1-79.5 | 79.6-87 | 87.1-96 | 96.1-100 |
The TEAS exam may only be taken twice in each application cycle, or four times per years, and the scores will be averaged together.
Resume
Applicants will be scored across four categories. The maximum number of points awarded per category are as follows:
- Leadership – 5 points
- Extracurricular activities – 5 points
- Community service (any number of hours) – 5 points
- Experience – 10 points
Applicants may receive points in this area of health care observations, non-health care work experience, and health care work experience.
Interview
For applicants offered an interview, a link to a virtual, asynchronous interview will be received. Applicants will have one week to complete the interview.
A practice assessment for applicants can be completed if the applicant chooses too. Professionalism is assessed during the interview. It is recommended students dress, act, and speak professionally to receive the maximum available points.