Nursing Admissions

Prairie State College offers three nursing pathways: a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) to become an RN, an LPN bridging option with advanced placement, and a Certified Nurse Assistant program for hospital and long-term care careers. 
Transcripts

Official high school transcripts or official GED transcript/diploma (graduation date must appear on transcript).

Official transcripts from all previous colleges must be submitted prior to the deadline date with a Transcript Evaluation Request form.

Accomodations

An applicant must self-disclose any disability and the need for special accommodations. If a student does not self-disclose, they may not later use the aforementioned as a reason to appeal. 

Any applicant who does not believe they are able to meet the essential functional abilities outlined above is
strongly encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services at disabilityservices@prairiestate.edu

Testing

The Nursing Intent Form will not be accepted until the applicant has taken the placement test and successfully
completed all required developmental courses with a grade of “C” or better.

Applicants may also submit ACT/SAT scores (no older than three (3) years) or use official high school transcripts
for placement through multiple measures, if applicable.

Student Selection for Incoming Class

Class size is determined based on clinical site capacity and faculty availability.
Building

 

The final rank score includes general education coursework completed with a "C" or better, the HESI A2 score, and In-District Points, if applicable.
If multiple applicants share the same score and seats are limited, preference is given first to Prairie State College in-district applicants, and then based on the date of program intent form submission.
Prairie State College
NursingApplication Procedure

Application Checklist: Required by March 1

1. PSC General Admissions Application
2. Nursing Program Intent Form (via application portal)
3. Official High School Transcript or GED Certificate
4. Official College Transcripts (if applicable)
5. Transcript Evaluation Request Form (if submitting college transcripts)

Apply Now

All forms are available on our Admissions page. For assistance, contact Jordan Ferguson, Selective Admissions Specialist at jferguson4@prairiestate.edu, 708-709-7701

Nursing Handbook (PDF)

Application Evaluation Process

Assessment Requirement

All Prairie State College students are required to take the placement test before enrolling in English, math, or reading courses. The results determine eligibility for college-level coursework and placement in the required nursing prerequisites.

Nursing applicants must take the placement exam for any area (English, math, or reading) in which they have not
already met the requirement through coursework or qualifying test scores.

Important: Courses used to meet prerequisites must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. For example, if your transcript shows a math course with a grade lower than “C”, or no math course at all, you are required to complete themath portion of the placement test prior to March 1.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to take the assessment as early as possible to allow time for review, registration, or remediation if necessary.

Application Evaluation

Once all required documents are received, the Selective Admissions Specialist will evaluate the applicant’s completed prerequisites and supporting materials.

  • If the evaluation determines that the outstanding coursework cannot reasonably be completed before the
    deadline, the applicant will be advised to complete the required courses and reapply in a future admission
    cycle.
  • The applicant's name will be removed from the current list of applicants, allowing both the student and the
    program to plan effectively for future entry.
  • An Evaluation Email will be sent approximately 2–3 weeks after submission of the Nursing Intent Form.

Note: If you do not receive your evaluation email within this timeframe, it is your responsibility to contact the Selective Admission Specialist before the application deadline.

This evaluation email should be retained as proof of submission and may be required for reference in later
communication with the department.

Applicants who have fulfilled all prerequisite requirements by March 1 will be invited to attend a mandatory information session. An email titled “Next Steps” will be sent to eligible applicants once the Intent Form is reviewed. This message will include a link to select one (1) information session to attend.
Nursing
Information Session

Residency

Optional — For Bonus Points in Nursing Program Admissions Ranking. In-district applicants are eligible to earn five (5) bonus points toward admission consideration by submitting proof of Prairie State College district residency via email to scselectiveadmission@prairiestate.edu

Deadline: March 1: If space in the program is limited and applicants are otherwise equally qualified, preference will be given to
verified in-district applicants.

Note: Two documents must be submitted — no exceptions Prior submissions will not carry over from previous years. Address listed on PSC student account does not automatically qualify as proof. Current documentation must be submitted each year the applicant applies.

Residency Eligibility Requirements
  • The applicant must reside in-district for at least 90 days prior to the March 1 application deadline.
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide two (2) acceptable proofs of residency.

Acceptable Proofs of Residency Documents must:

  • Be in the student’s name
  • Reflect the same address
  • Match the address submitted to the Office of Records and Registration 
Examples of acceptable documents:
  • Voter registration card
  • Property tax statement
  • Income tax return
  • Mortgage or mortgage statement
  • Utility bills (gas and electricity)
  • Bank statement
  • Cell phone bill
  • Medical billing statement
  • Car insurance statement

Admissions Process and Policies

Applicants must meet deadlines for applications, HESI A2 exams, and registration. Selection is competitive, based on GPA, HESI scores, and residency points. Accepted students must complete prerequisites like uniforms, health exams, background checks, and immunizations before starting. Reapplication is required after withdrawals or failures.
  • Application Deadline: March 1
  • Program Information Session: Mid-March
  • First HESI Testing Attempt: Late March
  • Second HESI Testing Attempt: Mid-April
  • Decision Letters Sent: Week of Mid-April
  • Mandatory Registration: Suggested — Second week of May (last week of the semester)

  • Application Deadline: May 15
  • Program Information Session: Late May
  • First HESI Testing Attempt: Early June
  • Second HESI Testing Attempt: Mid-June
  • Decision Letters Sent: Late June
  • Mandatory Registration: Virtual Session(s): End of June 

Due to limited space in the Nursing Program, admission is highly competitive. Approved applicants will be ranked based on the following criteria:

  • Grade points earned in prerequisite and general education courses
  • HESI A2 exam cumulative score
  • Bonus residency points (if applicable)


Note: For the evening cohort, selection will follow the same lottery process used by the daytime Nursing Program.

How Rank Scores Are Calculated:

  • Multiply the credit hours of each course by the grade point value:
    • A (4.0) = 4 points
    • B (3.99-3.0) = 3 points
    • C (2.99-2.0) = 2 points

Total all points to calculate the final rank score Example:

  • BIOL 221 = 4 credit hours
  • Grade: A (4 points)
  • 4 credits × 4 points = 16 grade points

Note: If a student has completed a prerequisite/general education course more than once, the most recent course grade will be used in the ranking calculation. This applies to all courses, including Humanities and Fine Arts—even if the previous grade was a C or better. The previous policy of using the "most current grade of C or better" for humanities/fine arts has been discontinued.


To receive admission points for Anatomy and Physiology, both A&P I (BIOL 221) and A&P II (BIOL 222) must be successfully completed at the same institution. Partial transfer credit will not be considered for ranking
purposes in this category. Nursing course credits are accepted only for students entering through the LPN Bridge Program. In addition, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification credits may be accepted as part of the program requirements.

After attending the mandatory information session, applicants must complete the HESI A2 Entrance Exam, which
includes:

  • Math
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Vocabulary
  • Anatomy & Physiology

*PSC uses the average (cumulative) score across all four sections. The minimum acceptable cumulative score is 73%.

Scoring Scale
HESI A2 Score Points Awarded94–100 12 points

  • 87–93: 9 points
  • 80–86: 6 points
  • 73–79: 3 points

Testing Schedule

  • First Session: Late March
  • Open to all applicants
  • Applicants scoring below 73% may retake during the second session
  • Second Session: Mid-April
  • Final opportunity to test during the current application cycle
    Important:
  • Selective Admissions applicants may take the HESI A2 exam up to two times per application cycle/academic year.
  • Scores are valid for two consecutive application cycles (the year the test is taken and the following year).
  • The highest HESI score submitted will be used and will apply to all selective admissions programs at Prairie State College; Only HESI exams taken at Prairie State College will be accepted.

  • Accepted students will receive an email notification that their decision letter is ready in their application portal
  • Instructions regarding fee payment, registration, and other next steps will be included
  • Students not selected due to limited space may be:
    • Placed on a waitlist, ranked by score
    • If not contacted, they must reapply the following year

Upon admission to the Nursing Program, the following must be completed:

  1. Acceptance of invitation to the program.
  2. Uniform Purchase
    • Must purchase uniforms approved by the Nursing Department
    • Fitting dates and costs included in follow-up letter
  3. Proof of Insurance
    • Must provide proof of current health insurance
    • Option to purchase low-cost insurance through the Student Activities Office
  4. Physical Exam and Immunizations
    • Exam must be done no earlier than three months before the start of the semester
    • Submit all documentation via the electronic system by August 1
  5. Class Registration Information
    • Provided in a Nursing Department welcome letter
  6. Criminal Background Check & Drug Screen
    • Required for all students
    • Fees are the student’s responsibility
    • Instructions provided at the mandatory May Registration
    • Only negative drug tests accepted
    • Any positive background history will be reviewed by the Director of Nursing, the Dean of Allied Health and/or the Vice President of Academic Affairs

Disqualifying offenses are outlined in Section 955.160 of the Health Care Worker Program. Students disqualified from clinical participation may be withdrawn from the program.


Nursing Students Who Fail or Withdraw

Courses NURS 101 or 111:

  • May repeat the course the following year without reapplying
  • Student is considered active in the program
  • Failure to return the following year requires full reapplication
  • Students who have failed NURS 101 or NURS 111 are not required to reapply to the Nursing Program. However, they must submit a new Nursing Program Intent Form to reserve their seat for the following academic year.

Courses NURS 102, 201, 202, or 211:

  • May also repeat once without reapplying
  • An exit interview is required (with the dean, director, faculty, or chair)

Two Failures or Withdrawals:

  • Student must wait two years before reapplying
  • Must return as a new (generic) student
  • Must retake all nursing courses, even if previously passed
  • Must complete a remediation plan developed by faculty