How To Apply To Nurse Practitioner Schools – A Step-by-Step Guide

Written By: Kasee WiesenKasee Wiesen DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Kasee Wiesen is a practicing family nurse practitioner. Her nursing background includes emergency medicine, pediatrics and peri-op. She started her health career as a nurse’s aid while pursuing her bachelor’s in nursing degree in a hospital setting. Education is a passion of Kasee’s, and after working as a BSN prepared nursed, she obtained in master’s in nursing education and began teaching adjunct for a local university. Read Full Bio »» DNP, APRN, FNP-C

The nursing field offers many opportunities for nurses to advance their degrees as they wish. One example of taking your nursing career to the next step is to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. This can be overwhelming, and many nurses wanting to take this leap are wondering where they start. Do you need experience or have to complete additional classes before applying?

So how do you apply to nurse practitioner schools? Below, I will provide a step-by-step process to help you successfully apply to nurse practitioner schools.

What are the Typical Application Requirements for Nurse Practitioner Schools?

Nurse practitioner programs are pretty standardized regarding what they expect from applicant requirements. Below I will provide a list of requirements, in no specific order, that may be needed to apply to nurse practitioner schools.

• Official transcripts from the BSN program
• Completed application
• Active RN license
• 2-3 professional recommendations
• Graduate Statistics
• BLS Certification
• Personal Statement
• Interview
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in BSN program

How to Apply to Nurse Practitioner Schools?

Below you will find a step-by-step process to help you successfully apply to nurse practitioner schools. These steps may occur in a slightly different order than listed below, which is okay as this is a guideline to apply to nurse practitioner schools successfully.

Step #1: Graduate from BSN Program

About the Step:

Before considering applying to nurse practitioner schools, you must complete your BSN degree. You can do this through a traditional BSN program, RN-BSN program, or an accelerated BSN program. It does not matter how this is achieved as long as you graduate from an accredited BSN program before applying to NP school.

How to Ace this Step:

You must successfully graduate from a BSN program to ace this step. This is achieved by actively participating in class and clinical, asking questions, and finding opportunities to build on your knowledge. It will help if you are organized, prepared to study a lot, and seek clarification on any topics you don’t fully understand. Tests are a significant component of nursing school, and if you don’t test well or do well on a test, be sure to meet with your instructor for assistance.

Step #2: Pass the NCLEX-RN exam

About the Step:

After completing your BSN program, you must pass the NCLEX before practicing as a nurse. The NCLEX-RN is required in all 50 states and is the standardized test required to obtain your RN license-- and you must have an active RN license before applying to nurse practitioner schools. You must complete the test in your “home” state or residence, as this is where you will get your nursing license.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, I recommend completing an NCLEX board prep course. This will provide you with test-taking tips, access to questions, and access to an instructor who is very knowledgeable about the NCLEX style of test questions. Many BSN programs also offer some board prep throughout their programs, such as HESI or ATI—and if your school offers a program like this, take it seriously! It is designed to prepare you to take the NCLEX and exposes you to NCLEX-style questions starting early in your BSN program.

Step #3: Gain RN experience.

About the Step:

While all programs do not require this step, I strongly encourage you to gain a minimum of 1 year of experience before applying to NP school. First, this will help you solidify the specialty you want to pursue as a nurse practitioner. Plus, the knowledge, experience, and confidence gained as an RN will be invaluable to you as a nurse practitioner.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, start applying for jobs for RNs. Try and apply to jobs that you are interested in or areas you are passionate about—but if none are available, then any other experience as an RN will also benefit you in your NP career.

Step #4: Choose which specialty you want to pursue in NP school.

About the Step:

Before applying to nurse practitioner schools, you need to know what specialty you want to pursue. This is important since you apply to a specific program determined by NP specialty. The program selected may impact the admission requirements too. Examples include family practice, adult-gerontology acute care or primary care, pediatric acute care or primary care, women’s health, and psychiatric mental health.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, reflect on your passions and interests and see how they fit into the NP specialty programs. You may also ask to shadow NPs who are already practicing, or at the very least formulate questions to ask them to find out what they like or don’t like about their job or specialty.

Step #5: Gain experience in your specialty of interest if needed.

About the Step:

Some specialties require a specified number of years of experience before applying to the program. This is to ensure the RN has a foundation in caring for the specific population, including knowledge and treatment of various disease processes, along with knowing how to communicate with other healthcare professionals, patients, and family members.

How to Ace this Step:

Determine the specialty you want to pursue and determine if requirements are needed in a specific area. If there are, look for jobs in that area—if there are no jobs posted, get creative, and you can email nurse managers to see if they know of any job openings opening soon and, if there are options for you to submit a resume for them to review early. If there are no openings, you may have to broaden your radius regarding hospitals, clinics, etc., that you are applying to find a hospital hiring for that specific job.

Step #6: Start to research NP programs

About the Step:

Once you know the area or specialty you want to complete as an NP student, start researching programs. There are A LOT of NP programs to consider, so it is essential to put time into this process. You will be in this program for the next 2-4 years, depending on the degree pursuing (MSN vs. DNP).

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, take time and put thought into program selection. There are multiple points to consider, including:

• Course curriculum
• Is the program online, in-person or hybrid?
• Do you plan to attend full-time or part-time?
• Do they help with clinical placement?
• How long is the program?
• Tuition cost?

This is not a comprehensive list but is a start of the questions to ask yourself and consider when researching programs to ensure you apply to nurse practitioner schools that best fit your goals.

Step #7: Obtain certifications that may be beneficial to your area of expertise

About the Step:

Some NP specialties require specific certifications to be completed before applying for the NP program. This is to help demonstrate competency in a particular area. Examples of these certifications may include basic life support (BLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and adult cardiovascular life support (ACLS). These are just three of the many certifications that may be required before application or acceptance into a program.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, look at the admission requirements on the program website you wish to complete for any prerequisites or requirements regarding certification. You may also have to contact the program directly to find this information. If certifications are needed, find out where they can be completed and completed ASAP.

Step #8: Contact your favorite programs and ask questions if you have any.

About the Step:

After completing your research, contact your favorite programs with any questions. This may include questions not answered on their website or seeking clarification on information already provided. By doing this, you can better narrow down your search and selection of the NP program you want to attend.

How to Ace this Step:

Prepare a list of questions you want to be answered before visiting any websites regarding NP programs. Then, after researching the program online, any questions you still need to answer or any new questions that developed, email the recruiter or representative from the program with the questions. This shows initiative and a genuine interest in their program.

Step #9: Review admission requirements and complete as needed.

About the Step:

Review their admission requirements once you have selected the NP program or programs you would like to apply to. You already have many of the admission requirements, but some you may need to revise, such as your resume or essay. You may also have to contact your BSN program or former nursing programs to have transcripts mailed, follow up on recommendations you asked to be completed, and finish other things you may need to complete, such as a graduate statistics course.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, print off a list of the admission requirements for each program you are interested in or applying to, and as you complete the task, check it off the list. This will help keep you organized and ensure you meet all the steps in the admission process.

Step #10: Apply to the NP program.

About the Step:

Now, you apply to the nurse practitioner programs you want to complete. Some people only apply to one program at a time, while others will apply to two or more programs. There is no right or wrong to how many applications you can submit. Pay attention to application deadlines, though, because if you do not get into your number one NP program selection, you may still be able to apply to a different program based on application deadlines.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, ensure you have done your research, have your questions answered, and know the date of the application deadline. You must also understand the admission process, including required documents and prerequisites you must complete and have these all ready and easy to access when completing the application. Lastly, don’t procrastinate and complete as soon as you can.

Step #11: Complete the interview process if needed.

About the Step:

Some programs, if not all, require an interview before acceptance into the program. This is to ensure you understand the proper role of the NP and what they do daily. It also helps the school determine if the applicant is a good fit for the program and ready to begin their journey in advancing their nursing career.

How to Ace this Step:

To ace this step, have a proper understanding of the role of the nurse practitioner and what their role is when delivering healthcare. Also, research the program and have a strong understanding of it, which will help you answer questions they may have for you.

Step #12: Receive your acceptance letter and start the next chapter of your nursing career.

About the Step:

The last step is to receive your acceptance letter and accept admission into the program. This is an exciting time as it is the first step of beginning your new journey in your nursing career. The acceptance letter often includes information including tuition, the start date for the program, and names of contact people within the program. The letter will also often provide steps to complete before you are truly enrolled in the program.

How to Ace this Step:

Often, the acceptance letter will give you a couple of steps you need to do to demonstrate you accept admission into their program—such as going online and formally accepting admission into their program. You may also have to provide payment information, enroll for first-semester courses and submit necessary documents such as immunization records. Make sure to follow any directions to ensure enrollment within the program.

My Final Thoughts

Do you now have a better idea of how to apply to nurse practitioner schools? I hope you found the step-by-step process to help you successfully apply to nurse practitioner beneficial. Nurse practitioners are in demand, and it is a great career choice for many nurses wanting to advance their degrees!