VL to BSN Program Overview

Healthcare Pathways Success Coach Contact Information: 

All new applicants will have a non-refundable $50 application fee charged to their student account after the application is received. Applications will not be reviewed until after this fee is paid. Payment can be made online through the ctcLink Dashboard. Cashier checks, money orders, personal checks, credit or debit Visa and MasterCard are accepted in-person through the Cashier’s Office on the first floor of Building 4. (Cash payments can only be made through the Cashier’s Office). Please contact the Cashier’s Office at 360-475-7181 for hours of operation or WebPayment@olympic.edu.

All Applicants:

• Review the Nursing Program website FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). 

• Attend an Information Session (dates and times available on the website).

• Meet with a Healthcare Student Success Coach if you need assistance with planning or have more questions (this can be scheduled through @email). 

• Complete Accuplacer placement assessment if needed for math and English. If you have already completed math and English classes, the Reading Comprehension section is still required of all applicants. Visit the OC Placement website for testing information, or contact the Assessment and Testing Center at 360-475-7238.

• Complete online application.

Submit the following documents with your online application:

• Official Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Proficiency Test scores. Reading scores from any other placement exams will not be accepted.

• Reflective Statement describing how your unique experiences and attributes (background, identity, culture, beliefs, values, or experiences) will contribute to your success in the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Program and align with the Olympic College Nursing Program Mission. The reflective statement should be no more than two pages, double-spaced, size 12 font (Arial or Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

• Current resume describing the specific activities and responsibilities of your professional and academic experiences. Include any activities, certifications, and skills relevant to healthcare. Please indicate any languages spoken and proficiency on the resume if seeking cultural wealth point for being multilingual. The resume should be no more than two pages, size 12 font (Arial or Times New Roman), with 1-inch margins.

• Three professional letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your abilities in nursing or healthcare. Supervisors, work colleagues, and nursing faculty are all acceptable. Letters of recommendation may be delivered separately to the Admissions Office on the Bremerton Campus or electronically to @email.  

• LPN applicants: verification of unencumbered Washington State professional licensure.

• Submit DD214 and DD215 (if applicable) to verify military service and Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET). For Airforce applicants (If applicable): submit the Community College of the Airforce (CCAF) transcript.

• Letter(s) documenting qualification for the following state or federally awarded financial aid programs (if applicable): Basic Food Employment and Training (BFET) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Opportunity Grant, Worker Retraining, Pell Grant, Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA), Washington State Need Grant, Free and Reduced Lunches. Award letters must be dated within 12 months of the application deadline.

Applicants who have attended any institution other than Olympic College

Complete the course review process for biology or nursing support courses (courses from other colleges/universities may not be equivalent) if applicable.

Submit official transcripts from ALL colleges other than Olympic College.

• Electronic official transcripts can be sent to @email Sealed official transcripts can be mailed to: Olympic College, Registration & Records, 1600 Chester Ave., Bremerton, WA 98337.

• You must provide an official transcript from each school you have attended, even if the course(s) was from a non-accredited school, was taken for “no credit,” or is not applicable to nursing. Showing transferred courses on one transcript will not be considered.

• If courses are in-progress during the winter quarter and you are attending a school other than Olympic College, you will be required to submit official transcripts as soon as winter grades are posted; transcripts must be received no later than Mar. 31. Failure to do so will make your application ineligible.

• If you took Advanced Placement courses in high school, you must submit a copy of your scores from the College Board.

Submit a Transcript Evaluation Request.  

Application to the VL-BSN Program is a separate process from the application to Olympic College. Enrollment in the VL-BSN Program is limited; therefore, admission to Olympic College does not guarantee admission to the program. Formal application to the VL-BSN Program should be made when the applicant has completed or is registered for their last prerequisite course. To be considered for priority admission, the VL-BSN Application MUST be received NO LATER THAN Mar. 31. 

Admission Requirements

1. Fluency in the English language (reading comprehension and writing); a necessary requirement for licensure as a nurse.

2. Achieve a score of 260 on the Accuplacer Next Generation Reading Assessment. Contact the Assessment and Testing Center to schedule. The Reading Comprehension Test is required for ALL applicants regardless of background or previous degrees.

3. Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of 2.0 in each course: 

   • ENGL& 101 - English Composition 1 

   • PSYC& 100 – General Psychology (OR PSYC 102 – Psychology of Adjustment)

   • CHEM& 121- Introduction to Chemistry – (OR CHEM& 141/151 AND 142/152). *Note: If you fail to pass CHEM& 121 with a 2.0 within 3 attempts, you cannot use CHEM& 141/151 and 142/152 instead to satisfy the prerequisite. 

   • BIOL& 241- Anatomy & Physiology 1 

   • BIOL& 242 - Anatomy & Physiology 2 

   • BIOL& 260 – Microbiology

4. Courses completed during winter quarter with the required grade or better will be included in the student’s file as required for fall admission consideration.  

5. Applicants:

   • LPN applicants: verification of unencumbered Washington State professional licensure.

   • Veteran applicants: Submit DD214 and DD215 and Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET). For Airforce applicants: submit the Community College of the Airforce (CCAF) transcript (if applicable).

The application and supporting documents must be received no later than Mar. 31 for priority consideration (i.e., late applications will only be considered based on Nursing Program discretion). Olympic College is not responsible for errors in submitting applications. The applicant is responsible for verifying that all required documentation is received by the Office of Admissions. Applications and transcripts received after March 31st may not be considered for admission to the program for that year. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All application materials become the property of Olympic College.  

Past Disciplinary Action Petition Letter

Students with official disciplinary action or warning or deemed “not in good standing” at Olympic College or any previous higher education institution must include an admission petition letter as part of their application materials. The petition letter must address the disciplinary action, contributing factors, and a mitigation plan to promote future success. Nursing Program entry is NOT an option if the student was disciplined due to a critical safety element.

Background Inquiry

Students who have any previous legal charge or conviction must include a letter indicating the nature of the charge and final disposition with their application. For all students accepted to the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN program, a national background inquiry completed by Certified Background is required to disclose any history of criminal record or abusive behavior (Child/Adult Abuse Information Act, RCW; 43.43.830 through 43.43.840). If the results of this information cause any clinical agency to deny you privileges to rotate through that agency, withdrawal from the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Program will be required.

The WA State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) hopes to help individuals who have a founded finding of child abuse or neglect in their past that is preventing them from gaining employment. By applying for and gaining a Certificate of Parental Improvement (CPI), DSHS will no longer automatically disqualify you from working in a Long-Term Care facility and the facility must do a suitability review.

Re-entering Olympic College Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Students

Reentering Olympic College Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN students must submit a VL-BSN Admissions Application and credential requirements to be eligible to re-enroll. The deadline is two weeks after the final re-entry petition decision.

Important Note About Retaking Classes

Students can take a prerequisite or support course up to three times. If an applicant has retaken a required course multiple times, the grade for the most recent attempt will be considered. If the grade for the final attempt for a required class is below the minimum GPA required, the student will be considered ineligible for application to the Olympic College Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN program.

Students with Previous Nursing Education

Students who have completed formal nursing education at Olympic College or any higher education institution must complete prerequisite coursework, meet grade requirements, and enter the applicant pool. If a student started a nursing program outside of Olympic College but did not complete the program for any reason, the student must provide a letter from the previous nursing school’s chief nurse administrator (e.g., Dean or Director) stating that they left in good standing. If accepted to the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Program, previous coursework may be reviewed to determine advanced standing.

Past Disciplinary Action Petition Letter

Students with official disciplinary action or warning or deemed “not in good standing” at Olympic College or any previous higher education institution must include an admission petition letter as part of their application materials. The petition letter must address the disciplinary action, contributing factors, and a mitigation plan to promote future success. Nursing Program entry is NOT an option if the student was disciplined due to a critical safety element.

Background Inquiry

Students who have any previous legal charge or conviction must include a letter indicating the nature of the charge and final disposition with their application. For all students accepted to the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN program, a national background inquiry completed by Certified Background is required to disclose any history of criminal record or abusive behavior (Child/Adult Abuse Information Act, RCW; 43.43.830 through 43.43.840). If the results of this information cause any clinical agency to deny you privileges to rotate through that agency, withdrawal from the Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Program will be required.

The WA State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) hopes to help individuals who have a founded finding of child abuse or neglect in their past that is preventing them from gaining employment. By applying for and gaining a Certificate of Parental Improvement (CPI), DSHS will no longer automatically disqualify you from working in a Long-Term Care facility, and the facility must do a suitability review.

Re-entering Olympic College Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN Students

Re-entering Olympic College Veterans and Licensed Practical Nurse to BSN students must submit a VL-BSN Admissions Application and credential requirements to be eligible to re-enroll. The deadline is two weeks after the final re-entry petition decision.
 

ACADEMIC METRICS: PREREQUISITE & SUPPORT COURSES (weighted at 60%)