The University of Iowa College of Nursing is consistently ranked as one of the best nursing programs in the nation. Our graduates are sought after as highly skilled professionals who have received a rigorous education of the highest quality. Established in 1898, the UI College of Nursing has a rich history of preparing nurses to achieve excellence in clinical practice, research, and leading systems of health care. 

Direct Admission Program


Direct Admission to the College of Nursing is designed for high-achieving high school students. There are two direct admission options: early action or regular decision. You must meet the criteria below to be considered for either option.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Meet the high school course requirements:
    • 4 years of High School English
    • 1 year of High School Biology
    • 1 year of High School Chemistry
    • 1 year of High School Physics
    • 1 year of each: Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry
    • 3 years of High School Social Studies
    • Minimum 2nd-level proficiency in one world language
  • Present a cumulative high school GPA of 3.80 or higher (can be weighted or unweighted).

Standardized test scores will not be used as a part of the review process for Nursing; students will be required to meet all other direct admission requirements.

Qualified applicants will be invited to submit a supplemental application for direct admission. Please note that each high school course is considered a separate requirement. Applicants must meet all minimum requirements. All Direct Admission candidates are expected to complete high school course content requirements prior to enrollment at Iowa.

International Students: see the specific TOEFL requirements.

Application Process

The first step is to apply for admission to the University of Iowa via the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicate Nursing Interest as the major area of study.

First-Year Admission to Liberal Arts & Sciences

Qualified students who meet the Direct Admission eligibility requirements will see the link to the Supplemental Application on their Admission Profile in MyUI. The link should appear 24-48 hours after being admitted to the University of Iowa.

To be considered for Direct Admission, students must submit the Supplemental Application which includes essay questions, an activities/experiences list, and an official high school transcript. Without these components, an application is considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Please have official high school transcripts mailed to:

Office of Admissions
The University of Iowa
108 Calvin Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1396

Electronic transcripts can be sent to admissions@uiowa.edu; however, for transcripts to be considered official, they must be sent directly from the student’s school.

All complete Direct Admission applications will be reviewed by the faculty admission committee. Admission is competitive, thus, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Components of the Supplemental Application

The Supplemental Application includes several essay questions and an activities/experiences list.

The essay questions are a very important part of your application. We recommend you prepare responses in a separate document (using Microsoft Word or a similar program) and paste them into the text boxes in the supplemental application. Preparing your response in a separate document will allow you to check your spelling and save your responses should you want to refer to them at a later date. Each essay question has a 1,500-character limit.

Students also have the opportunity to submit an Activities list and a Work/Volunteer Experiences list and can list several activities they have been involved in within the past five years that they would like to share with the faculty. This information is an equally important part of the faculty review process.

APPLICATION DEADLINES: EARLY ACTION VS REGULAR DECISION
Students can apply for Direct Admission to the College of Nursing via Early Action or Regular Decision.

Early Action

  • Early Action has an application deadline of November 1
  • Up to 50 Early Action applicants will be admitted for Direct Admission to the College of Nursing
  • Students who apply via Early Action will receive an admission decision in mid-December.
  • Students who apply via Early Action who are not initially offered admission may be moved to the Regular Decision pool

Acceptance Deadline
All students will have until May 1 to accept or decline an offer of admission

Regular Decision

  • Regular Decision has an application deadline of February 1
  • All Regular Decision applications are a part of the Regular Decision pool
  • 30 applicants from the pool will be admitted for Direct Admission to the College of Nursing
  • Students in the Regular Decision pool will receive an admission decision in early-March.

Application Deadlines

Early Action

November 1

 

Regular Decision

February 1

Apply Now