Prelicensure Option Admission Requirements
On-Campus BSN Program Admission Requirements
Application Deadline: Applications are due January 25, 2026, for the following Fall Term entry. Applications will still be accepted after the due date and be considered for the waitlist.
Students interested in nursing will be admitted to Elmhurst University as pre-nursing majors while they work on prerequisite coursework. When a majority of prerequisite coursework is successfully completed, students must apply to the Prelicensure Nursing Program.
- Students admitted to Elmhurst University as first-year students, i.e. freshmen, are automatically admitted to the nursing program if they meet all admission criteria. During their sophomore year, they complete the nursing application and take the admission nursing test as outlined below.
- Transfer students apply separately to the nursing program.
Admission to the nursing major is competitive, and meeting the minimum academic qualifications does not guarantee admission to the nursing program.
To be admitted to the nursing program, students must:
- Meet certain health requirements and functional abilities;
- Have the demonstrated ability to engage in diverse, complex and specific experience essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions; and
- Have the unique combinations of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities required to satisfactorily perform these skills and functions.
View the Elmhurst University Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program Student Handbook for further information on these requirements for admission.
The following requirements are necessary to be admitted to the upper-division nursing program:
- Submission of official transcripts of every college attended, including transcript of current courses (transfer students only)
- A minimum college-level cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.8. Guaranteed admission students must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 after the first two semesters, and maintain a GPA of 2.8. Transfer students applying to the program must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 and maintain at least a GPA of 2.8.
- Completion of the prerequisite natural science and behavioral science courses with a grade of C or better prior to matriculation to the junior year of the pre-licensure nursing program
- Prerequisite courses: ENG 105, ENG 106, PSY 210, PSY 315, PSY 327, one college-level mathematics course, and one statistic course
- All prerequisite courses must be completed the spring semester before beginning the upper-division nursing courses
- Earn a cumulative science GPA of 2.8 or better in the prerequisite science courses
- Must earn a C or better in all nursing prerequisite courses
- Students may repeat one science prerequisite course to replace a W or a letter grade with a point value 2.00 or less
- Students may repeat a maximum of one (1) non-science prerequisite to replace a W or a letter grade with a point value less than 2.0
- A completed Elmhurst University Prelicensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program Application, which includes verification of:
- Review of the Elmhurst University Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Program Student Handbook
- Health requirements
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Functional abilities to meet program requirements
- Essential qualifications to meet program requirements
- Truthfulness of application to the nursing program
- A personal statement
- This is a word-processed personal statement answering the following questions in 250 words or less. When writing your answers, keep in mind that nursing is more than just “helping people.” It is a science-based, professional practice discipline. For further information on nursing as a professional practice discipline, see The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. In your personal statement, address:
- In what ways is nursing a science-based, professional practice discipline?
- What makes you interested in a science-based, professional nursing career?
- This is a word-processed personal statement answering the following questions in 250 words or less. When writing your answers, keep in mind that nursing is more than just “helping people.” It is a science-based, professional practice discipline. For further information on nursing as a professional practice discipline, see The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice. In your personal statement, address:
- Two letters of recommendation from professors. When the student fills out the online application for nursing, the student will be prompted to submit two email addresses for the people who will fill out their letters of recommendation. The application will then automatically send the recommendation form to those people with instructions on how to send the completed form back to the university.
- A passing score on the Nursing Admission Assessment (A2) Exam (75% on each of the three exams)
- A monitored writing sample before or after the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) examination*
- This is a one-paragraph written response to a selected topic that is given to the applicant at the time of the A2 test. This will be completed on campus during the A2 testing time. The topic will be given during the testing time.
- A letter of recommendation(s) from the director(s)/dean(s) of all nursing programs previously attended. This applies to those who have completed nursing courses or are currently enrolled in nursing courses
On-Campus BSN Program Admission Requirements Starting Fall 2026
Admission to the nursing program is competitive. Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the nursing program. To be admitted to the nursing program, students must be able to engage in diverse, complex, and specific experiences essential to the acquisition and practice of essential nursing skills and functions; and have the unique combination of cognitive, affective, psychomotor, physical and social abilities required to satisfactorily perform these skills and functions.
Guaranteed Admission Criteria & Application Guidelines
- The following admission and application guidelines apply to students who start at Elmhurst as Freshman in or after the Fall of 2026 with no more than 1 semester at another institution.
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of Spring semester Freshman year.
- Minimum science GPA of 3.0 and cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of Spring semester Sophomore year.
- The following academic criteria must be met:
- Completion of twelve courses at Elmhurst University
- Science Prerequisites: CHM 101, CHM 103, BIO 107, BIO 108, and BIO 221.
- Non-Science Prerequisites: ENG 105, ENG 106, PSY 210, PSY 315, PSY 327, MTH 345 (or PSY355), and one additional university-level mathematics course.
- A grade of C or better in every natural science and non-science prerequisite course. Students may repeat one science and one non-science course to remove a W or improve a grade of C or lower.
- Completion of twelve courses at Elmhurst University
- Completion of the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam
- Registration to take the HESI A2 Exam on campus can be found here.
- Students are allowed one attempt to achieve a minimum of 75% on the following three sections of the HESI A2: Math, Reading, and Anatomy & Physiology.
- A completed application by the 4th Sunday of January which includes the following components:
- Student Information
- Required documents – none needed, unless HESI was taken off campus.
- Verification of Health Requirements
- Verification of Truthfulness
- Signature of Certification
- Students will be required to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA throughout junior and senior years in the nursing program.
Transfer Student Admission Criteria
- The following criteria apply to any student who has completed more than 1 semester at any institution other than Elmhurst University.
- Minimum science GPA of 3.0 and cumulative GPA of 3.2 at the end of Spring semester of application.
- Copies of every University transcript for every institution attended.
- The following academic criteria must be met:
- Completion of twelve courses equivalent to
- Science Prerequisites: CHM 101, CHM 103, BIO 107, BIO 108, and BIO 221.
- Non-Science Prerequisites: ENG 105, ENG 106, PSY 210, PSY 315, PSY 327, MTH 345 (or PSY355), and one additional university-level mathematics course.
- A grade of C or better in every natural science and non-science prerequisite course. Students may repeat one science and one non-science course to remove a W or improve a grade of C or lower.
- Completion of twelve courses equivalent to
- A completed application which includes the following components:
- Student Information
- Required Documents:
- One Written Sample
- This sample is a one-page written personal statement answering the following questions in 250 words or less.
- In what ways is nursing a science-based, professional practice discipline?
- What makes you interested in a science-based, professional nursing career?
- When writing your answers, keep in mind that nursing is more than just “helping people.” It is a science-based, professional practice discipline. For further information on nursing as a professional practice discipline, see The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice.
- This sample is a one-page written personal statement answering the following questions in 250 words or less.
- A copy of registration for all courses in progress at time of application
- If applicable, written recommendation(s) from the director(s) of all previous nursing program(s) attended.
- Documentation of a score of 75% or higher on all four sections of the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) Exam OR documentation of a score of 75% or higher of the following three sections of the HESI Admission Assessment (A2) Exam: Math, Reading, Anatomy & Physiology.
- One Written Sample
- Verification of Health Requirements
- Letters of Recommendation
- Please provide the contact information from two recent professors to request letters of recommendation. No more than one recommendation may come from a science professor.
- Verification of Truthfulness
- Signature of Certification
- Students will be required to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA throughout junior and senior years in the nursing program.