By Lulu Orozco
Meghan Fuller hasn’t had the typical experience of a student in an impacted major at SF State. Though the 35-year-old pre-licensure nursing major applied to a number of universities in anticipation of stiff competition, she’s had a relatively easy time moving through the highly sought after program since she got her acceptance letter.
“It’s a myth out there, at least for nursing,” said Fuller, reflecting on her class registration experience. “I never had a problem getting into classes.”
Fuller, who applied to five different universities because of the fear of impaction says she would have gone to any school that accepted her, Samuel Merritt University in Oakland and SF State were two of the five universities that accepted her, but SF State was her first choice.
After she received her associates degree from San Jose City College she began the nursing program at SF State in Fall 2010 and began taking nursing classes in Spring 2011.
“I personally think I’m an exception to the norm,” she added. “Hundreds of people applied with my same stats. I don’t know why I was chosen and they weren’t.”
Before deciding to get her pre-licensure in nursing, Fuller worked as a medical assistant and in a private surgery center to make sure she was heading in the right direction.
“There is always a lot of competition, when I came in there were 80 students competing for selected spots, 40 students started in the fall and spring … it always changes, ” said Ingrid Junio-Laiafa, 28-year-old nursing major, who began at the University in Fall 2010.
According to San Francisco State Enrollment Data, the nursing department has enrolled more than 1,000 students into their bachelor of science in nursing program between 2008 and 2012. Although the number might seem small, the basic nursing program is the most impacted major at 16 out of the 23 Undergraduate programs across the CSU system.
Fuller stressed the importance of keeping your options open when applying to impacted majors.
“Don’t get all of your eggs in one basket,” she said. “It’s not personal, make the most of where you can get in.”
While Fuller looks forward to her May graduation date, the nursing department is looking to make some changes to help students move through the major more quickly.
“It’s not going to look very different from the outside, but from the inside it will look different,” Stacy L. Serber, assistant professor said.
If approved, the changes will take effect Fall 2013, the new curriculum would mean students would be able to move through the program a lot faster, going from a five semester to a four semester program would mean shorter paths to graduation but enrollment into the program won’t be any easier for incoming students.
>>See Impaction leads students to alternate majors
>>See SF State struggles to match demand for popular majors
>>See Students face impaction; SF State solicits feedback
