Nursing Advising

Nursing AAS-T General Information

Program Mission: The Nursing AAS-T (Associate of Applied Science –Transfer) degree prepares students who are highly educated, technically advanced, competent and caring individuals to practice professional nursing in a variety of settings and participate in lifelong learning.

The Nursing AAS-T is a competitive admission program with pre-requisite requirements and application deadline unique to the program.

The amount of students interested in the Nursing program exceeds the spots available, therefore the program is very competitive. It is important that any student interested in pursuing Nursing admission is well-prepared for the admission process.

There is no waitlist for this program. Applicants who are not admitted must apply again to be considered for admission.

The Nursing AAS-T degree prepares students to apply for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

Basics

• Admission Cycles: Fall, Winter, Spring
• 24 students admitted each cycle
• Full-time, day-time program only
• No summer courses offered
• Program length: 2 years: 6 quarters
• Upon completion of the Nursing AAS-T students are eligible to apply for the NCLEX-RN licensing examination.
• Nursing AAS-T also prepares students interested in pursuing a degree at the baccalaureate level.

Accreditation

What is accreditation?: Accreditation is a form of quality control, ensuring that institutions of higher education satisfy certain standards.

• Lake Washington Institute of Technology is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) at the associate degree level and at the baccalaureate level.
• The LWTech Nursing AAS-T program is a nationally accredited program with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• The Board of Commissioners granted continuing accreditation to the associate nursing program and scheduled for the next evaluation visit for Fall 2028.
• Washington State Nursing Commission approved.

Nursing Application

Locating the Application

The Nursing AAS-T application and information is available from the main Nursing page at LWTech.edu/Nursing.

• There is a “Supporting Information Packet” that you can download, which includes an application checklist and an unofficial scoring table. This should not be submitted and is for your personal use only.

Submitting your Application

• Once your application is completed, make sure to click the "Submit Application" button on the last page.
• If you do not "Submit“, your application is considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Fall 2023 Admission

Application Deadline

July 12, 2023

Email to Selected Applicants for Essay Invitation

August 16, 2023

On-Campus Essay for Top Candidates

August 22, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Selection Results

September 5, 2023 emailed after 3 p.m.

Mandatory Orientation for Admitted Students

September 12, 2023, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Allied Health, A102

Winter 2024 Admission

Application Deadline

October 16, 2023

Email to Selected Applicants for Essay Invitation

November 6, 2023

On-Campus Essay for Top Candidates

November 14, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Selection Results

September 5, 2023 emailed after 3 p.m.

Mandatory Orientation for Admitted Students

December 5, 2023, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Allied Health, A102

Spring 2024 Admission

Application Deadline

January 22, 2024

Email to Selected Applicants for Essay Invitation

February 12, 2024

On-Campus Essay for Top Candidates

February 21, 2024 at 2 p.m.

Selection Results

March 1, 2024 emailed after 3 p.m.

Mandatory Orientation for Admitted Students

March 12, 2024, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Allied Health, A102

Students interested in applying to the Nursing AAS-T program are required to have the following completed at the time of application:

Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024 Selection Criteria

Up to 40 Pts Science GPA:

• BIOL&241
• BIOL&242
• CHEM&121

Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Each course must be completed with a 2.0 or better. Science courses must have been completed in the past 7 years.

(Note: Starting for Fall 2024, BIOL&260 will be included in this calculation).

Up to 20 Pts Non-Science GPA:

• ENGL&101
• MATH&146
• PSYC&200

Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA . Each course must be completed with a 2.0 or better. Science courses must have been completed in the past 7 years.

0 Pts BIOL&260, NUTR&101, CMST&(210, 220, 230) or CMST 280 (or equivalent) must be completed at time of application

Up to 20 Pts TEAS test (less than 2 years old., minimum score of 70 required)

80 Possible Points after stage 1 of the application process

Up to 20 Pts On-Campus Essay

• The top 50 scoring candidates based on Science GPA, Non-Science GPA, and TEAS score will be invited to participate in an on-campus essay

Total Possible Points: 100 Points

The following courses must be completed to apply to the Nursing program.

Required Courses

• Courses cannot be “in progress” at time of application.
• Applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA in the GPA bearing course requirements.
• Each course must be completed with a 2.0 or better.

Minimum Grade Requirements

• Students must meet or exceed a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the following prerequisite courses: CHEM&121, BIOL&241, BIOL&242, ENGL&101, PSYC&200, MATH&146.
• Students must have a 2.0 or higher in BIOL&260, NUTR&101, CMST&(210, 220, 230) or CMST 280 (or equivalent). These courses are not used in the cumulative GPA.
  

TEAS Test Overview

The TEAS test is the Test of Essential Academic Skills. It is required to apply to the Nursing program.

Applicants must have a minimum score of 70 to be considered for admission. Applicants with a score of under 70 will not be considered.

The TEAS is divided into the following sections:

• Reading: paragraph comprehension, passage comprehension, and inferences/conclusions
• Math: whole numbers, metric conversion, fractions, decimals, algebraic equations, percentages, and ratio/proportions, statistics
• Science: reasoning, science knowledge, biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, basic physical principles, and general science
• English and Language User: punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, contextual words, and spelling

LWTech TEAS Testing Policy

Please submit your highest TEAS score that is no older than 2 years from the application deadline. Minimum score of 70 required.

Taking the TEAS at LWTech

Go to the LWTech Assessment page and fill out the web form to schedule your TEAS test.

• The test takes approximately 3.5 hours and cost $90 (subject to change).
• Due to COVID-19, the test can be taken remotely through LWTech’s Assessment Center.
• Test spots fill quickly.

Sending TEAS Scores to LWTech

• Go to the ATI site and order your TEAS transcript to be sent to the LWTech database .
• ATI charges a fee (approximately $27) to have the results transferred to LWTech.

Studying for the TEAS

• Students are encouraged to review the TEAS study materials listed on the ATI website. They offer practice tests, books, and other preparatory materials.
• Students are highly encouraged to take the TEAS test after they complete their pre-requisite course work and to study for the TEAS prior to taking the exam.
• LWTech's TRiO program created the following presentation to prepare students for the TEAS test.
• TEAS Test Guide 
• TRIO provides additional support to eligible first-generation to college, low-income students, and students with disabilities such as one-on-one tutoring for pre-requisite courses, support completing scholarship and FAFSA forms, help with selective admission advising and completing selective admission applications. For more information, and to see if you qualify, contact TRIO at (425) 739-8361 or by email at trio@lwtech.edu

Sending Transcripts

Sending Official Transcripts

• Visit LWTech.edu/Transfer for details on how and where to send your transcripts to LWTech.

Verifying LWTech Received your Transcript

• Evaluation results will be available 2 - 4 weeks after the receipt of official transcripts. The total number of credits transferred in and the institution from which the credits were transferred will be posted to your LWTech transcript.

Unofficial Transcript Evaluation

• Advisors cannot guarantee that a course from another institution will count towards the pre-requisite for a competitive admission program.
• ALL students must submit an official transcript to the college for evaluation to receive official confirmation that the course they are transferring in meets the requirements.

Additional Questions?

• Nursing applicants with further questions can contact: Nursing@LWTech.edu

Types of Transfer Credit 

Washington Community & Technical College Courses and Transcripts

• All of the pre-requisite courses for Nursing admissions are common core academic courses across the community and technical college system. If you took a class with the exact same coding and title, such as PSYC&200 Lifespan Psychology, at another community or technical college, the course is equivalent and will transfer in. Please note that you must have a 2.0 or higher in a course to transfer it.

Washington State Colleges and Universities

• If you have a course that does not have the exact coding and title as the requirement at a university in Washington State, you can email nursing@lwtech.edu to ask about course equivalency.

Out of State Colleges and Universities

• If you took courses at an out of state college or university, you must apply for general admission and submit an official transcript for evaluation. This process can take 2-3 weeks from the time we receive the transcript.

International Transcripts

• Students who wish to transfer courses from institutions outside of the United States will need to have a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts performed by an international credential evaluation agency.
• International credential evaluation agencies can be found on the Transfer webpage.
• We cannot accept international transcripts directly for placement or transfer. These transcripts must have a course-by-course evaluation completed by an international credential evaluation agency.

Semester Credits

• If you are transferring credits in from a semester school, you can multiply the amount of credits by 1.5 to find the quarter credit amount (It is common for you to have a 3 cr semester credit class that will translate into 4.5 quarter credits. This is OK for the admission process).

Courses Without Decimal or Letter Grades

For selective admission healthcare programs, LWTech does not accept transfer credits from colleges that do not provide a decimal or letter grade for completed classes. Classes from any college that are graded only as a “pass” or “satisfactory” or credits earned via CLEP, AP, IB, or other testing process will be converted to a 2.0 in the admission process which may make you ineligible for admission.

Unofficial Transcript Evaluation

Advisors cannot guarantee that a course from another institution will count towards the pre-requisites for a competitive admission program.

ALL students must submit an official transcript to the college for evaluation to receive official confirmation that the course they are transferring in meets the requirements.

Sending Official Transcripts

To learn more about transferring courses to LWTech, visit the Transferring to LWTech webpage.

Additional questions?

Nursing applicants with further questions can contact: nursing@lwtech.edu

Science Time Limits

• Sciences have a time limit of 7 years from the admission deadline.

Non-Science Time Limits

• Non-Science classes do not have a time limit.

The average GPA for the sciences and non-sciences is a 3.8. The fall admission cycle is typically the most competetive with the highest GPAs. Winter and spring have historically had less applicants and lower GPAs. Students are encouraged to re-apply if they are not admitted the first time they apply.

Students who earn grades lower than this may want to consider retaking courses for a higher grade to be more competitive applicants.

Course Retake Policy

LWTech's nursing program does not have a policy about course retakes, you can simply report the course with the highest grade if you retake a course.

Financial Aid and Retaking Classes

Please note that course retakes in cases where you have passed the course (2.0 or higher) and wish to retake it for a better grade are not typically covered by financial aid. Please contact Financial Aid for to inquire about their retake policy.

Other Colleges Retake Policies

Not all other schools allow students to retake classes or accept classes that have been retaken for Nursing admission. It is important you do your own research to be aware of how retaking courses will impact you if you are applying to other programs. LWTech Advisors cannot advise on other colleges policies.

All official transcripts must be received by the published deadline for consideration.

If your transcript is not received by the published deadline, it will not be considered for admission and you are encouraged to apply again in a future admission cycle.

You will undergo a background check for the program. This is your access to clinical facilities. If you don't pass the background, you will not be able to complete the program of study.

Washington State Department of Health does background check prior to issuing license. Their website gives a list of felonies and misdemeanors that are not acceptable for licensure. It is the student's responsibility to follow up with the Department of Health.

Upon admission to the Nursing AAS-T, all students are required to submit a Clinical Passport. Background check, Immunizations, and AHA BLS Provider CPR card are due week 1 of the quarter. All immunizations are required.

• Medical exemption from a provider is needed for any declination. Clinical agencies may deny placement if you are unable to meet the immunization standards.
• Immunizations and blood work for titers take time and may be expensive. We highly recommend obtaining immunizations and CPR now and do not delay.
• Required immunizations for clinical eligibility/clearance may include:
  • COVID-19 vaccination
  • Hepatitis B Series Vaccine X 3 and a positive titer 
  • Seasonal influenza vaccine
  • TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine
  • TB Test (Tuberculosis) 2 step PPD Skin Test or 2 consecutive yearly PPDs. QuantiFERON is also an acceptable lab result.
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine X2 or titer showing immunity 
  • Varicella (Chickenpox) vaccine X 2 or titer showing immunity
  • National Criminal Background check 
  • CPR: American Heart Association BLS 

Before Pursuing Nursing

Before pursuing Nursing students are strongly encouraged to reflect on the following question:

Why am I choosing Nursing?

• Many students are interested in the healthcare field and are unaware of the vast opportunities in the field beyond Nursing. There are other healthcare careers available, many of which are less competitive that also offer stable careers and salary. Check out LWTech’s other healthcare programs., which include:
  • Behavioral Healthcare
  • Funeral Service Education
  • Medical Assisting
  • Occupational Therapist Assistant
  • Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Public Health

Past Cohort Statistics

It can be helpful for prospective Nursing applicants to review the statistics of the students recently admitted to the program. Comparing your scores to the admission statistics can provide a better understanding of how competitive of an applicant you are.

Spring 2023 Admission Statistics

• Total Applicants: 50
• Average Science pre-requisite GPA: 3.56
• Average Non-science pre-requisite GPA: 3.74
• Average TEAS Composite Score 81.44
• Average Essay Score: 18.48

Winter 2023 Admission Statistics

• Total Applicants: 46
• Average Science pre-requisite GPA: 3.74
• Average Non-science pre-requisite GPA: 3.84
• Average TEAS Composite Score 82.79
• Average Essay Score: 18.08

Fall 2022 Admission Statistics

• Total Applicants: 64
• Average Science pre-requisite GPA: 3.83
• Average Non-science pre-requisite GPA: 3.85
• Average TEAS Composite Score 87.07
• Average Essay Score: 18.61

Academic Planning for Nursing Pre-Requisites

The Nursing AAS-T program at LWTech, like programs across the country, is very competitive. Grades are weighted heavily in our admission process.

Careful pre-requisite planning is strongly encouraged.

Ask yourself the following questions as you plan to take the pre-requisite courses:

What are your life obligations?

• Do you work? Have children? Have other obligations in addition to going to school? It is important to consider the pace and order in which you take classes. It is also important to look into support services you may qualify for.

How much time do you have to dedicate to each class you’re taking?

• Consider taking 1-2 classes per quarter. Going slower may allow you to dedicate more time to your class(es) and higher grades.

Can you get a 3.8 or higher (the average grade for the required courses) if you take these classes together?

• Pair classes thoughtfully. Know which courses are going to take you more effort and pair them with class(es) that you feel more confident in.

Do you enjoy and understand the pre-requisite class content?

• As you take your pre-requisite courses in preparation of applying to the nursing program, please keep in mind that the courses required are required for a reason.
• The pre-requisite courses are core components of your education and the knowledge gained in them will be used throughout the Nursing curriculum. You will be expected to bring that knowledge to the very first quarter of the nursing program. This is especially true of the science courses.

Example Prerequisite Plans

Below are two example plans for completion of pre-requisites. There are many different timelines and combinations to take your pre-requisite courses. Individual circumstances will determine which plan is best for you. 

Example of plan for student who has few outside obligations and wishes to complete pre-requisites quickly:

• Quarter 1:
  BIOL&160
  CHEM&121
  PSYC&200
• Quarter 2:
  BIOL&241
  CMST&(210, 220, 230 or CMST 280)
  ENGL&101
• Quarter 3:
  BIOL&242
  NUTR&101
• Quarter 4: 
  BIOL&260
  MATH&146

Example of plan for student who has outside obligations and wishes to take a reduced course load:

• Quarter 1:
  BIOL&160
  CHEM&121
• Quarter 2:
  BIOL&241
• Quarter 3:
  BIOL&242
• Quarter 4: 
  BIOL&260
• Quarter 5:
  ENGL&101
  NUTR&101
• Quarter 6:
  MATH&146
  CMST&(210, 220, 230 or CMST 280)

The Advising Department and the Science Department strongly recommend students consider the following:

Sequencing:

• Take the science courses in the following sequence:

CHEM&121
BIOL&160
BIOL&241
BIOL&242
BIOL&260

• Take BIOL&241 and BIOL&242 sequentially, without any gap quarters, to ensure you retain information. Start this sequence in either Fall or Winter quarter to avoid needing to take either course in summer quarter (which is shorter and thus accelerated).
• BIOL&260 should be taken last in the science sequence even though the pre-requisites allow it to be taken after completion of CHEM&121/BIOL&160.

Course Load:

• With the exception of CHEM&121 and BIOL&160, students never take two sciences together in the same quarter. For some students, even taking CHEM&121 and BIOL&160 in the same quarter can be an overload. Talk to an advisor to determine if taking them together is the right choice for you.
• Start your BIOL&241 and BIOL&242 sequence in Fall or Winter so that you can take the courses sequentially during the longer quarters. The summer quarter is a short quarter, which can be overwhelming to many students. The same amount of content is covered in 8 weeks for summer quarter rather than the normal 10 week quarter for fall, winter, or spring. If students plan to take one of these courses in a summer quarter, they are strongly advised to only take 1 course.

Studying:

• BIOL&160 is a pre-requisite to BIOL&241. While it is not required or considered for Nursing AAS-T admission, work hard and pay close attention to this course. This course is important to build a strong foundation in preparation for your other science requirements that are GPA bearing.
• LWTech offers free tutoring for all of the nursing pre-requisites. Students are strongly
  encouraged to utilize the Learning Lab for their sciences and other requirements.

Individual Appointments

Prospective Nursing Applicants

Prospective Nursing applicants who are taking pre-requisite coursework at other colleges who have admission questions are encouraged to email selective.admission@lwtech.edu for assistance after thoroughly reviewing the online information session linked above.

If you are planning to take pre-requisite coursework at LWTech, you may make an appointment with an academic advisor for support with course planning and registration. You can find directions for how to do this on the advising webpage.

Advisors cannot guarantee that a course from another institution will transfer to LWTech or that it is equivalent to a course LWTech requires. 

ALL students must submit an official transcript to the college for evaluation to receive a final decision on whether or not a course will transfer.

Current LWTech Students

After thoroughly reviewing the online information session linked above, current LWTech students who are pursuing pre-requisites for Nursing may meet with an advisor for support with course planning and registration. Further information is available on the Advising Webpage.

Current students are encouraged to see if they meet the qualifications for the following support programs, which offer intensive one-on-one advising assistance to eligible students:

Drop-in Advising

Students with advising questions or needs, such as registering for classes, can also access drop-in advising. Schedule and information are available at LWTech.edu/advising.

Students are highly encouraged to utilize LWTech's free tutoring resources in their pre-requisite coursework.

Tutoring Resources

• The Learning Lab: The Learning Lab is a drop-in tutoring center that supports All LWTech students in math, English, science, social science, pre-requisite, and select program classes. The Learning Lab offers free drop-in tutoring from faculty, staff, and certified tutors to support students in understanding course concepts and accessing resources.
• TRiO: The goal of TRIO is to provide services to students who are low-income, first-generation (neither parent nor guardian has a bachelor’s degree and neither does the student), or students with disabilities. TRIO offers one-on-one tutoring, academic advising, and more.

Paying for College Resources

LWTech offers many resources to assist students who are interested in pursuing the Nursing program with paying for college.

Visit out Paying for College webpage for more resources: 

• LWTech.edu/PayForCollege

Major Declaration

The Nursing AAS-T program is a competitive entry program. If you have not been admitted to the Nursing AAS-T program, you are not eligible to receive Financial Aid for it.

Students interested in using financial aid while pursuing pre-requisites for the Nursing program are strongly encouraged to review information about Health Sciences AAS-T or Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP for more information on how this program may be the best fit to help you reach your goals.

Unlike the Nursing AAS-T, these programs are not competitive entry, but open to all. They embed all of the pre-requisites to the Nursing AAS-T program and provide a financial aid benefit to students as well as degree progression in the case they are not admitted to the Nursing program.

If you wish to update your program of study to either of these programs, you can do so through our online change of program form

Health Sciences AAS-T

The Health Sciences AAS-T is a program that embeds all of the pre-requisites for the Nursing program. It also requires the Nursing Assistant Certificate which will provide students the opportunity to learn hands on skills related to their nursing goals. 

There are numerous benefits to this option:

• Not competitive admission, can declare major any time and start any quarter.
• Program embeds all pre-requisites for Nursing AAS-T program, which presents a financial aid benefit (pre-requisite courses are eligible to be paid for by financial aid).
• If you are not admitted to the Nursing program, you will still be able to move forward in completing this degree, which upon completion gives you the pre-requisites needed to apply to Bachelor of Applied Science options, such as Public Health or Behavioral Health.

Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP

The Associate in Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP pathway offers a broad selection of academic courses that prepares students for upper division coursework leading to the Bachelor of Science, Nursing Degree (Entry-to-practice/basic BSN). It also embeds all of LWTech's Nursing AAS-T pre-requisites.

Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP graduates are prepared to apply to BSN programs at various institutions across Washington state including the following baccalaureate institutions offering an entry-to-practice/basic BSN program and the community and technical colleges system:

• University of Washington, Seattle
• Washington State University
• Northwest University
• Seattle University
• Seattle Pacific University
• Pacific Lutheran University
• Walla Walla College
• Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing

There are numerous benefits to this option:

• Not competitive admission, can declare major any time and start any quarter.
• Program embeds all pre-requisites for Nursing AAS-T program, which presents a financial aid benefit (pre-requisite courses are eligible to be paid for by financial aid).
• If you are not admitted to the Nursing program, you will still be able to move forward in completing this degree, which upon completion gives you the pre-requisites needed to apply to Bachelor of Applied Science options, such as Public Health or Behavioral Health.
• Upon completion of this program, you are also eligible to apply to the direct-entry BSN programs listed above.

Checking Your Status

• You can check on the progress of your admission decision status by logging into your Self-Service Center.
• Requirement status will be updated manually, when admission staff process and verify your application documents.
• This field does not update automatically
• Due to the high volume of applicants, the process of updating the portal is slow. Thank you for your patience

The final decision status will be available on your online account. You can check decision status by logging into your Self-Service Center.

The decision status will be available approximately 4 weeks after the application deadline.

If you are accepted to the Nursing program, you will need to accept or deny the offer of admission.

• To accept the offer of admission, you must return an accept/decline form.
• Click ‘Respond’ in the top-right of this letter and submit online
• If you experience any difficulty with this form, please email Nursing@lwtech.edu or call (425) 739-8104 to get assistance

Students accepted into the Nursing Program are required to complete a mandatory Nursing Orientation.

Failure to complete the nursing orientation will result in the student’s withdrawal from the Nursing cohort.

The Nursing Program admits 24 students per cycle. There is an average of 160 applicants per cycle. Unfortunately, this means that even a very strong candidate may not be admitted to the program.

The denial letter will contain your scores and provide averages for the admitted applicants. You are encouraged to review this and glean where you scored lower than those who were admitted.

If you have questions or concerns about why you were denied, you may contact Nursing@lwtech.edu. Please note that it may take 2-3 weeks for them to reply with this information.

Alternative Admission Offers

Students who are denied from the Nursing program who meet the pre-requisites for healthcare related BAS programs at LWTech may be offered admission to those programs, such as Public Health.

There is no limit on times a student can reapply to the program. Students must read the re-applicant information in the Supporting Information Packet linked at LWTech.edu/Nursing.