Please visit our post All About the TEAS test at NOVA to view updated ATI TEAS requirements for Spring and Fall 2020 applicants.
Visit our Post Am I a Competitive Applicant to see updated nursing selection criteria.
Category Archives: MEC Admissions
Information on MEC Program Admissions
Getting Into your Program of Choice
Over the coming weeks, programs will begin ranking students and making their final admissions decisions. Given the competitive nature of each of our programs, some will fall short of their goal. We understand the pressures and demands that face many of our students. Admission into a program can often be life-changing for a person seeking a better life for themselves and their family.
RANKING
Students are ranked based on a spectrum of indicators. Not surprisingly your performance on your prerequisite courses, specifically your science grades are the most critical factor for most programs at the Medical Education Campus. Other factors include your results on the ATI TEAS test. Our post, “Am I a competitive applicant” delves into the competitive criteria for programs at the MEC.
Meeting Minimums
Having the minimum requirements for any program places a student on the margin. Meaning that if the applicant pool is competitive, they will be the first to be passed over. Because our programs do not have wait-list, an applicant competes every year they apply. If that student does not improve a grade, or a TEAS result or acquire more hours or complete co-requisite courses, they will not move themselves up on the rankings.
Applying without meeting the minimum requirements
Students who apply and do not satisfy the minimum entry requirements will be rejected automatically. You may have an impressive GPA or TEAS results, but if you are missing a requirement or attachment, an application will be denied.
Visit our post on what might get your application rejected to learn more.
IMPROVE
If you were not accepted and are planning on applying again, ask yourself where was I weakest?
The categories that different programs look at can be distilled into the following list.
- Grades
- Test Scores
- Co-requisite course completion
- Clinical observation hours
Improving on one or all the above will increase your applications chance of acceptance in the next cycle.
Updated Health Science and Nursing Application Page
The Health Science and nursing application, as well as all information pertaining to applying to any programs offered here at the Medical Education Campus can be accessed via the new link https://www.nvcc.edu/medical/apply/index.html
There will no longer be separate Health Science and Nursing application pages.
Why your application might get marked ineligible
Applications are compared to the criteria established by a program by Student Services staff. If an applicant does not meet the minimum standards, an advisor will mark that application ineligible. This excludes that applicant from the ranking and pool of applicants that will be considered for admission into a program. It is essential that an applicant satisfies all minimum criteria before they proceed with any application.
Reasons your application may have been flagged ineligible include:
A required prerequisite course was
-
- not taken
OR
-
- if taken did not meet the minimum grade requirement
OR
-
- if taken at another college not transferred
OR
- if taken at another college than not transferred as the required course ( student assigned BIO EEE for example)
OR
- College Science course is more than ten years old
Failure to provide required documentation along with your application
-
- Attaching ATI TEAS results TO the application
- Attaching wrong ATI result to the online application
- Failure to attach requested high school documentation (Nursing and Dental Assisting)
- International High School Documents not evaluated by an evaluation agency such as www.ece.org or www.ierf.org
- Required high school courses grades below C ( nursing only)
- Did not submit OTA observation hours via the online application
- Did not Submit PTA observation form via certified mail
Did not meet the minimum number of observation hours
For programs that require observation hours failing to meet their minimum will result in an application being marked ineligible.
Did not attend a mandatory in-person information session or provided wrong information session code
For programs with mandatory in-person information sessions, not having gone or not having gone within the last year, is grounds for being marked ineligible.
Did not meet a minimum testing requirement
- ATI TEAS minimum was not meet for a specific program
- minimum math placement scores not met
GPA below the minimum established by a program
- GPA at last school attended and/or NOVA GPA below the established minimum.
ATI TEAS taken outside of applicable period
For Fall 2019 Nursing applicants TEAS scores must be from the period December 3rd 2018 to March 20 2019. Any scores from outside of that period will not be considered.
Test Scores are older than allowed for your program. Please check our ATI TEAS post for the time frames.
If your application was marked ineligible, it will have been for one of the above reasons. Students are invited to correct any errors they may have made and apply during the subsequent application period for their desired program of study.
Please review our FAQ to learn how to avoid any pitfalls that will prevent your application from being considered in the future.
You can learn how to be a competitive applicant here.
Physical Therapist Assistant Application
The first priority period for the 2019 Fall Physical Therapist Assistant program opens March 15, 2019, and closes March 30, 2019.
Only submissions sent via the Online Health Science and Nursing Application will be processed. Physical Applications mailed via certified mail will not be processed.
Attn: Student Services Room 202
6699 Springfield Center Drive
Springfield, VA 22150
You can access the Health Sciences and Nursing application HERE
Prerequisite Course Requirements
- BIO 141 and BIO 142- Anatomy and Physiology 1&2 OR NAS 150-Human Biology with a grade of B or better
- HLT 141 or HIM 111- Medical Terminology with a B or better
- ENG 111 College Composition or higher with a B or Better
Observation Hours
In addition, you must complete a minimum of FOUR clinical observation hours with a PT or PTA.
Clinical Observation hours must be mailed via certified mail in advance of the deadline for the period you are applying to.
DO NOT OPEN AND SCAN OBSERVATION HOUR FORMS. They must be mailed in via certified mail. Only Hours received by the priority period deadline will be counted.
Testing Requirements
The program requires that you satisfy two different Testing requirements.
- Take and pass the VPT Math Placement test at the MT 154 level or higher OR complete developmental math to qualify you for MT 154 or higher OR transfer MT 154 or higher to the college.
- Take and pass the ATI TEAS exam with a minimum score of 50% in the English, Reading and Human Anatomy and Physiology subsection of the Science portion.
- It is important that a student submit their full results packet with their PTA application. Directions on how to download results can be found HERE. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the processing of an application.
Lastly, only students that have attended one of the mandatory in-person workshops within the last year will be considered for admission.
Attachments
The only attachment that should be included with your PTA Application is a PDF version of your ATI TEAS Results. Please do not attach additional items unless specifically instructed to do so.
Competitive criteria can be found HERE
Am I a competitive applicant?
Updated 5/28/2019
One of the most common questions that come into the office is, “Am I a competitive applicant?” The answer is almost always it varies. Some programs might accept all eligible applicants one year, and the next only have room for 10% of the qualified applicant pool.
That question is also tied to its sister, “Why was I not accepted.” Due to the limited availability of clinical rotations, our programs can only accept but so many students. This will mean that many well-qualified applicants will apply, but not all will be admitted. Students meeting that just meets the minimum requirements are the most at risk of not being accepted. Likewise, if you were a well-qualified applicant, but applied to a high demand program it may be that your domicile status placed you behind other students.
So how do you get in?
Some programs outline the criteria that are used to rank and select their students. Where available we have included the criteria used by a program. In general science courses and/or prerequisite courses and ATI TEAS scores are used to rank students. That, however, is not the case for all programs. Where available we have indicated a programs competitive criteria and source of information for your review.
Letters of recommendation resumes and personal statements are not used in the admissions decision for any program.
| Program | Competitive Criteria | Number Accepted | source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygiene |
|
Approximately 32 | 2019 Information Session |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography |
|
|
2019 Application Requirements |
| Medical Lab Technology |
|
Varies | MLT Program Student Handbook |
| Nursing | Applicants are ranked by prerequisite courses and test listed below
In addition, they are assigned extra points for the completion of their general education co-requisite courses (not required for application)
|
Varies | Nursing Brochure |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant |
|
Varies | Information Session |
| Physical Therapist Assistant |
|
Varies | Information Session |
| Radiography |
|
40 | 2019 Application Requirements |
| Respiratory Therapy |
|
25 | Information Session |
Admission Policy for Limited Enrollment Programs
Due to limited laboratory, classroom and/or clinical space, certain programs have restricted enrollment. As stated in the NOVA catalog, students are accepted on either a competitive or a first-come/first served basis.
Priority is given to:
- Legal residents domiciled in the cities and counties supporting the College
- Other Virginia legal residents
- Out-of-state applicants
- International students requiring form I-20.
Category 1 may include areas in which clinical affiliates have contractual agreements with NOVA or students from other VCCS service areas whose community college does not offer the specific program.
Residency and citizenship/visa status will be verified using the current information on file in the Student Information System (SIS). Level I and II domiciliary decisions and appeals are reviewed and determined by Campus Registrar and Dean of Students. Applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation before acceptance to the program is considered.
How your domicile relates to rankings
If a program received enough eligible applicants from the first priority group, no students from the subsequent groups will be accepted. Regardless of how competitive they are otherwise. As a result, your likelihood of acceptance as an out of state or “F-1” student drops as the applicant pool grows. However, there have been students accepted from every priority group among the programs offered at the Medical Education Campus.
Reminder- Fall 2019 Phlebotomy Application Opens March 1
The application window for the Phlebotomy Program opens March 1 at 12:01 AM. Students are accepted on a first come first served basis. Please make sure that you have an active NOVA student account and have reviewed the information session before submitting. All entry requirements must be satisfied at the time of submission to avoid an application being marked incomplete.
Students must have a GPA of 2.0 and qualify for ENG 111 to be eligible for the program.
Visit our Online application FAQ for questions related to the application.
All about the ATI TEAS at NOVA
Updated: 5/13/2019
FAQ
- Preparing for the TEAS
- How to pay to take the TEAS at NOVA
- Minimum scores by program
- Submitting your TEAS to NOVA
- TEST OF ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC SKILLS BREAKDOWN OF ATI TEAS
Preparing for the TEAS
The TEAS exam is a proprietary exam offered by the ATI Testing company. They have developed their own study resources for students to review. You can find them on their TEAS homepage. If you have taken the ATI TEAS test before, you can create a My Results. Within the My Results area of your account, next to your score report, you can create a Focused Review. A Focused Review is an online review tool that aligns question topics missed and the relevant study materials for your review.
NOVA Libraries has a large assortment of TEAS preparation materials available for checkout. Including the official ATI TEAS study manual. These materials are available free of charge to NOVA students. You can also get some good tips from the testing centers “Tips for Taking the Test of Essential Academic Skills” document.
Students also find it helpful to prepare by reviewing other exams. The Medical Education Campus Tutoring Center has a list of excellent resources for students to help prepare them for an exam.
How to pay to take the TEAS at NOVA
If your program requires that you take the TEAS, visit the Medical Education Campus Application website. Click on “Health Sciences & Nursing TEAS Information” to learn about paying for and taking the ATI TEAS. This includes the form link to receive an access code required to register for the test at the MEC Testing Center.
You will only be able to register for the ATI TEAS at NOVA with this link. Your request for an access code needs to be submitted 24 to 48 hours before when you plan on taking the exam.
Once you have the code you can pay for and register for the ATI TEAS test. This will allow you to come into the MEC Testing center to take the test. The Testing Center administers test on a walk-in basis only. Checking the MEC Testing Center website for hours.
What to bring on test day
Please arrive at the testing center with either your NOVA student ID card or government-issued photo identification. No other items should be brought to the testing center on the day of the exam.
When are results given
Results are printed and presented to the student immediately after the test is complete. Score reports are also available online via the www.atitesting.com website.
Minimum scores by program
| Program | Sections required |
Minimum score per section |
Does it factor into the competitive ranking? | SCORES ARE GOOD FOR |
Department Document | Retest waiting period* |
Retest Policy** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygiene | Reading Math Science English |
50%; higher scores are more competitive, science score will not be used in the admission process |
Yes | Three Years | DNH | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | Reading Math English |
50% per required section | Yes | Three Years | DMS | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | Reading Math English |
No minimum score required; higher scores are more competitive |
Yes | Three Years | MDL | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
| Nursing | Reading Math Science English |
73% Reading 65% Math 52% Science 62% English higher scores are more competitive |
Yes | Three Years | NUR | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Reading English Science |
50% in Reading and English; 50% in Anatomy & Physiology section of Science; combined score of 50% on English, Reading & Science |
No | Three Years | PTA | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
| Radiography | Reading Math English |
50%; higher scores are more competitive |
Yes | Three Years | RAD | 1 month | 3 times/year (January – December) |
* If retest date falls on a holiday or weekend, the retest date will be the following business day
** Applicants may only test up to 3 times in a calendar year regardless of testing location or program
Submitting your TEAS to NOVA
When to submit your TEAS
Your ATI TEAS results must be attached to the application. Therefore the deadline to take and submit the TEAS test is when you are submitting your application.
How to submit your TEAS
The new online application allows you to attach documents. You can download a copy of your report directly from www.ATItesting.com website. Log into your ATI account, under the main menu select My Results, click on the exam attempt and then the download report on the top right of the website.
What it should look like
*PTA students should attach the full report. The anatomy scores are not on the main page.
What it should not look like
Also not this
Submitting your TEAS
If you have already submitted an application, simply open the confirmation email that was sent to you, scroll down and click on “View Request”. This will allow you to open your application and attach your TEAS Results.
This will take you back to the application where you can attach more files.
Please note that when attaching documents to the application after your initial submission, you will not see a new submit button. Your application automatically updates when you click “Attach This File”.
TEST OF ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC SKILLS BREAKDOWN OF ATI TEAS
ATI TEAS Format:
The ATI TEAS test is comprised of 170 questions set up in a multiple-choice format with four-option answers. Questions are designed to test the basic academic skills you will need to perform in class in the areas of: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage.
170
QUESTIONS
209
MINUTES
| Reading | Mathematics | Science | English and Language Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 53 | 36 | 53 | 28 |
| Time Limit (Minutes) | 64 min | 54 min | 63 min | 28 min |
| Specific Content Covered |
|
|
|
|
Online Health Science and Nursing application
Updated 03/26/2019
Starting with the 2019 application cycle, students will be required to submit applications to all Health Science and Nursing Programs online.
Visit our general FAQ for other application related questions.
Where to Find the Application
The application is available on the Medical Education Campus Application Homepage. Only submissions via the new Health Science and Nursing Application will be accepted and reviewed. Any mailed submissions will not be reviewed.
The application has been optimized mobile and will allow you to submit with any smartphone.
Troubleshooting
My name or address is wrong
Students should go to their Student Center on NovaConnect (SIS) to update their mailing address. If your name has changed please visit any campus Student Services Center to update your name. Please make sure your personal information is correct in NovaConnect (SIS) prior to submitting any application.
I can’t log in
A valid MyNOVA username and password will be needed to access the online application. If you’re unable to log into MyNOVA, reset your password or contact the IT Help Desk.
I’m not able to submit
If your program application window has not yet opened, you will not be able to apply. Please refer to your program page for details on application windows.
You must also fill out all required fields and provide an information session code where required. Please note that not all programs require an information session code.
Inactive NOVA student Account
If your NOVA student account is not active, you will not be able to submit the application. You will need to apply to NOVA and activate your account. This must be done 24 hours before you plan on applying to the program.
Attachments
Students will be able to submit any required attachments via the new online application. Campus computer labs are available to students that do not have access to a scanner or scanning app on their mobile phones. The application has been optimized for mobile which allows you to use your phone camera to attach documents from within the mobile browser.
If you forgot to attach something an adviser will notify you via email to provide the missing documentation before your application is processed any further.
External College Transcripts must be submitted four to eight weeks prior to the application deadline. Do not attach external college transcripts to the application. Visit, the College Records Office website to learn how to transfer external courses to NOVA.
I forgot to attach an Item
If you forgot to attach an item, go to the confirmation email that was sent to you. Click on the View Request link and you will be able to access your application and attach additional items. Do not submit a duplicate application.
Physical Therapy Assistant Observation form
Students applying to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program are still required to mail their unopened clinical observation hours to 6699 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield VA 22150 Suite 202 using certified USPS mail or Fedex/UPS with tracking.
Programs Covered by new Application
- Clinical Data Coding
- Dental Assisting
- Dental Hygiene
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography (all specialties)
- Emergency Medical Services (all specialties)
- Health Information Management
- Medical Laboratory Assisting
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Nursing
- Occupational therapy Assistant
- Phlebotomy
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Radiography
- Respiratory Therapy
HOW DO I TAKE THE TEAS AT NOVA?
If your program requires that you take the TEAS, visit the Medical Education Campus Testing website. There you will complete a form via the link “Paying for the TEAS Test”. Testing center staff will respond with the access code required to pay for the test at the MEC Testing Center. You should submit your request for an access code 24 to 48 hours prior to when you plan on taking the exam.
How to Get the Most from an Advising Session
Most advising sessions begin with a simple question, how may I assist you today? Another common question is, what do you want to get out of NOVA? We want to know what purpose NOVA serves in your life and academic plans. This can convert a conversation from a recitation of the facts, to an exploration of your goals and avenues for growth and improvement.
Before contacting our office, or visiting we encourage you to become an active stakeholder in your future. Take the initiative and do your research. A successful student tends to be the one who is organized and anticipates their next step. In short, you must mise en place your academic life. The more research and preparation you do, the more you can get out of a visit with an advisor or counselor. Below are some tips to help you get the most of your session.
Know your NOVA ID/EMPLID number
Having your ID number or better yet your NOVA Card is an indispensable tool. Not only can you use it around campus it speeds up pulling up your account.
When possible write your questions down in a bulleted list
Writing your questions down provides a framework that ensures your questions are answered. Due to time constraints and the fact that there is a lot to go over, an advisor may not be able to cover everything in detail about a program. Your bulleted list signals to the advisors that you’ve done your initial research. This allows the advisor to focus on what you specialty don’t know or are in need of clarification.
- How do I transfer Credits
- What are the entry requirements for…
- How can I satisfy the math placement requirement
- …
Bring your official external transcripts.
Students often ask us what courses they have left to take. While we encourage you to bring your external transcripts, we are not able to give you a list of courses that will or will not transfer. In some cases, a student can know what will transfer by visiting the College Records Office website and utilize their transfer guide. Preferably this would have been done before your visit to the office. If you have already transferred courses to NOVA, you should review your transfer credit center and compare the transferred courses to your program requirements.
Take Notes
You’ve done your research, brought transcripts if applicable and wrote your questions down. Your next step is to take notes during your visit. We generally have scrap paper and pens on hand for you to use. However, it is best that you keep a notebook, or note app on your smartphone at the ready. Again the more organized you are the more likely you are to succeed.
Ask Extra Questions
If something an advisor has said isn’t clear, ask again. Always ask for clarification if you don’t understand. Remeber that an advising session is a conversation, so its ok to go off script.
Follow Up
Part of being the advocate of your own destiny is being proactive. Take charge and constantly investigating options, program requirements and areas of improvement are wholly your responsibility. Checking in at least once a semester is ideal, especially if you are applying to a program more than a year out.
Things Change
Program changes can occur often with little warning. As such you must be vigilant and ready to act. When possible our office reaches out to students via email or on our blog and facebook pages, but it is impossible to inform everyone. When changes occur a student may feel frustrated, often because a course or courses are no longer required or used by a program. This is normally an issue when students are planning to join a program two or three years down the line. You will need to carefully weigh the risk of program changes when starting on an extended academic plan. this may require that you try and start a little sooner.
We hope that you get the most out of your interaction with our advising staff. As always feel free to send your questions and we will work to answer them as quickly as possible.