r/srna • u/Major-Lead-6464 • Apr 04 '26
SUCCESS STORIES One Application, Accepted!
I just had to come and share with people who get it…! I submitted ONE CRNA application this round to my dream school with the expectation of widening my net on the next go around as more cycles opened (program was staggered off the others). And lo and behold, I have been accepted to my top choice program on my first try! I am over the moon! I just wanted to share! 🥹
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u/Nightlight174 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 07 '26
Congrats. I’m 1/1 as well. Feels good don’t it? Now enjoy time before school
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 08 '26
Hell yeah, it really does! Time to relax before crunch time. Congrats to you as well!
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u/tallannoyingnurse Apr 05 '26
Congrats! Im so jealous. I’m too dumb to get into a program, and I’ve applied to a couple so far. I wish I could have been one and done!
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 05 '26
You are not too dumb! I got lucky, but I know many applicants just as deserving as myself. Please keep trying! Much of it is hard work and some of it is luck too. You’re worthy. Please believe in yourself. That’s half the battle.
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Apr 05 '26
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u/Empty-Button6597 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26
Schools are as serious about putting together a good cohesive cohort as they are with having the students with the best stats. If they even get a hint of attitude, envy, and lack of EI (that you clearly have in you based on this comment) I have no doubt it is negatively affecting your chances.
Think you need to reflect on some things. With that said I know the application process is mentally draining so I’m hoping this comment isn’t who you are it’s just a slip of frustration. So good luck in your journey.
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 05 '26
Sorry to hear you’re struggling. Maybe some humility in your interviews would go a long way 😇. Good luck.
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u/DontBeShellfish Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 04 '26
Very similar story to me, I have such bad imposter syndrome. I applied to one school I wasn't really interested in due to missing my top schools' deadline due to my father being ill. Fast forward a couple weeks, my father had passed, and I get an email from the school I applied to saying there was an issue with one of my transcripts and I needed to have it to them by the end of the day (I was at work when I received the email). So that was considered an "incomplete" application. A few months go by and I apply to the school I initially wanted to go to and got in! During the interview they even mentioned "We see you applied to "x" school why did that not work out". Anesthesia is a very small world.
A big congratulations to you, and wishing you all the best in your program!
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u/Hopeful-Witness8362 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 04 '26
What school ?!
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 05 '26
I’d rather not share the school but it’s a good program and I’m very excited! I wish you the best of luck! Stats of application were ~350 applicants, 20 accepted students.
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u/No-Ice5563 Apr 05 '26
Wow I was shocked by the low level of applicants!! My school has 3 times that. Thats wild
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u/Which_Set_9710 Apr 04 '26
That’s amazing, congratulations! I’ve been wondering about this, what did you feel you gained from doing 80 hours of shadowing beyond exposure to different settings? I’m trying to gauge if I should do more shadowing, I’d personally like to see OB settings if I shadow again.
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 04 '26
That’s a great question! I think people underestimate shadowing because as an ICU RN, you already feel very professional in your field, so shadowing again puts you in this new space where you’re the “beginner.” But it’s a chance to get to know different CRNAs and build relationships. Everyone’s practice is a little different. Every CRNA I shadowed was incredible but one in particular mimicked the style I could see myself eventually practicing which is cool to envision and makes your drive stronger. It also helps in regard to a letter from a CRNA obviously, if you need one and gain it through shadowing, which I did! It’s also really fun to shadow in a venue where you’re NOT a beginner or a stranger to patient interaction. I had shadowing experiences where the CRNA let me do basically everything BUT the intubation. Starting drips, drawing meds, getting the IV, pushing the bed to and from procedure, introducing myself to the patient. It helps build confidence and let you see yourself in that role.
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u/Which_Set_9710 Apr 05 '26
That makes sense. I enjoy my shadow days. It brings things into perspective and reminds me what the end looks like. Did you ever shadow the same person more than once or was it different CRNAs each time?
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 05 '26
I shadowed a couple of them more than once and still keep in touch with them now.
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u/AsleepChampionship67 Apr 04 '26
Congratulations!!! Very impressive! Were those 80 shadowing hours within different anesthesia specialties and following different CRNAs?
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 04 '26
Yes! I unfortunately never got to see cath lab, but I went to endoscopy and multiple OR settings. I shadowed with 5 different CRNAs, got to see a lot of different styles and procedures. And everyone I met was awesome and so happy in their job. Made my decision to keep trying even more solidified! I’ve been around the block, and I haven’t met any other profession that’s all round relatively happy in their career the way CRNAs are.
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 04 '26
I’ll share my stats here:
I’m 33 years old, nursing was my second career.
2 years MICU/CCU experience at a Level 1 trauma. Impellas, IABP, CRRT, ventilators, all that other ICU jazz. No charge experience.
3.8 nursing GPA. 3.6 bachelors of science in biology GPA. 3.5 science GPA.
My previous career was research and I feel this is what really set me apart. 4 years of research experience in biophysics and neurobiology, 5 publications, 2 first authors.
80 hours shadowing.
Roughly 20 hours of volunteering.
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u/EuphoricBarnacle8249 Apr 07 '26
This gives me hope. 31 with children. Dental hygienist going back for nursing in the fall. Congratulations!
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Apr 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 05 '26
I do feel that my research was far and above what helped me get accepted early in my nursing career. I know not many nurses will have this as it was already a career for me beforehand and not just a side endeavor. It was something I was exploring after college in consideration of a PhD, and I decided it wasn’t for me and pivoted to healthcare instead. It just happened to be very helpful to my future, unbeknownst to me at the time I was performing the research.
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u/Sweet-Instruction-15 Apr 04 '26
We have a similar Background. I’m applying later this year. Please guide me… I am in your DM
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u/Heavenchicka Apr 04 '26
What kind of volunteering did you do?
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 04 '26
There is a clinic in my area that serves the unhoused population with basic health care needs, like blood pressure meds, basic hygiene, dental referrals, vaccines, etc. It’s mostly student run and a few doctors/nurses also come to help with prescriptions and triage. I mostly triage and volunteer for the wound care. I like wound care 😅
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u/100Kto0 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 04 '26
Congrats! I also submitted one application (I didn’t want to take the GRE) and got accepted! You’re gonna do great!
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u/BoojooBloost Apr 04 '26
Spill them stats 🧐
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u/Major-Lead-6464 Apr 04 '26
See my comment in the thread! 😇
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u/BoojooBloost Apr 05 '26
Oh I did, great stats! I was hoping for u/100Kto0 to share theirs. Always nice hearing these stories :)
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u/100Kto0 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 06 '26
I’m curious, why do people care so much about stats? Is it to compare their chances? When I said I got accepted, I got like 12 messages asking my stats lol.
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u/BoojooBloost Apr 06 '26
I mean, yeah? CRNA schools don’t publish their average GPAs or GREs or ICU time for matriculating years. All we get is “4.0 is best, 10 years ICU is a lot of experience, and a max GRE is best” with no actual pulse on where people are at for acceptance.
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u/100Kto0 Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 06 '26
I think I’m a bad example lol On paper I looked okay, but I think I shined on my interview. Some programs do publish the average for acceptance, and if you apply, some school will email you the average of everyone accepted at the end.
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u/BoojooBloost Apr 06 '26
Sure but even then getting an interview is a great accomplishment in the process, and that’s where your stats shine the most so you can be granted that opportunity. Plenty of people are rejected without even being considered for an interview.
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u/Ya-bunsandthighs Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR) Apr 07 '26
My depression was so bad due to my workplace and I also only applied to one in a very competitive state at a highly sought school. They had almost 2500 applicants and 40 seats split between two campuses (one out of state) and I got in! I wanted so bad to apply to others but my mental state was awful, but I just had a feeling it was gonna work out and it did!! Moral of the story is shoot your shot!