Nursing School Application Checklist: From Eligibility to Submit

7 min readguide

By NurseSavvy Editorial Team

Clinically reviewed by David Zimmerman · RN · MSN, University of Arizona · BA in Education, Siena College

Eligibility

  • Correct program, campus, start term, and applicant type.
  • All prerequisites complete or validly in progress.
  • Minimum cumulative, prerequisite, and science GPAs met.
  • Course age, lab, transfer, and repeat rules satisfied.
  • Required information session, certification, or experience complete.

TEAS or entrance exam

  • Correct exam and version confirmed.
  • Accepted proctor and location confirmed before purchase.
  • Composite and section minimums recorded.
  • Attempt cap, waiting period, score age, and score-selection rule recorded.
  • First attempt leaves a legal retake window before the receipt deadline.
  • Official transcript sent to the correct destination and receipt verified.

Application materials

  • Every college and required high-school transcript ordered.
  • References requested with instructions and buffer time.
  • Essay answers every prompt within the word limit.
  • Employment, certifications, hours, and dates verified.
  • Residency and identity documents use accepted formats.
  • Names and student identifiers match across systems.

Final audit and receipt

  • Independent proofread completed.
  • Portal fields checked against source documents.
  • Application submitted before the final day.
  • Confirmation and payment receipt saved.
  • Portal monitored until the file is marked complete.
  • Interview, decision, deposit, and final-transcript dates calendared.

Common questions

What documents do nursing-school applications require?

Common items include application forms, official transcripts, entrance-exam results, prerequisite records, references, essays, residency or identity documents, and program-specific attestations.

How do I know my application is complete?

Do not rely only on submission. Check the portal or official status process until every required item is received and the file is marked complete.

When should I order transcripts?

Order early enough for processing and correction. Follow instructions about in-progress courses and whether a final updated transcript is required.

What TEAS items belong on the checklist?

Accepted proctor, minimum and section scores, attempt and wait rules, testing date, score-receipt deadline, transcript destination, and confirmation of receipt.

Check “TEAS ready” with evidence.

Take the free full-length diagnostic before you spend an official attempt or mark your testing plan complete.

Take the free TEAS practice test