How to apply to Nursing (RN)

Admission to the Nursing Program is through an application process. Applicants need to meet the eligibility requirements and apply to the program as well as the College. 

Pathway to Applying to the Shoreline Nursing Program

  • Watch the Pre-Nursing Jump Start video. This has all the information you need to get started on your journey to becoming an RN.

  • After watching the Pre-Nursing Jump Start video, we encourage all students to meet with an advisor at the college where you plan to take the prerequisite courses and make an academic plan. 

 If you are already a Shoreline CC student or want to take prerequisite courses at Shoreline CC: 

Applying to the Shoreline Nursing Program

Next application periods for 6qtr & LPN to RN: Jan 15 - Apr 3, Aug 15 - Oct 3, Nov 15 - Jan 10 (every year)

Next application period for 11qtr (previously 10qtr): January 15, 2025 – April 3, 2025 (every other year)

Please Note: The ‘Start the Nursing (RN) program application’ tab is not active between application cycles.

Step #1 – If you are new to Shoreline Community College, your first step is to apply to the College to receive a student ctcLink ID using our online application process: Apply to Shoreline Community College

Step #2 – After filling out the general college application, then apply to the College’s Associate Degree Nursing Program: Start Nursing Program Application A $20.00 non-refundable processing fee using a credit/debit card will be required.

Step #3 – As a final step, submit (through mail or by drop-off at the Health Occupations Building - Building 2300) the following additional materials by the application deadline:

  • Unofficial transcripts for each College for which required pre-requisites were taken
  • NLN-NEX Results (LPN to RN applicants are not required to take NLN-NEX)
  • Employment/Volunteer Verification Form with specific hours listed and signed by your supervisor
    • For example, filling in "40 hours a week" is not accepted. Filling in 2,080 hours is accepted.

If Applicable:

  • · Military Documentation
  • · Proof of Associate Degree or Higher
  • · Proof of NAC Classes Taken at Shoreline
  • · Foreign Language Fluency Score
  • Evaluation of Coursework completed at schools outside of Washington State. Three documents are required for this evaluation:
    1. Fill this form. Forms not filled in will not be evaluated.
    2. Unofficial transcripts listing the requested courses to evaluate
    3. Description of courses taken in order to determine equivalency with SCC courses

Please Note: Incomplete files will not be processed

What You Will Need to Compete the Application Process

  • Personal and Contact Information
  • Coursework
    • Course numbers (i.e. CHEM& 121)
    • Results / Grade
    • Where Taken
  • Employment / Volunteer
    • Type of work
    • Business Name
    • Supervisor
    • Address
    • Job title
    • Start / End Dates
    • Full / Part Time
    • Number of hours
  • Transfer Coursework (if applying for the Nursing Transfer Program)

Transfer students (students applying to move from one nursing program to the Nursing Program at Shoreline Community College) need to submit copies of the course syllabi from all completed nursing courses prior to submitting their application to determine possible placement in the Shoreline program. To be eligible for transfer, the student must:

  • Meet the minimum requirements for Shoreline admission and the Nursing Program
  • Have completed the required non-nursing courses with a passing grade (2.0 or higher)
  • Have a passing grade in all nursing courses previously attempted
  • Be currently enrolled in a U.S. nursing program or enrolled within the last 12 months
  • Be eligible for re-entry to and in good standing at the original nursing program, verified by a letter from the program in which the student was previously enrolled
  • Credit Card Information

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Jobs and volunteer positions in long-term care facilities, acute care hospitals, community clinics, food banks, or homeless shelters all offer exposure to underserved populations. Most work or volunteer experiences are eligible for the full 4 points available for experience with underserved populations.
  • You should have the results of your equivalency review before you submit your application. Please remember it takes up to 4 weeks to process equivalency reviews before the end of the application period.
  • Language Fluency & SCC Points for Admission (CEFR is recommended, however the others are also acceptable)

Nursing points

Spanish for Healthcare Workers is currently being developed at SCC and is currently offered as SPAN 292 Special Topics in Spanish. Students who pass this course are eligible to receive one Language point.

Contact Us
If you have any questions, contact the Shoreline Community College Nursing Program at sccnursing@shoreline.edu

Application Timelines

Right click a table cell to select deletion of a row or column in order to size the table according to your needs.

Quarter Entering Application Period
Fall January 15 to April 3
Winter August 15 to October 3
Spring November 15 to January 10

Information Sessions and Drop-In Advising

To learn more about the Nursing program, consider attending an Information Session which is offered three times throughout each quarter. During these sessions, the program and the entire admission process are reviewed.

Before attending an information session, please be sure view the Pre-Nursing Jumpstart video.

Please visit our Safety and Security site to learn more about parking at Shoreline Community College.

You can meet one-on-one with a full-time faculty member during virtual or in-person drop-in advising hours to get your specific questions answered and get personal assistance. Both current and prospective Nursing (RN) students are welcome. Drop-in advising with full-time Nursing faculty members is available during the Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters. See Advising Schedule Here.

If you would like general nursing program information, as well as application information, please email sccnursing@shoreline.edu.

Please Note: There is no faculty advising during the Summer Quarter, and no advising sessions on Fridays, as well as during the first week of the quarter, finals week, and scheduled holidays. For a list of these dates, please see the Academic Calendar.

Admissions Requirements

Watching the Pre-Nursing Jumpstart video is highly recommended for interested applicants. Then, attending an Information Session is encouraged. 

Admission is based on a point system (see below). Alternates for our program are also selected by this same point system. Points are awarded for grades in prerequisite courses, grades in additional college courses taken that meet requirements for completion of the program and practical preparation.

Download the Point System Evaluation

Download Employment/Volunteer Verification

Courses taken outside of Shoreline must match Shoreline courses in both content and credit hours. Courses from Washington 4-year colleges and community colleges in Washington State listed on the Course Equivalency Chart are known to be equivalent and do not require further evaluation. If the course does not appear on the course equivalency chart, you must submit a nursing request for transcript evaluation to determine course equivalency.

For each course you wish to have evaluated, submit a Transcript Evaluation Request Form, an unofficial transcript, and course description or syllabi. Evaluations typically take 3 weeks to complete and the evaluation will be emailed to the student when completed.

Please Note: Requests submitted with applications will not be evaluated. Please submit requests at least 4 weeks prior to the application deadline.

International transcripts must be translated into English and evaluated by an official, independent evaluation service. This requires a course-by-course evaluation. Please note that this process may take up to 8-10 weeks. After this evaluation is completed, submit a copy of the evaluation with a nursing request for transcript evaluation. International transcripts do not require course descriptions or syllabi.

Course Equivalency Chart

Transcript Evaluation Request Form (Word)

LPN to RN

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who want to become RNs may seek advanced placement into the Nursing program. See the nursing brochure for more detailed LPN requirements and instructions. 

Please Note: One year of work experience as an LPN is required to be considered for admission.

NLN-NEX

Applicants must obtain a minimum of 138 on the NLN-NEX (formerly PAX) test and meet minimum course requirements.

  • Full-time 6-quarter and Part-time 11-quarter applicants are required to have NLN-NEX scores. 
  • LPN to RN applicants are not required to take NLN-NEX 

Learn more about the NLN-NEX test

Taking NLN Exams Online with Proctor360

Prerequisite Courses

All prerequisites must be completed before applying to the nursing program. Please note that all science laboratory courses must have been taken in-person on the first attempt. Science courses that are re-takes may have the second laboratory online.

Application Process

  1. Apply to Shoreline Community College to receive a student ID and PIN number, which you'll need to apply to the program. If you're already a Shoreline Community College student with a student ID and PIN, you do not need to apply to the college.
  2. Apply to the Nursing (RN) program

Start the Nursing (RN) program application

Once accepted to the program

After acceptance to the program, students will need to pass a national and state background check, provide documentation of the ability to meet the Essential Functional Ability with or without reasonable accommodation, submit evidence of appropriate tuberculosis testing, documentation of immunization or immunity to several communicable diseases, documentation of health insurance (major medical coverage), a clear Criminal Background check, current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Provider.