Associate Degree Nursing Admissions Process

The ICC ADN program is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON). Enrollment is limited and competitive. Meeting minimum criteria does not guarantee admission. The ICC ADN does not use a waiting list. Therefore, applications must be updated annually.

General admission requirements for the college must be completed by the deadline date.

• Complete the online application process (include residency determination) to Isothermal Community College. Use major code A1030N- Associate General Education - Nursing.
• Submit all official and sealed college transcript(s) from the issuing institution, including nursing programs attended to the Admissions Office for evaluation. Only transfer credits can be awarded to courses that reflect a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

The ADN program admission requirements must be completed by the deadline date.

• As part of the qualifications for admissions into the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, you must meet the Math and English developmental competency.
• Required minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 2.5 or higher. (Cumulative overall college GPA will be computed based on the most recent 12 semester credit hours from ICC or an accredited institution. If not available, unweighted high school GPA of 2.8 or GED scores will be used.)
• Review the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) Technical Standards of a Nursing Student which is included in the packet for your required signature.

• Applications are submitted in person for nursing advising with the Health Sciences Student Success Coordinator at the Rutherford Learning Center.

To see point ranking go to ADN application packet information button.

Required General Education (non-nursing) courses.

Students are encouraged to take the required general education (non-nursing) courses (required for the degree) before entry into the Associate Degree Nursing program as points are awarded on the application for them:

• ENG 111 - Writing & Inquiry
• ENG 112 – Writing & Research in Disciplines (or ENG 113 Or ENG 114)
• PSY 150 – General Psychology
• PSY 241 – Developmental Psychology
• BIO 168 – Anatomy & Physiology I
• BIO 169 – Anatomy & Physiology II
• BIO 275 – Microbiology
• Choose from: ART 111, ART 114, ART 115, HUM 115, MUS 110, PHI 215, PHI 240, ENG 231, ENG 232, ENG 241, ENG 242, ENG 262, HUM 110, HUM 120, HUM 122, HUM 130, HUM 170, HUM 230, MUS 112, REL 110, REL 111, REL 211, REL 212
• ACA 122 – College Transfer Success or ACA 115 – Success & Study Skills (before or in the first semester)

Information on the standardized TEAS exam required for entry.

The TEAS exam information:

The ATI TEAS VI must be completed and/or ATI TEAS transcripts submitted to the Health Science Success Coordinator.

The Minimum Score of 60 on ATI TEAS VI: The Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) VI includes, Reading, Math (including Algebra) Science, and English section. The TEAS VI composite (total adjusted) score and individual section scores will be used to assign points for ranking. A minimum composite score of 60 is required to be considered for the program.

The estimated cost for the TEAS VI test is $70.00. The TEAS VI test is administered at ICC. Find a date and time for testing.

TEAS scores are valid within 3 years of the application deadline. Test dates are available for scheduling one month prior to the desired test date. Only two attempts are allowed for the TEAS at ICC test center. There is a 30 day wait period between attempts before you are eligible for the next attempt. Only 2 attempts per year are available at the ICC test center.  The TEAS may be taken at any approved location within the United States. If taken at a test center other than ICC, the student must request an official transcript from ATI and submit it to the Health Sciences Student Success Coordinator. 

The TEAS includes Reading, Math (including Algebra) Science, and English sections. TEAS scores are used in a Points Tool to determine applicant ranking. In the event of a tie in the overall points, the TEAS composite score will be used to determine rank; in the event of an identical score on the TEAS composite, the GPA will be used to determine rank.

We strongly encourage students to seek TEAS exam preparation before taking TEAS attempts. Preparation for the TEAS exam may be found at ATI Testing. Online practice assessments are also available at the  vendor website.

Before the start of the ADN program, students are required to complete the following.

Completion of a North Carolina state-approved Nurse Aide (NA) I course. The course must include full theory and full clinical times as set by the NC NA I Registry.

Active American Heart Association (AHA) Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

The Nursing Director will review the student files and send acceptance letters to the top 45 applicants via their student email.

Acceptance is conditional upon the receipt of the following:

1. Submit Intent to Enroll response to the Director.
2. Attend Mandatory Nursing Orientation at the Rutherfordton Learning Center (RLC) located at 134 Maple Street in Rutherfordton, NC. Date and time will be announced in your acceptance letter .
3. Complete criminal background checks and drug screening, required by clinical sites, at the student’s expense (approximately $80.00 cash only) by the ICC ADN vendor of choice. Failure to achieve acceptable standards will result in the denial of clinical privileges and the inability to continue in the nursing program. The College does not require or receive results for background checks or drug screens. Results are sent directly from the vendor to the student and clinical agencies. The clinical agencies then determine clinical eligibility and notify the students and Director accordingly. If a clinical agency denies a student access, the student can appeal to the clinical agency. If the clinical agency denies the clinical access following the appeal, the student will not be allowed to go to a different clinical facility and will not be allowed to continue the program (information will be included with acceptance letter).
4. Create Immunization tracking account & upload data (approximately $36.00 per year by credit card). Students will receive instructions for this along with their acceptance letters. Each clinical agency may also require a tracking service and fees will vary (information will be included with acceptance letter).
5. Purchase uniforms & supplies, textbooks, etc. (information will be included with acceptance letter). It will take several weeks before you receive items so plan accordingly. You may wear scrubs of choice to lab but the student uniform is required for any clinical session.
6. After the above have been met, schedule an appointment to meet with your Health Sciences Student Success Coordinator for nursing advising. Included in the first semester tuition will be a one-time testing fee of approximately $1182 that covers, a prescriptive learning program to help Prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Nursing classes and labs will be held at the ICC RLC campus and clinical rotations will vary among surrounding counties--- travel is required and maybe more than one hour from campus, one-way. Clinical may be scheduled during the day, evening, and/or weekend hours, depending on availability. Students are responsible for arranging their transportation to and from class, lab, and clinical.
7. Submit completed medical form which includes a health physical, diagnostic tests and immunization Records to the clinical coordinator. Medical form will be emailed as part of your acceptance letter.

8. Maintain 2.0 cumulative GPA while in nursing program
   Students must earn a “B” in all NUR courses
   Students must earn a “C” in all general education courses