Doctoral Program Student Recruitment: Same Day Admission Innovation.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Administration

Background:

• Declining doctoral admissions and resource scarcity pose challenges for universities.
• Traditional doctoral program admission processes are often lengthy and complex.
• Diverse student populations require accessible and efficient admission pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To innovate doctoral nursing admissions in response to declining enrollment and resource constraints.
• To streamline the application and admission process for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing programs.
• To increase the number of qualified applicants and admitted students within a limited timeframe.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a "1-stop shop" Same Day Admission event.
• Collaborative effort between doctoral programs and university admissions leadership.
• Consolidation of the complex and lengthy traditional admission process.

Main Results:

• More than triple the number of applicants were admitted compared to traditional methods.
• Admissions were achieved in one-fifth of the traditional time.
• The Same Day Admission process significantly increased applicant numbers for Spring and Fall 2022 semesters.
• Applicant feedback highlighted the process as efficient, motivating, and energizing.

Conclusions:

• The Same Day Admission event proved highly effective in increasing doctoral nursing program admissions.
• The "1-stop shop" model enhanced efficiency and applicant satisfaction.
• Positive faculty and staff feedback supports the collaborative approach and suggests future innovations.