So you have been accepted to Mercy College and have received your Admit Packet in the mail. Now what?
The post-admission process consists of several steps. Before you can register for classes, you must complete the following:
Step 1: Sign Up for New Student Orientation and Registration
Your first step to becoming a Mercy College student is to sign up for an orientation/registration session and pay your non-refundable tuition deposit after receiving your Admit Packet.
Reserve your spot today!
Choose a session that best fits your schedule. Please be advised that course selection and availability becomes more limited during later orientation/registration sessions. The deadline to sign up for New Student Orientation and Registration is two weeks prior to each session.
Orientation and Registration sessions are availalbe for Summer 2012. The Fall 2012 sessions will be posted by February 1, 2012.
The password to register online for an orientation/registration session is located in your Admit Packet under "Sign Up Online for New Student Orientation/Registration".
Click here to view upcoming dates for New Student Orientation and Registration.
Non-refundable Tuition Deposit
Please mail your non-refundable $250 tuition deposit (required for registration and academic scholarship opportunities) to the Business Office or call (515) 643-6629 to pay by phone.
Business Office Mailing Address
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Business Office
928 6th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309-1229
If paying by check, mail the admission deposit back in the pre-paid envelope provided in the packet. Please reference student name in memo line of check. (Memo line: John Smith)
Step 2: National Background Check and Immunization Checklist
An explanation of each requirement is provided below.
National Background Check* Click here to view instructions on how to initiate your national background check.
Initiate a national criminal background and a child and adult abuse check with CertifiedBackground.com along with the required payment to the vendor 30 days prior to your designated orientation/registration session. The student must authorize CertifiedBackground.com to provide the results of these checks as part of the final verification for admission to the College.
Immunizations
Students starting courses Summer 2012 must complete and return the immunization form to the Office of Admissions at least five (5) business days prior to attending their designated orientation session. It is recommended to submit this form earlier in case follow-up is necessary.
Students starting courses Fall 2012 or later will be required to submit immunization records to CertifiedBackground.com along with the required payment to the vendor 30 days prior to your designated orientation/registration session.
Complete Required Immunizations signed by an appropriate healcare provider or submit official documentation of completed vaccinations.
1) Complete and submit documentation of a two-step (two separate) tuberculin (TB) skin test screening. The full TB test process must have been completed within 1 year. If you have a positive TB skin test reading, you must provide a current Chest X-ray report along with follow-up treatment recommendations. The Chest X-ray results must be negative to start class.
2) Official documentation showing student has received or is currently in the process of receiving the 3-dose Hepatitis B vaccine series.
3) MMR (2 doses),
4) Chicken Pox immunity.
The College may, at it’s discretion, also require proof of seasonal flu vaccination prior to participation in courses that include a clinical rotation.
Complete the Medical History/Health Update signed by the student at your designated orientation/registration session.
Refer to the FAQ Immunization Guide for additional information about the above required immunizations.
Students need to retain copies of all health documents submitted for admission to Mercy College. Once submitted they become the property of Mercy College and are not released.
Step 3: CPR Requirement
You will be required to present your current certification in American Red Cross for the Professional Rescuer or American Heart Association CPR for the Health Care Provider (including adult, infant, child, 1 and 2 rescuer CPR, AED, and use of a Bag-Valve Mask) card to your clinical instructor the first week of class, if applicable.
Students registering for the 150-Hour or 75-Hour Advanced Nursing Assistant Course at Mercy College will earn their CPR certification through the course.
If you have not met this requirement, click here to view course and registration information and the schedule of classes. Classes fill quickly, so register as early as possible.
Step 4: COMPASS Test
Nursing Pre-Algebra Test (ASN Students Only)
You will be notified in your acceptance letter accompanied with your Admit Packet if the Nursing Pre-Algebra Test is required. The test must be taken prior to your orientation/registration session or you will automatically be registered to take MAT 095 (Pre-Algebra).
Click here to register for your Nursing Pre-Algebra COMPASS Test. The password to register online is located in your Admit Packet under COMPASS Test.
You must meet one of the following criteria to demonstrate competency in mathematical ability for the Associate of Science in Nursing program:
Achieve a mathematics score of 22 or higher on the ACT test or a mathematics score of at least 480 on the SAT within the last two years.
Achieve a grade of “C” (not “C-”) or higher in a college-level algebra course within the last two years.
Achieve a scaled mathematics score of 80 or greater on the pre-algebra domain of the COMPASS test within the last two years. If a student does not achieve a score of 80 on the COMPASS test, the student must take either MAT 095 Pre-Algebra or MAT 105 College Algebra prior to or concurrent with the first semester of the nursing program. College credit is not awarded for MAT 095.
Failure to Complete Post-Admission Process
Students who fail to complete any of the post-admission process components listed above may delay or end the enrollment process and their admission status may be revoked.
*Background Checks -- To ensure the safety of all clients served by Mercy College students and to meet regulations of our clinical partners regarding student participation in clinical site rotations as determined by the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and in compliance with state and federal laws, a national criminal background check and child and dependent adult abuse checks will be conducted on each student seeking admission to the College, regardless of program of study.
Students will be asked to establish an account with CertifiedBackground.com and provide the necessary fees directly to the vendor, in order to conduct these checks as part of the post-admission process. Students who choose not to participate in these checks or are found to have criminal backgrounds may not be able to be admitted to the College.
Students are expected to provide information on all states where they have lived, in order to adequately determine any criminal and abuse histories. Failure to disclose on the College application a criminal record or founded case of abuse (regardless of whether perceived to be expunged in the past and later found on documentation provided to the College) or as part of the information supplied to the vendor will also result in a denial of admission to the College.
When the College is notified by the vendor that a student has a criminal record, the student will be expected to provide clarifying information about each conviction listed on the record for further evaluation by the Mercy College Background Check Review Committee. Students who have a criminal record may be denied admission to Mercy College. Students who specifically have a founded child or dependent adult abuse registry listing will be considered for admission only after undergoing a review by the Iowa Department of Human Services, and an evaluation by the Mercy College Background Check Review Committee.
If the student wishes to dispute the findings reported by the vendor, the student will be granted an opportunity to do so as outlined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), guided by the instructions of the vendor. Denial of admission may be appealed to the Vice President of Admissions and Advancement if documentation of a resolution to the case can be made. All criminal and abuse registry documents are maintained in the Admissions Department and are not part of a student’s permanent record.
Various licensing boards may restrict eligibility for professional licensure/certification if a person has been convicted of a felony or has participated in other illegal or unethical behaviors. Students under these situations are encouraged to contact the appropriate licensure/certification board prior to beginning the admissions process at Mercy College. In cases where a licensure/certification board does grant permission to eventually test for certification/licensure following successful graduation from a Mercy College academic program, the College makes no stipulations on the ability of the student to find employment within the certification/licensure career field.
Orientation and Registration sessions are available for Summer 2012. The Fall 2012 sessions will be posted by February 1, 2012.
The deadline to sign up for New Student Orientation and Registration is two weeks prior to each session.
The password to register online for an orientation/registration session is located in your Admit Packet under "Sign Up Online for New Student Orientatio and Registration".
Please download and complete the required Immunization form prior to New Student Orientation and Registration. Refer to the FAQ Immunization Guide for details.
