Post-Admission Process

National Background Check and  Immunizations    CPR Requirement      COMPASS Test     Failure to Meet Requirements

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 after receiving your Admit Packet.

Reserve your spot today!

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 Orientation/Registration".

• Click here to view upcoming dates for New Student Orientation and Registration. 

Step 2: Certified Profile - National Background Check and Immunization Checklist

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.