Competitive Admission Process

• Competitive admission applicants must speak to a Program Director in the Division of Health Sciences & Nursing (706.225.0502) or Tamara Hardnett in the Academic Advisement Center (706.649.1174) before applying.
• Degree Program Rankings are performed using a program-specific Excel spreadsheet, with 60% of the ranking coming from competitive GPA and 40% from HESI A2 scores and additional Bonus Points beginning August
• Program Ranking for the Practical Nursing TCC (PN21) is calculated using a program-specific Excel spreadsheet, with 100% of the ranking coming from HESI A2 scores and additional Bonus Points beginning August 2025.
• Program applications will be available on the Columbus Technical College (CTC) website two (2) weeks before published Applicants must submit an electronic application for each program they wish to apply for at that time. CTC’s Academic Advisement Center staff will review and rank all submitted application information. For application questions, please contact Tamara Hardnett in the Advisement Center at 706.649.1174 or thardnett@columbustech.edu.
• Applicants for all degree programs must have a cumulative college GPA of 0 or greater.
  • It is highly recommended that applicants for the Practical Nursing TCC (PN21) have a cumulative high school or college GPA of 0 or greater to complete the program successfully.
• Applicants with college degrees must compete in the same areas as those without previous degrees, including the HESI A2
• Current CTC students in competitive health sciences or nursing programs cannot apply for another competitive health sciences or nursing program until completion of their current program
• All prerequisite courses must be completed before the application deadline
• Transfer credits – CTC’s Admissions Office must receive students’ official transcripts/grades from all institutions by the deadline date posted
  • All accredited health sciences and nursing programs have state or national guidelines and standards that students must successfully meet to complete the program.  However, the curriculum varies widely among programs. For example, some programs operate in the quarter system while others utilize semesters. Furthermore, each program’s courses are structured differently and may be taught in a different order. Therefore, Columbus Technical College will not accept transfer credit from other accredited colleges and universities for previously completed nursing or health sciences program-occupational courses. Additionally, no military credits and/or nursing experience while working in the military will be accepted.

The Competitive Ranking will be based on the following:

Designated prerequisite course grades

• • Courses used for competitive ranking are indicated for each program in the Catalog and Student Handbook on the CTC web All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher at the time of program application submission.
  • Applicants receiving a passing grade for any prerequisite course will be given one opportunity to improve their grade in that specific prerequisite The higher passing grade will be used for ranking. * Financial Aid will only pay for two attempts with a passing grade.

  • Science courses (BIOL 2113 & 2113L, 2114 & 2114L, 2117 & 2117L, CHEM 1211 & 1211L, PHYS 1110 & 1110L, ALHS 1011) used for competitive admission cannot be more than seven (7) years old, or the course must be re-taken. Science courses over seven (7) years old will not be used for competitive ranking. The 7-year period begins on the course’s completion date, as reflected on the student’s transcript.

HESI A2 exam scores

• • CTC’s specific HESI A2 exam is required for all competitive programs and must be taken in the CTC testing Only scores from this exam will be used for ranking.
  • For the following programs, applicants must achieve a 70 or higher to be eligible to apply:
    • Associate Degree Nursing-RN
    • Dental Hygiene
    • Diagnostic Medical Sonography
    • Radiologic Technology

• • Applicants must score 60 or higher to qualify for the programs below:
    • Practical Nursing TCC (PN21)
    • Respiratory Care Technology
    • Surgical Technology
  • The exam may be taken twice per calendar year, and the results are only good for two years
  • The exam is administered in the CTC testing center (Located in the Library & Adult Education Building). Call 706-649-1822 for exam dates, times, and The cost of the exam is $54.00, and an exam sitting fee of $25.00, for a total of $79.00.
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  • CTC’s specific exam will cover the following topics:
    • Reading comprehension
    • Vocabulary and General Knowledge
    • Grammar
    • Basic Math skills
    • Biology
    • Anatomy & Physiology
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  • Exam preparation options
    • There is free study material through CTC’s virtual library via Galileo under the test prep software Mometrix. Once in Mometrix, click on nursing and scroll to HESI A2 Secrets and HESI A2 Practice Questions to begin.
    • There is also a study guide that may be purchased: HESI Admission Assessment Exam and Review, 5th Edition, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-323-58226-1

Bonus Points (Beginning August 2025)

One (1) bonus point will be added to the final score for an applicant who graduated from one of the following Columbus Technical College’s Health Sciences and Nursing programs:

• Associate Degree Nursing (NU23 or NLB3)
• Dental Assisting (DA12 or AD21)
• Dental Hygiene (DH13)
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS3)
• EMS Professions (EP12)
• Health Science, Associate of Science (AD23)
• Medical Assisting (MA22)
• Paramedicine (PAF2, PT12, or PT13)
• Pharmacy Technology (PT22, PT23, or PA71)
• Practical Nursing (PN12 or PN21)
• Radiologic Technology (RT23)
• Respiratory Care (RCT3)
• Sports & Fitness Management (SAF3)
• Surgical Technology (ST13)

One (1) bonus point will be added to the applicant’s final score for each course listed The applicant must have earned a “C” or better in the course, and the course cannot be a prerequisite for the program.

• ALHS 1040 – Introduction to Healthcare
  • Not applicable for Diagnostic Medical Sonography applicants unless using MATH 1127 (Statistics) as a prerequisite
• ALHS 1090 – Medical Terminology
  • Not applicable for Radiologic Technology or Surgical Technology applicants
• NAST xxxx – Any Nurse Aide Course

*APPLICATION DEADLINE DATE

*Applicants may begin applying two (2) weeks before the deadline dates posted below.