Want to get accepted to the perfect nursing school? Here’s how.

The future for nurses is bright. Really bright.

The number of nurses in the United States is projected to grow by 16 percent through 2024 — much faster than the average of all occupations. And the pay is much better, too — median compensation was nearly $70,000 in 2016.

That makes just about any nursing school a good bet for young Americans. But it doesn’t make all nursing schools equal. Like any educational institution, some are better than others. Schools vary widely in terms of training opportunities, job placement and tuition — and when prospective nurses find a school that seems to be the perfect match of all of those things, they’ve often identified a school that can be selective about who it accepts.

How can individuals differentiate themselves and create the best opportunity to get into the perfect program? One really good step is to ensure they’ve had a great preparatory selection of high school classes aligned with the needs of the medical field.

When students enrolled in Graduation Alliance programs express a desire to pursue a career in nursing, for instance, they’re introduced to courses like human health, psychology and medical terminology that put them in a position to shine when it comes time to apply for nursing school.

Admissions officials, after all, don’t just want to find good students. Because nursing school is tough – and many students drop out — the enrollment officials charged with bringing students into their schools want to find students who have already demonstrated a sustained interest and aptitude for work the medical field.

So, want to get into your top choice of nursing school? Be able to show that you’ve wanted to be a nurse for a long time — and that you’ve already taken steps toward getting yourself ready for that career.