GPA Calculations for DNP/DNAP Programs

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic ICU.

Hey all!

I have a question that is sort of case specific, but I feel like there may be many more people out there in the same boat.

I have a very, very interesting and checkered academic path. Long story short, I spent (way) more than two years on the community college where I didn't do so well overall, jumped around to a few four years where I did okay at some

schools and not at others, landed at my last university where I graduated with a 3.2.

I took some courses at a few community colleges to get the prerequisites for nursing done and now I'm nearing completion of my BSN with a 3.85. I plan to work for a few years then apply to CRNA or DNP programs, but I have a question - what GPA will they look at? I ask this because I don't know how to calculate the "3.0 cumulative undergraduate" GPA most schools list. Does anyone know how graduate nursing schools will calculate the overall GPA if you have lots of schools to send in? (I'm talking at least 7 transcripts). Do they look at each class individually? Do they only consider transferring credits? Do they include or exclude repeats? I know my "overall" GPA will be very close or maybe even under depending on how they calculate, but I really don't have an idea of where to start to calculate.

I'd also like to know to determine if I should retake some UG course or take some grad courses while I'm working before I apply to improve my application. Also, I'd like to know because I have classes that I either retook for grade replacement and one instance where I got 2 F's because I didn't drop in time even though it was the fault of my advisor.

I know all schools are different, but any idea or guidance would be much appreciated.

Overall GPA:

Credit of class * Grade in class (1 for D, 2 for C, 3 for B, 4 for A) = Quality points

Total quality points / total credits = overall GPA

Just do this for all of your earned credits and you'll know

A DNP or CRNA program is going to pay most attention to your BSN GPA. My history is similar to yours and I got into the Hopkins ABSN and then their MSN program. Good luck.

Specializes in Critical Care.
A DNP or CRNA program is going to pay most attention to your BSN GPA. My history is similar to yours and I got into the Hopkins ABSN and then their MSN program. Good luck.

Not necessarily.. if he / she took chemistry, physics, orgo, biochem earlier at a different school, they will definitely need to be answer for poor grades (if grades were poor).

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