by Blessed2beStressed

Hello all,

I hope I am posting this in the proper place, if not I apologize. I am just in need of some guidance, and a bit of encouragement. I am in my early 40's and I have been raising kids for 16 years. I have wanted to return back to school for a while now to become a nurse, but a few things have always held me back. One of those things is my HS gpa. It is under the required 2.0 to enter a BSN program.

I am ashamed and discouraged. High school was a very rough few years for me. My mother fell ill and I had to work to help raise my little brother. We lived with our grandparents who were not financially equipped to deal with the situation. Looking back, I wish I had had more fortitude. I wish I could have tried harder in school. 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' I know....but all the same, here I am 20 plus years later, and I just got off the phone with a cal state advisor who told me I probably would not meet the admission requirement due to my GPA falling below the 2.0.

I am devasted. I am still planning on going to a private LVN school, and praying I can bridge from there...but that will be taking the long way - will it not? and even from that vantage point, will the HS GPA still remain on my record and an issue?

I want to turn my academic life around. I want to stop allowing myself to be held back by those difficult years. Is there hope for me? Does anyone have any insights or advice/guidance? Would you recommend a different route to achieving my BSN?

thanks so much,
B2BS

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

If you're a transfer student with x amount of credits, they usually don't care about your high school records. Try talking with a counselor at your local community college.

That's the way it works for non-nursing majors at any rate. Keep on truckin'.

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

arab rider...thanks for the info...I have researched a bit more and it seems to me that if I start taking some classes at a cc (even non nursing classes) I can use those transcripts instead of the HS gpa?

Do they always look at the HS GPA? or can I usually correct a bad HS GPA with college classes?

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

I don't know how it works in CA, but you are 40 YEARS OLD!!! None of us are the same now as we were then. And the Universities know that, but if you have not done anything academically to prove it that is all they have to go by. It's not necessarily fair, it isn't always what we want to hear, but it is the truth.

Personally, what worked for me was to start at Community College ... remedial (developmental) Math, Chemistry, lower level English, Biologies and other prerequisites I even took History since I knew it was an easy (for me) A. Then I applied to Universities and Community College Nursing Programs and best of all my HS records did not matter, I had a 3.9+ (got a B in Hist II (DOH)). Anyway, I got into a program starting first Spring after I applied.
I would caution against the "Private College" due to tuition costs, when applying I would also compare NCLEX-RN results between schools (looking for results >90%).
Take things one step at a time, do the prerequisites improve or create a good GPA. Plus if Nursing isn't for you, you have options toward another degree. Do this while keeping your costs at a minimum and if possible ease in to it to maximize your chances of success. School in general (and ESPECIALLY NURSING SCHOOL) takes time and discipline, set yourself up by creating a good understanding of this... "a 4 credit class takes me X hours per week, can I afford an extra X number of hours to take 7 credits next semester?"

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

When I was looking at transferring to a CSU (moved out of state before I did), they didn't even want my old high school transcripts. It would have been based only on college level courses.

I didn't even really graduate from HS, I tested out and went to work for a horse trainer.

Unless you need to work fast, I would skip the LPN. Do your pre-reqs and then you can apply to a ADN (two year RN, in case you don't know) and bridge to BSN or go straight for the BSN.

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

Hi there -

I was in the same boat as you: applying to nursing schools with a not-so-hot high school transcript. But rather than ignoring it, I actually mentioned it in one of my essays. I talked about how as an older student, I have had the time and life experience that allowed me to really focus on what I want to do with my life. I am much more academically driven now than I was in high school. I don't think there's anything wrong with that (hey, we all mature after high school!) I got accepted and will be starting this fall, and they never even mentioned the "unmentionables" on my H.S. transcript.

I would play up your current focus and desire and don't shy away from talking about high school (if they ask). Perhaps the situation with your mother when you were younger is what part of influenced you to pursue nursing. Best of luck to you!

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

Many community colleges will let you take classes w/o turning in your high school transcript. I took A&P, chem, microbio without producing a single transcript. All of these transferred to a regular university. You have options :-D

Re: Need encouragement, advice and guidance...please

Thank you so much for the input. I called my local CC and they said "most recent" transcripts with 12 units or more .

This is good news. I can take a few classes there, get my 12 units and work my butt off to get the best grades. I am encouraged !