Advice on getting into nursing school!

U.S.A. North Carolina

Updated:   Published

Hi All! I will be returning to my home state of NC to TRY and attending nursing school. I currently live in CA and it's way to expensive to go to school here so I will be moving back to the Charlotte area. However, I am perpetually worried that I don't stand a chance of ever getting accepted to a school. I graduated from ECU in 2006 with a BA in Communication and my GPA was less than stellar. It was ruined due to struggling through four required levels of foreign language and also due to several hardships that occurred in three years (death of parent, death of friend, two broken bones at different times). All in all I ended up with a GPA of 2.28. I decided I wanted to go into the medical field and nursing around my junior year of college so I had no time to switch majors or tracks at ECU. I am totally committed to becoming a nurse and glad that I have found my calling. I just have no idea if it will ever happen for me!

My plan is to move back to NC this fall take a CNA course and work as a CNA while I take science prereqs to try and bring my GPA up. I barely had any science in my undergrad since it wasn't required. I just feel like it is going to take forever to bring my GPA up. I am hoping that I can do very well in my science prereqs and that the schools might look more at those since they are the most relevant and current. My undergrad GPA doesn't even begin to show my academic ability and desire to be a nurse. I know I'm not even close to being competitive with other applicants.

The schools I am interested in are Mercy, Cabarrus college of health sciences and carolinas college of health sciences. I will be taking prereqs at CPCC. I have been really drawn to the private programs due to the small class size and no waiting list.

Any advice? I welcome any tales,opinions, or experiences you may have.

I know there is always a way but it's hard to see the light when there is a big giant rock called an undergrad GPA blocking it!

Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

I wanted to let you know ECU has the second degree program. It's the BSN program for people who have a bachelor's degree in another field. One of my orientees did this program.

0 Votes

would you happen to know which city college to apply to? now my dilema is i need to desperately get into some program by january? i'm going to grad with an associates liberal arts at molloy college...they will not let me continue to go on to the nursing program there b/c i took anatomy 2 over more than twice? which is silly cuz my final grade is an A!! at this point i'm so desperate!! i have all these college credits but no body will accept me? i tried those two year hospital schools and the entrance exams and got rejected?? i'm really depressed please let me know watever you can tell me about the city colleges specific ones that i will deff apply to thankyou soo much!

0 Votes

Don't feel bad. I'm sure you're not the only one being rejected from these schools, myself included. I have applied to about 2 hospital RN programs, and 2 BSN programs. I have been waitlisted to one of the BSN programs and got rejected by the others:madface:. It is frustrating, believe me. I'm almost to the point of just giving it up. However, my wife tells me to keep trying. My overall GPA is about a 3.4, and my science GPA is about a 3.2. It seems to me that a lot of these schools are increasing their req's to get into RN school. I see several Community colleges requiring their students to take a TEAS exam. I will try for another year to get into the RN programs around here. If my grades aren't good enough for these schools I will move on.

I don't mean to be a discouragement to you. This is just from my experience with some of the schools I have applied to. Good luck on your endeavours.

0 Votes
Don't feel bad. I'm sure you're not the only one being rejected from these schools, myself included. I have applied to about 2 hospital RN programs, and 2 BSN programs. I have been waitlisted to one of the BSN programs and got rejected by the others:madface:. It is frustrating, believe me. I'm almost to the point of just giving it up. However, my wife tells me to keep trying. My overall GPA is about a 3.4, and my science GPA is about a 3.2. It seems to me that a lot of these schools are increasing their req's to get into RN school. I see several Community colleges requiring their students to take a TEAS exam. I will try for another year to get into the RN programs around here. If my grades aren't good enough for these schools I will move on.

I don't mean to be a discouragement to you. This is just from my experience with some of the schools I have applied to. Good luck on your endeavours.

You are Not alone...I have 3.2 in my Sciences too. My Community College denied me. I'm waiting for Molloy and LIU:)

0 Votes
kellmoiselle

then later you can apply for your bsn if that is ultimate goal because they will only look at your nursing gpa.

i just wanted to point out that in nc schools like unc, ecu will look at all classes you have taken for a rn-bsn program. there is a minimum nursing gpa but those pre-req classes and the grades in them, unfortunately, do not go away.

0 Votes

Hey. I see you were starting at Mercy and wanted to find out how it is going. I begin there in May. I am trying to decide whether to sign that loan forgiveness agreement or go with the NC Scholar Program that also pays for part of school. Any advice on Mercy? Thanks!

0 Votes

Hey I saw this entry and I know it's old, but I am starting Mercy in May '09 and wondered if you had any advice? Do most people sign up with the loan forgiveness program? Any feedback from them now, if they have graduated? Are you familiar with a similar program through the state of NC? You have to pay that back too..trying to decide between the two programs. Any advice would help. Thanks!

0 Votes
Hey I saw this entry and I know it's old, but I am starting Mercy in May '09 and wondered if you had any advice? Do most people sign up with the loan forgiveness program? Any feedback from them now, if they have graduated? Are you familiar with a similar program through the state of NC? You have to pay that back too..trying to decide between the two programs. Any advice would help. Thanks!

I need help pls. I was at cchs but I withdrew due to many misindertsandings and confuision. I was in my last semester of nursing school. I am thinking abt applying to Mercy nursing school since CCHS is sister school of Mercy. any tips on how to transfer to another nursing program? I would reallt appreciate it. Anybody know any school that will easily accept another nursing school credits?

0 Votes

Hi there!

I've been doing some research on some schools on this website (I'm just a newbie), and I came across this thread. I know it's old, but I wanted to ask you a few questions about Mercy. I hope you don't mind answering...

I looked online and it doesn't specify what degree they provide. Is it an ADN or BSN? Also, how hard was it to get into? Is there a waiting list? Is there a ridiculous non-resident tuition? The website only lists a single tuition. I hope I'm on the right website. http://www.cmc-mercy.org/body.cfm?id=120

Thank you so much for helping me out. I'm actually out of state, from California, and ALL the schools are so impacted. I don't mind venturing out of state and have heard great things about NC.

0 Votes

:heartbeat:heartbeatTry to find a college that doesn't look at GPA! I go to Rowan-Cabarrus CC and they don't look at GPA. They are on a points system and mostly look at the grades of your pre/co-reqs, as well as work experience, and TEAS scores. There are a few more criteria but those are the main three.:heartbeat:heartbeat

0 Votes
Specializes in Home Health Nurse.

If my memory severs me right you first go through Mercy and you get a certificate which is neither an ADN or BSN this allows you to take the NCLEX and if you pass you will become and RN without a degree. Then once you work for 6 months I believe it is you are eligible to apply to Mercy's program for a BSN. Then if you pass their exams you will receive your BSN. They do not guarantee that you will get accepted into there nursing program for their BSN. Also I felt that if I didn't get accepted back into their school then it seems that it would be difficult to get to any other school because you wouldn't have an ADN just a certificate saying you are eligible to take the NCLEX. Plus to just receive a certificate I believe was around 60K and then to get the BSN another 40K so for me that is just not worth it. I felt like I was on a sales pitch rather than a nursing school interview. They couldn't sign me up fast enough. All they wanted was money. I went in on a Thursday and they were willing to have me start on Monday. It was pretty crazy. I was looking to spend over 100K for a BSN all said and done. And I already have a bachelors degree. So I decided this was not the route for me. I haven't spoken to them in over a year and half so I am not sure if their program is run the same way. But I would stay away from Mercy if I were you... Just want your money. I am attending nursing school in the fall at a community college it is costing me 4800$ for 2 years and I will have my ADN when I am finished. Even if I wanted to then get my BSN an ADN to BSN program on average cost 35K in Cal so all said and done about 40K. Anyway good luck in your search.

0 Votes
Specializes in GYN/GON/Med-Surg/Oncology/Tele.

I too graduated from ECU...back in 2005 with a 2.88 GPA. I started as a bio/chem pre med major. Later switched to pre nursing after failing general chemistry AND college algebra, and then later switched to an IT major. After graduating, I desperately wanted to get into an ABSN program but because of my low GPA, I didn't think I'd have a chance, until I realized the minimum GPA for WSSU's nursing programs is a 2.6. Anyway, to make a long story short. I applied to WSSU and took my pre-req's there (big mistake) Their A&P classes are only 3 credit hours...Most nursing programs require you take 4 credit hour A&P's. After finishing my prerequisites at WSSU with a 3.2 or 3.3 GPA, I applied to the ABSN program and wasn't accepted. I later applied to two local community colleges...wasn't even considered for admissions at FTCC b.c I couldn't pass each section of the TEAS with a 40 then I was placed on the alternate list at GTCC #10...was scared out of my mind that that was too high up on the list. Well...I was later accepted into GTCCs nursing program and screwed up...Now I'm basically starting over again, it hurts a bit but I'm getting over it. I reapplied to GTCCs program and am still waiting on hopefully an acceptance letter. I think that as long as you can get relatively decent grades in your prerequisites, most CC's don't look at your undergrad GPA when accepting you into their programs. They rank you according to the grades you receive mainly in A&P...so I say aim for either an A or a B because that's where you get the majority of your points...from the trend I've noticed after researching a few local CC's

Good luck...fellow Pirate arrrggh

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment