A slightly dishonest question about transfering credits...

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Apr 17, 2015

I'm at the end of my rope here. I need some assistance. Just finishing my BSN degree with no problems. Considering the NP route. Applied to local college, transferred all my undergrad course work and filled out the application. And right away denied. Why do you ask, well due to low GPA .
Not low GPA for my nursing career mind you, but from my previous career when I attempted to go to school as an engineer. So this epic fail happened in my poorly spent youth. Tried engineering, got my butt kicked, lots of person crap happening at the same time = epic fail. And thanks to those seven or so classes I crapped out on, they are following me, just like the movie It Follows.
Now none of this garbage has anything to do with my nursing career. For that I got my crap together, went back and took all the prereqs, then CNA to LPN to RN to BSN ensued. And now I'm denied even though it has nothing to do with my nursing at all because getting into NP school is cumulative GPA.
I'm very tempted to not even list that school on my application because it is dragging me down like a boat anchor. And I went there mainly for computer stuff. Thoughts? And don't tell me I can just take them over again like it's no big deal. Those entry level and upper level engineering/computer science courses were more difficult than nursing school.
Waiting with baited breath.....

There is a high chance that they will find out then you will be denied for falsifying your academic history by failing to list all credits earned. If you received any federal financial aid the graduate schools will be able to find out what schools you attended previously Failure to disclose can cause more harm than an old low GPA.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

I wonder if you can take a few super-easy classes, just to boost your "cumulative GPA." You could probably knock out quite a few easy classes online fairly quickly. Just a thought.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

They have a clearing house that they check and will be able to see every school you have attended. I have had to take an odd class here and there over the years and sometimes I forget when I am requesting transcripts. They find them.

trolloc6340 · Apr 17, 2015

Good replies. Its good to know where I stand. And i'm glad you guyz/gals told me about it. I have made the decision to attempt to clean up my GPA as best as possible in order to apply for NP School. It will be be painful, but it is necessary if it gets me where I need to be. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow. I'll try the re-take and take new classes bit, we shall see where it leads.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

how low is low? I blew off a semester right after high school and it has affected me. My ADN gpa is not great either b/c of the grading scale. I was able to balance out those with a 4.0 in grad school (non-nursing degree). I have just applied for a non-clinical MSN and there is scholarship money at stake as well. I am hoping it is good enough. With 233 undergraduate hours, my overall GPA is 3.23. My BSN only was 3.7. I hate the waiting game.

Jules A, MSN · Apr 17, 2015

Yeah I'm wondering if there aren't other things in play here? Although they want to see all prior course work I am pretty sure they only count your BSN gpa when applying to NP school. I would really get university specific advice before I'd spend the time and money taking more classes that you don't even need.

I had a horrible GPA at my first brief go round in college because I stopped going to class and didn't have the good sense to withdraw. I worried about it when I started nursing but my pre-reqs were 4.0 and I explained that 20 years before I was a stupid kid. It was clear I could handle the work load and I got into a very competitive LPN program based on my grades and entrance testing scores. My old transcripts were submitted when I applied for the ADN, BSN and 2 NP programs but I never had anyone so much as mention my early college failures and I got in all of them first try.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

Waiting with baited breath.....

I have been so looking forward to using this smartass answer.

Oh, so you got worms on your tongue, eh?

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

It does seem a shame the folly of our youth follows us around. Just ask Monica Lewinsky.

Thanks for choosing the straight and narrow and best to you on your endeavors.

Libby1987 · Apr 17, 2015

A bankruptcy chapter for grades. If you're going back to school at 35, it's a shame that your grades from the past haunt you so. It's not a crime to fail a course for petes sake. And it doesn't seem a valuable measure, at least be one you can counter.

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 17, 2015

WELLLLLL My current RN-MSN program requires ALL transcripts from all schools. Oh and in the internet age, they will find out where you went to school and ask for transcripts.

I had forgotten my long-ago earned Community College of the Air Force degree I got when in the USAF. That degree is not really traditional but work-experienced-based and more "virtual". Guess what, they wanted transcripts from that as well. I truly had forgotten all about it, but they found out I had earned an associate's degree------- and knew about it when it was out of my mind. Never even considered it, since it was so long ago and I never had used it on a transcript report before.

MORAL? Don't lie, don't omit. They will find out and you will look worse than ever. This from a former college drop out who had a 1.6 GPA when I was 18 at a university LOOOOONG ago. They will find out! And they will take into consideration your current work, as well. Good luck.

BlackBettyRN,OCN · Apr 18, 2015

Many NP programs only take your last 60 hours of coursework into account, as long as you meet the minimum GPA to apply.

Another option would be to take a couple of graduate courses as a non-degree seeking student. Often, admissions committees will view this and see that you are capable of handling graduate level coursework.