Accelerated BSN Program help

SarahMaria, MSN, RN · Dec 21, 2010

Hi All,
I've been reading so many posts and decided to finally join since everyone seems so helpful :) I've just decided to apply to the accelerated BSN programs a few months ago. My GPA is embarrassingly low and am very worried that I won't have a shot at anything anywhere (I was really looking into NY because I've always wanted to go to school in the NE and I have a really strong support system over there). My cumulative Undergrad GPA is a 2.9. I majored in Biological Sciences at a UC and minored in Education. I went to grad school and got my MPH (Masters in Public Health) with a focus on Nutrition - that GPA is 3.4. I have As in Nutrition, Micro, Phys, Stat and I will be taking Anatomy and Psych this semester in January but am pretty sure I can knock out As in those 2. Undergrad was just a really long time ago and I just didn't know how to study back when i was a teenager (I'm 26 now).
I volunteered at a free medical clinic almost all of undergrad. I also worked/shadowed a nurse at an endocrinologist's office for the past year or so. For my field practicum for grad school I had to develop and implement a nutrition education tool and did so for the Hispanic population at high risk of developing DMII. So that was about 4 months.
Do I have any chances to get in ANYWHERE?? My undergrad GPA is haunting me and I feel like I won't get in anywhere b/c of it Is there anything I can do to beef up my application or will it just be thrown out b/c of it being
Hello,
I am from CT and applied and interviewed for the Yale GEPN program. I was not accepted. I also extensively looked at UCONN's MBEIN Program and Quinnipiac's Accelerated Program. Later, I decided to apply to a Associate's Program, and I am halfway through.
I graduated with a BA from a university magna cum laude with a 3.8 GPA in 3 years. Then I got my law degree part time while working full time at a hospital as a PCT. In total, I have 11 years clinical experience. The Yale Program did not accept me and never gave me a reason (I tried to ask). I had done many nursing pre-requisites at a community college already.
My advice is that these accelerated programs are VERY competitive and have limited seats available. It may be worthwhile to contact the school's program and sit with an advisor to see if you would be a good candidate. An advisor may know how to improve your resume or make your application stronger.
Good Luck.

iPink, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2010

I completely DISAGREE with the above poster. I have been accepted into my ABSN program and will be starting in 2 weeks. I'm in the NE as well and very excited to start my program. Glad I didn't go the ADN route, because in my area they want BSNs.

My program looks at your last degree's GPA. So, for me they looked at my B.A. degree, which was a 3.2. If I had gotten my Masters, they would have looked at my Masters GPA and not my undergrad. However, every ABSN program is different. Have you decided which school in NY you're looking into?

Here's a list of programs that may interest you: Accelerated BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) Programs

Wish you all the best. I think you have a great chance.

gumby1411 · Dec 22, 2010

I'm a 1/3 of the way through an accelerated BSN program. My first degree GPA wasn't the best (3.1). I worked my butt off to get all A's in my nursing prereq's, took time to write quality essays for the application, volunteered at a local hospital, and had professors from a couple of prereq's write letters of recommendation on my behalf. The average GPA that they accepted into my program was a 3.6, so I was definitely on the low end of that. I've never worked in a health care setting, besides my short time volunteering.

You DO have a chance to get into an ABSN program. My advice is to continue getting A's in your prereq's and set yourself apart by going beyond the requirements of the application for the program. My school didn't mention anything about letters of recommendation, but I went ahead and had letters sent anyway, just to set me apart from other applicants. You can even cold-call the dean or someone else higher up in the school of nursing and chat with them, take them out for coffee, ect. (I was about to cold-call the dean because I was wait-listed, but got my acceptance as I had my cell phone in hand!) ANYTHING you can do to set yourself apart and show that you're a hard worker will help you get that acceptance letter. Good luck and don't let anyone discourage you!

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Dec 22, 2010

Honestly, I would be floored if you weren’t accepted given your graduate degree major and GPA. Some schools do have different requirements, but it seems the assumption is that those who are seeking out ABSN programs are those with undergraduate degrees. There are two of us in my cohort who have graduate degrees. I am not sure if my graduate degree GPA was a factor in determining my acceptance. I have an MBA, not a MPH degree. I can see how your graduate degree is relevant to nursing. I think you will be fine.

lotsofsunshine · Dec 22, 2010

Thank you all for the advice and support! You have definitely calmed my nerves and self-doubt.

mzchas, I really liked U of Rochester's and NYU's programs but from reading this board those seem to be a little competitive so I would put them in the "dream school" category. I'm still compiling my list but other than those 2, I so far have Stony Brook, Wagner, and Jefferson. Do have any recs for good schools that aren't AS competitive?

iPink, BSN, RN · Dec 22, 2010

I would apply to all of them. You will never know unless you try. I live across the pond (Jersey), but some former NYU's ABSN program students have transferred to my program due to NYU's cost. Definately go to the "NY programs" thread on here to speak with current students and graduates of your programs of interest.

RadBSN · Dec 22, 2010

I will say that there is no magic formula to getting into nursing school. I was accepted into Yale's GEPN program with a much lower GPA than the above poster, but different work and volunteer experience. (I decided against going for financial reasons.) I think the more competitive programs look at the whole package and a lot weighs on the recommendations, interview and essays. A friend tried twice to get into a fairly competitive BSN program and the admissions director basically told her that she didn't answer her essays in the right way. I think that the more competitive programs also have the advantage of being able to hand select their students to make good mix for a cohort, not just a bunch of students with 4.0s.

When I was applying to the more competitive programs I saw GPAs higher than mine and "amazing" qualifications thrown around on this board. Some of those people got in, but a lot of them didn't and I did. If I had taken too much to heart what I saw here I probably wouldn't have applied. Instead I looked at what my goals were, my assets, etc. and applied to programs that were a good fit for me. I worked hard on my essays, interviewed well and I got in!

Please feel free to PM me if you want more input, it sounds like we have similar background.

gunrock · Dec 22, 2010

Like many of the people who have posted before me, don't let anyone / anything discourage you.

I graduated from a UC, with a fairly low GPA (just barely higher than yours), and I was accepted into a very competitive, top 5 nursing program (I was subsequently admitted into their BSN-MSN program as well). It was also the first and only school i applied to. When I was in the process of applying I read about all of the people who had much higher GPAs than I did, and had a much more impressive CV than me, but in the end it all worked out. So rest assured that there are plenty of people with your GPA, if not lower that have gotten into great programs.

The best advice I got was, don't let the things you can't change affect you (i.e. "low" GPA), but concentrate on what you can do to make your application stronger. Since you already have your MPH, there are a lot of nursing programs (ABSN) programs that are really focused on public health, etc, so maybe look into those programs.

If you need any more info, don't hesitate to PM me. and Good Luck, you WILL get into a great program.

Cherry2000 · Dec 23, 2010

SUNY Binghamton has a good accelerated program if you don't mind the gray, dreary winters.

lliu1109 · May 17, 2011

Like many of the people who have posted before me, don't let anyone / anything discourage you.
I graduated from a UC, with a fairly low GPA (just barely higher than yours), and I was accepted into a very competitive, top 5 nursing program (I was subsequently admitted into their BSN-MSN program as well). It was also the first and only school i applied to. When I was in the process of applying I read about all of the people who had much higher GPAs than I did, and had a much more impressive CV than me, but in the end it all worked out. So rest assured that there are plenty of people with your GPA, if not lower that have gotten into great programs.
The best advice I got was, don't let the things you can't change affect you (i.e. "low" GPA), but concentrate on what you can do to make your application stronger. Since you already have your MPH, there are a lot of nursing programs (ABSN) programs that are really focused on public health, etc, so maybe look into those programs.
If you need any more info, don't hesitate to PM me. and Good Luck, you WILL get into a great program.

Hi jnak,

Can I ask UC did you graduate from? I'm actually graduating from UC Davis in less than a month, is there any advice you would give for applying? What were your stats? Thanks!

mslinzyann · May 19, 2011

Hey people...how did you PAY for your accelerated BSNs?