Advice for my friend re: GPA

twentytenRN · Mar 10, 2010

Most colleges will let you repeat the courses at least once to earn a higher grade. That highest grade received will be marked on the transcript. She will probably have to repeat the courses that she has "B's" in and bring them all up to an "A" to raise her GPA. This will increase her chances of being accepted into a highly competitive program. She should seek the advice of an advisor at her school.

hearts895, RN BSN · Mar 10, 2010

She still has a chance. She should repeat her classes and get As to wipe away her Bs and raise her GPA. Generally, the nursing school will look at the highest grade in the class. They are also going to look at her GPA a lot - if she raises it really high, she has a really strong chance of getting in. To be honest, they will notice and make note of her original Bs but as long as the program isn't absolutely insanely competitive (like 500 ppl. applying for 50 spots or something) she should have a very good chance of getting in. Also, a lot of competitive nursing schools put a high emphasis on national entrance exam scores. The fact that she scored so high will really help her.

I had a friend who had a B in both A&P classes; she applied and was rejected, so she retook them and got As, and then she got in.

Your friend shouldn't give up - her good entrance exam keeps her in the running. If she brings her grades up, she has a definite chance! :)

j621d · Mar 10, 2010

She should go to the school and talk to them. Putting a face to the application may help her. I'm sure she could talk to someone to explain the situation, not that an explaination will cover everything, but if she is known to them it might help. Otherwise what the school sees is her grades. It can't hurt.

miss pereira · Mar 10, 2010

she absolutely has a chance of getting in. i had a 2.2 my first time in college, but i got a 4.0 in the pre-req's i took after college, which pulled up my overall GPA. at my nursing school, that look at your cumulative GPA - averaging grades from all college classes taken. if she retakes her pre-reqs and gets A's, she will definitely be able to pull her cumulative GPA up, giving her a better chance of getting in.

it will also help her to apply to a school which looks at the full picture of their applicants, rather than a school that bases their decision only on objective factors (GPA, test scores). A school that requires an essay, interview, and resume will look at all of her life experience when making a decision.

good luck to her!! :)

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Mar 10, 2010

Will the school she's attending even allow her to retake classes that were previously passed? At my school, a grade of C or better makes one ineligible to retake the course.

I did extremely poorly my first semester in college, so my GPA was shot from the beginning. I took a semester off, went to a tech school for LPN, completed my RN pre-reqs while in the LPN program, and started a transition (bridge) program one year after graduating from that program. I'll finish my transition program in August. It's not what everyone wants to hear, but maybe your friend could consider the LPN route. Bridge programs are vastly less competitive than generic entry programs.

Finally my Time · Mar 10, 2010

All is not lost for her. She may need a little longer to apply though. There are additional prerequisites out there she may need to take. If so, she just needs to make sure she gets A's or B's in those. I know someone one who's GPA was a 2.3 and was able to get in to a pretty decent program.

RNMeg · Mar 10, 2010

I completely failed 2 semesters my first go-round in college, so I'm sure my GPA was terrible (I don't even know what it was). Fortunately, my nursing school looked only at the classes that counted towards my BSN, and if there was a choice between 2 electives I had taken, they would count the one with the higher grade. I wound up having a pretty competitive GPA, and was accepted to nursing school the first semester I applied. All is not lost, your friend should talk to a counselor at the school she wants to attend :nurse:

davisg01 · Mar 10, 2010

The school I applied to recently takes only your first attemp at Chem and Bio, even though they make you retake them if they haven't been in the last five years. My first attempts were a big party year at a big party school. I had a lot of fun, and my GPA showed it. Since then, as a returning learner and a wiser individual, I have had excellent grades.

I was able to make an appeal to the univeristy's Academic Committee in regards to those couple of zeros for grades, basically asking that they don't allow one rough period of life, 25 years ago define who I am today. It was granted, so those grades were not averaged into my entrance GPA. Doesn't hurt to ask, or try.