advice for someone whose GPA is less than desirable?

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hi all. i was looking to garner some wisdom from the collective as i am at a bit of a cross roads. i am interested in applying to an Accelerated BSN program however i think i underestimated the extent to which my cumulative gpa will pose a barrier. let's just say my 1st attempt at my undergrad was less than fruitful.

i am ashamed to say that after 4 years of partying - which was many years ago as i am now 35 - at 21 i left university with an abysmal 1.8 gpa. i took a ten year break to figure myself out, returned to school and have since completed by BA in addition to a Master's in Social Work with a 3.68 graduate-level gpa. i have always worked in health care in a lay capacity, hoped to return to earn my BSN, and have been amassing my nursing pre-reqs along the way maintaining a 3.5 in my core pre-reqs with two more left to go.

albeit naive knowing how competitive programs are nowadays i guess i just hoped that factoring in my performance in my BA completion + my grad gpa + decent grades in my core pre-reqs + strong TEAS scores that i'd stand a shot. that said in doing the math my cumulative gpa is still below benchmarks for most programs, and some programs will not even factor my grad school grades which makes my circumstance on paper all the more grim.

i am not one to give up on something i really want. consequently i was curious as to whether there is anyone else in a similar boat that might have some advice??? any decent/semi-affordable ABSN programs (preferably in the southeast) that anyone knows of that might be inclined to view me more holistically??? at this point i would be able to access and complete a PhD in my current field prior to elevating my gpa to the point where it needs to be.

thanks in advance for your suggestions. i very much look forward to receiving any guidance you might provide :nurse:

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Check with your school's academic counselor. Mine here in CA let me know of a program specifically for older students with a bad semester in the past that with recent, exemplary performance will allow erasing one semester from your records. You will have to re-take those classes if they relate to prerequisites or GE requirements, but it's a help for those of us who have grown older and wiser.

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I live in CA and can use that program...can you please give the name?

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Hello,

The same thing happened to me years ago at a community college. Since then, I've earned my BA, and received good grades at the university. You can see a counselor at the school in question, and they'll review your transcripts and see that you've earned a degree. If you have any "F's", they'll remain on your transcripts, but they can be excused, and not factored into your GPA. Hope that helps!

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I unfortunately don't have a name for it until after I get my Spring semester done.

What I do know is that it only works with semester blocks, you can't pick just one class from that block, and that a satisfactory recent semester must be completed before the paperwork makes any sense.

Sorry I don't know the details yet, an academic counselor or help line should be able to help track down what you need.

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