another "what are my chances" thread

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hi everyone,

i need some honest opinions here. i'm having major anxiety right now applying to NP school. So far, I am only applying to Yale because they don't have prereqs; my plan is to apply to more schools if I don't get in. My goal is to specialize in psychiatric nursing.

here's my situation. I didn't do well in undergrad. I went to a prestigious liberal arts school, was academically dismissed for a semester, but managed to graduate with a BA in psych and a gpa of 2.7. I had some difficulties that I was dealing with at the time. Since college, I've worked at a foster care agency, community mental health agency, and I'm currently doign psychiatric research with a well known PI. I've taken 2 classes since post college and my post undergrad GPA is a 3.8. I'm taking an anatomy course this semester, and probably physiology the next. I've also taken the GREs and I got a combined score of 1320 and a 5.0 writing score. As for personal characteristics, I am a refugee and underrepresented minority.

Do I have a shot at a direct entry masters with my abysmal undergrad GPA? What can I do to improve my application/candidacy. Am I wasting my time applying just to Yale?

Many thanks in advance. :loveya:

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Specializes in SRNA.

My best suggestion would be to phone an admissions officer and get an honest answer from them. Many admissions officers will gladly conduct a transcript evaluation that can include your most recent coursework. Some schools place significant weight on undergrad GPA and others will look at the complete package of GPA, volunteer work/service, health care experience, etc.

I graduated from UCLA with a sub-3.0 GPA and I managed to supplement my application to JHU with approximately 50 units of (4.0) pre-reqs and related grad-level courses (taken as a visiting student at a local state university), focused volunteer experiences and my personal statement.

Some schools will recognize your improvement, and others sadly will not. I feel that it is better to know the truth rather than getting your hopes up if the program is of the latter category.

Good luck! :)

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Specializes in L&D.

To be perfectly honest, I believe the lowest GPA in our direct entry class was about 3.3. I'm not saying that it is right or fair, but oftentimes the main determinant is GPA. However, I definitely think that you should still apply - I have heard of some programs that frequently admit people who are

If you apply for a year or two and don't get in, perhaps you could consider another course of action - maybe getting your ADN, then doing an RN-MSN bridge program.

Good luck!

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You completely have a shot. Most direct-entry programs really look at the whole package, and I mean that -- they really do. I interviewed at several schools, and have talked with many other applicants from those and other schools, and there are always people with a low GPA that get in. It sounds like you have an interesting life story, and as long as you have clear goals about what you want to do in the future, I really think you stand a chance. Write a fantastic personal statement, and have some strong letter of rec. Good luck!

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Specializes in Oncology, Research.

I too think you have a shot. Top tier schools especially like to look at the whole person for admission. It is a very different system from CCs you hear about that make their admissions decisions solely based on points and GPAs. Yes, youmight have to write and extra essay or jump through some additional hoops to explain your record. But I would apply to other schools as well, just to be on the safe side.

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

I think you definitely have a chance of getting in. My undergrad GPA was not so great, but I had taken courses since then and did very well. I would recommend taking some courses to show that you have the aptitude to do the work. I think it's also important to explain in your essay what's changed-what's different about you now that will enable you to be succesful in the program. Lastly, I think it's worth it to apply to schools other than Yale. You may find that another school better suits you and what you want. In my case, I put off applying to NP programs because I needed to re-take some prerequisites (I had been out of undergrad for many years), but taking these courses gave me an opportunity to excell and show the schools that I was capable of doing a high level of work. It also really boosted my self-confidence and got me back into "student" mode.

Best of luck to you. I hope it all works out the way you want it to!

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