Any stories/advice overcoming low undergrad gpa?

alynno · Jul 18, 2012

Has anyone overcame a not-so-stellar gpa from college and retook classes to improve their gpa? I am so worried that I won't be able to get into my dream bsn program because the school's policy on retaking classes. I really want to go to the nursing school in my hometown, UTHSCSA, but I feel like it's out of my reach. I've been out of college for years and now want to make a change that I wanted for quite some time and become an RN. UTHSCSA allows pre-nursing students to retake prereq courses, but they average all your past attempts. So if I received a 'C' in stats in college and got an 'A' the second time around my average would be marked down as a 'B'. And I know that the classes I retake would hardly be competitive enough for me to get in. I'm hoping to hear from other students who have been in a similar situation and how they overcame this. I know I'm being a (major) cry baby, but I feel discouraged and I'm thinking maybe I should rethink this.. Any words of wisdom or encouragement will be appreciated!

I too didnt have such a steller gpa. I have a previous bachelors in science when i decided i wanted to be a nurse. Let me tell you, i searched like crazy to find a program. EVERYONE had a wait list until i cam upon an accelerated program in chicago. I had a 3.0 science gpa because I got my act together when i was taking some courses i needed to get into nursing school. Before that, I was lucky if it was 2.75. Science was my degree and it was my passion, but testing was not. I struggled in some areas. My advice to you would be to retake what you need to and really absorb yourself. There was one summer where I took calculus, A&P II, organic chem, and an ethics course. I aced them all. I got such a huge complex of not knowing what i wanted to do, no wanting to waste anymore time, and freaking out about how i was going to finance everything, I was paranoid with worry. It ended up helping..haha! I was up late, using a dry erase board for my organic chem molecular structures and I even managed to squeeze in a bit of work. In my exprience, the admissions counselor just cared about the current grades. Retak those courses! You may not be able to get into the best school, however, its the piece of paper that matters. You will do most of your learning on site!

zoe92 · Jul 23, 2012

I am in the same boat. I failed a & p (took it in the summer for 8 weeks with chem... stupid me) and am going to retake it in the fall. My GPA will only include the new grade but the new grade AND old grade will still show up on the transcripts. Even if the grade goes from a C to a B, that is still an improvement! Do not give up because you think that the program is too competitive and you are not going to have the best GPA. GPA is a big factor, but so can any entrance exams you might take AND any volunteer/health care experience. How else are you making your resume look good? That is very important.

BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2012

I know it's not easy to overcome but as zoe92 stated, a B is definitely better than a C. Also, absolutely try to concentrate on the other things they consider. If they give additional points for taking other co-req's or for volunteer service, really emphasize those and do everything you can to bring up those areas. I know it's discouraging but with extrance exams and retaking courses, I'm sure you have a great chance. Good luck!

willowita, ADN, RN · Jul 23, 2012

I also think that a B is better than a C so don't feel bad about having to retake classes. That's not an option everyone gets so I'd consider you lucky :-).

However, if your overall GPA is really that bad, enough to keep you out of a BSN, then why not consider an ADN instead? If you really think there is no hope to get into the BSN, you might be competitive enough for an ADN. You can then bridge at a later point in your life to a BSN. This is the longer route to get a BSN but it's an option if you can't get into a BSN program directly.

But maybe you should meet with a nursing advisor at the BSN school and get their honest opinion about your chances of getting in. I'm sure they'd be happy to review your transcripts and give you advice.

dtompkins8 · Jul 24, 2012

I understand completely. My first time in college was more than a few years ago and I really didn't care much about grades and studying. This time around..........20 years later I have more than made up for my earlier mistakes! I have worked hard to have a good grade point average from Ivy Tech but since then I have decided to transfer to WGU Indiana and my past has come back to haunt me a bit. Some of my classes did transfer from when I was 18 (believe it or not) but it did lower my grade point average. Needless to say I was disappointed. I have chosen to retake a couple of classes to improve my grade. I would check into the nursing school's program thoroughly and make sure you understand what they expect and go from there. It sounds like you are really determined........and that will take you far! Good luck!

makingithappen3 · Jul 24, 2012

I too, am nervous about a low gpa. I made a few mistakes during my college career from when I was much younger (such as getting a D, and F in non-nursing related courses like History and pre-algebra). The math I did retake. I often wonder if this will hinder me from ever being accepted into my school's ADN program.....which I am applying to in 1year.

Now, I take my studies very seriously and I am trying extremely hard to bring my gpa up from past mistakes...Has anyone ever heard of soneone getting in with 2 unsatisfactory grades??