Are my chances of getting into nursing school gone?

BreeBSNRN · May 1, 2019

Honestly, that's hard for anyone to answer for you. I would look at the requirements for the school you want to apply to. Nursing school is so competitive these days the better the grades the better the chance. Talk to someone at the school you want to apply to and see what the average grades/gpa is for acceptance and how they "review" the applicants. At the school I will be attending in the fall they ranked based on 7 classes and nutrition was one of them. I know for alot of schools you can't apply with anything less than a C for the science class so you definitely want to try and get A's in those science classes. (i know you mentioned retaking A&P 1)

EmilyGNursing · May 2, 2019

I'll be honest, it would be really important to get the science GPA up. When I was an undergrad I realllly struggled in patho and pharm in nursing. When I asked my professor why she said it was because I was a "B" student in A&P 1 and 2. I would not give up yet! Sometimes it takes a few of us a little longer than others, but its best to have a strong foundation so that when you are in the upper-level classes you can increase your chances of success.

FutureCRNA1999 · May 2, 2019

15 hours ago, BreeFutureBSNRN said:
Honestly, that's hard for anyone to answer for you. I would look at the requirements for the school you want to apply to. Nursing school is so competitive these days the better the grades the better the chance. Talk to someone at the school you want to apply to and see what the average grades/gpa is for acceptance and how they "review" the applicants. At the school I will be attending in the fall they ranked based on 7 classes and nutrition was one of them. I know for alot of schools you can't apply with anything less than a C for the science class so you definitely want to try and get A's in those science classes. (i know you mentioned retaking A&P 1)

My school offers grade forgiveness, so if I do retake A&P 1 and get an A, the A will count towards my GPA instead of the D, but both grades will remain on my transcript. So, with that being said, do you think it would still be worth pursuing my nursing degree with that C in nutrition and the first attempt D on my transcript, even if I do well in the rest of my prereq courses? I'm beginning to lose all hope here as I have really big hopes of becoming a nurse.

BreeBSNRN · May 2, 2019

9 hours ago, FutureCRNA1999 said:
My school offers grade forgiveness, so if I do retake A&P 1 and get an A, the A will count towards my GPA instead of the D, but both grades will remain on my transcript. So, with that being said, do you think it would still be worth pursuing my nursing degree with that C in nutrition and the first attempt D on my transcript, even if I do well in the rest of my prereq courses? I'm beginning to lose all hope here as I have really big hopes of becoming a nurse.

if its something you really want then its worth pursing. however, be mindful of how competitive these programs are so you want to get the best GPA/grades you can and again i would see if there's post from other applicants on this forum here from the school you want to get into as they would probably have more info on how the process works and what the school look for. I don't know the requirements for the school you're interested in so I can just give a general opinion. i know when i decided to apply to my school i used this forum to look at previous applicants and also spoke with an advisor so i knew what to expect and what type of grades/test scores were generally accepted.

guest43019 · May 2, 2019

18 hours ago, FutureCRNA1999 said:
My school offers grade forgiveness, so if I do retake A&P 1 and get an A, the A will count towards my GPA instead of the D, but both grades will remain on my transcript. So, with that being said, do you think it would still be worth pursuing my nursing degree with that C in nutrition and the first attempt D on my transcript, even if I do well in the rest of my prereq courses? I'm beginning to lose all hope here as I have really big hopes of becoming a nurse.

Even with grade forgiveness, most schools will compile a prerequisite GPA for you using the best grades to give each candidate the highest possible score. So, that may not be the biggest concern. I'm 31. I had no direction when I first started college. I have courses all over the map and anyone looking at them can see the story my battle-scarred transcripts show. A young man who didn't care about school, to someone who wanted to go towards criminal justice, then business, then finance, then business again, then dropped out of school and found nursing, and became a straight-A student. Depending on how you calculate all my coursework, it ranges from a 2.03-3.14. I have an AA, about to have an AS, completed 3 drafting certificates, and will hopefully soon add a couple nursing degrees to the wall. I feel like Van Wilder.

Here's what my takeaway has been. I did have to retake some courses throughout my journey. I retook two history courses and statistics. My science GPA as of right now is a 4.0, we'll see how my Chemistry final affects that 4.0. My prerequisite GPA is around 3.5. My TEAS was in the 86th percentile (79.3) and my HESI was 93.2 first attempt, 91.6 second attempt.

Should you get those C's off your transcripts? Absolutely. Especially Nutrition as some schools utilize this in your science or prerequisite GPA and then also an "overall" GPA. Every program is different in what they count for what and how they calculate, but most often they will use your highest grade for consideration. Use RateMyProfessor to find an easy professor, and then learn everything you can. It's all about protecting your GPA, not taking the easy road out. You will have to know the information regardless.

I don't think it is going to kill your chances forever. Lord knows I have had trouble with BSN programs accepting me because of my cumulative GPA of all coursework completed. I may end up in an ADN program, but that wouldn't hurt my feelings because I'd be saving about $22,000 in the process. Also, being BSN-ready right after the NCLEX is a big plus since new grads make about the same amount of money regardless of degree type for first year.

I'm rambling, sorry. Don't sweat it. Pick up that GPA and know that your GPA is the key to getting into nursing school. You can do it. You just have to dig deep and apply yourself. You said you want this, so picture yourself every day as a nurse and work tirelessly until you get there. Best of luck to you!

Ali413 · May 3, 2019

I just have one piece of advice: you NEVER give up no matter what. You keep pushing and studying to get the grade you want. Don’t listen to advisors either! They are disgruntled people for the most part. Retake A&P and change your study habits, write things down, be able to explain things to best prepare yourself for exams, get an ipadpro2 with Apple Pencil to label parts for anatomy, study with 1-2 more people not more than that, exercise at least 45 mins a day & avoid sugary drinks at all costs and you will get the grade you deserve. Be willing to make sacrifices and STUDY your heart out. Don’t worry about the C in nutrition. That can take a back seat. You want to show you went from a D to an A in anatomy and nursing schools will eat that up. Also, apply to holistic approach schools, not the ones with their nose up in the air who only go by GPA. Gpa is ***. Effort, motivation, ability to show growth, ability to show strong verbal and non verbal communication and relentless determination is what you need to show!

Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2019

It all depends on your school's admission criteria. Where I live, the community college ADN program has a minimum GPA of 2.0, which is pretty low in my opinion, especially in light of how rigorous the course is!

LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN · May 3, 2019

It all depends on your determination. I have been in college on/off for 29 years! So trust me, I have some college transcripts that show a lame D, F or W and it is embarrassing to me BUT not 1 school held it against me. I repeated each class and did great 2nd time around. I never took a class a 3rd time and yes, grade forgiveness is a blessing! No one can tell you if you will get into a nursing program but I would just re-take those classes for a better grade. What will it hurt by repeating the classes? Most of us had to repeat a few if not more. Best of luck to you!

detrelibre · May 3, 2019

I promise your chances of getting into nursing school are not gone!

Re-take the classes you need to re-take. And although you might be set back an extra year or so, eventually you will reach your goal.

My nursing school GPA was average, I made a C or D here and there, and I was waitlisted from my dream school last year. Guess what? This year I'm attending a top 5 FNP program and pursuing my dreams.

Grades are not everything, I promise you this. Persistence is the key. And volunteering, obtaining certifications (this will come later in your career as a nurse, don't worry about it now), and continuing to work toward your dreams despite the setbacks are things far more important than the C you made in nutrition class! Good luck!!! ?

ThatChickOmi, ADN, RN · May 3, 2019

I, similarly to Nomadic, am in my 30s and straight out of high school I took a few classes...did pretty poorly because I honestly didn't care back then. Young and dumb. Then I just stopped college altogether for like 7 years. I didn't know what I wanted to do, I took all these random courses (with varying gaps in between) in nutrition, childhood education, physical fitness science, etc. I wanted to do graphic design, then nursing, then I talked myself into perhaps exercise science, then juggling physical therapist assistant and nursing, then decided on nursing.

Admittedly the first time I took the A&Ps and Chem I didn't do too great. I actually withdrew. Then I took both again, got like C+, then when I got absolutely serious I got A's all across the board. Got 85.3 on TEAS and I got into the ADN program right off the rip. About to graduate in less than 3 weeks.

I kinda wish I was this serious about things 10 years ago, hell, even 5-6 years go. But better late than never. Never give up!

Neo Soldier, BSN, RN · May 3, 2019

The thing is, nursing schools are competitive and they really care about your GPA and HESI/TEAs. This is not to say that OPs chances are gone but it may be a little harder no matter how much sugary drinks you avoid and how much exercise you get. This is just the reality unfortunately.

My advice is this, don't get into a private (sometimes also nationally accredited) school that costs $100,000 +. The debt is just not worth it. You'll be working to pay off your debt. If you can, apply to both LVN and RN programs. I never recommend LVN for people who ultimately want to become RNs because sometimes it's hard to bridge and you may end up only skipping out the first semester of the RN program. You may have to retake some classes and when you do, try to get As in them. Also find out if your school has requirements for their nursing program. See if your desired schools have a point system which they use to judge potential student's criteria.

Advisors are usually a great resource, don't count them out. Don't spend frivolously, YouTube may come in handy for Anatomy.