Average Accepted GPA

hearts895, RN BSN · Jan 13, 2010

I come from WA state where average GPA is 3.85-4.0, but they use the TEAS test to majorly weed people out b/c so many w/ high GPA apply.

I came to MI, to go to Northern Michigan University, b/c I got tired of doing well in the endless WA pre-reqs only to be told by all the WA BSN & ADN schools, that I only had a slim chance of being accepted w/ a 3.9something (3.92-3.96) b/c tons of people have that GPA and they weed these people out either by interview (how hit or miss is that!), by previous healthcare experience (I have none), or by TEAS test (at my old college in WA, they look at TEAS scores first when deciding who to cut, so even a 4.0 can be cut out if they don't have excellent TEAS scores).

At Northern Michigan, I had to take 12 credits of Pre-reqs prior to admission to Nursing School, and I expect to be let into the BSN program with a GPA of 4.0. At NMU, the lowest GPAs they usually accept are 3.1 at lowest, but if alot of high GPA people apply it can go up to a 3.4 or 3.5 minimum GPA. Nothing like the WA insanity lol.

No NET, TEAS, or HESI A2 test required at NMU either.

Good luck - I hope you get in!!!! :)

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Jan 13, 2010

You're going to find that this is most likely a program specific question- so what other schools require or admit isn't likely to help you. For the specific program I'm applying to, I heard that the average GPA last year was approx. 3.4 and the average TEAS test score was approx. 81%. However, the program is made up of 60% ranked students and then 40% lottery of students that meet minimum requirements, so if those numbers include lottery students, the competitive ranking scores must be much higher.

Good luck.

windmill182 · Jan 13, 2010

Hey Maria (from NMU!)...I grew up in Marquette...and then came to Seattle for school..complete opposite of you. lol. Anyways, Im finding the same situation to be true here as well. Were you not able to transfer you WA credits to NMU?

hearts895, RN BSN · Jan 15, 2010

Hey Maria (from NMU!)...I grew up in Marquette...and then came to Seattle for school..complete opposite of you. lol. Anyways, Im finding the same situation to be true here as well. Were you not able to transfer you WA credits to NMU?

Wow, that is really neat! Looks like we switched spots in the universe lol. Believe, I wish I could have stayed in WA, but it just wasn't the pragmatic thing to do, or at least thats how I feel. I'll tell you the lay of the land so to speak, here at NMU.

NMU lets you in on the simple basis of 2 requirements: Completion of all Pre-reqs, and then solely on your overall GPA at NMU.

You are not allowed to transfer your overall GPA from your old school. However, you can transfer some individual classes.

NMU wants you to have completed a specific set of pre-reqs: Chem. 109 - you can only take it here, it is a Basic Organic & Biochem. class, however how have to have taken a basic Inorganic chem class first(you can transfer this class from WA - I did); Bio. 201 and 202 - Anatomy , then Physiology. A different structure from the WA way of combining both aspects in 2 classes (A&P I & II), in my opinion, the WA way is the correct way to teach/learn it; I did take it here at NMU, however some ppl. in the nursing dept. say its ok to transfer your A&P I & II, but some say no :confused: ; Bio. 206 - "Medical" Microbiology, which in WA is simply Bio. 260 Microbiology... well I got my WA state Micro. accepted but it only was after a huge, annoying fight :mad: specifically with the Micro. teacher (there is only one here and I will bit my tongue in saying my opinion of her :mad: ) she believed that my 6 credit, A grade, with a Lab, accepted by the highest ranked N.S. - the U.W. school Nrs., Microbio. was "not adequate" in comparison to the med micro she taught, though it was only a 3 credit class w/o a lab. Go figure! So after nearly a month of wrangling I got the head of the NMU nursing department to override this decision. Still, in general it is very hard to transfer your M.Bio. class to NMU. ; Sociology 101; Intro to Psychology 100; - both are easily transfered with no trouble; a 300 level Nutrition for nurses class, which you can only take at NMU. Given all these pre-reqs are finished, NMU would also like you to have at least a semester (12 credits) completed at NMU before applying. This is because, though they will accept your individual pre-reqs in lieu of their own, they base your entry on your GPA at NMU as well as completion of all pre-reqs. So you have to develop this NMU GPA by doing a semester here.

So in order to get into NMU N.S. you have to complete 12 credits here, and then if your pre-reqs are completed, you apply to the program. Here the lowest GPA to get in is far, far less competitive - I was shocked, because I originally thought it was a 3.6 (achievable & not insane). It is often much lower though! This is a good, relaxing thing for me lol. However, b/c you are let in based on NMU GPA, I, who was almost done w/ pre-reqs save for A&P and the NMU only classes, and so could apply after only 1 semester, knew I basically had 1 semester to prove myself. Essentially, I could make no mistakes, because the school of nursing would judge me solely on that 1 semester's GPA at NMU. For this reason, I was glad for the work ethic WA instilled in me, and I got a 4.0. I took Anatomy and the NMU-only Chem. 109, and 2 other classes. Another wonderful thing about NMU is that they will allow you to have your very last pre-reqs be "in progress" - you can be taking them when you apply - they don't have to be completed. So I applied this semester for next Fall, though I am currently taking my last 2 pre-req classes - Physiology & Nutrition for nurses. They won't look at my grades any more as long as my GPA stays at a C+ or better.

So, hopefully, they should have no cause to reject me, with my 4.0 NMU GPA and all my pre-reqs completed or in progress, and my dream of Nursing school will finally come true. :)

WA is an awesome place, with excellent schools, but as you can see its insanely competitive. But if you are more patient than me lol, I know you can get in. :) People can, and do, get into WA state N.S. If you ever have more questions about any of the WA schools or NMU, feel free to PM me. I know almost everything about the entry processes. Good luck! :)

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Jan 21, 2010

Actually, Med Micro used to be a 5 credit with lab twice a week. The semester you were applying, it was still that way.

And I like the Anatomy, then Physiology rather than the A&P I and II format used at alot of schools. I don't like the idea of stopping halfway through the body for four weeks. Anatomy teaches you the basics, and Physiology builds on that, getting a bit more complex. To me, that's a more effective way to handle it.

To give you an idea of how low the GPA can be and still get accepted, mine was initially a 3.28 upon acceptance. Granted, my GPA is now a 3.8, but the standards are a bit lower.

The great thing about the program here is that the Nursing professors REALLY want you to succeed. They won't pass you because they feel sorry or anything, but they aren't hell bent on weeding out 75% of the class either. They're there to help us and teach us, not to intimidate.

hearts895, RN BSN · Jan 21, 2010

Actually, Med Micro used to be a 5 credit with lab twice a week. The semester you were applying, it was still that way.
And I like the Anatomy, then Physiology rather than the A&P I and II format used at alot of schools. I don't like the idea of stopping halfway through the body for four weeks. Anatomy teaches you the basics, and Physiology builds on that, getting a bit more complex. To me, that's a more effective way to handle it.
To give you an idea of how low the GPA can be and still get accepted, mine was initially a 3.28 upon acceptance. Granted, my GPA is now a 3.8, but the standards are a bit lower.
The great thing about the program here is that the Nursing professors REALLY want you to succeed. They won't pass you because they feel sorry or anything, but they aren't hell bent on weeding out 75% of the class either. They're there to help us and teach us, not to intimidate.

Points taken my friend :) Although, the semester I was applying in did have the 3 credit Micro (no longer was 5 credit) - unless the nursing dept. was wrong in telling me at the time, that it was only 3 credits at that point in time.... which wouldn't necessarily surprise me lol. :)

Chris99mu · Jan 22, 2010

I will have a 3.43 when I apply at a CC here in central Florida. And an advisor told me that that GPA falls into the "alternate" category, or in other words, pretty much the last people to get picked, if at all. Fantastic. :cry:

As for testing, they use the TEAS though this will be the first admitting class since they switched from the NET. Anybody's guess on that. But because of my GPA, I am aiming for a 95% on my TEAS

Saysfaa · Jan 25, 2010

I agree with JBMommy. Of the schools I've looked at, some take all the students that started there as freshmen first, then transfer students based on grades. Some look at overall gpa, others look at only certain classes. Some put more weight on things other than grades.