Centennial BScN Admission

madricka, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2016

It's hard to say what you should do. It would depend on why you didn't do well in your current degree. The Centennial/Ryerson BScN program is VERY demanding (mentally and physically) and not something you should undertake if you are not able to right now (e.g. if you're sick or have other issues affecting your school work). Everyone has reasons why their GPA isn't high but if you're confident you've addressed those issues and can succeed moving forward, then maybe contact the college and talk to someone in the nursing dept (like the program coordinator) and discuss your particular situation. Not everyone going into the program has a stellar GPA.

As for going into the last year of your current degree, do what you can to get your grades up. Focus less on volunteer work/extracurriculars and more on grades. No matter what program you apply to, they will want to see that you CAN do well and do it consistently (i.e. having all your grades in a B range vs a few D's and a few A's). Utilize the services available at your school -- accessibility office, counselling, tutors, etc. They are there to help!

I wouldn't settle for RPN if you really want to be an RN (unless you don't care either way). Find out how to enhance your application and push for stronger grades this upcoming year. Definitely get in touch with someone at the college and hear their suggestions.

Khow89 · Jun 25, 2016

I think you should think about if nursing really interest you or if you're just trying to look for a stable job in the future. It makes things a lot easier if you actually enjoy what you're doing and you don't end up hating your job.

Anyways, if you are still set on applying for nursing, you should apply to both RN and RPN. There is no drawback applying to both besides the extra few hundred dollars that you will lose.

The advantage of starting as a RPN is that you can see if you actually like the program and the profession for a lower tuition cost. If you do want to become a RN afterwards, you can bridge to the RN degree assuming you get at least 75% for your RPN gpa. The total number of years to be a RN will be 5 years.

The advantage of starting as a RN is that you become a RN in 4 years.

I would suggest applying to a few different schools to increase your chances. There is no easier way of getting into nursing, you just have to go for it and see the outcome. If you fail that's fine, just figure out why and improve then apply again.

Eka · May 7, 2021

On 6/16/2016 at 5:11 PM, wctenshi said:

Hi everyone,

I am going into my 4th year of a university science program this September, and am considering applying for nursing afterwards. I would like some advice on what I should do. My CGPA (university) is 2.20 so far, while my high school percentage is 88% (all nursing pre-reqs above average).

I know because of my horrible university GPA, I will not get into many nursing programs. However, I am considering

1. RPN (Centennial, Humber, George Brown), or

2. RN (Centennial-Ryerson collab)

I will be writing a supplementary form discussing my extracurriculars (6+ years of volunteering and placements in hospitals), and the reason for my terrible GPA.

My question is, should I even apply for the RN program (I think I have an extremely low chance of acceptance), or just apply for RPN for now (since RPN only looks at high school grades)? Could you suggest any other "easier acceptance" nursing pathways/schools for me?

I know this thread is from a while ago! But I am in a similar situation as you, what did you end up doing?

I hope everything worked out as I aspire to be an RN as well!