CRNA school but low GPA

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Hello fellow nurses,

I am considering applying to CRNA school in the future. The school I am applying to requires the following:

Commutative GPA: 3.57

Nursing Course GPA: 3.56

Science GPA: 3.28

I, however, have a nursing GPA of 3.02. It’s also important to note that this is the only school I am applying to because it is free to attend since I am an employee at the hospital of the University.

I have a 2-3 years before I decide to apply and want to do everything I can to assure I have a strong application. But that is where I am lost, I don’t know what the correct steps are? What do you recommend? Retake courses? Go for a MSN before? 

I’m a first generation high school graduate, college graduate, and nurse. Navigating through school has been difficult as I had to figure everything out as I went along. Your help is greatly appreciated. 

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

IMHO, your grades are fine.  Now you just have to concentrate on your ICU experiences and getting a CCRN certification and, of course, ACLS certification.  Have you taken any organic chem or physics?  I had a full year of each but think that the 1st semester of physics was enough for what we needed to know in CRNA classes. 

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4 hours ago, subee said:

IMHO, your grades are fine.  Now you just have to concentrate on your ICU experiences and getting a CCRN certification and, of course, ACLS certification.  Have you taken any organic chem or physics?  I had a full year of each but think that the 1st semester of physics was enough for what we needed to know in CRNA classes. 

I think you read his post wrong.  His nursing GPA is 3.02.  I do not want to pile on, but I do not think there is a program in the country that will take an applicant with that, at least as is.

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On 10/5/2021 at 6:27 PM, chav97 said:

Hello fellow nurses,

I am considering applying to CRNA school in the future. The school I am applying to requires the following:

Commutative GPA: 3.57

Nursing Course GPA: 3.56

Science GPA: 3.28

I, however, have a nursing GPA of 3.02. It’s also important to note that this is the only school I am applying to because it is free to attend since I am an employee at the hospital of the University.

I have a 2-3 years before I decide to apply and want to do everything I can to assure I have a strong application. But that is where I am lost, I don’t know what the correct steps are? What do you recommend? Retake courses? Go for a MSN before? 

I’m a first generation high school graduate, college graduate, and nurse. Navigating through school has been difficult as I had to figure everything out as I went along. Your help is greatly appreciated. 

Get some good, strong, quality nursing experience.  During that time, get your ACLS, and PALS, and your CCRN.  Take all sorts of classes.  Then...you will need to take some classes in order to show the program (and yourself) that you are capable to withstanding the academic rigor of a program.  Take an Upper Division Chemistry course, or physiology, or micro.  Maybe stats or something that shows them, and you, that you can do the work.

Not trying to be a hard ***, but before you apply, quit your job, tell all your friends you are leaving, etc, you need to make sure you can actually do the work.  Only you will know the answer to that question.

BTW, I do not personally think getting a generic MSN will do you any good as far as getting accepted, and it will just take your focus off the prize.

Good Luck.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
36 minutes ago, BigPappaCRNA said:

I think you read his post wrong.  His nursing GPA is 3.02.  I do not want to pile on, but I do not think there is a program in the country that will take an applicant with that, at least as is.

You're right.  I was too short with my reply.  IMHO, the hard sciences will count for more and this person hasn't taken any. Organic chem and physics were more difficult than any nursing course - at least for me:)  But they also serve to separate the wheat from the chaff.  If one has trouble with organic or physics, it will be difficult to survive a CRNA program.

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Thank you guys a lot for your honest replies. I am going to go forward and take some higher level sciences and possibly retake some basic classes.  I’m currently in Neuro IMCU and I’ll be on the look out for Neuro ICU positions. I’ll probably join some committees at my job to strengthen my application. Thank you again 

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