2.52 cumulative GPA, and I already have a BS. Can I get into nursing school

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If I combined all of my grades from community college and university, I have a 2.50-2.52 gpa. I have a 2.30 GPA in micro, anatomy and physiology. I would like to become a nurse. I know it's one of the few professions I'd enjoy.

A lot of ADN programs are on a lottery and usually take 2-3 years to become accepted. Is there any BSN or accelerated BSN programs that would even look at my application?

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Usually the cutoff for GPA's is around 2.70-2.75. This is just what I've seen in most of the requirements to apply to nursing schools. My advice to you is to retake any classes that you can and do really well in them. The new/better grade will replace the old one in your GPA. Keep in mind though that even if you have a GPA that is 2.70, doesn't mean that your application will be competitive. If you don't get above a 3.00, your application will likely be denied because there will be more people with GPA's around the 3.50 range. A 3.50 is generally a competitive GPA for a nursing program and most of the people I know who have gotten into nursing school have GPA's around that number.

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It all depends on the school. The school I attend only asks that you have a 2.0 and they have taken people with a 2.0. The problem with that is if you fail one class, you are screwed because it will knock you below the GPA required to continue taking classes.

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I can only speak about my school, which would not accept that. Can you retake your science classes to bring those grades up? And possibly find a school that looks strictly at your pre requisite grades.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Most 'accelerated' programs look at the cumulative GPA. These pricey programs are very competitive so the minimum GPA that is indicated in the brochure is very misleading - the actual GPA of people admitted to the program is much higher. Frankly, if you can't pull at least a 3.0 in pre-reqs, you are going to have an extremely hard time with nursing school.

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UH Manoa accepted a couple of folks with 2.5 cumulative gpa's a couple of cohorts back. The students had a 4.0 in their prereq science classes and 98 across the board on their NLN scores (entrance exam UH Manoa accepts). Like other posters say, it all depends on the school you apply for. UH Manoa really emphasizes the entrance exam scores and prerequisite gpa, which I think reflects more on how well you'll do in the classes that are more geared towards the subjects that a student will be learning about in talk typical nursing education. Oh and UH is the top schools that offer nursing education in Hawaii.

Good luck in your future endeavors. Don't ever give up. It took me 5 years to get accepted into the program, and I already have a Bachelors degree in another field.

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Check with the individual school. Bring your transcripts and speak with an admissions adviser. Many schools only look at the last 60 or so credit hours. You can check with the traditional 4 year institutions and community colleges.

Be aware that if you anticipate needing student loans you may not want to go to a community college. There is a Federal regulation out there that will make it difficult for you get financial aid. Specifically, (with that many credit hours) if you go to a community college you will have to apply for a waiver to get financial aid and if you drop or do not pass any one class you will become completely ineligible. Just as a reminder, check with the financial aid office of the school you intend to go to BEFORE you commit to going to that school.

In terms of admission, check with each school. They are really the only ones who can answer your question. I have found the admission criteria for schools to be greatly varied on this forum. Calling them for information or browsing their website is free and can't hurt anything.

Good luck to you!!

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Honestly you need to get your gpa up. So I suggest retaking some some courses.

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I live in NJ and nursing schools around here won't even consider a student if they're under a 3.5 and even that is considered relatively low. It all depends on your area and the school. Maybe you can take more classes and work to raise your GPA. Also, you have to consider that most nursing schools won't accept students who have less than an A or a B in their sciences (A&P, micro, orgo/biochem).

Good luck!!!!

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