Disappointing Undergrad Grades

[Anikka]

My post...which knowing me will get lengthy..is regarding disclosing a mental health history with a nursing program I am applying to. I'm embarressed to share this here but I'm expecting that in a community of medical professionals (and hopefuls like myself) people will be understanding.

I finally graduated in January of 2007 (i should have graduated in May '06) with a BA in Psychology. I struggled throughout college with major depression. Certainly in my major I knew exactly what it was but I was afraid of the stigma in seeking help. In waiting so long to get help (i'd been dealing with it for the better part of 10 years) i had reached a point where I needed to take time to focus on myself. I took a semester off from college and therefore finished a semester "late". Unfortunately depression's "marks" are all over my transcript. I failed a couple classes and withdrew from others. I looked at my transcript for the first time in a long time the other day and it really hit me just how dark those years were for me. It's not that I couldn't handle the classes I just wasn't in a place psychologically where I could do my best. I applied to the nursing program at my small college and was by no surprise denied. I didn't have the grades. I graduated with a 2.8 GPA which I'm not proud of but I know that's what i earned.

Now two years later and much healthier and happier I am considering going back to school in a Post-BA RN program. Unfortuantely I realized that the pre-reqs I have taken would need to be retaken to meet the program's minimum grades in those (Hopefully I will exceed them). I've come to realize that persuing this nursing dream of mine will take some patience so I can complete the pre-reqs as well as save for living expenses while i"m in the intensive program.

So this brings up many questions. I realize that noone can predict what a particular program might take into consideration but I just wonder if anyone has any experience mentioning something like this during an application and/or interview process. Or what would you do if you were me.

I dont' see this as an excuse for my undergraduate grades but rather an explanation of sorts. More than anything it will hopefully explain the large difference between those grades and the prerequisites that I will take between now and the time i apply. I realize though that mentioning this could impact my potential admission both positively and negatively. I also feel though that this is part of my interest in nursing and I feel like it could come up in an interview or essay for that reason as well. I don't want to hide it but I still fear the stigma (even among knowledgeable people).

Thanks for listening...

[sunray12]

You might consider looking at community college nursing programs in your state. Your application will be considered based on your grades on their listed prereqs and your score on one of the standardized nursing school entrance exams (hesi, net, teas, etc.) - there are no essays or interviews, etc. A 2.8 gpa is not the worst there is and certainly not the end of the world. Since you're prepared to be patient there's no reason why you can't take prereqs at community college and take your time with them so that you can get better grades. Every type of nursing program has its pros and cons but community college may be the place where you can start over.

[BellasMommyOBRN]

a 2.8 is not academic suicide, believe me! once you take those pre-req's you may see a slight jump. if you can get your gpa up to at least a 3.0, you can apply to accelerated programs. there are schools at there, at your disposal. don't beat yourself up! do you know how many people have been in the same situation as you? tons! they have done just fine :)

[ExpatHopeful, LPN, LVN]

Hey Anikka,

I have a very similar story as you and I don't think either of us should be embarrassed or ashamed! I should have finished my first BA in 2001, but suffered from depression halfway through. After one semester of poor grades I decided to take a year off after withdrawing with failing grades from all my second semester classes (it was past the drop deadline.) During my year off I got the counseling I needed and went back to school with a new major which I managed to do well in, graduating in the end two years later than I should have. Luckily because I did well academically before and after my miserable two years I pulled through with a 3.1 GPA. I am now applying to second BSN programs.

I think that what you decide to do may vary depending on what school you are applying to. Some schools may specifically ask for information like that and give you a chance to explain what happened. Others, like sunray12 suggested, may not care as long as your scores and prereq grades are good enough. There is also the possibility that someone who writes a recommendation for you could be asked to mention it in terms of what you struggled with and how you got through it etc. Five years ago, just after I graduated, I applied to a program to teach overseas and I had my therapist write the program a letter to go with my application that explained my bout of depression and stated that in her opinion I was now healthy and balanced and recovered. It may seem extreme but I got in.

Now that I am applying for BSN programs I had to think about what to do again and this time I decided not to bring it up in my applications because I feel like a) it's kind of clear from my transcript what happened b) after I came back I did well and have done well in my prereqs and c) it was so long ago now for me that I think my professional career speaks strong enough for me to ignore it (I've been a medical assistant/CNA for 4 years). I won't know until spring when acceptance letters go out if I did the right thing, but I hope so.

Good luck with your decision making and I hope the schools you apply to are open minded and look at the big picture.