Do I have any chance of getting in?

RNintheMakin · Mar 10, 2008

You can't give up on what you know you truly want to do! Keep fighting for what you want and it will all work out. Our stories are VERY similar-Scary! I went straight to a university after high school, did quite well (Mostly A's and B's) towards the end of my two yrs there i became VERY depressed, was hospitalized and had to withdraw from the university (Medical leave, so withdraw did not hurt my semester). Anyways, I failed out of anatomy lab and got a C in my anatomy lecture. After taking almost two yrs off from school and I am proud to say that I am back at my local community college and getting straight A's-- I'm in the process of applying to Nursing school for the fall of this semester, I don't know if I will get accepted, but I'm trying anyways because I finally understand that THINGS happen and sometimes they are out of your control. If it's meant to be you will get into the program of your choice, so DON'T GIVE UP! NEVER GIVE UP! Work your butt off in the classes you're taking now to show that you are competent and you deserve this. Hang in there and try your BEST to be POSITIVE!:nuke:

Asherah, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2008

Hi all, right now everyone seems to have a perfect 4.0 GPA, or at least 3.7 or something, and I am beginning to think that I don't have a single chance of getting into a nursing school. I went to a university after high school and spent two years there with low low GPA, I had depression and just feel horrible. I ended up medical withdrawn a semester of grade, which I received all Ws for that semester, but I still have one D and one C on my transcript and one B. Then later I transfer to a local community college and start doing better, got mostly A's and two Bs. But now when I'm applying for nursing schools, they are asking for all transcrips from previous college and university. With all the W's D's and C's I am begining to doubt if I can still get in to any school at all, or should I just accept the fact that I messed up so bad and give up on the whole idea of becoming a nurse. Any one have any suggestion on what should I do to increase my chances? I really really really want to become a nurse.

You will need to get specific information from the programs you intend to apply to, but generally, nursing programs will take into consideration and heavily weigh your most recent coursework and achievements. You will need to find out if the specific program will look at your cumulative GPA or if they look at more recent units/credits only. If you did poorly during a certain period of your academic past, many BSN/MSN programs will also allow you to explain the circumstances of your situation within the context of your personal statement. Take advantage of this opportunity to go into detail of what was happening during that time in your life and how things differ (positively) now.

My GPA from my previous undergraduate degree was an eye-popping 2.475 cumulative (two quarters of horrible grades at the end), but when I decided to apply to nursing schools/programs in January 2006, I began taking all of my pre-requisites and any additional science and healthcare courses that would show admissions committee members that I could handle the coursework and I was dedicated. About 60 units (2 years) later my cumulative GPA is not exactly competitive, but the fact that I've taken the time to do well and maintain a 4.0 GPA in relevant course material as well as my volunteer experience has demonstrated my persistance.

There are so many of us here on AllNurses that have gone through similar events in our lives that, by one way or another, we do not have pristine academic records. Thankfully, many nursing programs have a very holistic approach to admissions, and a combination of recent academic success, committed volunteer experience and a great personal statement, can truly overcome!

Good luck!

Hotflashn · Mar 10, 2008

Don't get discouraged! You will need to check with the various programs in your area. The requirements can vary tremendously. You may need to lean toward a ADN at a community college. Some have lotteries or put students on waitlists just for meeting the prereq requirements. So long as grades are satisfactory in core classes and passing for all other GE, then no worries. Some programs only look at the GPA of the prereqs and others look at GPA based on the last 30 or 60 units completed, not necessarily your overall GPA. So don't give up! You may amass enough units with great grades to cause them to ignore your lower GPA. They want to see what you have done, but don't necessarily consider them when making a decision. Hard times befall enough the best students and it is ashame to penalize them forever. Some really depends on whether the scores are determined strictly by a computer formula, or by a human being. You might also check into a "clean sweep" or "fresh start" offered by some schools.It is not commonly advertised for obvious reasons, but some school will sort of close the book on your academic past and let you begin fresh. This usually requires a number of years to have passed and an obvious improvement demonstrated. This sort of pardon has people just like you in mind. No one will tell you, you will have to ask and jump through some fiery hoops if it is available. Talk to a counselor about this and get the scoop.

Don't give up, you can find a way.

3rdgenRN2B · Mar 10, 2008

Years ago I did the unthinkable and stopped going to classes half way through the semester. Got a whole lot of f's. I've managed to make some of them up but not all. 12 years later I'm at a different cc and they have my transcripts. Now I get all A's and B's and I'm hoping that that will be enough proof that I was once young and dumb and now I'm a serious student. I'm not going to let my past determine my future and neither should you! PS-the new school only wants the old transcripts to proove that I've taken all the necessary pre-reqs (eng 101/102, etc)...

reeindoubt · Mar 22, 2008

thank you all for replying... I will keep on trying!

missnursie · Mar 22, 2008

never give up on nursing especially if that's what you truly want to do in the future. although nursing schools are getting extremely competitive nowadays but i'm sure they look at the overall academic performance as well as how well you do on the interview. i know many people with a gpa of 3.0 made it into a competitive nursing school instead of the people with a 4.0. just keep in mind that they're looking for someone who has the potentials to become a nurse instead of a student who only knows how to score straight A's. if you want to a be a nurse, you will be! study hard and never give up! :)

Hoping4RNin2010 · Mar 22, 2008

I went to a cc 20 years ago just out of high school. I did ok at best. (one D the rest a,b,c)

When I decided I wanted to go to nursing school I took the entrance exams to a local CC (different state than last one) and then spoke to the head of the nursing department. I explained to her that when I was 19 I hade more interest in the beaches of Florida than school and blah blah blah. She said that they DO realize that you are not the same person you were 20 years ago, priorities change and people grow up. She said they need to take them into account for the first semester or so as they have nothing else to compare to, but after a semester or two they don't even really consider the transfer grades. I am in my second semester at that school with a 4.0 and I just got my acceptance letter to the NP. So talk to counselor. Work your butt off and show them you are serious about it.

You can do it!!

coolpeach · Mar 22, 2008

I am applying to an ADN, and I had a 3.8 and had to retake a class to get it to a 4.0, and I still may be short on getting in this semester. The CC ADN programs only admit a few students each semester, and its very competitive. As the above poster said you might try to find one who goes by a waiting list. (I am not sure about those because all the ones near me do NOT use a waiting list). The nursing programs here go by how you look on paper alone. I do know a few not far away who do interviews as part of the process. The interview gives you an chance to explain any issues like you might have for consideration. You might look for schools who allow interviews as part of the selection process. Also couldn't you just retake the grades that were't do great for a higher grade. I know here when I retook a class the newest grade replaced the older grade. I wouldn't worry too much about a few W's as I think everyone has a few, and from experience none of the programs around here really consider a few W's a bad thing.

lainith · Mar 22, 2008

I wondered the same thing when I started taking my co-req's two years ago. I previously attended the same college I am at now and dropped out in the middle of my second year. And by dropped out I mean I stopped going to classes. No one told me I needed to formally withdraw from my classes so I got D's and F's in all of them. Needless to say that even with the previous year's A's and B's and the last two years A's and B's, my GPA is still only 2.64 or somewhere abouts. I really thought that it would greatly effect my ability to be accepted into our school's nursing program. I had a hard time even getting off financial aid suspension and wondered if I'd be able to go out at all. But where there's a will, there's always a way. Take the time to address the circumstances surrounding your poor grades and withdraws and explain the steps you plan to take to not let that happen again. If you are given the opportunity, address these things in a letter to the Dean of Students or whoever is in charge of your prospective school's nursing program.

Also, my college offers a one-time-only semester forgiveness thing that I applied for. You have to have been out of school for more than 5 years before you can apply but your school may have something similar. I was able to basically wipe an entire semester from my grades so I will be able to have a more realistic indication of my GPA now in the current curriculum.

Best of luck to you. I really think you will be able to do it!

autumn_raine · Mar 23, 2008

I had a solid 4.0 until I went through a divorce. I quit going to classes and received F's in a few classes because of it. At the time, I didn't care but when I started back to school (10 years later) I realized what I had done! My school offers a program for such cases and allowed me to "bankrupt" that semester. It still shows up on my transcript but doesn't effect my GPA. It would be worth checking into it to see if your school has a program like this. Good luck.

reeindoubt · Mar 23, 2008

Thank you so much for all the advise guys! I am going to apply this fall, hopefully get into next spring semester. The school I am applying only looks at AP1, English and Psychology, which all I received A in, but I am sure there are million other people received As also, but I'll keep on trying till I get in!