Do I need A's?

[NYCNative21]

Hello everyone,

It has been quite a while since I posted due too circumstances in my life and studying. I wanted to post this in regards to the pressure I am feeling and my nerves getting ready for nursing school.

I am currently planning on applying for the nursing ADN program and after completing the ADN program I was hoping to get a job and while working finish off my bachelors. The reason why I am feeling a bit of pressure is because this semester just finished for me after completing all my pre-reqs and I only really have a year to complete my nursing program because my parents are putting up the house for sale soon and planning on moving to PA. Anyways this is not why I am posting this article.

I ended off my semester with a B in anatomy and physiology part two. With my school there is no such thing are C+, C-, B-, B+, A-, A+, etc. You either get a D, C, B, or A. 70-79.4 is a C, 79.5-89.4 is a B and 89.5-100 is an A. For both A&P one and two I ended up achieving both a B. More specifically I achieved a 87 in A&P 1 and a 88.3 in A&P 2. I am a bit upset for not getting an A in either one of these because I understand how important these classes are for getting into the nursing program along side the GPA. For the Lab portion I achieved a B in A&P 1 and then I achieved a A in lab for A&P2.

My overall GPA for all my Pre-reqs out together ended up getting a 3.3. Personally this is not what I was hoping and I feel like I am already failing honestly because from what I heard and understand the Pre-reqs are extremely easy compared to the nursing programs.

The only requirement left that I am missing before I can officially apply for the nursing program is to take the TEAS exam. Im signed up for this exam on 8/02/2018.

The reason for me posting this thread is due to my question regarding my grades. Do you believe a B in both science courses will be enough to get into the Nursing program or do you believe I should just take these classes over? I also do understand that no one here can predict that and it mainly comes down to luck of the draw. I am just nervous and a bit paranoid that if I can only achieve a B in the pre-req science courses than I will do horrible in nursing school.

Some of you may be wondering too why I have not mentioned microbiology. My school actually does not require this course until we get accepted into the program.

I think the reason why I am also a bit nervous and paranoid is because my friend who got into nursing school before me and got high A's in all his pre-reqs messages me all the time telling me how he is barley passing nursing school with high 70's.

I am sorry for the long post and I appreciate anyone who has read this and will take the time to reply to my post.

[NYCNative21]

I''m not really sure how I would be able to find that out other than talking to my advisor. I will though take this into consideration.

[EmDash]

Usually past students or if you can find a thread here (or elsewhere) with people applying to that specific program. Sometimes the program's websites will also tell you.

[NYCNative21]

From what I was able to find on the website, they only shared the passing rate for NCLEX and how many pasted first try. They also shared how many (percentage) pass nursing school. I was skimming this website though and found a thread of students who got accepted into the program explaining how the TEAS exam was extremely important for being accepted. Quite a few even said they got accepted with 3.1 GPAs and a high TEAs exam so thats what I am betting on right now. Really looking to ace this exam.

[djksjdalksjf]

It is one thing to be disallowed credit for retaking a class by the nursing school admissions committee, and quite another to be disallowed to retake a course at all by the school. In my area, community colleges across the board do not allow one to retake a course where one already has achieved at least a C in the course. That is why you have to carefully research all of your options before you start and along the way.

This is allowed at my community college. However, next year they will offer extra points to those who got an A in all 3 A&P courses on the first attempt 😎

[NYCNative21]

What community college are you attending? I mean I am extremely upset that I was only able to get high B's in these classes but I do work full-time and I took these courses in the summer semester so I also didn't have the full luxury of a full semester but I'm not using that as an excuse at all.

[djksjdalksjf]

I go to school in Oregon.

[Egc1992]

Hi, I am also attending West Ga Tech. Are you applying for spring 2019? I have no idea about your gpa being good or enough or not, but an instructor did tell me that you need a score above 80 on the teas. I took it once, and I made a 84. I hope that's good enough.

[Possum_RN]

I attended a community college with a reputation for being a very difficult program. I made an A in anatomy I and chemistry, and a B in anatomy II. I don't remember what I made on the TEAS, but I know I didn't knock it out of the park. I got in to my nursing program. I had a few near-misses with failing classes though the program (you needed a 78 to pass), but made it without having to re-take anything. Less than half of the students I started the program with graduated with me - the rest either dropped out or failed a class.

I believe the thing that saved me, even though I was not the strongest student, was being a lifelong learner (I'm almost 30, and this is my second degree/career). I know how I learn best. If I was studying meds, I'd look at patients at my job (as a hospital CNA) and pick patients that had meds I was studying, and write/think of a little blurb about them (Patient A is on IV propofol, so look for: bradycardia, resp. depression, coughing, hiccups....). I'd look at vids on nursing skills and asked my instructors to let me practice on their lab equipment - play with the electronic IVs and practice pulling up insulin etc- because I'm a kinesthetic learner.

If you do get in and must continue working though school, I recommend really nailing down how you best learn, and incorporating it into your study plan. You can do it! Best of luck with your meeting with your advisor - I'll be sending good juju.

[Nursing24/7, LVN]

A's are best but B's should be sufficient enough for alot of ADN programs along with a good TEAS score (82+% overall score). BUT it totally depends on the schools in your area. Each school has different criteria & requirements on deciding who to accept. So do your research and try to find out what grades & scores have gotten other people into the school(s) you are applying to.

To give you an example: Most of ADN programs in my area ask for minimum overall 2.5 GPA & Science GPA but alot of my coworkers have had no problems getting into ADN programs with B's and even a couple of C's. Ofcourse all A's make you a more competitive candidate. Also, current healthcare experience & great recommendation letters help you alot too.

BSN programs on the other hand, are a little more tough & you do need A's in your science prereqs to have a strong chance of getting in.

[jamalnurse]

You never really know what an admissions committee is going to be thinking on the day they come across your application. Don't stress over having a B. B's are great. What matters is that the committee, through your application, can see that you have strong work ethic and that they believe that you have the skills necessary to matriculate through and complete their nursing program. This pertains to academic strength as well as your personality. If your application requires essay, they are able to catch a glimpse of who you are as an individual. One of my professors last semester always stated, "...a patient probably won't remember all the finite details of your care plan for them, but they will remember HOW YOU TREATED THEM." There are many nurses out there that are book smart with no "people skills." I'd rather have a B-average nurse with a stellar personality than a 4.0 or A average nurse who treats me like crap or only speaks to me when necessary. Do you understand? I hope this is helpful. Most admission committee view applications more holistically now, so don't be too hard on yourself.

[Tacomaboy3]

As others have said, it might be best for you to first talk with an admissions counselor or the ADN adviser.

A 3.3 GPA looks great at some schools while you wouldn't even be competitive at others. Look at the admissions criteria for your school to see exactly what they look for in an applicant. For instance, my ADN program accepted applicants based on a lottery system (you earned more points to be thrown into the lottery if you earned As in prerequisites, but at the end of the day it was still a lottery). A nearby program, however, accepts less than 25% of applicants and considers all aspects of your application.

[NYCNative21]

Hello!

I am planning on applying for the spring and fall semester. I am currently signed up for the TEAS exam on the second on next month and I start CNA school on July 23rd and ends on August 30th so I am hoping after completing all those and after applying for the Nursing program I will get in but honestly I'm not real confident. Advising told me to go ahead and apply and said they can't say if I will get in or not. They simply just said do really good on your TEAS exam and apply.