Easier or harder to accepted into a AA or BSN Program?

[chollygolightly]

I've researched heavily on the grades it takes to get accepted into a RN program at a community college, which requires: 3.8+ GPA, high TESA scores and good work experience (and even with all of this, may still get waitlisted for months). I am now discouraged.

Is it easier to get into a BSN program? I've read that it is easier to get into a nursing program from a more expensive private school (like USF, NYU, BC), since fewer people will apply. Even though, what type of grades do I need to get into those schools? Currently, I am a UCSD graduate, but want to do nursing. Since the degree I have is Communication, I will have to start from scratch (3.2 GPA, 3.6 Major GPA, took some really hard courses like Organic Chem & Calculus that nearly destroyed my GPA), and plan on taking my pre-requisite courses at a local community college. I am considering all my options, including getting a second Bachelors, or ideally a Masters (but I think you need atleast a RN degree before doing so).

Ideally, I would love to stay in the Bay Area of California, and am interested in schools in the city like SFSU, UCSF, SMU and USF. But would be willing to relocate to the East Coast.

Any advice will be helpful, since all the material I am reading online, especially college websites say you need atleast 3.0 GPA, but knowing how competitive nursing schools are now, I know the standards are much higher, and want a REAL breakdown of the types of grades I need.

[xandarosa]

I'm not from California. I would say go for bachelors, it seems everyone wants that at the moment. Many universities have programs that are only about 18 months for people that already have a bachelors in another field.

[illsince83]

I came from a private school MSN program and our class average GPA was 3.7 prior to getting into school, so I think that assumption is invalid. Everywhere you go will have competitive academic grades. Look at schools that have accelerated masters programs that will get you your RN license along with an MSN if you have already have a college undergrad degree. Some schools that have that off the top of my head in the bay area are USF and Samuel Merritt University (my alma matter).

As far as AA or BSN goes, I think it would be in your best interest if you went to a school that can get you a BSN because (especially in uber competitive Nor Cal) hospitals are now looking at BSN's as the minimum requirement to be considered for a position as a means to filter out so many applicants for only a couple open new grad spots.

[RNnicu42]

I went to SJSU. Their average GPA for acceptance into the program was around 3.5. The lowest they would take was usually around a 3.2 but this varied depending the applicant pool. I would recommend a BSN program especially if you are planning on staying and working in CA. A lot of the new grad programs require or "prefer" a BSN new grad. The core class grades are the ones that matter most for acceptance (anatomy, physiology, microbiology and chemistry).

[kaiamc]

Interesting, the requirements you have listed sound like the BSN programs around here, not the ASN programs, the community colleges near me are all lottery but you have to be able to gain enough merit points to qualify to apply to them, after you qualify they become lottery. They seem to all share the same merit points structure so here is the Sacramento City College Version in PDF

http://www.scc.losrios.edu/Documents/Nursing/forms/EnrollmentCriteriaSCC1-25-12.pdf and you can figure out what you need for the Sacramento based programs excluding ARC which has not transitioned to merit yet but will do so in the next few years. Hurry! Fall apps are due Friday the 16th.

[thth21]

I'm an undergrad at USF. Our MSN program is pretty competitive to get in to. Someone I know tried to apply into the MSN program and already had a bachelors in biology from UCLA and wasn't accepted. I think her cumulative GPA was around a 3.2 (possibly higher). She ended up going to John Hopkin's and getting a second bachelors in nursing because she couldn't get into any MSN for non-nurse programs. This might be a good route to go if you can't get in to a MSN program.

If you want to work in the Bay Area as an RN definitely get at least a BSN. It's so incredibly competitive right now for new grads. Who knows when the job market will change? I'm really glad that I went for my BSN.

[augustluv4]

Have you consider applying to the accelerated Entry Level to MSN as some have mentioned above? I have friends who are 3.0 GPA undergrad and got in some CalState University's ELM programs. Otherwise, I still recommend to pursue for a BSN since more hiring employers prefer BSN.