Freaking out about GPA!! Help

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Hello there!

I have a BS in Communications, and even got accepted to law school two years ago, but I ended up not going because of financial reasons. I actually decided to go to nursing school, and for the first time in a long time I was excited about something. However, my GPA went down during my senior. I was actually lucky I got into law school, but that was mostly because of my LSAT scores. I went back to school and took all the prerequisites for nursing, but my GPA is still a 3.2. However, if I calculate my GPA based on just the prereqs, it should be around 3.61. I just moved to Tallahassee, and started the application process at TCC. My main concern is whether they take my overall GPA or just the prereqs GPA into consideration.

I'm going on the 3rd for an advising appt, but I saw online they received the two transcripts requested, and it shows the overall GPA as my current GPA. This means that all of the classes I took for my communications major were taken into account, but they are not really prereqs for nursing. Does the advising department or the nursing school calculate the GPA just based on the prereqs for their program?

If somebody has a bit of information about this and can share it with me, I would really appreciate it. Waiting until the 3rd to really find out whats going on is driving me insane!

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From what I've read on other posts, most people say they care mostly about the nursing pre-reqs.

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I think it depends a lot on your location. I agree, I think the pre-req GPA is slightly more important than the cumulative.

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Hey P1753,

I will answer based on my own experience with the Nursing Department here: they do look at your overall GPA, however it is not the only thing they look at. The nursing department here looks at several things: overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, prerequisite science GPA, and finally the score you make on your NLN exam. Now although they look at your overall GPA, it has the least weight. What I mean is that there is a weight on all the categories with the most weight, for nursing here, being on the NLN score. They understand that overall GPA for most people will not be outstanding because many of us, like me, wasn't focused in our beginning years and many of us, again like me lol, just hung out with friends and partied. Therefore, that has the least weight. Prerequisite GPA is self-explanatory. Science pre-req GPA means the GPA just from the sciences required to be taken before going into clinicals. Hope this helps! Also, congrats on your previous invitation to law school. It is unfortunate that you weren't able to go. However, nursing is a great profession too.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

Every school looks at different stuff. Some really factor in your overall GPA, some really focus on your prereq GPA, the weights are different for different schools. Do your research on your program. This stuff is usually on their website.

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Hello guys! I did my research on the website. I always do that before going around asking, but they don't really give you any specifics. I' m going for an advising appt. when the school reopenes, but I was just wondering. I'm one of those individuals that worries about everything a bit too much, and I started freakin out when i saw the transcript gpa on the system. I got accepted to Keiser, and they only used the prereqs gpa, but they are really expensive. I'm applying to fsu and tcc hoping I'll get in. Wish me luck!

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Good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine. A 3.2 isn't bad.

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Good luck. As you've figured out, you've got to meet with an advisor if the program doesn't state on its website what the requirements are. Each program is different.

My accelerated program was a God send. They consider overall GPA but give the most weight to prereq GPA and last 60 hours completed.

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I think I had a 3.25 GPA when I was accepted into my university's nursing program back in 2012. I actually was automatically admitted into our school's pre-nursing scholars program, so I was automatically accepted because I took my prerequistes with the university and I had a 3.25 GPA. I didn't even apply anywhere else. Just at my university. I think my prerequiste gpa was a tad higher. But with my 3.25 GPA, I was accepted into the nursing honors program. I took all my prerequistes at the University though, and the prerequistes are much harder at the university. Most recently I was invited and am now a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, that accepts the top 35% of our graduating class. I have a 3.18 GPA, I'm a A/B student with one more semester of nursing school left. So, no worries

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I had a 2.7 GPA cumulative my first round of college. Then I took nursing pre-req's at a community college to get into their nursing program. My GPA at the community college was a 3.8, all science/math; the reading and writing and humanities were all carried over from the first college. It was basically like starting with a clean slate. I was so grateful for it too. As long as you demonstrate that you understand you messed up previously, and have shown a true determination and dedication, you will have a standing chance. I got in to the program my first attempt.

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