Fresh bachelors, but need to start over?

[adaroteiji]

I've just recently graduated with a bachelor's degree (unrelated to nursing) that happened to complete all the science prerequisites for nursing. I also happened to take pretty much all the non-science prerequisites through my GE requirements.

However, my gpa is pretty low- 2.9 overall and 2.7 looking at just pre-reqs. This mainly stems from me not applying myself- I asked my parents for a year off after high school to work/intern and figure out what I wanted with my life, but they forced me to start my degree at the same time as everyone else and I pretty much just coasted through listlessly, not particularly caring since I didn't know what I wanted out of the experience at all. So I'm 100% confident that if I retook classes now, I could get A's with more effort and maybe actually going to an office hours for the first time in my life.

After interning at a hospital, I realized I loved the environment and after talking to some nurses, I realized this is a career I really want to jump into. My gpa is so low (and my interactions with professors who could vouch for me nonexistant), that I have the following thoughts:

1. Transferring into a BSN is pretty much impossible (minimum 3.0 gpa's, average 3.7 admittance abound)

2. I could conceivably "restart" my education by going to a CC, taking all the prerequisites anew and have that be my "only" gpa, without informing the CC that I have a previous bachelor's/transferrable classes. I would then finish my ADN, work for a few years on that while saving up and returning to an ADN->BSN program.

Is this possible? Am I violating some sort of academic code by not disclosing my previous classes? And if I am, should I particularly care/would they have any way of knowing?

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I don't think it's required that you have to submit your previous education when applying to CC. However, employers will request that information, and you will have to include it. Otherwise, it will just look like you did nothing for 4 years. I am in the same situation as you. I didn't need to submit my college records to apply to the CC, but I did need it to obviously prove that I had taken the required prerequisite courses at a different university.

[claritasd]

^Seconded. The CC might not require your transcripts, but if you apply to a BSN program later they will - and you could get in big trouble if caught lying about that. I'm guessing some schools might revoke acceptance on the grounds of omission, and others might revoke it on the grounds that with the new info your GPA doesn't meet their standards. Some schools might not do anything, but I wouldn't bank on that.

If you retake your prereqs and do better, that will improve your GPA, of course - but it will not get rid of the one you have right now. I believe some schools will calculate GPA based on the highest grades in courses, and some will calculate your new grade as well as your old.

If you want to get your GPA up, your best bet is to retake any classes you could do better in (keeping in mind some schools require Bs for prereq classes, others Cs), and maybe even take a few other classes that you know you can do well in. Having other classes will help improve your overall GPA, though of course not your prereq GPA.

[RunBabyRN]

You can get kicked out of a program if it's discovered that you have a transcript you didn't include. This is called academic dishonesty. I considered omitting a transcript from a school that only had one general ed class I needed (and was happy to repeat locally for a better grade), but after doing some research, I decided it wasn't worth the risk.

Be sure to check repeat policies for programs. Some schools don't care that much, some do.

It can take a lot of work to clean up a poor GPA. I had to do it, too. But it can be done. You may have to take some transferable classes simply to boost your GPA. Consider taking Spanish (since you're in CA), medical terminology, and some other courses that may not be required, but will help you in your career.

[Bubbly26, BSN, RN]

RunbabyRN, took the words right out of my mouth. It is considered academic dishonesty but I guess it depends on your school though.

[PersnickityChick]

When I applied for nursing school it was done in a big room with the program director right there. She made it very plain that we were required to put down ALL educational experience. To leave it out would be considered dishonest, and was grounds for tossing the application.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

The CC in my state require ALL college transcripts when applying to their schools.

[AGACNPTX]

Your best bet is to talk with admissions at the programs you are interested in, be totally honest, and see if they have any suggestions for you. If there are classes you haven't taken, can you go ahead and take them? If you make all A's you could show this as evidence you are ready to be a serious student. When I was a college freshman I was similarly unmotivated, but was able to turn it around to get in to nursing school. I always made sure to mention that I was aware my gpa wasn't perfect, but I always showed them the comparison of my first year (C's) to the years after (all A's). I did have to retake some classes from my freshman year but it worked out in the end. Good luck!

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I'm in CA, too. The community colleges in my area don't care if you repeat a class through them. (There is a limit on repeating classes no more than 3 times in the same college district though)

The CC ADN programs don't look at cumulative GPA, they just look at your nursing courses. We are straight lottery around here and as long as you meet the GPA minimums in the prereqs, your cum GPA doesn't matter.

There are ways around your problem. I have a 2.2 overall college GPA, but I have earned all As in my prereqs. (Except the ones I too back in the 1990's, lol! Those are Bs.) I'm eligible to apply to all the CCs in my area.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

You have to submit all previous transcripts when you apply to the college and nursing program regardless. I had to submit mine from a local business college I had gone to like 20 years ago. And it is considered academic dishonesty and if you are found out will be kicked out of the school. Then it will go on your record when you apply to any other college that you were dropped for academic dishonesty. You do not want that.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

I'm not sure whether not submitting one's past transcripts as being the equivalent of being a dishonest act. This past May I applied for dual enrollment in a university for their BSN program as I'm going to a community college now with the desire to graduate with an AD, get my license, then go for my BSN. I purposely did not send the transcripts from a non accredited school where I received my associate degree. I did list that I went to the school on the application; I just made it a point to not send the transcripts.

The university division that deals with dual enrollment called and asked when they would receive the transcripts. I said, they wouldn't. The school is non accredited, and charges $25.00 per transcript. With my wife the only one working, and being at poverty level wages, why should I be forced to spend $25 of our money to have transcripts sent over for which they will reject every single credit (93 credits, 3.98 GPA). They agreed to drop the need to have those transcripts submitted.

So I do believe the issue should be discussed with the school; and that refusing to send over transcripts IS NOT being dishonest (academically or otherwise).

Thank you.