Below 3.0 GPA and you still got in?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed. So I have to ask, was your gpa below a 3.0 and you still got into nursing school? Did you have a lot of work or volunteer experience? What do you think helped you get into the program?

My gpa was very low my freshman year of college. So at the end of my sophomore year, I finally started to do better and raised my gpa. My junior year and senior year I made the deans list each semester. But, it's still not above a 3.0.

Is there hope! lol..???

nessajune21

133 Posts

I think the prerequisite course grades matter more than your overall GPA.

There is always hope. Good luck and don't give up!

MsKaz

78 Posts

Thanks for replying. Okay that's good to know. I did good on the pre-req that I took so far. Only thing that wasn't to great was A&P2, I got a C.

Dolce, RN

861 Posts

Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

My college was pretty competitive--I'm quite sure no one got in with less than a 3.0. But, every place differs. Some colleges place more emphasis on pre-requisite courses, some on overall GPA. Some schools require an interview or references. Your volunteer work will only benefit your application. Hopefully your school will look at the "overall package" and will choose you.

MsKaz

78 Posts

My college was pretty competitive--I'm quite sure no one got in with less than a 3.0. But, every place differs. Some colleges place more emphasis on pre-requisite courses, some on overall GPA. Some schools require an interview or references. Your volunteer work will only benefit your application. Hopefully your school will look at the "overall package" and will choose you.

Hopefully! I'll be one of the best choices lol. I just have to let them know that. lol

RocketNurse

7 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry.

I was the same as you with terrible freshman year and then better after that. My GPA upon graduation was 2.9. When I went back to school I worked really hard and did well, but I never had a stellar cumulative GPA. That being said, I did do volunteer work and worked on various commitees in my neighborhood. I applied to BSN programs and managed to get into a Master's program at a top school without even applying. So there is hope! Get involved, volunteer and do your best at school. If you have heart you will get in.

*By the way I had to apply more than once before getting in.

clhRN2b2010

265 Posts

It's possible that you could retake some of the classes that you did porly in. My school only looks at 59 pre req credits for admission into nursinf upper level. I have had to retake about 12 credits for better grades. I have managed to pull what was a dismal looking 2.7 undergrad GPA up and into a 3.6 in those pre req classes.

Look for creative ways, and truly-don't give up if you really want it. There is a way, even if it isn't what you initially wanted to have to do; you CAN get there!

JenRN30, BSN

289 Posts

Specializes in Endoscopy/MICU/SICU.

Yeah, I'd think about retaking A&P 2, and maybe a couple of the classes you did poorly in to show that you have gotten things figured out and are willing to work hard. Go talk to a nursing advisor and they can give you an idea of what they base their admissions decisions on (overall GPA, program GPA, NET or TEAS, etc.) Good luck to you!!!

mauxtav8r

365 Posts

Ditto the above post that said PREREQ GPA matters the most.

I started back with a 2.7 from a previous college experience, was really careful to make very good grades on the prereqs, and started NS with 2.999 overall and 4.0 in prereqs.

Bear in mind, I was told by the school that "we never have to look at applicants below a 3.2." Whatever.

jcox121

27 Posts

our school chooses candidates based on a points system. you get so many points for your gpa, so many for the pre-reqs you have done and you get points deducted for classes you had to repeat. I didn't get in at first, but after summer classes were factored in, somehow, thankfully, i got my acceptance letter!!

jcox121

27 Posts

btw, my gpa was 2.75. i came back after a long hiatus, but my previous grades weren't so good.

MsKaz

78 Posts

It's possible that you could retake some of the classes that you did porly in. My school only looks at 59 pre req credits for admission into nursinf upper level. I have had to retake about 12 credits for better grades. I have managed to pull what was a dismal looking 2.7 undergrad GPA up and into a 3.6 in those pre req classes.

Look for creative ways, and truly-don't give up if you really want it. There is a way, even if it isn't what you initially wanted to have to do; you CAN get there!

Yea that would have been a good idea but, my school is stupid. They don't allow us to take classes outside of the school that will rise our gpa. So the science courses that I took outside the school, I got A's and B's but, it didn't go towards my gpa because I didn't take it at my old college.

And they don't offer the same classes all the time. Sometimes you have to wait a whole year and a half just for that course to repeat itself.

+ Add a Comment