How can I get into nursing school? Any advice is appreciated!!

TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN · Apr 5, 2010

No education is wasted! Even if you were to complete your degree in Sociology down the road when you complete your nursing program you will find that a lot of what you learned will help you understand your patients from a different perspective.

You don't say how low your GPA is, but I'll take your word for it that it's not competitive enough for NS right now. Would it be terrible to complete your current degree and in the next two years focus on getting your GPA up? With a BS degree in a social science (along with a few other nursing pre-reqs you can pick up along the way) you might make yourself eligible for an accelerated BSN or BSN-Masters nursing program. If you bail out on this degree now with a low GPA it could really hurt you down the road. Just my two cents, but I would stick with it and pull up your grade. Then I would get my nursing pre-reqs and hit the books really hard to get a high GPA on the pre-reqs. With a high GPA on your pre-reqs AND a moderate GPA on a social science degree, along with a well written and throughtful letter of application emphasizing how you were able to pull up your grades through hard work, dedication blah, blah, blah... then I think you would have a pretty competitive application.

cicatrixx15 · Apr 5, 2010

I really screwed up my grades in my first year of college like 8 years ago, and when I started back to work on pre reqs for the nursing program, it didn't screw up my GPA, because at my school they only factor in classes that are prereqs for the nursing program. You may want to look at the specifics of it first. I suppose all schools aren't like that, but I'm lucky that mine is.

lcapNICU_RN · Apr 5, 2010

Finish your first degree!!!! It will help you so much. I am in my first semester of nursing school, and those of us who have completed a degree before are really experiencing the benefits of knowing how to study well for upper division classes. Some schools will give you a gpa "boost" if you have a degree already. If you have to you can retake some of your prereques even at a community college to help raise your GPA. Just work really hard, and get good extra carriculars and it will pay off.

buschmi86 · Apr 5, 2010

I just graduated with my degree in physiology and was accepted into a second-degree program. If you believe you can pull your grades up then I would stick with your degree in sociology and then try for a second-degree program. Remember, classes will only become more challenging as you continue college, so work hard and keep your head high. If there is no way you can get your grades up enough then you should start looking at "smaller" colleges that still offer a BSN degree and aren't quite as competitive as the larger schools. My fiancee is looking at a smaller school in Michigan; they require "good" grades, an interview, and a written statement to be accepted and it is a six semester (3 year) program, excluding summers.

Good luck in your future endeavours and I hope nursing school eventually works out!

jennylouwho · Apr 5, 2010

I'd finish your degree and take your pre-reqs at the same time if I were you. But, I would also try very hard to pull up that GPA. After I finished w/a bachelor's, I'd apply to the accelerated bachelor degree programs.

You could quit your in progress degree now, but from what I've read here and seen locally, it's going to take a bit to finish your pre-reqs anyways and there seem to be waiting lists everywhere (even ADN programs), so you might as well finish a degree while you're working on your pre-reqs.

But, you need to really buckle down and get those grades up. Some schools are not competitive at all, like some ADN programs (like mine, wish it were competitive!). At mine, you'll wait, but all you need in the end is a 2.5 gpa. So, if you can't pull your GPA up to the accelerated program standards, you can always look at some ADN programs that aren't as focused on GPA.

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Apr 5, 2010

It sounds as though you have researched all potential avenues you can take in becoming a nurse. Have you researched the schools you may be interested in attending? The requirements are all very different at each school. I started out with an associate’s degree program, withdrew from it (later I understood the importance of accreditation) and applied to a second degree BSN program. The GPA requirement was 2.75. The school I am attending is a private school and costs an arm and about three legs (I am hoping I can borrow one to pay off the tuition). Some folks on the site discourage people from paying such a high price tag for an education while others feel it is worth the investment. So, it is a personal choice. For me, I intend on getting my graduate degree, so a BSN made more sense to me. My original plan was to do the ASN, then a bridge program, then a graduate degree. It would have taken more time and money. So, I opted for the second degree route.

Research ALL schools you would be interested in attending and find out their requirements. Also, shoot an e-mail to the school to find the average GPA of the students accepted into the program. This will give you a good indication of where you stand. If the school only focuses on the GPA for prereqs, then take them and work hard to get A’s. I should ask, are you getting grants and scholarships? If so, then DON’T finish the first degree unless you are going for the second BSN option. If you finish your degree, you will not be eligible for those undergraduate grants any longer. If you want to go for the second degree option, take your prereqs while working on your first undergraduate and retake some courses for better grades (this is the quickest way to boost your GPA. If you retake a course that you previously received a D, you will see a significant change in your GPA if you earned a B the second time).

I’m sorry this is so long…these are the things that I had to deal with when I was deciding, so I hope the information helps. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to PM me.