GPA or E.C. activities more important for admission?

[Toomuchcoffee]

Long time lurker here who is about to finish up my BSN this Fall semester looking for honest input whether it be from firsthand experience, or you know someone who has experience on the matter of post graduate education.

As I said I am about to graduate and will be entering the real world very soon which I am insanely excited about, and while I know I have a few years of needing real world experience prior to advancing my education, I do have ideas of where I want to head with my career (maybe CRNA, NP or PA route) at some point in the future. The dilemma I am having over this final semester of my school is should I focus more on improving my overall GPA, seek out volunteer opportunities, or even work on a certain skill, such as trying to become more fluent in Spanish (I currently can butcher a basic convo together), in order to become a more competitive graduate school candidate in the not too distant future (maybe 2-4 years).

I currently have an overall GPA of 3.45 at a reputable CSU school with a roughly estimated GPA of 3.2 in my core nursing courses. I got an F my first semester in a 3 unit class that was just taken to reach my required units for graduating; however the following semester they changed my graduation requirements and I didn't need to bother retaking the class, so it has remained an F which I know is weighing down overall GPA by about .15-.2 points.

As for my volunteer experience; I don't have much, but when I think about volunteering right now it seems like it could be a waste considering graduate school isn't even an option for a few years, so maybe I should hold off until a little more time has passed so my volunteering is more current when I apply.

I have read up quite a bit about graduate school, and know they look at the whole package (volunteer, certifications, committees, shadowing, etc) and not just one criteria, but I guess my biggest fear is that my GPA will be below the cut off mark to where they don't even bother looking at the rest of me since they have so many other applicants who are above the required GPA criteria. That is why I think my best option would be to get a part time job at a hospital to get have my foot in the door for when I graduate and can get a new grad position, and to also focus on improving my GPA (my BS education is free so this is my last semester to improve any grades without paying).

Any input is much appreciated!!

[benegesserit]

It's going to depend on the program in question, but I believe most programs focus primarily on GPA and employment history/references over extracurriculars or volunteer experience. For someone planning to go into a post-graduate program directly after finishing their BSN with little or no work experience, they might be a factor. However, most non-direct-entry MSN programs are intended for nurses with at least some relevant work experience, and therefore don't have the same expectation of volunteer/extracurricular experience as direct-entry options.

You don't mention what sort of MSN specialization you're looking at. Your GPA might not be enough for very competitive programs, but it is perfectly acceptable for many. My GPA is similar to yours, my academic history extremely roller coaster, and I was still accepted into multiple MSN programs, including one at a very respectable state university. CRNA and NP programs tend to have higher admission standards.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Perhaps the trend differs in your area, but if you're keen on public health, take the MPH. I have only known nurses to have the MPH or the MSN, not an MSN with public health concentration.

Currently I am working on my MPH. Good luck!