GPA REQUIREMENT: Overall or Pre-Nursing Courses

blughst43 · Oct 2, 2008

For some entry-level program nursing schools I have read that you must have a min 3.0 GPA requirement...
Does this mean you have to have a 3.0 as your OVERALL GPA or your PRE-NURSING REQUIREMENT GPA?

Definitely check with each schools. Some nursing schools have a minimum overall GPA requirement from all colleges attended AND also require a minimum sciences (a/p, micro) GPA such as a 2.5 or 3.0....:)

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2008

2nd blughst43. I have a horrible undergrad GPA but stellar prerequisite grades, and I've been very stressed about it. The community college I'm applying to sorts applications in to 4 categories: current students at the school, high school students, students with some college at another school but no BA, and students with a BA. Then they assign points based on your academic history. I just found out that if you fall in to more than 1 category, you can pick which one to be evaluated on, so I am choosing to be only evaluated as a current student and my past grades don't count with them.

Other schools I've seen specify last 60 credits or last 2 years, which would include prerequisites, and some look at overall GPA.

justme1972 · Oct 2, 2008

Every nursing school is different and they set their own GPA requirement.

Some calculate your overall GPA, some do it on specific courses, such as pre-reqs only.

Here is the catch:

Many nursing schools have in their policy that they will take a GPA as low as a 2.0. However, students with a 2.0 don't get into nursing school. So, you may ask yourself, "Well, then why would they have a policy like that?"

Because college catalogs are legal contracts and to prevent lawsuits, the policy, written as such, allows the nursing selection committe to let in who they want.

3rdgenRN2B · Oct 2, 2008

My school requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 to apply to the program. Having 2.75 or higher doesn't gaurantee admission to the program. They look at your overall GPA for the past 5 years, including all your classes, pre-reqs or otherwise. Then they look at your GPA for any classes you may have taken longer than 5 years ago that may apply to the nursing degree. But I would check with your school as it's policies may differ.

peytonsmom · Oct 3, 2008

Ugh. My school takes your GPA of every class you've ever taken and every school you've ever been to. Kinda sucks for me because I started college the first time at the ripe ole age of 15 (through a state program) so I have a LOT of B's that are going to drag my avg down. The cut off for the wait list last year was 3.30. I so far have a cumulative gpa of 3.38 from all of my classes i've taken from my associates in business so I really need to nail all of my nursing pre-reqs to make up for that.

kalley · Oct 3, 2008

For the community college that I am going to they require a 2.5 overall GPA to apply for the program. When considering you for the program they will only look at your grades of the classes that you have taken from their school, but you have to have at least 12 credits. When deciding who is going to get in they start with the highest GPA and take the top 60. Last year the lowest GPA taken was a 3.4.

I have 2 incompletes from 10 yrs ago that resulted in a 2.5 GPA, therefore I am taking a full course load this semester so that I can be considered for the program next fall. So far I have a 4.0.

9livesRN, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2008

my school requires a 3.0 for you to get in.

elizz · Oct 8, 2008

My school requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 to apply to the program. Having 2.75 or higher doesn't gaurantee admission to the program. Most people have to have a high GPA to get into nursing school.

kungfu_panda · Oct 8, 2008

omg...I'm so not gonna get into nursing school...My school minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 and I'm at the lower end of the spectrum... :cry: