GPC Vs. NGCSU?

12BRN · Aug 12, 2005

Hi! I'm new to the site, but so very glad I found it today! I have recently begun looking into going to nursing school. I have been getting ready to apply to GPC, but thanks to this site, today I "discovered" NGCSU in Gainesville has nursing. Now I'm really confused about what to do Let me tell you all about my situation, and maybe someone can give me some input.
I have never attended college. It's been a LONG time since I was in school, and I really have no idea what my highschool GPA was! I did go to Gwinnett Tech for Cosmetology, where I had to take a few college level classes, and I made good grades there. I am 34, married, have a 5 month old daughter, and a 6 year old step daughter. I live in Gwinnett county, in Loganville.
GPC would be much closer, but I understand that it is hard to get in and a very difficult program. I'm not sure if NGCSU would even accept me, because of my grades in high school. Would it be possible to do my general study classes at GPC this spring and summer, and try to get into NGCSU for the fall 2006 program? I'm not sure how I would go about applying to both schools and then transfering over. It seems like the admission deadlines are so far in advance I'd have to apply both places at once as a non-traditional student with no college credits (I don't think my Gwinnett Tech classes will count).
Sorry this is so long! Any suggestions or ideas?
Thanks,
Amy

Amy,

Both schools are hard to get into. They won't look as closely at your high school GPA as they will your college GPA. So you could start taking your pre-reqs at GPC and do as well as you can. That is what I did. Also, go ahead and apply early, but know that they look at how many pre-reqs you have complete, as well as your GPA, for their admission criteria. I applied 3 times to NGCSU. The first time I knew I wouldn't get in because I didn't have enough pre-reqs completed. The second time I had my pre-reqs completed, but was put on a "waitlist". I was finally accepted the third time I applied and will start next week. I do have a friend that had the majority of her pre-reqs complete and was accepted to NGCSU the first time she applied. She had a much higher GPA than I did on her pre-reqs (and mine is a 3.5).

We both completed all of our pre-reqs at GPC, and all the credits seem to transfer fine. Good luck to you and welcome to this website. It is a fountain of information!

Lisa

Aimfred · Aug 12, 2005

Lisa,

Thanks for your quick reply! So by saying you have applied three times, do you mean you have been waiting three years to get in? Is so, WOW, that's a long time to wait! I guess I will proceed with my application to GPC, since I currently have no college GPA for them to look at, I guess there is no chance of me getting in for Fall of 2006. Bummer. I hate to think about waiting two to three years just to get started!

Amy

Amy,
Both schools are hard to get into. They won't look as closely at your high school GPA as they will your college GPA. So you could start taking your pre-reqs at GPC and do as well as you can. That is what I did. Also, go ahead and apply early, but know that they look at how many pre-reqs you have complete, as well as your GPA, for their admission criteria. I applied 3 times to NGCSU. The first time I knew I wouldn't get in because I didn't have enough pre-reqs completed. The second time I had my pre-reqs completed, but was put on a "waitlist". I was finally accepted the third time I applied and will start next week. I do have a friend that had the majority of her pre-reqs complete and was accepted to NGCSU the first time she applied. She had a much higher GPA than I did on her pre-reqs (and mine is a 3.5).
We both completed all of our pre-reqs at GPC, and all the credits seem to transfer fine. Good luck to you and welcome to this website. It is a fountain of information!
Lisa

12BRN · Aug 12, 2005

Lisa,
Thanks for your quick reply! So by saying you have applied three times, do you mean you have been waiting three years to get in? Is so, WOW, that's a long time to wait! I guess I will proceed with my application to GPC, since I currently have no college GPA for them to look at, I guess there is no chance of me getting in for Fall of 2006. Bummer. I hate to think about waiting two to three years just to get started!
Amy

Amy,

GPC will also be looking at your pre-reqs. They require you to have them all complete before you can apply to the nursing program. Not many colleges take students with none of their pre-reqs completed. NGCSU will accept you with most of them done. My friend was accepted on her first time applying, and she has to take A&PII with her nursing classes this fall and Micro next spring or summer. There are so many people applying that they have to have something to evaluate each student on. So start taking your core requirements and do the very best you can - you will get there!

Lisa

abmsam · Aug 12, 2005

GPC actually does not require you to have all of your prereqs done before applying. The require that you have completed A & P 1, Math, and Psych before you apply. Everything else can be taken with your nursing courses, although I would NOT recommend it. I was accepted with only half of my prereqs complete. Do a search on these boards for GPC and be sure you want to go there before you make a solid decision. There's lots of info to be found here. If I had a choice, I'd choose NGCSU hands down.

Aimfred · Aug 12, 2005

I am wondering what the average wait to get into nursing school is? Do the BSN programs have shorter waits? It seems like if I finish my core classes, and then have to wait a year or two to get into a nursing program, I could complete a BSN in the same time. I want to be able to get out of my current job (which I despise) and into the medical field ASAP. I have also considered going into an LPN program, but the pay seems to be pretty low for LPNs in Georgia, and the jobs fewer. Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions! I guess the best thing to do is just get accepted at GPC and start my core classes, since no school will take me until they are finished.

Amy

12BRN · Aug 12, 2005

I am wondering what the average wait to get into nursing school is? Do the BSN programs have shorter waits? It seems like if I finish my core classes, and then have to wait a year or two to get into a nursing program, I could complete a BSN in the same time. I want to be able to get out of my current job (which I despise) and into the medical field ASAP. I have also considered going into an LPN program, but the pay seems to be pretty low for LPNs in Georgia, and the jobs fewer. Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions! I guess the best thing to do is just get accepted at GPC and start my core classes, since no school will take me until they are finished.
Amy

Amy,

Just start GPC with your core classes and then start applying to nursing programs. I applied to every school I could this past year. Do well in your sciences and you should have no problems. I think what hurt me the second time I applied was the fact that when I took A&P I was going through a separation and divorce. It was very distracting and took its toll on my grade in that class. And like I said, my friend was accepted to NGCSU the first time she applied, so you never know!

Take care,

Lisa

Aimfred · Aug 13, 2005

Amy,
Just start GPC with your core classes and then start applying to nursing programs. I applied to every school I could this past year. Do well in your sciences and you should have no problems. I think what hurt me the second time I applied was the fact that when I took A&P I was going through a separation and divorce. It was very distracting and took its toll on my grade in that class. And like I said, my friend was accepted to NGCSU the first time she applied, so you never know!
Take care,
Lisa

I have one more question for you. How did you know which classes to take, to make sure they would transfer? I've looked at both schools core class requirements, and there does seem to be a few points of difference.

I wish I had started this process sooner, since I just missed the fall deadline to start classes. Now I have to wait until spring to begin, and from the sound of things, it will be next fall before I can even consider having enough course work done to apply to nursing programs. That would put me starting in Fall, 2007, if I were to get accepted. But last year I was busy having a baby and college was the last thing on my mind :chuckle

Many thanks for the help!

Amy

jules_ · Aug 13, 2005

Amy,

You can find the program requirements in the Nursing section of each schools website. The course numbers are different but they all have transferred for me. If you have a concern about a course you can call the admissions dept of the school you want to transfer to.

I also waited too long to apply to Perimeter soooo I went to a tech school for one quarter, it was helpful in getting my feet wet, I then transferred to Perimeter. I did have a couple of weeks that overlapped with classes at both campus' because perimeter is on semesters, but it all worked out.

Good Luck!!!

Jules

malarwen · Oct 7, 2005

Hi Amy,

to apply for the nursing program at GPC will take you at least a few semesters. You can apply after you finish your Anatomy 1611 (chemistry is a prerequisit) and before you can actually take nursing classes, you have to be also done with anatomy 1612, microbiology, REgents test, English, Math, Psychology, Political Science, Physical education, and history. Well, I might have forgotten some courses ) It's nut easy to get in, but it's not impossible. :rolleyes: