Has anyone got accepted to CRNA school with a GPA less than 3.0?????

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

Moved your post to the Pre-CRNA Inquiry Forum. Good luck to you!

GmanRN · Sep 1, 2007

After scowering these boards for a long time now I can tell you that the best answer for you may be to take some graduate level nursing courses and smoke them.

You have experience on your side, but your GPA is severely lacking. So experience and good grades in Master level courses would, in my opinion, let the schools know that youre up for the job and have matured since the poor undergrad grades.

If you do go back and try to repeat some courses I would take the Chemistry courses. That might help with the GPA and get you ready for CRNA school at the same time.

Thinking back I remember someone posted where universities will REPLACE older grades with newer ones. So actually that may be the fastest way to increase a gpa. Instead of just adding 4.0s you add them and then take away the Ds and Cs. That works!

Another thing you can do is go all out on the GRE. Pay the 1000 dollars for Kaplan. (the online program is great) Take the tests on ETS.org for practice. Dont take the real exam until youve maxed your score and dont think you can possibly do any better.

CCRN would help as well.

I have heard of sub 3.0s getting in, but honestly you have to be strong in one area to make up for another.

Start applying. If youre lucky enough to want to go to schools who admit twice a year then you have two chances to get in every year. Just keep improving and applying until you are a success.

GregRN · Sep 1, 2007

After scowering these boards for a long time now I can tell you that the best answer for you may be to take some graduate level nursing courses and smoke them.
You have experience on your side, but your GPA is severely lacking. So experience and good grades in Master level courses would, in my opinion, let the schools know that youre up for the job and have matured since the poor undergrad grades.
If you do go back and try to repeat some courses I would take the Chemistry courses. That might help with the GPA and get you ready for CRNA school at the same time.
Another thing you can do is go all out on the GRE. Pay the 1000 dollars for Kaplan. (the online program is great) Take the tests on ETS.org for practice. Dont take the real exam until youve maxed your score and dont think you can possibly do any better.
CCRN would help as well.
I have heard of sub 3.0s getting in, but honestly you have to be strong in one area to make up for another.
Start applying. If youre lucky enough to want to go to schools who admit twice a year then you have two chances to get in every year. Just keep improving and applying until you are a success.

Excellent advice, Gman.

Hotnursy14, give me some time to write you but be sure to check your PM's in the next day or so.

gasmaster · Sep 1, 2007

First of all...you graduated at 17???? How is that possible???? No wonder your GPA was like that! Ok, so here's what to do...retake some of those classes you bombed in to bring your GPA up cuz reality is it's really, really low. Chances are you scored bad in some easy courses that you can retake via internet so it will be easy to replace those grades. Just make sure to make A's on the stuff you retake so as to impress the committee with how mature you are now, how good your study habits are, blah, blah, blah. Good luck!

dory2 · Sep 1, 2007

My undergraduate GPA was low - The University allowed me to take some of the Masters Level Nurse Practitioner classes for credit (non degree status) - I did nothing else but study and write papers outside of work - I got an A in pharmacology and a B in statistics - I worte an honest letter about why I wanted to become a FNP - I got accepted - really worked my butt off - got a 3.74 average and am now an employed FNP. P.S. It took 2 tries (application processes) before I was accepted.

Don't give up!!!!

casesrna · Sep 2, 2007

I just started at Case Western this fall. My undergrad GPA was 2.8 for various reasons that no longer apply to me. I have been out of school for more than 10 years, so I took my whole chemistry series and anatomy and physiology over again. Many schools require you to retake them anyway if they are more than 10 years old. I also took a graduate level research and graduate level statistics course, also required by many programs. Needless to say, you do need to ace any courses that you take to prepare for the admission process. If you have weak undergrad grades and then don't do well in a prerequisite for the CRNA program, that is going to be difficult to explain away. If you have a "burning desire" to become a CRNA, then utilize that desire throughtout your preparation to get in. Yes, chem can be as bad or worse the second time around, but remember, you need to understand why your meds/gasses work the way they do. Do the best you can to prepare: grades, test scores, references, work experience, interview prep, etc. Hopefully you will get an interview and you can get across to them how serious you are. Anything you can do to offset your undergrad grades will help. Shadow as many times as you can and at different sites. Ask many questions and take note of differences from hospital to hospital. Be prepared to discuss significant things witnessed or learned while shadowing. Try to get references from people who not only are in important positions, try to get one or more from people who are the best in those positions (not just a nurse manager, but someone who is the best nurse manager where you work), and especially one who is supportive of furthering education. Start building relationships with these people now while you are retaking some of your courses, that way when it comes time to apply, they will know you well enough to provide you with a reference. Suck all that you can out of people who are good at what they do. They are good for a reason. Also, find a CRNA-preferably a faculty member where you want to apply and do the same with them. A faculty member told me once to apply everywhere possible. He said that if you are only lacking in one area, someone somewhere will take you. It may not be your first choice, but then again remember, becoming a CRNA is your first choice. All schools meet minimum requirements and any school is only as good as you make the experience. Good luck.

yvonneren · Sep 3, 2007

hi, casesrna,

really appreciated your insights above....

i will in the same situation as you. may i know how many years did you put to retake all the classes? and did you do anyone online?

casesrna · Sep 3, 2007

I took the graduate stats and research one year (one semester each) and the chemistry and a&P series both the next year. It took a while, but I have three kids and was working on getting my two years ICU experience while doing these courses. Do what fits into your life. I will be 40 when I graduate, but I will still be a CRNA! and still have 25 years to practice. I would shy away from online courses unless the program you want says the specific course you want to take is OK. Otherwise, I think they tend to shy away from online courses. But, in the state I live (Ohio) the 4 year schools and the community colleges work really well together to make as many courses transfer as possible. I retook the chem and A&P at my local community college. They have an ADN nursing program, so the classes were geared specifically towards nursing and transferred without any problems. Also, community colleges are far more inexpensive than 4 year schools. The local school here is also pretty good. My instructors were both PhD level prepared. One more thing about the onlines. I tend to need the discipline of going to class on a regular basis. If I only have to sit down at the computer, I will put it off. So, going to class in person is much more beneficial for me. Plus, if you need to ask a question, especially in classes like chem and a&p, you are there with the instructor, not cummunicating by email. good luck.

ready4crna? · Sep 3, 2007

hi, casesrna,
really appreciated your insights above....
i will in the same situation as you. may i know how many years did you put to retake all the classes? and did you do anyone online?

:rotfl:

Yes, I am immature and infantile, but gawd did this make me laugh. (The hours studying are gettin' to me.)

GmanRN · Sep 4, 2007

Hey Hotynurse (lol love that name). Calculate your other GPAs. 2.17 is probably your overall. Schools look at the Science/Math and Last 60 hours GPAs as well. If you have a low Overall then possibly one of the other can get you in.