Have a 4yr degree but graduated with a low gpa...can I get into an ASN program?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello all,

Hoping anyone can chime in. I graduated about 10 yrs ago with a Bachelor's degree in Biology w/ a 2.3 GPA. I took on 22 credits one semester with a course load of mostly 4 credit science classes. Needless to say I screwed up my GPA big time!! :crying2:

My question is, is there any chance of me being accepted into an ASN degree program given my current stats? I live in NYC and in the past 2 yrs I've retaken A&P I&II, Micro & Immunology, Statistics. My GPA for these courses is 3.1 My OChem & Gen Chem courses will probably have to be taken over as well because they're more than 10 yrs old. Anyway, I'd greatly appreciate any help. Thanks.

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There are quite a few programs who will weigh your more recent GPA or just your GPA in your pre reqs. Just look around at all the nursing programs in your area. And repeating your classes just shows that you're determined and you're an older more dedicated student. I think it can definitely happen for you!

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The ASN programs that I've talked to dont really care either way about your undergrad GPA. I also have a 4 year degree with a low gpa. They'll transfer in what classes they can, and then you end up just taking Nursing I, II, II, and IV. Why not just go for it and try for ABSN programs? There are schools that just care that you have a BS/BA and then look at youre pre req GPA, which it sounds like you did well in. Just retake those expired science courses and it'll boost your pre req GPA.

Sure lots of nurses have ASNs, but many hospitals are leaning more towards BSNs now. You'll end up taking more time, by going back to school after getting your ASN. A friend of mine was an LNA at SNHMC and they told her when hired that they would hire her as an RN once she was done school... well she finished in May and the offer was retracted because she didnt have a BSN. I also work for 2 major hospitals in the area, as an LNA and an ED Tech, and was told by both that i should take the BSN route because of our Magnet status.

I'm not flaming RNs with ASNs, just sharing my experience with what i've been told by my clinical leaders. Many of the nurses i've worked with have their ASNs and they are amazing. It's just a different time and with how competitive the job market is today, we need to do what we can to "get a leg up" on the other competition.

Good luck! Youre not the only one in that boat, so please dont feel discouraged. Stay motivated and keep at it! :)

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I graduated in 2007 with my Bachelors with only a 2.3.. unfortunately, at that time in my life, i wasn't taking school as seriously as I should have been. I went back to school in 2009 (to a community college) to complete pre-requisites for nursing and ended with a 3.5 GPA. I had applied to an ASN and a BSN program and was accepted to both! So it can be done, just continue to do well in your classes and especially strive for A's in those 4 credit ones! Good luck :-)

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There are quite a few programs who will weigh your more recent GPA or just your GPA in your pre reqs. Just look around at all the nursing programs in your area. And repeating your classes just shows that you're determined and you're an older more dedicated student. I think it can definitely happen for you!

Thank you for the encouragement! It really means a lot! I will look into the carousel programs.

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The ASN programs that I've talked to dont really care either way about your undergrad GPA. I also have a 4 year degree with a low gpa. They'll transfer in what classes they can, and then you end up just taking Nursing I, II, II, and IV. Why not just go for it and try for ABSN programs? There are schools that just care that you have a BS/BA and then look at youre pre req GPA, which it sounds like you did well in. Just retake those expired science courses and it'll boost your pre req GPA....

Hey CindyLuHoo! Thanks for taking the time out to respond. I applied to several ABSN programs back in January of this year and I've been getting rejection letters one after another since then. So I figured that I'd take a step back now and start from the bottom and work my way up. I understand that RN's with a BA are sought after more. But I think this is my only way to make my way into the world of nursing at this point. Long and arduous task but I guess have to paymy dues :(

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I graduated in 2007 with my Bachelors with only a 2.3.. unfortunately, at that time in my life, i wasn't taking school as seriously as I should have been. I went back to school in 2009 (to a community college) to complete pre-requisites for nursing and ended with a 3.5 GPA. I had applied to an ASN and a BSN program and was accepted to both! So it can be done, just continue to do well in your classes and especially strive for A's in those 4 credit ones! Good luck :-)

Wow! Congrats to you! You've provided me with some motivation with this bit of news. I'm due to take my TEAS exam in 2 weeks so I'm not giving up. Thanks again for replying and good luck with your program :-)

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Specializes in Oncology, Psych, Corrections.

I think someone mentioned this already but why don't you look into a BSN program? There are bridge programs out there for people who already have one Bachelor's :) Might save some time if you plan on getting an advanced degree in nursing anyway! Good luck!

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Specializes in Oncology, Psych, Corrections.

Actually....just read your post about applying to those programs and getting rejection letters. :( Keep trying though! Perseverance pays off!

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Actually....just read your post about applying to those programs and getting rejection letters. :( Keep trying though! Perseverance pays off!

Thanks :-) I'll keep trying because I don't want to have any regrets and have to say I "coulda, woulda, shoulda" :rolleyes:

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