Health Educator and Nursing School Acceptance

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Hello All!

I have a Bachelors degree in Public Health and I am also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). I have worked in the wellness field for almost 3 years now. How much do you think that will weigh in nursing school acceptance? My cumulative gpa is below a 3.0. I do realize I may have to retake some classes and/or take a few extra to boost my overall gpa. Does doing well on the GRE or NET test make up for a crappy transcript? Am I better off applying to a private school? Or just applying to multiple schools and having everything else on the application be stellar? any suggestions? I'm starting to panic a little!:imbar

Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health.

I would think that working in the health promotion/wellness field would be a major asset to your nursing school application. You also mentioned the GRE. Are you thinking about applying to a direct-entry MSN program? If so, most, if not all, of those programs do require a 3.0 cumulative undergrad GPA. So doing well on the GRE alone will not help you. I would recommend retaking classes to see if you can boost your GPA, however, there are some schools that will not calculate those extra classes into your cum. GPA. Overall, I think it's best to "shop around" and contact specific schools you are interested in for further consultation. Good luck!

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Thank you so much for your input. I looked into one accelerated BSN program and they require the GRE because you will graduate with a few grad credits. The school is a long shot but I thought I should at least try, the worst they can say is "no."

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health.

Oh ok. That's awesome you can get some grad credits with your accelerated program. You're right, the worst they can say is no. If they say no, maybe you can meet with their admissions staff to determine what you can do to strengthen your application for next time. Or, if possible, you could meet with their staff before you apply to determine if you are a competitive applicant for their program. All the best! :-)

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