Hello. I need some advice from people who have gone through similar hardships as I am currently facing.
I currently have a B.S. in developmental biology and graduated with a 2.35. Yes I know that's embarrassingly and shockingly low. It is that low because my first 1 1/2 years I was not focused in school and basically lost sight of myself and my goals. Ever since my sophomore year I have been raising my GPA little by little. I chose biology because I honestly love it and find it interesting. I believe my GPA is a testament to my overall work ethic but not a testament to the intelligence I have or am capable of having. Unfortunately the damage is done. I figured out I wanted to become a nurse my sophomore year of college and couldn't transfer to another university with a BSN program due to my low GPA. So I stayed where I was and I am glad I learned all that I did because I enjoyed the information I learned in my last few years.
So now I'm in a situation where I am trying to do anything to get into an Accelerated BSN program and I am so anxious about it every day. My goal is to become a nurse and then a nurse practitioner. So I am currently taking gap year and working as a medical scribe which is really awesome in teaching me medicine for the NP goal. I know the doctor I work for will give me a great recommendation letter.
I am thinking I should take classes to become a Medical Assistant or Certified Nursing Assistant and work as one of those for a while to make me look better. I am not sure which one nursing schools would prefer to see?
I know it's going to be hard to get to my goal but I truly believe in myself and my determination to not mess up as I have done in the past. I am willing to do almost anything to get my goal. I don't doubt my intelligence or ability to learn and work hard. I hope you all will see that I am more than those mistakes I made.
My concerns or questions are if anyone else has been a similar situation? And if so, how did you surpass these obstacles? (Since most accelerated nursing schools need at least a 3.0 to be eligible) Do you have any recommendations on helping nursing schools look past my low GPA? If it helps: I live in southern CA.
I currently do not have about 5 classes I need to apply for nursing school, so I plan on taking these at a community college and acing these classes. I know I will. I cannot settle for anything less than an A-.
Any tips on moving forward would be helpful. Thanks for reading this long post!
I live in California, and just graduated from a BSN program. Nursing schools in CA will not accept a student with a D in anatomy. Only ADN programs at community colleges or private BSN schools will accept students with a 3.0 GPA. In any case you must retake anatomy. Then either hope you get selected via a lottery system to an ADN program at a JC, or pay the big bucks for a private school. LVN to RN to BSN is likely the best route.
I'm not sure the OP mentioned whether or not she has taken those courses yet. Not every ADN program is based off a lottery system. The program I want to get into is in SoCal and does not do a lottery type system for their ADN program, but does this for their LVN program. A person with a 3.0 GPA will have a tough time getting in, but this school will only factor in her prerequisite GPA since she has a degree. There are a number of other factors that come into play like the TEAS score, speaking another language, Statistics, etc. This is why I think there is hope for her to start off at the ADN level if that is what she would prefer to do. I think it would personally help to save time, money, and energy. Plus, the OP can avoid paying for private colleges.
OP, I will e-mail you directly with the school I have in mind. I strongly encourage you to attend an information meeting and explore your options. I researched the heck out of schools as a non-traditional student and found a school with one of the best programs in the state.
I live in California, and just graduated from a BSN program. Nursing schools in CA will not accept a student with a D in anatomy. Only ADN programs at community colleges or private BSN schools will accept students with a 3.0 GPA. In any case you must retake anatomy. Then either hope you get selected via a lottery system to an ADN program at a JC, or pay the big bucks for a private school. LVN to RN to BSN is likely the best route.
I would recommend going to the ADN route as well. There are programs that will give you extra points for having a degree and being a CNA (some require you to work a certain number of hours). I know of at least one school in particular that will do this. This is one of the more competitive programs, but your GPA from your sciences will be the bulk of your points and in addition to taking the entrance exam.
Do not let yourself be discouraged, but be prepared to work your hardest for each grade. Best wishes.
Hi thank you so much! you're so nice and helpful. I don't like in Riverside and it's like a 1 1/2 hour drive for me but maybe I can find some kind of similar program near me?
Hi thank you so much! you're so nice and helpful. I don't like in Riverside and it's like a 1 1/2 hour drive for me but maybe I can find some kind of similar program near me?
Yeah you might be able to, but it will require some digging around!
I would recommend you retake all the pre-reqs and do really well. My program calculated 2 GPAs: 1 for all science pre-reqs (they used the most recent ones) and 1 for the last 60 units. Then in your personal statement you can discuss how you worked hard to improve your grades! Afterwards, you can consider becoming a CNA/MA to gain experience. But grades really matter, so focus on that and don't give up.
Daddie O, BSN, RN
42 Posts
I live in California, and just graduated from a BSN program. Nursing schools in CA will not accept a student with a D in anatomy. Only ADN programs at community colleges or private BSN schools will accept students with a 3.0 GPA. In any case you must retake anatomy. Then either hope you get selected via a lottery system to an ADN program at a JC, or pay the big bucks for a private school. LVN to RN to BSN is likely the best route.