HELP!! Low GPA, Grad School, Nursing student problems

[BDsn456]

Hi! so I'm brand new this site but everyone here seems super informed and experienced so I was hoping someone could help me with my issue and give me a little bit of guidance!

I am currently a senior in a good BSN program with a gpa under 3.0. Nursing was not a passion of mine until about by second year of college where I got into the program. I kind of messed around a little for my first years of college and was completely unprepared for nursing school so last year it really hit me. I do plan/want to go to a graduate school and pursue something higher than an RN. I'm the only medical related profession in my family and a first generation college student. So I actually have a few questions. I expect to graduate with a 3.0 or 2.9 if I can buckle down and get good grades my senior year. I truly think I can put in the effort and pull it off.

So my big question is can I still pull off graduate school with a 3.0 ending GPA? I understand some other factors like GRE score counts too.

- also, I was reading up on other similar posts and they mention taking masters courses after I graduate to boost my GPA? If this is true, how do I go abut doing this? ...Would taking these classes be towards getting my masters degree?

- Also, unsure but does the NCLEX score get looked at?

I truly believe this upcoming year, I will grind myself to get a better gpa. As for the GRE, I plan on studying my ass off to get a high score.

My plan currently is to graduate and work at a hospital for at least a year for experience as an RN. I respect all that nurses do, and really don't want my career to be stopped because of my GPA. Really hoping to get guidance through this post and a glimpse of hope haha

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

Most graduate programs are competitive and undergraduate GPA does bear a significant weight, especially because the graduate program will require you to maintain a 3.0 to remain in good standing.. however generally the admission committee generally looks at other factors as well.. Work experience, GRE scores, essay, letters of recommendations, personal interview, just to name a few... never heard of NCLEX being considered.

To answer your question about taking graduate level courses prior to admission... I took a total of 3 graduate level courses prior to admission to graduate school. I didn't do it because of my undergrad GPA, but rather because of the admission cycle and when I would be able to apply. In order to do this, I had to get specific permission from the dean of the Nursing program prior to enrolling into each course.. this was accomplished via a form that required several signatures.... These course did not affect my undergraduate GPA, but they do appear on my transcript and I now have a graduate GPA and these courses are part of the MSN curriculum thus count toward my advanced degree.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

If you can get that GPA to a 3.0, you should be okay. I think a lot of programs may start you in a quasi-academic probation status and see how you do for the first three courses. If you are below a 3.0, that could make things a bit tougher! You might also have a tough time pursuing an NP flavor of MSN, which is what I am assuming from your post — "higher than an RN." The more reputable NP programs typically have higher standards, but the for-profits are happy to take your money. :)

[llg, PhD, RN]

Something else that might help:

Don't apply to grad school with only the minimal amount of nursing experience (e.g. 1 year). Have more than the minimum to compensate for the fact that your academic foundation is weak. And use that time in clinical practice wisely; show that you are not just a mediocre nurse, but a great one. Become engaged in quality improvement efforts. Serve on a unit committee, etc. that takes a poster for display at a conference, etc. Get certified in your specialty, etc. Earn a glowing recommendation letter from some influential people at your job.

A track record of high-quality practice will say, "Hey, I know I messed up my freshman year of college and my GPA was not great ... but I turned out to be a great nurse!" Such a person is much more likely to be given a chance to progress than is someone who has a weak GPA who has the minimal amount of practice experience and no outstanding achievements to show for themselves.

I went to a PhD program that required that entering students to have completed a Master's thesis -- and I hadn't done that. But I had worked on a project that changed clinical practice and I had presented that project at a conference and published it in a journal. They accepted that in lieu of the thesis. While in grad school, I served as a student representative on the Admissions Committee. We looked at the whole body of the student's previous work -- and would give credit to those whose clinical work was exemplary even if their academic pasts were imperfect.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I think with a 3.0, good GRE and experience will get you in. I had to interview to get into my MSN program. It also depends on the program. If there are a lot of applicants and not a lot of spots, it is obviously going to be harder. I am in a non-clinical program (Informatics) so there was less demand. For the clinical degrees, there were hundreds of applicants for a few spots. It all depends.

[shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP]

You've gotten a lot of great answers. I would also add that if your GPA went up at the end, then that is in your favor. That is something you can address in your essay. It will be harder to get into a good MSN program with a low GPA, but if you have good experience, that will definitely help. I also advise you work longer than 1 year - probably 2 to 5 years. That way, if you do well and get promoted and so forth, it will help your MSN application. Also, on your job, do extra things like identifying problems, developing solutions and protocols for those, etc. That is great stuff to include on your application. In addition you need some time on the job to get some great recommendations, which do matter a lot for grad school. However, not to be a downer, but you really have to do well this coming year. If you cannot get a high GPA your last semesters then you have to consider if you can handle grad school. It's only going to get harder, not easier. Also the good grad schools consider a grade less than B unacceptable. No one cares about your NCLEX score. Good luck!