Help! Nursing / Sonography & Transferring Schools

[apugay]

So here's the story:

I have just finished my freshman year at a four-year university, enrolled as a biology major. I came in not really knowing what I wanted to do. I bombed two classes, one of which I retook & passed with a B, but a D in a math class brought my gpa down to a 2.7.

Realizing a year later that I'd be happiest in the healthcare field, either as a nurse or a cardiac sonographer, I feel the need to transfer to an institution with more healthcare related programs.

Except spending the year as a biology major, I haven't taken Anatomy & Physiology I or II, or any physics. I have taken the first of 2 chemistry classes required at my institution, and a bunch of other liberal arts classes. My current school is large and there are little to no openings left for the coming semester for A&P or the math class that I bombed, and I'm not sure which physics class to take, or even if I should take it.

What I need help deciding on:

what are some good institutions to look into transferring into, based on my grades? Should I just stay at my current school longer? If so, what classes should I definitely try and get into? Although my gpa is pretty sad, I do have an extensive history of volunteering: at my church and at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Will this be taken into consideration?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

It's very difficult to answer not knowing where you live right now.

[apugay]

I live on the East Coast, in the State of Maryland. How does this affect any answers I'll get?

[ixchel]

If you are at Salisbury University, you will not need physics at all. You will need to get biology and I recommend doing that before a&p. I recommend getting yourself stronger at college itself before you get yourself into the prerequisites for the nursing program. They may look at your overall gpa, but your prereqs gpa and A2 scores will be more influential than that. So get better at school! I think the class of 2014 average cumulative gpa was around a 3.5 or 3.6 at application time. I highly recommend SU nursing, if that is in fact where you are. Their NCLEX pass rate has frequently been the highest in the state and I genuinely love the instructors. The only disadvantage in the program is that it is rural so you will have limited experiences. The reputation of the program gets people hired before graduation, though. It's a great program.

Get more credits to drown out those bad grades. With only two semesters under your belt, one bad grade will sink you by a lot. I know the last thing you want is to add another year to your education, but maybe it would help you. You still have a lot of classes to take and when you get to prereqs, you want to know you'll do well in them the first time. PM me if you'd like any help or advice!

[apugay]

thanks ixchel, no i'm not a student in Salisbury University right now. but if i do raise my gpa within the next year and perform well within both required anatomy / physiology classes, i take it it'll be easy to transfer in?

there's no way i can transfer to some other institution as "pre-nursing," could i?

[apugay]

oh yeah, and i've also already completed a biology class, and passed with a B-.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I live on the East Coast, in the State of Maryland. How does this affect any answers I'll get?

Because you gave no indication of whether you were in a position to relocate etc. Just trying to be helpful.

[ixchel]

thanks ixchel, no i'm not a student in Salisbury University right now. but if i do raise my gpa within the next year and perform well within both required anatomy / physiology classes, i take it it'll be easy to transfer in?

there's no way i can transfer to some other institution as "pre-nursing," could i?

My first attempt at school, I had like, 2 semesters with a GPA similar to yours and SU accepted me. I actually took the rest of my gen eds 10 years later at worwic and transferred back in, but my initial transfer they did accept me with a crappy GPA. I think maybe get a semester in with higher grades before filling out the app wouldn't hurt, though. The school itself is great. The area doesn't have a whole lot to offer a younger person but some people love it. I think it depends a lot on how involved you get in campus life. The tuition is a lot better than a lot of other MD schools, so that helps, too.

Like I said - anytime you'd like, you can PM me if you'd like. I'd be glad to fill you in on more info.

Eta: I want to say that they do easily receive 2-3x as many applications as they have seats. It won't be easy to "just" transfer in, but if you can give yourself experiences that make you stand out from your competition (like the volunteer experience you have), it will make a difference.

[ACow]

When I first applied to universities I was denied the school of nursing but was accepted as a Health Science Major. After a semester you could transfer into nursing, but they also recommended to wait a year because people don't always have the best grades. And if you don't get accepted the recommend by junior year to apply to the accelerated program. Doing something like this could help you bring up your GPA, taking similar general courses as would the nursing students take, and then see if you can switch into the accelerated program if you want to graduate earlier. Or you can complete the 4 years as a bio major, and then apply to a graduate nursing program, either normal or accelerated. That way you have more credits under your belt to raise your gpa and also have another degree.

[apugay]

Thanks guys! I really do appreciate all of the help and support. and ixchel, I would PM you, but there's something about this site requiring a minimum of 15 posts before PM-ing is allowed, so I'll just settle with public comments.

I think I really would like to transfer to a nursing program somewhere else, and I think I'll follow a majority of the advice given and stay at my current institution longer, to boost my gpa. Thanks guys!

[ixchel]

Thanks guys! I really do appreciate all of the help and support. and ixchel, I would PM you, but there's something about this site requiring a minimum of 15 posts before PM-ing is allowed, so I'll just settle with public comments.

I think I really would like to transfer to a nursing program somewhere else, and I think I'll follow a majority of the advice given and stay at my current institution longer, to boost my gpa. Thanks guys!

You are welcome! Good luck to you, love! I hope you stick around the site and boost that post count. It's a great place for all stages in your career, including pre-nursing student.