Honest Feedback

[wishfulthinking_]

Hi, first time posting here, I was hoping to get some honest feedback about my chances. I graduated in 2018 with a business degree with some science classes under my belt (was science before business, my school is notorious for "weeding out" pre-med by end of year 1) and a low cumulative gpa of 2.89. I have taken A&P with Bs in both, Med Term and Lifespan Psych with As, and retaking Chem1 and taking Micro at the moment which I am praaaying and working for an A. If this goes well, I am literally at a 2.99 (I screamed) so that means I can't apply for ELMSN this round.

I have been working for an internal physician as MA/scribe for 1 year now, with about 6-7 months of hospital volunteering in between. I know statistically I am not a quality candidate, I got lost in college and had the mindset of "C's get degrees," and slacked. I am attempting to address that in my personal statement, along with how I feel like I matured through this struggle of picking up after myself since I decided to slack in college. I addressed how I learned how to study through trial and error, which was necessary for me to understand before I apply.

My path is to apply to ABSN and MSN programs, though I know I will very likely not be admitted. I'm not against an ADN program, I would just prefer one of the other two. I plan to kill the GRE/TEAS and write a strong personal statement, get strong LORs, and find more medical volunteer opportunities. With all this being said, does anyone have an opinion on this? Thank you in advance.

[Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP]

You definitely need to get that GPA up. Try your hardest to get A's on all your prerequisites. You mentioned you got B's in A&P, but I might suggest if you have time to retake those to get As. Yeah, it's a pain in the butt to redo classes, but you have to do what needs to be done. Also, not sure when you took A&P, but some schools have a time limit (no more than 5 or 7 years, etc.) on these so be sure to check that out when applying.

Schools are different as to what they accept and what they don't regarding GPA. I've seen some others on this site mention some schools accept GPAs around 2.8, I believe, but I believe that was some ADN program in the middle of Texas (don't quote me on this). You may want to consider going out of your state and looking at other places to see if there are programs where you might be able to qualify for.

The great thing is you are currently working in a healthcare setting AND have volunteer experience. This goes a long way. Also writing great personal/history statements when you apply is going to be key here. You need to make sure you nail this part on its head because this may be your saving grace. Go to the school tutoring center to have them recheck your statements or an English professor to help you with this.

Regardless, get that GPA up to at least a 3.0. Keep in mind, just because a 3.0 will let you apply, you have to remember there are people also applying going in w/ 4.0 in their prerequisites and GPAs well over 3.5 and with medical experience. It's tough competition out there. Many of these programs look at students holistically so it's not always about the grades, but this will play a huge role if they need to weed out people.

Good luck to you!

[caliotter3]

ASN programs are known to be competitive. You might have to cast your net far and wide to get accepted somewhere and should not be surprised if you find that you need to raise your GPA even more.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I would also look to schools who do 'holistic admission' where GPA is not as important as looking at the those non-numericals.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

There are many schools that do not look at classes that don't pertain to the field of study you are entering. If that is the case in your situation, some of the classes influencing your low GPA will be weeded out and, theoretically, raise your GPA up. However, even if a school states you can apply with a 2.99, you need to know you won't be a competitive applicant, though technically hitting the mark. Your needed GPA will be determined by the other applicants' GPAs, not by the school.

You actually will have a better chance of getting in doing it as you are rather than going for an ASN. It is a myth that community college, two year programs are easier for admission. The opposite is true. They lead to a very lucrative and stable career in only two years time with minimal student debt. Therefore they are highly, highly competitive for entry. You might have an easier time with direct entry to MSN. However, you might have a harder time after graduation finding a job with an MSN but no acute care RN experience. Retake those Bs and get As and use that time to research the job market for direct entry MSNs where you live.

Good luck!

[Shan, RN]

Hello!

I agree with previous comments that retaking some of those prereqs is probably a must. My program only looked at my grades in A&P I and II and micro, along with my HESI score. The majority of admissions had at least two A's and a HESI of at least 90. Letters and numbers aside, the information in those classes will never go away and you will have to know it like the back of your hand eventually, so it's best to get it down early.

I would highly recommend doing an ADN program. There are many schools that offer a bridge RN-BSN for afterwards that only takes two semesters. There are also schools that will partner with community colleges to allow ADN students to take classes toward their BSN concurrently. Also, the sooner you can start working and getting experience as an RN, the sooner you can start going after subsequent certifications (CCRN, CRNA, etc).