Published Aug 2, 2014
queene
12 Posts
I'm a recent graduate, I graduated with a BS in biology degree from a "tier 1" university, but my gpa is barely past a 2.0, (I played/made a lot of mistakes my first 2 years of college) but I really want to go to nursing school. My nursing prereqs are above 3.5, and I have not taken the HESI and the TEAS yet, but with a lot of studying, and the help of the advice in the testing forum, I plan to score very high on them. I believe I am capable...
But honestly, I'd like to know from people who are going through the admissions process how likely is it that I could get accepted into a 2nd degree/accelerated program?
SionainnRN
914 Posts
You would have to check with the school. Some go based on pure nursing gpa, some it's gpa and tests. There is no way for any of us to know. You need to look at the schools you're interested in and see what their criteria are.
RunBabyRN
3,677 Posts
You will need to at least meet the minimum requirements in order to apply. Those vary, but the lowest I have seen is a 2.5. Some schools run off a lottery, so as long as you qualify, you're in the pot. Each school has its own criteria, so you'll really just need to do your own research, and see if there's any possibility of being able to take transferrable courses in order to boost your GPA. It may or may not help.
Also, the state in which you live can be a factor. Some are more competitive than others.
BSNRN2010, BSN, RN
35 Posts
I agree with the other posters. It does depend on the school. Many of the schools I've looked at when I was prepping for undergrad required a 2.7 or higher but because it was competitive, there was hardly any way to get in with that GPA. Many programs allow only a set number of students per semester due to lack of instructors. In my own personal situation, I found that I had to retake a course or 6? to even be considered. Even after all that I was still not selected bc they said I had to retake the classes. It's all up to the school. Nevertheless, I've been an RN for 4yrs now. And I did fairly well. Now I'm in grad school.
Natasha A., CNA, LVN
1,696 Posts
I suggest you personally speak to the nursing counselor at the school(s) that you want to apply to. I also have a 2.2gpa and asked one of the schools that I'm interested in if their is a retake policy. The nurse counselor had said they don't have a recency policy, however if the science courses are more than five years old and student wanted to repeat the course, the school would forgive the previous grades, but it will still be included in the cumulative GPA. Luckily my science courses have expired so I have a chance to improve without the penalty, but like i said before, i suggest you speak the counselors at the school you want to attend. I recently sent the counselor my unofficial transcripts to see how much of a GPA boost i need to become competitive.
windsurfer8, BSN, RN
1,368 Posts
When I applied to ABSN in 2006 the lowest GPA I saw accepted was 2.5 and that was ONE school. The vast majority require a minimum of 3.0 on your first degree. So to even review you for possible acceptance you must reach the minimum. I can say with 99% certainty you are not going to get into an ABSN with a 2.2 GPA. The entire point of it is to show you are capable of intense hard work.
There are other routes for you. Look at ADN programs or just talk to advisors. See what they can help you do. The key is you will have to make a 100% change in your stufy and work habits to have any chance to make it through nursing school. I had a 3.6 GPA in my business degree and it was 100 times easier for me than the 3.3 I earned in my ABSN.
thanks to all of ya'll for your feedback! I don't want to come to terms with my reality, but I will still continue to pursue nursing until the acceptance/denial letters come in. LOL
just a update! I have gotten into 2 nursing schools so far and have an interview with another!
LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN
8,429 Posts
Congrats!! :up:
Keep us posted?
of course!
happyinmyheart
493 Posts
Wow!!! That's super impressive. For my school they take a minimum 3.8 GPA usually. Congratulations!!! I admire your positive attitude. :)
Saraper
1 Post
Congratulations!
I Recently graduated with a BS in Biology as well. Same GPA. And I see you were accepted into nursing school. What advice do you have to help compensate for the low GPA?
Thanks!