Hopeful Foreign BSN grad with Low GPA going to NP program

NJnewRN · Sep 22, 2012

So you currently reside in NJ? Me too. Well, you could take the GRE's even though some schools don't require. I think it would help. You take a couple upper level MSN courses too. This proves that you have the ability to do well in nursing school. All the best to you.

pennylane18 · Sep 22, 2012

Yes NJnewRN I currently live in NJ. Do you have any suggestions of schools and subjects to apply? I will take TOEFL and GRE soon and hopefully will help me get into a good school...

Annaiya, NP · Sep 25, 2012

I think targeting some schools and then talking to them about your situation is your best bet. You may be able to register as a non-degree seeking student and take some of the harder classes (like patho) to show you can do the work and succeed. It is definitely worth trying if it is what you want to do, but you just need to know going in that it will be an up-hill battle. The schools are getting lots of good candidates, so it isn't just proving you can do the job, but it's also proving that you can do it better than everyone else that is applying. Good luck!

pennylane18 · Sep 25, 2012

thank you

Annaiya! I will talk to some schools around my area like Monmouth University and FDU. Hopefully someone will give me a chance. I was also thinking of taking GRE and TOEFL. Getting certified as a critical care nurse also would up my chances. This would take me a year to get things done but I have to do this in order to get what I want. Do you know any schools around NJ or NY area that are lenient to my situation? Thanks!

ss0914 · May 10, 2013

pennylane18,, I am on the same boat with you..Can I ask if you have already applied any grad school yet? I actually applied one and ended up got rejected.. I would like to see how are you going with the school thing.. thanks :)

mzaur · May 10, 2013

Is this 2.58 out of 4.0? I know that some foreign schools do not use a grading scale based out out of 4.0. In the US, a 2.5 is a B-

You could always take undergrad classes at a local community college to raise your GPA. Take classes relevant to NP like psychology, anatomy, biology, statistics, nutrition, etc. It'll be hard, but maybe you can get that GPA up to a 3.0, which I think is the minimum for most NP programs. NP programs are competitive, so I think this is your best bet.

BTW I was in a similar situation, sort of. My undergrad GPA wasn't so good, and I knew I wanted to go to grad school. I went and got a second degree at Rutgers in psychology. I took 50 credits there but only needed around 35 to finish. I had a 3.9 GPA there and my cumulative GPA is now around 3.4. So it can be done, but it was difficult, and I had to take out loans. If you're very serious about the NP, then this is something you can do. If you decide to just take classes at a community college without being in a degree program, you cannot take out loans. But the classes are much cheaper than Rutgers.

Miles88 · Nov 16, 2014

Just wondering if you pursued your msn degree? Im interested in going back to school too but i am a foreign grad and a lot of things are required in order to study here in US!!! Please message me! Thanks!