I've decided that I want to make a career change to nursing. However, I have issues concerning my academic resume that, from research and what I've read in this forum, may be huge barriers from entering the field. I haven't been to school since 2005, and I have 71 credits earned at Baruch College, but with a GPA of 2.345. Baruch is a business school that does not offer nursing, so I would have to transfer to one that does. However, from all I've researched, it seems that my cumulative GPA is a tremendous barrier. Even if I remained at Baruch and raised it into the high 2s so that I could transfer to another CUNY, my GPA would still be too low to qualify for any of the nursing programs at any of the community colleges or Hunter College. At Hunter, it would seem mathematically impossible for me to transfer and then get accepted into the Generic Pathway by the Fall of 2008. At that point, I thought that I would transfer to a CUNY CC, but then I hear about long waiting lists and needing perfect GPAs to even be considered. Anyone have any suggestions on what I can do? Is it possible and would I have to just completely start over college?
Your previous average may make no difference. It didn't to me.
My school originally based admission into their nursing program on only 4 classes - english, psych, AP1 and soc. I also had to take a chem course before taking the AP and I took micro before starting nursing. I had a 2.94 average on my BA from another school. My grades from my BA were: english-A, soc-B+, psych-C. The academic advisor suggested I retake psych, which I did and got an A. I also got A's in chem, AP1 and micro. They then dropped soc as part of the admission criteria, so to them I had a 4.0 average! No problem getting in.
They transferred in my other credits from my BA, but not the grades (allelujah). Since I've gotten A's in all my courses since, to them I am a still a 4.0.
Talk to the academic advisors, they've most likely been thru this with many people in your position. I would suggest applying as a general student to take pre-reqs and finding out which classes they take into consideration for admission. Try for the best grades you can get. Retake anything you had a low grade in.
Don't let your past performance cloud your future! I'm a much better student today at 42 than I was at 21!
Thank you for all of your replies. I will be returning back to NYC over the weekend, and hopefully I'll catch the nursing advisor on the 20th in a good mood :)
It's been an extremely difficult time as I'm worried about this career change and starting from scratch, entering into a long-distance relationship with my wife, and having no margin for error in the grades for my pre-reqs. Also, the constant negativity on all of the forums concerning horrid working conditions, unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios, lack of staff support and supplies, abusive school instructors/doctors/patients/families, and the high risk of burnout isn't exactly reassuring Sometimes, I feel strong and that I can achieve my goal because I know I'm a bright and determined person, and other times, I feel scared of change and the notion that I may eventually transform into a jaded, burned out and hateful nurse. But alas, I trudge on.
I have admired the detached, yet simultaneously compassionate professionalism from nurses I've observed in the handful of instances I've been in a hospital setting. However, I never really considered actually entering the profession until the past several weeks. In my last career, I was an entrepreneur in investments/trading; it was my first love and I had some great times. But after 4 years of volatility, social isolation, and feeling as if I've contributed to nobody but myself, I quit. And I felt like a typical, confused college sophomore again.
What really helped was taking a Myer-Briggs personality test (I'm an ISFJ). While it possesses its fair share of critics, I found that it pinpointed my personality well. Now, I understand why I loved my last profession; it went a long way towards fulfilling my I, S and J. The reason I quit was because it didn't do much towards fulfilling my F. Now, I needed to find a profession that would fit my personality type and my life situation.
Nursing was the best choice. Despite all of well-documented cons of being a nurse, the duties and the nature of the job itself is a perfect fit for my personality. I spoke to my wife who's in the medical field, and a couple of her friends/acquaintances who are nurses. And the more and more I researched the numerous and differing specialties within nursing, the more and more fascinated and excited I became. Perhaps if I were younger or had a higher GPA, I might have tried to shoot for being a physician in general/family practice, but being a nurse is great option in of itself. I enjoy the notion of taking care and being a guardian of the patient. Even if direct contact is limited because of short staffing and what not, I know that I would do everything in my power to perform and fight for proper care, just because it's in my blood to do so. I'll just sacrifice a couple years of my lifetime to deal with the stress
I've been in your shoes. I started out at hunter college doing premed and psychology but decided to have a change of careers in BMCC. I am in their nursing program there. I guess, a lot of people don't know about BMCC is that it is the only CUNY school that allows you to drop and repeat your grades in your very FIRST semester of transfer. My advice to you, if you still want to be in their nursing program, try it there. Go for an open house (that's when they have all the advisors at the time) and make sure you have all your paperwork ready (immunization, transfer fee via $65 dollars, transcript, HS diploma, or GED). Good for BMCC, you have a second chance of making it thru at such a low cost. And when you do decide to repeat it, drop all the B's. and start over for the As. The professors there are relatively easy, just do your research and get to know your classmates. they could tell you alot about the professors and the easy one's to take to be in their nursing program. GOOD LUCK!
Sometimes, I feel strong and that I can achieve my goal because I know I'm a bright and determined person, and other times, I feel scared of change and the notion that I may eventually transform into a jaded, burned out and hateful nurse. But alas, I trudge on.
hpcat
116 Posts
Your previous average may make no difference. It didn't to me.
My school originally based admission into their nursing program on only 4 classes - english, psych, AP1 and soc. I also had to take a chem course before taking the AP and I took micro before starting nursing. I had a 2.94 average on my BA from another school. My grades from my BA were: english-A, soc-B+, psych-C. The academic advisor suggested I retake psych, which I did and got an A. I also got A's in chem, AP1 and micro. They then dropped soc as part of the admission criteria, so to them I had a 4.0 average! No problem getting in.
They transferred in my other credits from my BA, but not the grades (allelujah). Since I've gotten A's in all my courses since, to them I am a still a 4.0.
Talk to the academic advisors, they've most likely been thru this with many people in your position. I would suggest applying as a general student to take pre-reqs and finding out which classes they take into consideration for admission. Try for the best grades you can get. Retake anything you had a low grade in.
Don't let your past performance cloud your future! I'm a much better student today at 42 than I was at 21!