I Want To Be A Nurse, But My Grades Aren't Competitive. Help!
Do any options exist for people who want to be nurses, but have noncompetitive grade point averages and unremarkable test scores? If this describes you, keep reading to find out more information about the various options that may help you join the ranks of the nursing profession.
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You really, really want to be a nurse. In fact, becoming a nurse might have been a lingering childhood dream of yours. Perhaps nursing was never a childhood dream, but you somehow came to the realization that you wanted to be a nurse in adulthood for a myriad of reasons. Maybe you believe you were 'called' to be a nurse by some higher power. For whatever reason, you have the burning desire to join our ranks and enter the nursing profession.
You continue to submit applications to local nursing programs year after year. The result is predictably the same: they continue to reject your applications, even though you meet the minimal requirements established by the schools. The various schools of nursing require applicants to have an overall 2.5 grade point average, a 2.75 GPA for prerequisite courses, a score of 77 on the TEAS V test, two letters of recommendation, and current immunization records. You're thinking, "I have a 3.1 overall, a 3.5 for my prerequisites, a 79 on the TEAS and the rest of the stuff they're asking of me. I've been applying for three years and no school will accept me. Why?"
Perhaps the schools in your local area are inundated with more competitive applications from students with 4.0 grade point averages and higher test scores. In some urban areas it is common for nursing programs to receive 500+ applications for about 60 available spaces. If you know of an applicant with lower grades who was accepted into the same nursing program that rejected you, maybe this person scored exceptionally well on the TEAS or received priority over you because they've applied to the same school for five years in a row. Yes, some schools grant priority to minimally qualified applicants who repeatedly apply.
Other schools operate on a randomized lottery style admission process whereby all minimally qualified candidates have their applications placed into the pool, and therefore, have the same chances of acceptance as every other student because the names are selected at random.
What can a student do to get the ball rolling? Are there any options for people with noncompetitive grade point averages and test scores who want to be nurses? Keep reading to find out more about the different options you have at your disposal.
Retake some courses to increase your GPA
This is the first option your should consider, especially if the schools that interest you will not penalize you for doing so. If you've earned any 'C' grades, you should focus on repeating these courses to earn 'A' grades the second time around. In many cases a higher GPA will make you a more competitive applicant on paper.
Consider completing a practical nursing program
Although some will disagree, the practical nursing program is more skills-based and hands-on than its counterparts. In addition, many PN programs pay little to no attention to previous college coursework and only require applicants to pass an entrance exam prior to enrollment. If you do reasonably well in practical nursing school, you are eligible to apply to LPN-to-ASN and LPN-to-BSN degree completion programs.
Look into private for-profit schools of nursing
This should be your very last resort, although many students travel down this route. Commercial investor-owned schools of nursing generally have more relaxed admissions requirements and have been known to accept applicants with noncompetitive grade point averages. If you are willing to pay the tremendously expensive tuition, private for-profit nursing programs might be a feasible option for you.
Commute to a school that has less-competitive admissions
I live in one of the largest metro areas in the US. Many students in this area will commute 100+ miles one-way to schools in rural areas because the admissions requirements are more lenient. For instance, my former coworker was accepted by the school of nursing at Tarleton State University with a 2.8 grade point average, but rejected by the University of Texas at Arlington. However, Tarleton State University was located in an outlying area 80 miles from her home, while UT Arlington was located five miles from home.
Relocate to a rural area that has schools with lenient admissions
Murray State College, a community college located in Tishomongo, Oklahoma, offers a nursing program with a relatively relaxed admissions process. For instance, a 2.0 is the minimum grade point average required, and the only prerequisite is the completion of a college level Chemistry course with a grade of 'C' or higher. Of course, very few people want to live in rural Oklahoma, so the competition for admissions is virtually nonexistent.
