If I graduate from pre-health, will an RN program look at my grade 11 marks?

Raviepoo · Nov 26, 2014

I failed math in my Junior year of high school. I wasn't working at school. I was coasting, thinking about boys and partying. Up until then I was a strait A student and I thought I might want to go into medicine. After my failure, I just gave that up. I was no longer perfect. I had ruined my life.

I was insane. Colleges don't care that you had bad grades in your Junior year. OK, Harvard Yale, and Brown do. But if you're pursuing a career goal like nursing, all the school cares about is whether you are able to do the work. Community colleges offer classes that will teach you anything you didn't learn in high school.

Don't let a little youthful indiscretion plot the course of your life. If you know where you want to go, start down the path. You'll regret it if you don't.

MatchaGreenTea · Nov 26, 2014

Why don't you do the courses you're missing via adult HS? It's free and it puts you in the same position as pre-health.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about your grade 11 marks. As long as you do well in your grade 12 courses, and your overall HS GPA is good, then you'll be ok.

xokw, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2014

Okay friends, here's the deal. Long story short, in grade 12 I got accepted to a whole bunch of social science programs, decided I didn't want to do that, took a year off (which is what I'm doing right now) and decided I wanted to become a nurse. Well, since I thought I was going into the social sciences, I didn't bother taking math or science in grade 12. That's why I'm trying to get into pre health for next year, which hopefully I'll be able to do with my 83 average from grade 12.
Anyway, I did take bio, chem, and functions in grade 11, but my marks were...significantly underwhelming. I got a 70 in functions, a 65 in bio (oh god) and 72 in chem. I know I know....I was massively depressed and didn't give a flying f*** about school at the time, and I was on the honour roll every other year of high school... Anyway, you're not here to listen to excuses and neither are the RN programs I want to get into, so I'll move on.
This brings me to my actual question. If I manage to get into pre health and do very well in it, will RN programs (or RPN if that's the way it has to be) even look at my crappy grade 11 marks? Or will those marks continue to screw me as I move forward with my education? Thanks for the help!

Nope. If you take prehealth that is what your admission will be based off of.

I didn't care in highschool, got all 50s as a result. Years later I took prehealth, got 90s and that got me early acceptances to both the practical nursing and BScN programs.

planetoi · Nov 26, 2014

I failed math in my Junior year of high school. I wasn't working at school. I was coasting, thinking about boys and partying. Up until then I was a strait A student and I thought I might want to go into medicine. After my failure, I just gave that up. I was no longer perfect. I had ruined my life.
I was insane. Colleges don't care that you had bad grades in your Junior year. OK, Harvard Yale, and Brown do. But if you're pursuing a career goal like nursing, all the school cares about is whether you are able to do the work. Community colleges offer classes that will teach you anything you didn't learn in high school.
Don't let a little youthful indiscretion plot the course of your life. If you know where you want to go, start down the path. You'll regret it if you don't.

Thanks, I really appreciate your encouragement. I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who dropped the ball in high school.

caliotter3 · Nov 26, 2014

Don't know about Canada, but in the US, nursing programs typically look at your prerequisite work in college. Very few, if any, accept students directly out of high school any more.

planetoi · Nov 26, 2014

Why don't you do the courses you're missing via adult HS? It's free and it puts you in the same position as pre-health.
Also, I wouldn't worry too much about your grade 11 marks. As long as you do well in your grade 12 courses, and your overall HS GPA is good, then you'll be ok.

I have considered that actually. I actually started doing grade 12 functions online. I guess my only reservation is that it's not like it's one class, it's three. If I were to go down that route, I'd probably have to take another year off to finish up and I would really rather not do that if I can avoid. I want to get my foot in the door as soon as possible. Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot :)

planetoi · Nov 26, 2014

Nope. If you take prehealth that is what your admission will be based off of.
I didn't care in highschool, got all 50s as a result. Years later I took prehealth, got 90s and that got me early acceptances to both the practical nursing and BScN programs.

Wow, it's great to hear from someone who actually did the pre health route. Thanks for the advice :) Did you find pre health very challenging? In high school I got good grades in science (other than in grade 11) and my math marks were...okay at best, but I had to put in a good amount of extra work. I'm hoping I'll be able to get good grades in pre health

planetoi · Nov 26, 2014

Don't know about Canada, but in the US, nursing programs typically look at your prerequisite work in college. Very few, if any, accept students directly out of high school any more.

I guess that makes sense, seeing as so many people choose nursing as a second career. Thanks for the help :)

caliotter3 · Nov 26, 2014

Look at your prehealth program in college as a chance to start over with a clean slate. In the US, usually the only consequence of certain high school courses (algebra or chemistry) is if you get credit for certain classes because of a high score on your Advanced Placement exam, otherwise, essentially, you start over. Good luck.

xokw, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2014

Wow, it's great to hear from someone who actually did the pre health route. Thanks for the advice :) Did you find pre health very challenging? In high school I got good grades in science (other than in grade 11) and my math marks were...okay at best, but I had to put in a good amount of extra work. I'm hoping I'll be able to get good grades in pre health

It was very busy, 8 classes in a semester, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The content was taught at a higher level than highschool courses, which I found useful once I actually started nursing because I had a really strong foundation to build upon.

I know many people on this forum have very strong negative opinions regarding pre-health, but I loved the experience and looking back would not have done it either way.

Only you can decide which way to go, but don't let people tell you what is best for you.

MatchaGreenTea · Nov 26, 2014

I have considered that actually. I actually started doing grade 12 functions online. I guess my only reservation is that it's not like it's one class, it's three. If I were to go down that route, I'd probably have to take another year off to finish up and I would really rather not do that if I can avoid. I want to get my foot in the door as soon as possible. Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot :)

Ok, makes sense. Seems like you've thought this over a lot, and know what you want to do. One other thing I would suggest is to contact the BScN programs you want to apply to and ask them what would strengthen your application the most.

Good luck!! :)