Is nursing school a possibility?

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Hello,

I have a big favor to ask. I'm having a hard time finding schools I can apply to. I have a BS degree but my GPA is low (3.11). I've gotten 4 A's from a new school so it should be 3.2 now.

Micro – originally C now A

Ap1 – originally C now A

Ap2 – originally B now A

Chem – A, B & C (three different kinds)

Bio - B

Stats - B

Lifespan - B

Nutrition - A

The biggest issue is that I'm applying to a military program that states that I can only attend a school with AFROTC (or crosstown), the program has to start in the fall, it can't be more than 24 months long and the cost can't be more than $15,000 a year.

I've been racking my brain trying figure out if this is even a possibility for me. Do you have any advise or know of any schools that would work for me? The only school so far that might be able to work out if they're willing to look beyond my gpa is UWF.

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What is the minimum GPA at schools in your area? Most nursing programs I have researched so far require a 3.0 GPA at minimum. Also, most ADN and BSN programs ARE two year programs, so I see why you would have a problem with these programs. Finally, the military program will pay $15000 per year which is generous! If you do, however, have a higher cost of tuition, I guess you will have to pay the difference.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

The "minimum requirement" stated in a school catalog is very misleading. Nursing schools receive so many applications that they start at the top (highest qualifications) and work down the list until all their slots are filled. So, in actuality, the lowest GPA that was admitted may be well above 3.5. Also, the ease of admission is inversely correlated to the cost of the program.

But there is a lot of variability in how GPA is computed. Some schools may drop the lower grade for any course you repeated, while others will simply average the two. Some schools may only consider grades from required pre-requisites, while others use your entire cumulative GPA. It would be worth your while to dig around to get this information - you could increase your chance of success.

In addition to looking closely at the admissions process, I would also encourage you to consider the NCLEX pass rates, as this is a very direct measure of the quality of a nursing education program.

Wishing you all the best on your nursing education journey.

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@futurenurseinfo Most of the programs in my area have at least a 3.2 minimum gpa. I wouldn't be allowed to pay the difference so The program has to be 15,000 or less. I wouldn't be allowed to go to an ADN program. Thank you

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@Houtx I've been looking. I just wanted to know if anyone had any schools in mind. It doesn't look good so I came here before giving up on the idea.

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Call the school you have in mind and ask.

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I've done research on this and see a lot of schools that wouldn't work for my situation. No need to call a school if I don't meet the gpa requirements or if they only have spring starts. This has been the frustrating part. Thanks though!

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

In order to stay under the $15,000/year limit and BSN for ROTC your best bet is going to be public 4-year state institutions in your home state. Do any of them offer both ROTC and a nursing program? You'd then have to see if you meet the requirements for that particular program to apply and if you are competitive enough to be accepted. Do you have any kind of a an ROTC recruiter helping you through the process?

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

What state?

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I'm in Florida. UWF might work. I can also apply to ucf to see what they average out my gpa to be. I went to USF so I'm hoping that because the point system is different, my gpa will be a little higher at these two schools. No other schools in the state would work so I'm also looking for out of state schools. I've been going through the rotc list of schools state by state and researching the nursing programs. My gpa is a bummer though. Thanks for your help!

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

A lot of schools only look at your prerequisite gpa. Not your gpa from undergrad. Take that into consideration as well.

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Some schools seriously do that? That's awesome! I'll start looking! Thank you!

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