Is it possible for me to get in with these stats??

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Specializes in Mental & Behavioral Health/Geriatrics.

I am a pre-nursing student at GSU right now but am applying to other schools as well (I decided not to put all of my eggs in one basket and am also applying to Mercer and others). I have a dilemma. I think I may not be very competitive for many of the nursing programs in my area. I am registered to take the TEAS in 3 weeks and have been studying very hard for it. I have taken all of my pre-reqs, so I am somewhat confident about the science portion (I literally just finished Chem, so it is fresh in my brain). My Program GPA (For GSU) dropped to just below a 3.6 (I ended up with Bs in Chemistry, which brought down my institutional GPA to a 3.6, program GPA to 3.58, and Science GPA to a 3.46). I got As in Anatomy/Physiology and Micro. All of my program pre-reqs are complete, I have zero courses in progress, have great letters of recommendation from doctors & others in medical field and just got finished writing a very good admissions essay.

I am planning to score very highly on the TEAS (assuming I've been studying a while), although that remains to be seen. I am trying to stay positive. Do I have a chance if I score in the 90s, coupled with my GPA? GSU is one of those schools that only cares about scores. They do not take a very holistic approach to considering other factors about their applicants (although they still require short answers/essays/references). I was basically told this in a nutshell by a nursing advisor. She assures me that every semester, a student or two with a 3.4-3.5 GPA and a VERY high TEAS score is accepted, but I don't like those odds. I feel like I have been working hard for nothing. Now, my program GPA for Mercer is a 3.7. I feel I have a better chance there. Any one here applied to or been accepted to either schools? I am trying to apply to GSU for both their accelerated and traditional programs (although I would love to be accepted to the accelerated program). I do have work experience. I am a CNA/Nurse Tech, I am working on a second language, have a few honors/accolades, etc. I feel like GSU will care about none of this and that I should continue to try my luck elsewhere.

At one point and time, I was very confident about being accepted into a program..somewhere, but now, I am quite depressed. Non-nursing students do not understand me. My friends think I'm a borderline genius with my GPA, but now I just feel dumb. Just last year I had a 3.78...blah......

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

You have a great shot at Mercer, and it's an amazing program. Personally, I like that Mercer reviews applicants holistically, and that's why I applied there over GSU even though my stats are competitive. I got the feeling they really cared about who you were versus just grades and stats like GSU. I know people who got turned down by GSU with GPA's of 3.75, this just seems silly. I also know a couple of people in the program who regret going there, so I would definitely weigh all your options. If GSU is where your heart is at, definitely do everything you can to make yourself more competitive.

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Specializes in Mental & Behavioral Health/Geriatrics.
You have a great shot at Mercer, and it's an amazing program. Personally, I like that Mercer reviews applicants holistically, and that's why I applied there over GSU even though my stats are competitive. I got the feeling they really cared about who you were versus just grades and stats like GSU. I know people who got turned down by GSU with GPA's of 3.75, this just seems silly. I also know a couple of people in the program who regret going there, so I would definitely weigh all your options. If GSU is where your heart is at, definitely do everything you can to make yourself more competitive.

I've heard great reviews from Mercer students, although I don't like the idea of a "religiously affiliated" private school ("Georgia Baptist?" I'm the farthest thing from a Baptist and even farther from the pretty, preppy blondes in all of the photos on their websites. I'm brown lol, and I don't really like the lack of diversity in their demographics. I've gotten pretty comfortable at GSU for that reason) The expense is really the other thing that's off-putting. I have no idea how I would be able to afford it, but alot of the other girls at my school seem to be excited about attending. I've heard nothing negative about the program yet (although I cannot say the same for State).

A quick update though: I just reviewed GSU's admission stats for 2013, and the average GPA for the applicants for both programs is in between a 3.4-3.6 and TEAS scores in the range of 85-88. I have a chance!! I'm very excited, because it makes me less anxious in general, no matter where I apply. If I could just get accepted to one of the three schools I'm applying to...this is so nerve-wrecking!

Thank you so much for your response.

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Specializes in MICU.

Honestly, I think you definitely have a shot. Mercer (which is religiously affiliated but trust me, it's not in your face) is an amazing program, but they do accept lower scores. They also offer a lot of scholarships that you just have to interview for. In undergrad, I interviewed and got a scholarship, but ultimately I decided to go to UGA. Sounds like you meet all of Southern's criteria as well. Where else did you apply? I'm more familiar with the GCSU and GRU/MCG requirements.

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