Low GPA, do I have a Chance?

loriangel14, RN · Feb 12, 2015

Have you considered an RPN program?

Even if you meet the cut off GPA there is a big difference between that and what you need to get in. If you went the RPN route you can bridge later to a BSN.

butter413 · Feb 12, 2015

@loriangel14 how long does it take to bridge back to a BSCN? RPN takes 2 years, is the bridging gonna be another 2 years?

Hi SABlair, my current situation is actually quite similar to yours. my cgpa so far is a 3.04 and i am feeling scared about my chances of getting in. I'm in my 4th year HBSC at UofT and this last semester will basically be it for me cause I don't want to continue taking courses just for applying to these compressed programs. i have applied to york, nipissing, trent, queens, york and toronto. although our gpas are indeed on the lower end, i don't think we should give up just yet cause we never know what could happen. maybe we'd be lucky enough to obtain a spot. now i noticed you said the cut off gpa for uoft is 3.04. was this last years cut off? cause when we had the graduate school fair, the representative from bloomberg told me all of their students had a 3.7+ and the only two students with a 3.5 had a masters degree. anyways, just know that you are not alone. i feel that you should go for those extra courses if you have confidence that you can do well :) how many schools did you apply to?

SABlair · Feb 13, 2015

I haven't applied anywhere yet. The plan was to take these courses over the next year starting in the summer and then apply in November this year to hopefully begin September 2016. I got the GPA cut-off from the U of T website... the 3.7+ just made me nauseous and cry a little

butter413 · Feb 13, 2015

oh i see, you still have some time then :) oh did you mean the 3.0 is the min gpa you need to have? yea a 3.0 is basically the min requirement for most schools but since there are a lot more applicants than spots, people with high gpas will most likely take all of the spots first besides uoft, i think you should try out for other schools too so you can have more chances

toronto_nurse · Feb 15, 2015

Hello Everyone!
I guess I came here for some encouragement and hoping that someone has a brilliant success story that will make me feel like all is not lost. I am extremely nervous about applying to Second Entry Programs in Ontario because my GPA is horrible. I graduated with an HBSc from UofT in 2012 with a cGPA of 2.97; my marks span the board from 58 to 93%. My last 5.0 full credit equivalent GPA is 3.04 which is the cut-off for UofT's program.
My plan is to upgrade human physiology and statistics, take an anatomy and microbiology course (from York for their requirements), and a full credit in philosophy. I also intend on beginning volunteer work in a hospital in the summer. When I emailed U of T to ask how upgrading will effect my application they gave some BS answer that "all students are encouraged to apply" which in no way shed any light on my situation.
Taking these courses is going to set me back 3-4K and is going to be tough on my family and I (I have a 1 year old son). Are my chances slim? Reading about the other GPAs and amazing resumes of volunteer and work experience has left me insecure, discouraged, and wondering if I need to come up with a plan B. Thank you in advance for your time!

If nursing is what you want to pursue than do whatever it takes to get you there! But you have to be realistic about your chances for second entry nursing programs! They are accelerated with a heavy course load so they admit students who will most likely succeed and unfortunately higher grades tend to lead to higher successes in completing the program. Since you have a one year-old child you have to think about the workload and if you can balance both school and family obligations. It doesn't hurt upgrading those courses since it will show your determination.

I know a handful of second-entry nurses from both York and UofT and they were admitted with distinction or dean's list in their undergrad and apparently that is quite common (check out LinkedIn for nurses from these programs and you will see). If you are up front with the personnel from the nursing department they will tell you the cutoff GPA for the previous admission cycle (I know because I've tried it in the past and for that year it was 3.6 and I'm referring to 2009).

I completed the practical nursing program and bridged to the RN program and I don't regret doing it. Maybe that is an option that you can consider but it will take longer. Just keep in mind what your ultimate goal is!

SABlair · Feb 17, 2015

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I'm re-evaluating my whole plan at this point and being realistic about my expectations on getting into the second entry program. I was talking to my husband last night (in tears) trying to figure out whether or not I should go forward with taking the upgrade courses, fulfilling pre-reqs and trying my luck. I don't have the disposable income to take courses for giggles if my chances of getting into the program are slim. At this point I am thinking RPN to RN or applying to Ryerson and their joint programs for the 4 year BScN degree may be more realistic for my situation and if I were to apply to Second Entry I would apply to these programs alongside.

milica2015 · Feb 28, 2015

i applied to 8 different programs haha because last year i got rejected, and i really want to get in. I applied to Trent, Ryerson, George Brown, Centennial, Georgian, Seneca, Loyalist, Mohawk!

TRENT is my top choice by far!

My CGPA is 2.43

My GPA for my last 10 courses is 3.05.

& my high school average is 85%

I know my chances are slim, but did anyone have success with a gpa around 3.05! Thanks and good luck to all of you :)

butter413 · Feb 28, 2015

@milicarados

Thank you so much for your post. I have been wanting to ask the same question for a while now. I'm in my 4th year at UofT and I've applied to York, UofT, Queens, Western, Trent and Nippising. My cGPA so far is 3.04 so I really want to know if I will have a chance to get into one of the listed universities. I know my gpa isn't as competitive so if there is anybody who has gotten in with a gpa around 3.0, please let me know. It will definitely give me some encouragement.

milica2015 · Feb 28, 2015

@milicarados
Thank you so much for your post. I have been wanting to ask the same question for a while now. I'm in my 4th year at UofT and I've applied to York, UofT, Queens, Western, Trent and Nippising. My cGPA so far is 3.04 so I really want to know if I will have a chance to get into one of the listed universities. I know my gpa isn't as competitive so if there is anybody who has gotten in with a gpa around 3.0, please let me know. It will definitely give me some encouragement.

So glad someone is on the same page as me. when did you apply? I spoke to York and they are very strict with their GPA so i didn't even bother applying to there, Trent in my opinion seemed the most reasonable and understanding but hopefully 1 of them has a spot for us! good luck

butter413 · Feb 28, 2015

I applied to all of them in november so I am really hoping to get some responses back from the schools soon like even if they are rejections. I just targeted the 2nd entry ones hoping for a chance. Yup, I am hoping for Trent and Nippising. I believe the gpas you have posted still fit York's requirements.

ksoohyun21 · Apr 2, 2015

Hello! I was wondering if anyone knows what York focuses on in terms of GPA. My cGPA is 6.13 but my last year GPA (sGPA) is 7.38. There is a BIG difference between my cumulative and my last year, but I'm worried that my poor start in undergrad may strongly affect my chances for York Second Entry.

What do you guys think??