low GPA, Looking for ACAGNP program

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Apr 16, 2018

Top ranking schools? Highly unlikely. Maybe one of the less-discerning online schools but I don't really know any I'd recommend. For my program they didn't look at anyone with a GPA less than 3.2 and all the students that were accepted had higher than 3.5 and 1-2 years experience in acute care (mostly ICU). My school is one of the top 10 programs. There were only 15 places and about 95 applicants so you need to be competitive. You might find entry to an online FNP program easier, but acute care tends to be harder to get into because of the GPA and experience criteria. What caused your GPA to be low? Are there any classes you can retake? Perhaps if you took a non-matriculated pharm and patho graduate class and got A's it would show that you can handle the material. The problem is, that in my program at least, you have to maintain a grade of 83% for every class or you fail out, so even if you got in, if you couldn't maintain a high grade you wouldn't make it through the first year. Acute NP school is extremely demanding...I feel very challenged and my undergraduate GPA going in was 3.92 and I had my CCRN. This is not something you should undertake lightly.

amb1234 · Apr 16, 2018

Thank you for the replay.

I had sever anemia and some of the s&s are fatigue and low concentration all day.. I didn't seek medical help until The last year.

I must join on campus program. What is your advice? And should I take some gradute class or retake BSN classes?

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Apr 17, 2018

Thank you for the replay.
I had sever anemia and some of the s&s are fatigue and low concentration all day.. I didn't seek medical help until The last year.
I must join on campus program. What is your advice? And should I take some gradute class or retake BSN classes?

I'm not sure I can answer that question as I've not been in that situation. Perhaps you could contact a grad school that you're interested in and ask them what they'd prefer.

wyosamRN · Apr 18, 2018

Honestly, it is really hard to raise an overall GPA by the time you have a bachelors. It is going to take good grades in several classes to bring that up to the 3.0 that most schools set as a minimum. It sucks that you had health problems that set you back. But I would say you're going to have to work on your overall qualifications as an applicant if you want to go to grad school. Takes some classes and improve your GPA, get some more experience, certify in your specialty. It is already questionably easy to get into an NP program- If bad grades and minimal experience are where we set the bar, what are we saying about the profession? I'm not saying this to be mean, just some hard truths that there isn't really another way to say. One of my dearest friends is in the same boat GPA wise, though she does have 10 + years of experience and is a fantastic nurse. She's running into road blocks as far as reputable, high quality programs go, and the low GPA is the ONLY problem with her application. Some schools do only count the last half of ungraduate credits when calculating GPA, if that helps you.

amb1234 · Apr 18, 2018

thank you rocknurse, I appreciate it

rizahawkeye, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2018

Hello everyone
I'm an international student, and I'm looking for a university with ACAGNP program that would accept me.
my GPA is 2.91 and I have one year experience.
It must be ((On campus)) program. Which university do you think will accept me?
do you think I have any chance to join one of the 100 top rankings school? which schools?
Should I take online courses to improve my GPA? What courses? What colleges?
Please help me
thank you

Hello! I have a low GPA as well (2.83). I have more than 3 years of RN experience. I applied to University of Cincinnati for their FNP Fall 2018 program. I think most schools prefer at least one year of experience. U of C also requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 but one of the admissions personnel told me that they look at the applications in a holistic approach, so don't stop this from trying. I think I did a good job in writing my essay. I updated my professional resume and I had three people give letters of recommendation on my behalf. I submitted my nursingcas application on 4/12/18. My application was verified on 4/13/18. U of C emailed me on 4/16/18 that they received my application and I also paid the U of C app fee. Here's to hoping I will make it in.

rizahawkeye, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2018

Also, I studied abroad for my BSN degree. I recently passed my CDN (Cerifified Dialysis Nurse) certification too for my own personal/professional growth.

amb1234 · Apr 19, 2018

Dear rizahawkeye, hope you will achieve your goals . Thank you for your replay and for your kind words, I applied to University of Cincinnati, but next day, a woman from the admission office called me to tell me that they will not accept my application because my experience is not in the US. I will keep looking for universities that will accept me.

amb1234 · Apr 26, 2018

Do you know what graduate courses should I take and where?

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Apr 29, 2018

Having only 1 year of experience will hurt you more than your GPA

My GPA was only a 3.2, but I had 10 years of experience (ER and ICU) and was board certified as a CEN and CCRN. I was told my essay was outstanding as well.

I got in to all the schools I applied for and several (Duke) didn't consider my GPA competitive but I still got in.