Low high school GPA and Nursing school

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I am currentally finishing up my junior year of college, and I have to start applying to colleges this fall. I really want to go to nursing school, and possibly join the army or navy nurse corps when I graduate. But unfortunatly, I didn't apply myself very well in high school, expecially my freshman year, and have only a 2.8 gpa. I have been researching a lot of schools, and everyone says they reccomend at least a 3.0 gpa. My SATs are good enough, they reccomend 1000 math and reading, I got 1100. I have done a few extra-curriculars, including community service clubs, and school newspaper, and I have voulnteered in the hospital here all my junior year. Also, my school has a tougher grading system (92,83,74,65 scale). Will that be taken into consideration?

Do you think I still have a shot at a four year nursing program?

If I don't get in my freshman year, I was thinking that I could try my sophomore year, after I got a lot of my core classes out of the way, and hopefully did really well in them. Would that work?

Thank you!

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Specializes in Med Surg/MICU/Pediatrics/PCICU.

I know at the college I used to go to, the first year was just for the pre-reqs then you applied to the nursing program. So they did really look at the HS grades I don't think just the ones from pre-reqs, so I would say no I don't know if it would matter as much I think you will be fine.

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Your post is a little confusing. You start off by saying that you are a junior in college, but I think you meant junior in HS.

When they talk about NS needing a 3.0+, it has nothing to do with your HS GPA. Before you can get into any reputable NS, you have to take pre-requisites. Your COLLEGE GPA at the time of application (to the upper level) is what matters. It isn't your HS GPA.

Also, for some, their college GPA wasn't 3.0. Mine wasn't because I got an EE degree 25 yrs ago and really didn't care about anything beyond graduation! My school only counted my pre-req grades, of which, I earned a 3.8! That is usually combined with a nursing school entrance exam.

Relax. Focus on doing your best between now and HS graduation to get yourself re-focused on your education. Once in college, put the petal to the metal on your grades and do well and you will be just fine!

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

They don't look at high school grades. Take your pre-req's at a community college where getting in won't be an issue, then APPLY YOURSELF like nobody's business and make As, so that when you apply to nursing school you are competitive. The college grades are all that matter. Your slate is essentially wiped clean when you start college. If you don't know how to study or have ADD issues, get these things addressed before you start. Good luck.

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Because your just getting out of high school they do look at your high school grades. It's more so when your a nontraditional student when they don't look at them as much. The only basic requirements that most nursing programs are going to require are bio, chem, and some type of math. At a 4 year college there are going to be prereqs but wouldn't be a problem because for the first two years of any major there are general education course requirements which include your english, social and physical sciences, history, etc. during that time you can take classes specificly needed for nursing but still satisfy the college's requirements. For example: you'll need X amount of english credits so you can take english I and II which are commonly needed for nursing cirriculum, social science req't you can take psychology and life span and sociology which are commonly needed for nursing and physical science reqt you can take micro, A+P I & II, chem and any other req't they may have at that college you go to. In most colleges you won't start nursing classes until junior year. Another way you can go if you wanted to is go to a community college for a year or two to do your classes and then apply to a 4 yr college to heighten your chances. If your not opposed to going to an associate's program then you can take like a semester of classes then apply to a 2 yr nursing program and after that they have many accelerated RN to BSN programs that can be completed in 1 year or a traditional RN to BSN program which would take 2 years so really you wouldn't be spending any more time than at a 4 yr college and maybe even less time and the benefit to that is you can work as a RN after 2 yrs while do a BSN program that'll only take 1-2 years. Myself personally I did an accelerated RN community college program which took from 1/09 to 5/10 graduated with my associates and now I can work as RN plus I'm starting an accelerated RN to Master's program where I will earn my BSN in Dec of 2011 and then graduate with my Master's for Family Nurse Practitioner in may of 2013. So I will have went from zip to a BSN in less than 3 years and a Master's in 4 yrs and some change where as going traditionally BSN it would have taken 4 years and masters would have taken 6 years. But it's all about your approach and how you want to go about it because you may want the college life experience etc. Try going into or calling some of the college's you would like to go to and see what they say. I know this was a loooong post but hope I was of some help!

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They don't look at high school grades. Take your pre-req's at a community college where getting in won't be an issue, then APPLY YOURSELF like nobody's business and make As, so that when you apply to nursing school you are competitive. The college grades are all that matter. Your slate is essentially wiped clean when you start college. If you don't know how to study or have ADD issues, get these things addressed before you start. Good luck.

I agree with the community college thing. The classes are usually a whole lot smaller, so if you need extra help, you're more likely to get it. I went to a community college for one year and wish I'd gone for the two - I really preferred the atmosphere to a big university. Also, if you're stressing your HS GPA even getting you into college in the first place (and I wouldn't worry about that - but in case you are), the admission criteria for a CC are usually more lenient; they're more willing to give you a chance and HS grades aren't as important as they may be for a high-powered, big university.

Plus, it's a heck of a lot cheaper.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

It needs to be noted that one does not have to go to a four year institution all four years to get a four year degree. The first two years can be taken at the community college level and then transferred in for the nursing portion in the junior year.

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Just be sure you won't lose credits in the mix. I will say, though, that it appears the big unis have finally pulled their heads out and are more on-track with the corresponding state community colleges than they used to be ten years ago or so.

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im in the same situation, and i agree go to a community college first. just make sure you get an advisor to make sure your credits will transfer smoothly to the university you want to go to. a community college might help you smooth into college life easier because its smaller and more personal.

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I wouldn't worry too much about your h.s performance in relation to nursing programs. I would only worry about whether the college you want to get into you will except your gpa. In the school I attend and at many others that I have looked into that are 4 yr schools, the first 2 yrs are dedicated to pre-requites and general education requirements (GER) for that college. Then once your are done with your pre-reqs for that program and/or a pre-entrance nursing exam you apply to the nursing program of your choice and you wait to hear whether or not you are expected. If you are excepted then the following semester you begin your professional phase in nursing. hope this helps.

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could you email me for a further discussion? [email protected]

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