2nd Degree: Admission Stats

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I read so many topics about GPA and admissions. I figured I would start a thread for any persons accepted into a 2nd degree nursing program to list there uGPA, pre-req GPA, volunteer/work exp, and what schools they were admitted into.

I am in the same boat as many with a less than stellar undergraduate GPA (from 6 years ago) but competitive pre-requisite GPA. I will be applying for 2013 admissions and would like to have a general idea of where I stand.

I appreciate anyone that is willing to contribute to this topic!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU.

I was accepted into the Accelerated Pathway to the MSN program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. I start in September and can't wait! The prereq requirements for my program are as follows:

- Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits)

- Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits)

- General Chemistry I (4 credits)

- General Chemistry II (4 credits) OR

- Microbiology (4 credits)

- Nutrition (3 credits)

- Statistics (3 credits)

- General Electives (39 credits)

My undergraduate GPA from my first degree was only about a 3.3. Once I factor in all of the classes I took for the program, my cumulative GPA is now a 3.5. My science GPA is a 4.0. My prerequisite GPA (for just the classes I listed above) is a 3.6.

As for work experience, I don't have any prior experience in the healthcare field. I've been working in various administrative and customer service roles over the last 6 years, but all for the same company. I haven't had the chance to volunteer at any hospitals, but I have been a volunteer youth leader for my church's high school youth group for about 10 years.

Hopefully that helps you a little, but let me know if you have any questions!

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(long, long ago) Undergrad 3.3, not quite a decade ago MS in biology, 3.9 (I think)

Prereqs -- depends on if you're talking all transferred credits plus nursing-specific prereqs or just nursing specific "core" type prereqs. At one school, they did both versions basing the points on the all-transferred credits plus nursing-specific pre-reqs. I had less than stellar history and literature grades transferring in so I was barely meeting their 'lowest GPA admitted last year' level, even with all A's in the nursing pre-reqs. My overall application GPA (with those B's in non-science courses) was somewhere between 3.79 ad 3.83 but since I ended up not applying to that school, I don't know for sure. My "nursing pre-reqs" GPA was better than a 3.9

Healthcare experience was fairly minimal. Spent 6 months working as an LTC CNA about 10 years ago. Prior to that, I had spent about 18 months volunteering 4-6 hours per week, first in the emergency department and then on a telemetry floor. (My volunteer experience did not seem to come much into play during the interview process and there was no place on the application to list my experience though I did use examples from these experiences in my personal statement.)

I applied only to the school where I had earned my master's degree and was accepted based on transcripts, personal statement and an interview. (They don't tell you how any of the above are weighted and there was no disclosed point system as some schools have. As far as I know, they did not contact my thesis adviser or any other faculty in the biology department and I did not provide references from them.)

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I just got accepted to Cal state San Marcos' ABSN program. My undergrad GPA was a 2.82, so pretty low by nursing school standards. Luckily I was a philosophy major so I ended up taking most of the nursing school pre-reqs (anatomy, physio, micro, chem, oral comm) after my undergrad degree and got A's in all of them. The program I applied to gives points for pre-nursing core, TEAS score, and the GPA for the last 60 credits taken, including those taken after receiving a bachelors degree. So there are programs out there that don't require a high undergrad GPA! Good luck! :)

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2.9 GPA undergrad, still working on all the prerequisites. I am just starting out, but seeing all the comments here it makes me feel that if I focus and study hard, also pacing my studies so I don't overwhelm myself. I will do just fine as a second degree seeker. I just recently graduated from school, so I haven't been in the workforce for long.

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BS in Biology with a minor in Chem. 2.9 GPA.

Pre-req GPA: 3.3

No previous experience in the medical field.

I got into a BSN program at a public university in Texas. The university uses a point system to rank applicants that includes prereq GPA and HESI A2 scores. (previous experience is also considered, but weighted very low in comparison.)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

I got accepted to a regular BSN program that accepts transfer and 2nd degree students as well as current students at the university. My university has a points based system with 49 total possible points.

BA in Spanish: Language in culture 4 points for bachelor's or higher and 6 points for proficiency in Spanish (earned by intermediate level class or higher)

Pre-reqs:

A&P I and II (or Anatomy and Physiology in my case)

Microbiology

Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry

Public Speaking

English Composition

Pre-req GPA:2.81 (all Bs except for C in Micro, I used to settle for Bs instead of pushing for As; huge mistake!) 2 pts

Cumulative GPA: 3.48 4 pts

TEAS results

Reading>80 3 pts

English>80 3 pts

Math>71 5 pts

Work experience: Over 200 hours of paid work experience (ER Tech for over 2 years at time of applying) 4 pts

Residency in preferred geographic area: 4 pts

Total points: 35

I was initially denied to this program but miraculously, I was offered a spot due to some of the accepted candidates choosing other programs. This was the second time applying to this program, I applied before I started my BA in Spanish and I applied to 2 other BSN programs. I only applied a second time because my application was withdrawn from an ADN program for not taking the TEAS V by a certain date (I took TEAS 4.0 in 2009 and waited a long time on the wait list) and I wanted to keep my options open. I start in the Fall and am excited/blessed/humbled by this opportunity! Moral of the story: Take your pre-requisites seriously because it could make the difference between starting right away or waiting a few years!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I would always look for these types of threads when I was applying!

My undergrad GPA (according to NursingCAS) is 3.31; my degree is in Health and Exercise Science. For all the programs I applied to, my prerequisite GPA was about 3.2.

I have a good amount of healthcare experience: 100+ hours volunteering in various places in the hospital, (at the time of applying) 600+ paid hours as a nursing assistant, and 450 hours volunteering/interning in a public health setting.

I applied to and was accepted into the accelerated programs for Drexel, Seton Hall, and UMDNJ. I also applied to the accelerated pathway to the MSN at Jefferson and was invited for an interview but declined because I already committed somewhere else.

If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to message me! I've spent plenty of hours doing research hah

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