Need guidance/advice!

[Christiana]

I am seeking a BSN via the second degree accelerated route. I just have a few questions about the application process.

1. Do the schools look at your sciences like A&P I/II with your lab grade combined or is it separate? My school that I graduated from has lecture grade and lab grade but I see on most applications it asking for the grade with the lab, and others are just asking for A&P grade. Do I calculate what my grade would be by combining the lab with my lecture grade? What will the school do?

2. If I were to combine the grades of lab and lecture I would have a B in both A&P I/II, however I have a C in both Chemistry and Microbiology. Should I retake them?

This whole thing is really stressing me out because I really want to ensure that I get into school and don't want to rush my application. I still have to take the TEAS and maybe that will make up for the prereqs. I just need guidance, reassurance, or advice on how to proceed.

[MotoMonkey, BSN, RN]

The answer to your first question is very school dependent, I would reach out to an admissions counselor for the schools you want to apply and ask them. Admissions criteria are so wildly different from school to school its very difficult to give you a useful answer to that question.

Grades and GPA are another subject that can be pretty variable. How competitive a student you are will also depend on the particular schools admission criteria. For example, when I got into school having a single B in any of the A&P series would greatly reduce your chances of getting into a program because those grades carried the most weight for the particular school. With B's in A&P and C's in micro and chem I would not expect to be a competitive applicant to any program in my area. Though, as I said before, admissions criteria can be wildly different from school to school, and an accelerated program will look at your grades differently than a traditional BSN program.

I certainly don't mean to be discouraging, but schools generally get far more students applying each year than they have seats for in each cohort, this puts schools in the position where they are free to choose only the best qualified applicants who they feel are most likely to succeed in the program.

With all that said, I would reach out to admissions counselors at the schools you will be applying to and let them look over your transcripts, they will be able to steer you in the right direction to be competitive at their particular school.

[Christiana]

Thanks for the response! The issue that I have been coming across mostly is that most of the schools I have reached out to have all said that it is against their policy to look at my transcript or provide and pre-advisement.

I understand you you have to stand out in a competitive program such as nursing, the reason I'm definitely considering retaking them. however, most schools do not accept retaking those prereq.