Need an Opinion (As a nursing undergrad)

[BCnursingkid]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post and I find myself stressing out over my GPA after every single assignment I submit or test I take. I am wondering if any current CRNA or prospective grad school candidates can give me their opinion. I am a sophmore enrolled in Boston College's very rigorous nursing program. I am FREAKING OUT over the fact that a competitive GPA for grad school is somewhere around a 3.5. After 3 semesters here, I have a 3.24 GPA and I expect it to rise to about 3.4/3.5 by graduation. Will a graduate program for anesthesia take into consideration that I completed my degree in a very tough program, or is this not the case? I can't imagine that a 3.7 from a community college is the same as a 3.7 at BC. I was very successful in High school and I know I am capable of doing the work, but it doesn't reflect in my GPA.

Critical and rational advice would be SO helpful

Thank you!

[WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I can't imagine that a 3.7 from a community college is the same as a 3.7 at BC.

Why not? I'm not sure if you are aware but CC programs can actually be more rigorous and competitive than 4-year programs. Just a FYI, and I sincerely hope you don't day something like that while you are doing clinicals or to any of your instructors who very well may have been CC grads at one point.

I don't think very many schools take into account the program you graduated from, as all RNs pass the NCLEX regardless. GPA is GPA regardless of where you went.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

Your argument that a "very rigorous" Boston College GPA should be better than an "imagined" Community College GPA is flawed and will not make any difference on your application.

Attitude displayed in the interview, however, can make a great deal of difference. The CRNA school I am familiar with does consider personalities and "fit" for the program.

No one cares if you think you are capable of doing the work, they look at results.

[BCnursingkid]

Do you know this from experience or are you assuming?

[berms123]

Most programs do not care where you completed your coursework or how rigorous other programs may have been. I know from experience and will agree with the other posters that it all can vary. I have had very hard CC professors in the past and easier professors at 4-year universities.

That being said, it really varies from program to program. Grades are very important but they are not everything. A lot of programs, if not most, will consider you as whole. Meaning personality, extra certifications, committees you have joined at the hospital, experience, etc...But it ultimately it will fall on the people interviewing and what they take into consideration. I would recommend finding what schools you are interested in, emailing the directors or appropriate person and ask them what they look for.

[BCnursingkid]

Thank you so much! I think reaching out to these programs would probably be the best idea.

[micurn0126]

Speaking from experience as someone who was recently accepted to anesthesia school:

GPA was only one aspect of the interview. Personally I had a 3.7 from undergrad (my respective school average was a 3.5). The point is that if your GPA isn't up to par, what other aspects do you make up for that with? Experience? Being able to articulate concepts in a tough interview setting? Shadowing ventures? Passing CCRN and NCLEX first try?

Having a less than stellar GPA may not prevent an individual from getting in but lacking in several of these areas likely would. And the other side of the coin is this: if someone has a 4.0 but can't interview well, failed certification exams repeatedly and comes across as someone unpleasant to work with - that individual will have a harder time getting in.

[DAN CRNA, CRNA]

I don't think that any program would really care much about your "rigorous" nursing program, unless BC has a CRNA program and you are applying to that. Then, they know how "rigorous" undergrad is. Rigorous is a very relative word.

A good GPA would definitely help you and put you up at the top of the list, but as everyone said, it is not all.

BTW, I was a Community College RN with 3.9 GPA, Bachelor RN 3.8, and CRNA Master's 3.8.

I'm sure you are very capable. Unfortunately, you can keep saying that and no one is going to believe it until they see something in writing.....

Good luck.

[loveanesthesia]

A 3.4 GPA in a BSN , or an ADN entry to practice RN program is competitive. If someone has a poor GPA in an ADN program and then brings the total GPA up by getting As in a BSN completion program, then that is not viewed favorably. Some of the BSN completion programs are not rigorous.

[ashley1033]

I ran into a similar situation when I was applying for law school in the years past. Law schools don't require that you have a degree in any particular field; it simply has to be a Bachelor's degree. They do look at GPA, but they also take into consideration the strength of your GPA to the difficulty of your major. A 4.0 GPA in English is not the same as a 4.0 in Physics to law school admission panels. They tend to go easier on those individuals who have majored in a "difficult" field such as math, science and only got a 3.0 or so GPA. Even the top law schools in the country have let individuals like this in because they picked a more intensive field and they did well on the LSAT exam. I'm not implying that any nursing program or CRNA program does this, but it does exist in the academic world in other fields.

[Openairway]

Adcomms look at a lot more than just GPA. I have a 4.0 BSN GPA and 6 years in a L1 trauma ICU and did not even get an interview at some schools I applied to. Yet, later on I found out that one school admitted someone with a 3.2 GPA and 1 year in an ICU. Do your best, If one school doesn't work out another one will if you try hard enough and long enough.