Please help. I just need help. Accelerated BSN.

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Hi, thank you for your time.

I graduated in 2013 with a Psychology BS and a 3.0GPA (this is low due to my poor study habits and my pre-medical concentration). I have been working as a ED scribe for 2 years now. This last semester I took A&P 2 and Microbiology at a community college and received a 4.0 GPA. My study habits and work ethic have GREATLY improved.

Can anyone give me recommendations on which 1 year or 2 year BSN programs I might have a chance of getting accepted to? I live in upstate NY.

I have no one else to go to for guidance. I keep getting hit in the face with rejections. There is nothing I can do to cover up my poor undergraduate GPA but I have changed so much since then and I kick myself everyday for the mistakes I made in undergrad. I know I can be successful now - I tried to prove this with the 4.0 I just received. I just need to know which schools will give me an opportunity to gain this nursing degree.

Please help if you can.

Thank you

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Specializes in Primary Care.

Have you looked into Edinboro University in northwestern Pennsylvania? They have a 3 semester accelerated BSN program.

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Well, first off, try not to beat yourself up over that 3.0. You can't change it, and you've obviously moved forward from it and learned better study habits/taken things more seriously more recently. Try not to let that GPA kill your confidence or drive moving forward. In my opinion, that shows personal growth! I'm not sure how all schools will see it, but I was in kind of the same position and I was just accepted to an accelerated program myself, so keep plugging away!

Have you thought about volunteering or finding an administrative position (or something else you're qualified to do) at some kind of medical facility? It might be worthwhile to gain some experience and/or build a good reputation among individuals who might be able to write you a decent recommendation letter. I think this was what gave me an edge when I was applying to schools (seeing as I had zero medical experience and a 3.3 undergrad in English). I had some great people on my side who were really pulling for me.

I know adding more time on to this goal isn't the ideal solution, but the reality is that if you've been hit with a few rejections and don't know where to turn or how else to make yourself a stronger candidate, this might take more time than you had originally anticipated. You want a decent education, don't you? Wouldn't you prefer some real mentors in your educational experience? I wouldn't sacrifice my education to get this degree faster/easier. From what I've seen across this website, nursing is no cake walk. It behooves us newbies to have some real educators in our corner;)

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Specializes in Underserved Populations; ER.

Hi sm001,

Your ER scribe experience is very, very valuable and I would be playing that up in my applications. That job requires great attention to detail, knowledge of medical terminology, and smarts. I wish I had some specific schools to recommend but I don't - I do recommend that you hit up the ER nurses and other RNs in the hospital for their recommendations on schools. It is a small world sometimes and you never know who might have a friend or relative that is faculty somewhere.

Also, if I was in your shoes, I'd make a list of the schools that I wanted to go to and whose minimum requirements I met, then try to get interviews with someone in the various NSG departments to ask their advice about getting. Be your friendly, confidant but humble self if you do get a chance to chat with someone -when it comes down to choices between candidates with equal academics, if the faculty are in a position to do so, they will go with that person they saw face-to-face and liked. Regardless of whether or not you can get interviews, make your statement of purpose (or whatever the letter is called) stand out. That letter needs to shine - have a few people you respect read it for you and take their comments seriously.

Best set of luck to you,

pdq

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I live in CA so I don't really have any suggestions as to which programs might work for you, but if you are really bummed about your GPA you can try a post-baccalaureate program. Some of these programs are "grade enhancer" programs, which "provide an opportunity for pre-health career students to strengthen their academic background prior to application for admission to a health professional school."

Good luck!

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It depends which type of nursing program you are looking into! There are quite a few ABSN programs and even more BSN programs. ABSN programs in NY include - Adelphi, Binghamton, Mount Saint Vincent, New Rochelle, Columbia, Concordia, Farmingdale, Hartwick, Hunter, Le Moyne, Lehman, Long Island, Molloy, New York University, Niagara, Pace, Stony Brook, Brockport, Sage Colleges, University at Buffalo, Rochester, Utica, and Wagner College.

This website should help - American Association of Colleges of Nursing | Home

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thank you for all the help everyone! i just received my first decision letter and it was an acceptance to an accelerated program at a prestigious school! so happy =)

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