Is it possible to get accepted to a MEPN program with less than average GPA

[JazzyOneRN]

Hello;

I would like to get the opinion of any and everyone on this. I have a low GPA from my non-nursing degree mainly because of my first year in undergrad and because of my sketchy work schedule. I work swing shift from days to midnights for 5 1/2 years My job paid for me to attend school, but I had to fit school in my work schedule. I did graduate college, but due to the crazy work hours and mandatory over time, this caused my grades to be sketchy as well. At the time I felt that If I didnt attend school full time I would become discouraged and frustrated with the constant change in my work schedule and not go to school at all. I did what I had to do and I decided to finish undergrad full time despite being on midnights 2 weeks out of the month and on day shift the other two weeks and times in between on afternoon shift. I spoke with all of my professors in undergrad and explained my work schedule the majority of them understood and was more than willing to work with me, but the others basically told me do what I can, but if im not in class everyday then that will affect my grade. I couldn't afford to get another withdrawl on my transcript nor could I afford an F, so I either got a c, d, or F, but I did finish.

I think with that Im worried that my gpa which is a 2.8 overall including post grad classes that I have taken will not get me accepted into the MEPN that Im applying to. I know my first choice school does not have a minimum GPA for undergrad, the only prereq's are to have an undergraduate degree in any field, a statistics class with a C or better and Anatomy and Physiology and if thats not been taken, its not required. I have shadowed an NP. I work/volunteer in a domestic Violence shelter as the sexual advocate assistant. So I have clinical experience under my belt. I have had a wealth of life experiences, I know an RN who also has a masters degree, but not an NP, who is my mentor who also works as a nurse at my job (I work in a factory for one of the big three automotive companies) who is writing a letter of recommendation for me as well. I just have to score better than average on the GRE test.

Do you think my GPA is going to be a stumbling block for me getting into grad school? All opinions are welcomed

--Christina

Do you think my low GPA will cost me not to get into any MEPN/GEPN programs

[utexas08]

I just found out today that Columbia looks at the GPA from the school where your undergrad is/was conferred. They do not add all of your coursework together to get a cumulative GPA. This bothers me because my cumulative GPA is substantially higher than what they will be using. They said that they do take all work into account, but do not calculate a total GPA. Does anyone know if Yale does this too, or if they add all grades together into one GPA? Thanks!

[ejlaca]

It is possible to get in with a GPA like yours, but you need to give them a reason to accept you over a person with a higher GPA. I am currently finishing my first year in the UCLA MECN program. My undergrad GPA was in your range. Like you, I had my issues in undergrad. But I corrected it all when I took my prereqs and had a 3.9 GPA in those classes. I had clinical experience which also helped my application. But the bottom line is what got me in was my personal statement. UCLA doesn't grant interviews, so my personal statement was the only way I could convey to them that they needed to accept me. I explained my less than stellar undergrad GPA, accentuated my clinical experience and high prereq GPA, and told them I would be an asset to their program. And it worked. So I would say give it a shot. And if they have a personal statement that you can write, consider it the most important paper you will write in your graduate school career.

Good luck

[BerkeleyMom]

It is possible to get in with a GPA like yours, but you need to give them a reason to accept you over a person with a higher GPA. I am currently finishing my first year in the UCLA MECN program. My undergrad GPA was in your range. Like you, I had my issues in undergrad. But I corrected it all when I took my prereqs and had a 3.9 GPA in those classes. I had clinical experience which also helped my application. But the bottom line is what got me in was my personal statement. UCLA doesn't grant interviews, so my personal statement was the only way I could convey to them that they needed to accept me. I explained my less than stellar undergrad GPA, accentuated my clinical experience and high prereq GPA, and told them I would be an asset to their program. And it worked. So I would say give it a shot. And if they have a personal statement that you can write, consider it the most important paper you will write in your graduate school career.

Good luck

Very well put ejilaca, I completely agree. The personal statement is going to be a critical selling point to make your application stand out. I did not do this, but have heard of people getting writing coaches to help them with their papers. If you don't know anyone that can help you proofread/edit, that may be worth looking into.

I also think it is worth applying to ADN and ABSN programs in edition to the DE programs. That will give you time to pump up your GPA and get experience in the field. Then, when you apply for the MSN, *you* can decide what school *you" want to go to, not just settling for whoever let you in.

It seems, based on this thread and similar threads, that the universities that do not have a min GPA, and a lot of DE programs in general, come with a hefty price tag to match! ... I am about to enter one, and BIG DEBT here I come! (it is always more than you think it is going to be due to rising fees, additional expenses, and interest rates).

Best of luck!!!

-Berkeley

[emmidoniak]

Hi All,

I am having the same problem. I will be graduating with my bachelors in kinesiology this summer with a concentration in exercise science. As of now my GPA is about a 2.7. I am still enrolled in my last semester and I am taking 18 units and I now have A's in all my classes and plan to keep it that way so my GPA will be higher when I receive my degree. Although most of my science grades are a C. My grades were not the best because I took on too much. I took 20-24 units my junior and and senior year and I worked two jobs and was also a college athlete on the soccer team. After my college eligibility was up I had dreams of playing professionally so I was concentrating more on training for soccer try outs than I was on school. I played professionally for one season and then the league folded. So now I have decided to concentrate on school. My main goal is to get my masters in physician assistant with a specialization in orthopedics and surgery. I was told it was best to work in the medical field first and since I have my bachelors in a science related field I have most of my sciences classes out of the way so I was going to do the accelereated BSN program but then I saw the MEPN programs and decided that might be best for me but I am not sure? I want to get my masters anyways so I thought this might be my best option and it is kind of the same curriculum as the accelerated BSN. I plan to volunteer at our local hospital as soon as possible. I live in California but at this point in time I am open to going to any school. I am not picky I just really do not want to stop going to school because if I do I feel that it will be hard for me to get back into it. My GPA does not really reflect what kind of student I am because now that I actually have time to open a good I am doing really well in school so I am hoping when I apply I can explain that to the admissions. I love this field and I am so set on doing this. Does anyone have any advice? Or any schools that they could recommend with for me? Thank you all so much.

Emmi