Pre-nursing degree GPA.

[jayxcub, BSN]

I know there are a bunch of questions regarding first-degree GPAs on here, but I haven't quite found the right one, so I hope I'm not repeating things too much.

I am looking into doing a second-degree, accelerated BSN program. My first undergrad GPA is a 2.98 (infuriating that it's so close to a 3.0) but this does not include pre-reqs because somehow I managed to graduate without taking very many science courses. I plan on taking pre-reqs at a community college over the next few semesters as a non-matriculating student, so that will hopefully bump my GPA up significantly. Have other people who took pre-reqs after they already got their first degree done them as a non-degree seeking student at a community college? I know a lot of folks have gone to community college, but I'm wondering if it matters if I take those classes as a non-degree seeking student.

Now for the second question. I also have a masters degree. I have read several places that simply having a masters may not be super helpful, but I am wondering if people who have shown a great improvement in their GPA over time (especially in something as rigorous as grad school) have been able to use that to their advantage when applying to accelerated BSN programs. I can clearly excel at school, but are schools going to take the time to see that or merely look at my original undergrad GPA and write me off?

Thanks so much in advance for whatever advice y'all can give me.

[CDEWannaBe]

I've just been accepted to an accelerated BSN program with a really similar background to yours. I did badly in my undergrad and my GPA was less than a 3.0. But I had gotten straight A's my senior year.

20 years later I took nursing prereq classes at the community college and got A's in them. The program I applied to puts the most emphasis on prereq grades and on GPA for my last 60 credit hours, which made me competitive.

All of the students in my community college classes have been pre-nursing, pre-med, pre-dental and are planning to finish at many different schools. Just make sure that the university you want to attend and the community college have an agreement of the clases that transfer. Many schools will post these course equvalency tables on their websites.

Start picking away at your prerequisites and see if you have the science and math skills to do well. Once you have completed a few classes, meet with an advisor from the Accelerated program and have them evaluate your transcripts. Good luck!