Shocking amount of past bad grades is it possible to redeem myself

roser13, ASN, RN · Sep 23, 2017

No one here will be mean. Just don't confuse realistic replies with mean replies.

omgitswee · Sep 23, 2017

I was in a similar situation when I applied to nursing school. I had over 5 W's (dropped classes), one F, and a couple of Ds. My TEAS score was pretty decent though, I tested in high 90s in all categories and after not getting into my first choice the first time I applied, I stuck it out retook some classes and made it into my dream school the second time around even though my GPA was less than 3.0. If you stick it out and retake a few classes and raise your GPA you can increase your chances to getting into a local school. I recommend researching a few nursing schools that you want to go to and find out what their average applicant stats are like and even scheduling to take to an academic advisor to seeing where you stand. I don't like to recommend this but worse case senario there are private nursing colleges such as west coast... they cost an arm and a leg, but they do tend to accept majority of applicants.

If nursing is your passion, stick it out, research a few good choices and try as best as you can! I didn't think I'd get in, but magically (still no idea how I got in) I stuck it out and now I'm conquering my next mountain which is the actual nursing school itself. Good luck!

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Sep 23, 2017

Where do you live? Because I know of several programs where dumb freshman mistakes don't come back to haunt you if you've turned it around.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Sep 23, 2017

Check the transfer credit policy for the schools you want to apply to. Many require that the transfer credits be less than 5 yrs old. Since your are 8-9 yrs old, you may have to retake them anyway without them counting against you.

Sturmzie · Sep 23, 2017

In oregon

MotoMonkey, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2017

I would look into specific programs and see their requirements. I know that the GPA requirement for some nursing programs in Oregon only takes into account the GPA for your nursing prerequisites. This does mean, however, that if you have bad grades in things like writing, math, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, ect you would need to retake those classes to earn a better grade in order to be competitive in your nursing application.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 24, 2017

Don't feel bad! I was in the same situation and have earned my BSN and MSN from a great school.

1. Nursing schools are most interested in your nursing prereq GPA. These classes all have to be taken within the last 5 years. So, you have a clean slate there and would have to retake any prereqs you took before, anyway. Try to get a 4.0 on your nursing prereqs.

2. That said, it will be harder to get into a good nursing school with a terrible overall GPA. If possible, retake classes in which you got a C, D, F, or incomplete. W's do not count against your GPA, so don't worry about those.

3. You can talk about your past GPA in your essay and what you learned from your experience. If you do well in school from this point on, it will be fine.

4. Your GPA is only one part of the admissions criteria. If your school requires a standardized test, do well on that. Your work, volunteer, and life experience is also a factor.

5. Personally, I strongly suggest all prenursing students take and pass a CNA course. This will ensure you are prepared for nursing and really want to do this. It will look good on your application. And it is also a good job for a nursing student. Some CNA employers also provide tuition assistance to employees.

So, take a deep breath! It will be ok if you do well from now on. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from those mistakes. Good luck!

SapphireKitten, CNA · Sep 24, 2017

I'm currently applying to the best undergrad BSN program in my state, and they stress that they only look at your nursing pre-req GPA! I was thrilled to learn this because I had a similar situation back in 2013 straight after high school. I attended college in a totally not-serious state of mind, and ended up with all Cs, Bs, and Ws on my transcript. Like you, I was really worried that it would hinder my dreams of nursing school. I inquired about this, and the school reassured me that they don't even look at those non pre-req courses and my grades. Same thing with any courses I retook, they only look at the most recent, required courses.

So, I would suggest looking into the programs you're interested in to see if they have a similar policy. Good luck!

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2017

My first round of school was less than stellar. I was a pissed off teenager who a) didn't want to move from Chicago to pudunk USA and b) who wanted to be a paramedic. So, I rebelled and failed miserably. (Finally did manage to get my AS in Rad Tech). Fast forward many years. I decide I do want to be a nurse and go back to school. M GPA was 2.1.

The first school I looked at wouldn't except me: I had failed out of a nursing school before so, sorry. I continued on getting all my pre-reqs, took the GRE (requirement for the second program I tried) and managed to get into their program. Sadly, I had to move before I could start. Got into one of the more competitive programs in my new community. I've been a nurse for 6 years now!

Moral of the story: Don't give up. Work your backside off. Some schools only look at your pre-reqs. some look at the overall GPA. Make an appointment with the school you are interested in to talk about what you need to take, etc. It might take hard work but you can't give up.

kconrad1712 · Oct 3, 2017

I'm in Illinois and the school I am attending has a set of criteria for guaranteed admission and another, less strict set for qualified entry into the ranking system. I suggest looking into the specific program requirements and focus on meeting those goals. If they only look at certain criteria, concentrate on that instead of your GPA overall. Most nursing schools only care about your GPA based on pre-req grades. I am in the same boat. I met the minimum GPA for pre-req's (thank you baby Jesus) because my overall GPA wasn't going to cut it due to past mistakes, and I qualified for guaranteed admission due to my TEAS-V score. Good luck!

RowzyO · Oct 3, 2017

I just got my acceptance into an ADN program where I live in California and was also in the same boat as you. I had a very low GPA and thought that it would be near impossible to get into an RN program without having to pay a pretty penny (close to $60,000 for a local program). I spoke to the nursing counselor at the school I wanted to attend and asked her what I could do to help my chances. She gave me two goals:1) Get all A's in all courses from that point on and 2) Get a 87 or higher on the TEAS 6 exam. So I focused on those goals and was able to meet them. Every school has slightly different requirements, check with a counselor before you count yourself out. As far as past D's and F's, some schools have a thing called Academic Forgiveness. If you retake classes in which you received those low grades in and can show that you are more serious about your schooling, some schools will have those low grades not calculated into your overall GPA (they will always be on your transcripts though).

Hang in there! If it's something you really want, you will do whatever is necessary to fulfill your goals.