return student with low gpa

Justanotherday · Jan 20, 2010

If it were me, I would start completely over with a new, blank slate and work my butt off this time around. Is that an option for you?

Looking2Excel · Jan 20, 2010

I too regret my past schooling venture. I dropped out of high school twice and vowed to never return. That was about 13 years ago. I have since straightened my act. I own a successful business, have 3 precious children and a wonderful wife. I am now at the point where I want to not have to worry about the company every waking hour (I even dream about it), and have been interested in nursing for some time. So I decided to go to school for it. I am currently taking A&P1, math, and english. I am enjoying school this time around, since it is something I want to do vs. something I am being forced to do. My advise, don't look into the past as it really has nothing to do with your future. Just learn from your mistakes, redo the classes you have to take again, and do it right this time around. Plus your grades should be much higher since you have been over the material before. Best of luck to ya!

Coriander, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2010

I went back to school with a 1.32 GPA. Those lovely numbers were from when I was 18 and really stupid, so happy to be out of my parents' grasp that I just didn't go to school.

I returned to college when I was 32. I aced all of my courses (with the exception of a B+ in Anatomy)... just to prove to myself that I could.

Don't give up. Retake courses you did poorly in, and set your sights on the future. You can do it. :)

newbiepnp, MSN, RN, NP, CNS · Jan 20, 2010

I am in the very same situation. Unfortunately there are many schools that judge by GPA from previous degree only. I am steering clear away from these schools, as I don't want to go to schools that are interested in what I did 20 years ago, and they wouldn't take me anyway.

Be proud of what you are able to achieve now and be sure your essays explain how you have changed and why you are a different person now.

Good luck.

caliotter3 · Jan 20, 2010

The best thing to do is to avoid the schools that are more interested in what you did years ago. You might want to consider starting over with a clean slate like previously suggested. As long as you don't get caught at it, that would give you the best options with the least problems.

witty_online_moniker · Jan 21, 2010

I have a similar issue. I am currently taking pre-req courses at a community college and it may be one of my best options for the nursing program as well. They take only your most recent 30 credits to determine GPA if you have a previous Bachelor's degree. When researching other programs in my area, the GPA requirements are quite different from school to school as are the applications - some appear to base acceptance on numbers alone, others have essays, recommendations and other factors that they use to determine who to admit. If a school accepts students based on a points system, then a low undergrad GPA might not necessarily make you or break you. My current plan is to ace the courses that I am taking as a post-Baccalaureate student and focus on schools that take more well-rounded applicants. I simply can't imagine that I'm the first prospective nursing student that needs a little GPA repair.

I made a lot of stupid mistakes as a young college student but I'm a completely different student now than I was 10-15 years ago. I know the rationale is probably that past behavior in similar situations is the best indicator of future behavior, but it stinks for those of us that weren't in the right frame of mind for college the first time around. Is it even possible to start over with a completely clean slate? On pretty much every college application I have seen you have to disclose all previous college experience and submit transcripts. The thing that kills me is that some schools won't give you credit for certain courses that are over two years old (particularly math and science) but yet they want all of those old grades to count for my GPA? Frustrating!