Scared out of my mind about Pre Nursing grades

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Hello, I am in my fall semester of school (I'm retaking some classes and doing my Microbiology). In total I am taking 6 classes this semester and I have mostly B's in my sciences

 

- I would like an A in AP1 but I'm sitting at a 79.5 (in my school that's a B and our lowest test hasn't been dropped) and with Micro I am trying to obtain an A in lecture through the final

* The counselors/advisors at our school aren't helpful whatsoever. 

My grades for my sciences are B's mostly (AP1 is a B in both lecture and lab , AP2 , which I've took in the Summer is a B in both lecture and lab , I am still in micro which is a B in lecture but an A in lab , with English I have a B and Math I have an A , I've taken this along with AP2 in the Summer). I'm worried that these grades aren't good enough 

My school's requirements to get into nursing are a C or higher in the classes , a GPA of 2.75 (which is mines but I got a C the last time so if I get a B in anatomy the B replaces the C) , leaving my GPA at a solid B average. The nursing school is extremely competitive so I am a bit scared that a 3 point whatever GPA won't cut it, I take my NLNs in January

 

Do these grades seem "competitive" and do you guys have any advice.

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How does your school decide who gets into the nursing program? Points? Lottery? Wait list? "Holistic"? Each one has pros and cons for students depending on their educational/professional background.

At this point it sounds like it might be difficult to change your odds of getting into your current school, so really all you can do is apply and see. However, you can change your odds of getting into any nursing program by applying to multiple schools. That might help to reduce your anxiety about not being good enough for your current school.

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We go by a point system in my school , it's a pain because you find more information about this from the nursing students than the advisors themselves ( You need like an 80 or higher to get in actually). I am thinking of applying to another school as a backup plan. I am gonna retake the NLNs again and score higher.

But I am gonna try to push things through if I can get at least an "B" in AP1 that will be fine , but then again our grades haven't dropped yet and  with Microbiology passing the final that I found can easily but me at an A.

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Specializes in OR.

Remember that just because you meet the "requirements" to apply to a nursing program does not mean you are a competitive applicant. 

Usually, schools publish statistics on the average GPA of the most recent cohort admitted. If you can't find them on the program website, try emailing the admissions coordinator of the program you are applying to and asking what they are. This information should be available to you. I strongly advise you to look at these numbers and compare them to your own GPA - are they comparable? If not, you may need to retake some classes to boost your GPA.

What grades you need will vary depending on where you live, but in my area anything lower than a 3.7 (cumulative AND science only) disqualifies you from most if not all programs. 

It shouldn't be so hard to get into nursing school, but unfortunately there is a shortage of nursing instructors because they are not well paid, so most nurses with advanced degrees don't want to teach. As a result, the demand for nursing education outpaces the supply which is why nursing programs have become super competitive to get into.

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28 minutes ago, kubelkabondy said:

Remember that just because you meet the "requirements" to apply to a nursing program does not mean you are a competitive applicant. 

Usually, schools publish statistics on the average GPA of the most recent cohort admitted. If you can't find them on the program website, try emailing the admissions coordinator of the program you are applying to and asking what they are. This information should be available to you. I strongly advise you to look at these numbers and compare them to your own GPA - are they comparable? If not, you may need to retake some classes to boost your GPA.

What grades you need will vary depending on where you live, but in my area anything lower than a 3.7 (cumulative AND science only) disqualifies you from most if not all programs. 

It shouldn't be so hard to get into nursing school, but unfortunately there is a shortage of nursing instructors because they are not well paid, so most nurses with advanced degrees don't want to teach. As a result, the demand for nursing education outpaces the supply which is why nursing programs have become super competitive to get into.

Hey ? I am retaking some of the classes , my main goals to retake are AP1 and English , I'm currently acing them but my main goal is the NLN.  The only problem I come into is that I can never find the nursing instructor instead I'm referred back to a counselor .

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I would definitely ignore the "minimum" requirement because there will most likely be students who are applying with test scores and grades well above that. You should shoot for much higher and try to be well above the average. I see that you're taking quite a few classes at once (especially sciences). Sometimes your grade can suffer if you're taking too many of those at the same time. Also, consider applying to multiple ADN and BSN programs. Not just the one that's based at the school you attend. If possible, maybe you could consider applying to a school that's in an area you're willing to move to. 

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Hi chempansy ? I am aiming for at least an A in micro and anatomy along with a A in English , things seem to be getting better with school. I didn't mention but I had a situation that happened as well. If I can pass these then I can get in...well hopefully. I'm also applying to other schools as soon as this semester is over as well.

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9 hours ago, TheNursingdoll said:

Hi chempansy ? I am aiming for at least an A in micro and anatomy along with a A in English , things seem to be getting better with school. I didn't mention but I had a situation that happened as well. If I can pass these then I can get in...well hopefully. I'm also applying to other schools as soon as this semester is over as well.

Yeah, schools are just super competitive. So I feel lucky to get accepted into a BSN program that isn’t a private school. Especially since I didn’t have the best grades or test scores. It’s sad when students have to resort to private and go into immense debt because they don’t have a chance against other competitive applicants. 

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Specializes in oncology.
3 hours ago, chempansy said:

It’s sad when students have to resort to private and go into immense debt because they don’t have a chance against other competitive applicants. 

I feel this too. But I taught for a couple of programs that essentially took every one minimally qualified and we had a wait list that at one time was for 3 years. Some students' sciences 'timed out' while waiting. We lost good students who went elsewhere.  Some students were clearly not able to take on a rigorous program of study and failed out along the way after admission. Others were academically able when they showed up but had a poor work ethic. A state supported school cannot afford to let empty seats of a significant number continue. Failing students leave with debt and a poor academic record. After all the community taxes are the support of the school and our community needed nurses. When we were voting on a 'points system' I voted no. I believed that any person in the district should be able to attend the program. I was out voted. Fast forward to the next years of admissions. We enrolled  students who were prepared for the rigors and demands of a demanding academic program. There was no more waitlist so students did not have to wait  up to 3 years if selected.  Our retention rate was 100% and our students were receiving accolades from the community. 

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