Scared of being rejected from nursing school...

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Hello,

I am currently in the prep phase of applying for University of Northern Colorado's Second degree Accelerated BSN program.

I finished my undergrad 10 years ago. I took cop out science classes in college (Geology classes). I plan to go back to school to complete all of my nursing prerequisites. My plan is to pass with A's as I feel that's the only way I'll be accepted into their program.

I don't know exactly what my undergrad GPA was. Probably 3.0, but it could have been lower. UNC requires 3.0-4.0 for acceptance. None the less, I think your GPA actually needs to be closer to a 4.0. So, my previous low GPA probably won't cut it. I'm still waiting to get my official transcript to see what classes will transfer from my previous Bach degree. I don't know how much of my undergrad past will haunt me. The fact is I have never excelled in science/math. So, I plan to make up for it with taking the prerequisites through community college.

Even though it's scary, I know I have to do this. Overcome the fear and just make it happen. No looking back.

Does anyone have ANY advice about what I can do to ensure I get accepted? Will taking nursing prerequisites and excelling now be enough?

UNC is extremely competitive. I assume I won't be accepted the first time around.

Should I be trying to volunteer at the local hospital? I also have worked as a birth doula for the past 6 years so I have relationships with nurses from the local hospital/s. Maybe that experience will help?

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Hi there,

let me tell you, all you need is hope and belief in yourself. Do not doubt of your abilities. What happened 10 years ago in your undergrad, is not an indication same will happen to you now. Take that as a learning experience and adjust your life to meet the needs of your current endeavor. From what I have researched, many schools do look at your undergrad GPA (since these are accelerated programs, and having an undergrad is a requirement), but they also look at your pre-reqs' GPA. So, doing well on your pre-reqs is very, very important! As long as your pre-req PGA is within the required GPA range of 3.0-4.0, you should be fine in that department.

As you have pointed out, ABSN programs are very competitive so you will need to have something extra to stand out amongst hundreds of other applicants. Yes, having some experience in healthcare field is beneficial. Volunteering is a good way to enhance your resume/CV. You may also want to get your CNA certification, work as a CNA while completing your pre-reqs. You will get that needed experience to put on your resume/CV and you will be paid as well! Finally, think of top three choices for your recommendation letters. These are also important. Finally, finally, whatever essay you will have to write, take your time with this one as well. Make sure you are straight-forward, short and sweet but most importantly straight to the point and with passion in your heart.

I hope this helps!

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Does UNC require/allow submission of standardized test scores to help support an otherwise weaker academic record? I'm pretty sure my high GREs did a lot to make up for my sub-3.0 undergrad GPA when I applied to MSN, 18 years after getting my BA (and getting a 'D' in Geology while I was there!) I did all my nursing pre-reqs last year at community college, and maintained a 4.0 for all of them.

I think it's safe to say that programs want to see what you are capable of NOW, not what you could do 10 years ago, so your plan sounds good.

Have you tried talking to the folks at UNC's admissions office? They probably can't give you a formula, but they should be able to give you a sense of whether/how an old undergrad GPA will affect your current chances.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in GENERAL.

Don' t put all the eggs in one basket. Give youself a little breathing room.

Nurses for the most part are not science and math geniuses, although some are.

Whatever you do, don't go to any for-profit such as South Universty or University of Phoenix.

They will admit a three toed sloth and they have the graduation and retention rates to prove it.

Just go to (collegescorecard.ed.gov) to see what I'm talking about.

There you may find other possibilities without getting the hard sell and inundated with telphone calls and emails from jerks trying to make their sales driven matrix goals.

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I am a pre-nursing student at University of Northern Colorado and I am also terrified I will not be accepted into the program. My sister went through a similar process where she failed a class and it dropped her GPA to the point where no nursing program would look at her. She had to take easy classes to bring up her GPA before applying to the nursing program.

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I think a little fear is healthy ;)

All of your questions really depend on the program you're applying to. Some nursing schools take ALL courses into account (mine does). Some only consider prerequisite grades. Some allow you to retake courses that you did poorly in, some don't. I'd check out the website of the school you're hoping to get into - mine has all the information I could possibly need. My school also has information meetings once a month where they review the program, acceptance, requirements, etc and then there's an open question period. It's really helpful.

With the volunteering, that again depends on your school - mine doesn't care at all, they don't even ask about it.

As far as what you can do right now, study for the TEAS or HESI, work hard on your prerequisites and keep your chin up.

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I'm still so afraid of this! I began pre-req last Jan. And, I'm almost finished with them. Unfortunately, I have gotten 2 B's throughout the three semesters I've been back. I'm pretty positive UNC is out of the question now. But, after I received my first B, I instantly felt a load of pressure off my shoulders. I'll just have to keep my options open. I'm sure I can find someone that will accept me with two B's. If not, I guess I'll have to retake them. I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world. Just want to get the ball rolling already!

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Thank you! I have since done this. I created a pretty spreadsheet of all of the programs (somewhat) close to me. This help a lot! Thanks for the advice.

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