Second Degree Nursing admission: Does what undergraduate college you come from matter

[iridescence89]

Hi everyone,

I just turned 22 and am looking to pursue a second degree in nursing now that I have just graduated with a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) from Carnegie Mellon University (ranked #23 undergrad college in the nation; #7 for its business program).

I was wondering if nursing schools take into consideration which undergraduate college you received your first bachelor degree from? When nursing admissions review your transcript and GPA.. do they only look at the GPA you have and disregard the college you received it from, or do they look at the college and GPA?

I'm concerned because I graduated with a 3.12 cumulative GPA, but I scored a 2140 on the SAT (only taken once, math: 780, reading: 650, writing: 710) and landed good jobs (with salary of 50K-55K) because employers knew I was graduating from a good school. I know I should've worked harder, but I had no passion for my major as my studies continued, which is why I want to make the switch to nursing now instead of working a boring desk job!

Since my business major is quite unrelated to nursing, will the nursing schools I'm applying to care that I graduated from my college? I'm afraid they will just see my 3.12 GPA and automatically think I'm incompetent. I could've easily gone to a much easier or relaxed college (I also got into University of Texas at Austin, Wellesley, Boston College, Trinity University, Purdue University..) and obtained a higher GPA, but I wanted to challenge myself and thus enrolled in a more rigorous undergrad program.

Any input would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much!!

P.S. I do not mean to offend anyone or brag about my school. I just wanted to give you a picture of where I'm coming from. Since you don't know me, I figured that I would just share with you college statistics and my general statistics..

[mangopeach]

I doubt that the school you went to will matter. Have you done the nursing pre-reqs yet? If not, ace them and you can raise your GPA up a bit.

[tothc2]

I am starting Pitt's ABSN program this fall and our gpas are the same. I went to a less well known school than you did, too! Make sure you do well in your pre-reqs (A's) and have good LORs and GRE. Any extra curriculars and a good admission essay help! They definitely look at more than just your gpa. Also look at Duquesne, Robert Morris and Waynesburg. Lots of options in Pittsburgh! Good luck!

[iridescence89]

oh wow UPitt has an amazing nursing program!! Thanks for your response, and good luck!

[spore2008]

Most selective programs for second degree students-be it ABSN, Generalist Entry Masters, Combined Degree Programs-look for well-rounded individuals. That being said, a 3.0 GPA is almost always required before the rest of an applicant's layers can be admired. I graduated from a highly selective liberal arts college in 1998 with a sub-par GPA (

I do agree that your undergraduate institution will matter only later on. Your GPA is still above the minimum so your application will be looked at and not trashed. Good luck.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

My first undergraduate degree was in Business Administration, IU Kelly School of Business :-) I did graduate with a 3.82, but honestly, I don’t think that was a factor in my getting accepted into nursing school. My pre-req GPA weighed heavily as well as my TEAS exam. You will be fine. Good luck to you!!

[iPink, BSN, RN]

They won't care what school you attended. You have at least a 3.0, so you've met the basics for most ABSN programs. Do WELL on your prerequisites. I'm not going to tell you to Ace them because I didn't and I easily got into mine. Write a great essay and find great references. Be prepared for sleepless nights when in the program. These programs are doable and you can have a life (including a job) while in the program. They are rigorous, but only you know what you can or can't handle. As for me, I didn't come from a strong science background, so I often find myself studying harder than students with a science background. For example, Pathophysiology class came very easy to many of the students in my cohort with the science background. I had to work harder to get that A.

Common sence doesn't always equal nursing common sence. One you find a program, start getting NCLEX type books to get you practicing how to answer questions that are geared to nursing judgement or FIRST priorty. Or buying a test taking skills book, as there are always 2 good answers on a nursing question, but you have to choose the best one that answers the question. You'll understand all this later when you get there.

Good luck with your decision.