Should I not even try?

[TryinginTX]

I'm getting a little discouraged lately by me reading the requirements to get accepted into a nursing program. I didn't take college so seriously back in my younger years, almost 5 years ago, so I had a lot of Withdrawals and a lot of F's because I just was too lazy to Withdrawal. A lot of my pre-reqs will be my 3 time taking them, and Psychology will actually be my 4^th. The only college that I'm seeing a three strike rule with is Univeristy of Texas at Arlington, but is every other program like this also. I cannot, not be a nurse. It's my passion, my dream, the only thing I want to do with my life. I'm already in the medical field just not as a nurse. But it really is just my whole heart, and I will not give up to be a nurse, but am I being practical, do I even have a chance of being accepted? All of those classes that I have taken will not affect my GPA once they are retaken, even if I can manage to make all A's and have a 4.0 GPA will my laziness and stupid teenage years haunt me for the rest of my life?

Im in the DFW area

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

It appears that the answer to whether you can get admitted lies with the schools you want to attend, not with us. If you have really matured and are ready to make a clean start of it, you have as good a chance as anyone else with your level of intelligence, work ethic, and literacy. That's a question only you can answer. I've heard that some schools give you a chance to start clean without those old Fs on your transcript. Worth asking.

Good luck.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

I agree with Green Tea. You may not be completely shut out from nursing altogether. It all depends on the school, thier policies and who may or may not be sympathetic to your past. I have been on admissions committees, and I have seen many people who are like you. I'm assuming you are "older", and not a 22 year old, who had these poor grades 3 years ago What I would be looking at it, what have you done since then to try to rectify your not-so-stellar record/transcript. If there has not been a lot of time, and/or improvement in your GPA since then, they may feel you are not ready for the challenge of a nursing program.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

You might also try taking a prerequisite course or two as a casual/unenrolled/unmatriculated/whatever they call it student, ace them, and use that as evidence that you are ready and able to be serious. That's how I got into one of the best grad schools in nursing in the US 7 years after I graduated from college with a 2.85, the product of working too many hours per week while in school and having too much fun. It also helps if you ace the admissions exams (I got 99%iles on the GREs).

[BostonFNP, APRN]

So you had all these fails and w's five years ago but have since grown up. Why is it your 3rd time taking pre-reqs? Have you recently failed those?

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

Just re-read your post. Didn't see that it was only 5 years ago, and you'll be taking a class for the 4th time.

[gatoraims RN]

Talk to an adviser for each school and take in your transcripts. Ask them what your chances are in getting into a program. It might take longer but if your GPA is not up to par, maybe try for a LPN-RN program. My GPA was a 3.4 and I was denied at a local college. I do not take rejection well. Instead of saying ok I will try again (in a year) I used that year to get my LPN and applied to the college I am in now and got in the first time. The GPA for the LPN-RN program was not as high (but still I think the average was 3.0). Not sure what the three strike thing is but does that mean you cannot take those classes over?