Students & Nurses- How do I get into nursing school with low undergrad gpa?

Stephalump · Jul 7, 2012

I would look closely at the particular ABSN program's entry criteria and focus on the extraneous things may look for, like volunteer experience m, etc. Your GPA will definitely be a hindrance, and your prereqs aren't going to be able to raise it all that much this late in the game.

I've never heard of a BSN program being more expensive than an ABSN. Every accelerated program I've looked at is ridiculously expensive in comparison. Traditional BSN programs may take longer, but by necessarily by much.

And the reality is, even if a BSN program is more expensive and longer, it doesn't matter if you can't actually get into an ABSN program.

Anyway. I'd just work your butt off in prereqs, consider getting a job as a CNA, study hard for the entrance exams if need be, and work on some killer interview answers/personal statements. I'd also apply to traditional BSN programs, ADN programs, and accelerated programs. While speed is great, the point of choosing a career path is to reach the destination.

ImKosher · Jul 7, 2012

Go to a community college. If you're concerned about your gpa, just transfer your credits over to get the credits.

At this point, your gpa will no longer matter, besides the course work you will take at the CC. Knowck out your pre-reqs to insure you have a High GPa and make your moves towards your admission into Nursing school.

*Once you transfer, your gpa will no longer reflect your transcript of your school. Your credit hours will only matter. Do know that any coursework recognized under the facility requirement will not count.

Going for your ADN in my opinion will get you working faster. You can then pursue your BSN while you work.

IMO.

bpowers5211 · Jul 7, 2012

Hi all!
I've been thinking seriously about applying to nursing school for about a year and I desperately need your advice.
I'm currently a senior at a university and will be graduating in December with a degree in journalism. As a journalism student I only took the required math and sciences classes, so I know I would have to complete some prereq classes. And I'm not worried about tackling the classes, but I do have one issue. The thing is, I will be graduating with a low gpa, 2.7 to be exact. I didn't worry about my gpa in my first and second year and now I'm paying for it.
My first idea was to enroll at a community college next spring and ace the prereqs, and I now wonder if this will be enough for me to get in an accelerated bsn program. I probably have almost 30 hours of prereqs to complete.
My second idea was to take the traditional bsn route. But I feel like it would take more time and money.
My question is, where do I go from here? What do you think I should do? My last question is what do you think I should do additionally in the meantime to make me a desirable candidate as a nursing candidate? Any of your advice or suggestions will be extremely helpful to me! Thank you.

I would go to a community college. If you are worried about your GPA dont even declare that you took previous classes and start fresh. I didn't transfer some units from a previous college I went to and I was fine. You can knock it out in 2 years if you get all of your classes.

Jenn8427 · Jul 8, 2012

She would still have to send in transcripts from every previous college, so yes they would still see those grades.

duskyjewel · Jul 8, 2012

And if she didn't, then she could be accused of lying to get into her program, and then get thrown out for dishonesty.

HoneyBug0112 · Jul 8, 2012

I was in a similar situation so I can give you a little advice. I wouldn't recommend lying about any previous colleges you have attended. We are bound to make mistakes, it happens, go fourth with your academic career and have the classes you took transfer. Do a little research and go to your nearest CC and check out their ADN program. Most likely, they will rank applicants on a score chart of prereq's, then your HESI and lastly gpa which could be used as a tiebreaker. Get all "A's" in your prereq classes and you should have a good chance! Good luck!! Let us know what you decide to do!

LoRNinFL · Jul 8, 2012

I graduated with my bachelor's degree with a lower GPA than yours. I sent my transcripts to a CC and then took all the prerequisites for the nursing program. I made sure that I got all A's in those classes. at my local CC they don't look at my previous GPA they just look at the classes that you took that are required for the nursing program (I.e. english, psychology) and they took the grade that I got for that class and counted it for points. if you did bad in any of those classes then I would retake those classes. I, like you tried to do an accelerated nursing program but my GPA was too low to even be considered but don't lose hope I start nursing school in the fall so there is hope!

Stephalump · Jul 8, 2012

I absolutely cannot believe people are giving OP advice to lie about her grades.

When you apply to a school you are REQUIRED to send in all of your past transcripts. Yes, every single class you've ever taken will be evaluated by the new school. You don't "erase" grades by transferring. Your school may give you a new GPA that only includes classes you've take there, but if the nursing program looks at cumulative GPA, which ABSN programs do, they will look at everything.

For those of you that intentionally lie about your past coursework to take program spots from people who worked hard and applied honestly....karma is waiting for you.

ejm123 · Jul 8, 2012

I know everyone always stresses gpa but my program ADN and LPN are both point systems. Most of the points come from having all Pre-reqs, Then teas/act and the lowest with like 1-1.5 was gpa. My gpa is horrible due to classes I took right out of high school and didnt complete. Overall my gpa is a 2.9 and I was accepted into ADN my first try. I scored exceptionally high on my teas and the act

HM-8404, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2012

It may be very difficult to get a seat in a BSN program with a 2.7 GPA. The BSN program I originally applied to requires a minimum of 2.75 to apply. The avg. GPA of those accepted last year was 3.46. I applied with a 3.2 this year and was not accepted. I also have 8 years as a Navy Corpsman.

Most ADN programs only look at the grades you make in the pre-nursing classes, not all of the extra classes you have taken to get a BA.

NyLALove · Jul 8, 2012

most adn* programs only look at the grades you make in the pre-nursing classes, not all of the extra classes you have taken to get a ba.

*this is true for my school. my english 1101 transferred in from a prior school and i got an a in that class. this transferred class/credit (pre-req) will count in the overall gpa of the pre-req courses (only).