I keep coming across these posts from nursing students who say YOU MUST HAVE a 4.0 to even bother applying. Although I understand that there exists steep competition for nursing school admittance, I can't help but roll my eyes every time I see one of these posts. And for every person who says that their school did not accept students with a GPA below a 3.9, I want to see documented proof beyond all this he said she said. The cornerstone of nursing practice is the holistic model of patient care. I would imagine many nursing programs would adopt a similar holistic approach when selecting students for admission. Although GPA may be heavily weighted, many schools also incorporate test scores, interviews, essays, references, and even community involvement.
Now I am not saying that a 2.7 GPA is going to get you into nursing school. However, I think aiming for a decent 3.4 and producing a solid essay can get you in. I have applied, and have been successfully admitted, to 5 nursing programs without a 4.0. I feel we are often discouraging our fellow nursing hopefuls when we try to play as if every nursing program is actually Harvard Law.
Again, I am not saying that being accepted to, or even completing nursing school is an easy accomplishment. I just think we need to do a better job of encouraging our peers rather than crushing their hopes and dreams by claiming these impossibly high admission standards that are so often not even true.
