What was your HS GPA & SAT score before getting accepted into nursing school?

queserasera, RN · Dec 8, 2012

Nursing school is pretty much a two year deal even if you go for your BSN. You'd take two years of pre reqs and then transfer into the nursing school. I just received my GED so I don't think high school GPA or SAT scores matter as much as having close to a 4.0 in your pre req college classes.

prenursingprincess · Dec 8, 2012

Thank you for replying! But there are colleges that offer full four year BSNs, coming directly out of high school. Many school DO NOT offer this route, but some do. The first two years are generally spent doing said "pre-reqs" or the general knowledge courses before the third and fourth year typically begin clinicals and such.

x_factor · Dec 8, 2012

I got my GED, so my highschool GPA didn't matter. Nursing school isn't based off your highschool GPA. You generally have to get into a college and start on your pre-req courses before you can apply for a nursing program. It's the GPA of your pre-reqs that's a determining factor of nursing school acceptance, along with admission test scores (either the HESI or TEAS).

x_factor · Dec 8, 2012

Thank you for replying! But there are colleges that offer full four year BSNs, coming directly out of high school. Many school DO NOT offer this route, but some do. The first two years are generally spent doing said "pre-reqs" or the general knowledge courses before the third and fourth year typically begin clinicals and such.

That's how most 4 year colleges are -- you spend the first two years doing your pre-reqs, and it's the GPA of your pre-reqs that determines if you get accepted into the actual nursing program to complete the nursing courses and clinicals.

astronomia · Dec 8, 2012

There are no programs like the one you are describing in my state, but I know what you are talking about! I know a girl who took a route like that in Massachusetts and she had a 1770 on her SAT and a 4.0 high school GPA, but I don't know much else about the school or anything.

x_factor · Dec 8, 2012

After googling a little bit, I see this is a route that is possible, though it seems to be fairly rare and only in select few schools. With that said, I have no idea what the HS GPA requirement or SAT score would be. Looking at a couple schools that offer it, however, both stated that ACT/SAT scores played a large role, highschool GPA, they looked for "academically motivated" students (I'm thinking this means you needed a near perfect highschool GPA and then some), as well as volunteer and work experience in a clinical setting.

My impression is it's an extremely selective program, which makes sense considering you are put straight into the nursing program from the very beginning.

So, with that said, your best bet is to call the school you are applying to and talk with them. They can tell you the average accepted SAT/ACT score as well as the average accepted GPA, along with any other requirements that may be necessary.

queserasera, RN · Dec 8, 2012

Unless you're only going to apply to the 1 school that provides this straight out of high school deal, you're going to have to apply to other colleges, work on your pre reqs and then transfer into nursing school.

I hope to attend University of Maryland school of Nursing, but they have a completely different admission board and requirements than university of maryland. So I'm taking the community college route since it's cheaper, I know people who had to apply to UMD to work on their pre reqs that are then applying to UMSON. They're also spending about 40,000 dollars more than I am.

christina731 · Dec 8, 2012

I never took the ACT/SAT in high school, and my HS GPA was lousy. I was just accepted into the ADN program at my community college (which is probably the best and most competitive school in the area) and the only thing that they required from high school was that you completed it (diploma or GED - doesn't matter). What was more important to them was my college pre-req GPA, TEAS score and how many college gen-ed courses I have completed. If I were you I would focus more on what the school you are interested in going to requires for general admission, rather than what their nursing school requires. Most nursing schools (even ADN programs) require that you complete most or all of your pre-req/gen-ed courses before you can even apply to their nursing program. So I wouldn't worry about that now since you will need to focus on your non-nursing college life right out of high school.

i♥words · Dec 8, 2012

Hi! I've been through all of this, as I am in a four-year BSN program.

First, you consider the university's general admission requirements (this should be on the website). You apply to the university (not the nursing school).

Second, you meet with a freshman adviser and then you should ask to meet with the nursing school's adviser. They might say you just need to meet with the freshman adviser, but really push to meet with the actual nursing school's adviser, or at least an adviser who knows exactly how the nursing school considers applicants.

Third, do really well in your prereqs during your freshman and sophomore years.

Fourth, in your sophomore year apply to the nursing school, making sure that you meet the nursing school's admission requirements. While the university looked at your SAT score and HS transcript, the nursing school will look at your prereq GPA and possibly and entrance exam score.

Fifth, pray you get in.

I'm currently in the fifth category. :)

AlaBro2010 · Dec 8, 2012

My local state university offers the direct entry into a BSN program for high schoolers. I had okay scores and okay high school gpa. I did it all on my own without any push from my parents so I had no idea how much better I could have done. I had a 3.4 high school gpa and a 1060 on my SAT. I have two Associate's degrees, one I graduated with a 3.92 and the other with a 3.97. One of which is my nursing degree, I'm now doing an online BSN program while working as an RN.

alam · Dec 8, 2012

Hi! I've been through all of this, as I am in a four-year BSN program.
First, you consider the university's general admission requirements (this should be on the website). You apply to the university (not the nursing school).
Second, you meet with a freshman adviser and then you should ask to meet with the nursing school's adviser. They might say you just need to meet with the freshman adviser, but really push to meet with the actual nursing school's adviser, or at least an adviser who knows exactly how the nursing school considers applicants.
Third, do really well in your prereqs during your freshman and sophomore years.
Fourth, in your sophomore year apply to the nursing school, making sure that you meet the nursing school's admission requirements. While the university looked at your SAT score and HS transcript, the nursing school will look at your prereq GPA and possibly and entrance exam score.
Fifth, pray you get in.
I'm currently in the fifth category. :)

This is the same for my four-year BSN program. The high school GPA and SAT scores didn't really matter for my nursing program, its only to get you in the university. After you get in, you have to work hard for those As in your pre-reqs. I took 2 of my pre-reqs in the first semester of my freshman year and I didn't know it would matter so much so I got Bs. Go talk to your nursing advisers, not the general ed advisers because sometimes they give you the wrong info (mines did =/) which wasted my time.

I got in the program with 3 Bs but I got As in all the Bios and Chem classes.