Where on earth are CA students with a low GPA(3.3) applying!?!?!

[ChanelCinq]

I can't stop breaking into tears. Depression is obviously sinking in. This is insane. Like it wasn't hard enough competing with 1500 applicants for a few dozen spots and now all the state schools are not accepting any Spring applicants if you don't already go to the school. That means next fall there will be 2x as many applicants.

It is getting to the point that if you don't have a 4.0 you are not going to be a nurse in CA. And even some of the 4.0 students are turned away (I know 2). I could shell out 50,000 to 75,000 for a private school BSN or try year after year after year to do an ADN at a community college but again it is the lottery and you could be applying for the next decade.

So what are people doing? I just calculated my "points" (points for GPA, for TEAS, for speaking a foreign language, having a CNA, etc) for a couple different schools and I din't come close to what the advisor said was competitive enough.

I am really at a road block. I have spent too much time working towards this but I really feel like I have hit a wall.

Please, please what are people doing?

[bluechick112]

There is definitely hope!!! But you'll probably have to dish out the big bucks and apply for private schools.

Someone with a 3.3GPA made the waitlist at my school for fall 2009 entry. She didn't get in for fall, but is almost guaranteed an in for spring because it's SO much harder to get in during the fall (it's even hard to make the waitlist for fall!) and they accept 20 more students in the spring than in the fall. So make sure you're applying for spring terms and that you find schools that focus more on the TEAS (do well on that!!) and on letters of recommendation and experience instead of GPA. They're out there :)

[ChanelCinq]

Someone with a 3.3GPA made the waitlist at my school for fall 2009 entry.

bluechick what school are you going to?

[bluechick112]

I'm not yet, I'm still #1 on the waitlist for fall 09 entry. But I'm assuming I won't get in since there's only a week left for them to accept me. That's okay though, there's always spring!!

[ChanelCinq]

I'm not yet, I'm still #1 on the waitlist for fall 09 entry. But I'm assuming I won't get in since there's only a week left for them to accept me. That's okay though, there's always spring!!

But which school is it?

[bluechick112]

Sorry, I figured since I mentioned in a previous post to this thread that I was waiting on SMU you'd realize that was the same school I was referring to.

[springing]

If I am going to move out of state it will definitely be for a BSN or MSN and not an ADN. I looked up state schools in TX and for out of state they all appear to be over 15,000 a semester. So 30,000 a year times 2 is 60,000. Way out of my price range.

This is why you ought to consider moving for the ADN, not a BSN. ADN = community college = MUCH MUCH cheaper. Even state schools that are very cheap for in-state students get expensive for non-residents. And once you're done with the ASN, you could apply for residency in the state (make sure you change your driver's license address and register to vote in the state and everything as soon as you move!) and you can take an RN-BSN or RN-MSN bridge program with resident tuition.

You could also check this out: http://wue.wiche.edu/

Many regions have established tuition programs like this (for my state, Michigan, we get reduced tuition at schools in Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota through MSEP) and California appears to be part of your region's tuition exchange program.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Most JC do not use merit and only require a C or C+ average.

Also, HSU is the only school in CA still accepting applications at the state level, but they do go by merit and when I got in the GPAs of those accepted was pretty high.

[stephie_love]

I know nothing about CA nursing schools...I'm from IL.

I just wanted to tell you that a 3.3 GPA is AWESOME...I am convinced that not every single 4.0 aspiring nurse out there holds the compassion it takes to be a GREAT nurse. Don't be depressed...

Please hang in there - something will give and you'll get in

[bluechick112]

Oh how I wish I lived in IL. I also agree that students with 4.0s don't always mean they're going to be great nurses. You have to have good people skills, not just be "book smart". But unfortunately our schools in CA must not see it that way. Probably just concerned about their own statistics.

[ChanelCinq]

OH! and good luck on the TEAS!!! If you have any questions about THAT you can PM me too! I took it twice--uugH!

I just finished taking the TEAS and I ranked in the 99th percentile with 92.4%. One more thing to cross off the list. I don't think I'll retake it with 92.4% as there is a possibility of doing a little worse and some schools take the last test and not the best.

Do you think I should retake it to try to be even more competitive?

Sorry, I figured since I mentioned in a previous post to this thread that I was waiting on SMU you'd realize that was the same school I was referring to.

Sorry so many posts. Also I didn't know what SMU stood for as they just recently (the past 6 months or so) changed from Samuel Merritt College to Samuel Merritt University.

This is why you ought to consider moving for the ADN, not a BSN. ADN = community college = MUCH MUCH cheaper. Even state schools that are very cheap for in-state students get expensive for non-residents. And once you're done with the ASN, you could apply for residency in the state (make sure you change your driver's license address and register to vote in the state and everything as soon as you move!) and you can take an RN-BSN or RN-MSN bridge program with resident tuition.

You could also check this out: http://wue.wiche.edu/

Many regions have established tuition programs like this (for my state, Michigan, we get reduced tuition at schools in Kansas, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri and South Dakota through MSEP) and California appears to be part of your region's tuition exchange program.

That link was very helpful and I'll have to investigate more later.

The problem with the community colleges in CA is they are almost all lottery and some people I know gave up and switched directions after applying for 5 or more semesters and not hitting the lottery. The ones that are merit put me in the same place as the 4-year programs. I swear CA is all around a lose, lose unless you have a 4.0 or a lot of money.

Also I am not a spring chicken and I want to get this out of the way. I don't want to do a BSN after an AND but a MSN after the BSN. I don't want to add to many unnecessary years especially since I have a BA already. I will be applying to a few community college programs but not too many.

[bluechick112]

That's perfect! You did awesome on the TEAS. That's going to help you out SO much---really. Congratulations!

[ChanelCinq]

Also, HSU is the only school in CA still accepting applications at the state level, but they do go by merit and when I got in the GPAs of those accepted was pretty high.

Can you post the average GPA for HSU?

I just wanted to tell you that a 3.3 GPA is AWESOME...I am convinced that not every single 4.0 aspiring nurse out there holds the compassion it takes to be a GREAT nurse. Don't be depressed...

I completely agree 100%. I was a French major in college. I have lived on 4 continents and traveled through over 70 countries. When I become a nurse I plan to do Médecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) on a regular basis.

I am artsy and compassionate and I am NOT good at science. However once I get into a nursing program it is way more practical than science based.

Unfortunately the schools in CA are highly competitive and many of them have over 1,000 applicants for 40 to 50 slots. There are only so many things they can do to weed out candidates and unfortunately GPA is a measure that counts a lot. Some schools have to turn away lots of 4.0 students just because there are not enough slots. It sucks!