Where to go for nursing school

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Hey all,

I have recently finished all of my pre-reqs at a CSU. My overall GPA is a 3.1 and my Math/Sci is 3.0. My TEAS was a 72%. Unfortunately, the one program I applied to doesn't even need to send me a rejection letter, I already know with my GPA I will not get accepted. Where do I go from here? I can try CC but I don't want to wait for years just trying to get in. I have already wasted time completing an Associates in Psych. Anyone been down a similar road or know if someone? I have a passion for patient care and have been in healthcare as SPT (allied health) and have always admired nurses hard work. I just don't know what to do at this point. My goals are to get a BSN and continue on to graduate school but of course I'm looking for schools that are regionally accredited and nationally, but cannot find a private college that is both mostly just national. I'm going on, does anyone have any advice. TIA.

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I really don't mean to discourage you by saying this, but both your overall GPA and science GPA are pretty low, and it's not just for California standards. California is highly competitive for both CSU and CC, the most competitive state for nursing, but even a 3.0 GPA isn't really gonna get you anywhere in out of state schools when there are numbers of applications with at least a 3.5.

Your best bet is to retake your science classes and the TEAS and go out of state. There are schools that only look at science GPA so do some research when searching for a program. In California, many 4.0 students with a high score in the TEAS get rejected because it's that impacted. Your other option is to become an LVN and do a bridge program if staying in California is a complete must. Also, don't apply to just one school.

Good luck!

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rougewitch said:

I really don't mean to discourage you by saying this, but both your overall GPA and science GPA are pretty low, and it's not just for California standards. California is highly competitive for both CSU and CC, the most competitive state for nursing, but even a 3.0 GPA isn't really gonna get you anywhere in out of state schools when there are numbers of applications with at least a 3.5.

Your best bet is to retake your science classes and the TEAS and go out of state. There are schools that only look at science GPA so do some research when searching for a program. In California, many 4.0 students with a high score in the TEAS get rejected because it's that impacted. Your other option is to become an LVN and do a bridge program if staying in California is a complete must. Also, don't apply to just one school.

Good luck!

I know it was a rough semester with family loss and all. I wouldn't mind retaking my science courses but my counselor had told me that wasn't possible and I have also read that retaken courses if passed are not calculated into GPA, only the first passed grade is. Do you know anything about this? Similar to TEAS, I thought they take the first score of TEAS.  I took the TEAS before completing physio. so I was lost on a lot of those questions leading to a lower, but a minimum program score. 

I wouldn't mind doing LVN. I know it'd be a longer route but at the least I would have gained some knowledge on nursing in general. What do you think about a A-BSN? I'm about two semesters, maybe even one away from a B.A in psych. and a B.S in kinesiology. My cumulative GPA is a 3.6, would an A-BSN be just as competitive? Thank you for taking the time to respond!

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SydC said:

I know it was a rough semester with family loss and all. I wouldn't mind retaking my science courses but my counselor had told me that wasn't possible and I have also read that retaken courses if passed are not calculated into GPA, only the first passed grade is. Do you know anything about this? Similar to TEAS, I thought they take the first score of TEAS.  I took the TEAS before completing physio. so I was lost on a lot of those questions leading to a lower, but a minimum program score. 

I wouldn't mind doing LVN. I know it'd be a longer route but at the least I would have gained some knowledge on nursing in general. What do you think about a A-BSN? I'm about two semesters, maybe even one away from a B.A in psych. and a B.S in kinesiology. My cumulative GPA is a 3.6, would an A-BSN be just as competitive? Thank you for taking the time to respond!

There is some truth to what your counselor said about only the first attempt counting which is why I suggested the out of state option because there are states that are more "lenient" in their retake policy. For example, CSULA's traditional BSN program only looks at the first attempt.

I'm sure ABSNs are just as competitive since there are many people that have nursing as a second career. Although I don't know a lot about the ABSN process as I don't hold a bachelor's degree (still doing my prerequisites actually LOL), so pick a school you're interested in and see what their requirements are, maybe a school's ABSN program allows retakes but the traditional BSN program doesn't, it depends.

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You wouldn't even need to retake the TEAS going to school in the south. Your GPA is better than mine was and I got into the only school I applied to...I wouldn't have been able to get in in CA for sure. If you're able to move, I would. 

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skrmama98 said:

You wouldn't even need to retake the TEAS going to school in the south. Your GPA is better than mine was and I got into the only school I applied to...I wouldn't have been able to get in in CA for sure. If you're able to move, I would. 

Not OP, but where in the South are you from and was it a BSN or an ADN program, if I may ask? Also for OP, some schools outside CA don't need TEAS (every public school in CA does on the other hand)

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rougewitch said:

Not OP, but where in the South are you from and was it a BSN or an ADN program, if I may ask? Also for OP, some schools outside CA don't need TEAS (every public school in CA does on the other hand)

NC, ADN program. Here they all want TEAS and the other one closest by only goes off that, and you can get in with around a 70. My school took high school sciences as pre-reqs too...it's crazy how much easier it is to get in down here but people don't want to come to the south. 

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Maybe retake some classes. Or look out of state if possible. 

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