Will past struggles in school continue to hold me back?

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So, I'm going to finish my ADN pretty soon and I want to get into an RN-BSN program ASAP. I'm doing well in my program, but I'm worried that my past is going to hold me back. The programs I want to apply to are competitive and require transcripts from every school I've attended, which is unfortunately a lot.

Before I started nursing school, I struggled for many years with an undiagnosed illness. During that time, I continued to try to further my education, but not very successfully. I went to several different schools. I dropped out of a university after a year of failing of withdrawing from all my classes. Then I went to a few different community colleges due to moving around. At the community colleges my grades were all over the place, with As, Bs, Cs, Fs, and Ws. I'd always think at the beginning of the semester that I was ready to pull myself together and succeed, but often as not I'd end up feeling poorly again and stop going to classes or turning in assignments.

Finally, after many years, I got a diagnosis and medication and it truly turned my life around. Since I've been going to the school I'm at now, with nursing and most of the prerequisite classes, I have about a 3.8 GPA. But the RN-BSN programs I'm applying to require that I submit all of my transcripts whether I got any credits or not. My GPA from the schools I went to before my diagnosis is somewhere around a 2.0. But its so many credits and failures that even adding in my current GPA brings the total to around 2.5.

Also, beyond the RN-BSN, I think that someday I may want to pursue a more advanced degree such as DNP or CRNA. But would I even have a chance of getting into these competitive programs with my checkered past?

So I guess my overall question is, is there anything I can do so that my past doesn't determine my future? Should I explain these circumstances somehow in my applications? Would it look bad to disclose an illness? How are admissions committees going to view all this? Have any of you dealt with, or known someone who has, something similar? I would really appreciate any advice/guidance! Thank you!!!

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Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.

Hmm I can't answer for anything over BSN because there is no well in hell I am going any further in that unless it means I can't be a bedside nurse anymore and if that's the case, I am going to a clinic lol. But I know for my BSN program, they only care about your associates degree IN nursing. Mine is at a well respected university and the only requirements we have to get in to do the BSN online program is an 2.6 GPA overall. Which is kind of strange considering you wouldn't pass my nursing program with that GPA. Anyways, have you contacted the schools you want to do your BSN at as far is if they will want your old transcripts? I just went to LPN school before my associates schooling (not done yet) but the BSN admissions could have cared less about the LPN GPA, just as I said before, the associates was all that matters to them.

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Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.

Sorry, I misread, they have already told you that they needed every transcript. Perhaps it may be wise to go with a program that only wants your nursing core classes GPA?

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Like they said, call the nursing admissions and ask. Id briefly describe the situation and see if the treated medical illness makes a difference so it don't look like you just failed from being a bad student.

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Thank you both for replying. I suppose the best way to find out would be to ask them. And maybe I should look into different schools. I've been disappointed by the quality of education provided at my school and I'd like to go to a school known for being better. But those schools are harder to get into. I think that as I am now I am qualified, but how I was before has the potential to diminish my opportunities. I'm frustrated about that, and wish I could change it.

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Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.
Thank you both for replying. I suppose the best way to find out would be to ask them. And maybe I should look into different schools. I've been disappointed by the quality of education provided at my school and I'd like to go to a school known for being better. But those schools are harder to get into. I think that as I am now I am qualified, but how I was before has the potential to diminish my opportunities. I'm frustrated about that, and wish I could change it.

Are you at a trade school or college?

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Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.

I always thought it strange that colleges take previous coursework outside of nursing, previous education, into consideration. If it was years ago, and your now performing well, I guess I don't see why it matters what you do before.

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I'm currently at a community college. And yeah, for some reason both schools I'm interested in specifically say they want transcripts from every school attended, regardless of whether credit was earned or will need to be transferred. It not only seems unnecessary, but also it's going to be a big hassle, lol. Anyway, I hope they will be willing to give me a chance!

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Just because they require them, doesn't mean they will hold them against you.

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I received a bachelor degree in another major. My grades was similar to yours and I graduated with a 2.5 ( I always joke that that transcript has every letter in the alphabet). I went back for my ADN and graduated with a 3.86 and about to finish the RN-BSN. Looking back when I applied to the RN- BSN they need to see classes I have taken previously that can be transferred over to their program. I'm not talking about just classes from my ADN but the other classes I took from my BS like sociology, humanities classes and arts. I don't think they will use those previous grades against you especially if you are doing so well with the ADN. It's mandatory for all schools to receive all your transcript but I know they won't hold it against you, if there are any classes they can transfer over they will, but I highly believe the ADN holds more weight.

I think you will be fine

good luck.

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Thank you, that is reassuring!

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