Worried about getting accepted to nursing school

[Colleen2515]

Could anybody please share experiences of getting accepted into nursing school with low GPAs? Or with similar circumstances as I have shared below?

I have applied to four programs in NY. I have a cumulative 3.11 GPA, my Associate's degree GPA was about a 2.75 and my Bachelor GPA was about a 3.28. I have taken 11 credits of prerequisites with a GPA of 3.86; I am enrolled in the remaining 8 credits of prerequisites I have to take. One of the schools I applied to requires a 3.2 GPA, but I am hoping that they will look at my most recent courses as well as my letters of reference, resume, and recommendations too. Do most schools look at the whole picture of the applicant, or does scoring below the cumulative GPA requirement preclude one from admission? A 3.11 is pretty close to a 3.2, but is it close enough?? So nervous :/

[2bEsqtoRN]

Colleen, you have nothing to fear but fear itself. Go forth with confidence knowing that you will be accepted to nursing school this year. There are many nursing schools that admit students with lower GPA grades than your own so I highly doubt your numbers will prevent you from admittance. Moreover, the majority of nursing schools take a holistic approach to reviewing an application and do not solely rely on grades alone.

I am confident that you will be admitted somewhere. Best of luck! :)

[Deredain]

According to the school that I just got accepted to, they accept students based solely on the HESI entrance exam scores once they meet the requirements to take the exam. Those requirements for the night ADN program is a 2.5 gpa, all pre-reqs done except microbiology and a clean background check. They had 80 seats for the night program so after ranking the scores, the top 80 students got invites for the program. Other schools may have other policies and you should check with them to see what you can do to improve your chances.

Good luck!

[Chesh]

Different schools have different requirements. My school requires the TEAS test with a score 75% or above, an essay based on why you want to be a nurse, the qualities that make a good nurse, and how you can effectively manage school, and an application. Beyond those 3 things they also look at your GPA. Our school requires a 2.5 minimum.

I do know that our school will be more flexible with the TEAS score if your GPA is higher.