how to find a way into nursing w/ 2.7 undergrad & 3.7 grad GPA....

[hotpebbles]

My stats are:
Undergrad: B.A. in molecular cell biology w/ 2.7 gpa
Grad: M.S. in biology (didn't finish, but did 2 years of research) w/ 3.7 gpa

I've tried dental school, Occupational Therapy, but none of them worked out.
I had 4.0 pre-req gpa for OT, pretty good GRE, applied early, ...etc. but got rejected twice for OT. And of course, long story, but dental school is not an option.

After series of rejections, I'm a bit hopeless but trying to find a way out of this mess...
So, I'm thinking of nursing because i would still like to work in healthcare and the pre-req's i took for OT is very similar to nursing pre-req's.

My plan is:
Take online accelerated BSN, and work as RN for a year or two. Then, apply for NP.
However, because of the consecutive rejections from OT schools, i'm not sure accelereated BSN would work out for me. They all seem to require 3.0 undergrad GPA. ....

So, my Q's are:
1. What is the fastest/cheapest way to get to NP? I already have 60,000 loans from previous educational history, and seriously want to avoid another 100,000 for RN... If I can work part time while studying my way up to NP, that would be great.

2. Are online accelerated BSN program harder/easier to get into? Would it be a disadvantage when looking for jobs after finishing an online program?

3. Any other routes to NP that you know of?


Thank you in advance..
Any help is appreciated.

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[Makati2008]

My stats are:
Undergrad: B.A. in molecular cell biology w/ 2.7 gpa
Grad: M.S. in biology (didn't finish, but did 2 years of research) w/ 3.7 gpa

I've tried dental school, Occupational Therapy, but none of them worked out.
I had 4.0 pre-req gpa for OT, pretty good GRE, applied early, ...etc. but got rejected twice for OT. And of course, long story, but dental school is not an option.

After series of rejections, I'm a bit hopeless but trying to find a way out of this mess...
So, I'm thinking of nursing because i would still like to work in healthcare and the pre-req's i took for OT is very similar to nursing pre-req's.

My plan is:
Take online accelerated BSN, and work as RN for a year or two. Then, apply for NP.
However, because of the consecutive rejections from OT schools, i'm not sure accelereated BSN would work out for me. They all seem to require 3.0 undergrad GPA. ....

So, my Q's are:
1. What is the fastest/cheapest way to get to NP? I already have 60,000 loans from previous educational history, and seriously want to avoid another 100,000 for RN... If I can work part time while studying my way up to NP, that would be great.

2. Are online accelerated BSN program harder/easier to get into? Would it be a disadvantage when looking for jobs after finishing an online program?

3. Any other routes to NP that you know of?


Thank you in advance..
Any help is appreciated.

Retake your failures and apply to do school . I say this because you seem to be using NP for a backdoor into medicine. Save the seat for someone who has NP as his or her first choice.

 

[hotpebbles]

No...i'm not using NP for a backdoor.
And there's no point in retaking the courses from undergrad because it's been almost 10 years since graduation.
The point of Bio grad school was to have a separate GPA from undergrad.

 

[deleted432032]

If your not willing to take the advise of others here why did you bother posting? Your response above makes me believe your not willing to listen to others because you know better or more.

Fastest and cheapest way to get into NP school then would probably be to retake undergraduate classes to help bring your undergraduate GPA up. Other than that email or call the schools you are interested in and ask them what to do to become competitive for admission there, they will probably tell you the same things you will hear here. I mean as you even stated, they require 3.0 Undergrade GPA. This means your Graduate GPA means nothing to these schools.

 

[Makati2008]

No...i'm not using NP for a backdoor.
And there's no point in retaking the courses from undergrad because it's been almost 10 years since graduation.
The point of Bio grad school was to have a separate GPA from undergrad.

You will be auto screened out of the majority of schools with your gpa since many won't care about your MS especially if you didn't complete it. I also based my opinion on your inability to get into other professional schools and using NP as option three.

Good luck

 

[hotpebbles]

You will be auto screened out of the majority of schools with your gpa since many won't care about your MS especially if you didn't complete it. I also based my opinion on your inability to get into other professional schools and using NP as option three.

Good luck

hmmm... good point.

since i've been stigmatized and the schools won't look at my grad GPA,
the only option is to keep on taking undergrad courses at a CC and apply hoping that someday they will accept me?

 

[Jewels86]

Hello,

I've read your posting and have to ask...why nursing? What exactly about nursing appeals to you? And what made you do molecular biology first, which to me, is pretty interesting and cool!! I personally think the cell is so fascinating, especially since everything seems to start at the molecular level.

Anyway, I'm asking because I am a nurse (BSN-type). I'm in the ER. It's a hard life. Floor nursing is routine-based with zero autonomy. ICU is very interesting and semi-autonomous. ER is another world. But why nursing? Please ask yourself that before you embark on this journey. Because you'll have three years before you can even touch a patient, and that's after you pass NCLEX and start your internship somewhere. And even then, you'll have four months of guidance. And even then, it'll three to five years until you finally recognize serious changes that require a phone call now and those that don't require a phone call to the provider until the a.m. Does that make sense?

Please think about this. You can redo your courses that you didn't do as great in and apply DO since NP is your ultimate goal and you're already 3/4ths there. If you're good with nursing, I hope you get what you wish!!

 

[pamac]

"Fast" and "cheap" will be mutually exclusive of each other. You could become a nurse by going to a for profit institution for your RN... Something like ITT tech, or some extraordinarily expensive program. If you wanted to instead shop around and look for a program that has specific entry requirements that you could meet (like 4-5 prereqs that they want to see A's in) then you might be able to get into a cheap program. Every program has their own prereqs, and you may find one that caters to what you can provide. But your best bet just to become a nurse is to do a for profit program.... Expensive. I work with tons of nurses with school debt in excess of 100k. They make 40-50k per year to start. They make. 1800$ payments per month. One of them plans to spend 10 years paying on their debt. NP school will add to that debt considerably as well.

Think hard before chasing that path. The work is tedious. Imagine spending 12 hours at a time with folks with some of the most difficult personalities you've ever met. You are essentially their full time servant for the duration of your shift. Sometimes you are lucky and have nobody like that. Somedays you have 3 or 4. Nobody tells you about that aspect of nursing. If you want to be a medical provider that has a position of control, nursing is absolutely not one of those. You are in the service of others.

 

[anichka]

What about direct-entry NP programs? I am not going to second guess your reasons for going into nursing - only you know, at the end of the day, the whole story. But when you ask what other routes to take, it might be one to consider. I will be attending one at Seattle University (APNI program) and there are quite a few across the country. You will be excluded from some by your undergrad GPA, but not all. It is, however, not cheap, but relatively fast.

 

[AnnoyedByFreud]

Hmmm. I really think the 2.7 undergrad GPA will be a huge limiting factor for a direct entry NP program. Those programs are highly competitive. Also, the unfinished masters doesn't exactly look good, either. Plus, if the OP doesn't want to accumulate more debt, then it probably isn't the best way to go. I think the OP should go for an ADN program. They typically only care about your GPA for the prerequisite classes (make sure to ace them) and do not request transcripts outside of the prereqs. Then work as an RN and bridge to an NP. Much cheaper, but it will take longer.

 

[MexicanDr]

Not requesting transcripts outside of the pre-reqs is a huge problem, dishonesty which could get him in bigger issues!

 

[anichka]

True enough points about the GPA - but, I wouldn't let it stop me from applying. My GPA was not 2.7, but I did also have an unfinished masters, and my GPA was 2.98-3.2, depending on how calculations were done.

I just went through the application process this past fall, and I operated on the theory that there was no harm in applying. I was determined to apply at every level - MSN, BSN, and ADN. To me, they all had distinct pros and cons, and I was willing to take whichever route was open to me, although my end goal has been NP from the outset. I was rejected from one MSN program, accepted by another, waitlisted for a BSN (at a great school), and I turned down the opportunity to interview for another BSN program. I did not end up applying to any ADN programs.

As usual with the "fastest, cheapest" inquiries, it may not be that you are looking for the best route, but don't exclude options based on anecdotal opinions on a message board. No one here can tell you what an admissions committee is going to ulimately conclude by looking at every piece of information you submit. I still am dumbfounded by being rejected by the program I thought I had the best shot at, yet accepted into one I thought wouldn't even waitlist me. Who can say.

 

[futurepsych0]

I think the ADN advice is probably the best. I am terrified of debt so I am biased. Yes it will take longer but you don't start in a hole. I start my BSN program this sept and have 30k saved up. Tuition at my school is only about 7k a semester so I should end up with <10k of debt. RNs start ~mid 70s in my area. I took the long road but also the safest one. There are some areas where there is a saturation of nurses and jobs can be difficult to find (especially for new grads). I say be smart and avoid unnecessary debt. Just my 2¢

 

[GooseGasser]

My plan is:
Take online accelerated BSN, and work as RN for a year or two. Then, apply for NP.

There is no such thing as an online accelerated BSN for non-nurses as far as I know. You are probably looking at online RN-BSN programs. Since you are not already a nurse you must get clinical experience during your schooling so no program will be completely online. You can do an accelerated second-degree BSN, however. I went to one. They are usually about a year + a few months. Your undergrad GPA will probably prohibit you from acceptance though.

You have stuck yourself in a hole and it will be difficult to climb out. My best advice is to complete your masters program. Why did you leave it? At least if you complete that degree you will have SOMETHING to hold on to and be able to show for yourself. Trying to get into nursing school now is going to be really difficult given how competitive it is with GPA these days and most nursing schools will be looking at undergrad GPA since they are undergrad programs.

Once you have the Biology MS complete with a high GPA, then you should have no problem getting into OT/PT/optometry or some other graduate program in health care. If you don't complete that Biology degree then it will be a hell of a time trying to climb out of the rut. If I were you, I would do everything in my power to complete that degree before trying to jump into another pathway with TWO "failures" in your past to explain.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

You have a 2.7, an unfinished masters, jump from profession to profession AND you don't want to do any work to remediate that. I'm sorry to say this, but healthcare is not for you. Healthcare is not about the easy way in/out. It's about true dedication to the field that you choose regardless of the sacrifices needed to be made. I wanted to go to med school. I had a 2.7 after my non-science bachelors. I took classes for 3 years at a community college and worked extremely hard on EC/MCAT to get there. Now I am a medical student 8 years after finishing my original bachelors.