Pre-Nursing GPA: What's Realistic and Competitive?
GPA expectations by program type, science GPA importance, recovery from low GPA.
Nursing school admission is competitive. GPA matters more than for many other graduate programs.
BSN program GPA
3.0 minimum at most programs. 3.5+ competitive. 3.7+ for top BSN programs.
ABSN
Generally higher: 3.3 minimum, 3.7+ competitive. Compresses 4-year content into 12-16 months.
Science GPA
Often weighted separately. Anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry GPA scrutinized.
Low GPA recovery
Retake core science courses for grade replacement (per program policy). Demonstrate trend up. Strong TEAS score and personal statement help.
Frequently asked
Community college pre-req grades count?
Yes, programs see all college transcripts.
Withdraw vs fail?
Withdraw better than F if you can drop in time. Don't withdraw repeatedly, programs notice.
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