Looking for guidance/experience for my high school senior. She has struggled in HS and has a low (2.55) gpa but tests well (26 on pre-ACT, sitting for actual ACT in Oct) We are in Virginia and she is looking to be no more than 3-4 hours away. Possible schools we are looking at are:
Marymount (only 25 min away/too close for her preference)
Virginia Wesleyan (has a new nursing program in conjunction with a nearby nursing tech school)
McDaniel (would have to be pre-nursing here and get her BSN elsewhere, but good learning support for LD kids)
Shenandoah
Arcadia
I don’t know that she would get in any DA schools with her stats, so she may have to do a non-DA program and prove herself once she starts college. She prefers something small. Virginia Wesleyan has all but admitted her based on her current stats and has offered $20k a year. We don’t really care about prestige or ranking–we are thrilled that she is going to college at all!
Hope I can help. My daughter has about 85 GPA, hopefully will be taking SAT and ACT starting end of August and Sept. and Oct. Cancelled each 3 times due to COVID. However she had a bad sophomore year and barely passed Chemistry.
Our search has been for less competitive Direct Entry programs. Our applications included Clarion, Husson, Mount Saint Mary College, Widener, Iona, Kent State, Marywood, York PA, East Strousberg, Neumann, D’Youville, Marymount and Edinboro. All of these had lower minimum application entry into nursing but meeting the minimum doesn’t mean guaranty acceptance by any means. Most expected at least a 3.0 GPA and an SAT of 1020 or above to even be considered.
GPA will hurt. Kent State in Ohio has a great program pre nursing program but would need a minimum GPA of 2.7 and 22 ACT or 1020. After first year first wave admitted to Fall second year in Clinical based on first year academic performance. Second wave who didn’t get in first wave would start Clinicals in spring of second year. By end of second year about only 10% of original group as freshman never make it.
Thank you. Yes, I think the hopes of getting in any DA program are probably slim to nil, so her track will probably be more of a pre-nursing program of courses and then applying to the program later, or just getting a bachelor’s in some other science and doing an accelerated BSN. This is if she can even handle the courses! My older daughter is a pre-med, nearly straight-A student and has absolutely worked her butt off in her anatomy and chemistry classes…D21 may not even pass these to begin with! She’s got lots of backups if nursing doesn’t work out but it’s her first passion. I wish the best for your daughter–good luck to her!
OP- do you know why she struggles? focus, reading comprehension issues, organizational skills? You have time to help her work on those- college is challenging regardless of the discipline and you don’t want her floundering or getting frustrated. Do her teachers have insights that can help you figure out a plan of attack?
I was thinking the same thing as @blossom. Some students do better when they get to university. However, I think that it would be helpful to understand what the issue is to help reduce the chances that the same issues will repeat in university. I would expect there to be some difficult science classes in any nursing program.
@blossom and @DadTwoGirls She has ADD and executive functioning issues–has been at a private school since 7th grade with special assistance and a dedicated learning coach. So we’re well aware of what her issues are and at this point, she’s really doing the best she can. She’ll either sink or swim in college, so we’ll just have to see, but I want her to at least have the opportunity. My husband was the same way and struggled some in college but eventually got it together and did very well/went on to grad school. Her road will likely be longer than most but that is also ok. McDaniel is a school I’d like her to strongly consider because of it being a CTCL and excels in learning support programs…but she didn’t love it, and they don’t have nursing, just a pre-nursing “track”. But again, that might be best.
A few other possible schools with nursing programs are Wilson and Alvernia in Pennsylvania and Hood in Maryland. These are some of the schools my D22, who will probably have a somewhat higher GPA but lower SAT/ACT scores, is considering. Like your daughter, mine may very well end up in pre-nursing, or she may opt for an LPN or other allied health program.
@g8rmomk8ans I really do wish your daughter the best. Nursing is a tough major, especially with other educational challenges. My own child had some, and she just finished her MSN and is already talking PhD or DNP. I wish she wouldn’t because it’s just so much harder for her than it is for other students, but they get to be adults and they think they know everything. I just want to say, though, as a freshman advisor who often gets some nursing-interest students (my employer is not direct entry), encourage the plan B so that she doesn’t have to sink or swim but knows she can simply change directions. There are great programs in allied health fields (rad tech, respiratory therapy, eeg tech, etc.) that can be better fits because they’re shorter and focus on one body system while still offering stable employment and good wages. Friend of mine’s d wound up an RT and absolutely loves it.
@ordinarylives Thank you! Yes, I think she’s super fortunate in that she has SO many interests and things she would be good at–she has back-up plans to her back-up plans. She’s a strong math/science kid (went from wanting to be a nurse at a young age, then wanted to teach math at the HS level, then back to nursing) but gets poor grades because she either doesn’t complete or doesn’t turn in work. Executive functioning is very poor and will take more time and maturity to develop. I think another allied health program would be great–she’s already mentioned interest in OT. Lots of options–just need to get her started in a direction. Best wishes to your own daughter. My older one is planning on going to PA school after college–the PA/NP professions are really growing. Thanks again!
Hello again. I read your daughter was accepted pre-nursing at York Pa.? Congratulations. Mine was also but once she was able to submit her SAT scores she was bumped up into the program.
I am happy for your daughter! We visited for the second time. My daughter is not drop dead in love with the school as she was Kent State but closer to liking it. She realizes it’s probably the best place for her. I get the impression the staff wants students to succeed as opposed to weeding them out. I’m sure that goes on anyway on its own. The price is very very competitive with the merit money they gave us.
I also like the option of 4 1/2 year if things get tough to get through.
@TerryTw that is so great! I can’t get my daughter to even go look at York. We are waiting to hear from Hood. They are rolling and she applied over a month ago so we’re not sure what is going on. They asked for her first quarter grades last week and they have their first round of nursing school decisions going out this week so I’m wondering if maybe they were considering her for that and that’s why it’s taking so long. She has 100% decided on Hood (has a good friend going there so that has made it even more desirable) and it’s a great fit for several reasons. For their nursing, they have an early round of decisions in Dec., and then if you don’t make that cut you are considered for the next round in March. If then you don’t make that, you can still enroll and start taking the classes you’d take and if you do well, they give you seat. And then if she does start in nursing and doesn’t do well, they have an Art Therapy pre-professional program and that is her second degree choice. Soooo…if she gets in there (nursing or not), that’s where she’ll go. I like that York is bigger but she really likes teeny tiny schools. That’s really exciting that they bumped your daughter into full on nursing! I think they gave us $20k in merit although I could be confusing them with another school. If mine doesn’t get into Hood, she said she’ll go look at York. How was the campus/town/etc.?
That is great. for your daughter! York seems to be the way to go for us for the following reasons:
List Price only 35K with room and board. Scholarship brought it under 30K.
Size is mid-level. About 4,500 Students.
I like if she struggles they can move her into 4 1/2 year without losing scholarship.
Town is just OK. I’m comfortable since I’ve seen much worse. She is my 4th. so I’ve seen many schools.
I keep hearing Staff really wants them to succeed. Not to make them miserable.
My oldest daughter’s friend in HS went for Nursing and immediately employed at a very good Hospital on Long Island here.
Just make sure if it works out at Hood Clinicals are within an hour drive. IUP had many far away.
Radiography is there if somehow Nursing doesn’t work out.
Campus nice. Freshman dorms just ok but that’s fine.
Please post how it turns out for your daughter and if I can answer any more questions. Good luck!
Hood has a hospital adjacent to the school so at least some of her clinicals would be there. It’s less than an hour from DC metro/where we live so lots of opportunities for rotations that wouldn’t be far. My biggest concern is the size as the rest of us including her older sister did the large, public, SEC thing. So just so different. But it’ll be good for her as far as very small class sizes and knowing her professors. Campus is from the 1800s and has tons of history and traditions which I love.
I just want to say, though, as a freshman advisor who often gets some nursing-interest students (my employer is not direct entry), encourage the plan B so that she doesn’t have to sink or swim but knows she can simply change directions. There are great programs in allied health fields (rad tech, respiratory therapy, eeg tech, etc.) that can be better fits because they’re shorter and focus on one body system while still offering stable employment and good wages. Friend of mine’s d wound up an RT and absolutely loves it.