An unweighted 3.44 gpa being talked about as if its holder is barely graduating - only on College Confidential!
A 3.44 means that she is a B+/A- student (more on the B+ side). She will have her pick of most of the universities in the United States (and there are a lot of undergrad programs in Nursing and other health sciences). That is not shabby at all. Everything will be fine so long as she understands college will bring some new challenges and she prepares herself (and she is supported).
I’d make another suggestion. I’ll admit that it is in part because I don’t have a heck of a lot of faith in most high school guidance counselors.
Suggest that she try to contact the closest instate public u that has the program she wants. If someone in the actual department will meet with her, that’s best. If not, set up a meeting with an admissions counselor. Have her go in person, without you, and ask (a) the odds that she can get in and (2) what route will get her there if direct entry is out of the question.
It’s the time of year when some departments/admissons offices are sort of quiet and people have more time. Hearing it “from the horse’s mouth” may help and the staff there may have be able to give her better advice as to what she can do–that’s especially true if she can get a meeting with someone in the department.
Since she’s attended a program at Drexel, that may be a good place to start, though I know it’s private, not public. Is there some adult involved in the program who can steer her in the right direction so she can get advice from someone there? Drexel has a co-op program, which may help.
She should also go online and check out the articulation agreements between your local CC and 4 year colleges in the fields of interest to her. I live in NYC and here’s a link to the articulation agreements between the Borough of Manhattan Community College and 4 year colleges, which specify what you need to do. http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/advisement/page.jsp?pid=1061&n=Articulation%20Agreements This is just an example, of course.
I’m not suggesting that this is her only option–it isn’t. But it is probably one option and I assume it’s your financial safety.
Good luck!
I don’t have a heck of a lot of faith in most high school guidance counselors.
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Right? My kids GC has 400 kids plus. My kids would not even be on her radar. It is not her job to be coddling kids through the college process either, she probably has kids who are homeless, abused, hugely disadvantaged to look after. I am not sure in what public school is navigating the college process not a parental role.
@yikesyikesyikes I agree with you. A 24 ACT is also above average at most universities (just not most of the universities discussed on CC). There are lots of universities where she would do fine at and be able to pursue her career goals. Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology are not going to be that different at most universities. The major difference is going to be the students she’ll be taking those courses with. Medical programs that require advanced degrees don’t concern themselves with where the student took their classes or frankly what they majored in. If she does well in class and on her GRE or whatever other test they may require (not sure for PA) then no one will really care what her SAT or HS GPA was. She might find her science courses more challenging than someone who aced their APs in HS but it’s not about what she’s done but what she does.
All kids should be encouraged. But I’m with the OP that a dose of reality doesn’t hurt.
No, a kid is not going to find Einstein level math geniuses in a nursing program. But if her MO in HS has been to skate by with a little studying on the side, she is going to find her math and science classes extremely time consuming in college.
And encouraging her to look at other allied health programs that attract a less ambitious student than PA programs, or to find other passions to explore is not a bad thing.
24 ACT is perfectly fine and nobody is saying that it isn’t. But if the D isn’t motivated, hard-working, able to defer going to parties or hanging out when she’s got a quiz or test looming, she may find college a slog. Which is great if that’s what she’s prepared for- hard work.
And to pretend that the math prep for someone who has a consistent string of B’s in college prep but not honors HS math (I don’t know if this is the OP’s kid) who found Trig enormously challenging is somehow on par with a kid who has a consistent string of A’s in HS math up to and including AP calculus… well, math don’t work that way. So picking a program is one thing. Picking a program where success is likely is something else entirely. And making sure it’s affordable all the way through- yup, another challenge.
Affordability is key. Majors, and interests can still change as well.
Drexel is too expensive, and she would not get enough merit.
If you are in PA, several PASSHE schools have good nursing programs, also some private schools like Gannon, Seton Hill, Chatham, St Francis U.
I believe the same private schools also have PA programs. St Francis has a 3/2 program. They give some merit and need based aid. But she would have to apply asap for best chances!
Lock Haven also has PA (public).
You can tell her if she really wants this she needs to own it, there is an August SAT date. Have her prep with Khanacademy and do the 8 free Collegeboard SAT practice tests. The SAT is pretty similar to the ACT now, and not quite as fast paced.
The goal is for her undergrad years to not require much in loans, since the PA professional program costs about $50k a year.
Some Penn State branches have the PTA and OTA 2 year program.
But she will have hard classes, how is she doing in science classes now?
She is also going to need patient hours, so she should see if a local nursing home provides free or low cost CNA training.
https://www.francis.edu/Scholarships-and-Grants/
https://www.francis.edu/PA-Undergraduate-Admissions/
https://www.francis.edu/PA-Graduate-Admissions/
^St Francis merit, undergraduate and graduate PA admission facts.
She needs to research minimum GPA and scores needed at these schools to get admitted and possibly get some merit. And apply early.
She can try to get a CNA or similar job asap, to earn patient hours and much needed money.
@toomanyteens Been there with DD’16 and am there with DD’18 (don’t tell me how bad you want to go to XYZ school, show me how you are going to get there!). It is tough waiting out the “they have to learn it on their own” stage. I thought DD’16 average"ness" would work against her in her bid for direct entry DPT programs. It did not. She earned spots in multiple programs and is keeping her head above water in a program now.
Don’t loose faith. I just keep telling myself… if they stumble and fall, they are just going to have to get up, dust off and keep going or pick a new path. So far they keep getting up and moving forward. It is my job, as a parent, to be a good coach. Keep encouraging them to “just do it” and advise them when they need to change the game plan.
Despite what some would say, the reality is that these average kids are competing in a world of CC type phenomenally motivated kids and they are not just competing against those in the USA, globalization makes the field even more packed. Reality is tough.
I have a student interested in participating programs so I appreciate all the info in this post.
Although her high school GPA may be about where her college GPA is, it also may not be. My college GPA was much higher than my HS GPA, and I went to a “good college”. I just had more control over my schedule in college, I was able to have more choice in classes, and - importantly for me - there was less busy work. My college grades were much higher. Hers may be as well.
But basically, you can’t know yet, so you’ll have to wait and see how she does in college.
(HUGS) to you @toomanyteens, I went from GED to NP.
Not that I would want that for your D.
Personally I would recommend starting in CC with ADN program and doing a bridge to BSN immediately after getting ADN. And take all classes at the CC required for BSN except the actual “bridge” courses.
I think that would be the cheapest way. Unless she gets enough merit money.
I think the tract to BSN to MSN NP is not near as competitive as PA school, at least where I live.
The two year programs are very competitive these days and it helps a lot to get a CNA first and have a little work experience.
Just FYI, some kids have much better grades in college than high school. My daughter went from a 3.2 to a 3.8,2ith no,coaching or coercing from me. The work was simply more interesting!!
Pitt Johnson has nursing. She’ll need AP biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry honors, honors English, and psychology as courses taken in high school to maximize her odds of success during the first year.
Does/did her junior/senior schedule include that? Can she modify her senior schedule if need be?
Seconding Gannon and Chatham.
If she truly just found her motivation, she should prep for the August sat through Khan academy.
A 24 is solid, but a 25, 26,/or even 27 would ‘unlock’ more merit.
Since we are also discussing nursing here …
Many, many direct-admit nursing programs do not require a 5.0 and 36 on the ACT. My daughter is applying to seven of them, after narrowing it all down and staying in-state. Sure, some are harder to get into than others but she doesn’t have a 5.0 and 36 (no slouch, but not perfect either) and she is way up the merit chart on most of them.
Look for direct-admit programs … the requirements will be on the BSN page. I was surprised at some of the thresholds (lower than what you’ve mentioned). That’s where nursing education is going. I had one dean tell me she wishes schools would do away with the competitive programs.
Good luck.
Just checked Pitt Johnstown nursing and they want the curriculum I suggested above, 3.0, and 23act.
Her GPA and current act would likely qualify her for a $3,500 scholarship off the ~$8,000 tuition and $500 off the $2,700-2,800 housing. If she raises her act to 27 she’s likely to get $5,000 off the tuition and still the $500 off housing. With the highest scholarships it’d make the full cost of attendance under $7,000 which seems a pretty good deal.
http://www.upj.pitt.edu/en/admissions/costs/
I think the costs are per term (semester). So $16,000 tuition
Oh darn you’re right!!! How did I miss that!!!
@toomanyteens : I’m sorry for the mistake! 
And the scholarship amounts are per year, of course.
It seemed such a good deal for a PA public…
The upside is that she needs to push herself and have a much higher act in order to win the 5k scholarship that’d make the school 15k. 
Is that your budget, or is it closer to 20k… Or less?
MYOS: Is the scholarship you mentioned ONLY for the Johnstown Campus? My DS had a 32 ACT and didn’t receive any scholarship $$ at the main campus.
Rochester Institute of Technology has a PA program:
https://www.rit.edu/healthsciences/graduate-programs/physician-assistant
If she can pull up that ACT, she should be eligible for merit aid. We got need-based aid too. It’s a FAFSA-only school.