Your grades are vitally important to your success at getting into nursing school. Many schools require at least a 2.5 to 3.0 grade point average, but the higher your average, the better chance you have of beating out other applicants with lower grades. A high GPA is especially important in the nursing prerequisite course such as math, biology and science. Admissions departments sometimes overlook lower English and history grades if you excel in math and the sciences.
Completing and excelling at the preadmission test is vital for entrance to nursing school. The Test of Essential Academic Skills is required by most nursing schools for admission. You can take practice tests for the TEAS through a number of schools and online programs as well as through the Assessment Technology Institute, a company that provides educational courses for the nursing profession. The TEAS consists of four sections that measure reading, math, science and English comprehension. Like with your GPA, the higher your score, the better chance you have of beating out other nursing school candidates.
Priority consideration usually is given to students who have completed the most prerequisites. Each school has a list of entry-level courses you must complete before earning your nursing degree. While you can continue with those studies after being accepted into a nursing program, when there is a long waiting list of nursing candidates, those with the most credit hours towards the degree usually get preferential treatment. If nursing is your final goal, find out early in your college career which courses will be required and take those while earning good grades, before you begin the nursing school application process.
Any experience in caring for the sick looks good on a nursing school application. Everything from volunteering at a local nursing home to working as a certified nursing aide and caring for a disabled sibling counts as experience that may push you over into the accepted list of applicants. All other scores and prerequisites being equal, added caregiving experience can affect your chances of getting into the nursing school of your choice.