<p>These programs are very competitive so look at casting a wider net, especially with a 3.1. A former babysitter with a 3.6 at U of Az did not get into their nursing program, ended up at Nebraska. Another neighbor got kicked out of her NP program with a 3.7 gpa because they didn’t have enough preceptors. The recommended (by my wife, a former nursing adjunct) career path would be an accelerated BSN, 1-3 years in an OR, CC or ICU setting, then apply to the CNA program. She HATED getting graduate students without hospital nursing experience.</p>
<p>The BA to BSN programs are in demand, those particular nursing jobs are the hardest ones to get, and the CNA programs are among the most difficult for admissions. You have quite a road ahead of you, one you will need to follow one step at a time. </p>
<p>FWIW, one of my wife’s friends went to both Columbia and Penn for nursing and was somewhat underwhelmed by both, felt they had a better reputation than they deserved because of the school name. Don’t be afraid to go to some of the good public nursing schools like Rutgers or Fullerton or UCSF.</p>