What Does the "Upper 35%" Really Mean?
There has been some confusion and many questions from chapters and potential members regarding how the 35% requirement may be applied. Following are ways the 35% rule may be applied. Keep in mind that the other undergraduate requirements of having at least a 3.0 GPA and completing at least one-half of the nursing curriculum must also have been met.
- Satellite campuses and at-large chapters are allowed to invite students in the upper 35% of their class from each campus.
- RN students in baccalaureate programs may be considered as a separate class when a generic program has an RN track. Therefore, you may invite the upper 35% of the RN class and the upper 35% of the generic class. Prospects from both groups must still meet the minimum 3.0 GPA requirement and have completed one-half of the nursing curriculum. If your RN class is particularly small, you may find it better to include them with the generic BSN class.
- Class can be defined as entire university graduating class and all nursing students who rank in the upper 35% of that definition class and meet all other eligibility requirements can be invited to join and inducted.
- If the lowest GPA in the upper 35% of the class is 3.8, for example, only those with GPAs of 3.8 and higher would be eligible.
- If the lowest GPA of the upper 35% of the class falls below 3.0, only those with a 3.0 and higher can be invited to join.
- Chapters cannot go back and invite other students who did not fall into the upper 35% of their class if some prospects within the upper 35% of the class decline the membership invitation.
- Students who attain the same GPA should not be counted as "one" when determining the top 35% of the class. (i.e. if ten students have a 4.0 GPA, each student should be counted as part of the top 35%). However, if there are multiple students holding the "cutoff" GPA, each student should be considered for membership. (i.e. if 3.20 is the cutoff GPA, and three students have attained this, each should be invited to membership.)
To be considered for membership under the Exception rule, students:
- may have a cumulative GPA below 3.0 or a GPA that is below the upper 35%;
- shall have a nursing major GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- shall otherwise meet the criteria for membership (1/2 of the nursing curriculum completed, expectation of academic integrity)