u/_TheBrownBoy_

Today has been a major whirlwind of excitement as I found out I have finally been accepted into a CRNA program.

My NursingCAS GPA was 2.94, with an even worse science GPA. Most of the damage came from my first undergraduate degree, which has followed me through this entire process. I later went back for nursing as a second degree.

I’ve been applying for 4+ years and have had plenty of rejections. I’ve had 4 interviews total, roughly one per year, with 2 interviews this current cycle.

I have 5 years of ICU experience, primarily MSICU with CVICU/CICU experience, along with my CCRN. I’ve also been a preceptor and charge nurse and have gotten involved with EBP/research. I recently completed graduate-level Pathophysiology and Pharmacology and got an A in both. I also have an EBP project that I’m first author on that I’ll be presenting at NTI and my hospital system’s research symposium.

I’m obviously not posting this as a success story yet since I’m still waiting on this cycle. Just figured I’d put my stats/application background out there for anyone else dealing with a rough first undergraduate GPA.

A low GPA definitely makes the process harder, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get interviews or have a shot.

I’m pretty new to proxying and finally decided to dive in after wanting to do this since I started playing Magic. I recently picked up an Epson ET-8500 and I’m planning to go the print + laminate route, but I’m trying to dial in materials before I waste a ton of ink/paper.

Looking for advice from people who’ve already gone down this rabbit hole:

Printer: Epson ET-8500

- Any specific settings or quirks I should know about for proxy printing?

Paper choices:

- Cardstock vs photo paper?

- Gloss vs matte vs satin?

- What weight (GSM) have you found works best for a “real card” feel?

Lamination:

- What thickness pouches do you recommend (3 mil vs 5 mil)?

- Gloss vs matte laminate—does one hold up better or look closer to real cards? (The proxies will be sleeved in matte sleeves)

- Any issues with lamination affecting print clarity or colors?

Right now I’m leaning toward printing on decent cardstock and laminating for durability, but I’ve seen mixed opinions on whether lamination actually hurts the final look.

Would really appreciate any setups, specific materials, or lessons learned—especially from anyone using the same printer.

Thanks in advance