<p>I'd like to know what the advantages and disadvantages are in taking two years at a community college, then transferring to a university versus taking all 4 years of your undergrad years at a university.</p>
<p>I know much of this is common sense, but I want opinions from all sides. I don't want to believe the marketing literature without hearing some opposing opinions.</p>
<p>I'm asking for my friend who might go this route due to her family's financial situation.</p>
<p>There are some advantages of going to a 4 year college for 4 years (such as “getting the college experience”) but the financial situation often outweighs this. </p>
<p>As you get older it’s like this (assuming you go to graduate school):</p>
<p>-Colleges care about high school, where you went and how you did
-Your first employer cares a little about high school and about where you go to college, what you’re majoring in and participating in, and how you’re doing
-Your next employer cares about what college you graduated from, references, GPA, and outside of school stuff
-Your graduate school really just cares in the end about where you graduated, references, GPA, and outside of school stuff
-Your next employer really only cares about what graduate school you’re going to/went to, GPA, references, outside of school stuff
-Your next employer really only cares about your job experience, references, where it was and how you did, and maybe 50% about where you went to graduate school</p>
<p>Do take into consideration that some Universities don’t take the local community college credits; I know the University of Washington doesn’t. Also, I’ve heard UW and a lot of other colleges aren’t accepting as many (or any) transfers, since they don’t get as much money out of them. </p>
<p>There are also other options for saving money. I know a lot of people whose safeties offered them amazing scholarships. However I think that, in the end, it is where you graduated from that matters the <em>most.</em> Your friend may have a harder time breaking into the job market if she/he was going to community college at the time, but I think in the end it doesn’t make an enormous difference. </p>
<p>Just my $.02. :)</p>
<p>If your friend is very clear about her major, she should meet with the community college transfer counselors and find out which four year schools have formal articulation agreements with that community college. If there is an articulation agreement, there will be a specific set of courses that she has to take, and a minimum GPA that she has to earn which will guarantee an automatic transfer into the third year of the program at the receiving college/university. Even if she doesn’t know yet what her major will be, she should find out about the transfer process now so that she can plan her courses well.</p>
<p>She also ought to take a look at the Transfer Forum. To reach it, click on “Discussion Home” and scroll down. The first thread “Transfer Admissions 101” has lots of useful information for her. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/390861-transfer-admissions-101-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/390861-transfer-admissions-101-a.html</a></p>
<p>Wishing both of you all the best.</p>