<p>What are the benefits of doing this? also for those who choose not to get one prior to transferring, why not?</p>
<p>If you are transferring from a Calif. CC to a UC, there is really no benefit. The UC’s and the Cal State now recommend the IGETC instead. If you complete the IGETC, you know you are taking the courses that the UC’s and State require for you to transfer in with junior standing. The only real purpose of an AA is for those who may be transferring to a private or OOS school, or for those who are planning on going straight into the work force after CC.</p>
<p>I got an AA in Liberal Arts just for the heck of it. It didn’t require me to take any additional classes. It’ll be one more certificate that I can hang on my wall lol</p>
<p>I didn’t bother doing it because it required me to take classes that were out of what was required to transfer to a UC. I was planning to get a bachelors anyways so I didn’t see the benefit of getting an AA beforehand.</p>
<p>i see thanks for the input guys</p>
<p>I completed an AS in Natural Sciences at the end of the fall and will be finishing an AA in Humanities at the end of this spring - all of the classes were those that I had to take to transfer anyway. </p>
<p>My counselor told me to do it, and I wasn’t planning on graduating at the JC before that. But, as I’m working while I go to school, I actually get a pretty significant raise for the last eight or so months before I move.</p>
<p>My counselor did a graduation audit & found that I only needed 2 PE classes to get my A.A. So I’m taking a those classes this semester. :P</p>
<p>I have not really decided. I’ve been planing on dual majoring with Phys and CS so I am only 3 GE classes away from obtaining the requirements for AS degrees in Math, Physics, and Computer Science. If I can obtain the triple AS degrees with just those requirements, I likely will depending on how bored I am over the summer and how easily I can dual major.</p>
<p>I am…Associate’s of Science.I think I will be able to get an Associate’s in Arts too but I’ll check to get one if I do transfer.I kind wish to get an account associate’s so I could level up my profession and start getting paid higher than minimum wage.</p>
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<p>One of the dumbest comments I have ever seen on this board. If you are completing the IGETC then there is a good chance you will be eligible for some sort of AA degree. Yes, once you get a bachelors degree the Associates won’t really mean much. But wouldn’t it be nice to have in case something comes up and you have to leave school before getting the bachelors? Also, as others have stated, you will be better qualified to command a higher salary for jobs that you work at while completing the bachelors.</p>
<p>I’m going to receive my AA in French and Liberal Arts, Social Science emphasis by the end of the semester. A I really had to do in addition to taking the usual UC-transferable classes/pre-reqs was an additional 2 French classes. I know it won’t mean much considering I want to get a Masters in Global Communications one day, but it’d be a nice little addition to my degrees.</p>
<p>I completed my AA in journalism before transferring. I left high school without graduating (tested out with CHSPE) so going on stage at Contra Costa College was my first real graduation ceremony. Totally worth the extra class or two.</p>
<p>That comment was actually pretty accurate. In almost every field AA’s are rendered useless. Now, they may get you a dollar raise at McDonald’s, but this board is for UC transfers. BA’s are even becoming less effective in today’s society with more and more people pursuing graduate opportunities. I would say that transferring should take priority over AA requirements any day. If you can do both that’s great. This is coming from a person who has 4 AA’s from his local CC.</p>
<p>IGETC and A.A. in Human Development Studies. No extra classes needed. Happy I did it too.</p>
<p>I only needed 2 classes more, so I got two of them as souvenirs. I don’t see why it would possibly hurt so why not?</p>
<p>I also got it to help out my school. My school has been an awesome blessing for me thus I didn’t mind getting the A.A. so that they could increase their graduation numbers. We’re already the 5th best CC in the state as far as transfer rates so another thing that will improve the perception of my school is fine with me. </p>
<p>But now that I think about it, while associates degrees may not “help” with UCs, it can’t possibly hurt me with the privates I applied to…</p>
<p>That’s a good point. A rep from my first choice private told me that they required an associates when they reopened their transfer program. Somehow that requirement disappeared, but it’s not a bad thing to have. What privates are you hoping for, eyethink?</p>
<p>Only those leaving with degrees are counted in graduation? I guess that’s another plus. My college has been good to me. :)</p>
<p>BCP,</p>
<p>So far I have applied to Harvard, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Georgetown.</p>
<p>Oh shoot, then we’re competition. Maybe I’ll see you in Cambridge? G’luck!</p>
<p>BCP, </p>
<p>You applied to all of the same schools? Oh and we should probably take this to PM since I don’t want to highjack this thread. PM me if you want and I’ll give you my AIM sn. I’m just reading for class tonight in the library. Oh and I prefer NYC to Cambridge. :-)</p>