<p>Many cc’s have intense distribution requirements for the AA. This gets most basic required courses out of the way with the meaty courses in the major left to do. Usually if the AA degree is earned all credits transfer. There is probably an articulation agreement with OSU. There are also probably Asian students who would swap face time speaking their language for help writing English to keep up language skills.</p>
<p>Yeah, CC does not hold you back. </p>
<p>I was a top student in community college, and continued to be a top student at a state school after transfering two years in. Many smart students realize this and save money by going to CC. </p>
<p>Upside: smaller class sizes, more student-teacher interaction, more tutoring/academic support services, MUCh cheaper, course content will be practically identical, instructional quality will be very similar (possibly better), less distractions (the greek scene, parties, sports, dorms…) </p>
<p>Downside: Less fun (greek, parties, sports, dorms), less motivated student body, less school spirit/culture, a little bit more course planning involved (it is a must that you work with your future 4 year’s university advisors to plan what courses to take that will transfer).</p>
<p>“in the end I worry that I will have crippled her career goals (she wants to work for the State Department).”</p>
<p>It won’t cripple her. No one even has to know if she doesn’t bring it up. It doesn’t have to go on her resume. And even if people do know, once she has the 4-year degree, no one will care about the CC. </p>
<p>I’ve got one of those 4-year diplomas on my wall that has no fine print saying that I only spent two years at that institution. I’m a graduate, period. Law schools didn’t care, and neither did employers.</p>
<p>I went to our college’s reception for scholarship winners. One of the students who spoke has been nominated for the Jack Kent Cook scholarship. There are a few really good scholarships for those who excell at community colleges. Our college offers lots of merit scholarships and others for all kinds of students. It would be worth it to go talk to someone.</p>
<p>You are still paying for YOUR school. Were your parents ashamed they didn’t pay for YOU? Of course not silly. It’s not to be ashamed about. I’d only be ashamed if you didn’t CARE and weren’t trying to find the best way. CC is not the worst thing that ever happened to a kid.</p>
<p>Hi, BYU (Provo) has a very good language program and the cost is also reasonable. If she is not worried about BYU being a mormon school; it might be a good option.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>
<p>^BYU is 98% Mormon, and has a very strict honor code that disallows sex, alcohol, caffeine, etc. and includes mandatory church service. Even though it does have a strong language program, I wouldn’t advise a non-Mormon student to attend.</p>
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<p>This is just not true. We get all sorts of chances in life to do all sorts of things and if we don’t grab a chance the first time, another one is right around the corner. </p>
<p>I would stop thinking this way, if possible.</p>
<p>Old Parable:</p>
<p>a young man was wandering and he found a great new horse. The family was very excited, with this new horse, so much more work could be done on the farm. The horse was the best thing that ever happened to them.</p>
<p>One day, out in the fields, riding the horse, the young man fell off the horse and broke his leg. He couldn’t help on the farm, and he was the strongest worker the family had. The horse was the worst thing that ever happened to them.</p>
<p>A month later, the military came through, conscripting all able bodied young men to go off to a distant war. The young man’s broken leg had not healed and he was left behind. The broken leg was the best thing that ever happened to him.</p>
<p>Who knows what is best and what is worst? I’m sure a young woman as bright as your daughter has barely begun to find all of the chances she is going to find in her life.</p>
<p>Good luck to you both.</p>
<p>I think we need to hear back from the OP. Did I miss where she said what she could afford?</p>
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<p>This is not true.</p>
<p>My husband busted his butt to be able to afford his college. When people transferred in junior year and he realized they would have the same diploma as him, he was sorry HE didn’t go to CC. The diploma is the same, so as long as the student does the work and learns the material, CC won’t hold her back.</p>
<p>@pariswit from the BYU website:</p>
<p>“Be honest
Live a chaste and virtuous life
Obey the law and all campus policies
Use clean language
Respect others
Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
Participate regularly in church services
Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code”</p>
<p>It says “participate regularly in church services” right there.</p>
<p>njfootballmoom. My parents did not pay for college for me. I went in the military at 17. When my daughter was born, I looked at her and promised her I would send her to college. I never said, I will try to get you into CC. I promised her the best. The best gets you the best. I worry CC will get her the lifetime I have had, struggling. It is not ideal to start at CC and I wondered if it was OK to be this ashamed. I know others have done the CC route but what does it get you in the end? I always thought you go for the best or you get the middle…</p>
<p>My daughter did not apply to BYU not because of the codes, she is best friends with a Mormon, as was my husband and I. We are not however Mormons. She was very impressed with their language program but did not apply because of the location. She very much was hoping for somewhere East Coast or Midwest. We lived in CA a long time ago and I think she was hoping for something Eastern. It does not matter we could not afford any of the schools and she got in everyone she applied.</p>
<p>seekingknowledge…I did not mention what we could afford in the end we could not afford any college. All colleges expected my D to take out 22,000 in student loans and for us to take out around 80,000. We have not saved for college, I am ashamed of this but I was in the military, then did not work for many years while raising children. It was a mistake but now My D is paying for my mistakes. My husand was activated for military so many times it was useless to work and he usually made very little money. We are now however making somewhat decent money but not enough to pay for my oldest and then have nothing for the others. I realize this is just my case but I never thought she would get no help, we expected to take on about 40,000 for our part. She would have to drive the last two years or stay off campus and have to work but we thought we could do this. Now our only choice is CC and it is because of me. I am close to taking the 80,000 in loans and just gambling that someday we can sell the house and maybe 511 dollars for the next 25 years will be worth it. Who needs retirement? She is more important that retiring.</p>
<p>My daughter’s best friend started at a CC and finished off at a 4 year college. She is graduating with less debt than my daughter who started and finished at a 4 year school. No one will care that her first 2 years were at a CC. She is about to graduate and her degree will be a degree from the 4 year school and she is magna cum laude. </p>
<p>Have your daughter start at the CC and do really well gradewise then transfer.Don’t be ashamed that you can’t afford to go $80,000 in debt. Most people can’t, I certainly can’t. You are doing the best you can and have obviously raised a very intelligent and hardworking daughter who will do well wherever she goes to college. Encourage her not to go into a lot of debt herself.</p>
<p>One of my friends’ daughters went to community college, then transferred to Brown. She has graduated and is now on a Fulbright scholarship. Community college didn’t hold her back. Many others at the same community college transfer to various locations of the University of California, including Berkeley. They saved tons of money by doing their first two years at community college, and they tend to thrive at UC.</p>
<p>OP: The NY Times Choice blog just published an article today about Community colleges as a path to a 4 year degree: [Community</a> College Serves as a Path to Four-Year Institutions - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/community-college-serves-as-a-path-to-four-year-institutions/]Community”>Community College Serves as a Path to Four-Year Institutions - The New York Times)</p>
<p>There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed.</p>
<p>Your daughter is in no way being harmed by starting at a community college. Research shows that students at community colleges learn just as much as students at four-year institutions. With judicious course selection, she can transfer to a good four-year school and graduate in four years overall - and her degree will be worth just as much as that of someone who spent a lot more money to go away to college all four years.</p>
<p>I could tell several success stories of people I know personally who have gone on to very productive and fruitful lives after starting at our local community college, but they wouldn’t add much to those already posted by others in this thread.</p>
<p>So don’t be ashamed - be proud that you have raised a capable and accomplished daughter who is prepared to succeed no matter where she winds up in college.</p>
<p>Here is a suggestion - find out if you can attend the local CC graduation. Listen to the speakers. I think you will be impressed. Attending the Phi Theta Kappa induction at our CC made me so proud of those successful students of all kinds, ages and backgrounds. It is going to be increasingly difficult for huge swaths of society to attend four year colleges from the beginning. Your kid will be surrounded by quality people, some with far more maturity than some freshmen at four year schools.</p>