Community college and then top university?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>First, I apologize if I am posting this in a restricted area; the "What Are My Chances" forum seemed full of high school seniors, rather than CC transfers.</p>

<p>Anyway, here is my situation: I am 22 years old, and in my first year at a community college in Oregon. Long story short, I had to wait to go to school, for financial aid reasons (my parents made too much and wouldn't help pay). Also, I have my G.E.D. as I was homeschooled in Alaska.</p>

<p>Okay, getting to the point. I want to know if CC transfers from out of state have a chance at any of the major schools in other states. My top choices include USC, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Stanford, Boston University, UT-Austin, Notre Dame, and well, frankly, any top university that will be a good "feeder" school into a top grad school.</p>

<p>Again, I am 22, I work full-time to support my wife and kid, I maintain a 4.0, I am active in Phi Theta Kappa, I volunteer at the local fire department, I volunteer with the Red Cross, and I have been invited to sit on a board that advises local businesses regarding our school's business management program. I am likely going to major in poli science or business; for now I am worrying about the degree requisites.</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read my long-winded post. If you need further information to evaluate my chances at getting into a top university, by all means ask. Thank you! :)</p>

2

<p>The UC's are very difficult to get into as a non California resident. I can tell you that you have almost no shot at getting into Stanford.</p>

<p>You have an excellent shot at USC, but can you afford it?</p>

3

<p>A 4.0 makes you a competitive applicant at most non-ivy's. However, 4.0 with difficult courses (Bio, Ochem, multivariable math, etc.) will make you competitive at the Ivy league level (except the ones that just don't take transfers of course).</p>

<p>Based on what you have said, i'd say all UC's have a high chance of accepting you, with the exception of impacted majors that have 3.9+ avg. transfer GPA of admits.</p>

<p>USC is OK if you can get great FinAid...if not, then it's not worth it (caution, I'm a ranking obsessed whore, and I am biased in this way).</p>

4

<p>Thank you, I appreciate your input! :) It is very encouraging to hear that I may have a shot at a school oustide of Oregon State or U of O. I think I will take a look at my schedule for next semester and try to make it a bit more difficult, so I will be that more competitive, even at the non-Ivy league schools.</p>

<p>At the risk of sounding like a dummy, what are impacted majors?</p>

<p>Also, would more extra-curriculars help me out, or should I just concentrate on my grades? My wife acts as though she will kill me if I get any busier, but she knows how important this is to me...</p>

<p>Oh, and as far as affording USC or any other school; I am of the mindset "If I make it in, then I'll worry about the money." Luckily, my wife's grandparents both have a little bit of money, that I am positive they would loan me for school. Plus, I think I should qualify for quite a bit of need-based aid. But, we'll see... :)</p>

5

<p>about extra credits - sorry this is not very much help and still kind of vague, but the only thing i can say with certainty is that admissions doesn't care as much about it as they would for freshman applicants.</p>

<p>impacted majors are ones that have high numbers of applicants, and it's extremely competitive to try to get into them. examples would be...actually i'm not really sure, can someone help out? i believe it's stuff like computer science at ucla, various engineering programs at berkeley, etc.</p>

6

<p>I'd say you have a good chance!Trying to balance having a family and studying at the same time must be very hard.. I commend you on your efforts- your 4.0 looks even better now because of all the other things that you have on your plate! good luck ryanr</p>

7

<p>Thank you, I appreciate that. Having a family, working, and going to school (let alone doing well) is very tough indeed, but I just have to keep my eyes on the prize. It's probably tougher on my wife than me, but she knows it is what I want more than anything, so she is ultra supportive.</p>

<p>I just had a though awhile ago; would I perhaps be better off for getting into UCLA or Berkeley by transferring down to a California CC, and completing my sophomore year there, and then transferring into the UC system? We actually just moved back up to Oregon from Anaheim, but we may be willing to move back down if it meant an easier chance of going to a great school. Just a thought...</p>

8

<p>I was actually going to suggest just that. It's much easier to get into a UC as a California resident, especially from a CCC. Programs like TAP are also set up for just that situation. UCs also like the "challenge" factor--you have a family and a job that you're supporting, that would be a huge plus. Also, UC fees are cheaper than they seem, especially for someone in your situation. Of the $20,000 estimated, some $7500 is actual fees, the rest is room, board, and textbooks. You'd have to live somewhere and eat anyway, and with things like the rate for Stafford Loans just having been lowered again, $15000 for a degree from a top school is a bargain.</p>

<p>(I'm sorry, I'm an econ major. I get geeky about stuff like this...)</p>

9

<p>Well wow, your situation sounds quite extraordinary to me... I think you definitely should apply to as many schools as you have the the time to. Many universities who have thousands of the same cookie cutter kids applying love to get applications from people in unique and difficult circumstances. In fact, I was reading an article in the Harvard Crimson that quoted their director of admissions as saying that they effectively keep spots open in the transfer pool for people applying from community college... those are precisely the kind of people they are trying to recruit. So good luck and take heart because admissions officers are definitely people too and will respond to human circumstances, especially if you can give them stuff to work with (like a 4.0).</p>

10

<p>Try looking into Santa Monica College. (If you decide to come back to California that is.) It has the number one transfer rate into UCLA, and USC. On average the local CC will send off about 80-150~ or so students to UCLA, but SMC sends, on average, almost 600 every year. (For the past three or four years.) Also something to think about is that you might want to find a professor or two at your CC who has some sort of connection to the top schools. Look for people who did their post grad, or UG work at an Ivy. (Any top school will suffice, as most of these people tend to have friends at "other" schools. It's the good ol' boy network at its finest.) Honestly, many people here tend to get too caught up on the prestige game, and what that means for admission. Sure some things are common sense. For example, Stanford requires extremely high SAT scores for admission in general, and even more so for their transfers. May not be the smartest choice if you don't have a unique and outstanding package. MANY schools, however, will take you even if you don't have the "correct" academic formula, BECAUSE OF your interesting background, not in spite of it. It's all about the spin. Work really hard on your essays, and I think you have a great shot at the top 30 in either category. Look into Liberal Arts Colleges who are connected to big name schools. For example, Swarthmore is connected to UPenn. </p>

<p>Also, how far are you willing to go? (Are you looking at a certain part of the country?) What do you intend to do with that major choice? You said you wanted top grad school placement. Are you going for Law school, or graduate studies in international affairs? These might be some helpful questions to answer because a school like Georgetown will help you go very far in both of those directions. (If you have a high, not Ivy high, SAT score then you have a great shot at GU.) </p>

<p>Don't let people tell you that you don't have a shot at great schools. Keep up the high GPA, be a good dad, husband, and live your life. Find passions that will cross over as great EC's, and make sure that what's on paper is simply a reflection of the journey you, and your family, have had so far. Make sure they know you mean to succeed, and have found the strength to do so because of the experiences you have had. When people read your essay they should know that becoming a family man so young, and pursuing your dream for a top education has been fulfilling, challenging, and eye opening. (Even if it hasn't been you might want to implement that.) These guys want to see some sort of intellectual virtuoso, so at the very least give them something to tear up or laugh about. </p>

<p>Also, check up on some of the school's policies on GED's. Sometimes the CC education will cancel it out, and sometimes they just don't accept it. Other schools, mostly the UC's, really don't care as long as you transfer from a CCC.</p>

<p>I admire your courage at taking on both the challenge of a family, and the challenge of acquiring a top education. I wish you the best of luck.</p>

11

<p>Be careful and do your homework. I don't know what you mean by "just" moved from CA, but to get in state rates at a CC you need to have worked and paid taxes for 1 year before becomming a student. I don't know if they allow gaps. That also means you would always be considered out of state, even when you transfer to a UC. $40K/yr. UCs give very little need based aid to OOS students.</p>

<p>As a transfer, aid is not good at many colleges. Many don't offer transfers any institutional aid. With a family to support you might look at schools that also offer merit aid.</p>

12

<p>Go to El Camino College! itz great!</p>

13

<p>College of Marin is a decent feeder to UC Berkeley.</p>

14

<p>College of the Canyons have sent students to Yale.</p>

<p>Go there.</p>

<p>
[quote]
It has the number one transfer rate into UCLA, and USC. On average the local CC will send off about 80-150~ or so students to UCLA, but SMC sends, on average, almost 600 every year.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Number of students transferred has nothing to do with the transfer rate. For one thing, SMC is one of the most populated CC in California (I believe the population is somewhere around 30k) and the local CCs that Leonella refers to typically have less than 20k students. See the number bias here?</p>

<p>And also keep in mind that while SMC may have the largest number of transfer to UCLA, it also has the largest pool of rejects :)</p>

15

<p>Thanks for all the great advice! I am definitely willing to go anywhere in the country to get a good education. My ultimate goal is law school, so I want to get into a school that will help me earn the opportunity to go a top law school. I just don't think going to Oregon State or U of O will do that for me, so I am branching out. </p>

<p>Everyone's comments are very encouraging, I really appreciate them. </p>

<p>So, it sounds like I should a)take the SATs and do well b) work on my essay for my apps c)continue to do well in school and d)continue to do well in my family life! :)</p>

<p>What type of classes should I take to make my "package" look better for Ivy quality schools? Should I start taking more science and math? Thanks for your help in this area.</p>

16

<p>Hrrrm... actually I take what I said back about sciences/math, I have no idea what law school bound students are taking. I think Nspeds can chime in here. From what i've seen, many law students in the UG level are simply prepping their application for the REAL law school at the grad level (i'm a fan of Berkeley's Boalt Hall). I'd suggest planning out your</p>

<p>Calling out to Nspeds............</p>

<p>Side info: I think certain UC's have scholarships and specific housing for students with a family.</p>

<p>Also, use the search function in this forum to look for successful transfer to Ivy leagues. These REALLY help, some successful transfer students are willing to give you more in depth info upon inquiry too. Search strings like "harvard stanford berkeley ucla transfer accepted stats [ insert other college here ]", etc.</p>

17

<p>"Be careful and do your homework. I don't know what you mean by "just" moved from CA, but to get in state rates at a CC you need to have worked and paid taxes for 1 year before becomming a student. I don't know if they allow gaps. That also means you would always be considered out of state, even when you transfer to a UC. $40K/yr. UCs give very little need based aid to OOS students.</p>

<p>As a transfer, aid is not good at many colleges. Many don't offer transfers any institutional aid. With a family to support you might look at schools that also offer merit aid."</p>

<p>This is wrong. It is right in saying that you will be an out of state community college student, therefore paying out of state fees, but does not guarantee that you are going to pay out of state UC fees. All you must do is demonstrate you have lived in california for one year, and have not been claimed on your parents taxes for the last 2 years.</p>

18

<p>May I suggest you make a call to Cornell University, discuss your intentions with admissions people in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the School of Human Ecology (two different schools with different admissions' concerns.) Cornell state schools are expensive to out of state residents but they are IVY and the diploma and resume simply read, Cornell University.</p>

<p>Becoming a California resident is not that hard but does take a year, good luck with your decision...remember it is your hard work that will determine who you are, not the diploma. Great people have graduated from mediocre schools and the reverse is true as well.</p>

19

<p>I think schools will consider you maintaing a 4.0 while having a wife and kid, and while doing a whole bunch of volunteer work very interesting. You will get into a top school</p>

<p>Yay!!! 100 posts.</p>

20

<p>hmm, maybe you shouldn't move to california. even if you'd be able to pay in-state tuition for a uc school, the trouble is, they may look at you unfavorably for going to a cali community college for only one year. there was a post i read on here about a guy who went to nyu for a year, got straight A's, moved to california to complete his second year at a community college, then got rejected from a lot of uc schools. i think he ended up at ucr...? but yeah i agree with kenshinsan, you seem to have a good chance where you are right now!</p>