What are the benefits of going to a University right after HS?
Why is it better than going to a Community College?
Why doesn’t everyone just transfer if it’s far cheaper?
<p>Q1. going right after HS: most of the material you have learned is still in your head, experience being on your own and getting to know more about yourself and your interests, etc)</p>
<p>Q2. community college: cheaper def., you get the required courses over with, its easier to transfer to the college that you want to attend</p>
<p>Q3. pride - some want to get into prestigious schools</p>
<p>More people will ask what college you graduated from and not where you were accepted. That's a question to HS seniors only. Therefore to start your "college career" at a community college is a very good choice for many students. It allows the student to save some $--gives them some more time to decide on a major--and all the basic or core requirements can be taken at the comm. college. And for many students it gives them the time to mature, improve basic study skills and gives them the opportunity to transfer into a "higher level university" than one that they might have gotten into directly from hs. We're in NY. I know U of Rochester and Cornell take some transfer students from community colleges. I'm sure every state U including UVA-UNC-U of Mich etc. take thousands of community college graduates every year. Some of these kids would never have gotten into such prestigious schools directly from HS. Therefore there are definite benefits for some kids to start their college careers at a community college.</p>
<p>one BIG difference is the interaction of the students in class. In Calif (which transfers thousands to Berkeley and UCLA every year), the community colleges are much, much easier than any top public HS, and definitely easier than any well-taught AP course.</p>
<p>I honestly think the above comment is debatable. I attended a pretty decent, well funded public high school, and while I have no idea whether it was considered to be <em>top</em> status, I didn't feel too academically stimulated. Mind you, my schedule was chalk full of AP classes, but the classes I felt were most worth while were concert and jazz band. I graduated when I was sixteen, over a year earlier than my fellow classmates. While I had the grades to go straight on to university, my parents and I agreed that I was too young to go away to college. I had the option of attending our neighborhood UC (UCSC), but I had my heart set on Berkeley, so I decided to wait it out and attend junior college for two years.</p>
<p>While I do agree that some California high schools boast a very rigorous course load and some excellent instructors, don't underestimate the power of our community colleges. Some of my JC professors were overwhelmingly tough, and incredibly inspiring. My American Literature instructor turned down a teaching job at UC Davis to teach at our local community college. I wouldn't be so quick to say that JC's are much, much easier. High school was fairly easy for me, but I could honestly admit that some of my JC courses were a strenuous struggle! </p>
<p>You're right, California does do an excellent job at transferring JC juniors to top universities. I am a prime example of this process, as I am a new UC Berkeley student, and a very happy one at that. While I understand what you are saying, I just want to speak for all of us community college transfers out there. Lots of people are quick to judge the quality and intensity of education at junior colleges, making it seem as if we didn't need to work as hard as the entering freshmen class at UC powerhouses like Cal or UCLA, but believe me - we did! Some of us pulled off steller GPA's while working full time, serving on the student senate, yadda yadda, etc, etc. </p>
<p>All in all, I wish I could have four years at Berkeley instead of two-three. That is a con. But because of the time I spent at community college, my parents can tuck away the money they would have spent on me the first two years at a university straight into their retirement fund. That is a definite pro. Because of my JC professors and friends, I feel well prepared for Berkeley, and ready to take the whole experience on. Rock on transfers!</p>
<p>I'll just add that many statistics show that students who begin their college education at a community college do better on average as juniors and seniors than the students who go directly to the universities. </p>
<p>The job of community colleges is to prepare students for upper level studies at the universities (or prepare them for technical jobs and other careers such as nursing, etc.). They work with students on issues such as study skills, motivation, career choices, etc. The job of the universities is to "weed out" the week students.</p>
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U of Mich etc. take thousands of community college graduates every year
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<p>Can't speak for the others, but I'd say U-Michigan was more in the hundreds, not thousands. The other state schools in Michigna may take a greater number. </p>
<p>I suspect many students who aspire to U-M want the peer interaction and overall campus life experience you'd get on campus all four years. Maybe they think a community college isn't a great fit for them those first two years, despite the huge savings. </p>
<p>But that said, flagships publics do generally have excellent articulation agreements with community colleges, and there are many ways they act to make the transition from CC to university as easy as possible. CC is an important access route to a university degree. It's just that it's not the path that many flagship-bound students seem to take.</p>
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I'll just add that many statistics show that students who begin their college education at a community college do better on average as juniors and seniors than the students who go directly to the universities.
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<p>That may be true of the 'survivors.' That is, those who make it to the 4-years. It ignored another troubling finding, which is that students who go to community college are at higher risk for their degree aspirations being lessened. Even when they control for other factors, peer group plays an important role. </p>
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The job of the universities is to "weed out" the weak students.
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<p>That's certainly not true of the best universities. Their freshman retention rates and graduation rates suggest they aren't interested in this tactic.</p>