I have a GPA of 2.9 but an SAT score of 1598 and decent ECs and I know that my GPA is not competitive for UCs but if when I tell people that I consider going to community college they instantly tell me to stop and that it will just hold me back. Can u tell me your experiences at going to community college then transferring?
Going to community college in California has its own challenges. The good thing is that the UCs and CSUs give preference in admission to graduates of the CA ccs. The bad thing is that a lot of the ccs are impacted, so it can be hard to get the classes you need during the terms you need them. This can extend your time to graduation. So there are pros and cons. You’d want to look into how impacted the ccs you like are, get an idea of how easily you can get into the classes you need, etc.
In terms of cc otherwise holding you back, I don’t see that happening. No one cares where you started - it’s where you finish that matters. So long as you do well at the cc, you can get into some strong UCs.
What I normally suggest that people do is apply to the UCs you like, the CSUs you like, and also to the ccs you like. See where you get in, then decide.
It depends on your financial situation and what you want to do. If you want to end up with a UC degree, then community college is the most direct route for you to get there, as well as the most economical one. There’s nothing wrong with this path, at all! The main limitations are in fields where you need to take specialized courses in the first two years in order to graduate on time. (Engineering or architecture for example.) But for most programs where the first two years are spent on general education anyway, CC is fine. Register as early as you can and choose classes by the quality of the instructors as much as you can. What do you want to end up studying?
Do you know why you ended up with a 2.9 GPA? Obviously you test extremely well. Is your relative under-performance in high school explained by situational factors, or is it possible that you have something going on that merits some more detailed testing to see whether there are accommodations and supports that you may need to perform up to your ability? Get this sorted out before college if there is any question.
If you want to go away to a four-year school, and if you can afford an out-of-state public U at the WUE rate (150% of in-state tuition, which often isn’t much different from the cost of UC), then you can look at some of the almost-open-admissions schools out of state. Portland State, for example, is not a competitive admit, but has some terrific programs and provides a great urban college experience. Southern Oregon U feels almost like a small LAC. Northern Arizona… U of Nevada Reno, Utah State… there are many fine schools in the Western Undergrad Exchange where you can get in with your stats and get a quality four-year education that will be limited only by what you put into it. Apply early, as spots at the WUE rate are not unlimited.
What are your “decent EC’s?” Aside from finances and academic interests, your extracurricular interests may influence what the best path for you will be. Some extracurriculars may be easily pursued at cc (some cc’s have fantastic performing arts programs, sports, etc.) and others may be more available at a 4-year university.
I went to Community College, and I think I did just fine.
I graduated 2 years after entering, with my AS degree in hand. I transferred to a local university, and graduated with my Bachelor’s 2 years later, with a teaching job accepted before that college graduation.
Consider going to CC. It’s certainly a good safety. And there are a number of CCs across the country with dorms if that matters to you.
But know that it’s not your only option. There are plenty of schools for a kid with your scores. Start by looking here: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1995005-time-for-another-thread-for-b-and-c-students-p1.html