Freshman or Transfer

I need some college advice. I just graduated high school June of this year but I didn’t go to college right afterwards. During my senior year, I was going through a rough time and I didn’t apply that year. However, I still really want to go to college. Now, as I’m planning on applying, I’m confused on what to do. I applied for community college to gain college credits while I wait to be accepted into a 4 year university. However, I read on some college forums that if you are already enrolled at a college while applying for a university, you will be considered a transfer student and it may be more difficult for me to get into the school I want to go to because of that because some schools only accept a certain number of transfers, you have to have a certain amount of credits or hours, etc. Also I’m not sure if I want to take the classes that I’m currently in anymore. Plus, I don’t think the school fits me anyway, I kinda just applied for it because I was pressured by my counselor. My classes don’t start til the 24th and I’m starting to wonder if it’d just be better for me to drop out before they start and just wait the rest of the year. I heard it was better to stay 2 years so I can get my associates degree but I want to transfer immediately becauseI really don’t want to stay there. Before I enrolled in the community college, I had planned on getting a job, doing volunteer work, and retaking my sat/act to make my application look better. Then, just apply as a freshman this year. I’m still in contact with my high school counselor and the teachers who wrote me letters of recommendation so they can help me this year. I’m starting to think that maybe I should’ve stuck to my original plan because I don’t want any more complications and applying as a transfer student seems way more competitive and I’m already aware that my high school record probably isn’t the best. I wasn’t a bad student; I graduated 10th in my class with a 4.0 but I didn’t take any AP classes because 1.) my school was horrible at informing anybody about things to prepare you for college and 2.) I thought that since we didn’t have AP classes available at our school, then I couldn’t take them. But anyways, should I just wait and apply as a freshman after improving my application a bit or be a transfer student?

A gap year – NOT taking any classes and applying later as a freshman – would likely be a very good option for you.

It does look like a Gap Year would be a really good choice for you. Withdraw now from the community college, and don’t take any classes this year. That way you will be a freshman applicant for Fall 2016 no matter where you apply, and you will have a better chance to get good financial aid.

To be honest, a lot depends on the money. You have an excellent GPA. If you also have good SAT or ACT scores, there are a lot of places that would give you some merit-based money as a freshman applicant. But there are very, very few places that would give you the equivalent merit-based aid as a transfer.

If you really do want to start college this fall, and the places you might transfer to after a year or two at the community college are affordable without any financial aid other than a student loan, then it could make sense to start at the community college this fall just so you graduate and get out into the workforce a year sooner.