<p>I don’t understand. Why go strait to a four year university right after high school, when you can go to a community college? Doing this would save you plenty of money, anywhere from $40-100k, and gives you a much better chance to get into a highly prestigious college. First two years in college are filled with GED classes, so it’s not like you are getting a lesser education than someone who goes strait to a four year university. Besides the whole, “I’m going away for college, freshmen experience blah blah blah”, is it really worth the extra $40-100k? Doesn’t it make more sense to go to a cc? Especially with how the economy is going? So why do so many students go strait to a four year university after high school when cc is an option? I simply don’t understand this behavior.</p>
<p>Many people do choose this option for the financial reasons. About a third eventually move on to 4-year programs. The other 2/3 don’t progress . They go straight back to the working world.</p>
<p>“and gives you a much better chance to get into a highly prestigious college.” If financial barriers exist, then one is forced to take this route of course. But if not, one’s best chances for competitive college admissions is as a HS senior. Plus, transfer slots to the “highly prestigious colleges” are very limited (e.g >30 for Yale each year)</p>
<p>I don’t understand what you mean by “1st 2 years filled with GED classes” Certainly many Comm Coll classes are remedial work for HS grads who can’t take Bachelors’ level assignments. These won’t be transferable if they ever move onto a 4 yr program either. This is one of the hazards of Comm Coll: you sign up for an English class and your classmates have barely graduated from HS.</p>
<p>“so its not like you are getting a lesser education than someone who goes strait (sic) to a four year university” Again, dependent on what you can schedule, you’re correct. However, you’re very mistaken if you think that the larger 4 yr colleges don’t have more to offer in terms of course selection, higher quality instructors and facilities resources.</p>
<p>“I simply don’t understand this behavior” Do you understand it better now? Comm Colleges serve many many people. Including recent HS grads hoping to ease into college or save money. But it is a sacrifice because better opportunities exist out there as well.</p>
<p>I’ll answer your questions in order.</p>
<p>“Why go strait to a four year university right after high school, when you can go to a community college?”
—Because the first two years of your college experience DO matter. Some people want to go to a four year university.</p>
<p>“Doing this would save you plenty of money, anywhere from $40-100k, and gives you a much better chance to get into a highly prestigious college.”
—It is definitely true that it’s much cheaper to start off at a community college. For students that underperformed in high school, if they perform well at a CC, they may have a good chance of getting in to a 4-year university as a transfer (I think that California, for example, has programs where if you do well enough at a CC, you automatically get in to a UC/CSU?). However, not all “highly prestigious colleges” take a lot of transfers. MIT takes <20 transfers each year (yes, SOME people do get in as transfers… but very, very few- transfer admission is probably way more competitive than freshman admission). Harvard, Stanford, and other similarly ranked schools probably take about the same amount. Many excellent public universities take lots of transfers, but the top private schools (as mentioned, and others) don’t usually take many transfers. Some don’t take any transfers.</p>
<p>“First two years in college are filled with GED classes, so it’s not like you are getting a lesser education than someone who goes strait to a four year university.”
—You might be taking the same classes- for example, Calc 1 and English 101- but they won’t be taught by the same professors, and you won’t be surrounded by the same students. At a 4-year university, you’re more likely to be surrounded by intelligent, motivated students- in a discussion-based class like English, this can make all the difference in the world. At a 4-year university, you’re also more likely to go more in depth in subjects, and the courses will likely be more challenging- for Calc 1, that will be extremely beneficial, as it’ll better prepare you for the next course. Think about it. Let’s say you’re transferring from a CC to Caltech. You took Calc 1, 2, and 3 at the CC- so when you get to Caltech, yeah, you’re probably going to be a little behind the students who took those courses at Caltech (Caltech courses are going to be more detailed than CC courses).</p>
<p>“Besides the whole, “I’m going away for college, freshmen experience blah blah blah”, is it really worth the extra $40-100k?”
—It depends on what’s “worth it”. For some, the freshman/sophomore experience of living in a dorm on campus, participating in activities, and living in a campus community (none of which happen at a CC) and being away from home IS worth the extra money. For some, it’s not. For me it’s worth it to not live at home- I, personally, am ready to move on, and I don’t want to spend another 2 years at home. But for some students, it might not be worth it- those students might be better off starting out at a CC.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t it make more sense to go to a cc? Especially with how the economy is going?”
—A CC is much cheaper. CC enrollment will probably increase this fall. Even if a student gets considerable merit aid at a 4-year university, it’d still probably be cheaper to go to a CC. So if cost matters that much to you, then yes, it makes more sense to go to a CC. However, if cost isn’t an issue, it might make more sense to start off at a 4-year university.</p>
<p>“So why do so many students go strait to a four year university after high school when cc is an option? I simply don’t understand this behavior.”
—Because they’re ready (academically, emotionally, mentally) to go to a 4-year university right away, and they like the environment/learning opportunities provided by a 4-year university, and they want to go somewhere new, and also, they can afford it. There’s also the thing that many of these students don’t even CONSIDER CC.</p>