<p>bluebayou: I probably should clarify the issue. The woman applying to dental schools has had no problem with California dental schools accepting her SBCC/UCSB transcripts. USC, UCLA, UOP… her coursework meets their criteria so I don’t think the issue is her taking the wrong lower division undergrad prereqs. She really hoped to go out of state however, and her experience has been that the schools in the East seem to question the validity of the CA community college courses. I don’t know any additional details beyond what I’ve shared to this point. I just know based on her comments to me, I would caution my own kids to think about their long range goals, and if they knew they ultimately wanted to attend a specific out of state program someday, it’s never to early to check with the program directly about how CA cc credits are considered.</p>
<p>As you probably know, the University of Chicago has a core curriculum requirement, including a year-long social science core course. Students have a limited range of options for that course, but the most popular one year after year is a course called Self, Culture and Society. No one would call it “hippy dippy”.</p>
<p>Now, granted, UCSC in general is a lot more hippy dippy than UChicago, and just because the courses have similar names doesn’t mean they have similar content or rigor. On the other hand, you are assuming an awful lot about the course from its name (which is pretty anodyne) and where it’s taught. My guess is that you really don’t know the first thing about it.</p>
<p>hobbithill: another poster mention Santa Rosa as a high caliber cc. I believe it also has the distinction of being one of the few ccs that have dorm housing available. To the south of you, Foothill College has a strong reputation. De Anza College also comes to mind, but my knowledge goes back many years so I don’t know the current rep. Depending on how serious you are about the drama thing, Allan Hancock College is home to PCPA. I don’t know about overall rigor of their programs though, my D took classes there in high school and I don’t think she found them particularly challenging compared to her AP courses. Certainly research the links that have been posted, and visit and get a feel for the ccs you might be considering. Also, most community colleges offer an Honors Program option which you should consider, as well as researching their specific TAGs since those are campus specific.</p>