What are the pros/cons of going to community college or two years and transferring instead of straight to a university? Obviously you save money while figuring out a plan for your life but is it worth missing out on the whole “college experience” thing because you won’t be in a dorm with a bunch of other confused freshmen to relate to? Also are more selective colleges more difficult to transfer to instead of getting accepted straight out of high school? Will I lose a bunch of credits transferring?
It honestly depends on the school. While I was initially bent on applying to competitive schools for my undergraduate studies, I took a somewhat similar route: I went to a regional campus attached to a state university without campus housing (as it was only regional, most students stayed two years no differently than community college; plus, the price was relatively comparable to that of a community college, too). I admit I was somewhat remorseful during my freshman year I missed out on that “experience” (although I can say I still shared the same confusion as other freshmen despite the lack of housing), but as I prepare to transfer for my junior year, I’m actually somewhat relieved because I saved money, was able to build a strong academic record, and have an opportunity to establish leadership roles on campus, too.
I won’t say transferring to an Ivy is more difficult per se; however, it is important to keep in mind that many highly qualified transfer applicants get turned down simply because there isn’t any room for them (as the retention rates are significantly lower than the national average). Transferring to Ivies is a bit of a wild card, but that is not to say it’s impossible (e.g., Harvard accepts roughly 15 transfer students out of 1,500 applicants, so as you can imagine the competition is tough compared to that of Cornell that accepts 700 of 3,600 applicants). I will say this: the pool of applicants you’re up against are significantly lower, so you don’t have to “compete” with as many applicants to nab that spot. But you have to be prepared to stand out as a student in college both academically and outside of campus, too, AND have a compelling reason to want to matriculate to whatever selective school you choose. What you decide to do is up to you, but bear in mind that you’ll be saving plenty of money in the process. As a student who had a paltry secondary school record, attending a “cheap” school for two years offered me a chance to prove that I’m willing to put in the work to become an exceptional student and demonstrate my passions. However, be mindful that you’re not paying to have the “experience”; you’re paying for higher education.