<p>@Erin’s Dad I just checked the COA for my experience. I see that because of some irregularities in how we went through the process, my experience may not be representative. They do give budgets for room & board (albeit about $2-3K less than the 4-year schools in the same area), books, and transportation. The point still stands, however, that it is not an apples-to-apples comparison, and should be checked thoroughly.</p>
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<p>Before going through the experience, I would have agreed, but truthfully, I am not convinced that this is true. Professors are often working professionals who are passionate and engaged in their subject. In 4-yr GenEd classes, professors often teach large sections of unmotivated students and everyone knows it is a mandatory requirement. Teaching these classes can sometimes be seen as somewhat of a “booby prize” or rite of passage for junior faculty at a 4-year institution. In CC’s the professors are engaging, the class size is small, and the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the class is really engaged as well, especially if it is a regular class which meets in the middle of the day. This is second hand, of course from my DS.</p>
<p>CC can provide a way to mature, increase confidence, and pave a path to serious studiousness. Contrast that with creating a first impression at a 4-yr college as a lost and immature freshman. Sometimes making those first impressions as a Junior can be powerfully impactful, especially if you are just starting to really be serious upon entering college. And many schools have programs to integrate transfers into research projects, etc. Finding community is important- in clubs, sports, and research groups. There are definite downsides, but they can be balanced by real upsides- one of which is having small class sizes and motivated professors for all 4 years of college.</p>
<p>Another thing to check, of course, is time-to-graduate. The transition to 4-year college often tacks an additional 1-2 semesters on to your time in school; so you may be looking at a 4-1/2 to 5 year impact versus a 4 to 4-1/2 year impact. This is because of the time it takes to acculturate to your new setting, and is not really quantifiable; but seems to be real. Each individual thinks it will not be that way for him, but on average, it is.</p>
<p>Also, it appeared that getting into a summer REU may have been facilitated by coming from a CC, since one goal of REUs is to expose undergraduates to research, and the (true) assumption is that there are fewer opportunities for research at a CC, so therefore the need for exposure by CC students is greater than for 4-yr research institutions. Nice silver lining! Another advantage was that AP courses were counted towards Gen Ed requirements. At 4-yr school, they would only be treated as elective courses, but would not fulfill GenEd requirements. In my DS’s case, this reduced the time to graduate by a year (1 yr. CC –> Junior Standing at 4-yr school), which makes 3 more years (rather than 2, for the cultural reasons @fogcity outlined) more palatable, and allows DS to reach into graduate-level classes.</p>