SUNY is the state university system of New York, and they are public colleges. Probably some of your best deals for four year colleges (whether you go for four years or transfer for the last couple of years after community college). Typically if you put in two years at a community college, you don’t need SAT scores – they just want to see your GPA from the community college. You would have to look at the transfer applications for each college to be sure of exactly what they need, though.
You can apply to most any kind of college from a community college, but often a community college has a specific agreement with some nearby four year colleges about accepting community college students into certain majors if they meet a GPA requirement and have certain pre-requisites taken at the community college. That is a pretty good deal, since you then know the criteria you need to meet to get into the four year college. You will want to make a plan about what majors to explore, and understand what agreements your community college has from early in your time there so you can stay on track for those automatic admissions if possible.
I think you need to put some work into exploring careers and finding specifically what your cc options will offer. It’s good to talk to your GC but you need to keep in mind that your GC is one person who probably has to worry about 200+ students. They can help but ultimately you are the one who needs to put together all the info and make decisions. And neither should you come away feeling like they are pushing you into something that’s not right for you. You may want to make up a list of specific questions, like, do you know of any organized job shadowing programs in the area? I think often these things are informally arranged, and may be done through friends and acquaintances.
A community college is an inexpensive way to try college and see if it’s for you. If you aren’t academically inclined you may want to think about programs that don’t require a 4 year college degree. If you can define your interests somewhat, your GC may have some suggestions. There are a lot of jobs out there and many of them don’t require a 4 year degree. And a 4 year degree is no guarantee of a good job.
You can apply to most any kind of college from a community college, but often a community college has a specific agreement with some nearby four year colleges about accepting community college students into certain majors if they meet a GPA requirement and have certain pre-requisites taken at the community college. That is a pretty good deal, since you then know the criteria you need to meet to get into the four year college. You will want to make a plan about what majors to explore, and understand what agreements your community college has from early in your time there so you can stay on track for those automatic admissions if possible.
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Yea, but what if I do my wait a year plan, will my SAT scores (if good) help pull some stuff towards me? Also can I do four years complete after the Community? I honestly didn’t know that, I thought I’d have to do a couple of years, and have to pick my major.
Thank you for the advice, and I definitely will be doing those things anyway, and the Community route sounds like the best one for me. Especially after exploring some discussions on here, and hearing about how people fixed GPA’s way worse than mine through community, and got into way better schools after.
I don’t really understand what you mean by ‘pull some stuff towards me’. Yes if you have a super high SAT it might off set a slightly lower GPA, but nobody can really say how much. You can technically do 2 yrs CC then 4 years university for a total of 6 yrs undergrad, but I would imagine that would put up a red flag that might work against you in the future.
Yes I would imagine that most colleges offer them. A lot of people are actually willing to have a high schooler shadow them if you ask. Most of the time, for high schoolers, it’s kinda by personal connections that you find those types of oppurtunties. I think for colleges they are more likely to have connections themselves to set students up.
I don’t see how a gap year will help you. If you have a low GPA, your test scores aren’t likely to be anything great. The tests are to an extent based on materials you would have learned in classes. You will still have your high school GPA as part of your application a year from now.
Some people do end up taking more than four years total (cc plus a couple years at a four year college), but that is not ideal. Most four year colleges charge a set tuition per semester. If you don’t take many classes, or withdraw from or fail some of what you take, you still paid for that semester and then didn’t get many credits out of it. You want to avoid thst and not pay for extra semesters if you don’t have to.
What I mean is, isn’t the point of SAT’s to get noticed by colleges? And why is 2 years + 4 years bad? Is the only way to complete them to be an Undergraduate?
True but, my whole plan doesn’t consist around just that, that’s just a what if. But, it kind of consists around working for a year, and generating some extra money for College, among having a year break from School so I won’t come back unmotivated as easily, and pull stupid mistakes. Also to have some extra thinking time, as you can see I’m pretty late to the game. Idk if it’s necessarily bad to take a gap year, I think I should do it however. Unless the reasons I stated sound bad too. Other than the money, how is a 2 + 4 year bad? Like what Madeline said.
The point of the SAT/ACT is to test your reading, writing, and math skills. It gives colleges an idea of how you will perform in their school - for example, more prestigious schools usually have students who score higher in the ACT/SAT indicating that they can handle their curriculum in contrast to those who have lower scores. Whether or not this system is accurate, I have no idea but that is how it is. Even if you score high, it does not offset your GPA. It’d raise questions about your work-ethic which is why community college could be beneficial because you could show that you have changed your ways.
Like you, I have not had the best grades and community college is my default option. I understand the want to attend an actual 4 year university but for some of us, community college may be the better route. I am sure that you could find some schools that would accept you with your GPA and a good SAT/ACT score but I’d doubt that they would be prestigious institutions and if you are looking for that prestige, community college will be better for you.
If you take a gap year, it will likely only delay your entry into a community college. Chances are that if you couldn’t get accepted in the Spring of 2016, you won’t be accepted in the Spring of 2017. But if you seriously do not want to attend a community college, the decision is yours.
Community College is a do-over, basically. If you score a good GPA, you can transfer to a good and well-respected college. I am more familiar with UC/CSU transfer (since I’m Californian) but I do know that Cornell University, an Ivy-League institution, has a habit of accepting a lot of New York transfer students. Maybe someone more familiar with transfer options in NY can help you.
The 2+4 plan is bad because you’d be wasting two years and money at community college. Now that I think about it, a gap year may not be a bad thing for you if you are using it to figure out what you’d like to do with your life (taking internships, shadowing, etc) but I am not sure if you are planning on doing that or using it as a chance to get into a 4 year university. Prior to finishing community college, you should really have a major decided and the pre-reqs completed. I am not sure how it is in New York but in California, almost all of the schools do not accepted undecided transfer students therefore meaning that all transfer students need their major decided prior to matriculation.
Thank you, and you’re very helpful as we’re on similar boats. But what about that undergraduate stuff Madeline said? If I do 2 + 4 besides the money problems, why would I be Undergraduate after 6 years? I know community college is most likely my best route at the moment, but I’m wondering if I can do a 4 year thing off the bat. That’s just a what if, my main plan(s) include to save money and work for a year, @ gap year if I do it… Also I wouldn’t know how to job shadow during that year however, but I’d have a bit of extra time to think.
You’d be an undergraduate for six years because you would be completing 2 years at a community college and then 4 years at a 4 year university for a total of six years. Basically, you’d be completing community college for no other reason than proving that you can handle the coursework. If you wanted to get into top schools, you’d have to be taking challenging courses and it would be for nothing - forget the waste of money, you’re wasting time and effort. To be quite honest, a 2 + 4 plan is stupid and I urge you to figure out a major as soon as possible so you’re credits can transfer and you can graduate with the rest of Class of 2020.
Like I said earlier, I am sure that you could find a school that would accept you. However, the school likely would be expensive (lack of financial aid) and quality of education may be lacking. Not to mention that you are kind of late to the game considering that many colleges had Jan 1 due dates.
I urge you to apply to colleges if you can afford it and would actually want to attend them. I applied to all reach schools but I’m perfectly content with attending my local community college. Look at the SuperMatch function and enter all your information and see what colleges have stats similar to you. I completely understand wanting to attend a 4 year university right out of the bat but while it took me awhile to accept, community college truly may be the best solution for me and you too.
Lucky for you, CUNY has a fabulous network of schools!!
That AS in Liberal Arts isn’t as limiting as you think. In many schools, with many majors, the bulk of your first 2 years means you’re basically taking a Liberal Arts curriculum, fulfilling their core requirements. The difference is that, at the end of those 2 years, you’ll have a degree. Then you transfer, and take your last 2 years in your new school. Either way, the plan is to graduate in 4 years, not 6.
I went to Nassau CC, and got my AS in Math. I then transferred to St. Johns. They too the whole degree, (and let my Chem class count instead of the Physics class I dreaded )
But if you’re dead set against CC and liberal arts, then take a look at schools with rolling admissions. There are lots of them, and that “basically a C” GPA won’t mean you can’t get in. Time to do some in depth research.
If you are set on a four year college instead of CC, be sure to run the net price calculator on each 4 year college website (on the financial aid webpage) so you know what the cost of attendance may be. The only colleges that will likely take you will not give much financial aid.
As stated above, SAT scores give the colleges an idea of your academic baseline. You don’t get credit just for sitting for the test, it is required by many colleges. A low GPA usually also results in a low SAT score.
Note that there are limits to how many semesters you can get financial aid. All semesters of college (CC and 4 year) cost money. Your cumulative limit for federal loans is $31,000 (so about 4.5 years of loans). Pell Grants go a bit longer if you are eligible.
Do you realize that after 2 years at a community college, you can graduate from the 4 year college after 2 more years (so total 4 years) with the degree offered by the 4 year college? So your diploma reads the same as the person who spent four years in the 4 year college. That is why other posters here are saying you would waste your money to spend more years at the 4 year college.
So total of 4 years isn’t undergraduate…and yea Community is the path for me. Thank you everyone for your input, and thank you for being upfront. I just still want a meeting with my GC about it, but I’ve eliminated a ton of problems just by creating an account here. =). I suppose now my only real struggle is gap year or not, but it’s not much of one, I’m leaning more towards the going to college asap side, and just landing a part time job. My Dad agrees with going right away.
For anyone interested, the College recommended to me that I’ve been talking about is Guttman Community, but perhaps as many have said it is time to start looking at everything in the long run. Thanks a ton guys!
Wait, I still think you’re a little confused on the terminology.
“Undergraduate” means up until you have your Bachelors Degree. Normally, a Bachelor’s is a 4 year degree.
You can go to CC for 2 years, and get an Associate’s. (2 year degree.) Then you transfer to a 4 year school as a Junior, and continue on your undergrad studies for 2 more years, until you get your Bachelor’s degree.
And as I mentioned in a PM, there are some CCs in NY where you can board. According to and old link to the SUNY site:
Openings at Community Colleges with Housing
The following SUNY Community Colleges are still accepting applications and have housing available for Fall 2014.
•SUNY Adirondack
•SUNY Broome
•Cayuga Community College
•Corning Community College
•Fulton-Montgomery Community College
•Genesee Community College
•Herkimer County Community College
•Jamestown Community College
•Jefferson Community College
•Mohawk Valley Community College
•Niagara County Community College
•Schenectady County Community College
•Tompkins Cortland Community College
I appreciate all the help, and the PM; I didn’t notice till a few mins ago. However, then why would I be doomed to be an Undergraduate if I took the 6 year route (Which don’t worry I don’t plan to just curious) Is it because, I wouldn’t get any degree after 2 years? If I’d transfer towards 4?
I think you’re still confused about what an ‘‘undergraduate’’ is. You’re an undergraduate until you get your degree - if you complete your community college and transfer to a college on schedule, you’d be an undergraduate for four years. But you’re an undergraduate for as long as you’re still getting your bachelors degree. You’d be doomed to be an undergraduate for six years because you would not receive your bachelors degree until you complete all the required courses.
Why is being an “undergraduate” being doomed? All it means is that you are working on your bachelor’s (4 year) degree. Which can be accomplished via 2 years at CC and 2 years at a 4 year school. Or four years without CC at a 4 year college. Or can take more years if you can’t finish in that amount of time, but ideally will only take four years. Undergraduate is what everybody is while working on their bachelor’s degree.
Ah, LOL … sorry about that, it’s just maybe I misread what a poster said earlier, I believe it was the first poster to mention why 2 + 4 years would be bad. Either I misread, or the poster used wrong terminology, whatever happened. I ended up seeing “finish 6 years as an undergraduate” which is why I used words such as doomed, etc.
Either way, do you guys mind talking about things that are somewhat relevant on the same thread? Or should I make a new thread for them (I don’t want to anger any admins or w/e) What I want to ask about now include Trade schools, Associates degrees, or Apprenticeships.
Before I ask in detail, or before I know if It’d be polite to ask in detail on the same thread. I want to know if after Community College, I can just give up if it’s not right for me, and go to a Trade School, or take an apprenticeship? I know everything, anything is possible as long as I’m willing. But what I mean by that is, would the people in Trade Schools, or doing Apprenticeships really care about my GPA? Aren’t they looking more for fresh out of High School students?
And about Associate Degrees, can’t I earn multiple, and lets say I want to make money as a Dental Hygienist. If I earn an Associate Degree as that. It would be wrong, or impossible to change to a completely unrelated Major to the transferred college wouldn’t it?
There is no “wrong.” Each of us figures out our path as we go along.
But there is “expensive.” Too many major changes could get expensive.
There are some 4 year SUNY schools that have some of those “trade” majors you mention.
Deep breaths here. In spite of what people tell you, you really do NOT have to have it all figured out at age 17. Liberal Arts is a great start-- it gives you the opportunity to dabble and figure out what you want and what you don’t. So hopefully over the next 2 years or so, you’ll have a better idea of a direction and can narrow down that major as a Junior. If not, plenty of Liberal Arts Bachelors graduates have gotten jobs in a huge variety of fields. Some employers want that well rounded candidate, knowing they can teach the new hire the particulars of the job once they’re hired.
If you have no burning academic ambitions at all, a trade school might not be a bad option. Or a CC that offers trades in its curriculum might be the best of both worlds, if you are not sure. You could do a lot worse than to train as an electrician - there is always demand and the money is good.
College is not for everybody and there is no shame in that. But it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try to make sure. You will probably know in a semester or a year. And if you can take introductory courses in subjects that interest you (you mentioned sociology, I believe), it would help you to answer some of these questions.
That’s true…maybe I should/can reserve trade/apprenticeships as a plan B? But if anyone knows, how are they on accepting community college students, or people that aren’t so fresh out of HS, does GPA matter? And are apprenticeships found at Trade Schools?
Thank you, very great help. And yes it’s true, College isn’t for everyone. I did not do so good in HS, but I can try out Community to find out if I’m academically Inclined…and probably could look for apprenticeship, or something after. But Here’s the funny part, despite my inability at Math, I’ve been thinking about becoming just that. Maybe an Electrician, Isn’t it a funny coincidence how you recommended the same thing. Idk I just think I can be a thinker, I know I am. Or if it doesn’t work for me, I can be just a hard worker, and have an honest job as an Electrician. Over here they have around 70,000 as an annual salary, and that’s pretty much kicking ass over the other Bachelor degrees I think I MIGHT be interested in, things I don’t even know I want to do yet. But Idk, time will tell and thank you so much for the help.
Other than that for anyone who’s interested, a bit of good news. I’m not late on CUNY applications, because they’re due Feb 1st. =) Some time atleast.
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