I’m a high school senior who is leaning towards joining the Miami Dade College honors program. Yes, the fact that it is a part of a community college threw me off as well but after looking into it, I am convinced that it is a smart decision. The program is free with a bonus stipend for books (if you are accepted) and one could actually get paid to go to school because of the scholarships added on such as Florida Bright Futures. It is a two year program that is designed to get students to competitive universities (they have had students get accepted to every school in the top 50 of the US). The only requisite is that you maintain a 3.5 gpa for both years and complete a certain amount of service hours. I have a family with siblings who are also entering college at the same time and I think that doing this would be beneficial for all of us. I understand that I would be missing out on a real “college” experience for the first two years but I’m okay with that. Am I doing the right thing?
If you are concerned about money, Miami Dade is an excellent way to start your college eduction. I have a relative that got an AA in Miami-Dade, transferred to UF for a bachelors, graduated in four years, and ended up getting two masters degrees at a top Big 10 school. Just keep your eyes on the prize and don’t get distracted.