First, let me announce I am posting this from my phone, please excuse any errors.
Due to a cascade of events when I was a teenager I was forced to leave high school very early on(“froshmore” year). I continued to try and recieve a HSD through homeschooling with an accredited distance high school, but again life stepped in the way. I have since been self taught and began my own family.
I am now 25 years old. I recently received my GED with high scores. Now I would like to attend college. However, I prefer not to attend community college and transfer. Even with my situation I’m prepared for a full time day schedule. Relocation is possible (with family friendly dorm housing) but most likely not needed(I live near Boston).
Realistically, what are my options? Could I be admitted in a traditional undergraduate class? Should I take the SAT? What could help or hurt my application(s)?
I’m hoping some other non-traditionals can step forward with advice.
I was in your shoes recently… I’m almost 27 now. I talked to several non-traditional programs and they all said I should first take classes at a community college. Some ask for SAT or ACT’s others don’t.
However, that was my experience… I took the advice and I am now ready to transfer. I think I strengthened my applications by proving I can excel at college level coursework, and to be honest I went through my school’s full-time faculty and chose teachers based on level of education (most have PhD’s) and iof they went to schools similar to the ones I want to attend. I made sure I excelled, and entered a Scholar’s program, taking as many honors courses as I could… and I actually am on credit overload… I have more than the maximum of a full time student. I feel pretty good about applying.
I’m also amongst the individuals that have taken similar journeys towards higher education like you. I’m 26, received a GED at 18, and just finished my first year of community college. I’m now seeking to transfer to a 4-year. Looking back (after only a year) I find myself becoming a better, stronger candidate to apply for a ‘reach school.’ I never thought I’d be a Phi Theta Kappa member (intl. honor society 2-yr colleges), mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and starting an online student network.
I completely understand how you feel about CC vs. 4-years. To be honest, I HAD to go the CC route first in order to get a chance at a 4-year. When I first started to research, most 4-year institutions required the SAT/ACT (which I’d never taken) and a host of other prerequisites.
Take vpappas83’s advice (unless you can get into a 4-year right now). Doing the CC first and utilizing their resources while proving that you’ve ‘evolved’ may help you get into a better 4-year once you’re ready.
In the end, just remember that you should be proud of yourself for taking a step towards improving your intellectual assets. Whether it’s at a CC or 4-year, it’s up to you to make it matter.
My main reasons against a CC transfer are 1. Community colleges
here are pretty poor, and quite expensive(very high administration fees)
with little aide. Also transfers around here are beyond competitive unless I do a guaranteed transfer to a non-reach. But moreso than all that I’m
hoping to fulfill premed requirements , which cannot be taken at a 2yr institution. I’d have to retake all prereqs at 4 yr
Premed requirements are typically just the science courses, so if you enroll at a CC to get your English, History, Math, Foreign Language, etc. reqs out of the way, you won’t have to retake anything. I honestly think you’ll be hardpressed to find a traditional university willing to accept you as a true freshman considering you just finished your GED - you’ll be going up against 16 and 17 year-olds that are finishing out their senior years, have SATs/ACTs and a sleugh of ECs and high GPAs that will make them more competitive.
Community colleges, even some of the bad ones, are a great way to demonstrate to a traditional university that you are serious about your education. Taking a year to complete a full-time courseload with a high GPA (and honors courses if you can find them) will really make you more of an appealing candidate to an admissions committee. Of course, every school is different, so I’d suggest going into your target university’s admissions office and meeting with an advisor, they’ll really be able to give you more specific answers.
I’m not sure what your income looks like, but chances are you can qualify for financial aid to help cover the costs. I’m quite shocked that your CCs are expensive - I’ve never come across a CC that wasn’t affordable. Now trade schools, that’s another story.
I should mention… I’m pre-med with a 4.0… I talked to several top med schools in the midwest including U of C, UIC, Stritch anf Feinberg… they alll said the same thing… they don’t care where you’re pre-med req’s are completed… the problem is if you are a science major then the 4yr will require you to retake all math and science courses or placement test out of them which is still to your benefit. My Bio and Chem won’t count towards graduation but I can take advanced placement courses now that show a stronger knowledge base and better aptitude for difficult work and critical analysis than inroductory classes required for Pre-Med… for the record nothing is standing in my way, I’m looking to major in Neuroscience and already have several acceptance letters (for spring which I am not accepting cause I am waiting to apply to Ivies).
This isn’t always the case - each 4yr will be different about what needs to be retaken and what does and does not transfer. A lot of universities have articulation agreements with local CCs that ensure courses will transfer. As an example, it was recommended to me that I take both my lower-level biology and chem sequences at the CC before transferring. It definitely isn’t required but they have confirmed that the equivalent courses at their university are on par with regards to rigor and curriculum. They have had no problems with graduates applying to med school but being shot down because their BIO 101 was at a community college rather than the 4-year.
Now, what they have seen a lot of lately are people being rejected for having used HS AP credit to get out of lower-level bio, chem and physics, because many med schools feel the rigor of those courses on a HS level is much, much lower than what the student would have experienced at the university level.
I know what you’re saying but a lot of schools say that if your major is science all of those courses must be from that school… I’m not talking third tier, I’m looking at more selective institutions, and from talking with admissions reps at several 2nd tier and ivy schools this is what I am being told.
This certainly is not the case for all schools, state schools I am under the impression accept almost any course if it’s comparable to their coursework.
But I just don’t see Pre-Med as a reason for ruling out a cc… as a matter of fact schools are asking for rec letters from a science/math instructor at cc considering that i am pre-med with a science major.
Agreed, I don’t see it as a reason for ruling it out, because even if she must take her science courses at the 4-year, she can still get a lot of other prereqs out of the way and prove herself to be a competitive and consistent student.
And just as an FYI, I was also referring to several top tier and more selective schools. It honestly does vary quite a bit but rather than assuming that she would have to retake it regardless, it’s best to contact both the 4 year and even her target med schools to get more specific information.