Hello! I’m applying to attend the listed colleges (for Spring 2018) but was wondering which is the better option for me. I’m interested in pursuing a Health/Science or Business major. All three are within a 10 mile drive so the distance is negligible.
I’ve read countless accounts of how difficult it is to get classes at PCC but it seems the same apply to ELAC and GCC as well. I can cope with the parking issues but difficulty transferring or obtaining a degree simply because of the class space is not something I hope to deal with.
Can anyone in the (East) Los Angeles area please offer insight into these community colleges? Thank you so so much for reading.
I’m not sure if PCC or GCC engage in any cross-campus network thing where you can enroll in classes at other colleges, but class space was definitely something that created issues for me my first year at ELAC. PCC certainly seems more popular than ELAC (nicer area/school), so I’m sure these issues are only worse there. It seems like every class that I wanted to take was full, so as a result I only took a whopping 3 courses my first year. I then learned that ELAC is part of the LACCD, so we’re allowed to take classes from a network of about 9 other community colleges. I sure wish I knew this, but it wasn’t mentioned at my orientation. I had issues getting into an English 101 class at ELAC, so instead I took an online class from Los Angeles Trade Tech College. I was really interested in computer programming, but ELAC has limited options. I wound up taking two hybrid programming classes at Los Angeles Valley College.
I transferred from ELAC to USC and recently graduated 
I would suggest going with ELAC because the LACCD system pretty much ensures that you’ll be able to find a class in at least one of the colleges. If it’s too far for you to drive, there are tons of online options as well. West Los Angeles College has some of the best selection of online courses that I’ve seen.
PCC and GC both have good nursing programs, which means they have strong foundations in Health Sciences, if you decide to go that route. Look at the Transfer offices of all three and see which one you think is best run, as that will have a big impact on your ease of transfer. There are great and terrible faculty at all three colleges you mention. PCC has much smaller classes than ELAC. I don’t know about GC’s class size. The truth is that all community colleges are completely responsive to the economy. So when economic times are bad, CCs are crowded and it’s hard to get classes. When economic times are good, like now, it’s actually not that hard to get classes–so long as you do things on time. Most people who complain that they couldn’t get classes this past year have missed their registration slot. Also, if you live in the district, you will get a lot of registration priority and other special benefits if you go to PCC. Look into the Honors program at both colleges if you are really going to be a serious student. Honors programs can provide perks for transferring. Yes, I work at a CC!