<p>“In my town, if you say you are going to community college, it means you have failed nearly every high school class you’ve ever taken and that NO OTHER COLLEGE would EVER even think about accepting you.”</p>
<p>This may be true for some students, but many other students are going to their local community college because it offers similar coursework at a fraction of the cost of a 4-year college. A large number of students did not do well enough to get into the college of their choice, but that does not mean that they “failed nearly every high school class”.</p>
<p>It has been my experience that while community colleges are easy to enter, they are hard leave with a degree in hand. Those who do succeed tend to out-perform their colleagues when they pursue a Bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>The remainder may have very different needs beyond a transfer degree. Many are pursuing vocational/professional degrees or certificates. Others just need a course or two to help them succeed in their current jobs.</p>
<p>It would be great if community colleges did not have to teach remedial subjects, but it is quite clear that a significant portion of their students need such help. Without it, those students are going nowhere. I can point to countless stories of students who, like mspearl (#19) went on to challenging and rewarding careers after starting out in remedial courses.</p>