<p>Hello,
So, I got accepted to many other universities that are better than community colleges but the problem is that I don't want to end up in huge debt after graduation. I mean well..I got into some pretty good city colleges (that's not a CC) that I won't need to borrow a lot of money for but i'm thinking that if I go to a city college I'll end up staying there for all four years since it'll be harder to earn higher grades and transfer to a better university...and also i really want to dorm for college..i won't be able to dorm if i go to a city college.
...for example, if i graduate from the Honors program at LaGuardia Community college (two yr school) with high gradesm, I can transfer to a really good university for my bachelors degree (after 1.5-2yrs) that I probably would not have gotten into if I applied as a high school senior.</p>
<p>What do you think???</p>
<p>My main concerns are that it will look really bad for me to go to a community college (i'm afraid what my schoolmates will think) and that if i don't get all As in my classes at the Community college then i may lose my chances of transferring into a good school.</p>
<p>Please feel free to ask me questions if you need me to clarify anything!</p>
<p>It sounds like you have given this some serious thought and have very good reasons for the decision. They are very good reasons. The main problem seems to be what people will think. All I can say is think about yourself ten years from now with little to no college debt buying the new car or house you want or even taking a lower paying job for job satisfaction.</p>
<p>I’m not going to say I know the right answer for you (or for anybody else), but I do want to give you some more things to think about. IMHO college can be more than just the diploma and classes you took. Its the friendships you build with fellow students, its getting to know your profs and perhaps taking part in research, its not having to figure everything out for yourself because you can get ideas from what you see other students doing, its the peer support that push yourself to do your best (or cause you not to because “eggheads” are ostracized), its the sense of familiarity and comfort of understanding “how things work here”. I would suggest you consider how these would differ at a college you attend for all 4 years vs going to a CC for 2 and then xfer.</p>
<p>@kayf Yes, Laguardia is in nyc. Although baruch is a really good business school, it’s still a city college and I want to transfer to a university where i’ll be able to dorm and…with baruch i feel like won’t be able to do that. If i go to Laguardia i’ll most likely be able to stay for 1.5 years, get good grades, get an associates degree, save money, and hopefully transfer to a good “away” university with better scholarships.</p>
<p>I kind of feel like all my college dreams are turning upside down even though it might feel worth it a few years from now. I originally wanted to go to my dream private school but it turned out to be way too expensive and now i’m probably going to Community College right after hs…I hope i’m making the right choice.</p>
<p>In a perfect world, everyone who wants to would be able to attend the same college for all four years and live on campus. However, fiscal realities get in the way. </p>
<p>Many people blow all their money and run up high debt for their first two years of an expensive college and then have to quit for financial reasons. For many people, it makes sense to save their money and their ability to take out loans for the last 2 years of college, when you are taking more specialized courses. Then, you end up with a diploma for the more expensive college, while having spent only half as much as everyone else.</p>
<p>Are professors at CCs more hesitant to give grades lower than an ‘A-’ bc they know that most students plan on transferring and a grade any lower will ruin the student’s chances of transferring into a good school?</p>
<p>Run your numbers, and see just exactly how hard it could be to get rid of that 45k.</p>
<p>Just like anywhere else, professors at CCs vary in their grading. Plenty of students flunk out of CCs, so it is clear that most professors have no trouble handing out bad grades for students who don’t measure up to their standards.</p>
<p>I hope I am not to late for this…but I go to LaGCC and let me tell you, it has a reputation of having students transferring into great four year schools, including ivy league schools. Majority of the students are driven, but its not competitive at all. There is nothing to compete for in a CC you have to think for yourself. AND the professors are great here! </p>
<p>I went to a CC after hs and there’s nothing wrong with it, if you fail a class take it over, just like at any other college/uni.</p>
<p>Who cares what people think? Some students do well in community college, transfer to the state flagship, do well there, and then go on to do their PhDs at top schools in their majors.</p>
<p>Besides the cost aspect, community college fit depends on a number of factors:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The community college offers the courses needed to transfer to your desired four year schools in your desired major(s). Public universities often have articulation lists with same state community colleges that you can look up.</p></li>
<li><p>You are not extremely advanced in some subjects which would cause you to exhaust the community college offerings or want to take more advanced courses before you transfer.</p></li>
<li><p>You are somewhat undecided about major, in which case, community college can allow exploring different subjects with less worry about administrative and financial pressure to decide on a major quickly (taking extra semesters at a community college costs less than at a four year school).</p></li>
</ul>