Should I go to a community college?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am thinking about attending University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor or Michigan State University for a B.S. in Computer Science.</p>

<p>Here are their admissions info:
<a href="http://bit.ly/jiiFry%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://bit.ly/jiiFry&lt;/a>
<a href="http://bit.ly/lDTtUd%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://bit.ly/lDTtUd&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I am currently on summer vacation and will be a senior. I slacked off my first couple of years of high school and had very bad grades. My GPA is around 3.0 and my ACT is 24. I will be retaking the ACT after I study a bit more and will also take the SAT. Should I go to a community college for two years and then apply to the universities? Will it increase my chances of getting accepted if I do good in a community college?</p>

2

<p>Admission isn’t just about GPA and SAT/ACT Scores… have you been involved in any activities/clubs/volunteering/competitions? </p>

<p>You don’t have to do it all, but you should show that you are involved - and your application will get more attention if the things you are involved in are “focused” (in other words, since you want to major in computer science you might also be involved in the computer club, future business leaders of America, some sort of computer or programming competition, work for a computer store over the summer, build your own computer, etc…)</p>

<p>You should do this wheather or not you apply as a freshman or go to community college - no matter when you apply, they will want to see that you have contributed to your campus and are focused. </p>

<p>My advice is to go ahead and apply as a freshman…if they turn you down, consider community college (or another school) , do well and try to transfer. Also, keep an open mind, investigate other schools - you might find that you like them a lot.</p>

3

<p>There are a lot of schools that you can get into with a 24.<br>
You have a possibility at Creighton U (great school, just not a super tough admissions process), Colorado State U, Auburn, U of Alabama. I know those aren’t in Michigan but there are a lot of schools like those, that aren’t super expensive either.</p>

<p>There are also schools that are still second tier schools, but still in the rankings that don’t have a tough admissions process and are cheaper but are not quite community colleges. i.e. Metro State (I’m from colorado, but im sure there are plenty similar in other states).</p>

<p>It all depends what you can afford, but you can get into a decent amount of schools with a 24 ACT and a 3.0. Seriously. Try taking the ACT one more time. I got a 25 first try and didn’t have any tutoring and ended up with a 30. I bet you can do the same. So its just about practice. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

4

<p>Community colleges aren’t all that bad. They’re much cheaper, and you’ll probably get great grades. Then you can transfer into a more rigorous school, saving you money.</p>

5

<p>*Admission isn’t just about GPA and SAT/ACT Scores… have you been involved in any activities/clubs/volunteering/competitions? *</p>

<p>Actually, for many/most state schools, it is mostly about coursework rigor, GPA and test scores…and sometimes essays. ECs often play a rather minor part.</p>

<p>U Mich…
Admission Policies and Factors</p>

<p>Admission requirements:</p>

<pre><code>* Essay(s) required

  • Required: SAT Reasoning Test or ACT
  • If submitting ACT, the writing section is required
  • Required for Some: SAT Subject Tests
    </code></pre>

<p>Very important admission factors:</p>

<pre><code>* Rigor of secondary school record
</code></pre>

<p>Important admission factors:</p>

<pre><code>* Character/Personal Qualities

  • Application Essay
  • Recommendations
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • Academic GPA
  • First generation college student
  • Level of Applicant’s Interest
    </code></pre>

<p>Considered:</p>

<pre><code>* Alumni Relation

  • Class Rank
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Geographical Residence
  • State Residency
  • Talent/Ability
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience
    </code></pre>

<p>Boxer…if you get your scores up, apply to Umich and see what happens. Do you know how much your parents will pay? If they will pay for wherever you go, there are other schools that will accept you as well.</p>

6

<p>If it’s something you really want, maybe community college isnt such a bad idea. A friend of mine went to a University to play football. He didn’t like it, and left after the first year. He’s now going to a community college to beef up that GPA and hopefully transfer next fall to a different university. Not exactly the same situation, but spending time at a community college gives you that college experience (academically at the least), without the tough admissions. Plus, if you do well at community college, your chances of admission are wayy higher. Just something to think about.</p>