Should I just give up and go to community college?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Chances/where can I actually get in?</p>

<p>Asian (Chinese-Malaysian), Female, Middle Class
Parents never went to college, but I have 2 aunts and an uncle with MA/MBA from Columbia, and an aunt with a BA from UChi</p>

<p>Highly prestigious school in NYC for 7th-12th
School doesn't rank</p>

<p>SAT Scores: 2100 - CR 710 / Math 740 / Writing 650
PSAT Scores: 226 (Dont remember the breakdown)</p>

<p>APs: Haven't taken the test yet, but I'm taking AP Psych atm
GPA: Roughly a 3.5-3.7 unweighted (school doesn't weigh GPAs)</p>

<p>Courses Freshman Year:
-Biology (A-)
-English (A-)
-Global History (B+)
-Math (A+)
-Spanish (B-)</p>

<p>Courses Sophomore Year:
-Chemisty (A+)
-English (A-)
-Global History (B+)/US History (A)
-Math (A)
-Spanish (B+)</p>

<p>Courses Junior Year:
-Physics (B+)
-English (A)
-USHistory (B+/A-)
-AP Psychology (A-)
-Precalc (A)</p>

<p>Courses Senior Year:
-AP Calc AB
-AP Econ
-Joyce's Ulysses / Science Fiction and Fantasy
-Creative writing
-AP Logic & Composition</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Editor of a literary magazine for lower-terms
-Peer writing workshops
-Writing/publishing internship at independent publishing company
-Volunteer at HousingWorks book cafe, and at 826NYC
-Karate (6 years)
-Head of lights for tech crew for all the productions </p>

<p>Last Summer: Studied Chinese at Harvard (B-)
This Summer: Internship, volunteer work, classes at Hunter College, publishing workshop at 826NYC, writing workshop at NYU</p>

<p>Awards: Um, none. A gold key form scholastic, and national merit if that</p>

<p>I'm a female english major, I'm totally not going to get in anywhere am I?</p>

<p>Top choice is Tufts
Also considering CMU and NYU</p>

<p>Really don't know where else I want to go, thinking about UMichigan, UVA, Pomona, Haverford, Skidmore, and Bates</p>

<p>(Secretly I really want to go to Columbia but there's no way in hell I'm getting in)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Just make a realistic list of reaches mathces and safeties. CHances are you'll be rejected/waitlisted at the reaches, accepted into half the reaches, and accpted into all the safeties. Just be realistic.</p>

<p>Oh, and this is sneaky, but don't put down an English major on your apps. Pick the least popular major at each school and put that down; it'll increase your chances. Once you declare your major it doesnt have to be what was on your app.</p>

3

<p>Your stats are excellent compared to national standards, but they an're really that impressive for the top schools.</p>

<p>I think your goals at NYU, CMU, and Tufts are fairly realistic.</p>

<p>You should consider some of your state schools. They're definitely lots better than community college.</p>

<p>Community college is mainly for those people with a 2.5 weighted GPA, no AP or honors, mediocre ECs, etc. They're only one step above being a plain HS graduate.</p>

4

<p>My school's affiliated with Hunter College, so I know I'm getting into Hunter Honors. Applying to SUNY-Geneseo, SUNY-Binghamton and SUNY-Stoney Brook, but they're not really top choices for me.</p>

<p>Also, would it be better for me to declare myself an English major on the application, which shows I have focus, or check "undecided"? My application's very obviously English/CW oriented, so wouldn't it be smarter to check off English major anyway?</p>

5

<p>"Community college is mainly for those people with a 2.5 weighted GPA, no AP or honors, mediocre ECs, etc. They're only one step above being a plain HS graduate."</p>

<p>Speak for yourself. That's an incredibly uninformed, narrow-minded, judgmental understanding of what community college is and does for a very, very diverse array of people. </p>

<p>I suppose it's mainly attitudes like yours that motivate me to transfer into a fancy-schmancy school -- just to get it through your thick skulls that an effortless fast-track in the traditional Western schooling system, imported from Prussia and absolutely instrumental in homogenizing students and keeping them dumbed-down, does not in any way equate to actual intelligence and success. I love community college. I love the collected life experience contained in a single room - it remains utterly unmatched by the classroom atmosphere of "real" institutions I've visited: I love that my professors take the time from teaching at their other, prestigeous, unis just to offer a class with the exact same quality of education to cc students. </p>

<p>It is not at all like high school, and frankly, in many ways it is plain better than 4-year universities.</p>

6

<p>"Community college is mainly for those people with a 2.5 weighted GPA, no AP or honors, mediocre ECs, etc. They're only one step above being a plain HS graduate."</p>

<p>I must take issue with that comment as well. Many people elect the community college route for financial, medical, and emotional reasons as well. I know many students who elected to go to community college for a year or two, save money, and transfer to a four year institution. Some of those students just were not ready to leave home and chose this path. One young man who started at community college transferred to community college after two years, and graduated from the state honors university. He has a job in his field and recently purchased his first home.</p>

<p>Just because the community college route is not the path travelled by the masses doesn't make it bad. One has to do what is best for oneself.</p>

7

<p>^^
Well here, the majority of the community college students don't finish in two years, or don't finish at all. They actually did a report, and it showed that only 25 percent of the students get out in two years. Thats why the guy said cc is MAINLY for those who didn't do so well in HS.</p>

<p>However, I'm sure its different where you live, california community colleges aren't so great.</p>

8

<p>I guess it does depend on location. The community college in my county has a separate honors program and is highly regarded by universities in the state. Therein lies the difference. I am not familiar with community colleges outside of Maryland. :-)</p>

9

<p>California-Bolt, you sure about that? Cali has some of the best cc's in the entire US, and a very solid transfer rate. Of course, a lot of variety packed within that category.</p>

10

<p>This slam on community colleges is again representitive of the academic arrogance espoused by many on this board.</p>

<p>CC serve a very important purpose and are the bridge to a better life for many people. I for one am getting very tired of posters using the phrase "you can go to a community college" in a demeaning way--as if these students are less bright or less worthy than those aspiring to HYP</p>

11

<p>Hear hear.</p>

12

<p>I agree with MomofaKnight and others who posted against the slams on community college.</p>

13

<p>As MomofaKnight and others mentioned (myself included), we should not put down the community college. Not everyone aspires to attend HYP. For those who choose to do so, that is the path that they have chosen. I would hope that those who choose a different path would not be shunned. As I mentioned in a previous post, people choose what is best for them. Others should respect that just as they want to be respected for choosing to attend a four year university from the beginning.</p>

14

<p>Well, many of my peers at the cc do aim to transfer to universities of all kinds -- we didn't attend a 4-year institution right away for 1) financial reasons, 2) personal reasons (dropped out of high school but decided to give school a second chance), 3) international students trying to get a better foot in the door. I don't consider my cc experience as one of "settling", at all!</p>

15

<p>keep in mind that the 25% graduation rate at a CC needs to be looked at with a grain of salt. I would guess that the majority never planned to graduate in 2 years -- many people just take a class or two to fill in a gap in their knowledge (accounting, early childhood classes, computer skills, etc), many transfer but never "graduate" with any type of degree or certificate (I am one), many are high school students looking for a challenge or a class that isn't offered at their school and many, many take a class here or there while working, raising a family, etc. You can't look at that graduation rate unless you remove all the people that never intended to graduate.</p>

<p>that is what is nice about community colleges -- they serve the needs of the community. You can find senior citizens trying to figure out computer programs, high school kids who are bored in school, preschool teachers looking for continuing education hours, military personnel adding some college hours while they are stationed locally, housewives who take a class here and there while their kids are in school and dedicated students planning on transferring to the university.</p>

16

<p>the OP doesn't deserve to be at any college... why do people just assume that they are somewhat "better" than people who go to community college. The title of this thread is almost sickening... but yeah we all know you will get in some college, so cut the crap and just apply. Nothing we say is going to get you in anywhere.</p>

17

<p>Id say just go to the community college.</p>