Should I sludge through my local Community College, or is there a alternative??

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
1

<p>Hello! </p>

<p>This whole problem started with my youth guidance counselor saying that I CAN'T apply to a four year college since I've been out of high school for a year. </p>

<p>As I am now, I'm a really freaked out late bloomer trying to keep her options open, but is oppressed by a family that wants her to stay local and stay cheap. </p>

<p>It's called MSJC. I went to its orientation two days ago...I was not impressed, but it was pleasant enough and I wouldn't mind going though I'd be severely under-challenged as I have been through my life and bored to tears. </p>

<p>My concern is solely on the fact that my options stay open. For example, say, I wanna transfer to something close in prestige to a Ivy League school after getting a 4.0 GPA from this CC..</p>

<p>It won't work out, will it? No matter how much I sugar-coat my college resume, correct?</p>

<p>That's what terrifies me to be honest. </p>

<p>What if, after a year or two of doing virtually everything-- from student government to volunteering to learning foreign languages-- I find my dream college and get the door slammed in my face?</p>

<p>Guys...I'm asking you: is there another way? A way that I'll be able to do without relocating? </p>

<p>Basically...isn't there a more lavish online alternative? I am going to a online orientation for Brandman--I read somewhere that their online courses are the best in the country but indeed, I know that's probably just some rotten fluff--but that's basically the only other option I know of at the moment...and considering what my Counselor said, I'm not even sure I can even go there! (Plus, it combines e-learning and classroom activities..so to hell with the online only part...)</p>

<p>Thank you for the help. T_T</p>

2

<p>First thing is first, relax with the negativity. As lame as it sounds, you can do anything you set your mind to.</p>

<p>CC is a great stepping stone to a better education if you wouldn’t be able to receive one another way. It is also usually a lot cheaper than online colleges. If you maintain a good GPA and stay active in the community (school and local), there is a shot that you could transfer to a top tier university.</p>

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<p>Comic, anything is possible. Three or four students from my CC transfer to an ivy every single year. </p>

<p>Step one is to drop the attitude. Step two is to make the most of every opportunity.</p>

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<p>That’s nonsense.</p>

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<p>Some guidance counselor you have, that’s terrible.</p>

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<p>Your youth guidance counselor was wrong. If you haven’t been in school for a year (following high school) you can go to a 4-year college or community college.</p>

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<p>It will be hard to impress an ivy after CC, but it is possible. You will need to expand beyond the boundaries of your CC though( ie. starting programs & organizations & doing research of your own outside the school & possibly through other schools). Good luck!</p>

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<p>As cliche as this sounds: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Well, as long as you set your mind to it. Unbreakable focus is key in success. Do amazing in your coursework at CC and take on leadership positions and extracurriculars that interest you. And please be more positive! You may stumble upon something even better. Just stay positive and stay focused!</p>

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<p>Well, no. Many, many things are simply not possible. IMO, “Anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it” is the most pernicious lie we tell young people. It implies that any time you attempt to do something and don’t succeed, it’s because you weren’t determined enough. That’s not just wrong, it’s unnecessarily critical.</p>

<p>On the other hand, transferring from community college to a highly regarded university or four-year college is not merely possible, it’s a frequent occurrence. Still, let’s be frank: it is virtually impossible to transfer from community college to Harvard or Yale, and it is literally impossible to transfer from community college to Princeton, because Princeton does not accept transfers. But it is eminently possible for a good student to transfer from community college to a state flagship, or to a well respected private university or college.</p>

<p>As I see it, you have two problems at the moment. One is the chip on your shoulder that others have mentioned. As long as you persist, for example, on blaming your current predicament on your guidance counselor instead of taking ownership of it, you’re not acting like a grown-up, and you’re unlikely ever to become one. The other problem is that (based on a cursory look at the “transfers” section of your community college’s web site), you really might be going to a kind of crappy community college. They have very few articulation agreements with four-year colleges, and very little information online about transferring to well respected colleges and universities.</p>

<p>Is there a possibility that you could go first to a better two-year college? There are two-year colleges across the country that have articulation agreements not only with in-state public colleges and universities, but also with well regarded private institutions. And California is a state where there’s a well established path from junior colleges to four-year colleges. You don’t have to blaze this trail yourself. But it might be the case that you’d have an easier time following the trail with a better guide than you’d get at MSJC.</p>

<p>I think your first step should be to talk to a transfer advisor at MSJC. If you’re lucky, you’ll be pleasantly surprised, and my snap judgment about MSJC will turn out to have been wrong, and you’ll learn that there are lots of options and lots of help for motivated students. And if things are as bleak at MSJC as you (and I) suspect, at least you’ll know what you’re not looking for in your next community college.</p>

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<p>Also, I’m pretty sure you meant trudge. Sludge is a noun. It is viscous waste material from an industrial process–kind of like really thick, dirty oil.</p>

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<p>I am pretty sure your guidance counselor does not control where you can apply. </p>

<p>What I am reading is that he/she does not believe you will make it to a 4 year college with your current transcript?</p>

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<p>Just wondering if you got your HS diploma? You didn’t clarify. If you didn’t get this but aren’t planning to return to HS, for many Us and CCs, you need to get a GED (which can be obtained by passing a test given at least toward the end of July & perhaps at other times). You can find out more about this test by calling your local department of education.</p>

<p>Our D left HS after JR year and then took the GED & started CC. She got a 3.8 her 1st term there and applied to and was accepted as a transfer at USoCal, to enroll after her 3rd semester of CC. She just graduated from USC in cinema. It has been a long and interesting journey and we can’t wait to see what comes next.</p>

<p>CC is a great place for a lot of folks and students can be as involved and challenged as they set their minds to be. She had a lot of great instructors who taught the SAME material in much larger classes at the local flagship U. She loved that the teachers at her CC were so much more accessible in the 20-30 person classes at her CC. I liked that the food was exceptional at the CC (they have an excellent culinary arts program) and they have free parking. It was a 5-10 minute drive from our home, which we also loved. Tuition there was less for an entire year (including books) than one course at USC!</p>