<p>Maybe I should have just taken out another $20,000 loan and stayed at my private college for another year and then transferred to one of the schools I want to go to.</p>
<p>I was considering my financial situation and figuring that if I could go to CC for one year, pay nothing and get a perfect GPA instead of going back to my old school for one year and paying another 20k in uncover tuition expenses, that maybe I could still get into one of the schools I think I'm worthy of. </p>
<p>But as it stands, the CC is a joke. Its not challenging whatsoever, it'd be catastrophic if I didn't get a 4.0 but I also feel like colleges wouldn't think much of a 4.0 if I did get one.</p>
<p>I mean I looked at Duke and they don't even accept transfer credit from CC so on the rare chance I did get one of those few, competitive spots, I'd have to do 3 years to get my degree. </p>
<p>Was my decision a good one or should I have sacrificied the 20k to give myself a better chance of admission? I'm planning to do ROTC wherever I go so I'm really trying to minimize college costs and I plan to use the salary I get from either Army/Air Force/Navy ROTC after I graduate to pay for grad school.</p>
<p>Now the reality's starting to hit... Even as an URM, I'm starting to think I have no shot at Duke, Northwestern or Cornell. I think USC, Rice and Wake Forest- the next 3 schools on my final list of colleges I'm applying to will also be tough. I'm starting to worry that I might face the very real possibility of not getting into any of these schools because I went to a CC this year</p>
<p>You made a reasonable decision. Was it the “right” one? You’ll never know what “would have been”, so try to forget about it and move on. Concentrate on the here and now. Get that 4.0 AND construct a solid list of safeties, matches and reaches that assures that you’ll be able to transfer to a 4 year college.</p>
<p>While you might not be exactly where you want to be right now, the decision you made will not make a significant difference in the arc of your life…unless you let it.</p>
<p>4.0 from CC will get you into quite a few decent schools, even they may not be top schools you listed. But there’s more to life than just going to top colleges. I also think you made a reasonable decision. Nothing can get away the fact that you did save $20K which is a lot of money especially in this economy. So that’s the postive side and like entomom said, forget about the negative and move on.</p>
<p>Well my whole objective is to get into the best school that I can out of all 6 and so far, I’ve only received mail from wake forest.
I feel like I made the most boneheaded decision of my life. Should I try to join every club I can at the community college? Is there even anything I can do at this point? I’ve submitted most of the applications and I think I wrote great essays but surely there’s something else I can do to give myself a chance… right?</p>
<p>I’ve heard of so many CC students getting into prestigious schools. I think if you don’t get in, it will be because it’s more competitive than ever, and it wouldn’t have mattered where you were coming from. If you are able to show what kind of student you are (and you can do that anywhere), then that’s really all they need to see to gauge whether you’re a good intellectual fit.</p>
<p>If you’re very academically inclined, take more SAT subject tests and nail them with 700-800s to show you’re definitely a CCer as someone who is concerned with finances, period, not that you’re a low-caliber student.</p>
<p>You’re incorrect about Duke not giving community college transfer credit. I was just admitted there as a CC transfer over the summer.</p>
<p>FYI, you’re also misguided about that “salary” money from ROTC. 1) It’s not that much cash, and 2) you will owe the military your 4 + 4 before you can even start thinking about going back to school for a grad degree.</p>
<p>Really? I was planning to do 3 years active duty upon graduation and not spend a dime of that and put it all towards grad school. I’m a really conservative spender, I’ve spent the past year living off $100 lol
and whats this military 4+4? Isn’t there an option between 3 years active duty and 8 years reserve duty?</p>
<p>DB,
I’m honestly not sure, we have relatively few people applying for transfers to UW and it’s difficult to get information for OOS applicants (I see that you’re from NJ, so I’m assuming you’d be applying OOS). College Board has some info:</p>
<p>Given WA state’s fiscal situation, I doubt they will be generous with OOS stuents, they are having a difficult time supporting residents. I know that they have very little merit aid for entering fr, I’m not sure what they have for transfers.</p>
<p>Do you have an in-state public safety or live an a state with an agreement with neighboring states?</p>
<p>"Was my decision a good one or should I have sacrificied the 20k to give myself a better chance of admission? "</p>
<p>20k + 20k = 40k</p>
<p>What if the next two years would have been 20k each? Where, exactly, is the guarantee that you would have been able to pay that off in a reasonable amount of time?</p>
<p>Of course you made a good decision in heading to the cheaper school!</p>
<p>Now, quit whining about your “easy” classes this term at the community college, and get back to your books. Check around for something harder for next term so that you can feel more challenged. Or, go out and get a part-time job and start paying down the 20k you owe from last year so you don’t have it hanging over your head.</p>
<p>I found my community college (seattle Central & North) very challenging. I was taking two science and a math class at mostly all times, so I can’t speak for the humanities classes. </p>
<p>Nearly a third of UW’s population are CC people. You have more than a decent chance.</p>
<p>ROTC stipend is $250-$500 per month depending on what year you are. If you can save EVERY ONE of those dollars, you’re still looking at maybe $10,000? Which barely puts a ding in “grad school”, unless you’re talking about a one-year Masters at a public institution at which you are considered in-state for tuition purposes. </p>
<p>“4 + 4” refers to the 4 years of active duty, followed by 4 years on the IRR (Inactive Ready Reserve). About 50% of the guys I know have been deployed for a year while they were on IRR.</p>
<p>Oh ok I wasn’t talking about saving while at my undergraduate school though. I was talking about joining Army/Naval ROTC applying for the scholarship that covers full tuition (and hopefully my FA covers all other costs like room & board because my FAFSA EFC is 0) and then after I graduate and need to fullfil my commitment (you say it’s 8 years, but the ROTC at one of the colleges atop my list says 3 years active duty with an option of 8 years reserve duty) I’ll use the military salary from the 3 years active duty and save it for grad school. I mean even if you don’t go through ROTC, you’re going to have to get a job anyway after you graduate from undergraduate school if you want to go to grad school without taking out massive loans right? and work experience in the military looks good on a job application doesn’t it?</p>