This is something I’ve really been pondering about. My parents really don’t want me to go to a Community College but I think it would just be more convenient and close and still don’t officially know what job I want to go for yet. I have many other reasons, but I was just wondering. Does it look bad if you go to community college for 2 years then transfer to a 4 year? I really need opinions on Community College because I feel it makes you look dumb or something or at least that’s how my parents see it, but I would only be going for the 2 years. Really need thoughts on what you think. I could also have a full time job while doing Community too and it would be a better opportunity to have a better GPA. But, do hirers/employers really care if I went to Community College for the first 2 years, do they even see that?
Thanks, I just really need help on what to do.
Also I’m a sophomore in high school so I don’t know a whole lot about College but I am starting to really get a hold on my future coming up.
No, a lot of people start off at community college to help improve their grades, save money, for convenience, etc. If you feel as if that’s best for you, then go with that. It’s more important to be happy getting an education at a place where you’re comfortable at rather than being miserable at a place you don’t like. Fortunately, you’re a sophomore, so you still have plenty of time to still research and find what you like. Your ideal college plans may change from now to senior year. Employers will like that you’re receiving a college education; getting a degree will be more beneficial for you ($/earning wise) than just having a high school diploma. Good luck!
Things to consider:
- If your high school record is not that good, starting at CC and doing well there can give you more options of 4 year colleges than applying as a frosh with your high school record.
- However, you need to check the CC to see that it has good transfer-prep course work for your intended major(s) and 4 year college(s). Some states' CCs are better than those in other states with respect to transfer-prep to the state universities.
- Merit scholarships are less available for transfers than frosh, so students with good high school records are advised to at least try for frosh admission at 4 year colleges that offer good scholarships to see if they get something with an inexpensive net price.
Well shame on your parents! Absolute rubbish that going to CC makes you look bad. I went to CC by choice, I transferred in to a state Uni, I made the Deans list, I did fine. People go to CC for all kinds of reasons, and colleges don’t discriminate because of it. Steve Jobs went to CC (de Anza CC, in case anyone wants to check.) So did many other famous people, you can google it. CC is affordable. If your grades weren’t great in HS, you can redeem yourself by doing well. You can get general Ed requirements out of the way and save thousands. Just be sure whatever CC you attend has transferable credits.
CC is also a great way to transition to higher education, save money on housing, continue to hold a job locally (because they tend to offer a lot of flexibility on times) and also, maybe most importantly, there is sooooo much less pressure. Not that you don’t have to make an effort, because people can be put on probation at CC (speaking from experience), but there usually isn’t a competitive atmosphere at CCs, unlike at many four year institutions.
If you want to read a lot more on this topic, I think this site has a section on community colleges. You should do what makes you comfortable. Good luck, you have already done good work by coming to this site.
OK, for starters: you’re a sophomore. You have lots and lots of time to gather information and form an opinion.
I’m a graduate of our local CC, then 2years later of a local university. I graduated with a job offer in hand.
So, while each person and each CC is different, here’s my perspective.
Pros of CC:
- price. It’s an incredible bargain if it’s the right fit. The amount of money you save during those first 2 years may very well offset the loss of aid you lose as a transfer.
- location. You can live at home for many CCs. (Though there are some where you can dorm. I know of at least 2 in NY.) For me, that was a huge perk. I loved living at home. I had a part time job I adored, and my social life revolved around the people I worked with. In addition, transferring to a local university meant that my student teaching, my certification, my observations were all local. It didn’t hurt when I started looking at local schools for jobs.
- Contrary to what some here will tell you, lots of CCs have great honors programs.
Cons of CC:
- This is the big one for my son: our local CC is HUGE. He’s looking at small schools, with a student body of 2500 or so. Our local CC is almost 10 times as large. I’m concerned that he’ll slip through the cracks.
- For kids who aren’t pretty self motivated, it can be easy to see CC as an extension of high school and fall into the same patterns. It’s the same neighborhood, many of the same kids. For some kids, a change to a new, totally different environment means they’ll change poor habits.
Here’s an idea - see if your school district has an articulation agreement with your local CC. Then you could dual enroll your junior and/or senior year of high school. Best of both worlds - you can try community college, get high school credits and college credits, and see how you like it. One big caution - work with your guidance counselor closely. Dual enrollment is great for some students, but it does have potential downside.
Our son has had an excellent experience dual enrolling at our CC and local university, but there is something to be said for merit scholarships which are available mostly to first time in college students (which our son is because legally he’s still a high school student - ALSO, we have checked with each of the colleges where he applying - this is an important thing to do too). We would not want our son to lose that eligibility so once he graduates high school we will not let him take any more college classes until he actually starts college.
It’s good that you asked the question because you have plenty of time to think through the options.
CC isn’t for everyone. I would recommend students do very well in high school because most schools are a lot more selective when it comes to transfer admissions. for example, Harvard has a 1% transfer acceptance rate. CC is lacking in most academics since they generally hire not based on what research you’ve done but if you hold a post-grad degree and can teach. Most of it is textbook teaching, and a lot of CC’s don’t have great textbooks. They need to make academics accessible since most have an open admission process. CC also can lead to lack of motivation since no one is watching over you at all. However if you’re motivated it is the better option if your HS resume is not that great.
Honestly, this might be of unpopular opinion, but I feel elite institutions with great academics should be allowing more room for CC transfers. Really, I mean, a lot of really talented kids are late bloomers, due mental illness, bullying or family and medical issues. Maybe even increase enrolled population by maybe a few hundred to maintain incoming freshman population while also giving the late bloomers a chance? I understand that elite institutions are reserved for those whom have already unlocked their potential, but why should this be the determining factor? Development and other determining circumstances are, for the most part, out of the student’s conscious/palpable (respectively) control… but if they’ve fostered themselves in time for transfer admissions, isn’t this the equivalent? I think these institutions should welcome all who can thrive in their environment, and I think they lose most of these students in the limits they set on transfer enrollment.
I understand this takes a good amount of logistics and funding (dorms, food, just general resources and space), but I think they could rent out apartments in their area and offer this housing at a discounted rate. Yes, might not be dorms, but “this is what you get as a transfer. If you don’t like it, we can’t offer anything else.”
Community college can be a great option for a lot of people. Like others said, you save money and you can always transfer to a 4 year school. Also, think about what you would like to study and what field you want to work in. For some jobs, for example nursing, you can get an associates degree and get a job with a pretty good salary right away.
Thanks everyone.
Now is a good time to talk with your parents about how they expect you to pay for your college education. Will they be able to help you pay for college, or do you have to find all the money yourself? If they can help you pay, how much do they have available, and will they impose any conditions? For example, some parents will only pay for College X, or for major Y, or if you keep a GPA of Z.Z.
Pick a couple colleges and universities that your parents know about, and ask them to run the Net Price Calculator at each website. That will give them an idea of how much each place will expect your family to pay. Run the NPC at the website of a couple of your state universities, and your local CCs too. When we did that, we found out that the only place we could afford was the CC, so Happykid started out there. The money we saved by sending her to the CC helped pay for the last two years at her state university. She got a great education at both places, and now has steady work in her field of study.
As other people wrote above, if you have really good grades and ACT/SAT scores, you will get better merit-based scholarships as a freshman than as a transfer. So if that is your situation, and you will need a lot of money to be able to go to college, spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum to learn about places that offer good merit-based scholarships.