<p>…I would not send 33/4.0 to CC anyway.
I myself went to CC, yes, in Ohio. Got the job in a field of study right after graduation at the worst economic times and various employers paid for my BS and MBA. But I was in my 30s, taking care of family. I was not looking for college fun and to grow up and all of that. College should be great 4 years of a kid’s life, great personal growth and achieving all goals (that I did not have anymore in my 30s). Not sure if CC is for HS graduate with 33/4.0 (mathes my D’s exactly, but it was many years ago).</p>
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<p>(Presumably you mean for transfer students.)</p>
<p>This is not really an issue for many of those starting at community college – they may be starting there for financial reasons (meaning that they applied to four year schools but got insufficient need and merit aid at those they got admitted to) or academic reasons (not a very good high school record, which means that merit aid is not a realistic expectation).</p>
<p>The students getting the big merit offers are likely the most advanced top students for whom community college is more likely to be a poor academic fit anyway (due to being advanced enough to want to take upper division courses as freshmen or sophomores). But they are a minority of all college students.</p>
<p>I agree it is a shame that some community colleges are not as good as they could be.
When I decided to go back to school to study horticulture, I found that the program at EDCC was much better than the ones in Seattle ( & the Seattle community colleges don’t participate in the Stafford loan program),even though Edmonds is in the next county.
But I would also agree that many K-12 schools aren’t as good as they could be, and don’t let me start on what they have done to the math curriculum! 
:mad: :p</p>
<p>However, you have to deal with what is in front of you, & I started this thread mainly because in the past month, there have been so many posts by students who can’t afford the prestigious schools they want to attend, but are spending all their energy writing appeal letters for more aid or trying to find private loans, instead of pursuing reasonable and affordable choices. I am hoping that these posts can help them gain perspective for the big picture.</p>
<p>NH has a dual enrollment program called “Project Running Start,” which offers college level classes to HS students. Classes are taught at the high school by credentialed HS faculty… yet credits show on a student’s HS Transcript as college courses. </p>
<p>[CCSNH</a> Running Start Home Page](<a href=“http://www.ccsnh.edu/prs/]CCSNH”>http://www.ccsnh.edu/prs/)</p>
<p>It reportedly costs $150 per course…plus textbooks. I guess it is up to each School District to determine whether or not to fund or reimburse the costs for successful completion of courses taken. </p>
<p>I don’t understand how this program differs from offering AP Classes… unless it is simply a way for less densely populated and/or for lower income communities to supplement their AP offerings? </p>
<p>Our regional HS is comprised of students from 3 area towns, and the graduating class has historically been just 175-180. They ony offer a handful of AP classes (Chemistry, Calculus, Literature, Government, US History & Spanish)… but offer other courses through this Running Start program. </p>
<p>It looks like the colleges and universities which have accepted transfer credits in the past are not very selective, and their disclaimer concerning successful tansfer of credits would hold true for anyone seeking to accrue & transfer AP, CC or Dual Enrollment credits:</p>
<p>“Credit recognition remains the exclusive prerogative of the institution granting it.”</p>
<p>[CCSNH</a> Running Start](<a href=“http://www.ccsnh.edu/prs/participating-colleges.html]CCSNH”>http://www.ccsnh.edu/prs/participating-colleges.html)</p>
<p>I am not very sympathetic to the “grand college illusion” for “4 years of a kids life…” These “kids” are by every definition, adults. Time to get serious and get busy. My ire gets raised a little when I sense that some feel like college needs to be an extension of H.S. or some uber expensive “pre adult camp” for 4 years.</p>
<p>If CC > State College/University is the best track? then so be it. It is a means to an end and I don’t feel sorry for these adults purportedly missing out on anything.</p>
<p>163 ^^in my rural southern community, some top students attend community colleges for financial reasons (much less expensive and they can commute, which also saves money) and transfer to the state flagship for the last two years and the prestigious degree. </p>
<p>Some students attend community colleges because they aren’t competitive for the state colleges.</p>
<p>Some attend community colleges because their parents don’t want them going away from home, especially the girls. Some of these may also be top students.</p>
<p>MaryOC-that is similar to what we have, except our program is free (state pays for the classes). The advantage of this program is that it isn’t dependent on how you do on one test. If you pass the class with a C or whatever, you still get credit for the class. If you take an AP class and get a 3 on the test, most “better” colleges won’t take that for credit-and certainly not if you get a 1 or 2.</p>
<p>“Live Free or Die,” Steve… ;)</p>
<p>These PRoject Running Start credits will transfer with a C or better, as well. So I guess that could be another advantage over the AP system.</p>
<p>MaryOC-another advantage is that the schools don’t have to pay someone to teach those AP classes, especially in a smaller school that might only have 10 kids taking AP. I know our state started the program many years ago as a college saving program but the high schools quickly learned that it saved them money too.</p>
<p>"I am not very sympathetic to the “grand college illusion” for “4 years of a kids life…” </p>
<p>-I am just talking form experience…I guess everybody is different and have different goals…was not any kind of illusion for us, experience was much better and much broader with awesomely greater results than we have anticipated fo our D. And more so, even at Grad. school level, it is not strictly just academic. That is why D. was choosing the one that was matching her the best at both UG and Grad. level. 4 years of her life and (plus 4 more) were extremely important for her not just from professional goal, which has always been priority #1 though.</p>
<p>I concur, Steve.</p>
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<p>We have running start in our area, but those classes are held at the community colleges, so students need to find transportation as well as adjusting their schedules at the high school to allow for travel times.
It can be a very good option for students, but as the district pays for the hours the student isn’t at the high school, there isn’t any incentive to make it more workable.</p>
<p>More colleges will accept community college /running start classes than will award AP credit, in our experience.</p>
<p>However, (possibly influenced by newsweeks high school ranking)? schools are increasing Ap courses. For example at one popular high school, all 10th graders will be required to take AP Human Geography, instead of some of them taking AP Euro History (which will no longer be offered).</p>
<p>As I’ve written before, Happykid is at our local community college because it is what we can afford. Yes, we would have loved to be able to send her off to a residential college for four years, but the money simply isn’t there. We are fortunate that the program for her major at our local community college is as good as (and arguably better than) the first two years of that major at the in-state public universities that come closest to affordable for our family. It is unfortunate that not all community colleges are as good as ours (even within the same state as MD Mom will certainly attest). Those of us who do have community colleges that will serve the needs of our children are lucky indeed.</p>
<p>Students in MD who are considering the CC to in-state route can start their reading at [Student</a> Guide to Transfer](<a href=“http://www.mhec.state.md.us/preparing/stuguide.asp]Student”>http://www.mhec.state.md.us/preparing/stuguide.asp)</p>
<p>emeraldkity4–I hate that Newsweek ranking, really hate it. It is really a bad, bad way to rank high schools and then some people actually believe that ranking :D.</p>
<p>In NJ, anyone can readily find out what cc classes will be accepted by any NJ college/uni.
We have a website set up for just this purpose, so a student can easily plan their coursework out in advance if they know what college they want to attend after cc.</p>
<p>[NJ</a> TRANSFER: Linking New Jersey’s Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.njtransfer.org/]NJ”>http://www.njtransfer.org/)</p>