Hi, so my situation is pretty complicated and even now I have no way knowing how I got myself so deep in trouble. After graduating high school with a 3.7 gpa and a 2100+ Old sat score in 2017, I was pretty depressed about my college selection so I decided to take a gap year and reapply. However, during that year my depression became so severe that I lost faith in studying and rested for two years (family reasons is also involved) Till now I have recovered from depression but haven’t earned any college yet. During these three years I have tried earning credits through online or part time studies but quitted all of them and worked as a freelance journalist (I can have give recommendation letters on this experience) However, now I want to return to college. Could someone tell me what should I do because I am really desperate in this situation? Should I start with a community college or should I apply as a freshman to an university. My ultimate goal is to earn a degree in a four years institution. I currently live in Philly and can’t go to far because of personal reasons. Also I am an international student. I have only stayed in the U.S. for so long without being a student because I am a family member, but once my parents leave I need to transfer to F-1. Did anyone have any similar experience? Could you share with me some of your suggestions? Than you so much!
What state are you in? Some states (CA and WA that I know of) have agreements with very good four year colleges for cc students to transfer. This would give you time to ease into college study, the professors at cc are often highly qualified and engaging, and you could build a good academic record.
I’m not saying applying direct to a four year college isn’t also a good or viable option, but if your state has good community colleges and transfer agreements it could be a great option.
I should also add that you could immediately enroll in community college and start your studies, whereas you already missed the application cycle for entering in Fall 2020, which would make your reentry even more protracted.
And no need to sit for SATs before you start at cc, and in some cases if you earn a certain number of cc credits you may not need to submit new SAT scores.
I live in Philadelphia, and the community college of Philadelphia offers decent course. if I can I want to transfer to the liberal arts colleges nearby; however, I don’t know if they accept credits from ccp. If not, I wonder do you know how long does it take to graduate?
Do you think starting with community college is the best option? Also do you have to stay for two years to get an accreditation in order to transfer? Thanks!
I posted in the college admission section first but I think here fits my situation more so I reposted it 
Starting in community college is a fantastic option. You don’t necessarily have to wait two years to transfer to a four-year if you don’t want to. It is likely that a PA state four-year school will accept all your credits from the community college, which would make for a smooth transfer. It is a fairly inexpensive way to “test the waters” and get back in the groove of being a student.
Thank you so much. Do you know any good community college in Philadelphia? Also what universities (if you know any) do you think will accept all of the cc’s credits? Honestly I am very interested in the nearby liberal art colleges; however, they don’t seem to accept the community college’s credits…
Hi, so my situation is pretty complicated and even now I have no way knowing how I got myself so deep in trouble. After graduating high school with a 3.7 gpa and a 2100+ Old sat score in 2017, I was pretty depressed about my college selection so I decided to take a gap year and reapply. However, during that year my depression became so severe that I lost faith in studying and rested for two years (family reasons is also involved) Till now I have recovered from depression but haven’t earned any college yet. During these three years I have tried earning credits through online or part time studies but quitted all of them and worked as a freelance journalist (I can have give recommendation letters on this experience) However, now I want to return to college. Could someone tell me what should I do because I am really desperate in this situation? Is starting with a community college the best option? And how long does it take to graduate if I transferred successfully (because most institutions don’t recognize cc’s credits)? My ultimate goal is to earn a degree in a four years institution. I currently live in Philly and can’t go to far because of personal reasons. Also I am an international student. I have only stayed in the U.S. for so long without being a student because I am a family member, but once my parents leave I need to transfer to F-1. Did anyone have any similar experience? Could you share with me some of your suggestions? Thank you so much!
Go speak with the admissions office at the Community College of Philadelphia. Talk with a counselor there about your long-range goals. Find out more about their transfer partnerships and agreements. Here is a link to that information on their website: https://ccp.edu/why-choose-us/paths-possibilities/transfer-opportunities
You also can speak with the transfer admissions offices at the nearby liberal arts colleges, and ask them about transferring in from CC of Philadelphia. You also can check their websites. Here is a link to Bryn Mawr’s transfer admission information: https://www.brynmawr.edu/admissions/transfer-students
What’s your financial situation?
Because that 2100 could translate into direct admission to Temple university with a scholarship, or perhaps to West Chester which is a 4-year university near Philadelphia.
Indeed the issue is that to get your F1 visa you’ll need to demonstrate you have enough money to pay for college and PA is very expensive. In addition, CC in PA leads to PASSHE universities (like WCU) not to flagships (you’d have to attend Temple directly or PSu Abington, a community college-like university except much more expensive). If you attend CC, you’d have access to relatively inexpensive classes but would have to pay total costs for the last two years at whatever 4-year university you end up at.
West Chester U and PSU Abington are still accepting applications. Not sure for Temple but check it out.