<p>I'm a Spring admit of USC class of 2017! I'm planning to major in Business and Cinematic Arts and minor in CS plus take classes in entrepreneurism and STILL graduate with the fall ppl. I know its ambitious so im planning to enroll in a CC this fall to knock out some GEs.
Right now i narrowed my choices down to two colleges:
De Anza vs SMC
I know SMC is in LA and should be the obvious choice but I'm interested in experiencing North Cal for a semester. I also have a lot of friends at Cal and Stanford. Also planning to check out Silicon Valley and all, plus i heard generally MUCH better reviews of De Anza compared to SMC.
I heard SMC has a bad campus, is kinda like high school, profs aren't too great, isn't in a good neighborhood, and needs a car to get around?
But i also heard De Anza has expensive housing, difficult to enroll in class, and would be hard to get used to SoCal?
Btw im not from Cali so no close to home probs.
Thanks so much guys! Would appreciate quick responses cuz need to apply soon.</p>
<p>Plus im also lookin for other spring admits who r considering to go to CC together this fall. I'm a guy and pm me thanks :-)</p>
<p>Don’t go to a cc! You don’t want that on your clean transcript. Travel, work, volunteer but do not, I implore you, sully your academic background when you don’t need to! You can take summer school classes at USC and graduate with Your Class!</p>
<p>Taking a job is a better idea and will help defray expenses.</p>
<p>Otherwise people will think you transferred. Think long term!!!</p>
<p>Call admissions and ask which school is stronger. We have some posters who are biased about CC classes of any kind. But clearly most of the people who are posting about USC have said those students integrate just as well as anyone else. And USC encourages students to do something with their fall term (volunteer, travel, take GE classes) so they’ll be the best to tell you which campus they favor in your circumstances.</p>
<p>I think De Anza is a good choice. If you go to De Anza definitely have a car with you to get around. The Silicon Valley has expensive housing, depending how close you are to certain areas. Cal and Stanford are about an hour and a half to two hours away from one another. </p>
<p>Oh and going to a cc does not harm your transcript at all. When you graduate it will only say you graduated from USC NOT cc+USC. It may even help you with saving some money and the classes may even be easier at a cc.</p>
<p>USC would totally support your plans. Agree with ArtandLetters, give the school a call and ask to talk to advisor so you make sure you take relevant classes. You do not dirty a transcript with cc classes, that is silly. Any classes are better than just working some lame job to pass time and will save you money overall from the pricey tuition whether in summer or another semester.</p>
<p>Stanford is 30 minutes north of DeAnza, and Cal is an hourish depending on traffic from Stanford. Look for rentals in Cupertino (where DeAnza is) or even Mtn View or Sunnyvale if you want to be sorta central between Stanford and DeAnza. Area around Stanford is priciest!</p>
<p>If you go to law school or med school or b-school you better believe top schools will carefully examine your overall transcript, demanding all records from all schools attended, especially if you spend a full semester there.</p>
<p>Do not drink the kool-aid BS of the cc apologists, most of whom went to them. You will not regret having nothing to do with them.
Be patient and wait, wait, wait!</p>
<p>I’ve spoken to two the academic deans at USC (DS is a spring admit who is going to CC in the fall). Both said SMCC and Pasadena City College are very high quality–and not to consider others in the LA area due to lack of quality. I didn’t ask about CC’s in the SF Bay Area.</p>
<p>I’m a student at USC and I have taken courses for fun at SMC and LACC. In all honesty, the professors at SMC tend to suck (at least in the math department). Also, SMC tends to suffer from overcrowding. That being said, many of the professors that teach at SMC also teach at two or three other community colleges in Los Angeles. Los Angeles City College (LACC) is 4 or 5 miles from USC and has outstanding professors in English, Math, and Science departments.</p>
<p>I read these threads because my D was Spring Admit last year but was bumped to fall. I want to respond to SeattleTW and the comments about grad school and “dirtying” your transcript. I went to undergraduate at Loyola Chicago. My high school offered dual credit courses through a CC so my application to medical school required both the CC and my Loyola transcripts. I don’t believe this sullied my application as I graduated from medical school many years ago. Also, these classes helped me to graduate in 3 1/2 years and save a semester of money. Grad schools look at everything and will not reject a student just because some of their credits came from a CC.</p>
<p>Also, my D has planned out her 4 years and with her degree and a minor (and no summer school) she will be able to finish in 3 1/2 years because of her AP credits. So if you have enough AP credits and prefer to travel or work during the fall semester, that may be an option. Lastly, this is the reason USC has spring admissions - many students finish early (or a semester late if they change majors, etc.)</p>
<p>Was wondering when your D heard that she was bumped to fall?
Also agree that gen ed courses at a CC makes total sense, especially if a spring admit wants to be around campus during the fall.</p>
<p>I believe playing tiddlywinks, videogames, or going to movies or reading is a far more productive way to spend three months than attending any inferior cc and tainting an otherwise blemish free USC diploma. This is USC, not Cal State!</p>
<p>Don’t settle for mediocrity when you can learn a foreign language, English or mathematics at a first rate university like USC. Don’t handicap your education. Pasadena cc is no better than Rio Hondo or SMCC or Glendale CC…they are all remedial weigh stations and easier than high school.</p>
<p>Why not take an on line non credit course at Harvard instead?</p>
<p>My D found out very early May on a Friday. (I believe it was Friday, May 4th.) Her area admissions counsellor called her and then she received a new packet in the mail. We hope there are many bumps to fall this year.</p>
<p>Seattle TW I have to say your posts are rather disappointing. Even USC advises that the spring admits take gen ed courses in the fall and that a CC is just fine by them.
So you just go ahead and play tiddly winks while others are going to school.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter where you go as long as the classes transfer, so basically anywhere you can get some general education requirements out of the way. But for the most part, most things will transfer from De Anza, SMC or PCC.</p>
<p>That is not true Seattle. I know several people who have gotten into top grad schools, and they started from CC’s. The type of institution has no bearing to your chances as long as you produce the results that these “top” grad schools want, and that was the case for many people Ive known.</p>
<p>If you look at the % of admits for law school and med school nationwide, over half of them has attended a CC at some point or another. Get your facts straight Seattle.</p>