Why are successful high school students so tenative to go to a community college?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Numerous high school students during their senior year summer have "the talk" with their parents about college. With costs rising at rates double inflation, why are high schoolers so reluctant to take the economic option and go to a community college?</p>

<p>I have to admit, I was one of these people. When I was in High School, I wanted to get out of the house, specifically, get out of state. However, once I got on my campus, I started taking as many classes as I possibly could at my local community college over the summer, and concurrently online while I was enrolled. I have now taken 43 credits and transferred them over, saving me 3 semesters worth of tuition.</p>

<p>But why is it that so many people in high school don't go to a community college, rather incur tremendous debt and leave home? This is the mindset that many people I have spoken to at college have had. They didn't want to go to a community college, but after going to a real college they have changed their mindset completely.</p>

<p>Small class sizes, equivalent classes, transfer programs, inexpensive tuition, arguably better education than at some major universities (more personal and not necessarily lecture-based). If getting out of the house was so important, why not just get an apartment somewhere else? A community college does not deprive you of the college experience. You still go to a 4-year school to complete your degree.</p>

<p>Economically, community colleges are an amazing option. They also give people the chance to change their lives. Say you didn't get into your dream school out of high school. Why go to another college that isn't where you want to be, when you could save tons of money, go to a community college and the re-apply? </p>

<p>I'm sure there are obvious situations where you should choose a 4-year school, but why is it that most student's can't get over the mental hurdle that community colleges present and realize that they can give students a chance to get into better schools that they initially got into, saving a ton of money while doing it?</p>

2

<p>At the risk of sounding callous, the majority of community college students are dim-witted low life(s) with little chance at future success. I don't know a single person from my high school that ended up going to a CC that I would even deem above average in intelligence. I know from this board that there are very studious, astute individuals who attend community colleges for various reasons, but the lackluster student-body at CCs hardly makes for an uplifting academic environment (or opportunity for connections).</p>

3

<p>Well I'm one of those choosing CC. I only got into UCSC and they even gave me 18k/year for financial aid but after thinking about it for a while, CC is the best route for me. I'll save even more money and be able to work part time for 2 years, and i don't really like the idea with living with a roommate. I really didn't think i would end up only getting into UCSC, so having a chance to reapply after 2 years is such a blessing.</p>

<p>Over in my area, CC is a popular route because the high schools here are a lot tougher than most (Monta Vista, Lynbrook, Saratoga). I know many students like me who have sub par gpas 3.3-3.6s and like 2000+ SATs but still end up getting rejected from the UCs. I know its probably a low % of the students who end up going to CC, but for many people, its a chance to start over again and get into their ideal school.</p>

4

<p>In high school, I was into name brand clothes. It was as if the image, prestige, and success embodied by a small colorful print or embroidered logo could somehow percolate into my self-esteem. Community Colleges may be seen as the ugly, cheap, and unfashionable K-mart specials. However functional or economical they may be, they lack prestige.</p>

<p>This isn't a definitive answer to your question but rather something I remember from my own high school mindset.</p>

5

<p>Why are they so tentative?</p>

<p>
[quote]
At the risk of sounding callous, the majority of community college students are dim-witted low life(s) with little chance at future success.

[/quote]

Because most of them think like this.</p>

6

<p>As a person accepted to Brown (an Ivy-league school), but who went to a California community college (this was a number of years back when the Ivies wouldn't pay for poor students to attend), I agree with A2Wolves6 that attending a CCC is a very good alternative for those with financial difficulties--and even for those who don't suffer from the "prestige-ego" loss of not attending a "name" school.</p>

<p>I think the reason some opt not to do so sometimes has to do with how they expect to do in a community college versus how they've already done in high school. My own son decided he'd rather attend Indiana University at Bloomington when he knew he was already accepted rather than wait, attend a community college for two years and take the chance that he might not get accepted to this school (or an equivalent great business program) at a later point in time.</p>

<p>As we've all seen, the GPA it takes to get into some of these top-notch schools has risen consistently over the last few years--and in some cases, there are no spots open no matter how well one does (for example at Harvard--and also in many programs at UC Berkeley and some programs at UCLA and UCSD). At USC, it is estimated that it will take about a 3.7 to get in from a community college--when it only took a 3.5 or so just two years ago.</p>

<p>P.S. My son should have taken more summer school classes, however, in order to keep the costs down at IU-B. This is something A2Wolves6 did (also at IU-B) which my son and I did not consider (although my son is taking a summer school course this summer, even while working full-time).</p>

7

<p>I've never attended a UC before, but in respect to class sizes, I never understood why CC who are considered to be less than a UC at least offered smaller classes in general ed courses. The obvious reason would be space, but it seems like you really do end up getting more bang for your buck if you choose a CC to get your general ed out of the way. Instead of being 1 out of 400, you at the most will be 1 out of 40-50ish(if it even gets that big)</p>

8

<p>Not all CCs are like the California CCs. I know a girl who took a majority of her senior year at a CC and hated it because she said the students there were less intelligent then those that were at her city high school. In Massachusetts, Community College isn't the "cheap option", it's the "I didn't get into college option". It's extremely hard to compare the California community college system with any other state.</p>

9

<p>CCs are great places for people who need a second chance; ie....messed up in high school, or got married/pregnant, etc. The majority students at CCs seem intelligent, but perhaps they are not as motivated or have too many stressors to succeed. Many of these students are also more likely to stay at the CC for more than four years before they transfer....that is IF they ever transfer. For these reasons, I would not want my D to go to one because I want her to have the " college experience " and also to be surrounded with motivated, competitive classmates.</p>

10

<p>Yeah, I agree with MLEVINE07's view..
I am from Massachusetts too, (current freshman at college)
People made jokes of becoming rejected by a community college named "Bunker Hill CC"
I remember people laughing about a document saying a person was rejected by Bunker Hill.</p>

<p>Majority of the students in my class went to a college over CC.</p>

<p>After spending some months at California,
I could say that my perception of CC has been changed.
Seeing many great transfer students from CC,
I could say that my previous bias of community college of
"omg i got rejected from all the schools i applied to and i didnt study in hs"
changed.</p>

<p>California CC might be a great strategy, but apparently ones in MA arent.
Maybe this is due to many UC's that are strong in academics, and the huge size of the state of California.</p>

11

<p>MLEVINE07 - I am from California and most High School seniors here also look at CCs as the "I didn't get into college option" also. Of course cost is an issue for some, but it is only for a tiny few. I am pretty sure that if a senior in California was admitted to Harvard, they wouldn't choose the CC route, no matter what the cost.</p>

12

<p>Well, for me CC was the "didn't get into college option". Well, I did get into some mediocreish private schools, but they weren't worth the cost. At first I was miserable, b/c I thought that people would think I was dumb, I wouldn't get to go away, etc. etc. but eventually I got over it. In fact, I'm kind of excited that I can save a huge sum of money and go to a better school than I could have initially.</p>

13

<p>I'm also from Massachusetts and MLEVINE07 got this exactly right. Maybe it was just my high school but the kids who went to community college were usually the ones who didn't care at all about high school. Here in MA there is a bad stigma that goes along with community college and to a certain degree it is exactly true. Where I'm from it is not "did you get into college" or "are you going to college", it is "where are you going to college".</p>

14

<p>
[quote]

Why are they so tentative</p>

<p>"At the risk of sounding callous, the majority of community college students are dim-witted low life(s) with little chance at future success. "</p>

<p>Because most of them think like this.

[/quote]

I would have to agree that the perception of high school seniors seriously skewed.</p>

15

<p>Community college also offers the opportunity to raise a student's gpa and gives them time to become involved and explore their major and future career choices. At least that's why I decided to go to a CCC.</p>

<p>Aditionally, I didn't want to "settle" for the universities I was admitted to as a freshman. I'm glad I had the opportunity to become a more competitive applicant to my dream school. (USC) :)</p>

16

<p>Well..I had kind of the opposite story:</p>

<p>I didn't get into any colleges I really wanted to go to, and the ones I did gave little to no aid. I ended up going to a local community college, and was actually kind of happy about it. To me, it simply meant I would be getting my General Education classes out of the way at an easy school where I can make straight A's and then have a better chance to transfer to the schools I like (notice I say schools I like - I hate when people say "top schools." Why are top schools automatically the ones people like?)</p>

<p>My major is biology, so thankfully I had an amazing CC biology teacher...but my Chemistry teacher SUCKED. He didn't know the material himself, he had a bachelor's degree in engineering (extent of his education - he admitted he took half of it online), and we taught ourselves. I simply hated the experience.</p>

<p>On the plus side, everything else DID work out: I did 39 credits in one year, have my math, english, and humanities requirements finished, and was accepted to Vanderbilt and Cornell as a transfer student. I'll be going to Cornell.</p>

<p>So...I could see why some people would be hesitant about community college. It's really hit or miss...</p>

17

<p>I teach at a community college. Because it is "open door" you have everyone-very bright and very dull. It is a challenging group to teach. However, having taught at "tier three" and "tier four" colleges, I must say that the "average" IQ in my CC classes is probably higher than what you find in these schools. Several of my CC students that transferred to tier 3-4 schools have complained that the students at these schools are inferior to CC and that the classes are easier than mine.</p>

<p>Instructors at CC can be hit or miss, particularly with adjunct faculty. I was surprised about the engineer teaching chemistry with a bachelor's degree. That would be in violation of accreditation laws in our state. All faculty must have a minimum of a master's degree in the subject area to teach in the university transfer programs. About 10-15% of our faculty have PhDs (make more $$$ with us than at lower tier LACs).</p>

18

<p>I completely agree with you hornet.</p>

<p>CC serves diverse needs of studets who don't rank so high on social class. Some are there to get their associate and get back to workforce, and some are there to transfer out. When it comes to intellectual level of students at community college, there are many students who are as motivated and as intellectual as any other 4 year college students in US. Some CC s I know have honors programs. In my area, state schools regard CC as competitors when it comes to recruiting students. I have witnessed the talks both in CC and state university governance committes. </p>

<p>Personally, I didnt initially liked the idea of going to CC. But this was my only option if I wanted to study in the US. After I started attending, my perception changed. I struggled with English language at the beginning, and got plenty of help and attention from my professors. I would have probably sunk and wouldn't do as good at 4 year school, because of my language restrictions, financial stress and other social factors.</p>