<p>I plan on attending community college for a year or two and then transferring, hopefully to UC Berkeley, UCLA, Rice, Caltech, Swarthmore, UMich, or another institution strong in STEM. I'm confident that I can get a 4.0 at my local community college, and I've been looking into internship opportunities in the surrounding areas.</p>
<p>If I actively participate in research/internships, maintain a strong GPA even after I transfer, and score well on the GRE will I have a chance at a top graduate school in STEM fields, particularly math, or will the fact that I attended community college be a hindrance?</p>
<p>Your recommendations from Jr./Sr. year in college, what you did over those summers, GRE’s, and GPA will be what you are judged against when applying to grad school. Where you went to college is less important than these items; and certainly your first two years will have no bearing on an admissions decision. Upper division classes (not offered at community college) are the most important classes. Lower division and general education classes are not really considered in grad school admissions.</p>
<p>Try to go to an REU over the summer while in Community College! In-state, public universities usually provide the smoothest transfer transition from community college, at least in CA.</p>
<p>@ItsJustSchool That is so great to hear, thank you for the advice! I wasn’t aware that community college students can take advantage of REUs. Are they generally competitve to get into?</p>
<p>@Mikemac Thank you for clarifying, but I will hopefully have enough AP credits to qualify as a sophomore when I enter college.</p>
<p>REUs are competitive. One of their missions is to encourage students to continue on to graduate-level math by giving access to a Research Experience (to whet the appetite). Counter-intuitively perhaps, community college applicants are sometimes (by some REUs) preferred, since they have less access to a research experience during the school year at their home institution.</p>
<p>@muse123445, if you are in California, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that while the UCs will give you credit for your AP’s, the community college will give you credit AND will allow you to use the AP courses to satisfy general education (GE) requirements (which UC’s don’t). Plan carefully to complete IGETC and lower division requirements for your major, and you will have all classes with <30 students and excellent professors throughout your entire college career. Community College professors love their subject- often they have a ‘day job’ and teach because they love their subject. At UC’s, some GE classes can be huge. If you enter as an upper-division student (especially if you take honors classes at the UC) you will have an awesome experience! Embrace your Community College for the year you are there; don’t just pass through.</p>
That’s good news! You got some great advice from @ItsJustSchool but I want to add another benefit AP credit gives you. You will be able to spend 3 years at a UC without fear of a unit cap, even though you entered as a junior.
You</a> may want to confirm it applies to xfer students as well as those attending only UC, but I believe it does.</p>
<p>@mikemac, yes, this is true. Another slight wrinkle is that transfer students are not held to the same standards as freshman entrants by academic advisors on “progress towards degree.” This means you have more wiggle room in taking extraneous classes once you matriculate to a UC. This one is so subtle as to probably never be tested, but the unit cap is definitely a plus!</p>
<p>The graduate admissions committee will see the transcripts from all the colleges you attended, but the committee only really cares about your success in the later years of college (assuming you do fine at the community college.)</p>
<p>Thanks so much everyone! I was really worried about the things I’d miss out on by attending a community college but now I’m actually excited to begin my college career at a CC!</p>