Community College?

December 4, 2007 at 5:32 AM

I am still planning on going to PCC, but is a community college a bad place to start? Considering I'm a year ahead in school what I'm thinking of doing is: going to community college while I get some money for PCC then going the year after.
If I do does anyone know if it's still required that I take the SAT or ACT? The community college doesn't require it but PCC does. Will it matter now that I have a year of college under my belt?
I want a grand piano if you would like to donate please email me. Only joking, kind of.

From Patricia Baser
Posted on December 4, 2007 at 10:28 AM

Use the community college to get your general studies out of the way for less $$. You should take the ACT/SAT now. Then you will know if your coursework has been rigorous enough. Often people take them more than once to improve their scores.

From E. Smith
Posted on December 4, 2007 at 2:38 PM

I'm not sure what college "PCC" is, but you can find out whether transfer students need SATs/ACTs by calling their admissions department or checking their admissions website.

From Bilbo Prattle
Posted on December 4, 2007 at 6:54 PM

My brother did his first year at community college, and transferred to an Ivy league college with all credits.

The key to using CCs is to go only to a really top ranked one; otherwise they don't impress the 4 year college.

Also, take the SAT while in H.S.

Also, do as E.S. suggested above.

Also, look at the financial aid requirements of the 4 year school. They vary and how they handle independent students varies also. Many schools look at your parents' financials even if you are independent.

generally, the poorer you are and the better your grades, the more direct grants you will win.

Also, top schools are worth the money, because you get very high paying jobs, as much through connections as through anything else. Lesser schools don't confer that advantage, but you still gain the general "college grad" advantage, less the finance cost of acquiring the education.

If you are paying your own way, getting through as fast as possible is worth every beit, as the finance cost is the big problem. If you can get into the full-time position 1 year earlier, you will gain a huge amount. TAking it slow, slogging it out with dead-end service jobs may look romantically proletarian, but it is a poor choice. To this end, the community college may work against you, as not all of them will give you a true "full time" schedule. And once again, confirm to what extent the credits will transfer before you enroll in the CC!

From Anne Horvath
Posted on December 4, 2007 at 8:30 PM

I did three summers of CC, starting while I was still in high school. Overall, I earned 13 credit hours. This helped lighten the academic load during the regular school year, and there was more time for practicing! The credits from CC were used for both my high school diploma, and my undergraduate degree.

I agree with Bill that the quality of the CC is very important. The one I attended was ranked #2 in the country, and the teachers I had were terrific. No teaching assistants, and small class sizes were really nice. I took things like English 101/102, Algebra 101 (bleh) and the like. It was a very economical way to earn credits.

You also not only need to check on the quality of the CC, but also whether any or all credits will transfer to your chosen 4-year program.

My brother went to CC full-time for a year, after he graduated from high school. He was not sure what sort of degree he wanted, so that was a good way for him to explore his interests. He found his major, transferred to a 4-year Uni, and now is a Rocket Scientist for NASA.

I would recommend that you talk to your parents, and your school counselor about what possible paths you might take. Good luck!

From Tom Holzman
Posted on December 4, 2007 at 10:38 PM

Anne's advice, as usual, is spot on. There is nothing necessarily wrong with CC, especially if there is a good one near you. It can be a good transition to four-year college. You just need someone to advise you since these choices can be complicated and involve weighing of a number of pros and cons. Good luck!

From Sarah Montoro
Posted on December 5, 2007 at 12:09 AM

SAT is like your first impression...
Do well and you will have a much better college application experience..

btw. i just took it...i think i did well..hopefully.. i really don't want to take it again.

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Community College?

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