Ask a Nerd! Community College by TutorNerds

Ask a Nerd! Community College by TutorNerds Ask a Nerd! Question: Is it a bad idea to attend a community college and then transfer to a 4-year university? Should I go straight to a 4-year university? Brief: There is not a simple yes or no answer to this question. Where you should attend college is based on what your personal educational and career goals are. Answer Many students in California chose to attend a community college before going to a 4-year university. In my opinion, as an Orange County college admissions consultant, It is not good or bad to attend a community or junior college before a 4-year; it depends on what you want as a student. Top 3 reasons students attend a community college and then transfer to a university. Money! Attending the University of California, for example, will set you (or your parents) back around $15,000 a year and that’s assuming that you live at home, eat for free at mom and dad’s kitchen and don’t buy any text books. Let’s be realistic and bump it up to around $18,000 per year or a grand total of $72,000. Attending SOCCCD (South Orange County Community College District), which consists of Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College, costs about $60 per unit. (12-15 units is considered full-time.) You’re looking at about $3,600 for two years of education, add in books etc and you’re spending about $4,500 instead of $36,000. $4,500 is a realistic number for a person who is working their way through college or who is not able to face the amount of student loan debt that they would accumulate. Work. Many students pay their way through college, which means that they need to be part time students and work part time or they need a really flexible school schedule so that they can make earning money a priority. High School Transcripts. Many students didn’t get into the college of their choice (or any college) due to lower than average SAT scores, lack of AP classes, an unoriginal entrance essay, grades or other factors. Community college is a great opportunity to raise those grades and transfer to either the University of California or California State University. Students who attend a community college can absolutely get a great education and transfer to a fabulous university (READ: How Should I Start My College Essays). Although there are some advantages to starting at a 4-year (assuming money is not an issue). Students who attend a 4-year from the beginning are essentially forced to get it together and make the adjustment to university life within one to two quarters (or semesters). Students are allowed to be on academic probation (a GA below 2.0) for one, and only one, term. After that, they are done. 4-year students must take college life seriously. This reality pushes many students to make their very best effort and not waste time on non-academic distractions. 4-years also offer excellent research opportunities to undergraduates who maintain a high GPA (usually 3.5 or above) (READ: 8 Reasons Applicants Fail to Get Into the College of Their Choice). Students who do decide to attend a community college should look out for a few pitfalls. The “7-year Plan”. Many community college students have every intention of transferring after two years but end up spending up to seven years as an underclassman. This can be a very bad thing and most students on this ‘plan’ eventually drop out. Lack of commitment. Some community college students don’t feel the pressure to do well and end up with grades that are not transferable (shoot for a 3.0 to a 3.5 minimum in order to transfer). Not planning ahead. Community colleges offer many classes that suit the community, such as yoga and website design. As a traditional student, these classes may or may not transfer to a program at a 4-year. Check with a career or transfer counselor at your local community college to make sure that you are taking the classes that you need, and only the classes that you need. Bottom Line: You can get a great education as a transfer student or as a traditional student; commitment, dedication and persistence are key. Have a question for one of our nerds? Tweet it to us @TutorNerds. Give yourself the TutorNerds advantage by checking back often for the latest in our “Ask a Nerd” series. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us post about. Applying to college this year? Don’t go it alone. As college becomes harder and harder to get into, it’s crucial you take the admissions process seriously. Let our Orange County college admissions consultants get you into your dream university. Our experienced consultants have a 97% success rate!