Montgomery College or straight to a four year college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as CC's go, MC is excellent. I agree the academic rigor is not the same as a place like Georgetown, but it's not all mouth-breathers either.

Agreed. It's the biggest college (enrollment) in Maryland. As such, it has a lot of resources. I'd weigh the scholarship as one factor, not a determining one. Where does your child want to go?

[Anonymous]

I know several kids who have gone to MC for two years and then transferred to U of MD. It is a great option to have if a family can't afford to send the child to a 4 year university right out of high school, especially if the child doesn't have the best high school grades or if they are unsure about what they want to study in college. I also know quite a few U of MD students who have taken classes at MC during the summer.

In this case, I agree with the PP's in that if a child has already been offered a full ride to MC, chances are they will be receiving some nice offers from some universities. It would be worth waiting to see what the offers are, before making any decisions.

[Anonymous]

I think MC is a good option, and there are some joint programs with colleges that will accept students who achieve certain criteria at MC. Defintely worth looking at those. I would not be swayed too much by the scholarship offer though. A full credit year at MC is $2,500. While $2500/year isn't nothing, it also probably shouldn't drive your decision making process. If you were already considering MC then the $2500 is a nice bonus, if not then I'd continue to look at 4 year options and see what the financial offers are.

[Anonymous]

If DD decides to go the MC route, look into the Honors Program. I'm not familiar with the one at MC, but I know Honors Programs at other CCs offer motivated students wonderful opportunities for more in-depth study, a motivated peer group, and great extra-curricular opportunities. Best wishes with your decision.

[Anonymous]

I used to teach in a big urban university who gets a lot of transfer students from community colleges. They always seem to have a weaker foundation than those who started at the university as a freshman. Maybe it is a selection issue, but I would think twice to send a bright kid to community college if you can at all swing it financially.

[Anonymous]

If you need advanced math... ( engineering ... Hard sciences or math major) MC is excellent in the first two year courses with small classes... No TA's and hands on help the moment you get lost or confused... They don't just give you the textbook and say " learn it". MC will give you a solid foundation to move into the ever higher math levels without undue stress.

[Anonymous]

I think it comes down to this, you don't want to say your kid is going to MC because poeple will think he or she is not smart enough to go to a 4 year school .. F .. them.

enjoy MC and then transfer

[Anonymous]

I got an Interior Design AA degree from MC, then transfer to UMCP for an Architecture BA degree. Now I am an architect doing corporate buildings.

DH completed all the core requirement at MC in 2 years, then transferred to UMBC and got his Pharmacist degree. Now he is a pharmacist doing research.

For people who does not have much resources (rich parents). MC is a very good alternative. College was a stepping stone got us from point a to a very good point b. I'm ok with both my MC and UM experiences. Frankly, it was easier to get higher GPA in MC then UM.

OP, if your 11th grader can get into one of the elite schools, give up MC. If s/he is going to UMD in 3rd year anyway, then go for the MC/UMD combo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach in a big urban university who gets a lot of transfer students from community colleges. They always seem to have a weaker foundation than those who started at the university as a freshman. Maybe it is a selection issue, but I would think twice to send a bright kid to community college if you can at all swing it financially.

What were you teaching?
How long ago was this? How did the weaker foundation manifest itself?

[Anonymous]

OP -- there is no easy way to answer your question w/o further information ...

1. Would your DD qualify for financial aid at another school?
2. What are DD's SAT scores?
3. What does DD want to do in terms of a career?
4. Does DD go to a MD public school?
5. What kind of GPA does DD have?

With those answers, I could offer advice. I work at a local university that accepts about 32% of applicants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach in a big urban university who gets a lot of transfer students from community colleges. They always seem to have a weaker foundation than those who started at the university as a freshman. Maybe it is a selection issue, but I would think twice to send a bright kid to community college if you can at all swing it financially.

What were you teaching?
How long ago was this? How did the weaker foundation manifest itself?

I was a professor of Economics. This was 7 years ago. The transfer students typically had weaker math background. For example, one of my student did not know what a log function was. And he was smart, but he had to do a lot more remedial work. It seemed to me that generally transfer students were not as prepared in independent learning. They just behaved more like high school students than college students. . I was teaching a required course for business majors and I could often tell who were the transfer students without them telling me.

There is also the issue of peer group. Statistics say that those who started at community college are much less likely to graduate from a four year college.

I am not saying that community college is not a great option for some students. I just think it is better to avoid it if you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since your child has qualified for free tuition from MC, she might qualify for scholarships from four year colleges.

MC is more like a remedial high school than a real college. You don't need to send your child to the college of last resort when she probably qualifies for a good scholarship at a four year college.

BS

I went from MC ( 2 years) straight to Georgetown and finished on schedule. I saved a ton of money by doing that and the counselors at Georgetown helped me the entire way by working with the counselors at MC to make sure the classes I took would transfer.

If your kid has a goal of where they want to be in 2 years it is a no brainier to me.

This is what I did as well. MC to GU. It was a fantastic choice. I knocked out my required credits at MC and got to take my major classes at GU. Even better was that I struggled in math. I had to take calculus. The class at MC had about 15 students and I had easy access to my instructor. When I got to GU I learned that calc was taught in the lecture hall and you maybe had access to the TAs.