Question for those whose kids went the community college route?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many students in California do two years at a CC before transferring to a 4 year school. If fact, schools like Cal encourage students to do this because of overcrowding and high tuition. I have plenty of friends with degrees from Cal who did two years at a CC first. I wish I'd been that smart in retrospect. Think of the tuition savings!!

I did this and transferred to UCSD.

[Anonymous]

One of my most successful college friends did that route. His situation was a little different, he had good, not great grades in HS in a small rural school in the upper peninsula of MI, but he also did only OK on the ACT. He was a first generation college student and his family didn't have much money and were either not made aware of, or did not understand, the financial aid process - so 4 year college intimidated them. He did CC for 2 years, then transferred to UM and thrived. He has also said that his 2 years at CC were invaluable because it taught him how to study and balance a course load. He did not regret it. Over twenty years on, he is a highly successful adult.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic advice. My child and I visited a school where she is thinking about social work. They recommended a year of CC because when kids drop out of this university, it is usually between freshman and sophomore year so that is the time they look to re-fill the class.

Apparently, they will look at her with 28 credits, a 3.0 or more, and two courses that are must haves in English and Math. So we are looking at creating a body of work where she has a B year of HS followed by a B+/A-, then a solid year of CC to get her in.

It is great to see my kid excited and motivated to work hard to make this happen. Also finding a therapist to help her out.

[Anonymous]

I went to a small liberal arts college with average rankings. I got a lot of attention I never would have gotten at a larger school let alone a community college, including a chance to do research with faculty members. By the time I graduated, I had my pick of grad schools. I think it's a better option for a kid who needs a bit more help and attention, but I realize it often comes down to finances. Because my family was poor and because, by the college's standards, I was a really good student with a lot of potential, we got really good financial aid.

[Anonymous]

That's great OP. Sounds like a clear path. The fact that your daughter has a focused interest in social work is a sign of maturity and bodes well for her success in school and work. In that way she's ahead of many high achieving kids who don't know what they want to do. You might consider getting a psych educational eval to see if she has any learning challenges. If so she may qualify for accommodations such as notes or extended time on tests, even in college. MC is known for having a good system of supports for students who qualify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP: the B+ is only senior year. In fact, we will send transcripts to a couple more places once the first semester ends. It is the freshman year, part of sophomore, and the ACT that is dragging thing down. We were thinking about a lower-tiered but that would involve her moving twice in two years and would cost more.

"We"?

Let your kid take care of their situation. You are way too involved if you are sending out transcripts for them.

[Anonymous]

I have a similar kid, but one year behind. We'll definitely be considering the CC option, but I have concerns. DS showed us pretty clearly as a freshman that he transitions slowly, and he doesn't show his best work under pressure (e.g. standardized testing). In order to earn the grades needed for a guaranteed transfer, kids need to get consistently high grades from the first semester at CC. A kid who takes time to adjust to the new setting, or figure out how to self advocate and organize themselves can lose everything, or can end up spending years bringing their GPA back up to "transferable level".

I don't know for sure what we'll pick, but my first choice would be a school where staying for all 4 years is an option. If he's ready to transfer to someplace more prestigious after 2 years, great, but if not then at least there's a back up plan.

Have your kid audit a semester if possible.

[Anonymous]

I went to CC and recommend it, but with some reservations.

It's really easy to flounder in CC - you *have* to be self-motivated and have a goal in mind. It is not a competitive environment and many people attending aren't driven (sorry, but it's true). If you are driven and have a trajectory, it's a great way to save money and do well. (Other PPs mentioned using the CC system as a way to get into into reputable state schools - eg UT-Austin and the UC system - and I agree with this completely.)

[Anonymous]

I recently met a Fulbright Scholar who started out at a community college. Working on his PhD now. Showed there really are no barriers to success from starting at a CC. inspiring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic advice. My child and I visited a school where she is thinking about social work. They recommended a year of CC because when kids drop out of this university, it is usually between freshman and sophomore year so that is the time they look to re-fill the class.

Apparently, they will look at her with 28 credits, a 3.0 or more, and two courses that are must haves in English and Math. So we are looking at creating a body of work where she has a B year of HS followed by a B+/A-, then a solid year of CC to get her in.

It is great to see my kid excited and motivated to work hard to make this happen. Also finding a therapist to help her out.

Awesome! Glad to hear it. And it teaches your kid to look outside the box a bit for solutions to problems.

[Anonymous]

CC seemed to work out OK for Eileen Collins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eileen_Collins

I'm an adjunct at a CC around here, and some of my students are every bit as smart and talented as my classmates at a top 25 university. If she stays focused and does the work, she can have a fantastic start at a CC.

Good luck to her, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many students in California do two years at a CC before transferring to a 4 year school. If fact, schools like Cal encourage students to do this because of overcrowding and high tuition. I have plenty of friends with degrees from Cal who did two years at a CC first. I wish I'd been that smart in retrospect. Think of the tuition savings!!

This was me - it was free then! I only paid for parking and books! Amazing.

Transferred to a top UC school.

[Anonymous]

Does she have to go to a state school? Why are you pushing for that? There are many lower rated schools that she could get into, do well and graduate from. Have you asked her what she wants and maybe even talked to the college counselor at her high school, don't' they usually offer to help students pick the right college for them.

[Anonymous]

I have twins with mild learning differences. They are in middle school now and I plan to encourage the CC route because they may not be ready or able to handle a four year college. They are in an expensive private school right now and it would conserve funds for DH and I, who are nearing retirement in about 10 years, for them to enroll in a CC. We have property in another state where there is an excellent CC with auto transfer to the state universities. So, it would be a way for them to go away for school but be in a less stressful academic environment. My DH and I are both successful professionals but we recognize we have to parent the children we have and help them to find their passions in life and be productive and successful adults.

[Anonymous]

If your child is interested in criminal
Justice, she should consider Radford University in VA. It's often overlooked because it's not as selective as some of the other VA state schools, but it has a well-regarded criminal justice program. My brother and a cousin both graduated from Radford and now have good jobs in criminal justice - one with the state police and the other as a state game warden.