Community college ——-> University path

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Do you have first-hand experience with this happening?

[Anonymous]

My nephew is doing this right now in California. He's one of the top students in his HS but didn't get into the UC he wants to go to so is taking advantage of the free CC option there. It's becoming a much more common path for high-achievers in CA who want to go to UCs since admissions has become so difficult. He's in a honors program at the CC so that keeps him with other focused students who are aiming for the transfer to a 4-year. I know NVCC offers the same thing so I'd explore that.

And, my son is going to VT and I can see that their housing options include a living-learning community just for transfer students, which seems like a great way to integrate into the campus as a transfer.

[Anonymous]

I did this. I was a top student through hs and then suffered from some mental health issues. I then transferred to a top 20 private college and then went to a top 10 law school.

Like the berkeley pp, the cc classes were small, I got individualized attention, and while I wouldn't call them rigorous they were comparable to my 4 year college courses in rigor.

The one area where the cc was not ideal was the social side once I got to the 4 year college. It's difficult to fit into a community that others have been in together for 2 years prior. By then, friend groups are solid. I found a group of other transfers and it was fine, but it's something to be aware of.

Would I recommend this path to others? Maybe, depending on your circumstances. For me, it was necessary, and I was glad the opportunity existed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew is doing this right now in California. He's one of the top students in his HS but didn't get into the UC he wants to go to so is taking advantage of the free CC option there. It's becoming a much more common path for high-achievers in CA who want to go to UCs since admissions has become so difficult. He's in a honors program at the CC so that keeps him with other focused students who are aiming for the transfer to a 4-year. I know NVCC offers the same thing so I'd explore that.

And, my son is going to VT and I can see that their housing options include a living-learning community just for transfer students, which seems like a great way to integrate into the campus as a transfer.

my sibling did this ... went to local c.c. then to Cal. Did this due to finances. Pretty common in CA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Do you have first-hand experience with this happening?

Additionally to the question posed above, so what? You didn't meet any new friends Junior/Senior year of college? Because I most certainly did and, in fact, those are the ones I keep in contact with the most.
Finally, college options are changing for many reasons, and cost is a big part of that. You're going to see more people take this path b/c financially it makes a lot of sense to do it.

[Anonymous]

I used to be an adjunct professor at a community college. I loved it (stopped when I had kids and couldn't handle my real job and kids and teaching)
Each semester, my students were all over the place. I had some absolutely brilliant students, who were inquisitive, wrote well, did the work, and I am sure went on to wonderful things at four year colleges. I also had students who were clearly struggling - some came for help and we pulled them through and others stopped showing up all together.

The point is, I firmly believe you can get a fantastic education at a community college. But the student really needs to be responsible and take advantage of the help that is offered. I can see how for some 18 year olds it would be really easy to just slowly drift away from school when you aren't on a campus all the time surrounded by other students doing homework, going to the library or lab, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Do you have first-hand experience with this happening?

I have tangential experience- my closest friend from undergrad transferred in as a junior. He's part of a group of guys who are still in touch 20 years later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Do you have first-hand experience with this happening?

I have tangential experience- my closest friend from undergrad transferred in as a junior. He's part of a group of guys who are still in touch 20 years later

So he integrated into the community pretty well despite not being there four years. Good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Not all kids "need" to experience being a freshman at a huge school. A LOT Of the kids would benefit with starting off as freshman at a smaller environment such as a CC. I did it and it is what I needed to gain the confidence that I can actually do college. I imagine that a lot of kids with ADHD, for example, might be better off with spending the first two years at CC while living at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to NOVA and got an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) before transferring to GMU as a junior. I also graduated in four years and had no challenges integrating into the four-year college experience.

OP, if this is looking like a path for you I think it's a great opportunity to test the waters for college-level courses and also to save money.

Right now it seems a lot of people are migrating to the CC experience because four years are so darned expensive.

Good luck!

Thank you! This a similar path to what we are thinking and I’m glad it worked well for you.

OP, my kid is probably not going to get into 4 yr college, so I have had to open my mind to Comm. College and possibly working for a year. But, in my searching, I found out about the NOVA/GMU "Advance" program. This is my best hope for my kid. It's not the guaranteed admission program. It's a little different. You DO NOT have to apply to GMU if you are approved for "Advance." You go to NOVA's website and they have listed about 10 different general areas (i.e. physical sciences, or IT, or education and services, etc.). Then when you pick a general area, it lists the 4-yr degrees that GMU offers within that area. So, for "physical sciences" it'll list B.S. Biology, etc., etc. Then when you pick a 4-yr degree from the listing, it will show you which NOVA degree you need to get (2 yr degree) and this is the good part: It shows you exactly which courses you will take for your 2 yrs. ALL of those courses are guaranteed to transfer to GMU AND APPLY to your 4 yr degree from GMU. PLUS, they have special counselors who will work with your kid to make sure they graduate IN 4 YEARS.

Advance program students are allowed to take some classes at GMU while most classes are at NOVA, and they have access to events, sports, facilities (i.e. like the gym) at GMU while they are NOVA Advance students. So it could be used as a bit of transition during that 2nd year at NOVA. You only have to keep a 2.0 gpa to get into Advance. Can't have more than 30 college credits to apply for Advance.

Students in "Advance" are automatically enrolled at GMU... no need to apply as a transfer. No need to deal with SAT scores.

If a student can keep up with NOVA college classes (and tbh, I don't know that my kid will), but it is a nice bridge to the 4 yr degree.

I cannot believe that I'm in this situation with my kid.... but it is what it is. Try to make the best of it.

Check out the Advance program.

[Anonymous]

I did this round, 2 years cc & 2 years university. All credits got transfer into university but not GPA. Level 300 & 400 at university classes are harder to keep high GPA. If I have money, I would let my kids go to 4 years university to keep the grade higher. 6 out of 7 us went this round. So far, all the second generation kids go to 4 years university

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disregarding your request because these are 2 coworkers but something they didn’t know but I found interesting. Even when following a transfer friendly path, there is a leap between the 2 types of schools and you are joining the 4 year college class as a junior or a 2nd semester sophomore so you’re in class with people who have been at the 4 year school for 2 years and have adjusted to the workload and culture of the 4 year school. You can do it but give yourself time to make the transition. They said taking 3 instead of 4 or 5 classes would have helped that 1st semester at the 4 year.

There may be a supportive program at the 4 year your child ultimately attends but many 4 year school overlook the above.

No and no. This is absurb.

Workload is the same. And many Community College students work a job as well, they got this. OP please ignore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did this round, 2 years cc & 2 years university. All credits got transfer into university but not GPA. Level 300 & 400 at university classes are harder to keep high GPA. If I have money, I would let my kids go to 4 years university to keep the grade higher. 6 out of 7 us went this round. So far, all the second generation kids go to 4 years university

Opposite is true.

OP Leaving community college and going to a four year school a student's GPA re starts. So there are no worries about GPA. It's actually a gift for many students to restart that GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did this round, 2 years cc & 2 years university. All credits got transfer into university but not GPA. Level 300 & 400 at university classes are harder to keep high GPA. If I have money, I would let my kids go to 4 years university to keep the grade higher. 6 out of 7 us went this round. So far, all the second generation kids go to 4 years university

YMMV on this. I went to a SLAC and had an ok GPA heading into junior year, but once I was done with requirement and in seminar classes that interested me my GPA shot up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't get a real college experience going the CC route. By the time you transfer to a four-year school — assuming you make it that far; the percentage of CC kids who drop out their first or second year is astronomical — your peers will have settled into friend groups and routines, moved off campus, and started preparing for post-college life. Freshman year is something every kid should get to experience, and unfortunately, you can't recreate it as a junior CC transfer.

Do you have first-hand experience with this happening?

No, I went to a four-year school and still have fond memories of freshman year. It was an unforgettable time, and I'd hate for my kid not to be able to experience it. Junior and senior year were great, and yes, I did continue to make new friends as an upperclassman. But that first weekend in the freshman dorm was lit! I couldn't have imagined being back at home in my high school bedroom.