As and Bs sound pretty good to me.

Child can get into a state school. They will be fine.

This is OP, thank you all for your comments. And yes, I might be too worried and have given up. We are paying for college, state schools is what we can afford, and there are good options. I guess with COVID, the uncertain future, we try to thread carefully.

Hijacking here... but I just started watching Community on Netflix- an old show about a group of CC students. I love it!

Who is paying for college?

Loans?

Anonymous wrote:Living away from home teaches important skills that he won't learn if he's going to CC while living in his childhood bedroom.

He will learn how to save thousands of dollars.
That is a huge lesson.

Anonymous wrote:You want your student to get the best education possible and also have the best chances at internships. Are you in a state where doing 2 years of community college guarantees you admission to state flagship? If so then maybe this plan is ok. But honestly you sound like you have given up on her (or him) and just want to cheap out. A’s and B’s are fine grades to get into many schools, and you can look for test optional. There is a middle ground between community college and the most elite/expensive schools and many are generous with aid, both need based and merit.

I agree that OP should look into 2+2 programs in your state. If you students is a bad test taker who gets A and B, they must be hard working and have other strong skills. I would encourage the student to apply to apply to at least a few schools with the understanding that cc is a strong option for them.

Great schools for B students. Don’t shortchange your kid if you can avoid it.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus

Agree with other posters and also wanted to point out that a Hs senior’s stated interests don’t always match what s/he winds up majoring in. Particularly with respect to an area like “PR” when likely all s/he knows about it is the glamorous Hollywood version. An A/B student will have many strong college options. If the desire to explore community college stems from finances or maturity, then absolutely a couple of years a couple with an eye toward transferring to state flagship is a terrific option (and should be discussed with one’s cc advisor as soon as possible so that the student takes an appropriate course load for that goal). But I wouldn’t encourage my child to cc for your stated reasons.

If the CC guarantees admission to the state flagship, sure. Or if $$$ is a real concern, then CC and a transfer to a four-year college can be a good plan. But you sound like you've just kind of given up on your kid and don't think it's worth it for them to go to a good school, which is not helpful.

It makes a lot of sense for anyone who wants to save money.
You can go to Montgomery College and transfer to UMD or
Community colleges in VA and transfer to UVA and your BS/BA degree will say UMD or UVA.
Make sure she takes credits that transfer.

Living away from home teaches important skills that he won't learn if he's going to CC while living in his childhood bedroom.

Premise about not leading to a high paying career sounds defeatist. I work in PR and make over 200K. I went to state flagship. Perfectly sound investment. She or he may get to school and realize there are other fields she is more interested in. I think you need to try to position your kid for exposure and opportunities, and you might be surprised what’s out there. Community college is fine for certain circumstances but there is a certain stigma - whether that is fair or not, just a fact.

You want your student to get the best education possible and also have the best chances at internships. Are you in a state where doing 2 years of community college guarantees you admission to state flagship? If so then maybe this plan is ok. But honestly you sound like you have given up on her (or him) and just want to cheap out. A’s and B’s are fine grades to get into many schools, and you can look for test optional. There is a middle ground between community college and the most elite/expensive schools and many are generous with aid, both need based and merit.

Student wants to study PR. Has A/B grades, low SAT. Not a good test taker. For a degree such as PR, wouldn’t it be better to go community college route to save money as it likely will not be leading to a high paying career. Any thoughts for and against?