Community College?

[caorlannriv]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

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[cheechootrain]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

There are numerous threads about this. It may or may not affect your chances. However, you need to excel in CC as well as in the university. If you did, I wouldn't worry. Unless you got a C in community college and in the university, this can make your opportunities limited, or even yet, bring it to a screeching halt.

 

[phikapdoctor]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

Yes, but it sound like you don't have a choice so make the best of it.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling

 

[theseeker4]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

As long as you ace everything and everything else in your application is excellent as well, your beginning at a community college is unlikely to effect your chances at all but a few schools. It is essential that you do well at the community college, and even more essential that your grades don't decline when you start at the university.

 

[Rysukosan]

So far from what I have gathered (i am in the same position) I'd just make sure your actual pre-med reqs are done at the University. I was told it can weigh in on admission decisions due to it being a CC but I have been told as long as you do we'll in CC and just do your pre-med courses at he University you should be fine. I am basing his off of previous threads and personal conversations.

 

[Sesom]

CC is easier. I know some colleges may not care but some do.



If at all possible I really would jump straight into university. It just makes more sense.

 

[RomanTaylor]

CC is easier. I know some colleges may not care but some do.



If at all possible I really would jump straight into university. It just makes more sense.

Some don't have a choice.

For example, military folks that served first, then want to go to college afterwards. They (We) are so far removed from academia that most state colleges won't consider us. We have to go to CC to, I reckon, prove ourselves.

 

[angemon89]

CC is easier. I know some colleges may not care but some do.

If that topic ever comes up in my interview I will make an argument against it. It's not always true across all CC's.

 

[acslater99]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

I actually sent out a message regarding this to 5 Medical schools in Florida.(FSU,UF,FIU,USF,UM)

So far I got a reply from FIU saying That they do accept people that take their Prereqs at a CC but make sure to take upper division Science course at the University such as Biochemistry,genetics etc.

I'll post what the other schools said regarding this topic as I get more response's.

 

[Sesom]

Some don't have a choice.

For example, military folks that served first, then want to go to college afterwards. They (We) are so far removed from academia that most state colleges won't consider it. We have to go to CC to, I reckon, prove ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, I understand. I spent a couple years at a cc myself. If you have no means of going to a university than cc is an option. Maybe a good option would be to do well for a couple semesters and try for a scholarship at a university. In my experience university was quite a bit more difficult than cc and the class sizes were a lot larger. And in my opinion, lower level cc classes do not prepare you well enough for higher level university classes. And on top of that there seems to be debate upon whether schools look down on it. Always do whatever is best for you if you have the means to do it.

 

[Sesom]

If that topic ever comes up in my interview I will make an argument against it. It's not always true across all CC's.

That's the thing though. It's better to not have that as a talking point in the first place. I am well aware that there is variability in the world. It's laughable to think that the average university would be easeir than the average cc .

 

[amad01]

That's the thing though. It's better to not have that as a talking point in the first place. I am well aware that there is variability in the world. It's laughable to think that the average university would be easeir than the average cc .

"Easiness" depends more on the professor than the school. Each school will have easy and hard professors for certain classes. To argue that school x is harder than school y is dumb... What is "hard" anyways? That's why this topic is just stupid.

This is why they invented this test called the MCAT, whose sole purpose is to equalize the playing field.

 

[Sesom]

"Easiness" depends more on the professor than the school. Each school will have easy and hard professors for certain classes. To argue that school x is harder than school y is dumb... What is "hard" anyways? That's why this topic is just stupid.

This is why they invented this test called the MCAT, whose sole purpose is to equalize the playing field.

acslater99 mentioned a school just a few posts up that didn't even accept students who took pre-reqs at a cc. So the MCAT may not help in that department. The fact that one school wouldn't accept pre-reqs from cc actually means something.

If you can swing uni from the start than do it! Otherwise try to take the required amount of credits to transfer and shoot for a scholarship. If your getting the grades a pre-med should than you're bound to get something.

 

[caorlannriv]

I would love to go to a university now but people keep telling me I have to finish my AA there. Is there anyway I can transfer without having to wait?

 

[Sesom]

I would love to go to a university now but people keep telling me I have to finish my AA there. Is there anyway I can transfer without having to wait?

Where I'm from it was required to take 30 credits at cc before transferring to university. I'm not sure if that's the case everywhere.

 

[RomanTaylor]

At least in Florida, you can transfer whenever the receiving university wants you.

 

[Cozell]

Im in your position and I have done research on this subject so much its ridiculous, I wouldn't be to quick to listen to whoever tells you that you need to try to complete all of your pre reqs at your Uni. Because if you get your AA then you will have 1 year to complete all pre reqs and take the MCat all in a new environment/living situation, and this is if you don't want to have a gap year.

Im taking Bio an Chem now at my CC I will take (in the way of pre reqs) Chem2 and Bio2 then transfer with my AA, My plan is to take as many Upper div. Bio courses as I can feasibly manage and our GPA will be fresh so you can be a 4.0 Cum laude honors graduate if you put the effort in lol. Our CC and University Gpa's will be averaged on AMCAS as far as I know, The Mcat is the Equalizer so study hard and if you bust a 30+ as well as keep above a B on all upper div sciences at your Uni. you should be a strong candidate.

my 2cent.

 

[theseeker4]

I would love to go to a university now but people keep telling me I have to finish my AA there. Is there anyway I can transfer without having to wait?

Who is telling you that? Obviously the CC wants you to stay with them long enough to get the degree and give them more money. If someone at a university you want to transfer to says that, I would talk to several different people in admissions about what the actual policy is before accepting it as fact, as often people working for schools give answers they don't know the answer to, and therefore give the wrong info.

 

[chrismenz4]

I actually sent out a message regarding this to 5 Medical schools in Florida.(FSU,UF,FIU,USF,UM)

So far I got a reply from FIU saying That they do accept people that take their Prereqs at a CC but make sure to take upper division Science course at the University such as Biochemistry,genetics etc.

I'll post what the other schools said regarding this topic as I get more response's.

What did the other schools(FSU) say?......

 

[gyngyn]

I would love to go to a university now but people keep telling me I have to finish my AA there. Is there anyway I can transfer without having to wait?

Nobody in admissions cares if you got your AA degree or not.

 

[darkjedi]

Some don't have a choice.

For example, military folks that served first, then want to go to college afterwards. They (We) are so far removed from academia that most state colleges won't consider us. We have to go to CC to, I reckon, prove ourselves.

Post-bacs are meant exactly for people like you who have been removed from college for a while. I would be surprised if your local state university did not have a option in place for this.

As other's have mentioned before CC credits are rarely accepted, so it's far superior to do our pre-reqs at a local state uni that offers postbac classes.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

There are numerous threads about this. It may or may not affect your chances. However, you need to excel in CC as well as in the university. If you did, I wouldn't worry. Unless you got a C in community college and in the university, this can make your opportunities limited, or even yet, bring it to a screeching halt.

This isnt even entirely true. Just depends on the class. And i think he wanted a train related pun.

 

[ribbondino]

If the GPA from a CC isn't even factored into anything once you transfer, how does it matter? Do they really want the grades from that after you have transferred?

 

[Cozell]

Post-bacs are meant exactly for people like you who have been removed from college for a while. I would be surprised if your local state university did not have a option in place for this.

As other's have mentioned before CC credits are rarely accepted, so it's far superior to do our pre-reqs at a local state uni that offers postbac classes.

Dont spout false information, CC credits are not "rarely" accepted they are "rarely" denied in fact only about 3 schools outright do not accept CC credits. Strong GPA at CC 3.5+ and strong gpa at Uni. 3.5+ with a strong Mcat makes you a strong applicant.

If the GPA from a CC isn't even factored into anything once you transfer, how does it matter? Do they really want the grades from that after you have transferred?

CC gpa is averaged with your Uni. Gpa so if you 3.0 at CC and 4.0 at Uni. with a 2 year transfer AA degree then you will have a 3.5 on AMCAS without any +/- factored in of course.

Dont let someone who is not in our position/doesn't know anyone in our position tell you that your screwed for going to CC. I think our application needs to shine in others areas such as upper div bios EC's and a strong Mcat however once these things are met the playing field is fair game.

 

[Aminex]

I spoke with KCUMB about their special Master's program and CC coursework was fine for entrance--of which almost all of them go on to the D.O. Granted, that's probably among the lower thresholds to get a medical degree but it beats the Caribbean by a mile and it's all the same in the end*

*kinda

 

[acslater99]

What did the other schools(FSU) say?......

But I just got a reply from UF here's what they said.

"In order to create the most academically competitive application you should take all prerequisite courses at the most competitive bachelor degree granting institution where you can gain entrance. You should try to complete your pre-requsite courses at a four-year institute."

Aside from that. How would someone who's going to CC be able to take there Prereq's at a 4 year University? That would make them have to take all the Prereq's their whole junior year just in time to do MCAT and make an application to the school.

Doesn't that sound impossible?


EDIT**

Got a reply from FSU here it is:

"We prefer for our applicants to take their pre-requisites at a 4 year institution, in the classroom. But, we understand that this is not always possible, so we do accept grades from junior colleges.

And yes, we have accepted applicants who have taken pre-reqs at a junior college, but the majority of their courses are still from other institutions.

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

Ok i am taking my first 2 years of my BA at my local community college for financial reasons and getting my BA at FSU which is a very competitive school.
Will my first 2 years at CC affect my opportunities?

No you're fine. I took prereqs at a CC and had absolutely no problems.

 

[acslater99]

No you're fine. I took prereqs at a CC and had absolutely no problems.

If you don't mind what Medical school did you get accepted into?

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

If you don't mind what Medical school did you get accepted into?

Toledo and WSU.

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

Funny thing is my advisor was paid by the school to tell me the same thing that's repeated on these boards. It's more profitable to have you take a course at their school than at a CC.

 

[caorlannriv]

So I should just transfer to a university as soon as I have the ability ?

 

[RomanTaylor]

So I should just transfer to a university as soon as I have the ability ?

That's what I would recommend. Ask your perspective school.

 

[Cozell]

No you're fine. I took prereqs at a CC and had absolutely no problems.

See guys I think grades and Mcat outweighs specific institutions, if not then all of the Ivy grads would have us beat out for every med school even if they had lower GPA's and Mcat's.

One thing I would like to know from you is how many CC credits did you have, did you get your AA or AS(Associate in Arts or Science) and how many Pre reqs did you take at your CC.

 

[Lollygag]

I've heard people say before that if it is feasible, you should try to take organic chem 1 and 2 when you transfer to a 4 year university. It is possible that due to the difficult nature of organic chem, taking that at a 4 year university and excelling in it could help remove some doubts from an ADCOM if you were previously at a CC. That and obviously, doing well on the MCAT.

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

See guys I think grades and Mcat outweighs specific institutions, if not then all of the Ivy grads would have us beat out for every med school even if they had lower GPA's and Mcat's.

One thing I would like to know from you is how many CC credits did you have, did you get your AA or AS(Associate in Arts or Science) and how many Pre reqs did you take at your CC.

I did the following courses at a CC:
Calc II & III
Gen Chem II & III with lab
Bio I & II with lab
OChem II & III with lab

I had a semester university and a quarterly CC. I might have had one or two more CC courses but I can't remember. Now I am a 4th year in med school. Nobody brought it up. All they brought up was the F on my transcript and my GPA, nothing else about why did I take a course here or there.

 

[SeekerOfTheTree]

I think there is this train of thought at maybe Ivy League schools that because you took a course at a CC it must have been easy and you are a slacker. This couldn't be further from the truth. My CC courses were comparable to my Uni courses. They hand out As at a CC.

 

[Swartzlehman]

X

 

[Stumpyman]

I did every single prereq at the local cc's. Took biochem, molecular bio and genetics at UC Berk ext. Accepted to University of Southern California, UVM and Case Western. Slev, who applied last cycle got into Johns Hopkins for god sake and took all of his prereqs at the CC. As mentioned before, there are three schools that don't accept cc credits. There are about 150 schools you can still apply to. Don't worry, you'll be fine.

I always feel terrible about myself after reading the misinformed (or uninformed) comments from pre-meds, but mirroring what this guy and others have said, you're not a big loss taking CC pre reqs, just do good on the MCAT and Uni courses and you should be fine. Only 3 schools outright say they don't take CC credits (VCU is one of them, and VCU still offers exceptions), while the rest of America is generally alright with them given the other standards are met.

 

[apt22]

CC is easier. I know some colleges may not care but some do.



If at all possible I really would jump straight into university. It just makes more sense.

This is not always true.

 

[acslater99]

Well If there are any Florida residents out there I'm finding out which schools accepts Prerequisites at a CC.


Accepts: FIU,FSU,FAU

Declines(They said preferred, You can probably still get in with a great GPA+MCAT): FU,MU

Im still waiting replies for USF and UCF.

 

[caorlannriv]

Great it's FSU I really want to get into