Calling all students who transferred from a CC with a 3.9+ to a top 25 school

[aalamruad]

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[MrLogan13]

I also went to a California community college. While I did not go to a top 25, I did transfer to a UC. I am currently a graduate student at a large Midwestern medical school and have taken courses alongside the medical students. Nothing I did at the UC or in my graduate program has been significantly more challenging than what I did at my CC. I actually thought classes at the UC were slightly easier, and the only thing that made the med school courses more challenging was the volume and time frame given to learn that volume. I think you'll be okay, but that depends greatly on the rigor of your CC courses.

 

[ZaneKaiser]

My CC had classes that were more challenging than the ones I'm taking at a UC right now. I'm looking at you Principles of Botany

The thing with California Community Colleges is that a handful are extremely competitive if they have a high top tier UC transfer rate, with a significant amount of college students gunning for Berkeley and UCLA you have a lot of competition for higher grades in classes, and professors will make their classes especially challenging in order to thin the herds.

If you're CCC has a high transfer rate to top UCs, your classes are probably rigorous enough to prepare you for a Top 25 school

 

[MrLogan13]

It's funny, because California community college has been my only CC experience, so I just thought all CC's were taught at that level. I always wondered why people pooh-poohed CC's when everything at my CC was more challenging than most of my courses at the UC, and only slightly less so than my graduate courses. I was really surprised to learn that other CC's weren't all like that.

 

[Fedekz]

I went from a community college to a university ranked between 25-50, I didn't notice any mind blowing changes. The students tried harder and were more serious, but my grades didn't change and my study habits didn't either. In fact, the best professor I've ever had was at the CC. You get a lot more personalized education, professors get to know you, and it's easier to get quality content LORs.

A lot of people preach that a top university is miles different than a lower tier, I suppose that's certainly possible especially if the courses are curved where your competing against people who have been at the ivy for 2 years (assuming you'll transfer after an AA) and know the ropes and may be more intelligent than you. I didn't experience it, but SDN seems convinced that there is a huge change.

 

[rangoon1984]

I had a 4.0 at a CC and then transferred to a top 20. It's a world of difference. If you took gen chem at the CC and gen chem at this university it would be like you weren't even taking the same class.

 

[efle]

the major difference in difficulty is usually talked about regarding the curved and very competitive prereqs (Genchem physics bio orgo, possibly also biochem calc and at some schools psych) . If you get to transfer credit for those and go right into higher level classes, then difficulty becomes extremely variable and may not be any different than a UC or rigorous Cali CC.

Edit: as the above poster mentioned, for those curved prereqs they are worlds apart - you will not find anything at a CC similar to the year of Chem or bio at JHop, UChicago or other non inflating top STEM schools for example

 

[moop]

CA CCs are a world of difference away from CCs across the rest of the country. We hear different stories about rigor of CCs vs. 4-year schools because yes, some CCs are jokes and won't even be teaching anywhere near the same material as a better school, but others actually have high standards with caring professors who will grind you as much as many other universities do. YMMV. Not all CCs are made the same.

That being said, though, it is just unthinkable for any CC to come anywhere close to any Ivy or Ivy-like caliber school in terms of rigor and difficulty..

 

[efle]

That being said, though, it is just unthinkable for any CC to come anywhere close to any Ivy or Ivy-like caliber school in terms of rigor and difficulty..

Depends on the classes taken. This is true for the curved prereqs, but ive taken 300 level small classes which were easier than some high school APs. For the tiny major specific courses, it varies a ton by professor.

 

[aalamruad]

Wow, the decision seems to be very very split

 

[altblue]

non-cal CC to top 20 here

I don't exactly go to a small school (much like the UCs 😉 ), but I have not noticed a significant difference in difficulty. Instead, since a lot of science classes take place in large lecture halls, it's impractical to offer quizzes, paper homework etc. , so I've had to be more self motivated about my studies. Trust me, when you're on 5 hours of sleep and it's 1 AM, you don't want to review 50 flash cards. 😉

This could just be my school, though. n=1 🙂

 

[MrLogan13]

Wow, the decision seems to be very very split

Probably because it depends on the CC you went to.

Also depends on the type of student you are, too.

 

[aalamruad]

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[MrLogan13]

Are you in SoCal or NorCal?

 

[almostnever]

PM sent.

 

[moop]

Are you in SoCal or NorCal?

He's in...NoCal (drumset)

 

[aalamruad]

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