"Community College Is Fine As Long As You Get As."

[Dannyw]

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Having taken classes at CC for fun while doing my degree at a 4-yr, I have to say I notice two big differences.

1) The quality of the professor. Maybe it was the CC I went to, but there was a big difference between my uni with BIG research names who new everything about their field and the guy teaching the CC class cuz he had a master's degree and needed a job. This also has to do with funding.

2) The most important: the quality of the competition. My 4-yr school is top 30 or something, so maybe that is why. But 90% of the students in CC are the ones who never got into a 4-yr in the first place. The 10%, on the other hand, are just as capable, but usually had financial difficulties or other career plans. This is why it is usually easier to get good grades in curved classes.

tl;dr: Don't listen to me.

I agree with both of your points to an extent. I completed an associates degree before transferring and I'm now finishing my bachelors.

I agree that most people at CCs are idiots. However, if you do well at a CC, you're going to do well at a university. It doesn't change anything when you transfer. The content is generally the same and I don't find either school to be more difficult.

 

[katiemaude]

I called 10 medical schools (DO and MD) where I might be interested in applying. None of them said they had a problem with prereqs taken at a CC. Now maybe it's true, that when someone is reviewing my app, they will see that my transcript is from a CC and dismiss my grades -- or at least mentally downgrade them. They could also do that looking at your state university app or your small, no-name college app. I would think that's why killing the MCAT is so crucial, regardless of where you went to school.

As for rigor and grade inflation, I have a bachelor's from a top 10 university and I took gen chem there 15 years ago (got a B+, I think). Besides the fact that I was a first-semester freshman adjusting to being far from home, the best explanation for why I got an A this time around at my CC is the smaller class size and the quality of my instructor. My top 10 uni instructor was a world-renowned research scientist. His lectures made no sense. He gave Scrantron tests. My CC tests were way harder -- they required all written answers and calculations -- and the material he covered was actually more in-depth. He gave 15 percent of students A's - the class wasn't curved. Could it be that my classmates were dumber? Or could it be that my top 10 university gave out good grades like candy. I'm not in a position to say about the latter, but my chem classmates at the CC were far from dumb. Two of them transferred to Ivy League schools this semester.

I think you do the best you can. You get the best grades you can at the school that is best for your learning. As a non-trad who can only take classes at night this semester, I would be screwed if I was taking courses at a university. I live in a region with nine universities and NONE OF THEM offer science prereqs at night - not even the ones with adult learner programs. If I could afford to move back to my alma mater and take their adult learner classes, I would in a heartbeat.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I called 10 medical schools (DO and MD) where I might be interested in applying. None of them said they had a problem with prereqs taken at a CC. Now maybe it's true, that when someone is reviewing my app, they will see that my transcript is from a CC and dismiss my grades -- or at least mentally downgrade them. They could also do that looking at your state university app or your small, no-name college app. I would think that's why killing the MCAT is so crucial, regardless of where you went to school.

As for rigor and grade inflation, I have a bachelor's from a top 10 university and I took gen chem there 15 years ago (got a B+, I think). Besides the fact that I was a first-semester freshman adjusting to being far from home, the best explanation for why I got an A this time around at my CC is the smaller class size and the quality of my instructor. My top 10 uni instructor was a world-renowned research scientist. His lectures made no sense. He gave Scrantron tests. My CC tests were way harder -- they required all written answers and calculations -- and the material he covered was actually more in-depth. He gave 15 percent of students A's - the class wasn't curved. Could it be that my classmates were dumber? Or could it be that my top 10 university gave out good grades like candy. I'm not in a position to say about the latter, but my chem classmates at the CC were far from dumb. Two of them transferred to Ivy League schools this semester.

I think you do the best you can. You get the best grades you can at the school that is best for your learning. As a non-trad who can only take classes at night this semester, I would be screwed if I was taking courses at a university. I live in a region with nine universities and NONE OF THEM offer science prereqs at night - not even the ones with adult learner programs. If I could afford to move back to my alma mater and take their adult learner classes, I would in a heartbeat.

if your professor gives 15% of the class As, then that's a curve...

 

[BrainBuff]

This has been discussed ad nauseum, and I find interesting how people give the spin that they feel comfortably hearing or believing.

The fact is, that as a current applicant, I have finished more than 20 secondary applications and SEVERAL of them state, "even though we consider the applicant's complete record and specific life experiences, we PREFER all of the pre requisite courses be taken at US or Canadian accredited four year institutions and not at community colleges, online programs or other foreign institutions".

If anyone still want to spin this, feel free. We can all draw our conclusions.Personally, I think it is clear. If you can help it, DON'T TAKE ANYTHING AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

 

[BaronVonZ]

This has been discussed ad nauseum, and I find interesting how people give the spin that they feel comfortably hearing or believing.

The fact is, that as a current applicant, I have finished more than 20 secondary applications and SEVERAL of them state, "even though we consider the applicant's complete record and specific life experiences, we PREFER all of the pre requisite courses be taken at US or Canadian accredited four year institutions and not at community colleges, online programs or other foreign institutions".

If anyone still want to spin this, feel free. We can all draw our conclusions.Personally, I think it is clear. If you can help it, DON'T TAKE ANYTHING AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

Thank you! There is NO argument here, I don't see what people are still going on about. People with community college courses get accepted to medical schools every year, but that isn't to say their chances are the same.

OP: If your taking physics at a CC and getting a B I would highly recommend taking another physics course at a four year down the line and getting an "A". This (hopefully) will demonstrate to ADCOMS that you have the ability required to successfully complete physics courses and that the B at your community college was a fluke.

Highschooler: I don't know why everyone is beating up on you, particularly when the advice you gave was dead on. Welcome to the ugly side of human nature - people feel the need to be superior to others and you were an easy candidate because you're young. Don't worry, we'll all get ours in residency 🙂

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Lol? Have you never taken a university course or have you never taken a CC course? Or is the university you took courses at that bad? There's a HUGE difference between CC and university classes. I've taken multiple CC courses and I've taken courses at two different universities. CC classes are easy A's.

CC = no curve.
Uni = Curve.

I just took bio 2 over the summer at a CC, and lo and behold out of a class of students from JHU,GWU,AU,UMD ( amassed around 60% of class mass), they all complained about the class being really hard. While this is anecdotal but it does pay heed to the fact that not all CC's are created equal.

 

[111111111111111]

CC = no curve.
Uni = Curve.

I just took bio 2 over the summer at a CC, and lo and behold out of a class of students from JHU,GWU,AU,UMD ( amassed around 60% of class mass), they all complained about the class being really hard. While this is anecdotal but it does pay heed to the fact that not all CC's are created equal.

Yeah it happens sometimes, but most people (including adcoms) generalize cc classes as being less rigorous.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Yeah it happens sometimes, but most people (including adcoms) generalize cc classes as being less rigorous.

ADCOM's know many things. But remember if your applying to schools in lets say NY and went to a small private school in Maryland or Delaware which they haven't heard of or ever had a student from. They aren't going to give those students much love either.
I just would say don't worry about it, and especially in this economic time you can't blame people for choosing CC's.

 

[rHinO1]

A lot of people gave the HS kid a bunch of crap, but as a senior and in the process of applying, I don't give a crap what a college freshman or sophmore has to say either .

 

[Chevy Chase Fan]

A lot of people gave the HS kid a bunch of crap, but as a senior and in the process of applying, I don't give a crap what a college freshman or sophmore has to say either .

I agree, I basically only care about the opinion of people that are in the trenches, so to speak.

 

[Danlee07]

homozygous dominant trait AA is 1/4th chance............i don't think that is a great chance at all

 

[katiemaude]

if your professor gives 15% of the class As, then that's a curve...

No sir, that's what he happened to give 15 percent of the people in my class based on their scores on a scale of 0-100. It's not the same every semester, and it's not a curve. But nice try!

 

[sonia1177]

Well, what if you don't? What if you get a B? I'm referring to your science prereqs in particular. The consensus seems to be if you get a B at community college, you're finished, its time to throw in the towel.

Anyone here get a B in a science prereq @ a community college and still get into medical school?

The person who told you this is obviously seriously misinformed . I have a B in a math class from a community college. And I'm Not "throwing in the towel". I was able to go through with the process. Wow this is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. There is so much crap out there that people who have nothing better to do spread to freak other people out. Don't listen to them. And then people ask why premeds are so high strung-- misinformation like this is the reason.

 

[katiemaude]

Is this question or ones like it a sticky somewhere? It comes up a lot, especially in the non-trad forum.

Why is it so hard to grasp that adcomms - human beings - are going to take a shine to an A at an Ivy or highly ranked university versus an A anywhere else? I think that's common sense. But as for whether they're going to bar you from admission because of your CC credits, generally, I think not. Some will, perhaps. But others really won't care. CALL THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN.

Of course, the answer will come when you do or don't get into medical school. Anyone who doesn't get in is going to wonder why and they're going to pick the obvious target - and a CC is an easy place to lay the blame when it could just as easily be your lack of ECs, your MCAT score, your GPA, or your lack of personality at your interview.

Get As wherever you decide to take your prereqs. If you don't get an A and you're at Yale, you're going to look less polished next to the other Yalies applying to medical school the same year.

If you get a B, as many of us will, you suck it up and take more science classes to boost your sGPA but don't give up. A 3.0 is not going to kill your GPA, just fyi. There are going to be bigger things to stress about down the road.

 

[JumboShrimp]

i've taken courses at cc's and at universities. it just seems like in general, university courses are more rigorous. I'm sure that there is also a stigma about CC's with adcoms. even a high schooler could figure that out.

Not entirely true....I'm a cc transfer to UCI. My overall gpa at the cc was a 3.6(2 C's) and now i'm at uci with a 3.93. I find UC(s) easier, you have the DAMN curve and with not so smart kids it's easier to get an A unlike cc where it's straight curve.

 

[Chevy Chase Fan]

Not entirely true....I'm a cc transfer to UCI. My overall gpa at the cc was a 3.6(2 C's) and now i'm at uci with a 3.93. I find UC(s) easier, you have the DAMN curve and with not so smart kids it's easier to get an A unlike cc where it's straight curve.

were those 2Cs in science classes, shrimp?

 

[morning]

This is like the "does the medical school I go to matter to residency committees?" debate.

Taking your pre-reqs at a community college (BEFORE you transfer, not after) might matter a little, but there are certainly more important things to worry about, things that matter much more. Your GPA. Your MCAT. Volunteering. Research. Your interview skills.

Your debt load.

 

[drghost]

answering the original question - My first year of college was at a CC before I transferred to a state school. My grades first term were A D D (ironic I know). I am in medical school now.

Just have a good overall mcat (30+?), gpa(3.6+?), maybe some research and do all the prereqs and you will probably be fine.